Theloosetannin

Aligoté

Today, I doubled down on my quest to reach 200 unique wine varietals by the end of 2021. In doing so, I decided to grab a bottle of Aligoté from my wine fridge that I picked up on a tasting trip last year in Santa Barbara. This bottle was something unusual I spotted on theContinue reading “Aligoté”

March 31-Oregon Pinot Noir

Oregon, namely Willamette Valley, produces far more delicate, earthy Pinot Noir than that of warmer climates such as Sonoma. If you tasted a Sonoma Pinot Noir back in January, you may recall it had bold red fruit flavors. The Pinots of Willamette more similarly resemble Burgundy, France in their profile by exhibiting higher levels ofContinue reading “March 31-Oregon Pinot Noir”

Sulfites

You see it virtually every time you pick up a wine bottle, Contains Sulfites. What does this mean? Is it bad for you? Why does wine contain sulfites? Sulfites (sulfur containing compounds) are a byproduct of the fermentation process but additional sulfur dioxide is added to wine to guard against oxidation and microbial growth (bacterialContinue reading “Sulfites”

March 24-Garnacha

This week I selected Garnacha (known as Grenache everywhere else) from Spain! It is commonly blended with another grape, Tempranillo, in the Rioja and Ribera del Duero regions of Spain (we will visit the Rioja region just in time for BBQing on Memorial Day weekend!). In the Priorat region, Garnacha has risen to excellence asContinue reading “March 24-Garnacha”

Famoso!

I had never heard of this grape either, so don’t fret if you haven’t! Last week, I ran to my favorite wine shop to pick up a couple other items they had on hold for me (they are wonderful like that! I ask if they can get particular, obscure items, then they do and emailContinue reading “Famoso!”

March 17-Aglianico

This week, I decided to select a wine variety that is still fairly uncommon but gaining popularity. Its presence in wine shops has been on the rise over the last 10 or so years as it has really started to be understood by growers. This is remarkable considering that, according to Denis Dubourdieu, a professorContinue reading “March 17-Aglianico”

April Schedule

Daylight savings is past us, bud break is beginning, the long days of summer are on the horizon! Let’s start lightening things up here in anticipation of lovely spring nights out side! April 7-Gewurztraminer (From Alsace preferably) April 14- US Cab Franc April 21-Assyrtiko (most expressive are from Santorini) April 28- California Chardonnay -TheLooseTannin

March 10-Petite Sirah

Petite Sirah, aka Durif, is a highly tannic, intense red wine grape first identified in France. It is a cross between Syrah and Peloursin (a very obscure grape) in an attempt to develop a variety resistant to powdery mildew. It never gained esteem in France, and now can only legally be grown in one designatedContinue reading “March 10-Petite Sirah”

March 3-Chilean Carmènére

This week, I selected Carmènére (kahr-meh-NEHR), a red wine grape that originated in the Bordeaux region of France but didn’t thrive like more notable varieties, such as Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In the mid 19th century, a bout of phylloxera (an insect that attacks the roots of wine plants) hit Europe and destroyed virtually allContinue reading “March 3-Chilean Carmènére”

February 24-California Zinfandel

I hope you faintly recall what your italian primativo from a few weeks back tasted like, because this week we have the American version. Zinfandel is a warm climate grape so it is popular in California. The most common areas to find Zinfandel are Lodi (in the Sierra Foothills) east of San Francisco, Sonoma (northContinue reading “February 24-California Zinfandel”