Kabar is a Hungarian white grape that is a cross of Bouvier and Hárslevelű that was created in 1967. It became an authorized grape variety in Tokaj in 2006. It can be added to blends where it adds acidity or, in rare instances, it can be made into a varietal wine. In Tokaj, many winesContinue reading “November 19th-Kabar”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
January 1st- Pedro Ximenez Soleras
Sherries that are made by oxidative methods enter a barrel aging system called a solera. Soleras are a method of aging blended fractions of wine for extended time periods. This method creates a consistent product year after year, even though these wines do not have a vintage listed on the bottle. Barrels within the sameContinue reading “January 1st- Pedro Ximenez Soleras”
October 23rd-Negramoll
Negramoll is a dark red, thick skinned grape that is grown on Tenerife, one the Spanish Canary Islands. The origin of the grape is unknown but it was determined to be a genetic match to an ancient grape from Andalucia, Spain. As of 2008, according to Wine Grapes by Jancis Robinson, et al, all plantingsContinue reading “October 23rd-Negramoll”
October 16th-Moravia Agria
Moravia Agria is a dark red Spanish grape that, when the small plantings are located, are found in the region of Castilla-La Mancha in central Spain. It has mostly been neglected over the years because of how difficult it is to grow. It is susceptible to fungal diseases, so it does best in arid areasContinue reading “October 16th-Moravia Agria”
October 9th-Malvar and Airén
Malvar and Airén are great examples of a dichotomous pair of wine grapes. Airén is the most widely planted white grape in Spain, with most plantings occurring in the central Spanish region of La Mancha. It is usually made into nondescript jug wines or distilled in the production of brandy. It has also been usedContinue reading “October 9th-Malvar and Airén”
June 19th-Biancolella and Forastera
Biancolella and Forastera are white grapes that originate in the Campania region of southern Italy. Both grapes are also found on the island of Ischia. Ischia is a volcanic island in the Gulf of Naples that has an extensive history of viticulture. It is believed that the ancient Greeks viticulture in the 8th century. WineContinue reading “June 19th-Biancolella and Forastera”
May 29th-Ancestral (Pet Nat) Sparkling Wines
Sparkling wines made using the Ancestral method have been a recent trend on the marketplace. They more commonly go by the term Pétillant Naturel (or Pet Nat for short). Unlike traditional method sparkling wines that undergo a full primary and secondary fermentation, Ancestral method wines are produced by stopping the first fermentation before it isContinue reading “May 29th-Ancestral (Pet Nat) Sparkling Wines”
May 22nd-Sparkling Shiraz
Shiraz, or Syrah, may not be an unusual grape but in Australia, it is used to make a unique style of wine. Most of the sparkling wines that are made in Australia are high volume using faster methods to create sparkling character than the traditional method used in Champagne. There are portions of the productionContinue reading “May 22nd-Sparkling Shiraz”
May 8th-German VDP wines
Germany has a complicated wine law structure that makes it difficult to determine wine quality and sweetness. In an effort to minimize confusion, some producers adopted a system called the VDP (to avoid your eyes glazing over, I will only use the abbreviation!). This system was set up to mimic the quality levels of otherContinue reading “May 8th-German VDP wines”
July 12th-Auxerrois
A couple weeks ago, while wine tasting in Willamette Valley, I stumbled across a couple unusual wine varieties. The first, Auxerrois, is the one I’ll discuss this week. Auxerrois (aus-ser-whah) is a white grape native to the Alsace-Lorraine region of northeastern France. It’s debatable when it was first mentioned in text, but dates back toContinue reading “July 12th-Auxerrois”
A Trip Around the World of Wine in 52 Weeks 