Ever Wonder? What is a Winter White Wine?

Winter

White Wines

Yes! You Can Drink White Wine in the Winter

Standard convention says that during the colder days of winter, a hearty red wine is the one to pick. And, while that’s not wrong, there are also white wines that are well-suited for winter drinking.

Winter white wines are not the bright, fruity and refreshing ones that you may normally think of, such as Sauvignon Blanc, but rather whites that are a bit bigger and more powerful in flavor such that they pair well with heartier winter dishes.

And, these winter whites don’t need to be extra chilled in a standard refrigerator. Winter whites should be served in the 50-55° F range.

Here are just a few examples of winter whites that you may consider:

• Chardonnay (lightly oaked)

• Chenin Blanc

• Riesling (off-dry & sweet)

• Verdejo

• Viognier

Looks for reviews of winter white wines in upcoming Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week reviews. Cheers!

Ever Wonder? Why Do Wine Makers Produce Blended Wines?

In years past in the U.S., red wine blends were sold by the jug as "Red Wine" or "Table Wine."  These were inexpensive wines that were blends of grapes, vineyards or even vintages. This history has led to some people believing that blends are of lesser-quality than just pure varietals.

But we only need to look to France, home of some of the world’s best wines, to see that blends of high quality are very common.  France's famous region of Bordeaux produces red blends almost exclusively.  Depending on which bank the wine is from in Bordeaux, it will be a different blend. The Left Bank is known for its blends based on Cabernet Sauvignon while the Right Bank blends are Merlot based. These blends may also include Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot and Malbec.

Other famous regions known for their blends include the Rhône Valley that uses Grenache, Syrah and Mouvedre and the so-called Super Tuscans from Italy that may include Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Syrah, Cabernet Franc and others.

The main reason that winemakers produce blends is to make the best wine possible. Blending different grape varieties is useful in accentuating a particular grape's virtues. But winemakers have also learned never to blend an inferior wine with a good wine because the result is usually an inferior wine. Again, the goal is to produce a wine that is actually better than the sum of its parts. And blending allows for wines that are well balanced and complex in their aromas, flavors, colors and textures. The blended grapes can add layers of flavor that will change through the process of taking the first sip, letting it sit on your tongue and then as you swallow.

Another thing you may not realize is that most wines labeled in the U.S. as single varietals are actually blends.  The laws state that for a wine to be labeled as a single varietal, it must contain at least 75% of the noted grape. But that leaves the other 25% for the winemaker to be creative and generally to blend in other grapes that results in their best possible wine.

So don't turn up your nose at red wine blends.  These can actually be some of the best wines in the world. Cheers!

Sparkling Wines are Perfect for the Holidays

Everybody loves Champagne.  It's a treat that is generally poured in small fluted glasses and raised during toasts at special occasions. But what a lot of people don't realize is that they are not drinking Champagne. Read more

Champagne

Champagne is a sparkling wine that is produced in the relatively small region of Champagne in France. Only those sparkling wines produced in this region are allowed to be labeled as 'Champagne.'  And an entry level bottle of Champagne is going to start in the $50 range. So, typically you are toasting with some other sparkling wine. Read more

• Champagne is typically produced from three grapes — Pinot Noir (Yes! A red wine grape!), Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier

• To be called Champagne, it must be produced in the Champagne region of France. Otherwise, it’s called Sparkling Wine

• The first step in making Champagne is to make the wine, like any other wine, in a barrel or tank and bottle it

• The wine becomes carbonated by a second fermentation inside the bottle that is initiated by adding a solution of sugar and yeast. As the yeast consumes the sugar, it gives off carbon dioxide which stays trapped in the wine since the bottle is capped

• Champagne bottles are stored with their neck down during the second fermentation so that the yeast will settle in the neck

• The upside down bottles are regularly turned to ensure all the yeast ends up in the neck of the bottle in a process called riddling

• The Champagne bottle is then opened and the spent yeast is removed or disgorged

• Finally, some additional wine and sugar is added (the dosage) to balance the Champagne’s acidity

• This process of making Champagne is called the méthode champenoise

And, just as a reminder, Champagne grapes are not used in the production of Champagne.

