Wineglobe Community: May 2007 Archives

Loire

The Loire Valley is famous for its white wines. None of them use Chardonnay as a main grape variety. Chenin Blanc or Sauvignon are widely used. About 75% of the production is made of white wine. Although Loire is a land of white wine, some red wines are very interesting. They are fruity and pleasant: The Loire Valley is probably the most beautiful wine region in France and in the world.

The region is wide and follow the river, starting in the Auvergne and Massif Central and finishing in the Atlantic coast around Nantes city. The Loire river is wide and deep. The landscape is quiet and undulated. It is probably more accurate to say that the Loire Valley is made of several different regions which have one thing in common: the river. Wine making in the Loire Valley:

The wines reflect the mood of the landscape. They are soft, pleasant, charming and light. About three quart of the production are white wines. The main grapes are Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon for white wine and Cabernet Franc for red wine.

History of wine in the Loire Valley:

Vines already existed when Romans invaded the Loire Valley. The legend says that Saint Martin was the first to make wine in the Loire region. It was in 380. The wine production then grew fast. In both river banks, wine makers made white wine. On the hills, they went for red wine. Such as in Burgundy, most of the vineyards belong to monasteries and monks had developed the wine production in the whole region.

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Provence

Provence is one of the most beautiful region in France. Eventually the region is also one of the most popular and attracts many visitors and dwellers. Provence calls to mind sun, lavender, olive tree and rosé wine.

Provence vineyard is very old. The Roman were the first to grow vines there not far way from Marseille port. Caesar wrote about it in his memories. Provence is very well known for its rosé wine. The region produces almost half of the rosé french production. However red and white wines from provence are improving and some of them can compete with the best in France

This wine region is divided in 3 main parts.

Côtes de Provence Côtes de Provence is a wide area covering Côte d'Azur (French riviera) from Marseille to Nice cities. Soils, grapes and techniques may differ but one thing remain: the sun. Half of the rosé wine made in France is coming from Provence! And 80% of the wine made in Provence is rosé. Rosé de Provence are dry and fruity. They are perfect as summer wine, for aperitif, with a salad or with typical mediterranean meals. Some Red wines are also appealing as they keep on improving. Red wines from Côtes de Provence are generally quite strong however in some areas they can be light and delicate. White wines from Provence are excellent with local seafood. Bandol

Bandol vines are located in the hills between La Ciotat and Toulon, facing at the Mediterranean Sea. Bandol is one of the oldest vineyards in France. The first vine was planted in Bandol 2,500 years ago by the Romans! With Marseille's port close-by and because of the special characteristics of its full body red wine, Bandol wine bottles could be found in India or Brazil already 2 centuries ago. Mourvèdre grape is a strong base of any Bandol Red wines. Mourvèdre gives to the wine body and spice. Bandol is obviously one of the best Red wines from Provence. Bellet

Bellet is one of the smallest appelation in France along with Château Grillet. Bellet vineyard is located just West of Nice city. The slope of the hills is so steep that no machine can work there. Therefore the production is limited, less than 100,000 bottles a year. All the wines from Bellet are of high quality and orginal. Wine makers use sometimes local grapes such as Pignerol and Mayorquin for the white, Fuella and Braquet for the red and rosé. Red wines are powerful, white are aromatic and rosés are fresh. However Bellet wines are very hard to find outside of Nice.

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Burgundy

Firstly, let me tell you that Burgundy is Bourgogne in French. It’ll help you to understand the following subject…

The wine region starts just south of Dijon at Marsannay-la-Côte and runs southward to just short of the city of Lyon. The area of Chablis stands on its own to the northwest of Dijon, about as close to Paris as it is to the heart of Burgundy. The main wine regions in Burgundy proper (those that are entitled to the AOC Bourgogne designation) are the Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune (collectively known as the Côte d'Or or "golden slope") and further south the Côte Chalonnaise. The Route des Grands Crus (which loosely translates as the "road of great vineyards") traverses the Burgundy wine region.

The area is made up tiny villages surrounded by flat and sloped vineyards. The sloped vineyards have the most exposure to sunshine and the greatest drainage. The best wines (Grand Cru) from this region are usually grown from the middle part of the slopes while the "Premier Cru" come from a little less favourably exposed slopes. The relatively ordinary "Village" wines are produced from the flat territory nearer the villages. Beaujolais, Chablis, and Mâcon are also viticulturally part of Burgundy. Burgundy experiences a continental climate characterized by very cold winters and hot summers. The weather is very unpredictable with rains, hail, and frost all possible around harvest time. Because of this climate, there is a lot of variation between vintages from Burgundy. Burgundy is in some ways the most terroir-oriented region in France; immense attention is paid to the area of origin, and in which of the region's 400 types of soil a wine's grapes are grown. As opposed to Bordeaux, where classifications are producer-driven and awarded to individual chateaux, Burgundy classifications are geographically-focused. A specific vineyard or region will bear a given classification, regardless of the wine's producer. This focus is reflected on the wine's labels where appellations are most prominent and producer's names often appear at the bottom in much smaller text.

