A Break from Tradition in Italy: The Super Tuscan Wines

Much like France, Italy has a long tradition of wine. In the 1960s, Italy formalized their wine appellation system modeled after the French system. Under this system, each wine region in Italy was required to operate under strict rules for the types of grapes they were allowed to grow and how their wines were to be produced.

Under this system, native Italian grapes were required to be used in Italian wines. These native grapes included Sangiovese, Barbera, Nebbiolo, and Montepulciano. But these regulations were quickly criticized as being overly restrictive and led small groups to push-back against them. By the end of the ’60s, these groups were producing wine blends with non-native grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.

But, these producers of wines using non-native Italian grapes were forced to bottle their wines using the generic title of Vino da Tavola (Table Wine) that is associated with Italy’s lowest-quality wines. Instead of settling for this, they chose to unofficially call their wines “Super Tuscans” so as to distinguish them from inexpensive table wines.

Finally, in 1992, the Italian government created a new wine classification called “Toscana IGT” for these Super Tuscan wine blends.

Many fine examples of Super Tuscans come from the region of Maremma, on the Tyrrhenian Sea coast in the southwest of Tuscany. Look for several in the next Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week feature. Cheers!

It's Time for Rosé!

In the past, rosé wines got a bad rap, and some of it was deserved. The White Zinfandel that became so popular in years' past has had a lot to do with rosé wines being greatly overlooked.

But rosés should not be rejected outright. There are many examples of rosés with great character.

Light rosés can have flavors of grapefruit, strawberry and sweet cherry, while darker, bolder rosés can have flavors of black currant and blackberry. These flavors come from the many varieties of grapes used to produce rosé.  Fruity rosé can come from the Grenache, Sangiovese and Zinfandel grapes while savory rosé is made from Tempranillo, Syrah and even Cabernet Sauvignon.  Other rosés are made from Mourvèdre, Pinot Noir, Cinsault and Clairette grapes.  Check the label. Nicer rosés will tell you the type of grape used in making the wine.

A key to finding dry versus sweet rosé is the wine’s alcohol content.  Sweeter wines, in general, have lower alcohol levels (not all the sugar was converted to alcohol during fermentation). All wines labels are required to show the percent alcohol of the wine. If it's down around 8 or 9 percent, it's usually going to be on the sweeter side.  In the 11 to 12 percent range, it will be mid-range between sweet and dry. And, above 12 percent it's going to be dry.  And, typically, rosés from Old World countries are going to be drier. French rosés from Provence are made of Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and Mouvèdre, Spanish rosé (rosado) is typically made from the Grenache grape while Italian rosato is made with various grapes depending on where they are from. These are all excellent, dry rosés that are typically quite affordable (under $20).

Rosé wines go great with a large variety of foods and are typically served cool to cold.

Here’s to Spring and enjoying rosé wines! Cheers!

Ever Wonder...What is Sherry?

Sherry is an often-misunderstood drink. A lot of people think of it as something used in cooking or something their grand-parents sipped on. But, Sherry is actually a wonderful beverage that’s enjoyed by many, especially Spaniards, who sip the good stuff like a fine Scotch.

True Sherry must come from the Andalucía region in southern Spain. But, many throughout the world try to imitate Sherry and label it as such.

Sherry starts out like a wine but the final product is quite different from a traditional wine. The primary grape used in making Sherry is Palomino - a white grape. Pedro Ximenéz and Moscatel grapes are also used. Like wine, the juice of the grape is fermented. But, after fermentation, the wine is fortified with grape spirits to 17% to 22 % ABV.

Dry Sherry ages under a cap of flor yeast, preventing the wine's contact with oxygen. These wines are usually crisp and refreshing. Other Sherries are aged in contact with air which gives them a nutty, rich flavor.

Some Sherry is then aged in a solera system, where vintages are blended together to ensure the consistency of the final product.

Sherry's flavor ranges from bone dry (very low residual sugar) to syrupy sweet:

Dry Sherry: Made predominately from the Palomino grape:

• Fino & Manzanilla - Very light in flavor. Can have salty fruit flavors.

• Amontillado - A bit bolder with nutty flavors.

