Unfamiliar varietal blends can yield wines as delightful as a chef’s creations, or as scary as Frankenstein’s monster. Or even both at the same time!
Archives | Subscribe | Previous article: Good cheap wine from Portugal Read article.
Quick! Name a wine from Portugal! Who said “Port” or “Madeira”? That’s the obvious answer, but there’s lots more to discover in Portuguese wine.
Archives | Subscribe | Previous article: Don’t be afraid of Gewürztraminer! Read article.
A blend of the Port wine grape Touriga Nacional with Alicante Bouschet and Syrah in undisclosed proportions, Casal Garcia “Alegria” Vinho Tinto is a dark reddish-purple color with a thin, clear edge. Ripe and juicy red-berry and cherry scents grab your attention, and carry over on the palate in a fresh cherry-berry flavor that’s dry and acidic, adding hints of cranberry and red plum.
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Check prices and find vendors for Casal Garcia “Alegria” on Wine-Searcher.com. (Wine-Searcher lists it as a Douro wine, but more recent vintages have moved from Douro to Portugal’s coastal Lisboa (formerly Estremadura) region.
Read about Portugal’s Tourigo Nacional grape and browse other wines made from this variety at this Wine-Searcher link.
Go to this Wine-Searcher link for information on Portugal’s Lisboa (formerly Estremadura) wine region. Read article.
Gewürztraminer! It’s a tasty, aromatic white wine, but that name is so daunting that some nervous wine lovers avoid it out of simple embarrassment.
Archives | Subscribe | Previous article: Pipeño: A Chilean tradition Read article.
Chilean wine has had a French accent since Bordeaux wine makers fled to Chile to escape the phylloxera vineyard plague in the late 1800s.
Archives | Subscribe | Previous article: Loving wine, generationally Read article.
A throwback to Chile’s wine foundations, Viña Maitia Aupa Pipeño is a traditional blend of 80% País (Mission) with 20% Carignan made in the 400-year-old Chilean pipeño process. Ruby color, clear and rather light, it has a fresh, appealing scent of red cherries, raspberries, and pomegranate, with subtle notes of mint and fennel.
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Check prices and find vendors for Maitia Aupa Pipeño on Wine-Searcher.com.
Read about Chile’s Maule Valley and browse a variety of its wines at this Wine-Searcher link. Read article.
Long ago, when Baby Boomers were young, we thought wine was stuffy, snobbish, and expensive. But then we took another look, and everything changed!
Archives | Subscribe | Previous article: Italy’s other corner
Read article.
Stick a star on the map of Italy to highlight the most sought-after wines, and you’ll likely post it in the north and northwest: Tuscany or Piemonte.
Archives | Subscribe | Previous article: Happy Valen-wine’s Day! Read article.
Clear garnet Vigna Del Lauro Cabernet Franc offers fresh, if relatively simple, scents of dried cherries, black pepper, and hints of plums and pomegranate. Good black fruit flavors carry over on the palate in pleasing fruit character, fragrant pepper, and refreshing acidity.
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Check prices and find vendors for Vigna Del Lauro Cabernet Franc on Wine-Searcher.com.
Read about the wines of Friuli-Venezia Giulia and browse listings for wines and vendors at this Wine-Searcher link.
Follow this Wine-Searcher link to read about the Cabernet Franc grape and find dozens of wines and vendors. Read article.
It’s Valentine’s Day, a romantic time when many celebrate their loved ones with chocolates, flowers, a fancy meal, sweet words, and very good wine!
Archives | Subscribe | Previous article: Bargain bin: $10 Argentine red Read article.
