Podcasts about charmat

Send us a textCan a sparkling wine priced at just $7.99 truly hold its own against higher-end bottles? Listen to our latest episode as we pop the cork on a bottle of Colby California Brut Sparkling Wine from Aldi, exploring its surprisingly delightful taste profile and dispelling preconceptions about budget-friendly bubbly. Crafted by the renowned Rack and Riddle using the Charmat method, this wine offers a unique blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc flavors, providing an experience akin to a California Prosecco. Discover the intriguing world of private-label wines and how Rack and Riddle's expertise plays a crucial role in bringing these hidden gems to our glasses.Join us as we sip through a tasting experience that features light, persistent bubbles and subtle hints of stone fruit, lemon, apple, and melon. While complexity might not be its forte, this easy-drinking sparkler is perfect for casual occasions, striking a balance between dryness and a hint of sweetness. Whether you're a wine connoisseur or simply seeking a wallet-friendly option, this episode reveals how good taste doesn't have to come with a hefty price tag. Uncover the charm of this $8 sparkling wine that promises a pleasant surprise for your palate without leaving a dent in your budget.Check us out at www.cheapwinefinder.comor email us at podcast@cheapwinefinder.com

This is the weekly columThis column runs on Wednesdays in most markets—Christmas Day in 2024. If you have not secured your wine before now, no chance today. We can, however, look forward to New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.Sparkling wines are stars of New Year celebrations. Statistics indicate roughly 25 percent of all Champagne is sold between Christmas and New Year's Eve. Something like 360 million glasses of sparkling wine are consumed on New Year's Eve.People who don't usually drink sparkling, drink sparkling around the New Year celebrations. On a more sobering and serious note, New Year's Eve statistically is the most drunken night of the year, with sparkling wine playing a major role. The unfortunate quip is “New Year's Eve is amateur drunk night.”Enjoy wine in moderation so you can be around for the next annual celebration. With that in mind, a primer on the types of sparkling wine:• Champagne. Produced exclusively in the Champagne region of northeastern France (no matter what some rogue labels claim) using the traditional method (méthode champenoise) with secondary fermentation in the bottle. Three primary grapes—pinot noir, chardonnay, and pinot meunier.• Crémant. French sparkling made outside the Champagne region, using grape varieties typical to their regions using traditional method.• Cava. Spanish sparkling, primarily produced in Catalonia. Made using traditional method using Spanish grapes xarel·lo, macabeo, and parellada; also chardonnay and pinot noir.• Prosecco. Italian sparkling from the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia regions using the Charmat method where secondary fermentation occurs in large tanks. Glera is the prime grape.• Franciacorta. High-quality Italian sparkling from Lombardy primarily made with chardonnay and pinot noir using traditional method.• Asti and Moscato d'Asti. Sweet sparklings made in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy using the moscato bianco grape. Asti is fully sparkling (spumante). Moscato d'Asti is semi-sparkling (frizzante).• Sekt. German sparkling made with various grapes, some using traditional method, others Charmat.• New World Sparklings. Made in U.S., Australia, New Zealand and some other countries using traditional grapes and traditional method.• Cap Classique. Sparkling in South Africa using various grapes, primarily chardonnay and pinot noir, using traditional method.• Junk Sparkling. My term for very cheap wine infused with CO2 in the same way as soda pop. Guzzle this dreck at the close of 2024 and it is unlikely you will enjoy the dawn of 2025.Last roundMan walking home after too much sparkling at a New Year's party. Policeman sees him weaving and asks where he is going. Man: “To a lecture.” Policeman: “Who gives lectures this late on New Year's Eve?” Man: “My wife.”Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

On episode 8 of WineText TV, I dive into the world of Prosecco and sparkling wines. The episode highlights the growing popularity of Prosecco in the U.S., its historical evolution, and its value as a high-quality yet affordable alternative to champagne. Hope you enjoy it! PS: You can watch the full episode on https://www.youtube.com/@winetexttv PSS: Sign up for https://winetext.com America's #1 way to buy wine Here are the four wines I tasted: Non Vintage Ca' Furlan Prosecco "For the price, this wine is a damn success. It hits all the right notes for a DOC Prosecco. The nose has slight floral aromas with a hint of poached apples. The palate is very refreshing, with casual bubbles and great balanced fruit. You could trick some folks into thinking it costs more." Non Vintage Zardetto Prosecco Brut Z Non Vintage "Fresh and sapid. Pleasantly acidic thanks to the citrus note enhanced by the flavour of green apple." - Winery Non Vintage Issimo Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Docg Extra Dry "Direct from the Veneto region, this sparkling white wine is produced in the Heart of the Prosecco producing region in the town of Refrontolo. It is made from 100% Glera grapes that are fermented and then refermented to preserve their organoleptic quality. The second fermentation employs the “Martinotti” method, also known by the French name “Charmat.” Ideal as an aperitif, with appetizers of savoury pies, canapes and throughout the meal, first courses and fish dishes." - Winery 2022 Silvano Follador Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Extra Brut "The wine is an ‘extra brut' with no residual sugar, a decision we intentionally made to enhance the original flavor and achieve a natural balance between acidity, sapidity and structure." - Winery Check out my new book - Day Trading Attention: https://garyvee.com/dta — Thanks for watching! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/garyvee/message

Ich 'verfolge' Prosecco seit gut 30 Jahren - und er 'verfolgt' mich. Die tiefsten Tiefen habe ich miterlebt, genauso wie den sensationellen Aufschwung seit dem Jahre 2009. Doch was ist Prosecco eigentlich, was ist 'Glera'? Und was hat es mit den Herren Martinotti und Charmat so auf sich? Wie bedeutend ist Prosecco überhaupt und wie steht dieser 'Spumante' im Vergleich zu Cava, Crémant und Champagner eigentlich da? Nicht nur zum Hören, sondern auch zum Nachlesen auf der wirtzwein.de Seite!

Join wine enthusiast Austin Beeman as he introduces you to PasoSecco, the first and only Charmat-style sparkling wine made exclusively with grapes from Paso Robles, California.  In this video, Austin talks with PasoSecco's founder and vintner, Chris Kern, to discuss the unique process behind this refreshing and delicious sparkling wine. https://pasosecco.com  Learn about the Charmat method, a tank fermentation style primarily used in Italy to make Prosecco, and how it differs from the traditional champagne production method. Discover why Chris chose to showcase Paso Robles' legacy and quality by using Grenache Blanc, a white Rhone varietal, as the base for PasoSecco. Chris also shares his passion for the Paso Robles wine region, highlighting the small-town feel, supportive winemaking community, and the perfect growing conditions that allow for the creation of world-class sparkling wines like PasoSecco. The tasting notes of PasoSecco, from the fresh-squeezed lime and green apple candy on the attack to the lemon curd flavor mid-palate and the clean, quick finish thanks to its high effervescence. Find out why this mouth-watering, high-acidity sparkling wine pairs perfectly with a variety of dishes, from oysters and fried chicken to creamy cheeses and fettuccine Alfredo. Finally, get insider information on where to taste PasoSecco for yourself during your next visit to Paso Robles. #PasoSecco #PasoRobles #SparklingWine #CharmatMethod #GrenacheBlanc #WineTasting #CaliforniaWine #prosecco THIS IS EPISODE 101 OF UNDERSTANDING WINE WITH AUSTIN BEEMAN http://www.austinbeeman.com/podcast  SPECIAL THANKS:  Chris Kern https://pasosecco.com  https://forgottengrapes.com  Thank you for helping with the coordination and planning of my enter Trip to Paso Robles and the Central Coast, California. EQUIPMENT: Main Camera: Canon R8 https://amzn.to/486cHQf  2nd Camera: DJi Pocket 2 https://amzn.to/3GEwqL3  Mic: Audio Technica AT875R https://amzn.to/3TaIfAn  Travel Bag: Peak Design Travel Line Backpack 45L. https://amzn.to/41b6FvA  Camera Bag: Peak Design Everyday Messenger Bag. https://amzn.to/481yGaU  FOLLOW AUSTIN BEEMAN'S WINE ADVENTURE Website: http://www.austinbeeman.com  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/austinbeeman/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@austincbeeman  WORK WITH AUSTIN: http://www.austinbeeman.com/about-me  or acbwine@gmail.com   --- AUSTIN BEEMAN… is a veteran of the wine business with nearly a quarter century's experience in Marketing and Sales (wholesale, retail, & DTC.) Austin has a deep knowledge of the global wine business with expertise in Wholesale Distribution, Brand Management, B2B & B2C Fine Wine Sales, and Wine Marketing with Quantifiable ROI. Austin Beeman most recently executed on that expertise for Cutting Edge Selections as Vice President of Marketing / Brand Manager Emerging Regions. While Director of Marketing for Bonny Doon Vineyard, he managed one of the most successful crowdfunding campaigns in the wine industry. His video podcast “Understanding Wine with Austin Beeman” has been praised in USA Today and has reached nearly one million wine lovers around the world. Austin holds the prestigious MBA in Wine & Spirits Management from Kedge Business School in Bordeaux.

A Wine Expo Paris chega à sua quinta edição na capital francesa reunindo mais de 4 mil produtores de vinho e espumantes de 48 países. Sob a égide das mudanças climáticas e dos desafios econômicos e sociais decorrentes, a edição 2024 quer discutir os novos rumos do setor num planeta em crise, mas que ainda celebra Baco, o antigo deus do vinho, com gosto e galhardia. No menu principal, destaque para os espumantes brasileiros do Rio Grande do Sul, exportados pela tradicional Casa Valduga. Luísa Valduga é de Bento Gonçalves, "no sul do Rio Grande do Sul", responsável pelas exportações do grupo Família Valduga. Ela conta que, apesar de já ter participado da Wine Expo quando o evento era sediado em Bordeaux (sul), em 2024 é a primeira vez que a empresa expõe em Paris, a convite do próprio evento, com o objetivo de "representar o Brasil e buscar novos parceiros não só na França, como em outros países europeus".Luísa elogia o fato de a feira ter oferecido a possibilidade de fazer networking com compradores antes do evento começar. "Eu queria parabenizar a feira por proporcionar uma oportunidade da gente encontrar os compradores antes do início do evento. Então a gente teve informação e acesso aos nomes e aos países de vários compradores. Meu objetivo aqui é conseguir novos contatos em alguns dos países nos quais ainda não tenho distribuição aqui na Europa. A França com certeza está entre esses países, mas a gente tem uma lista ainda muito longa para conquistar", disse a herdeira da empresa, que é hoje uma das maiores exportadoras de vinhos e espumantes do Brasil para o exterior.A representante dos vinhedos dessa tradicional família de Bento Gonçalves detalha as qualidades do produto brasileiro, em exposição na capital francesa. "Nós temos um excelente reconhecimento, principalmente pela nossa elaboração de espumantes. Somos muito focados na produção dos espumantes pelo método tradicional, o mesmo método do champanhe, e nós também utilizamos as mesmas uvas, Chardonnay e Pinot Noir", diz Valduga."Elegância e festa""Aqui hoje nós também trazemos outra linha, que se chama Ponto Nero, em que os espumantes são elaborados pelo método Charmat, que traz um pouco mais de leveza, um pouco mais de frescor. Trouxemos essas duas linhas para mostrar o potencial do Brasil", afirma a jovem empresária do Rio Grande do Sul. "Não só fazendo produtos que servem muito bem eventos e que remetem a festa, que é o que muita gente pensa do Brasil, mas também produtos que tenham elegância e que podem sim agradar paladares exigentes, como o dos europeus", enfatiza.Reação dos europeusLuiza Valduga relata a reação dos europeus ao vinho brasileiro. "É sempre uma surpresa falar que o Brasil produz vinho fino, ainda por cima espumante. Mas quando a gente começa a contar a história, sempre tem uma receptividade muito grande. E é importante fazer a degustação e deixar claro que a Casa Valduga produz os vinhos no sul do Brasil, onde temos um clima adequado e conseguimos ter uma boa acidez para elaborar espumantes de alta qualidade", diz Luísa Valduga."Atualmente nós produzimos em torno de 2 milhões de litros anuais. Hoje, 30% são vinhos e 70% são espumantes. Estamos presentes em cinco países, mas queremos crescer cada vez mais. A representatividade das exportações gira em torno de 10%", conta. Da França para o BrasilFundador e proprietário da maior exportadora de vinhos franceses no Brasil, a Chez France, o francês Philippe Ormancey conversou com a RFI na abertura da Wine Expo Paris. "Criei essa empresa em 2012, chegando no Brasil numa outra carreira internacional, na área do aço [AcellorMittal]. E quando cheguei, não havia uma boa oferta de vinhos franceses ou tinha muito pouca coisa nos supermercados, mas de qualidade ruim ou vinhos super caros. Então eu decidi, com amigos, montar uma boa oferta dos vinhos da minha cultura, dos vinhos da França", conta.Ormancey elogiou a qualidade dos produtos brasileiros. "Teve uma grande procura dos vinhos chamados domésticos no Brasil. E a qualidade melhorou muito. A única preocupação de dessa cadeia produtiva no Brasil é que são pequenos produtores, é uma produção muito familiar e que não tem realmente essa força para poder investir e exportar", avalia o empresário francês, que mora no Brasil desde 2007. Eduardo Cavalcanti, sócio brasileiro de Phillippe na Chez Brasil, falou sobre o paladar do público brasileiro quando o assunto são vinhos e espumantes. "O brasileiro gosta do bom vinho sempre, e naturalmente o vinho francês de qualidade, mas, sobretudo, aquele vinho que vai despertar uma curiosidade, aquilo que você nunca provou, nunca degustou", comentou. Ormancey comentou sobre a preferência do público brasileiro. "Vendo nossas ofertas [de vinhos franceses no Brasil], realmente acho que os vinhos brancos têm uma preferência. Claro que o consumo ainda é de maioria tinto, mas hoje em dia realmente tem uma demanda cada dia mais forte de vinhos brancos finos, sem madeira, vinhos com frescor, que podemos beber com essa gastronomia maravilhosa que temos no Brasil. E acho que essa tendência nem é só no Brasil, é mundial", concluiu.A Wine Expo Paris de 2024 acontece no centro de exposições de Porte de Versailles até o dia 14 de fevereiro.

