This week, I found a bottle of Vermentino Nero at my local wine shop. Vermentino is a common white grape found world wide. Vermentino Nero is a rare red grape native to the Massa-Carrara region of Tuscany in Central Italy. To date, genetic testing has yet to find familial links with other grape varieties butContinue reading “March 22nd-Vermentino Nero”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
March 1st-Lamézia Rosso
Last week, I sampled the grape Mantonico in a Lamézia blanco blend. This week, I decided to taste a red blend from this same DOC. The red blends are a bit more complicated when it comes to possible grapes and composition. The base wine is usually 30-50% Nerello, either Mascalese or Capuccio, with Gaglioppo and/orContinue reading “March 1st-Lamézia Rosso”
Jan 4th-Listan Negro
Listan Negro is a red grape variety native to Spain, specifically the Canary Islands, a volcanic archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Morocco and Western Sahara. It is the predominant grape variety on the island of Tenerife, the largest and most populous of the islands. The grape is also cultivated in partsContinue reading “Jan 4th-Listan Negro”
July 13th-Schiavo
Schiava is a red grape that may have originated in Germany (where it goes by the name Trollinger) or from Italy. There are also several other grapes that bear the Schiava name, but aren’t related, such as Schiava Gentile and Schiava Grossa. Today, Schiava is the major red grape grown in the northeastern region ofContinue reading “July 13th-Schiavo”
June 15th-Grillo
This week, we are venturing back to last week’s mention of Marsala wine and the white grape Grillo. Grillo, just like Catarratto, is from the island of Sicily. It is thought the grape may have originated in the region of Puglia, the heel of the boot, but this claim has not been substantiated. While thereContinue reading “June 15th-Grillo”
december
December 6th-Fino and Manzanilla
To kick off Sherry week, we will start with Fino and Manzanilla. This style of sherry is bone dry. Manzanilla, because of the proximity of where it is produced, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, to the sea of Jerez, has a wonderful salt note. This, combined with their very light body, make these wines perfectly paired withContinue reading “December 6th-Fino and Manzanilla”
December 5-10-Sherry Week!
This week, I will be featuring five different styles of Sherry. I know when I say “Sherry’, most people think of cooking sherry but I assure you, it should not be judged on that! They run the gamut from bone dry and salty, all the way to full syrupy dessert wine. Sherry wines originate fromContinue reading “December 5-10-Sherry Week!”
October 20th-Cotes du Rhone
This week’s topic may seem very familiar but instead of focusing on the white blends from a few weeks ago, this time, we will look at the red blends. The red wines of this region are dominated by Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre (GSM). Grenache (which I discussed way back on March 24th) is a lighterContinue reading “October 20th-Cotes du Rhone”
November Tasting Schedule
With the holiday season just around the corner, let’s continue tasting bold, food friendly wines that will be up for the challenge of pairing with diverse holiday meals! November 3-Merlot November 10th-Nebbiolo November 17th-Montepulciano (not to be confused with Vino de Nobile Montepulciano) November 24th-Beaujolais -TheLooseTannin
A Trip Around the World of Wine in 52 Weeks 