Behind the Cork™ - Amrita Seiza White Blend

2021 Amrita Seiza White Blend ($35)

Amrita Cellars, founded in 2017, prides itself on finding vineyards off the beaten path and sourcing their grapes from family-owned wine growers that use the best practices in renewable and sustainable farming.

Sunny, their winemaker is a first-generation East India gentleman born and raised in the United States. He named Amrita Cellars to honor his culture and family. Amrita in Sanskrit (ancient Indic language of India) means immortality and is often referred to as the elixir.

This Amrita Seiza is made from a 50/50 blend of Viognier and Grenache Blanc. Each is fermented separately and then blended post-fermentation and aged in stainless steel.

This wine is pale gold in color with bright floral aromas and hints of lemon peel and tangerine. On the palate it is medium-light bodied with a smooth mouthfeel, flavors of citrus and pear with moderate acidity. It is available directly from the Amrita Cellars website.

Also, check out Amrita Cellars Pinot Noir wines that won two Bronze Medals at the Orange County Fair Commercial Wine Competition in June 2022. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Amrita Cellars

Behind the Cork™ - Corvezzo Prosecco

Corvezzo Prosecco

Corvezzo (kor-VETZ-zoh) is the leading name in organically grown, vegan wines from northeast Italy’s Veneto region.

Founded in 1960, the winery is in the village of Cessalto near Treviso, a sweet spot in the Veneto between the cool Dolomite Mountains and the sunny Adriatic Sea.

Family-owned and run, Corvezzo has the largest acreage in Italy of certified organic Glera and Pinot Grigio grapes. According to owner/winemaker Giovanni Corvezzo, his wines have not only adapted to organic farming - they have thrived, becoming stronger, with better balance and producing higher quality fruit. The signature wine style for him is fresh and bright.

2020 Corvezzo Extra Dry Prosecco Rosé ($13) This prosecco is made with organic and vegan Glera and Pinot Nero grapes that were cold crushed and pressed for the primary fermentation. The secondary fermentation took place at 60 days using the Charmat method. It is pale pink in color with delicate aromas. On the palate it has light bubbles with light flavors of strawberry and citrus. It is 11.5% ABV with 12 g/L of residual sugar.

2020 Corvezzo Extra Dry Prosecco ($13) This prosecco is also made with organic and vegan grapes (85% Glera and 15% other DOC permitted grapes) that were cold crushed and pressed for the primary fermentation. The secondary fermentation took place at 60 days using the Charmat method. It is pale straw in color with delicate aromas of pear and apple. On the palate it too has light bubbles, delicate flavor and good acidity. It is 11.5% ABV with 12 g/L of residual sugar.

Both of these refreshing sparkling wines from Corvezzo are very affordable and make a nice fit as Behind the Cork™ Wines of the Week. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Book Review: Find Your Wine Identity by Sandra Guibord

Find Your Wine Identity by Sandra Guibord ($26)

For a change of pace here on Behind the Cork™ let’s take a look at an interesting book on wines.

Sandra Guibord’s Find Your Wine Identity is an easy read that takes you through the seasons of the year and encourages you to explore new and different wines “…to break out of your ‘wine rut'.”

Find Your Wine Identity offers suggestions on how to turn your year-round entertaining into memorable events. With Sandra's natural, engaging style, she leads beginners and wine connoisseurs through the seasons, sharing ideal wine choices, tasty recipes for perfect wine-pairing, and notable tips to make every event truly special. She also includes wine histories for great party conversation. With carefully selected information presented in a casual, fun format, this book will help readers find a wonderful wine life of their own!

If you are looking for a good book to help learn about wines, or are looking for a holiday gift for a wine-lover, Sandra Guibord’s Find Your Wine Identity is a good choice. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Corvezzo Pinot Grigio

2020 Corvezzo Pinot Grigio ($13)

Corvezzo is the leading name in organically grown, vegan wines from northeast Italy’s Veneto region.

Founded in 1960, the winery is in the village of Cessalto near Treviso, a sweet spot in the Veneto between the cool Dolomite Mountains and the sunny Adriatic Sea.

Family-owned and run, Corvezzo has the largest acreage in Italy of certified organic Glera and Pinot Grigio grapes. According to owner/winemaker Giovanni Corvezzo, his wines have not only adapted to organic farming - they have thrived, becoming stronger, with better balance and producing higher quality fruit. The signature wine style for him is fresh and bright.

This Corvezzo Pinot Grigio is produced from 100% Pinot Grigio grapes that underwent a soft cold crushing and pressing and were aged in concrete tanks (95%) and oak barrels (5%). It is straw yellow in color with gold glimmers. One the nose it has subtle hints of citrus, lemon and some minerality. On the palate it is light in body with peach, cantaloupe and nectarine, moderate acidity, smooth mouth-feel and just an ever-so-subtle hint of sweetness on the finish.

This Corvezzo Pinot Grigio is great tasting and very affordable, making it a great fit as the Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - TerraNoble Gran Reserve Carmenere

2018 TerraNoble Gran Reserva Carménère, ($18)

The TerraNoble winery was founded in 1993, and has produced high quality wines that have been recognized and awarded. The winery is located in the Maule Valley of Chile and the vineyards are in the Maule, Colchagua and Casablanca valleys. Their philosophy is to produce elegant, noble and pleasant drinking wines, with fruit-bearing flavors and aromas that maintain the characteristics of each variety.

This Gran Reserva Carménère, (kar-men-nair) is produced from 100% Carménère grapes that were placed in stainless steel tanks for a cold maceration of 4 to 5 days. Fermentation took place for between 8 and 12 days. After that, the wine had a post-fermentation maceration of one to two weeks, depending on each lot
and on daily tastings. Once the vatting process was finished, it was racked directly into French oak barrels and foudre where it underwent malolactic fermentation. It was then aged for up to 12 months with 70% of the wine being aged in previously used (2 or 3 times) French oak barrels and 30% in un-toasted foudre for 12 months. It was then bottle aged for at least six months before being released.

This wine is deep ruby in color with medium aromas of plum and black berry with peppery notes. On the palate this full-bodied wine has good flavors of black cherry and black plum with peppercorn. It is medium in tannin and medium in acidity and exhibits just a hint of oak.


This TerraNoble Gran Reserva Carménère is a really nice wine at a terrific price. Keep an eye out for this one as well as their Cabernet Sauvignon that was featured earlier this year. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by TerraNoble Winery (via Creative Palate)