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This week I go in depth on one of the best value regions of Portugal -- Alentejo. These wines are mainly blends and they are as easy on the palate as they are on the wallet -- a perfect combo! Photo: Vineyards in Alentejo outside of Évora. Credit: WFNP Located in southern Portugal, a two hour drive east of Lisbon, Alentejo is huge -- representing almost one-third of the Iberian nation. Although in the past the region was known only as the breadbasket of Portugal and as the world's largest supplier of cork (nearly half of the world's corks come from Alentejo's cork trees), today the region is experiencing a wine renaissance. After a rocky history, Alentejo has grown and its reputation has expanded with it. Known for fruity, lush and plush red blends (about 75% of the wine) of grapes like Alicante Bouschet, Aragonez (Tempranillo), Trincadeira, Alfrochero, and Castelão, there are some higher end versions that sometimes contain Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Syrah as well. The whites are in the minority and are fruity, soft, yet balanced blends as well. The tropical, tangerine noted and soft Antão Vaz is Alentejo's most important white with Arinto used for acidity, Fernão Pires for aroma and soft textures and Roupeiro for aroma as well. Map: Rota dos Vinhos, from the Wines of Alentejo This show covers all the bases on this fascinating region -- from its turbulent history to the climate, terroir, and the many DOPs that each have a distinct identiy. Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Join the community today! www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople _______________________________________________________________ This show is brought to you by my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access – THE place to discover your next favorite bottle. Wine Access has highly allocated wines and incredible values, plus free shipping on orders of $150 or more. You can't go wrong with Wine Access! Join the WFNP/Wine Access wine club and get 6 awesome bottles for just $150 four times a year. That includes shipping! When you become a member, you also get 10% all your purchases on the site. Go to wineaccess.com/normal to sign up!
This episode Elle is celebrating Come Over October!!! First she tastes some wine perfect for sharing at a picnic or party as they come in cans! She tries the Los Cuernos Reserva, an intriguing red blend including Alicante Bouschet. Then she talks to Come Over October's founder, the one, the only Karen MacNeil, author of The Wine Bible! Karen had a fascinating entry into the wine world, and Come Over October is her initiative to bring back the social side of wine--it's ability to bring us all together is unparalled! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Did you know that most red wine grapes do not have red flesh? That is what makes teinturier grapes so unique, and why this is a great episode for expanding your wine knowledge and wine horizons. Alicante Bouschet, as would be appropriate, is one of those grapes. Derived from the French term for “dye” or “stain,” teinturier grapes have red flesh to match their red skins. Crazy, right?!? Alicante Bouschet is not a wine for the faint of heart. Hailing from Portugal and Spain, where it is better known as Garnacha Tintorera, this is a big, bold wine that will knock your socks off. In this episode, we discuss what the teinturier grapes are, and why Alicante Bouschet was a favorite wine for home winemakers during Prohibition. If you are a looking for an alternative to the same old Cabernet Sauvignon, this could be the wine for you. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2021 Terra d'Alter Alicante Bouschet, 2020 Bodegas Venta La Vega Adaras Calizo Garnacha Tintorera.Send us a Text Message and we'll respond in our next episode!Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we'd love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: https://thewinepairpodcast.com/Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com
