Category Archives: Wine Education

Off the Beaten Wine Trail: Verdejo

Albarino may be Spain’s most famous white wine, but there is an often overlooked varietal that may just deserve the title of Spain’s best white wine. Verdejo is not many people’s first choice of Spanish wine, and its homeland of Rueda is not a place that tourists tend to visit. Yet it should be on everyone’s “wines to try” list.

Style

Verdejo is a dry white wine that is sometimes compared to Sauvignon Blanc due to its herbaceous character (more similar to Sancerre than New Zealand’s more tropical style), but I think has more depth and complexity. Verdejo has flavors of peach and citrus, aromas of white flowers and honeysuckle, and is balanced by a slightly bitter note of grapefruit, raw almond and fennel. When its aged on lees, it develops a fuller texture.

Wines labeled Rueda must contain at least 50% Verdejo. It is typically blended with Sauvignon Blanc or Macabeo. Wines designated Rueda Verdejo must contain at least 85% Verdejo, but are often 100% Verdejo.

Terroir

The Verdejo grape originated in North Africa and is now most widely planted in Rueda, Spain within Castilla y Leon. This is a landlocked area in the northern central part of the country that sits high on the flats of the Maseta Plateau. In fact, Rueda has some of the highest altitude plantings in the world (some up to 3,000 feet).

This extremely high altitude means Rueda has huge day-night temperature swings of up to 50 degrees. The hot days encourage ripening for sugar and flavor accumulation, then the cool nights allow the grapes to rest and retain refreshing acidity.

Rueda has a very dry climate with deep, sandy soils. This does two things – the lack of humidity reduces fungal disease, allowing widespread organic farming. Also, the sandy soils are inhospitable to the vine-killing louse, phylloxera, so there are many ungrafted old vines here that never had to be replanted.

History

Historically, Verdejo was used to make oxidized, Sherry-like bulk wine that was of low quality. Then in the 1970s, the Rioja-based winemaking company Marqués de Riscal saw the potential in Verdejo and brought in a French winemaker to help them produce a high quality, fresher style of unoaked wine. They then encouraged growers in Rueda to keep their Verdejo vines rather than replant them to higher yielding grapes or other more profitable crops. This was the start of Verdejo’s revival.

Recommendations

  • Protos Verdejo ($13)
  • Garciarévalo Rueda ‘Finca Tresolmos’ ($20)
  • Bodegas Vatan Nisia Las Suertes Old Vines Verdejo ($25)
  • Shaya Habis Old Vines Verdejo 2018 ($30)

Wine Blends: For Better or For Worse?

The first time someone asked me at one of my wine tasting events why blends were lower quality than single varietal wines, I was taken by surprise. It never occurred to me at the time that this perception even existed. After all, some of my favorite wines, and some of the most prestigious wines in the world, are blends.

After giving it some more thought, I realized this may be more a “New World” perception. After all, some of the most highly reputed wines from the U.S. are labeled as single varietals – Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley, etc.. Meanwhile, blends are relegated to a small section of the wine shop labeled with the generic term “Blends” and some may not even have grape varieties listed on the label. Many of those wines are also inexpensive mass market labels – Apothic Red, 19 Crimes, etc.

Classic Blends

On the other hand, in classic wine countries in the Old World, they embrace blends.

  • Bordeaux, France: Reds are blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and/or Malbec; whites are blends of Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and/or Muscadelle.
  • Southern Rhone, France: Reds are blends of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and/or more than a dozen other grape varieties; whites are blends of Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Marsanne, Rousanne, and/or many others.
  • Champagne, France: Often blends of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with some Pinot Meunier; and/or blends of vintages.
  • Rioja, Spain: Blends of Tempranillo with Graciano, Mazuelo and other varietals.
  • Priorat, Spain: Blends of Grenache and Carignan with other varietals.
  • Toscana & Bogheri, Italy: “Super Tuscans” are blends of Sangiovese, Cabernet, Merlot, other varietals

There are many more high quality wine blends on the market than you may realize!

