Sunday August 18th is International Pinot Noir Day!

Photo by Chris Man on Unsplash

August 18th is International Pinot Noir Day, so let’s take a quick look at some interesting facts about this wonderful grape.

In previous blogs we got an overview of the Pinot grape and the tremendous number of Pinot synonyms (258!) and looked at the lesser known of the Pinots, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Gris. But, Pinot Noir is the star of the Pinot grapes.

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!

The most common flavors of wines made from 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.

So grab a glass of Pinot Noir on Sunday August 18th and raise a toast to International Pinot Noir Day!

Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Wines of Beronia: Rueda and Crianza

In the North of Spain, Rioja is undeniably the most famous Spanish wine region, with a global reputation of trust and quality built over 2000 years of winemaking.

In 1973, a group of friends, united by their love of gastronomy, had a mission to create great wines to complement their culinary creations. The result was Bodegas Beronia. Their flagship winery is in La Rioja, Spain, with a second winery solely dedicated to the production of Verdejo located in Rueda.

Map Courtesy of Beronia

2023 Beronia Rueda ($13.99)

This wine is produced from 100% Verdujo grapes that were harvested at night to maintain the fruit's freshness and prevent grape oxidation. The pressing was done gently in an inert atmosphere to minimize browning in the must. Fermentation took place for 10-15 days, using stainless steel tank and concrete tanks. After aging on lees for a period of 2 to 3 months, the wine was clarified and filtered before being bottled.

This Beronia Rueda is pale yellow in color with greenish hues. On the nose it has aromas of citrus, with hints of white fruit, fresh herbs. On the palate, it is bright and fresh just a hint of bitterness at the finish. [ABV: 13%, Acidity: 6.0 g/L, pH:3.25, RS: <2 g/L]

2020 Beronia Crianza ($14.99)

This Beronia Crianza (“kree-ahn-tha”) was made from 95% Tempranillo, 4% Garnacha and 1% Mazuelo grapes (a.k.a. Carignan). The fruit was macerated for a few days prior to fermentation, before entering temperature controlled alcoholic fermentation with regular pumping over to extract the desired color and aromas. The wine aged for 12 months in barrels made of American oak staves and French oak ends. After bottling, the wine was left to rest for three months prior to release.

This Beronia Crianza is medium ruby in color and has nice aromatics including red fruits (cherry and raspberry) and herbal notes. On the palate it has big red fruit flavors, medium tannin and a really nice lingering finish with a bit of crisp acidity. [ABV: 13.5%, Acidity: 5.8 g/L, pH: 3.60, RS: 1.7 g/L]

These two wines from the Gonzalez Byass USA portfolio are perfect for summer sipping or anytime of the year sipping! And, the price points of these wines are amazing for the quality and level. That make them a great fit as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wines of the Week. Cheers!

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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.

Media Samples Provided by Gonzalez Byass

Ever Wonder? What Do these Terms Mean on a Wine Label?

Photo by Chilli Charlie on Unsplash

• "Estate Bottled" or "Grown, Produced and Bottled by": These terms mean:

  (1) 100% of the grapes were grown on a winery's own vineyards

  (2) The grapes all come from within a single AVA

  (3) The wine was made by the winery on its own estate within the given AVA.

  Basically, every aspect of producing the wine happened at the named winery. Estate Bottled wines generally are of higher quality and therefore a bit more pricey.

• "Produced and Bottled by": The phrase “Produced and Bottled by” means that only 75% of the grapes were fermented by the winery itself. The other 25% is uncertain. So, basically, this means that the winery has purchased grapes and then makes the wine themselves.

• "Vinted and Bottled by": This means the wine was produced by someone else, but the winery selling it did do something such as blend the wine or age it.

• "Cellared and Bottled by": This means the wine was made by someone else.

• Single vineyard wine: A wine in which 95% of the grapes must be from the named vineyard.

A lot of information on a wine label is actually just marketing. But, at least you can trust these terms. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Bianca Giovese White Wine

Bianca Giovese Vino Bianco ($34)

The Giovese Family of wines proudly announced the recent arrival of sister brand Bianca Giovese Vino Bianco, now available in retail stores, wine shops, bars, and restaurants across 20 US states and Western Canada. Each box contains the equivalent of four 750-ml. bottles of wine. That’s less than $10 a bottle-equivalent!

 Joining her “sisters” Sandy Giovese and Rosie Giovese in the newly established Giovese Family Wines portfolio, Bianca offers all the benefits that premium boxed wine presents to drinkers, including sustainability, longevity, and value that competes with comparable bottled wines. 

Like her sisters, Bianca is made from chemical-free, organically farmed Italian grapes, including Grechetto (55%) and Trebbiano (30%) blended with Sauvignon Blanc (%15). The grapes come from the pristine vineyards of Conti degli Azzoni, a sustainability-focused, family-owned winery pursuing B-Corp certification in the Marche region of central Italy.

Bianca Giovese is medium gold in color with delicate aromas of citrus. On the palate, this light-bodied wine has notes of citrus, nectarine and tangerine. It has bright refreshing acidity and has a fun sweet/tart finish. [ABV: 12%, TA: 5.2 g/L, pH: 3.47, RS: >2.0 g/L]

Don’t overlook this one as just another “box wine.” It may come in an earth-friendly recyclable cardboard container, but it delivers quality wine. And, at a great value! This makes the Bianca Giovese a great fit as the Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week! 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.

Media Sample Provided by Giovese Family Wines via Savona Communications

Are Sulfites in Wine Something to Worry About?

Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash

U.S. wine label regulations require wines that have a level of 10 parts per million (PPM) or greater of sulfur dioxide to be labeled with the declaration “Contains Sulfites.”  And if you pay close attention to wine labels, nearly all U.S. wines include this warning.

Let's start by putting things in perspective. If you are concerned about wine because it contains sulfites, then you also need to be concerned about many other foods and drinks. Wines can have 10-350 PPM of sulfites, while canned soups, packaged meats, bottled lemon juice and frozen juices can have 500 - 700 PPM of sulfites. Dried potatoes, as well as french fries, hash browns and other potato dishes made from dried potatoes, can have up to 1,900 PPM of sulfites. And dried fruits can have more than 3,500 PPM of sulfites; that's 100 times the levels in wines!  So, sulfites are everywhere.

Why then are sulfites so pervasive?  Simple. Sulfur is a very good preservative. It has been used to keep food and drink from spoiling for thousands of years.  And today, winemakers depend on sulfur (as sulfur dioxide gas or in powdered form) to keep their grapes and wines from rapidly going bad.  Sulfites can be added anywhere in the process. They may be sprayed on the vines to act as a fungicide, added to the grapes as they are crushed or added just before the wine is bottled.  Winemakers consider sulfites essential to producing wine.

The FDA estimates that 1% of the general population has sensitivity to sulfites.  But, for the rest of the general population, sulfites should not be of great concern.

There are some wine producers specifically making organic sulfite-free wines. But they must take special care while making and storing the wine to ensure that it does not go bad.

So, yes, if you have allergies or are asthmatic, you need to be concerned about sulfites in wines. If you are sensitive to sulfites and love wines, then you'll need to seek out producers of organic wines and confirm that the wine label does not have the sulfite warning. And be careful when buying foreign wines.  Australia is the only other country required to identify sulfites in wine.  All other country's wines will generally contain sulfites, but the label will not necessarily warn you.

So, grab a bottle, pour yourself a glass and raise it to all the wine producers that are working hard to ensure that you get great wines that have not spoiled by the time you pull the cork. Cheers!