A família Reynolds produz vinhos no Alentejo desde 1850. A vinícola encontra-se junto ao Parque Natural da Serra de São Mamede, perto de Portalegre, e, atualmente, conta com 40 hectares de vinhedos. As principais castas plantadas são: Trincadeira, Aragonês, Alfrocheiro, Arinto e Alicante Bouschet, esta última introduzida em Portugal pela família Reynolds há mais de um século e meio e ainda usada como a base dos seus vinhos tintos. Site Revista: https://revistaadega.uol.com.br/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revistaadega/ Clube de Vinhos: https://www.clubeadega.com.br/ Loja Online: https://www.adegaonline.com.br/
Send us a Text Message.In Episode #10, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath and Dr. Kenny Friedman welcome Jon Hajdu, winemaker for Covenant Wines of Berkeley, California, and his own eponymous label, Hajdu Wines. They discuss Jon's winemaking origin story and his fateful journey from NY to California and Australia in between, and from being an archaeology and pre-med major at SUNY Albany to making his own first wine in 2005 to being named a Wine Enthusiast magazine “40 Under 40” winemaker in 2018. Hajdu speaks about his philosophy in winemaking and the different style he brings to both Covenant and Hajdu wines.Known for his whimsical labels, Hajdu credits his wife, Ellie, and her artistry. He mentions new wines and ideas coming soon. Hajdu talks about his “mevushalizer” invention which he has been working to perfect in small batch flash pasteurization and the effects of mevushal on wine – both short and long term. Additionally, he gives insight into the choices of cork for his wines and their ability to keep wine fresh.The conversation covers topics such as the production and growth of Covenant and Hajdu wines, the decision-making process for the Besomim blend, the marketability of Zinfandel, and the future release of Alicante Bouschet.Support the Show.Email your questions and comments to kosherwinepodcast@gmail.com
Welcome to our fifth podcast episode!Raw, unfiltered with plenty of sediment.Questions this week:* 1 min 28 Who is Natasha?* 3 mins 32 Luke Flunder's Wine World & Substack?* 6 mins 12 Techniques we've used to moderate our alcohol consumption since lockdown.* 9 mins 09 What wine is in our glass today?* 12 mins 21 The most romantic bottle of wine out there?Will's Natasha's wine of the week:Little Giant Coonawarra Cabernet SauvignonCheck out - Luke's video review.Luke's thought of the week:If your supermarket only stocked wine from one country for a year, what would you want that country to be?References:Substack - A platform for writers and creators. Luke's HQ of wine.Donate :) - Luke is running the London MarathonSecret Portuguese wine. More information will be sent out shortly - Luke's & Natasha's ‘what's in the glass'. Alicante Bouschet - grape variety.Shiraz - grape variety.Portugal wine region. (map from Winalist)Xinamavro - grape varietyAmarone della Valpolicella - Iconic Italian wine.Champagne - The most famous sparkling wine from France.Pinot Noir - Luke's favourite grape variety.As always please like, share and comment.Stay Corked - Luke & Natasha This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lukeflunder.substack.com/subscribe
A Serra do Sudeste vem despontando de forma vertiginosa e despertando interesse de muitos viticultores por terras ainda inexploradas naquela região. Região de clima marítimo moderado com dias quentes e noites frescas, precipitação anual de 1380 mm, solo granítico, levemente ácido e com boa drenagem. Com plantios da Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Teroldego, Marselan, Gamay, Merlot, Tempranillo, Tannat, Touriga Nacional, Alicante Bouschet e Ancelotta, além das brancas, Sauvignon Blanc, Grewurztraminer, Malvasia de Cândia, Riesling e Pinot Grigio, toda essa produção, antigamente, era enviada para Serra Gaúcha de onde eram produzidos os vinhos. Contudo, essa realidade vem mudando com pequenas vinícolas que estão surgindo na região com projetos sensacionais. #vinho #vino #vin #wine #wein #ワイン #酒 #instawine
Hoje em deco.proteste.pt sugerimos: Bons vinhos tintos Alicante-Bouschet? Dá para comprar garrafas a menos de 5 euros; Heranças: dicas para investigar os bens do falecido; e o crédito à habitação com spread a partir de 0,85% no Banco CTT com o cartão DECO+.