Burgundy classifications, in descending order of quality, are: grand crus, premier crus, Commune or village, and finally generic Bourgogne.

Grand Cru refers to wines produced from the small number of the best vineyard sites in the Cote d'Or. Grand Cru wines make up 2% of the production at 35 hectoliters/hectare. These wines need to be aged a minimum of 5-7 years and the best examples can be kept for more than 15 years. Very few Chardonnays or Pinot Noirs in the world can be aged and continue to improve as well as these wines. Grand Cru wines will only list the name of the vineyard as the appellation - such as Corton or Montrachet - on the wine label.

Premier Cru wines are produced from specific vineyard sites that are still considered to be of high quality, but not as well regarded as the Grand Cru sites. Premier Cru wines make up 12% of production at 45 hectoliters/hectare. These wines need to be aged 3-5 years, and again the best wines can keep for much longer. Premier Cru wines will usually list both the name of the village of origin - together with the status of the vineyard - eg "Volnay 1er Cru" as the appellation, and then the name of the individual vineyard (eg "Les Caillerets") on the wine label.

Village wines can be a blend of wines from supposedly lesser vineyard sites within the boundaries of an individual village, or from one individual but non-classified vineyard. Wines from each different village are considered to have their own specific qualities and characteristics. Village wines make up 36% of production at 50 hectoliters/hectare. These wines can be consumed 2-4 years after the release date, although again some examples will keep for longer. Village wines will show the village name on the wine label, eg "Pommard", and sometimes - if applicable - the name of the single vineyard where it was sourced. Several villages in Burgundy have appended the names of their Grand Cru vineyards to the original village name - hence "Puligny-Montrachet" and "Aloxe-Corton".

The AOC Bourgogne classification refers to wines that can be sourced or blended from anywhere in the Burgundy region. These wines make up the rest of production at 55 hectoliters/hectare. These wines can be consumed up to 3 years after the vintage date. Appellations between generic "Bourgogne" and individual Village wines are also found, such as "Macon-Villages" or "Cote de Beaune-Villages", where the wines can come from a wide but defined area which will include several individual villages.

Other Burgundy AOCs that are not as often seen are Bourgogne Passetoutgrains (which can contain up to two thirds Gamay (the grape of Beaujolais) in addition to Pinot noir), Bourgogne Aligoté (which is primarily made with the Aligoté grape), and Bourgogne Grand Ordinaire. The latter is the lowest AOC, and Grand is intended to refer to the size of the area eligible to produce it, not its quality. There are certain regions that are allowed to put other grapes in miscellaneous AOCs, but for the most part these rules hold. These regulations are even confusing to the majority of French adults, according to research (Franson). Chablis wines are labelled using a similar hierarchy of Grand Cru, Premier Cru and Village wines, whereas wines from Beaujolais are treated differently again.

For the white grapes, Chardonnay (Bourgogne blanc) is the most common. A secondary grape is Aligoté which is lower cost and higher in acidity; this is a very aggressive grape and is grown in small quanties. Aligoté from Burgundy is the wine traditionally used for the Kir drink, where it is mixed with blackcurrant liqueur.

Chablis, Macon wines and the Cote d'Or whites are all produced from 100% Chardonnay grapes. For the red grapes, all production in the Cote d'Or is focused on the Pinot noir grape while the Gamay grape is grown in Beaujolais. In the Cote de Nuits region, 90% of the production is red grapes.

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Source: Wikipedia

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Rhône

The Rhône wine region is first divided into north and south. The north produces syrah based reds and pure viognier whites. The south produces Châteauneuf-du-Pape and other blends from several varieties.