What many don’t know is that many wines in the U.S. that are labeled as single varietals are actually blends. We have very few wine laws in the U.S., but one of the major ones says that only 75% of a grape variety is required to label a wine as a single varietal. So your bottle of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon may very well be a Bordeaux style blend with Cabernet Franc, Merlot and/or Petit Verdot included. Your California Pinot Noir may have a little Syrah or Merlot added for deeper color. Your Zinfandel may be a field blend where old Zinfandel vines were planted with a mix of other varieties and they’re all picked and vinified at the same time.

An exception to the 75% rule is Willamette Valley, Oregon, which set a stricter law for Pinot Noir that 90% of grapes must be Pinot Noir to be labeled as such.

Why are wines blended?

When we look at the myriad of reasons why a winemaker would blend a wine, the result can be a wine of higher quality and complexity than single varietals, but can also be an inexpensive mass market wine.

  1. Balance: Grapes may be blended to create a more balanced, higher quality wine. For example, grapes from warmer areas that have higher sugar and flavor levels may be blended with grapes from cooler areas that bring balancing acidity.
  2. Complexity: Blending can bring together different characteristics that add complexity of flavors and aromas to make a more interesting and higher quality wine.
  3. Consistency: Winemakers may try to minimize bottle or vintage variation by blending wines to achieve a specific profile year over year. This is usually done by producers of inexpensive high-volume wines, but is also done with most Sherries and Champagnes.
  4. Style: Winemakers blend to achieve a desired style. For example, many big label Champagnes (e.g., Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label, Moet & Chandon Imperial, etc.) are designed in a “house style” to achieve a specific flavor profile each year. Some rosés are a blend of red and white grapes to give the winemaker greater control over the final color and flavor profile.
  5. Price: To be profitable and reduce costs, some winemakers may blend in a portion of less expensive grapes. In places like the U.S., if it’s less than 25% of the blend, these grapes don’t even need to be identified on the label. For example, cheaper Semillon may be added to reduce the price of Chardonnay wines.
  6. Volume: Producers of high volumes wines, or holders of very small vineyards, may need to purchase wine or grapes from others and blend them together to increase the volume of their production.
  7. Minimize faults: It is possible that wines will be blended to hide faults. For example, if one barrel became slightly oxidized, it may be blended with larger volumes of good wine until that oxidized character is diluted.

What types of blends are there?

When most people think about blends, they assume it only means blending different grape varieties together. In fact, there are several other ways to create a blend:

  1. Grapes from different locations (vineyards, regions, countries)
  2. Grapes, juice or wine purchased from different growers or businesses
  3. Wines from different vintages (very common with Champagne, Sherry, etc.)
  4. Wines that have been treated differently in the winery (e.g. wines aged in oak blended with wines made in stainless steel or concrete)
  5. Wines that have been treated the same in the winery, but are stored in different vessels (e.g. wines stored in small barrels must be blended together before bottling to make up required volume)

Recommendations:

So the next time you’re concerned that your blend is lower quality, think again. Shy away from the inexpensive mass market brands and veer toward the classics and more reputable producers:

  • Chateau Ducasse Bordeaux Blanc ($18)
  • Daou Pessimist ($22)
  • Bodegas LAN Gran Reserva Rioja ($25)
  • Alvaro Palacios Camins del Priorat ($26)
  • Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Sparkling Wine ($26)
  • Chateau de Beaucastel Cotes du Rhone Coudoulet de Beaucastel ($28)

Old Vines: Better Quality or Marketing Hype?

At times you will see a wine label boasting the term, “Old Vines” or in France, “vieilles vignes”. It promptly begs a number of questions: How old is “old”? Does it mean the wine is better quality because the vines are old? What difference does the age of the vine make?

Although consumers may perceive this term to indicate a higher quality wine, “Old Vines” is essentially a marketing term. It is not a legally protected labeling term anywhere in the world. This means that anyone can use it on any wine they want without needing to meet any specific vine age requirements at all. The vines may be 20 years old, 100 years old, or may even be brand new and only have a small amount of old vine wine blended in.

That is not to say it is an entirely untrustworthy term. I would always suggest checking the producer’s website to see what they mean by their use of “Old Vines” on the label. For example, one of my favorite Old Vine producers, Bedrock Wine Co., explains that their Bedrock Heritage Wine is from 120-year-old vines. However, Bota Box sells an Old Vine Zinfandel and you won’t find any information at all on their website about vine age.