Leslie Williams, Arlene Hunt and Fionnuala Jones all joined Sean Moncrieff for this week's movies and booze live from the Sugar Club with thanks to Marks and Spencer. Today's wines with thanks to Marks and Spencer included: Prosecco Rose All Prosecco comes from Northeast Italy. Prosecco Rosé is a relatively new category with the Consorzio the Italian regulatory body permitting its production from Nov 2020. M&S were the first major retail to launch Prosecco Rosé. The M&S Prosecco Rose is made by a family winery based in the Del Bianco family located in the heart if the Prosecco near the town of Conegliano. The grapes are Glera a white grape and Pinot Noir (or Pinot Nero in Italian) max 15%. Glera makes lively floral wines and Pinot Noir adds the strawberry red fruits. Prosecco Rosé as with all Proseccos is made by the Italian/Martinotti/tank method, where the still wines undergo a second fermentation in big, pressurised tanks to produce the lovely creamy bubbles. Proseccos are all designed to be drunk you and fresh to enjoy all the lovely floral fruity flavours. Classics Pinot Grigio M&S Classics range aim to have wines which truly represents the best quality and typicity of the region or grape. Italian Pinot Grigio can get a bad wrap as lacking flavour and insipid, but it Northeast Italy it can be made into a really flavoursome wine. The M&S Classics Pinot Grigio is made for us by a lovely family winery which is based in a repurposed brick making factory. M&S work closely with the family to make our own wine blend. We visit it them every year in November after the harvest to agree which wine parcels will go into our blend. We aim to get the wine to sing with fresh pear and white blossom notes, round and full flavoured but a wine that can be sipped on its owned or paired with fish and just about any Italian dish Lisboa Bonita This wine is made exclusively for M&S by Casa Santos Lima, based 25kg from Lisboa in Portugal; a country that makes the full range of wines from Sparkling, Red, White, Rose and sweet but are less visible on our shelves as they have a healthy home and tourist market. Portugal has a rich myriad of the local indigenous grape. This wine is made from a selection of these and includes Caladoc, Castelao, Tinta Roriz, Alicante Bouschet, Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional. This blend gives to a rich full bodied oaked wine that has flavours of ripe black berries and bergamot. There are vanilla notes as well that come from the 6 months ageing in French and American oak for give this complex wine. The label reflects the beautiful blue and white tiles often seen in Portugal particularly buildings in the old town of Lisboa. This hearty wine is perfect for BBQs from the full meaty versions to the creative vegan dishes now being seen. The wine of course is vegan as all M&S wine are.
Inspired by a question from a Patron, we give you an original list of wines that are true alternatives to Cabernet if you love the OG and you want to branch out. We come up with 7 solid ideas that are similar but different enough to make them interesting. The original idea for this list was from Patron Serl Z. and Leigh W. gets credit for naming this series. People were so excited for these new ideas, we may just make it into a series! We begin by discussing the main characteristics of Cabernet Sauvignon: Flavors: Black fruit –especially blackcurrant, black cherry, black plum, blackberry -- earth in Old World versions, fruit in New World versions. The wine occasionally shows mint, eucalyptus, thyme, or green pepper notes. With oak Cab smells and tastes like tobacco, pencil shavings, cigar box, leather Generally tannic with good acidity. Some can be age-worthy if they have good tannin structure and acidity (backbone) Flavors depend on terroir, winemaking, oak aging Alternatives: Mourvèdre/Monastrell/Mataro (Bandol in France, Monastrell from southern Spain, and GSM blends from the US and Australia) – dark fruit, intense flavor, long aging Douro Tinto/ Touriga Nacional (Portugal)– dusty tannins with sweet fruit, violets, leather, tobacco, big tannins Alentejo/Alentejano (Portugal) – for people who like juicy, fruity Cabs with soft tannins. These wines are a blend of Alfrocheiro, Alicante Bouschet, Aragonez, Castelão, Syrah, Touriga Nacional, Trincadeira, and, not surprisingly, Cabernet Sauvignon Sagrantino di Montefalco (Umbria, Italy)-- Sagrantino grape is full bodied, tannic with earth, cherry, smoke and sometimes spicy notes that evolve into leather and tobacco with time. Similar to Cabernet, Sagrantino is astringent in youth and mellows with time Malbec (Cahors, France, Argentina) -- Not all Malbec is created equal. If you want wines that are similar to Cabernet, choose Cahors, which is earthier, heavier, stronger, more tannic and often more terroir-driven. For Argentina, look for wines from sub-regions of Mendoza with older vines and elevation. These areas