The first cultivated vines were likely planted in 600 BC, however, the orgins of the two most important grape varieties in the northern Rhône (Syrah and Viognier) are unknown.
Syrah is the only red grape variety allowed in these wines. The grape is also widely known as Shiraz, its name in Australia, which has made the variety very popular with consumers around the world. Some Syrah, however, has white mixed in. The only white grape varieties in the north are viognier, marsanne, and roussanne. Marsanne and roussanne are used for the whites in Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage, Saint Joseph, and Saint Péray.
The northern Rhône is characterized by a continental climate with harsh winters but warm summers.
Northern Rhône reds are often identified by their signature green olive and smoky bacon aromas. Premier Cote Roties include Guigal's "LaLa's": La Landonne, La Mouline and La Turque, while some of the most renowned wines from Hermitage are Chave's Cuvee Catelin and Jaboulet's La Chappelle. These and other top class reds from Northern Rhone command consistently high prices, but can age effortlessly for decades.
From north to south the appellations are:
·         Côte-Rôtie AOC - reds with syrah and up to 20% viognier.
·         Condrieu AOC - whites with only viognier.
·         Château-Grillet AOC - whites with only viognier.
·         Saint-Joseph AOC - reds with syrah and up to 10% marsanne and roussanne, whites with only marsanne and roussanne.
·         Crozes-Hermitage AOC - reds with syrah and up to 15% marsanne and roussanne, whites with only marsanne and roussanne.
·         Hermitage AOC - reds with syrah and up to 15% marsanne and roussanne, whites with only marsanne and roussanne.
·         Cornas AOC - reds with only syrah.
·         Saint-Péray AOC - sparkling and still whites with only marsanne and roussanne.

Southern Rhône
Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC has 13 legal varieties, and the surrounding areas, Coteaux du Tricastin AOC, Côtes du Ventoux AOC, Côtes du Vivarais AOC, Lirac AOC, Tavel AOC and Vacqueyras AOC can have more. Gigondas AOC is predominantly made from Grenache Noir and is more restricted in the other grapes it can use. Fortified wines (vin doux naturel) are made in the Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise AOC and Rasteau AOCs.
The southern Rhone has more of a Mediterranean climate with milder winters and hot summers. Drought can be a problem, but limited irrigation is permitted.
The red wines of the Southern Rhône are blended from Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan, and Cinsaut while the white wines are blended from Ugni Blanc, Roussanne, Bourboulenc, Picpoul, and Clairette.

Côtes du Rhône
Côtes du Rhône AOC is an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée that covers both the northern and southern sections of the valley. Typically it is only used if the wine does not qualify for an appellation that can command a higher price. Produce from vineyards surrounding certain villages Cairanne, Rasteau and others may be labeled Côtes du Rhône-Villages AOC.

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Languedoc

Languedoc wine (often labeled Vin de Pays d'Oc) is produced in southern France. While "Languedoc" can refer to a specific historic region of France and Northern Catalonia, usage since the 20th century (especially in the context of wine) has primarily referred to the northern part of the Languedoc-Roussillon région of France, an area which spans the Mediterranean coastline from the French border with Spain to the region of Provence. The area has around 700,000 acres under vines and is the single biggest wine-producing region in the world, being responsible for more than a third of France's total wine production. As recently as 2001, the region produced more wine than the entire United States.

The Languedoc-Roussillon region shares many terrain and climate characteristics with the neighboring regions of Southern Rhone and Provence. The region stretches 150 miles from the Banyuls AOC at the Spanish border and Pyrenees in the west, along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea to the Rhone River and Provence in the east. The northern boundaries of the region sit on the Massif Central with the Cévennes mountain ranges and valleys dominating the area. Many vineyards are located along the Hérault River. Vineyards in the Languedoc are generally planted along the coastal plains of the Mediterranean while those in the Roussillon are to be found in the narrow valleys around the Pyrenees. The peak growing season (between May and August) is very dry and the majority of annual rainfall occurs during the winter. In the Languedoc, the plains area is the most arid and hottest region of France. The region's Mediterranean climate is very conducive to growing a large amount of a wide variety of grapes, with vintners in the area excelling in mass production. The average annual temperature is 57°F (14°C). The tramontane inland wind from the northwest often accentuates the dry climate; drought is the most common threat to vine production, with French AOC and European Union regulation prohibiting the use of irrigation. In December 2006, the French government responded to global warming concerns and relaxed some of the irrigation regulations.

In 1999 severe weather had damaging affects on the wine producing industry, including hailstorms in May that affected Roussillon and a rain surge in mid November that saw a year's worth of rain fall in 36 hours in the areas of Corbières and Minervois in the western Languedoc.

The composition of soil in the Languedoc varies from the chalk, limestone and gravel based soils inland to more alluvial soils near the coast. Some of the more highly-rated vineyards are laid on top of ancient riverbed stones similar to those of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

The Languedoc-Roussillon area is home to numerous grape varieties, including many international varieties like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. The traditional Rhône grapes of Mourvedre, Grenache, Syrah and Viognier are also prominent.

Chardonnay is a major white grape, used in the Vin de Pays d'Oc and the sparkling Crémant de Limoux. Others include Chenin Blanc and Mauzac, which is also the principal grape in the sparkling Blanquette de Limoux. The sweet fortified wines of the Muscat de Frontignan and Muscat de St-Jean Minervois regions are made with the Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains grapes. In the Muscat de Rivesaltes AOC, fortified wines are made from Muscat of Alexandria grapes.

