Category Archives: Uncategorized

I’m certain most of you have heard, if not tasted Pinot Grigio, as it is quite common at the grocery store. Slightly less common is Pinot Gris. Is there a difference between these two or are they the same just labeled slightly different? While they do originate from the same grape, Pinot Gris, as itContinue reading “May 12-Pinot Gris”

This week I selected the chardonnay from California because this grape varietal from California commonly presents with a rich, buttery texture (from a chemical process it typically undergoes) and a touch of woodiness from the new French oak used to age it. This differs from French Chardonnay because those are usually crisp and acidic. American ChardonnayContinue reading “April 28-California Chardonnay”

May is just around the corner and that means Summer isn’t far behind! Warm weather, longer days, and outdoor cooking all call for wine! This month is the primer for all of these wonderful things! May 5-South African Chenin Blanc May 12-Pinot Gris (Not Grigio) May 19-Rias Biaxes Albariño May 26-Red Rioja -TheLooseTannin

This week, we will be exploring the grape Cabernet Franc! Cab Franc is a parent of more famous Cabernet Sauvignon. It is another of those grapes we refer to as ‘Bordeaux varietals’ because it is approved by French wine officials to be grown in the Bordeaux region. While this grape is commonly blended with otherContinue reading “April 14-Cabernet Franc”

Oregon, namely Willamette Valley, produces far more delicate, earthy Pinot Noir than that of warmer climates such as Sonoma. If you tasted a Sonoma Pinot Noir back in January, you may recall it had bold red fruit flavors. The Pinots of Willamette more similarly resemble Burgundy, France in their profile by exhibiting higher levels ofContinue reading “March 31-Oregon Pinot Noir”

This week, I decided to select a wine variety that is still fairly uncommon but gaining popularity. Its presence in wine shops has been on the rise over the last 10 or so years as it has really started to be understood by growers. This is remarkable considering that, according to Denis Dubourdieu, a professorContinue reading “March 17-Aglianico”

Daylight savings is past us, bud break is beginning, the long days of summer are on the horizon! Let’s start lightening things up here in anticipation of lovely spring nights out side! April 7-Gewurztraminer (From Alsace preferably) April 14- US Cab Franc April 21-Assyrtiko (most expressive are from Santorini) April 28- California Chardonnay -TheLooseTannin

I hope you faintly recall what your italian primativo from a few weeks back tasted like, because this week we have the American version. Zinfandel is a warm climate grape so it is popular in California. The most common areas to find Zinfandel are Lodi (in the Sierra Foothills) east of San Francisco, Sonoma (northContinue reading “February 24-California Zinfandel”

We’ve almost made it to Spring! As the weather starts to perk up and the days get longer, the wines will get a bit lighter! March 3- Chilean Carmenere March 10-Petite Sirah March 17-Aglianico March 24-Spanish Ganarcha March 31-Oregon Pinot Noir