• 16Nov

    Think that’s a tongue twister? Maybe that is just what you need to shake up your wine choices.  When you get tired of the same old varietals like Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot look to the world to give you a new harvest of choices.

     

    Most of us are going to be doing more entertaining at home this season.  Why not throw a new varietal into the mix.  This will surprise your guests and put just a little more fun into your party.  It will also awaken your own wine palate.  You will start to appreciate all wines even more… even the same-old-same-olds.

     

    To get things started, I am going to describe four white and four red varietals. Some you will have heard of and some will be new to you.  It is safe to say that most of you have not had the opportunity to taste them.  Maybe I can spark your interest enough for you to go out and try these… that should lead to your receptiveness to try even more varietal varieties.  Bet you can’t say that after a few glasses of wine.

     

    White:

    Gruener Veltliner from Austria

     

    Lively yet dry, spicy, mineral and can be light to medium bodied. This is Austria’s most popular wine.  Many restaurants are starting to have it in their wine list now. If you like Pinot Grigio you will enjoy this one.  It could become a huge hit here in the US but the vineyard growth acreage is limited.

     

    Albariño  from Galicia Spain

     

    It is known as Alvarinho in Portugal. Medium bodied, aromatic, crisp, usually made un-oaked. Some say it resembles a Riesling or Viognier.  With the new interest in Spanish wines in the US… this one could be a huge winner.

     

    Assyrtiko from Santorino, Greece

     

    Very dry, minerally with lots of acidity, is light bodied. If you like dry white wines… this one is for you.  Many consider this Greece’s best white varietal. It comes from the beautiful volcanic island of Santorini. 

     

    Fiano from Campania, Italy

     

    Aromas of pears and hazelnut, medium to full bodied.  The origins of the variety go back all the way to the Romans.  The Campania region in Italy has produced two other excellent whites… Falanghina and Grecco di Tufo but the Fiano is best of the three by far. Fiano di Alvellino is the best of all.

     

     

    Red:

     

    Nero D’Avola from Sicily, Italy

     

    Sometimes the variety is also called Calabrese.  It is dark red in color and strong in tannins.  Nero D’Avola is a truly delicious tasty wine.  It is arguably Silcily’s leading red varietal.  Sicily’s recent resurgence as an important Italian wine region has pushed Nero D’ Avola  into the international spotlight as  red wine to be savored.

     

    Tempranillo from Spain

     

    It is also sometimes called Tinta Roriz and Tinta de Pais.  Rich red color and full bodied it is Spain’s great noble wine.  It is the main varietal in the Riojas and Ribera del Duero.  Spanish wine is gaining favor here in the US and this varietal is actually showing some real promise being grown in California.

     

    Lagrein from Alto Adige, Italy

     

    These wines are usually deep colored, robust, spicy, high in acidity and tannin.  The grape is actually related to Syrah.  As Alto Adige wines have emerged in the US market, Lagrein’s popularity has grown as a reasonably-priced alternative to Tuscan and Piedmonte reds.

     

     

    Petit Verdot from Bordeaux, France

     

    This late ripening grape variety is tannic, very dark red in color with rich violet flavors.  In Bordeaux it is still used in blends.  It is coming into its own as a varietal to be enjoyed on it own merits.   It is being grown in more and more places where the weather permits.  In California this grape ripens more easily thus laying the way for future fame.

     

     

    That is a start for you.  You might have to do a little hunting for some of these beyond your mass-market wine store.  The hunt will be fun and the anticipation will add to the enjoyment of trying something new. 

     

     

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  • 13Nov

    French wines have long stubbornly resisted changing their packaging.  There is no argument the French produce world class wines year after year. Yet they still insist on making their labels look like they were printed on the original Guttenberg Printing Press.

     

    For a country so famous for innovative design and glamour…what is with the antiquated wine labeling?  I personally think that is a big reason French wine sales are suffering… even in their own country, where their younger consumers are switching to much hipper spirits.

     

    A bold new French wine brand venture comes to the US with wine lines that have already been showing some success in many countries around the world.  They are just now coming to the US market.  The brand is Azzaro Wines.  The packaging is right out of “haute-couture”… it really is.

     

    Loris Azzaro, the world famous fashion designer and perfume maker has put his moniker on a line of great French wines. The idea is brilliant.  Whether in his haute-couture clothing designs, seductive perfumes and now high quality French wines, the Loris Azzaro style is always characterized by colors, fragrances, and the brilliant sun of the Mediterranean countries. Collaboration with renowned winemaker Frederic Roger has given birth to a logical continuation of the designer’s creations.

     

    Oenologist by profession, Frederic Roger’s wines have won many medals in France and around the world.  His wines now are mostly exported.  His success reflects his expertise as a winemaker and his ability to create and develop custom brands that satisfy the various taste preferences of the various markets. Consequently he has become respected around the world and recently one of his wine creations has won “Best White Wine of the Year”.

     

    Both men are said to be inventive, extremely demanding artisans, creators of objects that are physically experienced and which are often associated with memorable emotional occasions.  That is a combination that should lead to success in the US wine market.  It should be especially appealing to the young emerging wine drinker who is already flirting with French wines.

     

    The classic French wine quality combined with ground-breaking label design should make these wines simply irresistible.

     

     

     

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  • 11Nov
    What is Australia’s loss in the US Wine Market is turning into Argentina’s gain.  Then again many American Wine consumers are also benefitting from the great value in Malbec wines.
     
    From a taste standpoint, Argentinean Malbec is the next logical step for those who are moving up their wine palates a notch or two.  Malbec definitely has a more exciting taste than the Shiraz.  It is an easy move up.
     
    For the time being the Malbec from Argentina is still majorly under-priced.  That might not last too long because of the popular belief that the quality is good across the board.  The higher up the Andes this fickle grape is grown the better the wine and obviously the higher the prices.  All in all it is hard to find a mediocre bottle.
     
    With the wine season coming into view and the economy being what it is… Malbec from Argentina is a pleasant surprise.

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