Among the reds, Cinsault and Mourvedre are major grapes of the Corbières, Faugères, Fitou, and Minervois AOCs. Cinsult is also commonly used in rosé production along with Lladoner Pelut, Picpoul Noir, Terret Noir and Grenache. Grenache is also the main grape used in the fortified wines of the Banyuls region. Some of the oldest vines in France are Carignan grapes. Winemakers often use carbonic maceration to soften the tannins.

Other varieties that can be found include Roussanne, Marsanne, Vermentino, Bourboulenc, Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Picpoul, Maccabéo and Rolle.

Vins Doux Naturels are "naturally sweet" wines that have been fortified with brandy to stop fermentation, leaving residual sugar to add sweetness to the wine. The majority of Languedoc sweet white wines are made with a variety of Muscat grapes. The red fortified wines of the Banyuls are made from Grenache grapes, normally have an alcohol level between 16 to 17% and carry residual sugars in the 8 to 12% range.

In Banyuls, winemakers use various methods to "bake" their wines to encourage deep raisin colors. Some winemakers utilize a solera system of transporting the wine among different size barrels of various ages that are left out in the sun to warm. Others will put the wine in large glass jars to expose it to direct sunlight. In addition to the dark color, the resulting wines often have a nutty, rancid taste called rancio. In the Banyuls Grand Cru AOC the wine is required to be aged in wood barrels for two and a half years. The crémant produced in the Languedoc is made according to the Méthode champenoise in the small villages around the town of Limoux. The wines are normally composed of 70% Mauzac and a 30% combination of Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc. AOC regulations require a year of aging on the lees. The Blanquette de Limoux, when labelled méthode ancestrale, is composed entirely of Mauzac and aged approximately three months less on the lees, the actual date being determined by the moon's cycle.

Source: Wikipedia

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Bordeaux

The Bordeaux region of France is the second largest wine-growing area in the world with 284,320 acres under vine. Only the Languedoc wine region with 617,750 acres under vine is larger. Located halfway between the North pole and the equator, there is more vineyard land planted in Bordeaux than in all of Germany and ten times the amount planted in New Zealand.

The major reason for the success of winemaking in the Bordeaux region is the excellent environment for growing vines. The geological foundation of the region is limestone, leading to a soil structure that is heavy in calcium. The Gironde estuary dominates the regions along with its tributaries, the Garonne and the Dordogne rivers, and together irrigate the land and provide a maritime climate for the region. In Bordeaux the concept of terroir plays a pivotal role in wine production with the top estates aiming to make terroir driven wines that reflect the place they are from, often from grapes collected from a single vineyard. The soil of Bordeaux is composed of gravel, sandy stone, and clay. The region's best vineyards are located on the well drained gravel soils that are frequently found near the Gironde river. An old adage in Bordeaux is the best estates can "see the river" from their vineyard and majority of land that face riverside are occupied by classified estates.

Red Bordeaux, which is traditionally known as claret in the United Kingdom, is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Carmenere. Today Malbec is very seldom used, and Carmenere is used in tiny quantities. An example of a famous château that uses Carmenere is Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux.

White Bordeaux, including the sweet Sauternes, is made from Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Muscadelle.

As a very broad generalization, Cabernet Sauvignon dominates the blend in red wines produced in the Médoc and the rest of the left bank of the Gironde estuary. Merlot and to a lesser extent Cabernet Franc tend to predominate in Saint Emilion, Pomerol and the other right bank appellations.[citation needed]

Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style by blending these grapes. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico. The vast majority of Bordeaux wine is red, with red wine production out numbering white wine production six to one. But Bordeaux also produces dry white wines, sweet white Sauternes, rosé wines and even the sparkling Crémant de Bordeaux.

Source: Wikipedia

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Chile

Dear Member,
You'll receive this month wine from Chile. Let's talk about this wine country.

The total area planted to wines grapes is 114,448 hectares with 76% of Red varieties and 24% of White Varieties. We can discover a lot of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Carménère concerning red wines; Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Moscatel of Alexandria for white wines.
There are 13 wine areas in Chile. The most important ones are Maule Valley (43% of Chile’s total planted area) and Itata Valley (South of Maule Valley).

Thinks to know about Chile
o Chile makes the most consistently good wines from the South American continent. In particular, Chilean cabernet sauvignons stand out for their quality.
o The large part of the best Chilean wine is sold outside of Chile, Especially in the US, Chile’s leading export market.
o Though Chile built its wine reputation on good values, the unmber of bargains has begun to decrease while the number of moderate and expensive wines continues to rise.