• Palo Cortado - This is much richer with roasted flavors of molasses and coffee.

• Oloroso - This style is intentionally exposed to oxygen during aging resulting its dark appearance and nutty flavors.

Sweet Sherry: Made from Pedro Ximénez or Moscatel grapes:

• Pedro Ximéniz (PX) - This is the sweetest style with flavors dates and figs.

• Moscatel - This has sweet caramel flavors.

• Sweet Sherry: A blend of Oloroso and PX Sherry.

And, it just so happens that International Sherry week is coming up November 8th through 14th, so look for this week’s Behind the Cork™ blog that will feature several really nice Sherry offerings. Cheers!

Ever Wonder About Orange Wine?

Several years ago, we took an initial look at Orange wine. Having recently been asked about Orange wine, I thought it would be worth another look.

First, let’s get the most important point out of the way - Orange wine is not made from oranges.

Like ‘red’ wine and ‘white’ wine, Orange wine is categorized as such because of its color.

Now, let’s get to how Orange wines become orange in color. The answer is really quite straight forward. An Orange wine is produced with white wine grapes but it’s made using the same process that a red wine is made. That is, the juice of the white wine grape is left in contact with the skins of the grapes for an extended period.

This skin contact is in contrast to the way a white wine is produced where the juice is immediately separated from the skin of the grape. It’s this skin contact that results in the otherwise white wine becoming ‘orange.’ This skin contact can be just for a brief period of time (24 hours) or the skins may remain in contact through fermentation for a period of a week or more. The final color of Orange wine can vary across a range from yellow, gold, tangerine, amber or even pink.

The skin contact adds more than just color. It adds additional flavor and it adds tannin. So, Orange wines are generally bigger and bolder in flavor and have a more astringent mouthfeel like a red wine. Orange wines should be served slightly warmer than a white wine and slightly cooler than a red. So, 55 degrees F would be just about right.

Some people have tried to associate Orange wine with ‘Natural’ wine. But, it’s not true in general. Like any red or white wine, an Orange wine is only a natural wine if it’s been grown, processed and bottled using ‘natural’ methods.

While Orange wines are not that common, you may find them on wine lists at higher-end restaurants and wine bars, or at higher-end wine shops. So, keep an eye out for them and give an Orange wine a try. With its bigger and bolder flavors, Orange wines should pair well with many foods. Cheers!

Ever Wonder? What is Vegan Wine?

Natural, organic and vegan products are becoming more and more popular. As consumers continue to seek out these products, producers are focusing on these markets. But, there seems to be confusion and misunderstanding when it comes to natural, organic and vegan wines.

One might think or expect that wine, made from fermented grape juice, is natural, organic and vegan. Right? Well, in most cases, the answer is that wine is not. And, in a recent conversation, I was asked “What is vegan wine?” So, let’s take a look.

Simply put, for a product to be vegan, it must contain no products derived from animals. So then, why isn’t all wine, that’s produced from grapes and yeast, considered vegan? Well, it mostly has to do with products that winemakers use to filter out the very small particles that naturally exist in wine. These particles come from the grapes, seeds and skins as well as the yeast. And, wine producers and consumers want their wine, especially white wines, to be crystal clear. Nobody wants a hazy, murky glass of wine.

Given enough time, these small particles will mostly fall to the bottom of the barrel or tank under gravity. That sediment can then be drained off leaving a clarified wine. But in today’s market, wine producers don’t often want to take the extra time to allow their wines to settle. Instead, they’ve learned that certain products are able to quickly bind to the small particles and fall to the bottom of the barrel or tank. These products have in the past all been animal-based products. Hence, the wines are not vegan.

Some of the most common agents used in clarify wine (referred to as fining) are gelatin (an animal protein), albumin (egg whites), casein (animal milk protein) and isinglass (fish bladder). And while these agents do a very good job of clinging to particles and then being removed from the wine, they disqualify a wine from being considered vegan.

Even the cork used in a wine bottle can contain animal products. Today, many corks are “composite.” They are formed by gluing together ground up cork bits. And, unfortunately, these glues can contain animal products.

So, how are wine makers producing vegan wines? We’ll take a look at that next time. Cheers!