Lifespan of a Vine

When a new vine is planted, it will take up to five years until that vine produces sufficient quality fruit for wine production. After 20-30 years, a vine begins its decline and starts producing lower yields of fruit. At this point, many growers will replace these vines in an effort to maintain wine production levels. It also gives growers an opportunity to change vineyard layouts, plant different grapes, and otherwise take advantage of new vineyard technology or meet changing market demands. That’s all assuming the vine lives this long and doesn’t succumb earlier to pests, disease, drought, extreme weather events, or other hazards.

For these reasons, not all wines are made from Old Vines. It is even rarer to find old vines that are a century or more old. This is because vineyard regions around the world were decimated in the late 1800s/early 1900s by an infestion of a root louse called phylloxera that feasted on vine roots, killing them swiftly. Only a handful of places in the world escaped the devastation, either through quarantine or inhospitable sandy soils. The only solution was to replant vineyards everywhere with European grape vines grated onto American rootstocks immune to phylloxera.

However, vines have the ability to live a very long life. In fact, the oldest still-producing grapevine in the world can be found in Slovenia. It is a whopping 400 years old, and was planted at the end of the Middle Ages.

Are Old Vines Better?

It is widely believed that Old Vines produce higher quality fruit and therefore better wines. Some would argue it’s a matter of survival of the fittest – old vines are the hardiest, healthiest and best quality producers in the vineyard, so they weren’t pulled.

While likely true, these vines produce better quality fruit because they are old. As a vine ages, the canopy (leaves) become thinner, allowing more sunlight exposure to the fruit for ripening. Old vines also produces less fruit. Lower fruit yields per vine means the vine can focus its energy on ripening fewer bunches. Those bunches become more concentrated and flavorful, producing better wines.

Wine from Old Vines is generally described as having excellent fruit concentration with soft tannins and high acid

Why is there so much Old Vine Zinfandel?

Old vines can be of just about any grape variety. However, we usually see old vine Zinfandel in California based on the state’s history. California is a fairly young wine producing region. Varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay were only planted in the last few decades. However, Zinfandel was brought into the state during the Gold Rush and planted everywhere. At one time, it was the most widely planted grape variety in the state.

There are plenty of places where vineyards had essentially been abandoned during Prohibition because it was too costly to pull them and replant with other agriculture. That left a ton of Zinfandel vines in the ground that were “rediscovered” in more recent decades as old vines. In fact, there is so much old vine Zinfandel in California that you can find these bottles at quite low prices.

Recommendations

  • Klinker Brick Old Vine Zinfandel ($16) – some vineyard blocks up to 120 yrs old
  • Carol Shelton Wild Thing Old Vine Zinfandel ($20) – 60 yr old vines
  • Bedrock Wine Co. Old Vine Zinfandel ($25) – vines average 80 yrs old
  • Seghesio Old Vine Zinfandel ($35) – vines average 75 yrs old

Off the Beaten Wine Trail: Aglianico

Aglianico (pronounced “alli-yawn-nico”) is the best red wine from Italy that you’ve probably never heard of.

For the past several decades, wine critics and therefore wine consumers have almost exclusively favored the wines of northern and central Italy – Barolo, Amarone, Brunello di Montalcino, Super Tuscans, etc. The wines of southern Italy have been not only overlooked, but relegated to a category of low quality bulk wine. There had been a general belief that southern was too hot to produce elegant, ageworthy wines.

However, southern Italy is home to some real gems, including the wine with the region’s greatest potential – Aglianico. Along with Nebbiolo and Sangiovese, Aglianico is generally believed to be one of Italy’s three greatest wine grapes, and yet is often overlooked.

Aglianico has been called the “Barolo of the south”, with its best expressions found in the regions of Campania and Basilicata. It is full-bodied and rustic with dark fruit notes of plum and black cherry. It can also have hints of tobacco, coffee and leather, with earthy and gamey notes as it ages. Aglianico’s high tannins and high acidity make it an ageworthy choice for cellaring. Just like Nebbiolo (Barolo), well-made Aglianico wines come into their best after 10 or so years of age.

