Behind the Cork™ - Villa Gemma Cerasuolo D'Abruzzo Superiore

Masciarelli (Mass-shee-ah-RELL-ee) Winery is located in the Abruzzo region of Italy on the eastern coast, just east of Rome on the Adriatic Sea. It was established in 1981 from the entrepreneurial intuition of Gianni Masciarelli. Today, Miriam Masciarelli (Gianni’s daughter) works with her mother, Marina Cvetić Masciarelli, to run this fabulous family winery that now has 22 labels and seven product lines all sourced from 60 vineyards in all four provinces of Abruzzo. One of their product lines, Villa Gemma, honors the modest family home where Gianni Masciarelli was born.

2022 Villa Gemma Cerasuolo D'Abruzzo Superiore ($24)

This wine is produced from 100% Montepulciano but is made as a rosé. But instead of calling it a rosé, they call it a Cerasuolo, meaning ‘cherry-colored.’ And, indeed, this wine is a beautiful cherry color.

This Cerasuolo shows how well suited the Montepulciano grape is for a rosé. The grapes are grown in eight vineyards, harvested in crates, destemmed and remain on the skins for 12 hours, followed by fermentation in stainless steel. It remained on lees for three months prior to bottling.

The use of Montepulciano grapes that remain on skins for such a brief period and then on lees, produces an excellent wine. You may not be a rosé fan, but this Cerasuolo will win you over! With notes of cherry and strawberry on the nose, it has wonderful candied-cherry flavors with medium acidity and a light finish. It is medium-full bodied, 14% ABV and dry.

This is a super wine that isn’t your typical rosé - it’s a Cerasuolo! And, at this price, it’s a great fit as this week’s 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.

Media Sample Provided by Masciarelli Winery

Are You Observing a Dry January? Try Non-Alcoholic Wines for a Change

Embarking on a “Dry January” involves voluntarily abstaining from alcohol consumption for the entire month of January. This practice has gained popularity as a New Year's resolution, with individuals opting for a temporary break from drinking to kickstart a healthier lifestyle, reassess their relationship with alcohol, and experience various physical and mental benefits. Whether driven by health goals, curiosity, or a desire for self-reflection, this month-long commitment has become a widespread phenomenon, creating a community that encourages individuals to reevaluate the role of alcohol in their lives.

So, if you are going for a “Dry January", have you considered non-alcoholic wines as an alternative? They’ve been around for years.

But, you may have wondered:

  • “What exactly is non-alcoholic wine?”

  • “How is it made?”

  • “Is it any good?”

First, let’s look at non-alcoholic wine. It actually is ‘real’ wine that’s been made from fermented grapes. It can have similar flavors to wine, just without the alcohol. Although, non-alcoholic wine may still contain a very small amount of alcohol. So, check the label - it will tell you the exact amount of alcohol that it contains.

Now, let’s take a brief look at how non-alcoholic wine made. As stated previously, it starts with "‘real’ wine made from fermented grapes. Then it goes through one of two processes to remove the alcohol. One method is called vacuum distillation where the wine is heated to temperatures where the alcohol begins to evaporate. This temperature is below the boiling point of the wine but, because the boiling point of alcohol is lower than water, the alcohol ‘boils’ off and is pulled away in a vacuum chamber.

The other method is reverse osmosis. This process uses an extremely fine filter that only allows the water and the alcohol to pass through. The filter catches all the fine grape particles that give the wine its color, its tannin and its flavors. The mixture of water and alcohol is then distilled to remove the alcohol. The left-over water is then recombined with the grape solids to form a non-alcoholic wine.

The same processes are used for “low calorie” or low-alcohol wines except they don’t remove all the alcohol.

So, we get to the final question “Is non-alcoholic wine any good?” Well, as you might have guessed, it’s not the same as “real” wine but it does have a lot of similarities. We’ll discuss this a bit more next time. Until then, Stay Dry! Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - White Wines from Masciarelli Winery in Abruzzo

Masciarelli (Mass-shee-ah-RELL-ee) Winery is located in the Abruzzo region of Italy on the eastern coast, just east of Rome on the Adriatic Sea. It was established in 1981 from the entrepreneurial intuition of Gianni Masciarelli. Today, Miriam Masciarelli (Gianni’s daughter) works with her mother, Marina Cvetić Masciarelli, to run this fabulous family winery that now has 22 labels and seven product lines all sourced from 60 vineyards in all four provinces of Abruzzo. Two of the product lines featured here are Villa Gemma, honoring the modest family home where Gianni was born, and the Marina Cvetic line that Gianni named for his wife.

2022 Villa Gemma Abruzzo Bianco ($24)

This wine is produced from a blend of 50% Trebbiano Abruzzese, 30% Pecorino, and 20% Cococciola from four vineyards. Trebbiano Abruzzese delivers wines that can be simultaneously floral and fruity. Native Cococciola adds lime-like acidity and herbal notes, while Pecorino adds minerality and a fruit/floral balance.

Fermentation of the various grape varieties was conducted separately in low-temperature stainless steel tanks, followed by blending and bottling.