U.S. Sparkling Wine

In the U.S., there are a tremendous number of makers of sparkling wine. Most will produce a wine that can taste very much like the French Champagne. And, you can also find these sparkling wines infused with fruit flavors such as peach and nut flavors such as almond.  An entry level bottle of sparkling wine in the U.S. can be as little as $5. Read more

California can produce sparkling wines with “Champagne” on the label and it is perfectly legal to be called Champagne. The loophole that makes this legal stems from a ruling in 2005, after two decades of court battles, when the U.S. and the EU reached an agreement. In exchange for easing trade restrictions on wine, the American government agreed that Champagne would no longer appear on domestic wine labels – that is, unless a producer was already using the name

Prosecco and Asti

In Italy, Prosecco is their signature sparkling wine. Produced in the Veneto region just north of Venice, this sparkling wine usually produces bigger bubbles. Bottles of Prosecco can be purchased in the $10- $15 range. Read more

Cava

The sparkling wine of Spain is Cava that is produced in the Catalonia region of Spain where Barcelona is located.  Nice bottles of Cava can be purchased for around $15. Read more

Styles of Champagne and Sparkling Wine

Brut Nature - This style is bone dry. It has little or no sugar content (0–3 g/L sugar).

Extra Brut - This style is also bone dry but, it can have up to twice the sugar level of Brut Nature (0–6 g/L sugar). But, this little bit of sweetness creates a wonderful balance with Champagne’s naturally high acidity.

Brut - This is the most common style. While considered “Dry” this style can have twice the sugar of Extra Brut (0–12 g/L sugar).

Extra Dry - This is the one that always confuses people. This style is sweeter which actually makes it also taste a bit Fruity (12–17 g/L sugar).

Dry - The confusing continues. This style is getting up there in sweetness (17–32 g/L sugar).

Demi-Sec - Now you’re talking Sweet (32–50 g/L sugar). This style works well with desserts or cheeses.

Doux - This one, while very rare to find, is SWEET (50+ g/L sugar).

You've Heard of Sauvignon Blanc but is there a Sauvignon Noir?

Sauvignon Blanc is a well-known grape that is grown around the world. It produces a light colored, aromatic dry white wine with citrus and tropical notes and bright acidity. There are current theories that Sauvignon Blanc was derived from a cross between Traminer and Chenin Blanc that may have taken place in the Loire Valley of France.

The Sauvignon Blanc name is thought to be derived from the French word sauvage meaning ‘wild’ and blanc white mean ‘white.’ So, one might ask, if Sauvignon Blanc is a white grape, is there such a thing as a red or black (noir) grape named Sauvignon Noir? Well, the answer is no. But there is a famous red grape that is directly related to the Sauvignon Blanc grape.

Research in the late 1990 at the University of California, Davis used DNA typing to establish that Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc naturally crossed sometime during the 17th century and produced Cabernet Sauvignon!

Recent DNA testing has shown that Cabernet Franc is also one of Merlot's parents!

So, while there is no Sauvignon Noir, Sauvignon Blanc does have a very well know red varietal off-spring. Cheers!

Get to Know the Pinots -- Pinot Noir

In previous blogs we got an overview of the Pinot grape and the tremendous number of Pinot synonyms (258!) and looked at the least known of the Pinots, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Gris. Now let’s look at the most notable of the Pinots - Pinot Noir.

Pinot Noir’s name is derived from the French words for pine and black. The word pine refers to the shape of the tightly clustered, pinecone–shaped bunches of fruit, while noir (black) comes from the dark colored grapes.

Pinot Noir is probably best known as the “red” wine in Burgundy and least known as one of the three primary varietals in the making of Champagne.

Pinot Noir is the world’s most popular light-bodied red wine that is low in tannin. It’s also a favorite for the production of rosé wines and can also be found as a white wine!

Cluster of Pinot Noir Grapes

The most common flavors of Pinot Noir include cherry, cranberry and raspberry. But, its flavors tend to be highly dependent on terroir (i.e., where it is grown). Pinot is grown around the world and most notably in France, USA (California and Oregon), Australia, New Zealand and Chile.

Because Pinot Noir has such delicate aromas, it is generally recommended that it be served in a large round bell-shaped glass. Cheers!