When looking for these wines in a wine shop, looked for labeled as Taurasi DOCG or Aglianico del Vulture DOCG.

  • Taurasi is located close to Naples near the coast. The wines must be made from at least 85% Aglianico, but are often 100%. They must be aged for three years, with a minimum of one year in barrel, before release. Taurasi tends to offer more floral notes with aromas of rose and sour cherries. It is also less approachable upon release with most needing at least an 8 years in the cellar to soften their grippy tannins.
  • Aglianico del Vulture is located in Basilicata, closer to central Italy away from the coast. Here, the vines grow on volcanic soils, lending the wines power, structure, complexity and minerality. These wines must be 100% Aglianico and must be aged at least 12 months in cask. The shorter aging period means they are also approachable while young. The riserva style requires five years of aging, with at least 24 months in cask.

Recommendations:

  • di Majo Norante Aglianico Molise Contado ($17)
  • Donnachiara Taurasi Aglianico 2016 ($30)
  • I Capitani Taurasi Bosco Faiano ($40)
  • Salvatore Molettieri Vigna Cinque Querce ($45)

Cabernet Sauvignon: Napa vs. Walla Walla

Walla Walla, WA and Napa Valley, CA are separated by 750 miles, a completely different climate and a resulting distinctly different wine style. I find that Cabernet Sauvignon from Walla Walla sits somewhere between Napa and Bordeaux in style.

Washington State may arguably be one the most underrated wine regions in the new world. It’s tough being in the shadow of Napa’s prestige and Willamette’s fame for Pinot Noir. Washington’s wine diversity is a benefit and a curse. They aren’t known for one particular wine like Napa and Willamette. Instead, they are more like Sonoma – able to produce a wide range of high quality wines. However, that means they aren’t viewed as the “go to” region for anything in particular.

Although Washington makes excellent Riesling, Pinot Gris and Syrah, their fame is rising for Cabernet Sauvignon from Walla Walla, with quality that rivals California but without the insanely high price tag. However, if you are expecting a big, fruity, high alcohol style of wine a la Napa, your expectations will be dashed, for better or for worse, depending on your wine preference.

Cabernet Sauvignon from Walla Walla has higher acidity than Napa and slightly less body, more moderate alcohol levels as well as a very distinct earthy character and grippier tannins. This means Washington Cabs may need a little more cellar time to soften than those lush, hedonistic Napa Cabs. That may sound very Bordeaux-like, and it is, but I would say Walla Walla has riper fruit and more fullness than Bordeaux.

To my palate, Walla Walla Cabernet offers a perfect middle ground – balanced fruit and earth, alcohol that adds body without burning your esophagus, and the ability to improve with time in the cellar. All of that, with a price tag that while not cheap, makes them an excellent value compared to Napa and Bordeaux.

Recommendations:

  • Seven Hills Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon ($25)
  • L’Ecole No. 41 Cabernet Sauvignon ($40)
  • K Vintners The Creator ($60)
  • Reynvaan The Classic Estate Cabernet ($70)
  • Figgins Estate Red ($90)

Wine FAQs

Have a wine question? Send me an email!

What are Wine Legs?

Wine Legs, also called Wine Tears, are a fun quality to observe in your wine glass, but what do they really tell you? Legs are those droplets that slide down the inside of your glass after you swirl your wine. They have absolutely nothing to do with a wine’s quality and everything to do with a scientific phenomenon called the Gibbs-Marangoni Effect. This effect essentially gives you clues as to the wine’s alcohol and sugar content. Thicker droplets and more droplets indicate a wine with higher alcohol levels while slower, more viscous droplets indicate a wine with higher sugar levels. Upon swirling, alcohol evaporates and surface tension pushes the liquid up the sides of your glass. When the alcohol evaporates from the liquid, the remaining wine/water mix slides back down the glass. This is why higher alcohol wines have heavier tears. If you have a closed bottle of wine and you shake it, this phenomenon doesn’t occur! This is because no evaporation is happening. Evaporation of alcohol is the key to why wine tears appear.