Source: Wines of Chile

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Paso Robles

Paso Robles...

You'll have the chance to taste this AVA (American Viticulture Area) during the month of May 2007 being a member of the California wine club. Here few words about it...

Chablis

The Chablis region is the northernmost wine district of Burgundy, France. The grapevines around the town of Chablis are almost all Chardonnay, making a dry white wine renowned for the purity of its aroma and taste.

The northern location (48°N) means that Chablis wines have more acidity and less fruit flavours than other Chardonnays, but their pure, minerally style has great elegance. They often have a "flinty" note, sometimes described as "goût de pierre à fusil" (gunflint).

The story of Chablis and its vineyards is of cycles of slow recoveries after violent setbacks, both human and viticultural.

It is likely that vines came to the region with the Romans, if not before. As elsewhere, the Dark Ages saw monasteries putting great effort into viticulture for communion wine, and the proximity of Auxerre meant that the market in Paris was readily accessible.

There are records in the mid-15th century of Chablis wine being shipped to England, Flanders and Picardy. But in February 1568 the town was razed by the Huguenots, and the region did not really recover until the 18th century. Then came the ravages of the Revolution, the Little Ice Age and Prussian invasions. Just as the vineyards were being built back up, they were hit first by mildew in 1880, and then by phylloxera.

Again the region recovered, producing over 160,000 cases per year in the 1930's, but it took a heavy toll in World War II, and barely 5000 cases were produced in 1945. Production recovered to over 100,000 cases by 1949, but the vineyards were devastated by the late frosts of 1957 and 1961. Many were not replanted.

Appellation

The Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée was designated in 1938 and covers 6834 hectares, of which 4820ha are currently planted with vines.

There are four classifications, in increasing order of quality :

Petit Chablis AOC - approximately 1550ha

Chablis AOC - 4400ha

Chablis Premier Cru AOC - 750ha, yield restricted to 50hl/ha

Chablis Grand Cru AOC - 100ha, yield restricted to 45hl/ha

Geography

The region covers 15km x 20km across 27 communes, either side of the Serein river. The soil is Kimmeridge Clay with outcrops of the chalk that extends from Sancerre up to the White Cliffs of Dover.

The Grand Cru vineyards occupy a chain of three interlocking limestone slopes on the right bank overlooking the river. The seven Grand Cru vineyards are (from southeast to northwest): Blanchot, Les Clos, Valmur, Grenouilles, Vaudesir, Les Preuses and Bougros.

The Premier Crus lie on a series of hillsides on both banks of the river. The best Premier Crus are also on the right bank facing the southwest. There are 79 Premier Cru vineyards, including Les Beauregards, Beauroy, Berdiot , Chaume de Talvat , Côte de Cuissy , Côte de Jouan , Côte de Léchet, Côte de Vaubarousse, Fourchaume, Les Fourneaux, Mont de Milieu, Montée de Tonnerre, Montmains, Vaillons, Vau de Vey, Vau Ligneau, Vaucoupin and Vosgros.

"Chablis" in the New World

Until the 1970's, producers in the New World labelled their wines with names familiar to their customers. Hence the name "Chablis" would be applied to any dry white wine, regardless of where it came from or what grapes it was made from. Pressure from the French government and the rise of varietal labelling means that these semi-generic names are dying out.

Source: Wikipedia

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Brunello di Montalcino

Montalcino

Brunello di Montalcino is a red wine produced in the vineyards surrounding the town of Montalcino, Italy. Brunello is a local name for Sangiovese in Italian, and is one of the best-known (and expensive) wines of Italy. Well-made Brunellos are capable of aging for long periods of time, given their high tanin content.

Brunello must be made from 100% Brunello clone of the sangiovese (a range of clones of the Sangiovese Grosso). It is released no sooner than the fifth year after harvest (i.e. 2001 Brunello is released in early 2006). Brunello currently must be aged in wood for 2 years and at least 4 months in a bottle before release. Traditionally, the wines are aged 3 years or so in "botte," large oak casks that impart little oak flavor but allow for the controlled softening of the wine. Modernists use small barrique which impart a more pronounced oak flavor. There is a middle ground where the wine is aged in small barrique for a short time and then spends a longer sojourn in the traditional botte.

While there are wineries that follow traditional processes and still make dark and rich wines (Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona is an example), the reason for this is the conditions of the soils and the micro-climates of the vineyards. This contrasts to winemaking processes that reduce the time in botte or eliminate it entirely, and follow fermentation methods designed to extract more color and tannin from the grapes. While there are many notable Brunello wines crafted in this international, modern style, they are not necessarily traditional Brunello wines.