Diva Moretti Polegato, Export Area Manager & 4th generation Villa Sandi family member, joins us today to tell us why Prosecco Rosé is the perfect beverage to have with your Boo before date night! The Pairing: It's date night! You're getting ready to hit the town with your hot date. Maybe you're cooking for your partner. You put out a small plates of cheeses, meats, and finger foods.. but what could pair with all of these? The Answer: Prosecco Rosé! Why the Pairing Works:  Bubbles bubbles bubbles! Bubbles cleanse the palate and invite you to take another bite. The mouth-watering acidity of this Rosé is the perfect complement to any fare. What Makes This Wine Special: After harvest, Villa Sandi freezes the Must (un-fermented grape juice) and keeps it frozen until they need to produce wine for the market. They are the only Prosecco producer to utilize this "on-demand" method of creating the absolute freshest sparkling wine possible Wines made in the Champagne Method (bottle fermentation) often contain biscuity and toasty notes from lees aging. Prosecco is made using the Charmat, or "Tank Method," and the dead yeast cells are filtered out. This creates a sparkling wine that emphasizes freshness and fruitiness The relatively new category of Prosecco Rosé includes a minimum 15% Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir) which adds body, acidity, and delicious red fruits like strawberries, cherries, and raspberries. The Villa Sandi Prosecco Rosé is 'Brut' and drier than most styles, making it even easier to pair. Delicious! Diva's Last Supper: Al Dente Spaghetti with homemade red sauce, an entire wheel of Parmesan cheese, and Villa Sandi "Cartizze" Prosecco Learn more here: https://www.villasandi.it/it_en/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/villasandi/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/what2drink/message

Sean Moncrieff was joined Mick O'Connell, Sarina Bellissimo and Olivia Fahy with thanks to Marks and Spencer.Today's wines are listed below:RAZA PET NAT Pet Nat is an abbreviation for Petillant Naturel, a naturally sparkling wine. The fermented wine is still bottled in the bottle, which stops the fermentation there, so a little CO2 and yeast precipitate is formed in the bottle. The wine is not filtered or sweetened (no dosage) and the wine is now closed with a regular crown cap. The wine is made with natural yeast and uses minimal sulphites. Spontaneous fermentation ends in the bottle, as a result of which a pleasantly natural cloudy layer remains in the wine. This refreshing, sparkling wine is full of fruity and lively orchard flavors. The natural sediment makes the wine cloudy, while adding many interesting nuances to the taste, the wild yeast makes the wine tasty and easy to enjoy. STOCCO PROSECCO Refined, elegant bouquet. Fine on the palate with typical Prosecco preservation of quality, floral and fruity hints of white peach. Excellent as an aperitif and for the whole meal, excellent with delicate first courses. Glera grape grown on the flat with gravelly substrate covered by earthy material with low density - 3500 plants to hectare. Soft pressing, static decantation, fermentation in stainless steel tanks, second fermentation according to the Charmat method in autoclave with selected yeasts at a controlled temperature. Tinned pear and peach aromas with a little mineral inflection. Great party wine.

Not all that sparkles is gold, and not all wine that sparkles is made the same! It's light, it's bright & it's full of bubbles- which for those of you playing the home game already narrows the field! But where in the world do these bubbles come from? Germany? France? California? Tasmania!?! With so many amazing sparkling wines to choose from, what have Christi & Alex got in their glass this week? Pop in your earbuds, pour yourself a glass, and join us as they Drink Something Amazing!..........Acinum Prosecco Millesimato Rosé DOP85% Glera & 15% Pinot NoirVeneto, Italy11% ABV$14.99 average price | Buy This Wine! WINE MAKERS NOTESSparkling wine with pink “powder” color. It displays soft notes of red fruit to the nose, good acidity and freshness in the mouth. Very balanced fine wine. The sugar content is compensated by the acidity that makes the wine very fresh and enjoyable on the palate.Acinum WinesAcinum is a collection of exquisite wines selected by Fabrizio Pedrolli in order to showcase the best Italian territories and wineries. The goal is to represent to the United States the authentic heritage of indigenous grapes that makes Italian wine unique to the world.This selection starts from the historical wine areas of Veneto, Negrar in Valpolicella and Montforte d'Alpone in Soave. Fabrizio Pedrolli is proud to present these wines, that are the result of a successful collaboration with the family of Edoardo Montresor, who cultivate the grapes, and the oenological expertise of Enrico Paternoster.Support the showLike the Show? Every Coffee Helps!https://www.buymeacoffee.com/DrinkSomething

We're not completely stupid at TM&TM. We've analysed the viewing figures, done indepth consumer research, and looked at salaries. We know what isn't working and how to fix it. We've retained fan favourite Fergus Elias and binned (for this episode) Lee Isaacs, who has cost this show dearly. A mid season cast change NEVER goes wrong, and in this episode we beta test our new concept...THE MAKER AND THE MOBBS.   We are delighted that stepping into Lee's clown shoes is Great British Wine founder, Masterchef, and Encyclopaedia of all things English Wine, the mighty John Mobbs. The man whom we consider to be the greatest resource on English wine today. Ferg learns where the English wine bug first grabbed John, and how he set about creating his fabulous website. Following this is a State of the Nation address which considers the opportunities available, the future of Charmat, pints, names, and Seyval Blanc.   While sipping on a firm favourite of ours, the Dalwood still white blend, John highlights the standout English wines in various categories and pinpoints lesser known varieties we should get to know. All while effortlessly taking up the grand position of new cohost.   In the vein of American TV drama though, we expect the next episode will open with Lee stepping out of the shower and revealing it was all just a dream.   The Maker And The Mobbs: available to lodpoad from wherever you downcast this Thursday.

I recently stumbled upon a French Bubbly for just $9.99 at a local wine shop, and I couldn't wait to share my thoughts with you all! Join me as I discuss the Lealais Blanc de Blanc Brute sparkling wine from Burgundy, made from Chardonnay grapes, offering a unique combination of flavors and techniques. Made using the Charmat method, which is typically used for Prosecco, this wine provides a delightful marriage of Prosecco and Champagne styles. With notes of lemon, melon, apple, nectarine, and juicy peach, this dry wine is perfect for any occasion. So treat yourself to a French bubbly on a Tuesday evening - you deserve it! Listen in as I take a sip and share my thoughts on this delightful find, and stay tuned for some upcoming Costco wine reviews in the next few days. Cheers!Check us out at www.cheapwinefinder.comor email us at podcast@cheapwinefinder.com

Man oh man do we have a tasty episode this week: we're talkin PetNat/Petillant Naturel/Méthode Ancestrale and forced carbonation/ Charmat wines! We cover production, why we typically hate them, how often we refuse to drink them, and much more! Check out patreon.com/corktaint for bonus episodes! Follow us on instagram at @korktaint Thanks guys

To download the transcript CLICK HERE This is part 1 of the deep dive series into Sparkling wines: All on production and different sparkling wine methods. These episodes are specifically designed to help out my WSET diploma friends. This is a flashcard-style podcast, which is a useful way for those trying to memorize the information, however, for all of you who just love wine and want to know more and increase your knowledge, this will still be a really interesting episode as you can just play it all the way through like any other episode. If you want to skip ahead: 2.28: The 6 different methods of sparkling wine 3.10: Traditional method 10.09: Transfer method 11.11: Charmat method 12.08: Method Ancestral 13.45: Asti Method 15.30: Moscato d'Asti 16.29: Vineyard decisions 18.17: Winery decisions And if the podcast isn't enough.... Fancy watching some videos on my youtube channel: Eat Sleep Wine Repeat Or come say hi at www.eatsleepwinerepeat.co.uk Or contact me on Instagram @eatsleep_winerepeat or on email: janina@eatsleepwinerepeat.co.uk Until next time, Cheers to you!

While we think that sparkling wines are good any time of year and any day of the week, they are definitely the drink of choice on New Year's Eve. This New Year's Eve, we think you should go off the beaten path a little bit and drink some Sparkling Rosé, and we have three great, different, and festive Sparkling Rosé wines for you to try! Not only is Sparkling Rosé delicious, it is also beautiful. We give you our recommendation on three Sparkling Rosé wines from Spain - a Rosé Cava - Italy - a Sparkling Rosé that is NOT Prosecco! - and a wine from Argentina made entirely from Pinot Noir that is worth seeking out. We also talk about why Sparkling Rosé can be a bit tricky because it combines two wine styles that can be a little complicated and are often misunderstood. If you think Sparkling Rosé is not for you, listen to this episode and we think we can change your mind! Wines reviewed in this episode: Codorníu Anna de Codorníu Cava Brut Rosé, Cleto Chiarli Brut de Noir Rosé, and Antucura Cherie Sparkling Rosé.Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we'd love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: www.thewinepairpodcast.comFollow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

In less than three years, Jen & Zach Pelka, the sister and brother co-founders of Une Femme, have taken what was supposed to be an in-house wine brand for their Champagne Bars The Riddler to the fastest-growing sparkling wine in the US. Leveraging data from The Riddler sales with a mission of promoting women and enabling the shattering of glass ceilings, Jen & Zach have taken a CPG approach to rocket Une Femme to become a national player.  Detailed Show Notes: Une Femme launchInitially designed as an in-house brand for The RiddlerData from The Riddler, from 2 bars, 150-200 wines sold by the glass, 70% women, difficult to find affordable, approachable sparkling rosés by the glass led to Une Femme designLaunched Feb 2020 - a bad time for on-premise, Covid closures forced more national distributionWine portfolioThe Betty - sparkling white, named after Betty White, no dosage, 80% PN / 20% CHThe Callie - sparkling rosé from California, 1st wine to take off$32 retail ProductWork directly w/ wineries and winemakers, capital-light modelMostly Central Coast, CAMade in 3 locations w/ a Type 2 winery licenseMade w/ Charmat method (tank) - faster, less expensive, more scalable, spends 1-3 months in tankMotto - “World-class women-made wines that give back to female-centered charities”Each wine partnered w/ charities, which gets a lot of pressThe Callie - Breast Cancer Research FundThe Betty - Dress for SuccessLimited Edition Wines (Piquettes) - Tree SistersBatonnage Forum (for more detail, see XChateau Ep 40)Assesses donations every quarter for contribution amount; can't tie a specific $ amount to a bottle due to alcohol complianceFastest growing sparkling wine brand in the US2020 - 1,500 cases2021 - 5,400 cases2022E - ~100,000 cases2023E - >200,000 casesAspiration - 400-500k case brand to become a “call brand” for sparkling wine, where customers ask for it by nameDiversity at scale is mostly restricted by access to capital (Une Femme just able to raise $10M Series A)PackagingMultiple formats - 750ml, 187ml, 250ml cansSmall formats launched to take advantage of events, charities where small bottles (w/ straws) / cans will be photographed/seen vs. drinking from a glass250ml cans driven by Delta - lighter, more scalable, sustainablePrice - will be ~$24.99 from major retail partners as the product scalesTargeting premiumization categories ($20-40 range) and growing the sparkling categoryPromotionBrand partners - Marriott (by the glass in high-end hotels - Ritz Carlton, St Regis, JW Marriott), DeltaMost successful promotion - Hall of Femme awards program celebrated 365 women who have shattered a glass ceiling. Sent them a crate of wine with stunt glass and a hammer to shatter it. Based on the brand name “Une Femme,” meaning it only takes 1 woman to shatter a glass ceilingHas done social media, paid advertising, email marketing, & just started text marketingDoes a lot of events and donations to lots of charitiesWord of mouth from friends in the industry (e.g., wine shop owners, sommeliers) Branded credit card - to be part of customers' lives, introducing similar, women-focused, women-owned brands (e.g., Milk Bar), capitalizing on the movement of women supporting women, esp with their walletsBrand ambassador program - run through a 3rd party as a way to have affiliate marketing for influencersHighest ROI marketing - things that lead to partnerships w/ large national players, e.g., trade shows Get access to library episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the south shore of Lake Garda vineyards stretch out across a glacial plain offering those in the know a wonderful wine experience. Five different wines in one appellation focused on one intriguing grape, Turbiana a.k.a Trebbiano di Lugana. Take 10-minutes to find out why you should buy and sell some of these remarkable wines.Explore through:Zenato Lugana WinesSansonina WinesVocabulary to note:Lugana, Milano, Brescia, Verona, Serenissima Republic of Venice,  Lombardia, Pozzolengo, Desenzano, Sirmione, Lonato,  Peschiera del Garda,  San Benedetto di Lugana,  Turbiana, Trebbiano di Lugana, Trebbiano di Soave, Verdicchio, Castello di Jesi,  Superiore, Riserva, Vendemmia Tardiva, Spumante, Charmat, Metodo Classico

This week we had a special guest, Danielle from @Soulread.tarot on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/soulread.tarot/?hl=en) join us for a live reading.... and whoa... was it insane!! We weren't ready for all this tea. Also, we sipped some amazing Wifey Rosé! Wifey Rosé Italian Sparkling Wine is the first varietal within the Wifey line extensions. Wifey Rosé is produced in the scenic Veneto region of northern Italy. Wifey Rosé uses the Charmat method (Italian Method) in pressurized tanks to produce the superb soft bubbly wine. Its varietal blend consists of 70% Raboso and 30% Pinot Noir grapes. These grapes come together to deliver a high-quality structured wine. Our beautiful sparkling rosé has delicate aromas of strawberry and raspberry that blossom into a bubbly, crisp well-balanced wine. Wifey Rosé pairs well with any cuisine and is best served chilled. Alcohol 11.50 ITALY IS HOME TO THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AND SCENIC LANDSCAPE AND IS RENOWNED FOR ITS ART, ARCHITECTURE, FOOD, AND WINE. WE COULD HAVE NOT PICKED A BETTER PLACE. OUR GOAL AT WIFEY WINES IS TO BUILD A TRUSTED AND RELIABLE GLOBAL BRAND THAT REPRESENTS THE DIVERSITY OF WINE DRINKERS EVERYWHERE. WIFEY WINES IS COMMITTED TO FINDING DELICIOUS AND AWARD-WINNING SUPERIOR QUALITY WINES FROM ITALY FOR OUR CONSUMERS. AT WIFEY WINES, WE CELEBRATE A WOMAN'S BOLD EMBODIMENT OF CONFIDENCE, LOVE, EXPRESSIVENESS, AND BEAUTY AND STAND AS A REMINDER TO SHOW LOVE, CELEBRATE MOMENTS, AND LOVE LIFE. Website: https://www.wifeybrands.com/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/therosehourpodcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/therosehourpodcast/support

