Crémant du Jura is a sparkling wine made using the same method as in Champagne but with grapes approved for use in the appellation of Jura. Jura is a cool climate wine region in the northeast of France. The most commonly used grape varieties are Pinot Noir, Trousseau, Poulsard, and Chardonnay. These grapes must compriseContinue reading “May 1st-Crémant du Jura”
Category Archives: Monthly Schedules
April 24th-Albana
Albana is an ancient white grape indigenous to the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. The earliest documented writings mentioning Albana date back to the early 14th century. The name is thought to be either linked to the Alban Hills, located south of Rome, or from ‘alba’, Latin for white. Albana has been shown to haveContinue reading “April 24th-Albana”
April 17th-Cerasuolo di Vittoria
Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG, as mentioned last week, is a blend of Nero d’Avola and Frappato. It has the only DOCG designation in Sicily. By law, the final wine must contain 50-70% Nero d’Avola and 30-50% Frappato. Nero d’Avola is the most planted red grape in Sicily, where it thrives in the heat. The warmContinue reading “April 17th-Cerasuolo di Vittoria”
April 10th-Frappato
Frappato is a red grape indigenous to the Ragusa region of Sicily. It is a common blending partner of Nero d’Avola, which I discussed here on February 1st, 2021. Frappato adds bright fruity, herbal and floral notes to blends with the more deeply colored and tannic wines common with Nero d’Avola. Frappato has been shownContinue reading “April 10th-Frappato”
April 3rd-Plavac Mali
Plavac Mali (‘little blue’) is an ancient indigenous red grape to Dalmation coast in Croatia that is a genetic offspring of last week’s grape, Tridibag (Zinfandel). It is the most popular red grape in Croatia and used to make robust wines. The grapes of Plavac Mali are small, thick skinned berries. The skin contains tanninContinue reading “April 3rd-Plavac Mali”
March 27th-Tribidrag (Zinfandel/Primitivo)
Tribidrag is the oldest and original Croatian name for Primitivo or Zinfandel. Each grape was long believed to be its own variety. In 1975, a researcher at UC Davis was able to confirm Primitivo and Zinfandel were the same grape. There was still a widely held supposition that Primitivo/Zinfandel originated in Croatia. In the lateContinue reading “March 27th-Tribidrag (Zinfandel/Primitivo)”
March 20th-Merseguera
Merseguera (mer-see-gwerah) is a white grape that likely originates in Valencia, Spain. It primarily produces low intensity wines and is commonly blended with more interesting grape varieties, such as Malvasia. It can also be used to make sweet wines due to its lack of overt character. It is also planted in the regions of MurciaContinue reading “March 20th-Merseguera”
March 13th-English wines
When thinking of major wine producing regions, England doesn’t jump to mind but as climate change has progressed, regions that previously were too cold or wet are now becoming viable for grape growing. This is the case for the southern part of England. International cool climate grape varieties were imported to England to begin makingContinue reading “March 13th-English wines”
March 6th-Vin Santo del Chianti Classico
Vin Santo (‘holy wine’) is a dessert wine that is produced in Tuscany. It is normally made with the white grapes Trebbiano and Malvasia but can also have Sangiovese, the red grape used for Chianti. If Sangiovese is used, the grapes are harvested then undergo the appassimento process. In this process, grapes are dried onContinue reading “March 6th-Vin Santo del Chianti Classico”
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”
A Trip Around the World of Wine in 52 Weeks 