Although the modern rules for making Brunello were first laid down by the Biondi Santi family in the late 1800s, the current industry has its roots in the 1960s when there were only a handful of producers. Even as recently as 1975, the total number of producers was approximately 25 vintners producing approximately 70,000 cases of Brunello total. According to the Consorzio di Vini di Brunello di Montalcino, in 1995 120 producers made 300,000 cases. Today there are well over 200 producers in the Consorzio. The production has risen to over 6,000,000 bottles, or 500,000 cases.

Casanova di Neri Tenuta Nuova 2001 Brunello di Montalcin was named Wine Spectator's 2006 "Wine of the Year".

Rosso di Montalcino, is the other main DOC from Montalcino. This wine has few restrictions on aging other than it may not be released prior to September 1 of the year following the vintage. It is required to be 100% Brunello grape grown in a strictly delimited zone within the area of Montalcino. It can range from a soft easy to drink when young style to a wine capable of long aging when made by a fine wine estate in a great vintage.

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Source: Wikipedia

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Barolo

Castle and Village of Barolo.

Barolo is an Italian wine, one of many to claim the title "Wine of kings, and king of wines". It is produced in Cuneo's province, south-west of Alba, within the region of Piemonte.

It is produced in the communes of Barolo, Castiglione Falletto, Serralunga d'Alba and parts of the communes of Cherasco, Diano d'Alba, Grinzane Cavour, La Morra, Monforte d'Alba, Novello, Roddi, Verduno, all in the province of Cuneo. Only vineyards in the hills with suitable slopes and orientations are considered adapted to production, and the terrains must be primarily clayey-calcareous in character.

The wine is produced from the Nebbiolo grape variety. The Lampia, Michet and Rosè types are authorized. It matures at the end of September. The clusters are dark blue and greyish with the abundant wax that dresses the grapes. Their form is lengthened, pyramidal, with small, spherical grapes with substantial peel. The leaves are of average size with three or five lobes.

Barolo typically smells of tar and roses, and can take on an unusual orange tinge with age. When subjected to aging of at least five years, the wine can be labeled a Riserva. The initial nose of a barolo is often that of the pine tree.

For connoisseurs it is Italy’s most collected wine; for beginners it is a difficult one to understand.

Producers 1,163

Amount produced 5,000,000 litres

Maximum yield 8000 kg/ha

Maximum yield of wine from grapes 65%

Minimum alcohol level 12.50°

Minimum total acidity 5‰

Minimum net dry extract 23‰

Required aging three years

The "Barolo wars"

In the past all Barolos used to be very tannic and they took more than 10 years to soften up. Fermenting wine sat on the grape skins for at least three weeks, extracting huge amounts of tannins; then it was aged in large, wooden casks for years.

In order to meet the international taste, which preferred fruitier, more accessible styles, the "modernists" cut fermentation times to a maximum of ten days and put the wine in new French barriques (small oak barrels). The results, said traditionalists, were wines that weren't even recognizable as Barolo and tasted more of new oak than of wine. The controversies between tradionalists and modernists have been called the Barolo wars. The war has now subsided. Though outspoken modernists are still committed to new oak, many producers are now choosing the middle ground (like Elio Altare or Roberto Voerzio with long macerations combined with barrique), often using a combination of barriques and large casks. The more prestigious houses, however, still reject barriques and insist on patience only for their exceptional wines. These are auction staples, sought after by aficionados in Italy, Germany, Japan, Switzerland and the United States.

Barolo Chinato

The origins of Barolo Chinato date back to the nineteenth century and they are a precious elixir according to the popular culture. They are aromatic wines that are prepared using Barolo with infusion of China Calissaja bark, rhubarb root, and about ten other aromatic herbs.

Grappa di Barolo

From distillation of the residue of wine press of Nebbiolo it's possible to obtain grappa, a spirit smooth and mild like the grapes destinated to make Barolo. The distillation makes use of a traditional process with alembic in a bain-marie. This spirit, only just condensed in a refrigerating coil, is a white drink quite insignificant, but, after ageing in oaks for three years at least, the colour becomes light yellow, slightly amber-coloured, and the taste grows smooth. The right spirituousness is around 45%, because it intensifies the fragrances, the alcohol and the ethers. Source: Wikipedia

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Sauternes

Sauternes is a type of dessert wine from the Sauternais region of the Graves section in the well known Bordeaux wine making area of France. Sauternes is made from Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle grapes that have been affected by Botrytis cinerea, also known as noble rot. This causes grapes to become partially raisined, resulting in concentrated and distinctively flavored wines, typically with an arresting golden color. Sauternes is one of the few wine regions where infection with noble rot is a frequent occurrence, due to its mesoclimate. Even so, production is a hit-or-miss proposition, with widely varying harvests from year to year.

