Aramon Noir is a black grape variety that is indigenous to Southern France. Aramon comes in 3 distinct berry colors, Blanc, Gris and Noir. The Gris and Blanc iterations are nearly extinct due to a decrease in land under vine over the last 50 years. They combine for about 60 hectares according to the statisticsContinue reading “June 5th-Aramon”
Category Archives: Monthly Schedules
May 15th-Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo
Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC is the rosé wine of the Marche region of central Italy. The wines are made using at least 85% the flagship wine of the region, Montepulciano. The remaining portion can be up to 15% local white grape varieties. Cerasuolo translates to ‘cherry red’, in reference to the color of these wines. TheContinue reading “May 15th-Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo”
May 1st-Crémant du Jura
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”
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”
A Trip Around the World of Wine in 52 Weeks 