make wines with stronger tannin, darker fruit, and more acidity. They aren't as plush as many Malbec. In the Luján de Cuyo valley of Mendozalook for Vistalba and Las Compuertas. In the Valle de Uco, Tunuyán, which includes Paraje Altamira and Petit Verdot (Virginia, Napa, and many other New World regions make varietal Petit Verdot, it's native home is Bordeaux, where it is part of the Bordeaux blend). Although known for what it brings to the Bordeaux blend, varietal Petit Verdot can be a great Cab alternative. The grapes are thick skinned, and the wines have black fruit, herbs, spice, and dark flower notes. The wine has high acidity and tannins, making it a great sub. Tannat (Madiran, Uruguay, Virginia, Texas, Paso Robles and Santa Cruz Mountains in California other parts of the US. Also Argentina, Brazil, Australia). John S. – this one's for you! Tannat is often blended with with Cabernet Sauvignon to tame its tannins! In Madiran the wine is far harsher than Cab but in Uruguay, it is more like blackberry, plum, dark raspberry, earth, and spice. It has soft tannins, high alcohol, and is pretty delicious. It resembles a lighter style Cabernet from the North Coast of Sonoma Cabernet Franc (on the list with lots of caveats so this is like a 7.5!). Cabernet Franc is the parent of Cabernet Sauvignon but it's much earthier, tea-like, and has a lot of red fruit notes. It is nowhere near as tannic as Cabernet and its flavors are really different. Still, it's not as soft as Merlot and because it can exhibit the herbs and pyrazine (green pepper) of Cabernet Sauvignon, I'm adding it to the list At the end of the show I mention some cheat regions – good places to get blends with a healthy hit of Cabernet in them: Bordeaux, South African Bordeaux Blends, Hawkes Bay from New Zealand are three I mention! Please let me know if you like this theme. If so, we'll do more shows like this! _____________________________________________________ Thanks to our sponsors this week: Our new sponsor: Wine Spies! Wine Spies uncovers incredible wines at unreal prices - on Zinfandel, Barolo, Champagne...you name it - up to 75% off! It's not a club and there's no obligation to buy. They have a build-a-case option, so you can mix and match wines while enjoying free shipping on every purchase. Visit www.winespies.com/normal you'll get $20 credit to use on your first order! Check them out today! If you think our podcast is worth the price of a bottle or two of wine a year, please become a member of Patreon... you'll get even more great content, live interactions and classes! www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes
When we purchased Alegría Vineyards In 1990, Bill was able to pursue his childhood dream of being a farmer, trading in his law books for books on viticulture, pruning shears, and a tractor. “Alegría”, our vineyard name, means “Happiness” in Spanish. Bill is much happier working in the vineyard and making wine than he was working as a lawyer. He likes working with his hands and being outdoors. He knows every vine on our 32 acres and takes pleasure in making a physical product that people can enjoy and appreciate. As he often says, he never got such positive feedback for well-crafted legislation or a contract. “Alegría” is also an apt description of how you will feel when you discover our wines. Betsy makes visiting ACORN Winery is a memorable experience. Betsy enjoys welcoming visitors and sharing our wines and our story. We are passionate about preserving the tradition of field-blending and co-fermenting. The oldest part of our vineyard, which dates back to 1890, is a field blend of Zinfandel inter-planted with Alicante Bouschet, Petite Sirah, and many other grape varieties. That mixed planting inspired us to plant about 100 different varieties as we planted new vineyards adjacent to the old. As far as we know, ACORN is the only winery where every wine is a co-fermented field blend. At first, we sold all of our grapes to Ridge Vineyards and other local wineries, but in 1994, we decided to make wine ourselves and established ACORN Winery. An acorn is a popular symbol of prosperity, good fortune, and potential. (“Mighty oaks from little acorns grow.”) We are tiny like an acorn; Our wines have a lot of potential; our historic vineyard is lined with tall oak trees; and our wine is aged in oak barrels, so ACORN was the perfect name! Our first release was our 1994 Sangiovese, co-fermented with Canaiolo and Mammolo. We are dedicated to creating co-fermented field blends from our certified sustainable grapes that truly reflect this special place. We have always been committed to farming and living sustainably. We enjoy the biodiversity of the creatures, great and small, who share this land with us. Today, after more than 30 years, we continue to find alegría living in the middle of our vineyards, enjoying the Russian River climate, growing grapes and sharing our ACORN wines.