What are Tannins?

Tannins are compounds found in the skin and pips (seeds) of a grape, and also come from the wood of wine barrels. You will find higher tannins in red wines and almost none in white wines because red wine is usually soaked and fermented on their skins (to extract color along with tannins) and often aged in oak, while white wines are usually made by draining the juice quickly off the skins and fermenting in stainless steel. The major exception to this rule is orange wines, which are made form white grapes soaked on their skins. A higher level of tannin in wine can be the result of grapes with thicker skins, a longer time soaking on skins, and/or a longer time aging in barrel.

Tannins are an important structural component to a wine, lending texture, flavor, balance and ageability. Tannins are bitter and astringent, as well as mouth drying. If you slosh around a mouthful of wine and swallow, that drying sensation left behind on your gums and the roof of your mouth are caused by tannins – the dryer the sensation, the higher the tannin level in the wine. For an obvious example, taste a glass of Pinot Noir (low tannins) next to a glass of Barolo (very high tannins).

Tannins can also have textural differences, with some wines described as having smooth, soft or ripe tannins and others having rough, chalky or grippy tannins. Much of this can be the result of the grape variety, the climate (warmer climates tend to produce riper, softer tannins), the wine’s age (tannins may be rougher when a wine is young), and whether the wine is aged in oak (oak barrels will help soften tannins).

Tannins are also a preservative of wine, acting as an antioxidant. Wines with higher tannins are able to be cellared longer without going bad, and these tannins often “smooth out” with time, becoming softer and silky.

What are sulfites and do they cause headaches?

This is the single most common question I get at my wine tastings, so let’s break it down. Sulfites are a compound that occur naturally in wine, but can also be added to wine at certain stages of the winemaking process. Sulfites do two things: 1) they are an anti-oxidant used to protect wine from becoming oxidized (turning brown, losing fruit flavor, and turning to vinegar); 2) they are also an anti-microbial and preservative inhibiting bacteria that can lead to funky, off flavors in your wine. Sulfites have played a major role in modern winemaking to significantly improve the quality and ageability of wines. So why do they have such a bad rep?

Many people believe sulfites cause headaches. This has been widely studied, but never proven to be true. So what is causing your headaches after drinking wine? There are a few possible culprits:

  1. Alcohol! This is the obvious answer, but often overlooked. You don’t have to get completely drunk with the world’s worst hangover to get headaches from alcohol and dehydration. Even moderate amounts of alcohol and too little water can cause a headache. Make sure you stay hydrated while drinking and see if that helps.
  2. Tannins. Tannin is a compound in wine (mainly red wine) that causes that mouth drying effect. Some people may have a tannin sensitivity. If drinking strong black tea or eating walnuts (both of which also have high tannins) bothers you, it could be a tannin sensitivity.
  3. Histamines. Wine has high levels of histamines (as does other foods such as fermented foods and dairy products). High levels of histamines can trigger an immune response in the body, resulting in symptoms like headaches, skin irritation and stomach/GI distress. If you suspect histamines may be the cause of your headaches, you can try taking an antihistamine like Claritin before drinking.
  4. Sulfites. A small number of people (estimated at 1 in 100) may actually have a sensitivity to sulfites, but this is rare. How would you know? Since sulfites act as a preservative, they are found at high levels in many packaged foods. Dried fruits can have over 2,000ppm, which is over 5 times more than what is allowable in wine! If raisins and dried apricots don’t give you headaches, you do not have a sulfite sensitivity.

What is Structure?

Structure refers to the main elements in wine that can be assessed to determine a wine’s quality: acid, tannin, sweetness, alcohol, body and flavor. Ideally, these elements will balance each other to produce a quality product. For example, sweetness can curb the puckering edge of high acidity, refreshing acid can tone down the bitterness of high tannins, fruit intensity can tame the heat of high alcohol, etc. Everyone’s palates are different and the level of each structural element in a wine will appeal or repel people differently, but one element should never overwhelm the others or be missing from the equation. A wine with too low tannin or alcohol may taste thin, a wine with no acid may be flabby, a wine that lacks fruit concentration may be bland and boring. A skilled winemaker will use these structural elements to craft wines that are harmonious, balanced and therefore of high quality.