This Villa Gemma Abruzzo Bianco is pale straw in color. On the nose it nice aromas of citrus and pineapple with subtle herbal hints. On the palate, this medium-light-bodied wine is bright, with green apple flavors, good acidity and mineral notes.

2020 Marina Cvetic Trebbiano d’ Abruzzo Reserva ($60)

This wine is produced from 100% Trebbiano Abruzzese from two vineyards.

Fermentation took place in French oak barrels, both initial and malolactic conversion. After aging 12 months on lees, in new French barrels, the wine spent 12 months in the bottle before distribution. 

This Marina Cvetic Trebbiano d’ Abruzzo Reserva is pale gold in color with greenish highlights. On the nose it has very delicate fruit aromas and herbal hints along with notes from the oak influence. On the palate, this medium-light bodied wine has flavors of green apple and lemon along with oaky notes and yeast from the aging on lees. It finishes soft and smooth.

Both of these white wines from Masciarelli winery are delicious examples of the great wines coming from the Abruzzo region of Italy and featured as the Behind the Cork™ Wines of the Week. Cheers!

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

Media Samples Provided by Masciarelli Winery

How Amphora is Used in the Making of Wine

Amphora is a ceramic vessel usually made of earthenware (e.g., clay or terra cotta) that was originally used in the transport of grains in Roman times. Research has shown that the use of amphorae dates to as early as 6,000 B.C.

Over time, amphora was found to be useful in the production, aging and storage of wine.

Amphora earthenware is naturally porous. It can be made to be impervious to external oxygen by internally lining it with wax (i.e., beeswax) or tree resin. This creates a thin, smooth, polished coating that does not impart any flavor. Or, if the winemaker desires, it may be left unlined.

Amphora vessels may be placed below ground or stand above ground.

To produce wine, crushed grapes go into the amphora vessels for fermentation. During fermentation, the grapes are stirred with a wooden paddle and punched down to maximize the wine’s skin-contact. Also, during fermentation, the amphora is usually moistened externally to help keep the temperature of the fermenting grapes down. The amphora may also be wrapped in wet burlap or other fabrics to enhance the cooling effect.

The amphora vessels were often covered with wooden or clay tops or paper. These covering didn’t seal the vessel from oxidation so some winemakers used a thin layer of olive oil as a liquid cap to prevent air contact with the wine.

The use of Amphora in winemaking has been experiencing a renaissance across the globe and can now be seen in places like the United States, Chile, Portugal and Australia. Modern amphoras provide natural micro-oxygenation without added flavors/aromas that oak can impart, temperature regulation, preservation of wine freshness, cleanliness, and when well-maintained they can practically last forever.

Today's use of amphorae in winemaking is a remarkable connection between ancient traditions and modern innovation. As winemakers continue to explore and experiment with this age-old vessel, they unleash a wave of creativity that breathes new life into the world of wine. From preserving the character of the grapes, to enhancing complexity and showcasing terroir, amphorae have become an indispensable tool in the winemaker's arsenal.

As we toast to the future, let us raise our glasses to the ancient wisdom of the past, forever etched within the graceful curves of the amphora, ensuring that the story of wine continues to evolve and captivate for generations to come. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Rockbridge Vineyards V d'Or Dessert Wine

2019 Rockbridge Vineyards V d’Or ($32)

Rockbridge Vineyards is located in Raphine Virginia which is part of the Shenandoah Valley AVA.

Approved in 1982 as Virginia’s first American Viticultural Area, the Shenandoah Valley AVA is located in the Appalachian region of the eastern United States covering the land along the western edge of Virginia and spilling into the easternmost portion of West Virginia.

The Shenandoah Valley Wine Trail (aka the Shenandoah Valley Wine Growers Association) is a nonprofit trade association founded in 2003 to support economic growth and tourism in the Shenandoah Valley by promoting the cultivation of wine grape varieties grown in the Shenandoah Valley AVA.

Rockbridge Vineyards V d’Or dessert wine has won multiple awards including:

  • 2020 Gold Medal-Virginia Governor’s Cup & 1 of 12 in the Governor’s Case

  • 2021 Silver Medal- VA Governor's Cup Competition

  • 2021 Gold Medal - Shenandoah cup Competition

  • 2023 Third Place - Shenandoah cup Competition

This V d’Or dessert wine is made in the style of an Ice Wine where the grapes are picked at their peak of ripeness and then put into freezers to yield frozen grapes. Hydraulic pressure is then used to crush the grapes while still frozen, resulting in a very small amount of very concentrated sugary substance. Because the water is frozen solid, it is not extracted from the grape in the pressing process. This high sugar extract is then put through fermentation to produce this sweet dessert wine.

This V d’Or is a blend of 26% Vidal Blanc, 26% Traminette, 24% Vignoles, 24% Riesling. It is yellow-orange in color with delicate orange and honey aromas. On the palate it is sweet (15% RS by weight) with fruit flavors of mango, pineapple and apricot with some spice notes.


This is a unique Shenandoah Valley V ‘Or dessert wine from Rockbridge Vineyards is this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers to a sweet start to 2024!

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

Media Sample Provided by Rockbridge Winery via the Shenandoah Valley Wine Growers Association and Donna White Communications