Behind the Cork™ - Dow's 10 & 20 Year Tawny Porto

Dow’s 10 & 20 Year Tawny Port

Looking for the perfect nightcap after a long day? During these long, warm days of Summer, sipping Dow’s 10 Year Old Tawny Port, or Dow’s 20 Year Old Tawny Port, is the hidden gem of a summer night.

These Port wines are from one of the leading port producers in Portugal. Dow’s is managed by fourth and fifth generation family members of the Symington Family Estates in Portugal.

These wonderful Ports are ready-to-drink and the culmination of over 100 years of experience creating these wines through decades of aging in seasoned oak casks.

From two of the Douro’s finest Quintas: Senhora da Ribeira and Bomfim, these ports are the product of the best hand-harvested vineyards, which have both supplied Dow’s for over a century. Grapes used in the production of port include Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Barroca, Sousão, and Alicante Bouschet.

These 10 and 20 Year Old Ports are the result of a skillful process that balances the original fine fruit flavors with wood-character.

Dow’s Ten Years Old Tawny Port ($39) [92 points - Wine Spectator, 2018]
This Port has a deep russet-colored center that fades to the distinctive garnet edge. On the nose it has bright aromas of red cherry and almonds coupled with toffee and vanilla notes. On the palate this 10 Year Port is mouth-filling, with peppery spice and a touch of marmalade preceding a full finish that includes almond-overtones from the prolonged cask aging.

Dow’s Twenty Years Old Tawny Port ($67) [93 points -Wine Spectator, 2018]
For many, this is the perfect age for a great Tawny Port. After 20 years in seasoned oak casks this Port has become a delicate golden-amber color. It has aromas of honeysuckle and a distinct butterscotch scent.

On the palate, Dow’s Twenty Years Old Tawny is perfectly balanced, with notes of dried nuts and spice, concentrated red berry fruit and a mineral freshness. Nuanced flavors of tobacco lead to a focused, long dry finish.

These are very fine Ports that should be enjoyed in a standard wine so that the aromas and color can be appreciated. Serve slightly chilled in warm weather.

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

Samples Provided by:

Michelle Keene | Account Director
CALHOUN & COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS

Confusing Sweetness and Fruitiness in Wine

Many wine drinkers may confuse the taste sensations of sweet and fruity. While our brain naturally associates fruit aromas and flavors with sweetness, they are often not directly associated with each other when it comes to wine.

“Fruity” is a term that gets used to describe a wine that has pronounced flavors or aromas of fruits. With wines, you may experience aromas and flavors of citrus (lemon, lime, orange), orchard fruits (apples, pears), stone fruits (apricots, peaches, plums), tropical fruits (pineapple, mango), red fruits (strawberries, cherries, cranberries, raspberries), or dark fruits (blackberries, blueberries, black currant). These wine flavors and aromas may be processed and interpreted as being “sweet.” But, fruity wines aren’t necessarily sweet. Sauvignon Blanc is a good example. While it offers bright fruit flavors of grapefruit, lime, pear and peach, it is typically low in residual sugar.

For a wine to be sweet, it must have residual sugars (RS). That is, sugar that is intentionally left in the juice that doesn’t get converted to alcohol during fermentation. The categories of wine sweetness include “Dry” (1-10 g/L RS), “Off Dry” (10-35 g/L RS), “Sweet” (35-120 g/L RS) and “Very Sweet” (120+ g/L RS).

Most wines on the store shelf are “Dry” but if you’re looking for sweeter white wines look for Kabinett or Spätlese Riesling, Chenin Blanc or Gewürztraminer. Lambrusco is a sweeter, sparkling red wine. Sweeter red wines, by brand, include Ménage á Trois Red (12 g/L RS), Apothic Red (15 g/L RS), Cocobon Red Blend (12 g/L RS), Yellow Tail Shiraz (12 g/L RS) and Jam Jar (57 g/L RS).

So, don’t be fooled. “Fruity” wine traits don’t necessarily mean it’s a sweet wine. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Loess Grüner Veltliner by Domäne Wachau

2020 Loess Grüner Veltliner by Domäne Wachau - 1L ($14)

This Loess Grüner Veltliner (‘grew-ner felt-lee-ner’) from Domäne Wachau comes from small vineyard plots along the Danube riverbed in Austria. Loess (‘low-ss’) refers to the soil found in these vineyards that reflect wines that are slightly fresher and fruiter when compared to the wines produced from the gneiss (‘nice’) soils found in the steeper Wachau Valley vineyard slopes.

This wine is produced from hand-picked grapes that are certified Sustainable and Vegan.