What is the impact of California’s heat wave on grapevines?

California has been experiencing their worst heat wave in the state’s history. Napa Valley broke their hottest temp on record last week, reaching 109 degrees. How will this impact the 2022 harvest? All is not lost for grapegrowers. A grapevine will actually shut down, ceasing photosynthesis and grape ripening, when temps reach 96 degrees. That means temps in the low 90s are actually more concerning than temps over 100! If a grapevine is given sufficient water during hot periods, it will help prevent grape shriveling and over-ripening. Dehydration will cause raisining and a spike in sugar, so winemakers will try to avoid this at all costs. Harvest dates are also critical. Many growers are choosing to pick earlier this year before sugar levels get too out of control. Sugar levels are determined by a unit called Brix, and these will monitored closely. Once the grapes hit the desired Brix level, they will be picked. It just means the grapes are reaching the desired Brix levels earlier this year than in prior vintages, so are still being picked at the right Brix levels before they get too high. Excellent wines will still be made in 2022, but some may be a bit riper and richer this vintage.

Off the Beaten Wine Trail: Bugey-Cerdon

Bugey is a wine I love to include in my in-person tasting events, as either a starter or a finisher. It fills both spots nicely – bubbles to celebrate the start of an event, or something semi-sweet to pair with dessert. There aren’t too many wines out there that can fill both positions with the prettiness and finesse of Bugey-Cerdon. It has been hailed as “the happiest wine on earth.”

Bugey is a tiny (1,000 acres of vineyards), little known Alpine hamlet in eastern France, halfway between Lyon and Geneva. It is located in the “middle of nowhere” foothills of the Jura Mountains, bordered by Beaujolais to the west, Savoie to the east, Jura and Burgundy to the north, and the Rhone to the south. The vineyards are not contiguous – they are scattered throughout this small region nestled in valleys between mountains and ridges.

Here you will find a cool, sub-Alpine climate of cold winters and mild summers where grapes can struggle to ripen. This is a climate well suited to sparkling wines, which only need “just ripe enough” grapes to get good flavor, but preserve that all-important acidity.

The Bugey region produces a number of different grape varieties, mostly white, aromatic, lower in alcohol, and higher in acidity. Chardonnay is it’s primary varietal, but they also grow Jacquère, Altesse and Aligoté for the whites, and Poulsard, Mondeuse, Pinot Noir and Gamay for the reds.

However, its most famous and distinctive wine is Bugey-Cerdon. Wine from Cerdon, one of Bugey’s three cru areas, is always sparkling, fetchingly pink, and a touch sweet with low alcohol (around 8% ABV). These incredibly easy drinking wines are made from a blend of Gamay and Poulsard grapes, and the flavors are reminiscent of wild berries, strawberries and cream.

According to French law, Bugey-Cerdon must be made by the méthode ancestrale (also known as pet-nat, petillent natural, ancestral method, or col fondo), an ancient process for producing bubbly wine that predates Champagne.

In méthode ancestrale, partially fermented wine is bottled with its remaining residual sugar and yeast. Fermentation then continues in the bottle and the byproduct of carbon dioxide becomes trapped, creating bubbles. This technique was likely discovered by accident. During the winter months, yeast becomes dormant when the wine is bottled, then the yeast awakens with warm spring temperatures and finishes fermenting. Many small producers use this process because it’s the most accessible way to make sparkling wine as it doesn’t require the expensive equipment needed to make Champagne method wines.

Bugey-Cerdon must be aged in the bottle on lees (dead yeast cells) for a minimum of 9 months, imparting a creamy texture. Many of these wines may be left unfined and unfiltered, so may include some leftover yeast cells, resulting in a slightly hazy appearance.

These wines have lower pressures, calmer foam and larger bubbles than Champagne-method wines. This means they are more aromatic and flavorful upon opening, but the bubbles will dissipate more quickly as the wine ages so they are meant to be drunk young and not cellared.

