Theloosetannin

February 28th-Unfortified Pedro Ximénez

Pedro Ximénez is a white grape that is synonymous with fortified brown syrupy PX Sherry from Andalucía, Spain. It also likely originates from this region. Far less common are wines that are made using this grape that are lighter colored and unfortified. To make PX Sherry, the grapes are harvested then left to dry inContinue reading “February 28th-Unfortified Pedro Ximénez”

February 21st-Vintage Port

Vintage Port is a highly regarded Port wine made only in the best vintages. It is made from blends of red grapes such as Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional. Both of these grapes have high levels of tannin, flavor and color, which allows them to produce wines capable of prolonged aging. Grapes for these winesContinue reading “February 21st-Vintage Port”

February 14th-Madeira

Madeira isn’t just a Portuguese island and Portuguese archipelago, it is also a fortified wine. Madeira is the largest island in the archipelago and the home of Madeira wine production. These volcanic islands are located west of Morocco and north of the Canary Islands. There are mountains in the center of the island that goContinue reading “February 14th-Madeira”

February 7th-Red Vin Doux Naturel

Red Vin Doux Naturel (VDN) are usually made using blends of Grenache Noir. These wines are from the same areas as the white VDNs from last week, southern France. Red VDN can be made in an unaged method to produce fruity wines, which have dominant raspberry, red and black plum and blackberry notes. The unagedContinue reading “February 7th-Red Vin Doux Naturel”

January 31th-White Vin Doux Natural

Vin Doux Natural (VDN) is a fortified wine made in the regions of Southern Rhone, Roussillon, and Languedoc in southern France. These wines have varying levels of sweetness but are on the sweeter end of the spectrum. The wines are made using either white or red grapes, depending on the style of VDN that isContinue reading “January 31th-White Vin Doux Natural”

January 24th-Rutherglen Muscat

Rutherglen Muscat is a fortified sweet wine made in the Rutherglen region of New South Wales in Australia. The grape used for this wine is a genetic variant of Muscat Blanc a Petit Grains which has a brown skin. The grape is known as Brown Muscat or Muscat a Petit Grains Rouge. It is recognizedContinue reading “January 24th-Rutherglen Muscat”

January 17th-White Port

Port wines are fortified wines from the Douro region in northern Portugal. Vineyards are found along the banks of the Douro River in one of three subregions. The coolest climate and most affected by maritime influences of the Atlantic Ocean is the Baixo Corgo. Slightly further inland is the warmer and drier subregion of CimaContinue reading “January 17th-White Port”

January 10th-Furmint

Furmint is a white grape indigenous to the Tokaj region of Hungary. It is a highly acidic grape that is used to make varietal dry wines as well as the famous blended Tokaji sweet wines. When Furmint is blended, its common blending partner is Hárslevelű, an aromatic white grape variety. Furmint is used for sweetContinue reading “January 10th-Furmint”

January 3rd-Sagrantino

Sagrantino is a red grape that is probably indigenous to the central Italian town of Montefalco, located in the region of Umbria. It is thought to have been introduced to the area by Byzantine monks that came from Greece or the Franciscans from Asia Minor. Sagrantino is likely derived from the Italian word for sacred,Continue reading “January 3rd-Sagrantino”

December 27th-Tannat

Tannat is a highly tannic, deeply colored red grape likely indigenous to the region of Madiran in southwestern France. The name Tannat translates to ‘colored like tan’ in the local dialect, Béarn. This moniker is believed to be tied to the dark berry color. The tannin content could also be partly responsible for the name.Continue reading “December 27th-Tannat”