Susumaniello is a red grape native to the Puglia region of southern Italy (the heel of the boot). At the turn of the century, there were only about 4 hectares of the vine grown, all from this region. Since this time, there has been a significant resurgence and now there are around 400 hectares underContinue reading “August 17th-Susumaniello”
Author Archives: Theloosetannin
August 10th-Trebbiano Spoletino
There’s a Trebbiano grape, which I wrote about way back on Sept 15th 2021, but this is slightly different and much less common. Trebbiano Spoletino is a native grape to the Umbria region (specifically from the Spoleto neighborhood of Trevi) in central Italy, just northeast of Rome and south of Florence. Standard Trebbiano Toscano orContinue reading “August 10th-Trebbiano Spoletino”
August 3rd-Erbaluce
The Piedmont region of northwestern Italy is primarily known for the powerful reds Barolo and Barbaresco, made from the Nebbiolo grape; however, there are still some white wines grown here also. Erbaluce (urb-buh-loo-chay) is an indigenous white grape variety to this area. The earliest mentions of the grape date back to the early 17th century.Continue reading “August 3rd-Erbaluce”
July 27th-Hondarrabi Beltza and Zuri
Hondarrabi has 2 distinct versions, a white (Zuri) and a red (Beltza) grape. Both are indigenous to the Basque region of northern Spain, but Zuri is substantially more common. Both grapes are the primary grapes used in the production of Txakoli (cha-co-li) wines, the customary wine from this region. By law, these wines must containContinue reading “July 27th-Hondarrabi Beltza and Zuri”
July 20th-Valdiguie and Negrette
Last week, I escaped the unseasonably cold and gross weather of the Pacific Northwest to explore the area of Paso Robles in central California. The purpose of the trip was to experience more of the region than I had previously, and I definitely managed that! When all was said and done, I had tasted atContinue reading “July 20th-Valdiguie and Negrette”
July 13th-Schiavo
Schiava is a red grape that may have originated in Germany (where it goes by the name Trollinger) or from Italy. There are also several other grapes that bear the Schiava name, but aren’t related, such as Schiava Gentile and Schiava Grossa. Today, Schiava is the major red grape grown in the northeastern region ofContinue reading “July 13th-Schiavo”
July 6th-Fendant (Chasselas)
A few weeks back, I had stopped into my local wine shop to pick up a few bottles and sat down at the bar for a glass. While talking with other guests, the shop owner was speaking to his father-in-law about a regular customer that stops in periodically and brings bottles of wine from Switzerland.Continue reading “July 6th-Fendant (Chasselas)”
June 29th-Moscatel and Doradilla
Moscatel, aka Muscat of Alexandria or Moscato, is an aromatic wine grape that is commonly used to make wines of varying levels of sweetness. It is one of the oldest grapes in the world that has remained genetically unmodified. It has been debated where this ancient vine originated. Some believe it comes from Egypt, asContinue reading “June 29th-Moscatel and Doradilla”
June 22nd-Carricante
This week we are continuing around the island of Sicily to another of the authorized grape varieties on the island, Carricante. Carricante is an ancient indigenous white grape and the main grape in Etna Bianco, DOC wines. These wines must, by law, contain a minimum of 60% Carricante. There is also a level of wineContinue reading “June 22nd-Carricante”
June 15th-Grillo
This week, we are venturing back to last week’s mention of Marsala wine and the white grape Grillo. Grillo, just like Catarratto, is from the island of Sicily. It is thought the grape may have originated in the region of Puglia, the heel of the boot, but this claim has not been substantiated. While thereContinue reading “June 15th-Grillo”
A Trip Around the World of Wine in 52 Weeks 