Recommendations:

  • Patrick Bottex Bugey Cerdon La Cueille ($20)
  • Daniel Boccard Cerdon Bugey Demi-Sec Rose ($23)

Southern Hemisphere Chardonnays

When I took my wine exam this past May, I was required to complete a blind tasting of 12 wines organized into four flights of three wines each. The goal of the first flight is to identify the common grape variety. I thought I had it in the bag, until I reached the final question.

When the wines for the first flight (common grape variety) were placed in front of me, I was pretty sure I knew what they were immediately. Based on color alone, the white wines ranged from pale to medium lemon, with the latter likely indicating oak aging. I then took a quick sniff of all three and the oak was very obvious on the last wine. There are very few white wines that are aged in oak, with Chardonnay being the most obvious.

So I was pretty sure I had Chardonnay for the first flight. I proceeded to smell and taste, then write copious tasting notes on each wine. When I was done, I was very confident in my assessment. As expected, we were asked us to identify the common grape variety and our justification. My justification was based on the varying levels of oak usage throughout the wines in the flight.

Then I looked at the final question, and it threw me for a bit of a loop. It stated that all three wines were from a country in the Southern Hemisphere, and we were asked to identify and justify each wine’s country of origin. My confidence took a hit, but I gave it my best shot…and it turns out I got them all correct! How did I do it? Let’s break it down.

  1. Wine #1: This wine was light, delicate and crisp. It had good acidity with bright, citrusy flavors and aromas of lemon, lime and green apple along with a steely minerality. It was the lightest bodied of the three wines and had very little to no oak influence. I correctly guessed this wine was from New Zealand. New Zealand is known for very clean wines with great purity of fruit. New Zealand’s rich history in the dairy industry meant they had a deep and long-standing commitment to cleanliness and anti-bacterial production processes, which gave their wine industry a significant advantage when it started up in the 1970s. Winemakers in New Zealand prefer to showcase this fresh, clean fruit character rather than mask it with excess oak. Dog Point Chardonnay 2018, Marlborough, New Zealand.
  2. Wine #2: This wine was refined and elegant, with nice oak character on the nose, but it was well integrated with ripe citrus and peach notes. It was medium bodied with a slightly creamy texture from malolactic fermentation, but wasn’t overly buttery at all. If I hadn’t known it was a Southern Hemisphere wine, I would have guessed Burgundy. That was actually a clue that led me to correctly identify this wine as South African. As with many South African wines, this region sits decidedly between Old World and New World in style. Their wines are flavorful and ripe due to the warm new world climate, but offer the elegance and balance often seen in old world wines. In fact, this wine was from Franschoek, an area of South Africa that was settled by the French, who introduced their knowledge and style of French viniculture that can still be found in many of the wines today. Cape Chamonix Chardonnay 2019, Franschhoek, South Africa.
  3. Wine #3: This was the biggest and oakiest of the wines in the flight. The oak was dominant, almost to the point where it was tricky to pick out distinct fruit characters. On the palate it was big and full bodied with a buttery texture. I could have gone with either Chile or Australia on this one, but correctly chose Chile. I find Chilean wines to be most similar to Californian wines, especially those from the warm Central Valley. They are big, rich and fruity, but have a distinct earthy character that separates them from California. This wine also showed very little elegance and didn’t have as much balancing acidity to offset its weight. It was the lowest quality wine of the flight. Both Australia and Chile produce a good amount of inexpensive wine, but it was the acidity that led me to Chile. I tend to find Australian wines, even at the lower quality levels, have good acidity (many times because they generously add acidity to wines that are often over-baked from that hot Aussie sun). The big style, loads of oak and moderate acidity led me to a Central Valley Chardonnay from Chile. Chateau Los Boldos Tradition Reserve Chardonnay 2021, Cachapoal, Chile.

There are always wide ranging variations on a wine’s style within a country or wine region, so while these rules may apply generally, you will not always find them to be true in every wine you try from these regions. There are plenty of low-quality, bulk wines to be found in South Africa, and similarly, there are many phenomenal, high quality, elegant wines to be found in Chile. One of the things to remember about these wine exams is that they are not always trying to trick you. In many cases, they want you to be able to identify the “classic” or “common” markers of a wine/region/country.