Travelogue Series: I start a multi-episode travelogue exposition in 2022, by visiting North Carolina and the Yadkin Valley. In this multi-part series on North Carolina, we’ll explore the Yadkin Valley, meet with producers, and feature several interviews for the YouTube portion of the show with those producers. We will feature Finger Lakes producers in between, and ultimately also explore The Hill Country in Texas, and the wine-growing regions of Idaho. Please excuse errors in the text, this was dictated and gently edited.North CarolinaWhen I moved to the Finger Lakes a decade ago, I was hungry to find as much information as possible about the region. I wanted to find books magazine articles, podcasts, and nearly anything that would shed light on the history of the region that I was moving to. At that time, there really weren’t very many publications. At the very least, I couldn’t seem to find a short history of how the finger Lakes and become one of the most discussed emerging regions in the United States. There was of course the wonderful book, Summer in a Glass, by Evan Dawson, in which he follows a number of different winemakers through the growing season 2009 in the Finger Lakes. In the absence of such a book, I set out to write one of my own, with much more of an eye towards content marketing for our new winery, and dug into all of the old journals, periodicals, and textbooks on American wine I could find. I published A Sense of Place in 2014, and have been able to use it as a great tool to help educate customers and even tasting room associates. I wasn’t able to find anything quite like that on North Carolina, and realized a lot of the lessons I would learn would have to be done on the ground.The Yadkin Valley is vast, covering more than 1,300,000 acres. With such a large span of land, I knew that there was going to have to be variation in the topography, and even the climate to a certain extent, within the AVA. I was a bit surprised flying from my layover in Atlanta into Greensboro, to see a dusting of snow covering the ground. For the cold climate winemaker, I just assumed that North Carolina would be significantly warmer than the finger Lakes I had left behind. I was surprised at the temperature spread on the ground that morning was only about 10°, with a balmy 31°F when I landed. Setting out from the airport, and passing through Winston Salem, more than anything else I just wanted to get a feel for the lay of the land. Whenever I arrive in a new place, in order to get my bearings in a sense for what the place looks and feels like, I’d like to just go for a drive. It gives me a better understanding of where the towns are that get referenced in conversation, what some of the local historical landmarks are, and even where the politics of a place takes place. Knowing that I was in the Yadkin Valley, and heading west from Winston Salem towards Yadkin County, and the Yadkin River, I figured why not plug Yadkinville into my GPS.I had broken up my trip into visiting the southern portion of the EVA for the first day and a half, and the northern portion of the AVA on the second and third days. Highway 218 seems to cut the AVA in half so it was a good working point to begin to discover some of the different wineries I had a particular interest in tasty.To choose just a few wineries in an emerging wine region is an extraordinarily difficult job. In a sense it’s kind of a gamble, you rely on reputation, customer reviews, and references from people who are much more expertise in the region and then yourself, but so much of wine still comes down to personal taste, and aesthetics. What I had decided I wanted to do, in pursuing a slightly deeper understanding of the AVA, was to look at oneThat was an anchor in terms of the history of the region, to look at a winery that was relatively new, but small and focused on extraordinary quality, and to look at one of the biggest producers in the AVA with an extraordinary offering of a variety of different ones. I figured I would have a chance to taste several other wineries along the way and include them in this report.Because in so many ways this was a last minute trip many of the people I reached out to likely hadn’t even opened their inbox by the time I was heading out of town. It was the period just after New Year’s, and often times it’s pretty slow start in the new year in the wine industry. I had however, gotten replies from Shelton, that winery that I referenced as a pioneer in the AVA, and really one of the reasons why there is a Yadkin Valley a View today. I had received word back from Childress, the the winery name and founded by Richard Childress, of NASCAR fame. North Carolina is NASCAR country, and Richard Childress has built one of the largest brands, in fact one of the few I had heard of before traveling to North Carolina, while making wine in New York. I also received word from Diana Jones, of Jones Von Drehle, one of the wineries at the northern end of the AVA, and one that had come extremely highly recommended.  Some of the wineries on my shortlist included Ray Lyn, Raffaldino, Shadow Springs, and a handful of others. I guess from the perspective of somebody who is trying to discover a new wine region, one of my only frustrations was not having more direct links to members of winery staff where I could email or contact them directly. I realize this is a problem on my own website, and after experiencing this, something I’ll be change. Sometimes the ease of having an inbox that serves as a catch-all becomes a crutch for us small business owners, but as someone who is seeking some very specific answers to some very specific questions, it can make sense to ensure that those individuals with deeper questions can reach winemakers directly.In any event, I arrived in Yadkinville, crossing the Yadkin River, and decided to head to town where I could pick up some bottled water and a couple snacks and see what the town offered. Yadkinville is a small town, there doesn’t seem to be much of a culinary scene, and it really is just the county seat. It’s where you go to get permits, and like we have your county planning board meetings. There wasn’t much by way of a presence of wine in the town, but I did notice when I stopped in to the local grocery store, Food Lion, and realized this was a state that sells wine in grocery stores, and they had a small selection of some of the local producers, with Childress being one of them. The wines on offer were very basic, emphasizing the muscadine production of sweet wines from local producers, but there were a few dry reds and whites included on the shelf. Since Yadkinville marked in the center of the AVA, and it was getting to be towards the middle of the afternoon, I figured I would enter wineries into my GPS to see if any were open, and get back on the road. Leaving the main highway I drove beautiful winding roads and very gentle hills in what was largely agricultural countryside. I drove by a winery called Bradford Hills, which was a very small tasting room and an out-building, a small but well manicured vineyard, and it look like a fantastic place to visit on a beautiful summer day. It didn’t look like it would be open until after my flight was departing on Friday, and I quickly realized that I likely would not have a chance to taste many of the wineries that I hadn’t made contact with, during the middle of the week. This meant that a lot of the small producers, wineries about my own winery’s size and smaller, would have to wait for another trip.After taking some pictures I set back out onto the road, looking at my GPS and seeing what wineries I would be passing on my way to Lexington, where Childress is located and where my hotel room was booked. I noticed that RayLyn could be reached with a small detour. From my research it was a winery that I really wanted to taste at, and I noticed they were open, so I made my way. Even though it is winter, there’s still more sun and warmth then we get in the finger Lakes. The grass was still green, though the trees were bare, and the bare trees opened up the countryside even more so that you could see the hills and buildings, that were off in the distance. Making my way from Bradford Hill winery, the landscape became less dramatic, slightly flatter, but retaining the same intrinsic quality. Passing fields that had recently been ploughed, the deep tones of brick and garnet that marked the clay that is found all throughout this region, was everywhere. My GPS led me to RaeLyn Vineyards, and upon entering I was impressed. The site was easily accessible from many of the main highways, and from that perspective, it seems to be ideally situated to attract a steady flow of customers. One of the things I’ve learned as a producer, especially one in an emerging region, is how important it is to be able to attract customers in as convenient of a location as possible. When so much of your business depends on people knocking on that cellar door, you want that door to be easily accessible. RayLyn was marked with a beautiful gate as an entrance, and a a gentle drive through the vineyards towards the tasting room in winery. I passed a small new planting of strawberries and several young rows of blueberries. I particularly like when wine wineries are able to integrate other forms of agriculture into their farms. Whether they are used for any sort of wine production, I think it encapsulates this idea of our responsibility to the soil and to the earth. It also reminds us of the other forms of agriculture that we can be excited about. I’ve begun integrating more produce at our winery, planting cucumbers and tomatoes, peppers and squash, and hope to grow this out in the future.Approaching the parking lot at Ray Lynn, there’s a very nice outdoor tent that they seem to be able to use for banquets or weddings, and likely overflow for the tasting room if the weather is inclement. At this point in the afternoon the temperature had risen to about 41°, but with that southern sun shining bright, the fresh air combined with the warmth felt wonderful on my skin. And it wasn’t just me, there were a couple folks sitting out enjoying the day on some picnic tables outside the tasting room with a glass of wine. They were polite and smiled and gave me a small raise of the glass as I walked by. I entered the tasting room was read it immediately. People in North Carolina are friendly. I spoke with the tasting room staff, explained I was a winemaker and operated podcast, and had wanted to feature RayLyn on the shelf. This was one of the emails that had gotten lost in my expedited travel plan, and so without an appointment I took a gamble. It was a great choice. The tasting room staff was excited, informed me that her husband was from Watkins Glen, and eagerly brought up the names of some of my favorite producers in the Finger Lakes, folks that they have close personal relationships with. Being from Watkins Glen, of course the Stamp family at Lakewood, received some of the highest praise. She offered to taste me through the portfolio and I happily agreed, this would be my first taste of North Carolina wine In North Carolina.This winery offers a full suite of different wines, emphasizing dry veneer for a red and white wines, they also offer a beautiful Charmat style rosé, of course some of the sweet wines that have built this region made from the Muscadine grapes, and canned wine as well. We worked our way through the Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and the dry rosé. Review my notes to include some of the specifics about each wine here. Fortunately, the tasting room also had available detailed notes on the chemistry of the wines, the harvest date, and the components that were in most of the blinds. It’s interesting in the finger Lakes, our growing season doesn’t really kick off until May, and that means that most varietals won’t begin harvest until September. Of course there are some hybrid grapes that are harvested much sooner, but those don’t tend to be any of the bridals that I work with. With harvest starting in September, there have been vintages where we are harvesting all the way through early November, and that doesn’t include wines that we are making as light harvest wines, where we can be harvesting all the way to Thanksgiving, or ice wines which may be picked in January or February of the next year. It seems to me, that much of harvest will begin in August here in North Carolina and be ramping up by the end of September. It also struck me that that works very well for those people who enjoy wine country visits in October, during the fall when the air begins to cool and the excitement of all the dressings of fall are in the air. As a wine maker in the finger Lakes, Columbus Day marks our busiest weekend of the year. It also marks one of those weekends where we are fully in mashed in all of the seller activities, and that means I rarely get a chance to spend time with customers during harvest. It would be great to have the opportunity to spend more time as a wine maker with customers just as harvest is wrapping up and tourism is peeking. Though I love both red and white wines, my desert island wine will generally consist of a white. For me white wines offer a transparency into Vineyard practice and seller practice that edge out reds. Consequently I spend a lot more time thinking about white wine, I spend a whole lot more time making white wine in the finger Lakes, and I find that I drink or white wine. All of the whites offered at RayLyn were wonderful, some with a small component of Muscat Canelli, which added some wonderful aromatics.  Add a little bit of the history from the website of RaeLyn here. While tasting Rachel, one of the owners and daughter of the founder, and the ray of RaeLyn stop by to say hi. She made sure that I was enjoying my tasting, and trying to help me make contact with Steve, their winemaker. He had been in Asheville that day and wouldn’t be arriving until later in the week. She gave me his email address and I hope to have him on in the future in a long distance long-form interview. From everything I’ve heard, he’s one of these towering pioneering figures in the Yadkin Valley and someone who is clearly taking their wines to great heights. The Reds were equally as compelling as the whites, and in someways perhaps even more so. You can get the sense when you’re at a winery, what is the family who makes these wines prefer to drink, and I did get that sense here. One of the bottlings, had what I assumed with some modern art on it, but upon looking closer and receiving the explanation understood That it was actually the Doppler radar of a hurricane. Yes one of my questions has been immediately answered, hurricanes can be a factor here in the Yadkin Valley, though they are nowhere near the factor that people who live closer to the coast have to deal with.  Discuss this wine.After a really wonderful visit at RaeLyn, I ordered a case of wine, had it shipped back to our winery in New York, and set off for Lexington. Again with no familiarity of any of these towns or cities, I chose Lexington because it is the closest town to Childress vineyards. Lexington is nestled in the far south eastern portion of the AVA and most of the city isn’t included in the AVA itself. The town itself is it fairly nice downtown area, and it does feel like there is a small foodie movement emerging, with some local cafés and a Piedmont cheese shop. But in many ways it remains in agricultural and industrial, southern town that I can picture with time and investment has the potential to grow itself into a hub of Wine and food centrality.Just outside the fenced in property for Childress Vineyards was the Holiday Inn and adjoining plaza.  There weren’t really any shops in the small but nice strip mall that is next to the Holiday Inn, but it is all designed in a very similar fashion to Childress itself. The hotel has one side that looks out at the vineyards which I imagine would be a wonderful way to wake up. I was booked on the highway facing side, but the room is quiet and clean and a nice place to eat my takeout Mexican dinner for the night.So much of my philosophy is based on the specifics and the importance of place, and tied up with that philosophy is the notion that small is often better. Most of the time, most of the restaurant and dining options I observed, or chains that work cute in to specializing in any notion of local cuisine. Out here it wasn’t even real common to find a lot of barbecue joints, which I half expected to see almost everywhere. Again maybe I wasn’t looking in the right places, but I do have the sense that restaurant and food entrepreneurs will likely have a huge market to tap into if that’s the direction they would like to go in partnering with this growing wine country.My appointment with Mark Friszolowski was at nine the next morning, and so after getting a good nights sleep and waking up fairly early, I headed over to Childress Vineyards. I was said to meet him in the lobby and as a military man, who retired as a colonel and between his active and reserve duty spent 37 years in the army, I knew that on time was to be 10 minutes early. Driving into Childress which was literally just around the corner from the parking lot of the hotel in through the gates, you pass through a wonderfully manicured vineyard.  The varietals are all identified by signs with the trademark Richard Childress logo, and varietals like Maulbeck and Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and multiple Ciano I’ll stand out. There were signs marking planned plantings of Chardonnay and Pinot noir, which I’m particularly interested to see how they do with the North Carolina heat. The tasting room and winery set a top of hill which can be seen from almost any point of the drive into the wineries grounds. It is a beautiful Modern take with an Italian 18. It is the sort of Tuscany inspired building but you’ll find Americans like to build. It sets the tone for the romantic visions that we have of European, and especially Italian, winemaking culture. I know that there are some people who don’t like this form of architecture, they don’t like the sense that it calls out and emotive response that she would find somewhere else in the world but with modern building materials and aesthetics. I’ll be honest, I liked it. I think that they put a lot of effort into creating a beautiful building and grounds with a nice setting that makes you feel like that The winery you’re entering is making some special wines, they put in a lot of effort to set a tone and that tone carries through from the heat and painted murals on the wall of scenes of grape harvest, to the indoor fountain, to the seated tasting room with string lights and doors. This is not the Olive Garden experience, this is something much nicer and with such warm staff, more personal too. The entire tasting room experience was wonderful, The seller tour, The tour of the grounds in the bonded warehouse, explanations on infrastructure projects, a peek inside the restaurant and banquet facility, were all greatly appreciated. Mark was a wonderful host, who poured some great wines. We focused on their vinifera wines,tasting Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, as well as Montepulciano, and some red blends. Mark’s personal history, from his time helping out at Dry Creek Vineyards in California, managing operations at Pindar on Long Island, and ultimately moving to North Carolina to help found Childress. Mark is one of the first winemakers in the country to collaborate on creating the Meritage Alliance, and therefore creating Bordeaux based blends.  The specific vintage of Meritage we tried, the 2015, is a well aged current release. It carried many of the things I love about older Bordeaux, the hints of cedar, the forest floor. It was it both times bolder than what you’ll find in many offerings in the Finger Lakes, but leaner than what you would find in California. And struck a nice middle ground, and was a sort of sweet spot of bold but not overly dramatic red blends that I personally like, and that I think complement food quite well. I’ll be spending an entire feature in an episode with Mark on Childress, so for now we’re going to continue with our travelogue and look at the rest of us the experience here in the Yadkin Valley._____ In crafting the short travel log, I wanted to make sure that it wasn’t strictly about wine. Most of the time when we travel, there are other things on our quotation mark to do quotation mark list. There are a couple of really interesting tourist activities here in the Yadkin Valley, but deal both with history, pop-culture, and the wonderful natural surroundings. Mark was so generous with his time, but I found myself leaving the winery later than I had expected. I certainly wasn’t disappointed and I had made sure to leave a good window of time to spend at this landmark property. I figured I would spend the rest of the afternoon exploring some of those other offerings, and found my way to highway, and I headed up for the town of Mount Airy.Mount Airy sits on the North Carolina Virginia border. It is like so many other hill and mountain towns in America, a quintessential snapshot of life in both modern and past American societies. Mountains and hills can I think we people to be a bit more hearty sometimes a bit tougher but always genuinely very nice. The town itself is built around its historic Main Street. And coming in to Mount airy do you understand what that history is all about.  