This Grüner Veltliner is pale yellow in color with a delicate aroma of yellow apple and pear. On the palate this wine is medium-bodied with the typical tart acidity and white pepper notes (‘Pfefferl’) that end with a refreshing finish.

This Loess Grüner Veltliner is best enjoyed young, preferably in the first year. Well chilled at around 45 degrees F, it is an excellent wine, pure or as “G'spritzter” (mixed with sparkling water). This wine pairs well with the traditional Austrian cuisine such as deep-fried dishes like their famous “Wiener Schnitzel.”

And, with this 1 liter bottle, you’ll get to enjoy up to seven glass of this wonderfully refreshing wine! Cheers!

Domäne Wachau wines are imported by Gonzalez Byass USA.

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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.

Samples Provided by Donna White Communications

Behind the Cork™ - Wines of Portugal’s Alentejo Region

Wines of Portugal’s Alentejo Region

Dollar for dollar it’s hard to beat Portugal’s Alentejo region for exceptional values. With 2,000 years of winemaking experience, Alentejo delivers expertly made wines at unbeatable prices.

Alentejo is internationally recognized for its award-winning sustainability program - the Wines of Alentejo Sustainability Program (WASP). Their intent is to support the improvement of the environmental, as well as the social and economic performance of the region's winemaking activities while promoting the recognition of the sustainability performance of the region's wines. WASP members account for nearly 50% of Alentejo’s vineyard area and all Alentejo’s main players participate, including the wineries featured here.

2018 CARMIM Monsaraz Reserva Red ($16)

The vineyards surrounding the historic village of Monsaraz have been farmed since the Middle Ages. Today, the Cooperativa Agricola de Reguengos de Monsaraz (founded in 1971) is not only the largest winery in Alentejo but one of its most awarded. This blend of Alicante Bouschet (60%), Trincadeira (20%) and Touriga Nacional (20%) was aged for 12 months in French and American oak. This wine is garnet-colored with an aroma of ripe blackberries and plums. On the palate it is full-bodied with minerality with a long pleasant finish.

2018 Cartuxa EA Red ($9)

Évora Alentejo (EA) is the capital that includes this winery founded by Carthusian monks. Today, the winery is run by a local philanthropic foundation. Proceeds go toward the preservation of historic Évora, along with the promotion of local arts and culture. Produced from a blend of Aragonez, Trincadeira, Alcante Bouschet and Syrah, this wine is ruby red in color with hints of red fruit aroma. On the palate it has soft flavors that are so typical of the varieties of the Alentejo Region.

2020 Casa Relvas Herdade São Miguel Rosé ($15)

This rosé gets its distinctive tropical fruit and red berries flavors from the blend of Touriga Nacional, Syrah, and Aragonez, among others. The producer is recognized for making wines that combine native and international varieties, and adding their own uniqueness, such as the “Sur Lie” aging for this delicate refreshing rosé.

2019 Herdade do Rocim Amphora Tinto ($18)

Production of this wine was done in the traditional way, in Amphora clay pots, with no temperature control. The ancestral way to make such wine was fully respected. Fermentation took place using indigenous yeasts and with no addition or correction to the must. It was then aged for three months in the bottle. The wine is clear and shiny color. On the nose, you’ll get black cherry, raspberry, plum and hints of vegetable notes. It’s creamy smooth, yet fresh, and has hints of a salt and minerality and ends with a fresh finish.

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

Samples Provided by Creative Palate Communications

How Vegan Wine is Made

Last time we learned that wine makers use clarifying agents in the ‘fining’ process to remove small natural particles that exist in wines. These particles includes microscopic protein particles from grape skins, seeds and dead yeast. And, the most common agents used in clarify or fining a wine are gelatin (an animal protein), albumin (egg whites), casein (animal milk protein) and isinglass (fish bladder). 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.

So, what does someone who is a vegan do? Well, as the market for vegan wines grows, wine makers are learning to make wines without the use of animal products.

Wine makers can choose to either leave the particles in the tank or barrel and allow them to sink naturally to the bottom (a slower, more costly, but completely natural method), or use non-animal based fining products.

Today many winemakers use clay-based fining agents such as betonite, an unusual form of clay, or carbon (activated charcoal). There is even a man-made plastic substance called poly vinyl poly pyrrolidone (PVPP) that is an effective synthetic water-soluble polymer fining agent. There are even vegetable-based gelatins, and other protein fining agents that are being derived from peas and potatoes.

So, vegans, don’t despair. There are wine makers looking out for you. Now, you need to look out for them. Check the label. If it’s vegan, they want you to know and will prominently feature it on the label. Cheers!