If you haven’t yet started exploring Southern Hemisphere Chardonnays, you can always use the guidance above to start with the country that most suits your Chardonnay palate. Cheers, and happy exploring!

 

 

Off the Beaten Wine Trail: Txakolina

Although Txakolina looks like a terribly difficult name to pronounce, it is actually quite easy, and kind of fun to say – “chah-kuh-leena.” But what the heck is it?!

Txakolina is a low alcohol, lively, dry white wine that can sometimes have a little spritz in it from quick bottling before tank fermentation has completed, so fermentation finishes in the bottle.

These wines originate in Basque Country, a coastal mountain region in northern Spain. Basque Country is an autonomous community that is viewed as a separate nationality of Basque people on Spanish soil, with their own Parliament and Prime Minister. They even have their own Basque language.

Basque Country is also esteemed as the capital of gastronomy in Spain. It has the greatest concentration of Michelin starred restaurants than any other region in the country. It is known for its seafood as well as bar finger food, called pintxos. It is also known for its most famous local wine, Txakolina (also called Txakoli).

In recent history, it has been a wine that hasn’t been taken very seriously and was mainly a homemade wine. In fact, Spanish wine law in the 1970s described it as a wine made with grapes “that cannot normally reach full ripeness” because of the cooler, coastal mountain climate in Basque Country. There was a risk it could not be classified as actual wine because it often didn’t meet minimal required alcohol levels.

Fast forward a couple of decades and with new technology, a better understanding of viticulture, and enterprising new winemakers, these grapes consistently reach ripeness and alcohol levels between 10.5-13% ABV.

Txakolina is mainly produced with the white Hondurrabi Zuri grape, although some producers will blend it with a small amount of other varieties. There is also a red version made with Hondurrabi Beltza grapes, which are similar to Cabernet Franc. You can also find Txakolina in a rose style. In their native Spain, these wines are poured with a special flourish with the bottle held high and poured in a long stream into the glass, said to help aerate the wine and encourage the fizz.

These wines are very often meant to be drunk young, with low to moderate alcohol, delicate citrus and apples flavors and vibrant acidity with light effervescence. It’s an excellent food pairing wine, especially as an aperitif, with tapas, antipasto or charcuterie. It also makes for a perfect summer porch-pounder on a blazing hot day. You should be able to find a few labels at your local wine shop, generally priced from $15-$20.

Recommendations:

  • Zudugarai Antxiola Txakolina ($15)
  • Txomin Etxaniz Getariako Txakolina ($20)
  • Rezabal Txakoli ($20)

 

 

 

Stay Warm with these Classic Wine Movies

The weather is getting colder and more dreary, which is driving me indoors and under a comfy blanket in front of my TV. (I am so NOT a cold-weather person!). If you’re looking for an indoor activity that will keep you as warm and comforted as your glass of wine, here is a list of my favorite wine movies that are informative, influential and most of all, entertaining.

My Favorite Wine Movies:

Sour Grapes

(Netflix, Amazon Prime, iTunes, YouTube)

Sour Grapes is a crime documentary about wine fraudster Rudy Kurniawan, who scams wealthy wine collectors and experts out of millions by flooding the American wine market with fraudulent super-premium wines.

Somm

(Amazon Prime, Hulu, iTunes)

Somm spurred a series of additional movies about the lives of sommeliers. This original movie made the term “sommelier” a household name, and gave it a sexy connotation. It follows four sommeliers in their attempt to pass the prestigious Master Sommelier exam, a test with one of the lowest pass rates in the world.

Bottle Shock

(YouTube, Amazon Prime, iTunes)

Bottleshock is based on the true story of the 1976 Judgment of Paris wine tasting competition that put Napa Valley on the world stage, when California wines beat out the best French wines in a competition judged by European wine experts.

Sideways

(YouTube, iTunes, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Starz, Cinemax, Sling)

Sideways is the movie that changed the face of the California wine market, and the fate of Merlot, for decades to follow. The “Sideways Effect” has been extensively researched and studied. If you haven’t seen this pivotal movie, now is the time to watch it. It follows two middle-aged men on a week-long bachelor party trip in through Santa Barbara’s wine country.