Ever Wonder What the Wine Word "Cru" Means?

If you’ve every shopped for French wine, you’ll find their wine labels can be quite different than those in the U.S. And, somewhat confusing. With French wines, and others, the term Cru can show up on the label. So, let take a look at what that term means.

Simply translated, Cru means growth. Typically, it refers to a special or unique growing area. Somewhat like an American AVA (e.g., Napa Valley), a French Cru can be a growing site or it can be a larger region of land that includes many vineyards and wineries. This term is also closely tied to the French term terrior that sums up the entirety of the location, soil, climate and elevation of a wine growing region.

The term Cru can also have different meaning within France’s wine regions, just as it can also be applied differently in other countries. And to make things even more confusing, the term isn’t regulated outside of France.

So, next time we’ll look at how the term Cru is applied to wines from Burgundy and Bordeaux. Until then, Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Terre di San Venanzio Prosecco

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Behind the Cork™ - Terre di San Venanzio

Here are a couple more wonderful Proseccos from Terre di San Venanzio in Italy.

The Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Extra Dry (shown on the right) hails from 100% Glera from the best D.O.C.G. hills of Valdobbiadene. Its bouquet has delicate aroma of pear and white flowers such as Acacia and Jasmine. On the Palate, it is light and refreshing with soft bubbles and just a hint of sweetness (15 g/l RS).

The Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore “Fortunato” also is from 100% Glera and grown in the Valdobbiadene hills. This one uses highly selected grapes from their best vineyards. With scents of yellow apple, pear and white peach, this Prosecco is also light and refreshing with a touch more sweetness on the palate (20 g/l RS).

Both of these Prosecco offerings from Terre de San Venanzio are wonderful on their own and pair with most any thing you choose. 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 Terre di San Venanzio (Italy)


Behind the Cork™ - Hess Select Pinot Gris

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2019 Hess Select Pinot Gris ($12)

The Hess Select line of wines are perfect for Behind the Cork™ because they are affordable and attainable. And, they taste great!

This Hess Select Pinot Gris (Pee-noh-GREE) is from California vineyard sites that assures plentiful sunshine for a consistent and long grape growing season. This provides flavorful fruit with layers of character.

The Hess Select Pinot Gris has flavors of pear and sweet lemon, moderate acidity and a creamy mouthfeel.

The Hess winemaker, Dave Guffy, says of this wine that it is “fermented..in stainless steel, without oak influence, in order to accentuate the beautiful tropical characteristics of the wine and retain freshness. It undergoes some lees stirring to highlight the naturally crisp stone fruit flavors.”

If you’re looking for a refreshing wine you enjoy with cheese & crackers or with poultry and seafood, this Hess Select Pinot Gris will be a great pairing. 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 Donna White, Donna White Communications


Behind the Cork™ - Hess Select Rosé

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2019 Hess Select Rosé ($12)

Spring is just a little more than a week away and it’s time to start thinking about Rosé. Warmer days make rosé the perfect pairing with it’s bright fruit and thirst quenching acidity.

This Hess Select Rosé is a great match for Springtime fare.

To retain the bright fruit flavors of this rosé, it was fermented in stainless steel. According to winemaker Dave Guffy, this was done “…in order to accentuate the wine’s naturally crisp and expressive flavors. Bright and bursting with notes of red berries and stone fruit, this wine delivers a perfect element of acidity on it elegant finish.”

This Hess Select Rosé has wonderful flavors of strawberry and Maraschino cherry and a finish that gently fades away.

Hess Select Rosé is a tasty wine that’s affordable and attainable and a great fit for a Behind the Cork™ wine of the week. 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 Donna White, Donna White Communications

Ever Wonder? Why Do People Hold their Wine Glass by the Base?

The first time that I saw someone holding their wine glass by the base I assumed they were a real wine snob. Now, maybe they were a wine snob, but there actually is a good reason for holding a wine glass by the base.

Wine etiquette usually dictates that you should always hold your glass of wine by the stem and not by the bowl. This keeps your hands off the bowl and avoids smudges and marks that could otherwise detract from the appearance of the glass.

But, if you happen to own very fine wine glasses or get served from a very fine wine glass you’ll find that the stem can actually be quite narrow and even potentially brittle. It’s in this situation that holding your wine glass by the base, or foot, is recommended. You’d really hate to be holding an ultra-high-end glass by the stem and find that the small amount of pressure you put on it causes it to snaps. Embarrassing, costly and potentially hazardous to your hand!

So, holding a wine glass by the stem is usually the proper thing to do. But holding an extremely delicate wine glass by the base is actually the practical thing to do. Cheers!