Wines from Sauternes, especially its flagship estate Château d'Yquem, can be very expensive, due largely to the very high cost of production. Barsac lies within Sauternes, and is entitled to use either name. Somewhat similar but less expensive and typically less-distinguished wines are produced in the neighboring regions of Monbazillac, Cérons, Loupiac and Cadillac.

Note that lower quality dessert wines, primarily American, are occasionally labeled as 'Sauterne'.

Wine pairings

Sauternes is a very sweet, intense wine, and is typically not served as a table wine. It can be drunk by itself in place of dessert, with a dessert, or with rich savory foods like foie gras (the canonical pairing) or Roquefort cheese.

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Ice Wine

Ice wine

Grapes for ice wine, still frozen on the vine.
Ice wine (or ice wine or, in German, Eiswein) is a type of dessert wine produced from grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine. The sugars and other dissolved solids do not freeze, but the water does, so the result is a concentrated, often very sweet wine. In the case of ice wines, the freezing happens before the fermentation, not afterwards. Unlike the grapes from which other dessert wines (such as Sauternes, Tokaji, or Trockenbeerenauslese) are made, ice wine grapes should not to be affected by Botrytis cinerea or noble rot. Only healthy grapes keep in good shape until the opportunity for ice wine harvest, which may be in the next calendar year. This gives ice wine its characteristic refreshing sweetness balanced by high acidity. When the grapes are free of Botrytis, they are said to come in "clean".

Ice wine producers

Vineyard in Ontario.
The most famous (and expensive) ice wines are German Eiswein and Canadian ice wine, but apart from these, ice wine is also made in the United States, Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Australia, France, New Zealand and Israel in smaller quantity. Eiswein is part of the QmP category in the German wine classification, and Ice wine in Canada must follow VQA protocol to be labelled as such. In Canada, if the grapes' must weight is less than 35 brix, then the must cannot be made into ice wine. These are often downgraded to a lower designation, such as Special Select Late Harvest or Select Late Harvest. Ice wine production in Canada is regulated by the Vintners Quality Alliance in the provinces of British Columbia and Ontario. In contrast to most other wine-producing regions, Canada, and particularly Niagara Peninsula, has very consistent freezes in winter and has become the largest ice wine producer in the world. Although Niagara-on-the-Lake's Inniskillin is traditionally considered the largest producer in term of volume, many smaller New World wineries in the Niagara Region have made their presence known with high quality products that have won awards around the world. Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery's 2004 Riesling Icewine was recently acknowledged by Jancis Robinson of the Financial Times (London) and the Oxford Companion to Wine as one of Canada's 10 best wines. To add to the prestige factor, in November 2006, the most expensive bottle of ice wine to date, was sold at CAD 30,000 by Royal DeMaria, a small winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake that specializes in making icewine.

Production
Natural ice wines require a hard freeze (by law in Canada a minimum of −8 °C (17 °F) and in Germany a minimum of −7 °C (19 °F)) to occur sometime after the grapes are ripe, which means that the grapes may hang on the vine for several months following the normal harvest. If a freeze does not come quickly enough, the grapes may rot and the crop will be lost. If the freeze is too severe, no juice can be extracted. Vineland Winery in Ontario once broke their pneumatic press in the 1990s while pressing the frozen grapes because they were too hard (the temperature was close to −20 °C).[citation needed] The longer the harvest is delayed, the more fruit will be lost to wild animals and dropped fruit. Since the fruit must be pressed while it is still frozen, pickers often must work at night or very early in the morning, harvesting the grapes within a few hours, while cellar workers must work in unheated spaces.

In Austria, Germany and Canada, the grapes must freeze naturally to be called ice wine. Some winemakers use cryoextraction (that is, mechanical freezing) to simulate the effect of a frost and typically do not leave the grapes to hang for extended periods as is done with a natural ice wine. These non-traditional ice wines are sometimes referred to as "icebox wines".[citation needed] An example is Bonny Doon's Vin de Glacière.

The high sugar level in the must leads to a slower than normal fermentation. It may take months to complete the fermentation (compared to days or weeks for regular wines) and special strains of yeasts should be used. Because of the lower yield of grape musts and the difficulty of processing, ice wines are significantly more expensive than table wines. They are often sold in half-bottle volume (375 ml) or the even smaller 200ml bottle. New World wineries in particular sometimes bottle 200 ml and 50 ml gift packages.