The name of the highway even changes and becomes the Andy Griffith Parkway, and that of course is named after the famous television show an actor that for seven seasons captured the aspirational qualities of American small-town life. With its classic whistling introduction, it’s sensitive skipping Stones and safety and security, of good old fashion morals and values and being raised in small-town life, Mount Airy was the inspiration for the Andy Griffith show fictional town of Mayberry. Mayberry is the corner stone upon which so much of the towns character now rests. You see signs for Aunt Bee’s café, you see the Mayberry antique shops, the Mayberry museum, ice cream shops meant to look like they were preserved from the 1930s, and a sense of pride that their town was once the basis for this dreamscape of Americana. Some of that dreamscape feels a little rough around the edges now, who knows if it was then if that’s what it’s always been, or if the changing times or loss of industrial base, of structural changes to our economy, and even the opioid epidemic that we face in this country, have added a touch of tarnish to the shine. In all, it’s a great place to be, a wonderful old historic town and I’m happy I made a detour.As you leave Mount Airy and head south on the highway back towards a more central location of the AVA you pass a geological wonder, an outcropping called Pine Mountain. It dominates the skyline and can be seen from many many miles away when you’re on top of hills. Driving past it, and without enough time to drive to the park and visit the mountain personally, I realize that this will be on the top of my list when I have a chance to return with my family and my children. I used to love walks through areas like this when I was a child and I can’t wait for Andrew And Audrey to have that experience with me. I found out, it isn’t the only fascinating geological wonder to explore, as there’s also Stone Mountain, which figured prominently in my second visit on my third day on the ground in the Yadkin Valley.For that evening I had made reservations in a small town called Elkin, or rather just outside of it, in the adjoining town of Jonesville. Jonesville is the classic sort of truckstop town, that offers some heavy industry, but largely consists of some gas stations, hotels, a Cracker Barrel, fast food restaurants, and a grocery store that serves the locals. It did have a Mexican restaurant, this one called Margaritas, which I took advantage of both nights of my stay in the Hampton Inn.Arriving at the hotel, it was a little older, but the staff was exceptionally accommodative, the room was perfectly clean, and the setting itself was quiet. When you were on the road there are very few other things that you actually need. Warm cookies were waiting for us as we checked in, and I unloaded my bags and all of our equipment in my room before I set out for the town to see what was available. Before I set my sights on dinner, I wanted to see Elkin itself. For my own personal aesthetic tastes, this portion of the AVA felt like it matched my desires more closely than the south eastern portion of the AVA. Elkin was quaint but beautiful. As the sun was coming down, the Yadkin River roared not too far away, the train tracks cross run adjacent to the main street, and the town itself seems well put together. Large murals adorn some of the older brick buildings, many featuring grapevines, and the town features a wonderfully restored old theater. Elkin felt nicer than Mount Airy in someways, not to denigrate Mount Airy at all, but it struck me that Elkin is the sort of town that could deal with in Oakville grocers type of concept, some interesting fine dining that features many of the local wineries strongest efforts, and some other cultural activities. Again it’s the off-season and perhaps there is that sort of activity that is going on that I’m simply not aware of, but I feel like the future for Elkin is bright. There aren’t a lot of accommodations right around downtown, but with all of the hotel options in Jonesville, Elkin will be able to maximize the heads in beds that is so important for wine country tourism. Interestingly Elkin and Jonesville, where you reach Jonesville by crossing the Yadkin River, are in different counties. I’m not sure if any of the development has anything to do with that, but in my own experience, especially when you’re dealing with the county and town level, so many of the decisions on what can happen and how well a town or region grows, are based on the local politics and the bureaucratic decisions that are made. I’d have to be there for a lot longer to know if any of this is in play.I picked up some carnitas and pollo asado street tacos, and headed back to my room for another great night sleep. The next morning I had appointments with two different wineries, Shelton Vineyards, and Johns Von Drehle.I woke up early the next morning, spent some time on my computer making sure that I had transferred all of my photos and videos, refreshing some of my notes from my previous day’s visit, and set out for Shelton Vineyards. Any of my initial skepticism‘s on the beauty of the countryside, how this wine region will grow and what its potential is, we’re set aside as I visited Shelton. Shelton is located in the town of Dobson.The exit from the highway for Shelton Vineyards also leads you to Surrey Community College. Surrey Community College was constantly a subject of discussion with most of the people in the wine industry that I met. It is a community college with a vineyard and enology program, and one that was largely initiated and funded by the Shelton Brothers the founders a Shelton Vineyards.  Similar to my emphasis in the finger Lakes on the finger Lakes community college Viticulture program, the Surrey community College program helps to introduce and train up the next generation of viticulture lists knickers. The college itself has a program and a 10 acre Vineyard where students can learn. Against that backdrop of both philanthropy and history, I was excited to have the chance to meet with Ethan Brown, winemaker in Shelton in Vineyards. Ethan had been there for four years, and in a way that completes the circle of the importance of programs like the one at Surrey community college, he attended the program many years ago. Ethan was a young organized dynamic guy, and he wasted no time in showing me around the winery tasting room, and providing a little bit of context for the history of the place. Currently the largest vinifera vineyard in the state of North Carolina, Shelton farms 80 acres of grapes with plans to plant a lot more. Exceptionally manicured, with beautiful old fashion light posts lining the long driveway from the highway to the winery, Shelton truly transports you to a different world. The gentle rolling hills adorn with a backdrop of the mountains, which on clear warm days, I can imagine, inspires you to find your own piece of beautiful grass, and enjoy a glass and some cheese with someone you laugh. For those wine club members who want the best of views, you can climb up to the gazebo that rests surrounding vineyards and truly has the best features of the entire valley.Built in 1999, Shelton Vineyards really isn’t showing it’s age that much. It speaks to the efforts of the staff to ensure maintenance is done regularly and things are taken care of. The cellar itself is built into a hillside which means most of it is underground. The barrel rooms are probably 20 feet high but at least 2/3 of that being underground meaning temperature control from both cold and heat is a lot easier and done with much less energy.  Producing around 25,000 cases a year, this is a Winery that has seen the baton passed from the founding Shelton brothers to the next generation. With that transition is an intention to grow their programs and initiate new ones. With the recent purchase of a break tank and a small hand bottling counter pressure system the winery seeking to do more charmat style sparklings. Ethan also talked about expanding cock and re-instituting their traditional methods Sparkling Wine program. I tasted a Sauvignon Blanc, a dry rosé based on Merlot, Petit Verdot, and a Petit Verdot/Cabernet Sauvignon blend.. All of the wines were exceptionally crafted, showing what I had begun to discern as something that speaks to the North Carolina fine wines that I tried. The whites and the reds are both fuller bodied than what we find in the Finger Lakes, they have generous acid ,but lower than what we have in truly cool climate winemaking; and the reds weren’t overly extracted. They spoke of great fruit, they were well balanced, and their alcohols were generally about 13%. I also tasted a great Tannat. My wife and I have visited Madiran in southern France, I’ve had a lot of experience with the French version of the varietal. We visited a number of producers large and small in Madiran, and I love those wines, there just aren’t that many American Tannat’s that I have fallen in love with. Of course the wines of Jenny McCloud of Chrysalis have been wonderful, and I’ve been lucky enough to cellar those for many years. This North Carolina Tannat, my first experience with a varietal in the terroir, makes sense for the region. There are some very strong Virginia Tannats that are growing, and with this particular vineyard in North Carolina, I renewed my love of the varietal. As with Childress, and the winery I’ll be talking about next, Jones Von Drehle, Shelton will have its own feature in the podcast, as I sat down with Ethan Brown to discuss his own experience, Shelton Vineyards, and where the region and the winery is going. As Ethan and I wrapped up, and he was generous enough to spend several hours and taste a lot of wines with me, I headed off for my last visit of the day to Jones Von Drehle. The roads grew less crowded, the bends and winds and hills became more dramatic, and I started to wonder where in the heck was this place. I arrived early, about an hour or so, and took advantage of the opportunity to do just a little bit of driving and perhaps find something to eat. I typed in food nearby and the nearest place was the Stone Mountain General store. It wasn’t too far from the Stone Mountain State Park entrance, and so I figured I’d head over there and see what was available. The general store itself feels plucked from time. An old rustic wooden building, but offers inside a few knickknacks, necessities for campers such as para chord, fire starters, and offers a few small food items for the weary traveler camper. Simple offerings like a hamburger or cheeseburger, or a housemaid turkey or ham sandwich were available. The turkey sandwich tasted like home, although it was on white bread. Turkey, American cheese, lettuce, tomato: all for $2.95. It wasn’t the most glamorous meal I’ve ever had in wine country, but it filled me up, tasted just fine, and was certainly marked as my cheapest option I’ve ever had on the road. I took advantage and drove around the park a bit, didn’t have a chance to see Stone Mountain itself but just like Pine Mountain, this will be on my itinerary for the next visit, one I hope to take with the family.Heading back down the hill I arrived at my appointment just on time at Jones Von Drehle, and boy was I impressed. The Vineyard itself has two entrances, a service entrance and a guest entrance. I can tell it was an extremely quiet day but I wanted to have the standard customer experience, and so I entered the other guest entrance. Driving down the crusher run you are snaked through the vineyards, pass the retention ponds, as the tasting room and winery, and brand new amphitheater open up before you. It is an impressive and beautiful experience. The slope of the hills hug you to your right as you wind your way around the vineyards on one side nature on the other and approach your final destination. The hills jumped in different directions the vines bear open up the view to see row after row in this well-kept vineyard. The amphitheater itself is gorgeous. Recently finished it’s part of the philosophy of the owners to incorporate wine music in food into living a good life. The tasting room is not extraordinarily elaborate in it’s design, but it’s well thought out and well appointed inside. The most impressive feature, is the immersive feeling you get when you walk in turn to your right and look out the windows in the back of what is the tasting room. The slopes feel even more dramatic here from the vineyards, and with the trees bare of their foliage you can peer through the trunks to see the steep incline of the Granache and the Malbec and other varietals.  Well lit, and open, without any sense of clutter, the tasting room invite you to a horse shoe shaped bar in the middle were the tasting room attendant who was very nice and gracious, and the new to the wine industry expressed an amazing thirst for knowledge, that is extremely inviting. Diana Jones was waiting for me, and informed me that her husband Chuck was on his way back from Charlotte where they had been delivering some wine. This 6000 case winery is centered around 30 acres of a estate vineyard. They do not have a distributor, and unfortunately don’t ship to New York state right now, but when they get that license, I can assure you I’ll be ordering more wines. Everything was wonderful and unique. From their Grenache rosé, to their Chardonnay - both stainless steel and barrel fermented, to the real interesting Petit Manseng, which carries a fairly heavy alcohol, but is it so well balanced on the pallet that it is neither distracting nor over the top. It is well balanced and full bodied, and a wine that they described as being extremely popular at restaurants who have received James Beard‘s nominees and nods, as a “buy the glass” pour. Tasting through their Grenache rosé, this dry rosé echoed Provence with its own North Carolina flair. It was a wonderful wine and one I decided I had to take one home. Their red offerings were equally as compelling. Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon blend - all were well-crafted, clearly brilliantly grown, and offered everything I could hope for. Their winemaker, cut his teeth in California, spending decades in the industry until he finally decided he wanted to have a small farm himself and, with land prices in California being what they are, realized the East Coast offered his best opportunity to become a farmer himself. He took over the reins at Château Morissette in Virginia, and this large production oriented winery did well for him for sometime. As he sought to become more ingrained in a small production oriented facility, he had heard about the efforts of these two crazy couples from Atlanta Georgia with original roots in North Carolina, that had planted an estate vineyard in the middle of the hills just south of Stone Mountain. It’s been a match made in heaven and with Dan’s experience, and the attention to detail in Vineyard, the wines are truly top-notch. The way the Vineyard is set up, many of the worst things that you deal with in the Yadkin Valley AVA, are ameliorated naturally. Water naturally runs down the clay hill slopes, with the help of some drain tile. The intense humidity and moisture that you deal with in North Carolina, is marginalized by the fact that the steep hills along with the fact that the mountains are in the distance, create an almost constant airflow which helps to dry the canopy and the fruit during crucial periods of the year. Additional measures such as the first cordon being 42 inches high instead of 36 inches from the ground help reduce ground moisture from impacting the fruit. The whole property is fenced to keep our critters. The wind also helps to protect the vines from early-season frosts, which often compromise buds, particularly the primary buds where the majority of the fruit is located, and get them through very treacherous periods where the temperatures will impact that year‘s harvest. And overall just the amount of effort that the team here puts into their vineyards, the philosophy that fine wine comes from extraordinary vineyards rings true. We go even deeper into Jones Von Drehle in our long-form interview, which is slightly shorter than the long form interviews I do from the studio, but nonetheless will give you a much deeper picture of this winery it’s history and it’s increasingly prominent role in the North Carolina wine industry.Returning to Elkin for the evening, I had wished I brought an extra bottle to enjoy that evening. Instead I did what we winemakers often do and grabbed some local beers, picked up another to go order of Mexican food from Margaritas, and spent some time recapping the visits with my wife, enjoying the shrimp chipotle that I filled into some fresh corn tortillas, and then headed to bed. The next morning I would be leaving the Yadkin Valley, and any initial apprehension that I had as to where this wine region was, was disappearing. When it came to food, Diana Jones had mentioned that Asheville and Raleigh were truly astounding foodie towns. With that as a basis, it won’t take long for some enterprising young chef or cook who wants to do their own project, to find their way to one of the small towns and make it work during the busy tourist seasons.Yet again, I woke up early worked on my computer for a bit, and double checked my itinerary checking in to my Delta flight. I realized at this pace, I may not have time to taste at any other wineries, but I could at least take a peek at the landscapes in the settings that the region had to offer. I took a drive out to a winery that I had really wanted to visit, but in this trip just couldn’t make it work.  Raffaldini is widely regarded as not just an important landmark in North Carolina wines, but a house that is making some truly stellar North Carolina wines.  From all my research, it is the sort of aspirational wine story that is bred in a man who worked hard and made a great deal of money in another field. Using those resources, he has poured them in to building a truly astounding estate. You can look at pictures on the Internet, you can watch videos on YouTube, but with some properties you don’t understand just how special they are until you actually visit them. And so setting Raffaldini in my iPhone map, I headed in the direction of the winery.  Driving down the highway, North Carolina has done such an excellent job in featuring the different wineries throughout the state with these large highway adjacent signs, that I quickly realized this was a pocket of the AVA I should’ve explored right away. Instead of one or two wineries indicated there were multiple. And not only were there multiple, they were all wineries that in my research into the region, come vaguely familiar with. Wineries like Laurel Gray, Shadow Springs, Raffaldini Vineyards, Piccione, and several others. That last winery was one that I heard mentioned multiple times when I was tasting in different tasting rooms and talking with local proprietors of every sort.  If there is a small pocket of fine wines, with multiple wineries working towards the same goal, emerging in North Carolina, this may be the place. There are of course a lot of people doing a lot of great work throughout the entire region. But one thing I have understood in my research of, particularly American wine, is that like the person who wants to start a gas station, the very best place you can locate a new gas station is across the street from an existing gas station. The logic may seem counterintuitive, but if people start to think of that intersection as a place to get gas, then that is where they will get gas. Likewise in wine, tourists often don’t take the extraordinary measures of researching soil types, property histories, winemakers, and all of the other factors that lead to a specific winery making great wines. They look for the clusters where numerous proprietors are working on their own, sometimes in concert with their community, to pull the best fruit from their land and produce the best wines from their grapes. If there is an early nucleus that we can expect the North Carolina wine country in the Yadkin Valley to flourish from, my sense was, this might be it. With that said, I did not have an opportunity to taste any of these wines.For those listening who are interested in exploring North Carolina wines, I would certainly say that visiting any of the wineries I have mentioned is a prerequisite. But I think that in my next visit, I will certainly start in this particular part of the AVA. I will likely visit Raffaldini, Piccione ,and many of the other surrounding wineries. I would not miss out on visiting either Shelton or on Jones Von Drehle Vineyards Winery or Childress. But I think that this particular corner of the AVA is fostering a sort of spirit that seems to be building upon itself. There are no restaurants nearby, there are no hotels within a 1 mile drive most of these places. For the entrepreneurs listening, I would expect that to change, because this seems to be where some of the energy for the AVA seems to be admitting from.I guess as a closing retrospective, there is an immense amount of differentiation within the Yadkin Valley AVA. From topography, to culture, to wine styles produced by the different wineries. When I landed, and first began to explore the very core of this viticultural area, I will admit to feeling a little underwhelmed. That feeling began to dissipate upon visiting RayLyn, and after tasting at Childress I was excited. The entire focal point of the trip changed as a ventured outside of the south east quadrant and moved into areas that, admittedly, felt a little bit more familiar. Call it a personal bias, call it a personal preference. My conclusion is this… The Yadkin Valley AVA is vast, it includes so many different specific tear wars, that it’s difficult to call it one region. From the wind and hills at Jones Von Drehle, to the gentle slope‘s just south west of the northern reaches of the AVA, to the flatter more populated areas in the south east corner of the viticultural area.  What I can say is this, each producer I visited produced all level of quality that far surpassed any of my expectations. Too many regions I visit , Or rather have visited in my life, think of themselves as Napa in the 1970s. This is not Napa in the 1970s, because this is not America in the 1970s. This is North Carolina in 2022, and it is full of surprises, and beauty, and wines that will surprise at every turn. Is this a region worth visiting question?  If you are an American who loves wine, this is a region you must visit. You will fall in love with many of these wines. I don’t know what your personal preferences, I don’t know if you like red or white, or lean or bold, or salty whites or tannic reds, but you will love it. You will find wines you love and you will want to taste these wines the rest of your life. In vino Veritas, and in North Carolina, there is indeed, great wine.________Visit our website at www.VitiCulturePodcast.com, and don’t forget to share with your friends via all major social media platforms @VitiCULTUREPodVisit Bellangelo Winery and Missick Cellars at www.Bellangelo.com and www.MissickCellars.com.You can watch the interview on our YouTube channel here: Get full access to The Viti+Culture Podcast Newsletter at viticulturepodcast.substack.com/subscribe

