Theloosetannin

March 30th-Vaccarèse

This week, I’m going to discuss the little known French grape variety, Vaccarèse. It is a dark skinned grape that originates from the southern Rhône Valley in France. It also goes by the name Brun Argenté (which translates into brown silvery, indicative of the skin color the grapes exhibit). The French wine laws dictate whichContinue reading “March 30th-Vaccarèse”

March 23rd-Roussanne

Roussanne is a grape native to the Rhȏne region in southeastern France along the Rhȏne River. In this region, you will commonly find it blended with Marsanne to create a Cȏtes du Rhȏne Blanc. Individually, Marsanne is rich and full bodied while Roussanne has a significant level of acidity, fruit, and floral notes. They canContinue reading “March 23rd-Roussanne”

March 16th-Vidiano

While trying to decide what to taste this week, I came across a bottle of Vidiano tucked away in my pile of bottles (I’m a bit behind on putting bottles onto my racks…). Vidiano is a white grape variety indigenous to Crete (a Greek Isle in the Mediterranean east of mainland Greece and west ofContinue reading “March 16th-Vidiano”

March 9th-Tempranillo Blanco

Tempranillo blanco was a natural genetic mutation of the traditional red Tempranillo grape. It was discovered in the Orientale area of the Rioja region of northern Spain in the late 1980s. The plant it was discovered on grew mostly clusters of the red grape but one cluster was yellow. From this point, the plant wasContinue reading “March 9th-Tempranillo Blanco”

March 2nd-Chardonnay

This week, I decided to go with something more familiar. It also happens to be a bottle I’ve been wanting to open since I bought it last year! I’ve written about the Bacigalupi family and vineyards before but I’m going to revisit their story this week. Helen (a pharmacist) and Charles (a dentist) purchased theirContinue reading “March 2nd-Chardonnay”

February 23rd-Manzoni Bianco

Manzoni Bianco (Incrocio Manzoni 6.0.13) is a white grape variety created by professor Luigi Manzoni in the 1930’s. Professor Manzoni was an instructor at the Viticulture and Oenology School of Conegliano in Veneto. In the mid 1920’s, he decided to experiment crossing vines to create new grape varieties. The process takes prolonged periods of timeContinue reading “February 23rd-Manzoni Bianco”

February 16th-Limniona and Xinomavro

Limniona and Xinomavro are both Greek red grape varieties. Xinomavro is quite a bit more common than Limniona but Limniona is increasing in popularity. Limniona has been around for decades but had always been used as a blending grape. It didn’t get bottles as a single varietal wine until 2007. It originates from the regionContinue reading “February 16th-Limniona and Xinomavro”

February 9th-Gelber Muskateller

This week, I found myself at my favorite local wine shop looking for some unusual finds when the owners pointed me in the direction of this variety. The proprietors know my affinity for the obscure and are always eager to help me find something new. Muskateller is an indigenous grape to Europe, presumably from theContinue reading “February 9th-Gelber Muskateller”

February 2nd-Field Blends

Fields blends may sound mundane but they can be delightfully surprising. Most vineyards are planted with specific grape varieties. When a vineyard is planted with multiple varieties and these grapes are harvested and fermented at the same time, it results in a field blend wine. This style of wine is most common in Old WorldContinue reading “February 2nd-Field Blends”

January 26th-Arneis

Arneis is a white grape variety from the northern portion of Italy in the Piedmont region. This is the same place you would find wines like Barolo and Barbaresco. It is most commonly found around the hills in the Roero where it also has a DOCG status. Arneis is a difficult grape to cultivate, whichContinue reading “January 26th-Arneis”