“The last frontier of Europe,” “A pristine region,” “A mosaic of soil varieties and temperatures” are all ways João Gomes de Silva, Board Member of Sogrape, describes the Alentejo wine region. João tells us about the evolution of Portugal’s wine industry, the complexity of the Alentejo wine region, and how the industry has been promoting and building the brand of Alentejo wine. From “seasoning” to amphora, there’s plenty to get excited about with Alentejo and its wines! Detailed Show Notes: João’s backgroundFamily is in agriculture and farmingJoão is a wine loverWorked in food retailingLived in Italy and Latin AmericaSogrape backgroundFounded in 1942 by Fernando van Zeller Guedes and launched with Mateus RoseA family business where they work as a professional teamCombination of concept wines (e.g. - Mateus) and fine wine estates (e.g. - Barca Velha, Sandeman)Mateus Rose - Sogrape’s founder said it had to stand outUnique bottle shape - shaped after WWI cantil (soldiers’ water bottles)The label has a picture of a manor house in North of Portugal, which was to look like a French chateauPortuguese Wine HistoryEarly-mid 1990’s - Portugal joined the EU, lots of investment in the wine industry and a surge in domestic demand2005-2010 era - a lot of modernization happened in the wine industry2010+ - a boom in tourism in Portugal led to a boom in demand for Portuguese wineCovid - demand for Portuguese wines did not dipAlentejo as a wine regionSouth of Lisbon, between Lisbon and the Algarve (a beach area popular for tourists)The same size as the state of Maryland, but with only 700,000 people - a sparsely populated farming areaOne of the last areas dominated by the Moors (until the 13th century)Traditionally the breadbasket of Portugal, lots of cereal, grain growingDry, warm climate (>100F in summer)During Roman times, made wine in clay amphora to preserve temperature during fermentation8 sub-regionsPortalegre - north part of the region, the influence of the mountains (a colder, wet climate)Eastern area near Spanish border - very dry, arid, pre-phylloxera vineyardsA mosaic of soil types, climates, and grape varietiesThe notion of “seasoning” important in the region (e.g., using small amounts of different grapes varieties to blend)Grape varieties - a mix of traditional and internationalTraditional - Aragones (Tempranillo), Trincadera, Moretto, Arinto, Tourigal NationalInternational - Syrah, Alicante Bouschet - the star of the regionVinho de Talha - wine made in the traditional Roman way in clay amphora, the only region in Portugal that has this regulationWine style - fruit-forward, rounded tanninsCurrent consumers - wine explorers and hedonists who know what they likeAlentejo Wine ConsumptionDomestic - 80%Export - 20%Brazil - 30%US, France, Poland, Switzerland - ~10% eachCanada, UK, Angola, China - ~5% eachEntry-level pricing ~$7-9 USDThe sweet spot is ~$20 USD to really show terroirMarketing messagesA unique, single message (especially for US/UK markets) - “taste of the last frontier of European wine,” a pristine regionBrazil - talk more about individual producers as people already know AlentejoJournalists / somms - talk more about winemaking techniques, bringing people to PortugalConsumers - the experience at the estate or virtually tends to grab themBroad / “Generic” promotion - through Wines of Portugal and CVRA (Alentejo region wine marketing body)Invests in trade fairs (e.g., Prowein, Vinexpo) which helpHerdade do Peso - invests in social mediaBeing closer to the distributor (and owning them) helps - has been important to the success of brandsHerdade do Peso, a Sogrape winerySogrape’s founder believed he could change the Alentejo industryIntroduced Alicante Bouschet to the region, blended it with Touriga Nacional“A mix of man’s ingenuity, dream of a family, and the natural conditions found there”16 soil types, 160ha of vineyardsUse clay amphora to season wines, but no pure Vinho de TalhaWine positioningEntry-level, single estate - ~$20 USDReserva, a blend of blocks with the best expression, can ageEssencia - block series, best block of each yearIcon - only been produced twice in 30 years, the highest expression of the grapeAnother wine (collaborating with others) in the worksClimate change - brought back Gobelet training, new grape varieties, use water from the artificial lake to protect plants against extreme weather