If you like this podcast, please be sure to rate us 5 stars in Apple podcasts and like our videos on YouTube, and visit my winery in the Finger Lakes at Missick Cellars. Episode 0027:Wine Reads – December 2, 2021https://wineindustryadvisor.com/2021/09/02/winemaking-hybrid-grapesTRANSCRIPTHi, this is Chris Missick, and welcome to Viti+Culture, and our segment Wine Reads, where we take a look at some of the most interesting, compelling, and even controversial stories and articles in wine.  With harvest behind us and winemaking ongoing in the cellar, I had bookmarked a story from September, that I thought would shed a fascinating light on an entire category of winegrapes that many grape growers on the West Coast of the U.S., and certainly in many of wine growing regions around the world, have very  little experience with, than is hybrid grapes.  Although I personally farm vitis vinifera, Riesling, Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc, I work with growers and make wines from a wide variety of hybrid grapes here in the Finger Lakes.  From Seyval Blanc, Vidal Blanc, and Cayuga, as white varietals, to Marechal Foch, De Chaunac, Marquette, Baco Noir, Chambourcin as red varietals.  Some receive their own bottling, most are components in delicious, but cost effective blends, and all are worthy of more attention and some discussion.  I’ve enjoyed some wonderful hybrid wines from Switzerland, and tasted some remarkable hybrid wines from places like Missouri, Michigan, and Tennessee.  These varietals make winemaking possible, where vinifera otherwise wouldn’t survive or thrive.  They also lend a new light on sustainability efforts, requiring less sprays, and less concern over certain aspects of canopy management or cold damage.  Coming to us from the Wine Industry Network ADVISOR, Kathleen Willcox discusses these varietals in a piece entitled The Future of Winemaking is Hybrid, and details why “U.S. winemakers are seeking out non-vitis vinifera grapes.”  Links to the article are in the shownotes, and I encourage you to check out the article.  According to her bio, Kathleen Willcox writes about wine, food and culture from her home in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. She is keenly interested in sustainability issues, and the business of making ethical drinks and food. Her work appears regularly in Wine Searcher, Wine Enthusiast, Liquor.com and many other publications. Kathleen also co-authored a book called Hudson Valley Wine: A History of Taste & Terroir, which was published in 2017. You can follow her at @kathleenwillcox.  So here we go:The Future of Winemaking Is Hybridhttps://wineindustryadvisor.com/2021/09/02/winemaking-hybrid-grapesBy Kathleen Willcox - September 2, 2021Why US winemakers are seeking out non-vitis vinifera grapes—Kathleen WillcoxThere will always be a place for conventionally produced vitis vinifera. But, in truth, more and more influential producers and consumers are looking for something with a little more soul, and a lot more edge.Hybrids—especially in the challenging grape-growing zone of the East Coast—have become ascendant for several reasons.First, more consumers are seeking out unconventional, organically grown wines. IWSR predicts that by 2023, about 976 million bottles of organic wine will be consumed, up 34 percent from 720 million in 2018.Younger wine lovers are especially keen to find wines produced from sustainably grown grapes, according to Silicon Valley Bank’s most recent Wine Industry Trends and Report, which stated “sustainability, health and environmental issues,” in tandem with concerns over “social justice, equity and diversity,” are driving the purchasing decisions of Millennials and members of Gen Z.Unfortunately growing classic vitis vinifera in certain East Coast regions is nigh impossible without nuking them with chemicals.But growing hybrids pretty much anywhere is arguably easier. And more eco-friendly.Thankfully, the pioneering work of scientists and early adopters of non-vinifera grapes have helped yield a new generation of growers, producers and consumers who embrace them.The Hybrid SciencePrograms at Cornell University and University of Minnesota have created thousands of new varieties of grapes designed to combat diseases and weather challenges. Grapes that emerge from these programs are typically crosses between so-called European vinifera, and others native to North America and Asia, like riparia, labrusca and rotondifolia.Cornell has been working on developing hybrid grapes for more than 100 years.“Genetic sequencing technology has come a long way, and in the past 10 years we have been able to use sequencing to quickly determine cold hardiness and disease resistance,” says Bruce Reisch, a professor who specializes in grapevine breeding. He joined Cornell in 1980, and since then, has released 10 new wine grapes and four seedless table grapes. He explains that they are not genetically modifying the grapes, merely determining which ones will flourish in challenging conditions, and pursuing the more promising hybrids.For wineries like Shelburne Vineyard in the Champlain Valley, where winters are harsh, springs rainy, and summers humid, the work of scientists like Reisch is nothing less than essential.“Shelburne has been planting hybrids since 1998, and while they pioneered hybrid grape growing in Vermont, we have all been thrilled to see how much the market has grown and developed,” says winemaker Ethan Joseph, who joined Shelburne in 2008. “We’ve learned how important site selection, careful vineyard management, and low intervention winemaking are. We treat our hybrids with as much care and thought as other growers treat their vitis vinifera, and that has allowed the terroir and the best qualities of these grapes to shine through.”Joseph’s ultimate goal is to eliminate the use of chemicals, a feat he says would be “impossible” if they grew all vitis vinifera. He’s most excited about Marquette (a Pinot Noir hybrid with notes of cherry, pepper and summer berries), Louise Swenson (a white hybrid with acidity, and floral notes), and La Crescent (a white wine hybrid with notes of apricot, citrus, and peach).In 2017, Shelburne went out on a limb and pushed aggressively into the natural wine and hybrid space with Iapetus. “That line has skyrocketed,” Joseph notes. “Now it comprises about 40 percent of our 5,000-case annual count.”Convincing the ConsumerColleen Hardy, co-owner of Living Roots Wine Co. in the Finger Lakes and Adelaide, concurs. She launched Living Roots in 2016, in partnership with her South Australian winemaking husband Sebastian as a kind of cross-global viticultural experiment.“We wanted to use grapes in both regions that are, first and foremost, climate appropriate,” Sebastian Hardy says. “In the Finger Lakes, that means Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Gewürztraminer, but also Aromella, Arendell, Rougeon, Regent and Petit Pearl.” The couple, who sells 85 percent of their production from their tasting room, doesn’t have trouble hand-selling their hybrid and hybrid-vitis vinifera blended wines. “Once we talk visitors through it.”Colleen Hardy says that finding high-quality hybrids is dependent on the grower. “We offer to pay more if they grow it with the same care that we expect with vinifera, and hold off on spraying,” she says“In the Hudson Valley, especially if you want to grow organically, hybrids are necessary,” says Todd Cavallo, who founded Wild Arc Farm in Pine Bush, N.Y. with his wife Crystal. “We lost our entire crop of Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir in 2018. We replanted some of the Pinot Noir, but the rest we planted to hybrids.”Wild Arc’s one-acre estate vineyard is primarily experimental though; they source most of their grapes.“We are working with other like-minded producers who want organically grown hybrid grapes,” Cavallo explains. “A lot of [hybrids] have been grown for bulk wines, but we are promising growers that if they change their farming practices, we’ll pay more.”By working cooperatively, Cavallo and others hope that they can simultaneously increase the value of hybrid fruit, and change market perception. Philadelphia-based Alexandra Cherniavsky, a sommelier and consultant who finds distribution for wineries at restaurants, has seen the market for hybrid wines change firsthand. But she believes there’s still a long way to go before restaurants are ready to open their lists to hybrids.“Once people try wines made from hybrid grapes, they’re a lot more open,” she says. “They sell well in tasting rooms, where the winemaking team can explain their history and provide context.”But if they’re going to take off, they need to appear on more restaurant lists. “Wineries should approach local restaurants armed with the educational materials and context they provide at the tasting room. If they know how to explain them to diners, they’ll be a lot more liable to put them on the list,” Cherniavsky says.Not Just for Challenging ClimatesThe East Coast is hardly the only place hybrids are found. At Bells Up Winery in Newberg, Oregon, winemaker Dave Specter says that their Seyval Blanc is farmed with fewer chemicals than his vitis vinifera. And, the wines have achieved “cult status,” selling out every year.“We are the only planting of Seyval Blanc in Willamette Valley, and only the second in Oregon. It’s not only a part of our plan to diversify our vineyards and enable us to react to climate change, but also part of our larger push to appeal to younger, more adventurous consumers,” he says.A parallel movement, PIWI, is happening in Europe, although as Reisch explains, it’s slightly different.“Most of Europe does not have the harsh winters that we do here,” he says. “The hybrid programs there are inherently very different, because their grapes are being crossed with the goal of resisting different disease and weather pressures.”Some regions have yet to open the door to hybrids; they’re banned in France in wines with appellation names, but for a certain type of American winemaker—and consumer—that kind of prohibition only makes them more enchanting.____________________________________________________________________As a producer, I have experience many of these anecdotes firsthand.  Year after year, our bold red blend of hybrid grapes, our crisp dry Seyval Blanc, our Charmat produced blend of hybrid whites, and our balanced but sweet Moscato made from Valvin Muscat, a grape developed by Bruce Reisch, are among our bestsellers.  In our immediate region, our Seyval Blanc sees perennially brisk sales at off-premise retail locations.  I craft these wines with the same dedication as every other wine, and consumers love them.  They still do not receive the recognition they should from major wine publications, but they keep our customers happy, and that keeps us in business. Even I admit to stressing our production of vinifera varietals, from sparkling to still, and from white to red.  It is afterall, what we personally grow.  But I commend the three growers I work with in the Finger Lakes, that year after year, with drastically less inputs and nearly regardless of weather, grow and deliver clean and delicious fruit.  When I left California to make wine in the Finger Lakes, people questioned why I made the transition.  A major component for me was the sense of adventure, and feeling of it being a frontier.  Frontiers introduce us to new things, they force us to think differently, and find new ways of addressing challenges.  For a century, the Finger Lakes and much of the East coast has done that through developing grape varietals that suit the climate.  Today, it’s done with those considerations in mind as well as with a thought towards preservation and conservation.  Saving a pass through the vineyard with the tractor means one less spray, or more, and that means less compaction of the soil, and better soil health.  Every little thing we do adds up, and just like that, a century of lessons from the frontier may impact the world of wine in the century to come.  If you’re a wine writer, feel free to forward me an article for consideration at viticulturepodcast@gmail.com.  I’m happy to look it over, and maybe even discuss it with you on the show. Get full access to The Viti+Culture Podcast Newsletter at viticulturepodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Ep. 640 Monty Waldin interviews Luana Monterosso of the Bortolomiol winery on this episode of Biodynamic & Organic. More about Luana and the winery: Luana Monterosso has joined Bortolomiol Winery in February 2018 as Export Manager. She is now in charge of Brand building and sales in all the international markets. Bortolomiol is located in the heart of the Prosecco DOCG region, in Valdobbiadene. The long tradition of the Bortolomiol family as wine growers goes back to the 18th century and the Winery itself was founded by Giuliano Bortolomiol in 1949. Giuliano, considered a pioneer of the “Charmat” method, was the first to produce a Prosecco Brut in 1960. His dream was “to promote the quality and the awareness of Prosecco wine and make it a prestigious sparkling wine known throughout the world”. Nowadays the same spirit of innovation is carried on by his wife Ottavia, who runs the winery together with her four daughters (Maria Elena, Elvira, Luisa and Giuliana) to confirm the philosophy of the Brand: Quality of the product, a strong link with the territory, respect of nature and environmental sustainability. In the last 15 years the family invested in new technologies with the aim of establishing a more sustainable management in different aspects of the wine business. Always maintaining a strong link with the tradition started by Giuliano. In 2008 Bortolomiol took the decision to change 5 hectares of vineyards over to an organic growing system, a farming approach designed to preserve the natural habitat of the vineyard. Today the Winery owns a beautiful historical complex, just in the centre of Valdobbiadene, known as “Parco della Filandetta”, which hosts the organic vineyard, the first winery and an ancient silk mill, which was renovated and converted into a bright and spacious tasting room. Find out more! Visit: Website: www.bortolomiol.com Instagram: @bortolomiol_proseccosuperiore Facebook: @BortolomiolProseccoSuperioreValdobbiadene Twitter: BortolomiolDOCG Linkedin: Bortolomiol Find out more about Matteo and the winery! Website: www.filodivino.it Instagram: filodivino_wineresort Facebook: @Filodivino.wineresor To find out more about Monty visit: Website: www.chateaumonty.com Let's keep in touch! Follow us on our social media channels: Instagram @italianwinepodcast Facebook @ItalianWinePodcast Twitter @itawinepodast Tiktok @MammaJumboShrimp LinkedIn @ItalianWinePodcast If you feel like helping us, donate here www.italianwinepodcast.com/donate-to-show/ Until next time, Cin Cin!

