Behind the Cork™ - Beronia Rioja Reserva

2015 Beronia Rioja Reserva ($19.99)

Here’s yet another returning star to Behind the Cork™ - the Beronia Rioja Reserva.

As we learned in last week’s post, “Reserva” means that a Rioja wine must undergo a minimum of three years of aging with at least one year in barrels and six months in the bottle. This one from Beronia spent 19 months in French and American oak barrels and completed its aging in the bottle for a minimum of 17 months prior to be released.

Produced from 95% Tempranillo, 4% Graciano and 1% Mazuelo, this Beronia Rioja Reserva is deep ruby in color and has aromas of dark fruits and spices. It is easy on the palate with light tannin, good flavors of fresh dark fruits such as black cherry, balanced acidity and has a nice long finish.

This Beronia Rioja Reserva fits right in with the Behind the Cork™ theme of being an affordable and attainable wine that you will enjoy. Cheers!

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

Sample Provided by Rebekah Polster, Donna White Communications

Behind the Cork™ - LAN Viña Lanciano Rioja Reserva

2012 LAN Viña Lanciano Rioja Reserva ($19.99)

The grapes used in the production of this Rioja Reserva come from a selection of vines of more than 30 years of age located in LAN’s Viña Lanciano estate. It is produced from 90% Tempranillo, 8% Graciano and 2% Mazuelo.

It is fermented in small stainless steel tanks with long macerations and continuous pumping-over of the must to achieve better color extraction. It then undergoes Malolactic conversion in French oak barrels sourced from the Tronçaise forests.

For a Rioja wine to be categorized as a Reserva, it must undergo a minimum of three years of aging with at least one year in barrels and six months in the bottle. This Viña Lanciano Rioja Reserva spent 14 months in Tronçaise French oak barrels and eight months in Russian oak barrels from the Caucasus. That was followed by 20 months in the bottle.

This Viña Lanciano is a bright garnet color. It has aromas of black fruits (blackberry, blackcurrant) and vanilla. On the palate it is big on the front-end with ripe tannins, good acidity and a long finish that emphasizes the vanilla flavors from the oak aging.

This wonderful LAN Viña Lanciano Rioja Reserva is recommended with stews, smoked and spicy dishes, meat carpaccio and mature cheeses. Enjoy this one between 62 and 64º F. Cheers!

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

Sample Provided by Stefanie Schwalb, Gregory+Vine

Are You Familiar with Barbera Wine?

My “Ah ha” moment with wine involved a Berbera. “A what?” I asked. I’d never heard of it and really, really liked it.

Barbera (Bar-BEAR-ah) is a grape that is grown throughout Italy, especially in the Piedmont region. It is Italy’s third most grown grape behind Sangiovese (most notably known as the grape in Chianti) and Nebbiolo. In Italy, it’s known to produce inexpensive table wine that is enjoyed regularly with meals.

It’s also grown on a significantly smaller scale in California. Much of it is grown in the Central Valley where it is widely used as a blend component in mass-produced jug wines. This is because Barbera is a very vigorous grape variety that can produce high yields. But, it is truly being produced into fine wines in Northern California’s El Dorado and Amador Counties as well as a couple other smaller wine producing regions.

Like so many wines, Barbera can be different depending on where it is grown and how the winemaker treats it. Barbera is typically a medium-bodied wine with lighter tannins and higher acidity. It is usually enjoyed young (two to four years after harvest).

Next time I’ll get into more detail on this amazing grape and how different it can be. Until then, Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Domäne Wachau Grüner Veltliner Federspiel

2019 Domäne Wachau Grüner Veltliner Federspiel ($14.99)

Grüner Veltliner is Austria’s most important grape variety. And this one is from the famous Wachau Valley noted for its steep terraced vineyards.

The word Federspiel in this wine’s name identifies it as one of three categories of wines from the Wachau Valley. Federspiel wines have a maximum alcohol content of 12.5% and Chaptalisation (The process of adding sugar to fermenting grapes to increase the final alcohol level) is strictly forbidden. The word Federspiel is derived from falconry which was a very popular leisure time activity among the nobility in Medieval times.

This wine is produced from 100% Grüner Veltliner grapes that are fermented in stainless steel tanks in order to preserve the fresh fruit flavors of the wine.

It is a bright yellow-green in color. On the nose it has vibrant aromas of green apple, citrus and cut grass. On the palate it is light and refreshing with crisp acidity and a long finish with hints of citrus.

Chill this one to 48 degrees F and enjoy with lighter fare such as fish, seafood and poultry or with the traditional Austrian cuisine of ‘Wiener Schnitzel.’ Cheers!

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

Sample Provided by Rebekah Polster, Donna White Communications

Ever Wonder What Texture Means in Wines?

When wines get described you’ll often hear terms such as soft, smooth, silky, plush, firm, sharp and round. These are common textures we are familiar with when touching something with our hands. But what do these textures mean in wine?

Simply put, a wine’s texture is how it feels in your mouth. This is called the wine’s mouthfeel.

Textures in red wines are most often directly related to tannins that come from chemical compounds released from a grape’s skins, seeds and stems as well as the oak barrels used to age the wine. The amount and type of tannin leads to varying levels of astringency in wine which is that dry-mouth feeling like drinking a very strong or bitter tea. Grapes such as Pinot Noir are known for producing lower-tannin wines that may be described as ‘silky.’ Merlot tends to have a more ‘plush’ mouthfeel while Cabernet Sauvignon can be described as having ‘firm’ or ‘grippy’ mouthfeels.

The level of acidity in a wine also affects its texture. A Sauvignon Blanc that is fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks will be described as having ‘sharp’ texture whereas a Chardonnay that is aged in oak will be described as having a ‘round’ mouthfeel. Red wines may go through Malolactic conversion that changes the more harsh Malic acid into Lactic acid (the acid in milk) to give the wines a more ‘smooth’ or ‘silky’ texture.

Finally, other factors such as allowing a wine to remain in contact with its dead yeast, or lees, during aging, affects mouthfeel. Those residual yeast particles can create a ‘creamy’ and ‘rounded’ mouthfeel when stirred into the wine during the aging process.

So, there you go. A wine’s texture is all about mouthfeel. Next time you sip a wine, let is swish around in your mouth before swallowing it. Then, focus on how you mouth feels. That’s the texture of the wine!