Sekt is a sparkling wine, most notably made in Germany but the fruit can originate from outside countries. In many cases, the fruit is made into a base wine by standard fermentation processes then it gets shipped to Germany, or the fruit can be shipped prior to undergoing this step also. Once in Germany, theContinue reading “December 15th-Sekt”
Category Archives: Monthly Schedules
December 10th-Pedro Ximenez
For the final installment of Sherry Week, I will be looking at the dessert wine Pedro Ximenez (PX). Like I referred to last night, this wine is sweet because the grapes are left to slightly dehydrate under the sun. This removes water from the grape juice, which concentrates the sugar content. It is then fortifiedContinue reading “December 10th-Pedro Ximenez”
December 9th-Cream Sherry
Cream Sherry (also referred to as Medium Sherry) is our fourth in our Sherry series. Don’t let the name fool you, Cream Sherry does not have cream in it. It starts out as Oloroso but then a touch of the Pedro Ximenez (PX) grape (can be Moscatel in lower quality versions) is blended in. TheseContinue reading “December 9th-Cream Sherry”
December 8-Amontillado
Amontillado is a dry wine that undergoes both aging using both flor (like Fino and Manzanilla) which is then followed by oxidative aging (like Oloroso). Between these two types of aging, the wine is fortified to 17% alcohol. This kills off the yeast in the flor, which can only survive to 15.5% alcohol. These agingContinue reading “December 8-Amontillado”
December 7th-Oloroso
Oloroso wines are made from the same grapes as Fino and Manzanilla but following the fermentation of wine, the fuller bodied barrels will be selected for Oloroso. Once it is fermented, it gets aged by a process called oxidative aging. In this process, the wine is fortified to a minimum of 17% alcohol. At thisContinue reading “December 7th-Oloroso”
December 1st-New World Cabernet Sauvignon
My go to comfort wine is a nice bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon originating from Red Mountain in Washington State, or from California’s Napa Valley, Paso Robles, Alexander Valley or Sonoma Valley in Sonoma County. There are other great bottles from other countries but these are widely available where I live. The Cabernets of the NewContinue reading “December 1st-New World Cabernet Sauvignon”
November 24th-Beaujolais
This week, in honor of Thanksgiving, we are traveling to the region of Beaujolais (Bō-zhō-lay) in Eastern France. The region is just to the south of Burgundy. Beaujolais is made from the red Gamay grape (there is also a Beaujolais blanc that accounts for about 10% of wines from the area). It is a lightContinue reading “November 24th-Beaujolais”
December Tasting Schedule
I can’t believe a year has almost passed that I have been typing this blog! I will be celebrating by having a great month of tasting scheduled for the month of December! December 1st- New World Cabernet (US, Australia, Chile, Argentina, South Africa) December 5-11th-Sherry Week!!! December 16th-Sekt December 22nd-Barbera December 29th-Sauternes Cheers!!! -TheLooseTanninContinue reading “December Tasting Schedule”
November 17th-Montepulciano
Montelpulciano can be a bit confusing because there are wines made of Sangiovese (the same grape in Chianti) labelled as Vino de Nobile Montepulciano. The wines made from the red grape Montepulciano are labelled as Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and must consist of a minimum 85% Montepulciano (the remaining portion is commonly Sangiovese). Even more confusing areContinue reading “November 17th-Montepulciano”
November 10th-Nebbiolo
Nebbiolo is a red grape that originates in the hills of the Piedmont region in Northern Italy and this is where a vast majority of Nebbiolo grapes are grown around the world. The most famous (and complex) wines made with this grape are Barolo DOCG and Barbaresco DOCG, both typically selling for over $50 perContinue reading “November 10th-Nebbiolo”
A Trip Around the World of Wine in 52 Weeks 