As we live through a year of pandemic, monster fires, extreme weather events, warming temperature in many regions, shrinking ice sheets, rising sea levels and so many more strange events, it’s becoming difficult to deny that Earth’s climate is changing. But can we taste climate change?
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Typical of modern hot-climate wines, this 100% Tempranillo from Bodegas Tridente shows a dark reddish-purple color, almost opaque in the glass. Its ripe aroma lifts up black plums and stewed prunes in a full aroma and flavor that’s almost Portlike. Ripe plum and prune flavors are surrounded by hints of coffee and chocolate. It’s framed by good acidity and rough tannins, with simple black fruit lingering in a very long, rather hot finish. Not for the faint of heart, it’s a reasonable choice if you’re looking for a hefty wine to go with red meat or game.
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Check prices and find vendors for Entre Suelos Tempranillo de la Tierra de Castilla Y León on Wine-Searcher.com.
Follow this Wine-Searcher link to find listings for dozens of other Tempranillo wines. Read article.
When you enjoy your glass of wine this evening, please spare a thought for California’s embattled farm workers, who are toiling through the state’s harvest season amid black, choking smoke and the threat of the covid-19 … and many of them lack proper masks.
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This crisp, fresh sparkling Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore from Nino Franco is a bright straw-gold in color. It pours with a frothy mousse that rises high in the glass but soon falls back to a lighter but persistent bubble stream. Its delicious aromas show ripe, juicy apples at first, joined by whiffs of pear and grapefruit. It comes across dry on the palate, with a rich and prickly mouthfeel …
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Check prices and find vendors for Nino Franco “Rustico” on Wine-Searcher.com.
Follow this Wine-Searcher link for a wide selection of Prosecco Valdobbiadene Superiore with vendors and prices. Read article.
After Neil Duarte had tasted three of Mandrarossa’s Sicilian wines two years ago, he wanted to try more. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, he’s not traveling to Italy – but there are other ways to get wines to review. The new wines have new labels with their own story – but it’s really about the wine, isn’t it? Read article.
You don’t have to drink much red wine to become aware of the Dracula Effect: You enjoy a glass or two of rich red wine. Then turn to your companion, smile … and reveal a row of dark purple teeth that would do justice to the Transylvanian gentleman.
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Perrin Réserve Côtes du Rhône Blanc is a pale-golden blend of the white Southern Rhone grapes Grenache blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, and Viognier. It offers a fresh, appealing honeydew melon scent with floral notes around the edges. Full and bright in flavor, it’s crisp and dry when cold, softening and adding a slight touch of fresh-fruit sweetness as it warms in the glass. Complex flavors begin with melon and a spritz of juicy lime, opening up to notes of peach and chalky minerality, with a hint of bitter peach pit with lime in a very long finish.
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Check prices and find vendors for Famille Perrin Réserve Côtes du Rhône Blanc on Wine-Searcher.com.
Follow this Wine-Searcher link to find listings for lots more wines from Famille Perrin, including its flagship wine, Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape Read article.
In northwestern Tuscany, the DOC area of Bolgheri has, since the 1990s, risen to prominence as an area producing excellent “Super Tuscans.” Neil Duarte tastes some of these — from Tenuta Argentiera. Read article.
I love some of the world’s most palate-scorching cuisines. Offer me a plate of food loaded with chili peppers and fiery spice, and I’ll dig right in, sweating and crying happy tears. But it can be hard to find a wine to match!
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Made with organic Zweigelt grapes, this pretty, pale salmon-pink Austrian rosé foams when it pours and settles back to a rim of tiny bubbles in the glass. Delicious aromas offer a mix of summer fruits – strawberries up front, backed by raspberry and melon – that carry over on the palate with an added note of pleasantly bitter peach pit. Carbonation shows as a light prickle, with light acidity serving to balance a subtle hint of sweetness. Gentle 11.5 percent acidity makes it a good option for summer sipping. Red berries linger in a moderately long finish. The wine is certified organic and vegan
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Check prices and find vendors for Pratsch Niederösterreich Rosé on Wine-Searcher.com.
Follow this Wine-Searcher link to find listings for other wines from Biohof Pratsch. Read article.
