After we returned from our trip to South Africa I have been on the hunt to try as many Chin Blanc I can find. The styles vary by the different parts of the world. For example, the style of Chenin in Franc is more of a crispy non-barrel aged style. South Africa tends to be…
Bachelorette is in full swing this summer. Chris’ friend Eileen likes to bring wines that are not over the top price wise. It is fun to try something that is low-budget. Many times she has brought some really good wines at a great value. You should never judge a wine based on the label or…
Rockpile AVA is an American Viticultural Area in Sonoma County, California, northwest of the town of Healdsburg. Established on February 28, 2002, Rockpile AVA was Sonoma County’s twelfth designated wine appellation. The wine region consists of approximately 15,400 acres (62 km2) in northwestern Sonoma County. Sixteen wineries feature wines from the Rockpile AVA. Even though the…
Pinot gris or sometimes called Grauburgunder is a white wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. Thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot noir variety, it normally has a grayish-blue fruit, accounting for its name (gris meaning “gray” in French) but the grapes can have a brownish pink to black and even white…
Rioja [ˈrjoxa] is a wine region in Spain, with Denominación de Origen Calificada (D.O.Ca. Qualified designation of origin). Rioja is made from grapes grown not only in the Autonomous Community of La Rioja, but also in parts of Navarre and the Basque province of Álava. Rioja is further subdivided into three zones: Rioja Alta, Rioja…
Chardonnay is a versatile grape. There are so many things I winemaker can do with Chardonnay. The winemaker can ferment is stainless steel or in a neutral wine barrel. He can allow Malo-Lactic Fermentation MLF (many times called secondary fermentation). When a winemaker chooses MLF, the malic acid in the juice is converted to lactic…
It’s finally feeling like Spring in the Midwest. Last week the temperatures were in the upper seventies. It was actually hot. There were two days over the weekend I had to turn the air conditioning on to slightly cool the house. I do not mind it warm but I need cool nights to be able…
During our month in South Africa, we had the opportunity to visit many wineries and try a lot of wine. I think my overall favorite varietal was a barrel fermented Chenin Blanc. I loved the mouthfeel, and how full-bodied it was. Of the reds, I think the Bordeaux blends were my second. We had the opportunity…
Chenin Blanc is a variety I have become very fond of. During our trip to South Africa, I fell in love with it. I prefer barrel fermented Chenin over a stainless. There are few makers of Chenin in the United States. Of the ones I have tried they do not stand out in my opinion.…
Malbec (pronounced: [mal.bɛk]) is a purple grape variety used in making red wine. The grapes tend to have an inky dark color and robust tannins and are known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine. The French plantations of Malbec are now found primarily in Cahors in South West…
Blending wines are one of the most enjoyable things a winemaker can do in my opinion. During fermentation, you have to babysit the fruit. You worry about stuck fermentations or fermentations that are too hot. After fermentation, it’s time to press the fruit and the wine goes into the barrel. It’s a lot of hard…
Our first visit to Willamette Valley (Will-am-et) was over our Christmas break. Between December 27th and January 3rd we spent time with friends in Seattle. Martinique had to work Monday through Wednesday so Chris and I decided to break the trip up and drive south to Portland for a few days. Included in our Portland trip…