Varietal grapes
Typical grapes used for ice wine production are Riesling, considered to be the most noble variety by Germans; Vidal, highly popular in British Columbia and Ontario, Canada; and, interestingly, the red grape Cabernet Franc. Many vintners, especially from the New World, are experimenting with making ice wine from other varieties: whites such as Seyval Blanc, Chardonnay, Kerner, Gewürztraminer, chenin blanc, Pinot Blanc, and Ehrenfelser; or reds such as Merlot, Pinot Noir, and even Cabernet Sauvignon. Pillitteri Estates Winery from the Niagara-on-the-Lake region of Ontario recently claimed to be the first winery in the world producing Shiraz (Syrah) ice wine.

Ice wines from white varieties tend to be pale yellow or light gold in color when they are young and can maderise (acquiring a deep amber-golden color) as they age. The red varieties tend to have a light burgundy or even pink color like that of rosé wines.

Some vintners in Canada have taken a step forward in experimenting with sparkling ice wine. Sparkling ice wines have texture similar to other sparkling wines, such as champagne or asti, but with fuller body, and a significantly higher sugar level balanced with high acidity.

Characteristics
Even though it is normal for the sugar content in ice wine to run from 180 g/L up to as high as 320 g/L (with a mean in the 220 g/L range), ice wine is very refreshing (as opposed to cloying) due to high acidity. (The titratable acidity in ice wine is almost always above 10 g/L.) Ice wine usually has a medium to full body, with a long lingering finish. The nose is usually reminiscent of peach, pear, dried apricot, honey, citrus, figs, caramel, green apple, etc., depending on the varietal. The aroma of tropical and exotic fruits such as pineapple, mango, or lychee is quite common, especially on white varietals.

Ice wine usually has a slightly lower alcohol content than regular table wine. Some Riesling ice wines from Germany have an alcohol content as low as 6%. Ice wines produced in Canada usually have higher alcohol content, between eight and 13 percent. In most years, ice wines from Canada generally have higher brix degree (must weight) compared to those from Germany. This is largely due to the more consistent winters in Canada. Must with insufficient brix level cannot be made into ice wine, and is thus often sold as "special select late harvest" or "select late harvest" at a fraction of the price that true ice wine commands.

Connoisseurs argue about whether ice wine improves with age or is meant to be drunk young. Those who support aging claim that ice wine's very high sugar level (which is often much higher than that of Sauternes) and high acidity preserve the content for many years after bottling. Those who disagree contend that as ice wine ages it loses its distinctive acidity, fruitiness, aroma, and freshness.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Pinot Gris/Grigio

Pinot gris

A bunch of Pinot gris grapes
Species: Vitis vinifera
Also called: (see list of synonyms)
Origin: Burgundy, France
Notable regions: (see major regions)

Pinot gris is a white wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. Thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot noir grape, it normally has a grayish-blue fruit, accounting for its name ("gris" meaning "gray" in French) but the grape can have a brownish pink to black and even white appearance. The word "Pinot", which means "pinecone" in French, could have been given to it because the grapes grow in small pinecone-shaped clusters. The wines produced from this grape also vary in color from a deep golden yellow to copper and even a light shade of pink. The clone of Pinot gris grown in Italy is known as Pinot grigio. Due to the grapes rising popularity, ACNielsen research data predicts that Pinot gris/Pinot grigio sales will overtake White Zinfandel as the fourth best selling varietal in the US by the end of 2007.

History

Pinot noir grapes have a much darker hue then the bluish-gray coloring of Pinot gris
Pinot gris has been known from the Middle Ages in the Burgundy region, where it was probably called Fromenteau. It spread from Burgundy, along with Pinot noir, arriving early in Switzerland by 1300. Reportedly a favorite grape of his, Emperor Charles IV had cuttings imported to Hungary by Cistercians monks who planted the vines on the slopes of Badacsony bordering Lake Balaton in 1375. The vine soon after developed the name Szürkebarát meaning "grey monk". In 1711, a German merchant, named Johann Seger Ruland discovered a grape growing wild in the fields of the Palatinate. The subsequent wine he produced became known as Ruländer and the vine was later discovered to be Pinot gris.

Until the 18th and 19th century, the grape was a popular planting in Burgundy and Champagne but poor yields and unreliable crops cause the grape to fall out of favor in those areas. The same fate nearly occurred in Germany, but vine breeders in the early 20th century were able to develop clonal varieties that would produce a more consistent and reliable crop.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have determined that Pinot gris has a remarkably similar DNA profile to Pinot noir and that the color difference is derived from a genetic mutation that occurred centuries ago. The leaves and the vines of both grapes are so distinctly similar that the coloration difference is the only thing that tells them apart.

Regions

France-Burgundy & Loire
Germany-Baden,Pfalz
Austria
Canada-British Columbia, Ontario
South Africa
Switzerland-Valais
Romania-Constanţa County
Moldova

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