The StoryThe Source and Sink Red Field Blend 2018 is a blend of 65% Petite Sirah, 25% Alicante Bouschet, and 10% Carignan sourced from the Dunbar Ranch vineyard located near Glen Ellen in the Sonoma Valley region of California. Source and Sink is a new wine company, I think this is their first vintage. The company was formed by 2 Chicago guys who met during the 2017 harvest in Sonoma and decided to put together a wine project.When you have a new, small wine company such as Source and Sink it is hard to compete directly with the big corporate wine behemoths, so you need to do your homework and be clever. They search out small overlooked, almost forgotten Sonoma vineyards to source their grapes. Some of these vineyards come from Hobby farms others were going concerns years ago but have had parcels sold off due to urban sprawl. The Dunbar Ranch is situated in the heart of the Sonoma Valley, but it isn't a large commercial vineyard.The parcel of grapes that Source and Sink purchased had been planted to be a Field Blend. A Field Blend is when specific varietals of grapes are planted in the same section of the vineyard. I was told that back in the day farmers would plant many different grapes to see which varieties would thrive and which wouldn't. They would pick the grapes when the majority were of proper ripeness and then crush the grapes and ferment them all together. The proportions of the blend were decided by Mother Nature. If one grape had a big yield and another didn't, well, that was what the vineyard gave them.The Source and Sink website mentioned that Dunbar Ranch Field Blend section was planted to also include Zinfandel grapes in the blend, but the Zinfandel grapes seem to have gone elsewhere. Sometimes wines with Field Blend on the label are not actual Field Blends, but more of a homage to the old ways to blend wine. While Source and Sink do not get specific with the technical details they seem to be dedicated to letting the vineyards lead the way. They use the least evasive winemaking techniques that can get away with. These are not wines that use a focus group to get the blend right, this is Old School California winemaking.Petite Sirah is originally from France but now is found mainly in California and Australia. It is used in countless Red blends and is often used to add a little something to Zinfandel wines. Alicante Bouschet is also a French grape that again is rarely seen in France but is widely used in Portugal and Spain. And Carignan is a grape widely used in southeast France and Spain. So this blend will not be your typical North Coast Blend, but something a little different.One of the reasons Field Blend fell out of style was that it was difficult to get the different grapes to ripen at the same time. With some vintages, the timing might be perfect and other vintages more problematic. The wines could vary in flavor and quality from year to year, and if you notice vintage variations are often not very noticeable with todays California wine. The Source and Sink Field Blend has an alcohol content of 12.8% and it isn't uncommon for a Sonoma Red wine to see 14.5% alcohol. I'm guessing here, but is 12.8% the point where most of the grapes reached their ideal ripeness? Anyway, I am looking forward to a taste of how California Red Blend used to be.Field Blend Tasting NotesThe color is seriously deep and dark. The nose is rich and spicy, there is blackberry, plum, black pepper, spice, a hint of smoke and sweet raspberry. This is a wine that hits all areas of your palate with bright fruit and spice, nothing out of balance, but definitely not shy.
Another of Verdi's greatest masterpieces, this one has us asking the question, how do we address some of opera's more problematic themes in the modern day? Tenor Evan Brown joins us to help us digest the Duke and his antics at court! Featuring Osso Buco, Risotto Milanese, and Tribal Hill First Vintage Texas Red Blend Featured Artist: Countertenor Holt Skinner has been praised for his crystal clear vocals and unique interpretations of Baroque music. Skinner is a native of West Plains, Missouri and a recent graduate of the University of Missouri. He was a member of the award-winning University Singers under the direction of R. Paul Crabb, and recently made his opera debut as Ruggiero in Handel's Alcina with the Show-Me Opera under the direction of Christine Seitz. Skinner has been a featured soloist for the Austin Symphony Orchestra, Odyssey Bach Collegium, the First Place winner of the NATS Mid-Missouri Competition, and has performed with choral ensembles in New York City, Chicago, Slovenia, Italy, Croatia, Sweden, Finland, and Estonia. Skinner lives in Austin, TX where he sings with the Chorus Austin Symphonic and Chamber Choirs and works for Google as a Cloud Technical Resident.