El vi enllaunat

Two of my favorite people, Vicki and Jonas are producing some incredible sparkling wines that have helped put PEC on the map for serious wine producers. We discuss how they decided to make sparkling as opposed to still wine, their collaboration with David McMillan, the LCBO and balancing life and business on a farm. I could talk to these guys for days, and hopefully I will get the chance after COVID!

California Wine Country today has Tom Simoneau in the studio with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger, to present his favorite wines of 2020. At the end of this episode they speak with Joy Sterling, from Iron Horse Winery, which is Tom Simoneau's 2020 Winery of the Year. Here are the wines presented by Tom and Steve. Today's page was written by Tom Simoneau. He can be reached at tom@simoneauvineyards.com. Best Whites Sparkling Wine: Iron Horse Vineyards 2016 Ocean Reserve Blanc de Blancs, Green Valley, $55. This sparkling wine is a limited edition bottling. Iron Horse gives $4 a bottle to National Geographic's Ocean Initiative. Crisp, delicate, nice and dry. This 100% Chardonnay Sparkler is just that “sparkling” bubbles with a cause. ironhorsevineyards.com Chardonnay: Clos Pegase 2018 Carneros Napa Valley, Mitsuko's Vineyard, Estate Grown, $30. From this iconic Napa Valley winery, this wine with its classic cool region Chardonnay flavors of peach, apple, and pear shows how this varietal grown in the right place can produce an almost perfect wine. The vineyard, 365 acres in size, takes its name from founder Jan Shrem's late wife.  clospegase.com Sauvignon Blanc: J. Lohr Estates 2019 Flume Crossing, Arroyo Seco, Monterey, $14. The blend is entirely from the Sauvignon Musque Clone picked over a month's time at different ripeness levels. Early picks give bright acidity and key lime flavors while more ripeness gives grapefruit and passion fruit. And the final pick achieves mango and fig notes, complex and delicious. Another terrific release from J. Lohr, one of California's finest. jlohr.com Off Dry White: Dry Creek Vineyard 2019 Dry Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg, $16. Congratulations to founder Dave Stare and his family for continuing to produce Chenin Blanc while other wineries gave it the Sideways treatment (ie. - Anything but Merlot.) This slightly sweet wine is perfect as a summer sipper showing bright mouth feel, all orange blossom and candied lemon. drycreekvineyard.com Alternative White: Priest Ranch Wines 2018 Grenache Blanc, Napa Valley, Estate Grown, $22. Not familiar with Grenache Blanc? It's an aromatic white wine. Think biting into a ripe white peach and as the juice runs down your chin, lick it all up. The taste is bracing, yet balanced. It's intoxicating! The Priest Ranch is now part of the 1,615 acre Somerston Estate of which 215 acres is planted to grapes. Also available in 375ml cans – 6 packs $60. priestranchwines.com Best Value White: Inman 2019 Vin Soave, DOC Classico, $16. This product of Italy's Veneto region is 100% Garganega. How many new friends have you made this year? Well, I say this Vin Soave could be your new best friend. The flavors are a cross between Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc with a hint of Viognier, a crowd pleaser. dallaterra.com ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Most Fun Wine: Prosecco by Korbel, D.O.C. Sparkling Wine Product of Italy, 187 ml bottles, $5.25. Korbel, always a trend setter, now has a full line of mini-bottles. Pop the top (unscrew), insert a straw, and you're good to go. Prosecco is a screaming category of sparkling wine accounting for $1 in every $5 spent. Prosecco facts: made in the Charmat process, tank fermented from the Glera grape grown in the Veneto in North Eastern Italy. korbel.com Rosé: Inman Family 2019 Endless Crush, Rosé of Pinot Noir, OGV (Olivet Grange Vineyard), Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, $38. The word delicate defines this wine. From its delicate pink color to its delicate pink kiss on your palate. All watermelon and wild strawberry… delicate and delicious. Kathleen Inman is a master winemaker who happens to be a woman. inmanfamilywines.com Sweet Wine: Tenuta di Capezzana Vin Santo di Carmignano, D.O.C. Riserva, 375 ml bottle, $70. Among the oldest wine estates in Tuscany, Capezzana has been producing wine since 804 A.D. This Carmignano is made from mainly Trebbiano.

California Wine Country today has Tom Simoneau in the studio with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger, to present his favorite wines of 2020. At the end of this episode they speak with Joy Sterling, from Iron Horse Winery, which is Tom Simoneau's 2020 Winery of the Year. Here are the wines presented by Tom and Steve. Today's page was written by Tom Simoneau. He can be reached at tom@simoneauvineyards.com. Best Whites Sparkling Wine: Iron Horse Vineyards 2016 Ocean Reserve Blanc de Blancs, Green Valley, $55. This sparkling wine is a limited edition bottling. Iron Horse gives $4 a bottle to National Geographic’s Ocean Initiative. Crisp, delicate, nice and dry. This 100% Chardonnay Sparkler is just that “sparkling” bubbles with a cause. ironhorsevineyards.com Chardonnay: Clos Pegase 2018 Carneros Napa Valley, Mitsuko’s Vineyard, Estate Grown, $30. From this iconic Napa Valley winery, this wine with its classic cool region Chardonnay flavors of peach, apple, and pear shows how this varietal grown in the right place can produce an almost perfect wine. The vineyard, 365 acres in size, takes its name from founder Jan Shrem’s late wife.  clospegase.com Sauvignon Blanc: J. Lohr Estates 2019 Flume Crossing, Arroyo Seco, Monterey, $14. The blend is entirely from the Sauvignon Musque Clone picked over a month’s time at different ripeness levels. Early picks give bright acidity and key lime flavors while more ripeness gives grapefruit and passion fruit. And the final pick achieves mango and fig notes, complex and delicious. Another terrific release from J. Lohr, one of California’s finest. jlohr.com Off Dry White: Dry Creek Vineyard 2019 Dry Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg, $16. Congratulations to founder Dave Stare and his family for continuing to produce Chenin Blanc while other wineries gave it the Sideways treatment (ie. - Anything but Merlot.) This slightly sweet wine is perfect as a summer sipper showing bright mouth feel, all orange blossom and candied lemon. drycreekvineyard.com Alternative White: Priest Ranch Wines 2018 Grenache Blanc, Napa Valley, Estate Grown, $22. Not familiar with Grenache Blanc? It’s an aromatic white wine. Think biting into a ripe white peach and as the juice runs down your chin, lick it all up. The taste is bracing, yet balanced. It’s intoxicating! The Priest Ranch is now part of the 1,615 acre Somerston Estate of which 215 acres is planted to grapes. Also available in 375ml cans – 6 packs $60. priestranchwines.com Best Value White: Inman 2019 Vin Soave, DOC Classico, $16. This product of Italy’s Veneto region is 100% Garganega. How many new friends have you made this year? Well, I say this Vin Soave could be your new best friend. The flavors are a cross between Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc with a hint of Viognier, a crowd pleaser. dallaterra.com ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Most Fun Wine: Prosecco by Korbel, D.O.C. Sparkling Wine Product of Italy, 187 ml bottles, $5.25. Korbel, always a trend setter, now has a full line of mini-bottles. Pop the top (unscrew), insert a straw, and you’re good to go. Prosecco is a screaming category of sparkling wine accounting for $1 in every $5 spent. Prosecco facts: made in the Charmat process, tank fermented from the Glera grape grown in the Veneto in North Eastern Italy. korbel.com Rosé: Inman Family 2019 Endless Crush, Rosé of Pinot Noir, OGV (Olivet Grange Vineyard), Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, $38. The word delicate defines this wine. From its delicate pink color to its delicate pink kiss on your palate. All watermelon and wild strawberry… delicate and delicious. Kathleen Inman is a master winemaker who happens to be a woman. inmanfamilywines.com Sweet Wine: Tenuta di Capezzana Vin Santo di Carmignano, D.O.C. Riserva, 375 ml bottle, $70. Among the oldest wine estates in Tuscany, Capezzana has been producing wine since 804 A.D. This Carmignano is made from mainly Trebbiano.

