Theloosetannin

June 8th-Catarratto

Catarratto is a white grape variety from the island of Sicily, off the toe of the boot of southern Italy. It has a long history and is the most widely planted grape variety in Sicily. However, production has been on the decline over the past few years in favor of international grape varieties. There areContinue reading “June 8th-Catarratto”

June 1st-Muscadet/Melon Blanc

This week I wanted to discuss the white grape Muscadet, aka Melon de Bourgogne or Melon Blanc. In seeing the name Muscadet, it is common to think it is similar to the famous Muscat. Likewise, when seeing the name Melon de Bourgogne, some believe the wines come from the Burgundy region of France. These assumptions,Continue reading “June 1st-Muscadet/Melon Blanc”

May 25th-Greco di Tufo

Greco di Tufo has the distinction of not just being a grape, but also being the name of a recognized wine area within the Campania region of Italy. The Greco variety exists as both a white grape (Greco bianco) and a purple grape (Greco nero). Greco di Tufo is a clone of the Greco biancoContinue reading “May 25th-Greco di Tufo”

May 18th-Caprettone

Caprettone is a white grape that originates from the Campania region of Southwestern Italy, around the city of Naples. This region is heavily influenced by Mount Vesuvius (pictured on the wine label) and the volcanic soils of the area. Caprettone is almost entirely grown in the Vesuvio DOC (denominazione di origine controllata, meaning a wineContinue reading “May 18th-Caprettone”

May 11th-Xarel·lo

Xarel·lo is a white grape native to the Catalunya region of northeastern Spain. It is one of three varieties notably found blended in the sparkling wine Cava. It is used in the traditional blend for Cava because it adds a high level of acid that balances out the richer texture of the grape Macabeo. CavaContinue reading “May 11th-Xarel·lo”

May 4th-White Zinfandel

When someone asks me if I can teach them about wine, one of the first questions I ask to gauge their knowledge base is what color they think zinfandel wine normally comes in. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard the sweet older lady at the end of the bar exclaim ‘I thought thisContinue reading “May 4th-White Zinfandel”

April 27th-Pecorino

Pecorino is a light skinned grape found in the central Italy regions of Marche and Abruzzo along the Adriatic coast. These regions have been known for sheep farming for generations. The grapes of Pecorino are low yielding and one of the first to ripen in the vineyard, making it a real problem that it wasContinue reading “April 27th-Pecorino”

April 20th-Fiano

Fiano is a white grape that originates in the southern Italian region of Campania, around the city of Naples. It was first mentioned in the 13th century in a property register on a purchase made by Emperor Frederic II. The wines produced from this grape are fuller bodied with notes of tropical fruits, tree fruits,Continue reading “April 20th-Fiano”

April 13th-Return to Armenia

This week, I decided to select another bottle from Armenia. This one is a blend of 2 indigenous white grapes, Voskéat and Garandmak, from the winery Zorah in the Voyots Dzor region. According to the winery’s website (there isn’t a lot of information about these grapes out there), the name Voskéat means ‘golden seed’ inContinue reading “April 13th-Return to Armenia”

April 6th-Baja California

A couple weeks ago, while having dinner with some friends in Seattle, our waiter told me they had a couple bottles of wine available from the Baja Peninsula, a portion of Mexico. While I knew this to be an up and coming wine region, I hadn’t yet had the opportunity to try wines from theContinue reading “April 6th-Baja California”