Intermináveis dias de sol. Praias. Montanhas. Parques naturais. Entretenimento. Tech. Não satisfeita em ter tudo isso, a Califórnia é também o quarto maior produtor de vinho do mundo, e faz coisas simplesmente espetaculares. Neste episódio vamos destrinchar, com muito amor, a região original de produção de vinho na Califórnia – Sonoma! As sub-regiões de Sonoma que cobrimos neste episódio são:Chalk Hill – onde o forte é a produção de Chardonnay.Russian River – casa de belissimos Pinot Noir.Dry Creek Valley – famoso pela produção de Zinfandel, um dos vinhos emblemáticos da Califórnia.Sonoma Coast – outra excelente área para Pinot Noir, com sua fria brisa do Pacífico.Knights Valley – Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc, e com excelentes Syrah. As uvas mais populares da região são:Chardonnay – sabor amanteigado, com frutas tropicais, e em muitos casos superiores aos originais da Borgonha. Pinot Noir – com fruta mais pronunciada e mais prontos para consumo rápido do que seus pares franceses.Um pouquinho de Syrah em Knights Valley Zinfandel – varietal gêmea da Primitivo italiana, levada à Califórnia por imigrantes italianos no século 19. Anos-estrela: 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013 (safra mágica), 2014, 2015, 2016 Produtores:Tine House Vineyards – produtor pequeno com excelente Pinot NoirMarcassin – Pinot Noir supremo da região. E custa de acordo com essa fama.Donalan Valley – Obisidian Vineyard é um Syrah espetacular. Verite – vinhos caros, mas em sua maioria levando 100 pontos Parker.Peter Michael – Les Pavots é a estrela do show. Littorai – Pinot Noirs geniais. Vários rótulos, caros porém de qualidade espetacular.Ridge – um produtor muito famoso, tradicional e um pouco mais democrático. Relativamente fácil de achar.Bella Winery – pequeno produtor focado exclusivamente Zinfandel, de altíssima qualidadeArista – deliciosos Pinot Noir. Menos famosa que Littorai e Marcassin, mas também mas acessível em termos de preço. Vinho vorazmente consumido:Ridge Pagani Ranch, 2015, Zinfandel – um vinho excelente (como todos Ridge que tomamos até hoje!). Blend de Zinfandel, Petit Syrah e Alicante Bouschet. Vinhaço! Dica cultural: Hoje falamos do livro “The Fight”, no qual Norman Mailer conta o antes e durante da mais famosa luta de boxe de todos os tempos, Ali vs. Foreman no Zaire, The Rumble in the Jungle! Uma leitura imperdível para quem gosta de boxe e literatura esportiva.https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fight-Penguin-Modern-Classics/dp/0141184140/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=norman+mailer+the+fight&qid=1563991873&s=gateway&sr=8-1https://www.amazon.co.uk/Muhammad-Ali-Unfiltered-Officially-Authorized/dp/1501161946/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_1?keywords=GOAT+Ali+photo+book&qid=1563991909&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmr2 Como sempre, fica o convite para seguirem nosso podcast no Spotify, Apple e Instagram. E deixem seus comentários no Instagram @podcastwine ou mandem suas perguntas e sugestões para podcastwinenot@gmail.com. Um grande abraço e até a próxima!
Nessa confraria falamos sobre as motivações dos enólogos ao se decidirem pela produção de blends ou varietais (ou de blends disfarçados de varietais!). Exploramos alguns blends clássicos e outros mais inusitados, além dos blends de safras. A cepa destaque da noite foi a Alicante Bouschet: uma rara variedade tintoreira dentre as vitis viniferas e que... The post SV#56 – Confraria: Blends appeared first on Simples Vinho.