The Giusti Asolo Extra Brut Prosecco is made from the Glera grape from Giusti estate vineyards in the Asolo DOCG region of Veneto about one hour north of Venice.Ermenegildo Giusti was born into a family from the region who had a history of making wine. As a young man, he left Italy and moved to Canada, and established a hugely successful construction business. In 20014 he moved back to Veneto and purchased a 5-acre vineyard. Today they have a beautiful facility with multiple vineyards.Most of the Prosecco region is designated as DOC wines. Italy has strict rules and regulations and a strong governing body to endorse them. While most of Prosecco is ranked DOC the Valdobbiadene region which is located in a hilly section near the center of Prosecco is designated as DOCG.Then there is the Asolo DOCG area that is located in the foothills of the Dolomites. While there has been wine produced there for a long time it came by its DOCG designation fairly recently.The DOC rating indicates strong rules and regulations pertaining to vineyard practices and winemaking. The G in DOCG stands for Guaranteed. It adds more stringent rules and oversite. It does not mean you are guaranteed to like the wine, only that the strictest quality standards were followed.Giusti Asolo Extra Brut Prosecco like all Prosecco is made with the Charmat Method. That is the process where the bubbles and incorporated into the wine. Champagne uses the Traditional Method which is a technique perfected in the 16th century. Charmat was invented in the Kate 19th century.A quick explanation of the Charmat Method is the grapes are fermented the first, more or less like all wine is fermented. Champagne Houses and Prosecco have their secrets that make their wines unique. With the Charmat Method the wine that has been fermented once is transferred to huge pressurized vats.A measured amount of yeast and sugar is added to the wine. The wine is then allowed to ferment a second time, but this time in a sealed vat that has been pressurized. In Champagne where the 2nd fermentation is performed in a completely different manner, the second fermentation lasts a year and a half and often longer.In Prosecco, the 2nd fermentation lasts from several weeks to several months. each producer uses their own methods for determining the proper amount of pressure coupled with the right length of time. Technology has knocked about 75% of the time it takes to put bubbles into wine.The Giusti Asolo Extra Brut Prosecco is a dry Sparkling wine. The three major classifications for dry Bubbly are Brut, then Extra Brut, and finally Nature which has no added sugar and is bone dry.If you think you know Prosecco and Prosecco DOSG there is a good chance you may not have tried Asolo DOCG Prosecco. Prosecco is the largest selling Sparkling wine in the world in terms of gallons, but Champagne is the largest in terms of dollars. Prosecco is far more affordable than Champagne. The alcohol content is a reasonable 11.5%.Giusti Asolo Extra Brut Prosecco Tasting NotesThe color is almost clear with just a hint of gold, with a flurry of energetic bubbles. The nose is crisp and clean, there is citrus, green apple, melon, a little minerality, and peach.This is not the flavor profile for the typical Prosecco, it is very dry with unique flavors. It tastes like a stew of Anjou pear, dried peach, lemon chiffon (not sweet), green apple, and lime.The mid-palate shows grapefruit, a slight creamy sensation, that salty, nutty "on lees" thing, and just a hint of candy spice. The acidity is very well controlled. It allows the flavors and texture to be bright and alive, but never bites or goes to far.The SummaryThe Giusti Asolo Extra Brut Prosecco is a Bubbly well worth tasting.It is easy to get into a rut with Prosecco, some of the ones readily available in the supermarket, while very tasting, can be indistinguishable from the next brand.I am not complaining,

Método “Champenoise”, Charmat, Tradicional: o que são, onde vivem, do que se alimentam?São sinônimos?E só existem eles?Que influência geram no espumante? Ah mas quero chamar de Prosecco, pode?É sobre tudo isso - e muitas outras curiosidades super legais - que falamos nesse episódio! Vale muito a pena abrir um espumante e vir com a gente, hein? #ficaadica !E lembrem-se: siga/assine nosso podcast no seu agregador de podcast preferido, e siga a gente também no Instagram (@sommbrothers), Twitter (@sommbrothers) e Facebook (facebook.com/sommbrothers/), para se manter sempre informado(a) das novidades.Já estamos disponíveis no Spotify, Deezer, Alexa, Apple e Google Podcasts, dentre vários outros agregadores de podcasts existentes. Não sabe usá-los direito? Você sempre poderá nos ouvir também em nosso site: www.sommbrothers.com.br.Um abraço e até a próxima taça!.Foto: Canva.Música: In My Life, dos Beatles.Mencionados:@caoperdigueiro@vinhosviapiana

The StoryThe Tourner Sparkling Brut is a $6.99 ALDI exclusive produced in the Traditional Method from grapes grown in California. And that is just about everything I know about this Bubbly. The back label has a few words concerning tasting notes, but nothing that would give clues as to the grapes used.The number one important detail about this wine, at least to me, is that is made with the Traditional Method, the same techniques used to produce Champagne. They even make sure to show Method Champenoise prominently on the artwork.There are 2 major ways that modern winemakers use to get bubbles into wine, the Traditional Method, and the Charmat Method. The Traditional Method (Champagne) is 16th-century technology and the Charmat Method (Prosecco) is 19th-century technology.With the Charmat Method, the wine is fermented once then transferred into a huge pressurized tank. They add a measured amount of yeast and sugar and anywhere from a couple of weeks to a few months (the more expensive Charmat wines tend to take more time) you have Bubbly. It is a less expensive and quicker way to make Bubbly, basically from the more modern technology.The Traditional Method is more detailed after the wine is fermented the first time the wine is bottled. They do not fill the wine to the top, they leave some space and add an exact amount of yeast and sugar to each bottle. They place the bottle in a rack with the neck angling down, they want the spent yeast to congregate in the bottle neck.But they have to give the bottle a quarter turn every couple of days or so to stop the spent yeast gunk from sticking to the glass. In the Champagne region, they do this for 18 months, usually longer. Every other region shortens the time to 9 months or year, longer if they choose.Now they have to get the yeast out of the bottle, so they freeze the neck to pop the spent yeast plug out. They now have to fill the bottle to the top and they add additional Bubbly. They can adjust the sweetness of the Bubbly at this point by adding sweet or dry Bubbly. Now that add the cork and cage and age the wine for some additional time.If you are making Bubbly in the Traditional Method you are making a commitment. Nobody complains if you $7 Sparkling wine is made in the Charmat Method, it is actually very popular. You have to want to make cheap Champagne-style Bubbly. Yes, modern advances have made using the Traditional Method far easier than years ago. But the Champenoise Method in value-priced Bubbles is an unexpected treat.ALDI's $19.99 Champagne was one of my favorite wines from 2019 so I have high hopes for the Tourner Brut Bubbly. As a quick refresher Brut means dry, not sweet. The alcohol content is 12%.Tourner Sparkling Brut Tasting NotesThe color is pale gold with a decent amount of bubbles. The nose is Champagne-like, lemon, green apple, bakery bread, and tart, crisp grapefruit. My first impression is, "not bad at all for $6.99".It tastes of lemon/lime, but not soda sweet, Anjou pear, a little Sweet Tart candy, again more tart than sweet. The mid-palate offers a little yeasty bread, peach, and stone fruit. The acidity is on the sharp side of balanced, but nothing to complain about in a 7 buck Traditional Method Sparkling wine.The SummaryTasty cheap Bubbly. What's not to like.The Tourner Sparkling Brut provers a solid drinking experience at a bargain price.ALDI has a very weird selection of wines for sale, there does not seem to be a reason for which wines are available, it's a mishmash. But do not dismiss their wines there are some excellent bargains in there.

Now that we've covered all the hues, let's break down this crazy style of wine we call bubbly. I'll breakdown this meticulous, and one time dangerous, winemaking process as we learn how the bubbs get inside that glass of bubbly. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Essa confraria teve comparação Charmat x Champenoise, Syrah chileno do Vale Central x Vale do Limarí, um brasileiro BBB e um Goethe tranquilo. Vamos conferir?   Espumante Charmat x Espumante Champenoise A diferença no método de produção do espumante tem, claro, reflexos no produto final. Já vimos em detalhe os dois principais métodos – o... The post SV#52 – Confraria 08: Charmat x Champenoise appeared first on Simples Vinho.

Burroso: odore o sapore, anche impressione tattile, che ricorda la densitàdel burro (sensazione che origina nella ricchezza estrattiva, e che viene ampli-ficata dall’ottimale modulazione della forza acida del vino generata dalla fermentazionemalolattica La spiegazione dei lemmi del glossario è scritta da Luca Maroni e pubblicata nel suo Metodo e nel suo Annuario dei Migliori Vini Italiani. La voce è di Roberto Gismondi

Burroso: odore o sapore, anche impressione tattile, che ricorda la densitàdel burro (sensazione che origina nella ricchezza estrattiva, e che viene ampli-ficata dall’ottimale modulazione della forza acida del vino generata dalla fermentazionemalolattica La spiegazione dei lemmi del glossario è scritta da Luca Maroni e pubblicata nel suo Metodo e nel suo Annuario dei Migliori Vini Italiani. La voce è di Roberto Gismondi

This week we are going to talk about Slovenian wine. There are some amazing and interesting wines coming out of this country. Since we are talking about a country instead a wine region, we are going to do a brief over but in the future we hope to circle back someday and cover specific regions from this up and coming wine country.   Wine Recommendations - all of these wines are from the Drava wine region! Kobal Ptuj Sauvignon Blanc 2015 - priced around $18. Nose - Fruity and floral, tropical and crisp - Passion fruit, white grapefruit, floral like linen Dry, light body, medium plus acidity, flavors really match aromas It has light body but has teeth to match the flavor - as in intensity of flavors and aromas Wasn’t expecting the passion fruit We weren't expecting the passion fruit aromas and flavors and it has a tiny touch of tannins from skin contact. It’s absolutely delicious and very pleasant on it’s own or pair with light seafood in citrus sauce We purchase this wine from France 44   Kobal Penina Rumeni Muskat Brut 2016 -priced around $23.  Yellow Muscat made in Charmat method Nose - fresh papaya, citrus and ripe peach This wine is dry with high acidity and flavors of lemon, papaya, mango, peach and a nice minerality This wine was very tart and unique and we love all the tropical flavors - Although the aromas and flavors are very ripe it still has lots of acidity Food pairing: pasta with a creamy sauce, salads, light appetizers made from vegetables and white meat, fish carpaccio We purchased this wine from France 44    Pullus Pinot Gris 2017 - priced around $17.  Cooper colored rose wine  Lots of minerality in the nose like stainless steel but also orange blossom, it smells like springtime It’s dry with medium body and  acidity with flavors of melon, citrus  and a hint of stonefruit with a long finish This wine has a really pleasure creamy texture thanks to fine lees contact  We really struggle to find a Pinot Gris that doesn’t taste like flavored water but this wine has depth and complexity the really made it an enjoyable experience and had us coming back for more You can get information on where to purchase this wine here   Sources: The Wine Atlas Oxford Companion to Wine Wine Tourist Magazine  Wikipedia  Vino Slovenija 

In this episode Monty Waldin meets Assunta De Cillis, General Manager at Cantina Due Palme in Apulia. Monty and Assunta discuss local native grapes such as Malvasia Nera, Negro Amaro, and Primitivo. Assunta also talks about the famous Salice Salentino DOP and presents the coop’s new Negro Amaro-based wines vinified with the Charmat method in both wine and rosé. Tune in for a conversation about the main foreign markets for the coop and delicious local food and wine pairings! -- [This podcast has been recorded during “Vi.Vite – Vino di Vite Cooperative” an event organized by the Alleanza delle Cooperative Italiane (Alliance of Italian Coops). This episode has been brought to you by Vinitaly 2018, taking place in Verona from April 15th to 18th. Vinitaly is the wine exhibition that helps you discover and get to know Italian wine and features over 4.200 wineries.]

La Pederzana è una piccola ma prestigiosa realtà che affonda le sue radici nella tradizione di Castelvetro. Da sempre punto di riferimento per gli appassionati di Grasparossa, coltiva un clone unico al mondo, lascito dell’encomiabile lavoro di un appassionato ed illuminato viticoltore, Franci Simonini, che per molti anni fece da laboratorio a cielo aperto per l’università di Bologna.Produce vini frizzanti con due fermentazioni distinte (la prima in vendemmia, la seconda nell’estate successiva col Metodo Charmat-Martinotti lungo). Da sempre aperta alla ricerca, dal 2008 produce alcuni vini senza solfiti aggiunti ed in futuro si dedicherà ad isolare ceppi di lieviti indigeni dalle uve del clone unico di cui è gelosa custode, nel tentativo di personalizzare e tipicizzare ulteriormente i vini che produce.

La Pederzana è una piccola ma prestigiosa realtà che affonda le sue radici nella tradizione di Castelvetro. Da sempre punto di riferimento per gli appassionati di Grasparossa, coltiva un clone unico al mondo, lascito dell’encomiabile lavoro di un appassionato ed illuminato viticoltore, Franci Simonini, che per molti anni fece da laboratorio a cielo aperto per l’università di Bologna.Produce vini frizzanti con due fermentazioni distinte (la prima in vendemmia, la seconda nell’estate successiva col Metodo Charmat-Martinotti lungo). Da sempre aperta alla ricerca, dal 2008 produce alcuni vini senza solfiti aggiunti ed in futuro si dedicherà ad isolare ceppi di lieviti indigeni dalle uve del clone unico di cui è gelosa custode, nel tentativo di personalizzare e tipicizzare ulteriormente i vini che produce.

It's prosecco time!!! This week we talk about where prosecco is made and it's terroir, how prosecco is made (Charmat, Method Traditional, and Col Fondo), quality and sweetness levels, the Bellini, and food pairings

This week’s guest on **In the Drink ** is fourth generation winemaker Alicia Lini of the legendary Lini winery. They offer a wide array of sparkling Lambruscos, white, rose and rosso, produced using both the Charmat method (the method used to produce prosecco, and most commonly used for Lambrusco), as well as the more labor intensive Metodo Classico (classic method used for champagne.) Celebrating its 100th year in 2010, the Lini winery was founded in 1910, in Correggio, Emilia-Romagna. Throughout the many changes, both in the production and consumption of wine, which have taken place over the last century, Lini’s winemaking philosophy has remained consistent and true. Wine is a living product, reflective of our history, culture and lifestyle. Any winemaker, including Lini 910, will claim to make wine according to their own personal taste rather than the latest wine trends. Yet a wine producer must not underestimate the importance of the consumer, and every decision, from the vineyard to the cellar, must be made with a view to presenting the public with a product of the highest possible quality. In the last ten years Italian wine has undergone a real “Renaissance”, resulting in richer variety and a far more accessible domestic product. As a consequence of greater commercial success, a fashionable new wine culture is emerging.  