This week we are talking about Super Tuscan wine. Super Tuscans come from as the name suggests, the Tuscany region of Italy which is located in central Italy. “Super Tuscan” is a term used to describe red wines from Tuscany that may include the use of non-indigenous grapes, particularly Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Wine Recommendations Tenuta Monteti Caburnio 2010 - priced around $21. 55 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Alicante Bouschet, 15 % Merlot, 5 % Cabernet Franc, 5 % Petit Verdot Nose: Dark fruit - blackberries, black currant, black plums, floral (like lavender and rose) Dry, full body, medium plus acidity and smooth, soft medium level tannins Flavors: dark fruit, vanilla, touch of rose and lavender You can tell this wine has spent some time in oak and in the bottle - soft edges but still quite a bit of acidity so probably would be great with even more age We were not expecting the floral component - we feel this is a bit of French influence showing. This wine is complex and structured, can stand up to food or good for sipping on its own Toccata Classico 2015 - priced around $29. This wine was given to us as a sample The grapes in this blend are 50% Sangiovese, 30% Cab Sav, 5% Merlot, 5% Freisa, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Cab Franc Nose: sweet & smokey BBQ ribs, ripe black cherries and blackberries, vanilla Dry, full body, medium tannins, medium plus acidity Flavors similar to aromas, plus black plum This is an intense wine that needs food with big flavors and/or a bit of fat. Most people will probably want food with it. This one could also age a bit longer, especially if you want to accentuate those umami flavors. Sources Wikipedia Wine Folly Vinepair Oxford Guide to Wine
Bill Nachbaur from Acorn Winery is back on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger today. Their first tasting is a 2014 Sangiovese, whose label suggests several Italian food pairings. Dan Berger explains that Sangiovese is a variety that very few Californians want to make, because we get so much sun that we can't avoid having a plump wine. Californians like that the acids will drop out of the wines, but "...this one is a beautiful example of splitting the difference between California ripeness and Chianti's acid-based" flavors. Dan suggests pairing it with wild boar stew or anything with strong flavors. Bill says that the Russian River Valley climate is ideal for this. It's a cooler climate than other Sangiovese growing regions in the US so they can control the acidity to get it super ripe before picking it. Bill says it's the most widely planted grape in Italy. Bill and his wife bought the vineyard in 1990 after working in law, and took viticulture classes at Santa Rosa JC under Rich Thomas. He was first focussed on growing grapes and his first wine was a 1994 Sangiovese. He makes a wine called "Alégria" (happiness in Spanish, close to the Italian Allegria). They have about 26 acres of grapes and they just finished their 29th harvest. Then they taste a 2014 Zinfandel that Steve says is delicious. Bill credits the Russian River Valley cool climate and extra complexity from the "field blend." It is from the oldest part of the vineyard 78% Zinfandel, 10% Petit Syrah and 10% Alicante Bouchet, with the remaining 2% from a mix of other grapes. All their wines are "field blends" which means they grow the grapes together then they pick them together and press and ferment them together. Dan says some Zinfandels get "over-ripe and plummy" but that he likes the black raspberry component in this wine, which works with the other peppery aromatics in the blend. Bill thinks the pepper flavor comes from the Petit Syrah. Next they taste a Dolcetto, another Italian grape that is quite rare in California. It is grown in Piedmont (Piemonte) in north-west Italy. Despite the name of the grape, it makes a dry wine. Dan says to decant it to give it lots of air. Bill says that most Dolcetto in Italy is not oaked or aged, as he does to it. He gives it 18 months in oak. Bill Nachbaur tells about visiting Piedmont and asking winemakers there if they used oak and they replied, "well, our grandfathers didn't do it," so they don't. (That is a prevailing attitude in Italy about a lot of food and wine practices. -cd). Dan Berger tells that very little Dolcetto is grown in California because growers make so much from the familiar varieties that planting a less-well-known grape is too much of a risk. Dan says that Dolcetto has good acid and it works well in blends. It responds well to decanting, to highlight its dry character. Then they taste Medley, which is a combination of 60 varieties that they grow. There is a chart that lists all the varieties. It is a vineyard blend of 20% Zinfandel, 18% Cinsaut, 18% Syrah, 18% Muscats, 10% Dolcetto, 2% Petite Sirah, 2% Alicante Bouschet, 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Sangiovese, and 10% other varieties. This is the 15th year of Medley, which they started making in 2000. Dan Berger believes that it should not rest for more than 3 or 4 years because its great complex fruit flavors will still be evident. Dan says that Medley could not be made this way in many other regions. For example, in Alexander Valley, the wine would be different. Trying to mix these varieties in the Alexander Valley do not yield such subtle flavors as do the Russian River Valley's cold temperatures, fog and marine influence. They are about a mile from the river and will have fog all morning for many days in the Summer, so they might pick a month later than they would in nearby Dry Creek. It's an example of how great reds can grow in Russian River Valley as well as the white varieties grow there.