With the Christmas and New Year period rapidly approaching our tastebuds turn to sparkling wine, and on this episode I have returning guest Phil Smith from The Wine Depository join me to discuss the many styles of sparkling wine and ways to enjoy them.​

This show is brought to you by Express Imprint, click on the link below and check out their Custom Koozie This week on Wine Time™ Radio Show with WineGuyMike™  I’m talking about Lambrusco. Why you might ask?  Because today, June 21st, is Lambrusco Day in Italy, and Lambrusco is one of the best wines to enjoy with food. Simple, fun, fizzy, refreshing, inexpensive, need I say more?Lambrusco is one of Italy’s most popular wines. Do you remember one of television’s most famous of tag lines “Riunite on Ice, That’s Nice”? Yes that’s right your Grandma’s Lambrusco, Riunite, is still claiming to be the biggest selling Italian wine in history here in the United States.Riunite Lambrusco was launched in the late 1960’s and what now seem like cheesy commercials ran on TV in the 70’s.  Cheesy or not that famous tag line is one of the most memorable ever, at least for those of us old enough to remember.  But the truth is this brand enjoyed one of the most well executed marketing campaigns ever.  That was yesterday, today Lambrusco has come of age and I’m here to share it with you.There is not anything to complicated or technical that we need to know in our approach to buying, chilling, and drinking Lambrusco.  In fact Lambrusco is rather simple and ultimately the secret to a great Lambrusco is one that produces a great head of foam when you pour it, just like a great beer.  Selections will unfortunately be limited on your local shelves unless you live in an area that has a great wine shop.  If you live on the east coast you will have more choices better selections. Wherever you have a concentration of die-hard Italians like me that enjoy Lambrusco retailers will show this sparkling gem from Italy some love.More and more you will find Lambrusco lovers who are so incredibly passionate about this frizzante wine from the Emilia-Romagna region in the heart of Italy that you just have to give it a try.The Emilia-Romagna region is located between two of my favorite areas in Italy. Parma which is home to some of my favorite raw cow’s milk cheese Parmigiano-Reggiano, yet another wonder of the world I cannot live without.  On the other side of Emilia is probably one of the most iconic areas of Italy, Modena, and the birth place of Ferrari exotic sports cars.Italian winemakers produce a large range of Lambrusco wines.  If you shop at a nice specialty shop and they take their wine program seriously it is somewhat safe to assume they have chosen a good selection of wines for you to purchase.  The best Lambrusco’s are going to be dry and made in a frizzante style.  There are three colors of fizzy Lambruscos: white (bianco), rose (rosato) and the classic red (rosso) ranging from sweet to bone dry.Prosecco is another Italian favorite that is mainly produced as a sparkling wine in either the fully sparkling (spumante) or lightly sparkling (frizzante, gentile) styles.  Proseccos are labeled “brut”, “extra dry”, or “dry”, with the brut being the driest.  Ask you wine steward of the store you shop in for the driest Lambrusco in a frizzante style that they offer for sale.Lambrusco is made using the Charmat method rather than the Champagne method, the French method of making sparkling wine.  The Charmat method is a second fermentation in pressurized tanks rather than in individual bottles.  The shorter, tank fermentation is preferable for Lambrusco because it preserves the freshness and the flavor of the grapes.Unlike Champagne, Lambrusco does not ferment in the bottle consequently the wine goes off or gets old quickly and should be drunk as young as possible, preferably within one year.What I love about Old World European wine is that they are a function of necessity.  The wines in each area are made to work with, match, or pair with the foods that are grown and raised in the region or area.  Lambrusco is no different and in the Emilia-Romagna region their food tends to be rich, salty and that is why Lambrusco works so well with the indigenous foods of the area.Lambrusco wine is lively and bright with fruit, balanced out with naturally high acidity which pair perfectly with the rich salty food dishes from this area.  Lambrusco like all Old World style wines are not overdone, featuring lower percentage of alcohol which is also conducive to being a great wine to pair with food.The really terrific thing to note about Lambrusco is that you will be hard pressed to ever find one more expensive than $20.00 and many are $8.00-$10.00.  Wow that works in this economy for my pocket-book.Many bottles will list the Lambrusco grape variety from which it has been produced.  I’m not going to bore you with the 13-17 different Lambrusco grape varietals because there are only a handful you need to know.  Here is the short list; The most commonly found clones are the Grasparossa, Maestri, Marani, Monstericco, Salamino and Sorbara.  The rabid Lambrusco lovers, they love the Sobara version but any of these are ones that you want.  If you want to dig in a little deeper here is a link from my friends in Italy and their site which is solely devoted to Lambrusco; http://www.lambruscoday.org/facts-or-fiction.htmlHere’s what you should expect from a good Lambrusco; fresh, fruity, dry, tannic, nice acid, beautiful fruity nose, frothy, nutty, grapy, jammy, fun, and refreshing.  All this and it’s inexpensive too, really what more could you want?  This is a great wine to try that I whole heartedly recommend with all of my love and passion.  “Mikey likes it”, remember Mikey on TV?  I do if I had a penny for every time I’ve heard this in my life I’d be a wealthy man driving the Ferrari and drinking my dry frizzante Lambrusco on my way to get my fresh sliced hunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano to have with my Lambrusco.This particular Lambrusco is a fantastic example of just how special Lambrusco can be. The Cleto Chiarli E Figli is made from Grasparossa and Sorbara grapes resulting in an intense red Lambrusco with a delightful fruity bouquet.  This Lambrusco is produced in the heart of the best Sorbara Lambrusco region.My recommendation for the perfect pairing; if you haven’t had the pleasure of Lambrusco and pizza get on the phone now and order the pizza.  This Italian Lambrusco and pizza, well you will think you have died and gone to heaven.  Enough said…Visit www.WineGuyMike.com to learn more, please subscribe to my blog an newsletter while visiting my site so you get my weekly updates.From my table to yours,

This week WineGuyMike™ writes all about all things bubbly for your New Year Celebration and understanding the differences between Champagne, Sparkling Wine, Cava, Prosecco, and Spumante.  In this post I am also suggesting sparkling wines in a variety of price ranges that offer the consumer value. What is the difference between Champagne and Sparkling wine?  Sparkling wines and champagne are still wines that have been infused with carbonation. True Champagne is made in France will be noted by the capital letter “C”on the label.  Other sparkling wines called Champagne will by designated as “champagne”, notice no capitalization. Three grapes are used in Champagne, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay.  It’s white because only the juice of the grapes is used.The four methods of Sparkling wine production:1. Carbon Dioxide Injection – soft drinks and inexpensive sparkling wines are produced using this method.  It produces large bubbles that dissipate quickly.2. Charmat Process – wine undergoes a second fermentation in large bulk tanks and is bottled under pressure.  Prosecco and Asti are produced utilizing this method, smaller longer lasting bubbles result from this method.  Many Sparkling wines are made using this method.3. Méthode Champenoise – this process takes place in the bottle and requires hands on attention.  During the second fermentation the carbon dioxide stays in the bottle and this is where the bubbles come from.4. Transfer Method – the cuvee is bottled for the second fermentation which adds complexity.  But the wine is then removed and stored in large tanks after it has spent the appropriate amount of time on yeast.Champagne:The Champagne region of France not only produces some of the finest sparkling wines in the world, but some of the finest wines in the world too.  Typically there are three grapes used in the blend for sparkling wines; Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier.  Different vintages are used to create the blend or better known as the “Cuvee”.Champagne is expensive due to the traditional method of how it is made, Methode Champenoise and techniques known as second fermentation.  This process takes place in the bottle and requires hands on attention.Pink Champagne or sparkling Rose is strained through the Pinot Noir grape skins, truly a delight.  Methode Champenoise is the true French fermentation process.  The wine is fermented twice, once in an oak barrel, and the second time the wine developes carbonation in the bottle while aging a minimum of one year.Blanc de Blancs is true French Champagne, it is produced entirely from the Chardonnay grape.  Blanc de Blancs fermented using the Methode Champenoise process, producing white Champagne.Designations of quality:Prestige cuveeThis Champagne is the highest priced and is available only in small quantities.  It is designated “Prestige” because the grapes come from the best grapes from the highest rated villages, it is made from the first pressing of the grapes, produced only as a vintage, and will have been aged longer than vintage and non-vintage Champagnes.Vintage Champagne                                         Some select years produce an outstanding grape harvest.  The Vintage Champagnes are aged for at least three years.  Here are an example of a few companies who produce these Vintage Champagnes; Veuve Clicquot, Perrier-Jouet, Moet & Chandon, and Taittinger.Remember a Vintage Champagne will be identified by an actual year marked on the label, but expect to pay a premium for this.Non-Vintage ChampagneThe majority of Sparkling wine on the shelf of a store is non-vintage.  These are a blend of wines aged for two years.How to Select your Champagne:■Brut is Dry■Extra Dry is Semidry■Sec is Semisweet■Demi-sec is SweetQuality Champagne Cellars:Ayala, Billecart-Salmon, J. Bollinger, Canard-Duchene, Deutz, Charles Heidsieck, Heid sieck Monopole, Henriot, Krug, Lanson, Lauret Perrier, Mercier, Moet & Chandon, Mumm Perrier-Jouet, Joseph Perrier, Piper Heidsieck, Pol Roger, Pommery, Louis Roederer, Ruinart, Salmon, Taittinger, Veuve ClicquotAll things are not at equal when it comes to sparkling wines and Champagne.  So what makes all of these types of sparkling wines different?  The answer is how they are made, the type of grapes, and the yeasts that are used in fermentation and left behind in the bottle to age with the sparkling wines.There are 2-3 elements of wine that create aroma and flavor.  The first element is the fruit, and the second is the yeast used to ferment the wine.  Fruit and yeast combine during fermentation to produce aroma and flavor or sense of taste.  The third influence upon the wine in your glass may be from an oak influence during the wines aging process.Other sparkling Wine Regions:Loire Valley of France produces Crémant, while the Asti region of Italy produces Asti Spumanti, and Prosecco comes from the Veneto region.  The Catalonia region of Spain produces the world’s most popular sparkling wine, Cava.  Quality sparkling wines made in Italy are made by the Metodo Classico process or what the French refer to as Methode Champenoise.Prosecco is an Italian wine, generally a dry sparkling wine, usually made from grape varietyGlera, which is also known as Prosecco.  The Veneto region of Italy is where Glera/ Prosecco is grown and produced.Prosecco is mainly produced as a sparkling wine in either the fully sparkling (spumante) or lightly sparkling (frizzante, gentile) styles.  Prosecco spumante, which has undergone a full secondary fermentation, is the more expensive style.  The various sparkling wines may contain some Pinot Bianco or Pinot Grigio wine.  Depending on their sweetness, Proseccos are labeled “brut”, “extra dry”, or “dry”, with the brut being the driest.Unlike Champagne, Prosecco does not ferment in the bottle consequently the wine goes off or gets old quickly and should be drunk as young as possible, preferably within one year.Prosecco is Italy’s answer to refreshing, well-made, sparkling wine that is low in alcohol, about 11 to 12 percent by volume.  Created from predominately Prosecco grapes in the northern Veneto region of Italy in the foothills of the Alps.  Prosecco is light, affordable, and fun.  This Sparkling wine is aromatic and crisp, with nuances of yellow apple, citrus, pear, white peach, and apricot.  Today’s Proseccos tend to be  dry and very bubbly and typically will present itself as light, fresh, with an initial intense bouquet/aroma, but simple and straight forward compared to Champagne.Prosecco is made using the Charmat method rather than the Champagne method, the French method of making sparkling wine.  The Charmat method is a second fermentation in pressurized tanks rather than in individual bottles.  The shorter, tank fermentation is preferable for Prosecco because it preserves the freshness and the flavor of the grapes.Asti Spumante is a sweet sparkling wine.  It is produced in the province of Asti and made from the Moscato grape.  Spumante is a fruit forward sparkling wine that is grapy, and has a low alcohol content usually around 8%.  Moscato d’Asti is a sparkling wine that is frizzante in style and for my palette I find these wines to be more refined than the Asti Spumante.Cava originated in the Catalonia region at the in the late 19th century.  Originally the wine was known as Champaña until Spanish producers officially adopted the term “Cava” (cellar) in 1970.  Cava wines are fermented and aged in the bottle in underground cellars.   Today 95% of Spain’s total Cava production is from Catalonia.Cava is produced in different styles ranging from dry to sweet; Brut Nature, Brut (extra dry),Seco (dry), Semiseco (medium) and Dulce (sweet).  Under Spanish Denominación de Origen laws, Cava can be produced in six wine regions and must be made according to the Traditional Method with second fermentation in the bottle.  The grapes used to produce Cava are Macabeo, Parellada, Xarel·lo, Chardonnay, Pinot noir, and Malvasia.  The Chardonnay grape is a late comer to the scene despite being a traditional grape used to produce Champagne.  It was not introduced in the production of Cava until the 1980s.In order for the wines to be called ‘Cava’, they must be made in the traditional Méthode Champenoise.  Wines made via the low-cost Charmat process may only be called ‘Spanish sparkling wine’.   A rosé style of Cava is also produced by adding in small amounts of red wines from Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha or Monastrell to the wine.Cava made by the Champagne method, is a very acceptable alternative to French champagne.  Cava is usually made by the Coupage method, whereby must, a.k.a.(grape juice) from different grape varieties is subjected to the first fermentation which is blended until it  is consistent with the wine that the winemaker wants to produce .  After the Coupage, the wine is put into bottles and yeast and sugar added.  It is then cellared for the second fermentation and aging.Crémant is produced in the Loire Valley of France and is the largest producer of sparkling wines outside of the Champagne region.  Crémant has to be aged for at least one year and it is handpicked.  The producers are also limited as to how much can be harvested, this all according to the French A.O.C.There are seven French appellations that carry the Crémant designation in their name:1.Crémant d’Alsace2.Crémant de Bordeaux3.Crémant de Bourgogne4.Crémant de Die5.Crémant du Jura6.Crémant de Limoux7.Crémant de LoireCrémant de Loire’s are a blend of the Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc.  In Burgundy, Crémant de Bourgogne, must be composed of at least thirty percent Pinot noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc or Pinot Gris while Aligoté is often used to complement the blend.  The Languedoc region in the south of France produces Crémant de Limoux.  This Sparkling wine is produced from the indigenous grape Mauzac, with Chenin blanc, and Chardonnay rounding out the wine in small amounts.The Crémant Sparkling Wines are pressurized less than Champagne and therefore have a larger looser bubble as a result.California Sparkling Wines:Sparkling wines from California use a few grape varietals such as Berger and Chenin Blanc to blend with the traditional Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes.Producers to look for in California; Hacienda, Domain Lauier, Roederer Estate, Domaine Carneros, Domaine Chandon, Codorniu-Napa, Iron Horse, Jordan, Mumm-Cuvee Napa, and Schramsberg.Remember the name “Champagne” can only be used in Europe on bottles that actually are produced in the Champagne region of France.As a consumer you now are empowered by the information WineGuyMike™ has shared with you in this week’s blog post.  I would like to wish you a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year.From my table to yours,

Nella valutazione dell'aspetto dei vini spumanti l'effervescenza e le bollicine svolgono generalmente un ruolo fondamentale. L'aspetto dei vini spumanti non è, ovviamente, solo bollicine, ma è da questa caratteristica che spesso si può determinare la qualità del metodo di produzione.

In the evaluation of sparkling wines' appearance, effervescence and bubbles generally play a fundamental role. The aspect of sparkling wine is not, of course, bubbles only, it is however this characteristic to determine the quality of production method.

Viviana Bet of Cantine Bortolotti talks us through the production method for Prosecco.