Wine Grape Cheat Sheets: Sangiovese

December 18, 2022 2 Comments

Sangiovese ChiantiThe Soundbyte:  It is widely accepted that Sangiovese was well-known to the winemakers of Ancient Rome, and it is suspected that the grape was known in Tuscany as far back as the time of the Etruscans. These days, Sangiovese is widely grown throughout Central Italy—from Romagna to Lazio—and throughout Italy down to Campania and Sicily.

Outside of Italy, Sangiovese is mainly known as the lead grape of Chianti (in all its variations), but lovers of Italian wine know that it also stars in the majority of the Tuscany’s other red wines—to include Carmignano, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Morellino di Scansano, Brunello di Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino, and Sangiovese di Romagna, among others. In a country growing hundreds (if not thousands) of different grapes, Sangiovese reigns as the number one grape variety in Italy, where it accounts for nearly 10% of the entire wine grape crop.

While increasingly seen as a stand-alone varietal, Sangiovese is often used in blends. In Tuscany it is likely to be blended with small amounts of Canaiolo, Colorino, Trebbiano, or even international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, or Merlot.

Typical Attributes of a Sangiovese Based Wine:

  • The flavor profile is complex, with earthy aromas often overtaking the scent of fruit, spice, flowers, and oak.
  • Sangiovese has a moderate to high level of natural acidity.
  • Medium to full-bodied, with descriptors ranging from supple-and-elegant to assertive-and-robust.
  • The finish tends to have a little bite of bitterness.  I often describe it as “bitter cherry.”
  • Medium to medium-plus tannins, often assisted with a bit of oak contact.
  • Sangiovese can be used to produce a lighter style of red wine, and this approachability has made it a consumer favorite.  Sangiovese also makes a wonderful, spicy rosé, and stars in many an Italian rosato.

Typical Aromas of a Sangiovese Based Wine:

  • Fruity:  Plum, Cherry, Blackberry, Raspberry, Strawberry, Blueberry, Mulberry, Orange Peel
  • Spicy:  Tea, Clove, Cinnamon, Thyme, Anise
  • Floral:  Violet, Dried Flowers
  • Wood-derived:  Cedar, Oak, Vanilla, Sweet Wood, Smoke, Toast, Tar
  • Earthy:  Wet Leaves, Wet Dirt, Forest, Tobacco, Tea, Dusty, Herbal

Where The Best Sangiovese is Grown:

  • Italy—its native home—where it is the most widely-grown red grape variety.
  • Sangiovese BrunelloIt especially thrives in Tuscany, where it forms the base of the wines of Chianti, Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile de Montepulciano, and Brunello di Montalcino as well as many other wines. It is sometimes part of the blend—often alongside Cabernet Sauvignon or other grape invaders—in the wines known as the Super Tuscans.
  • Beyond Tuscany, it is found throughout Italy and is a main grape in Umbria, Marche, Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, and as far south as Campania and Sicily.
  • Italian immigrants brought Sangiovese to California.  The earliest recorded Sangiovese vineyard in California is the Seghesio Family’s Chianti Station Vineyard, planted near Geyserville in 1910. However, Sangiovese never really took off in California until the Super Tuscan movement of the 1980’s.  Since then, Sangiovese has been gaining popularity in the United States and is now grown in Napa, Sonoma, and The Sierra Foothills.
  • Flat Creek Estate in Marble Falls, Texas (once-upon-a-time in 2005) created a Sangiovese-Cabernet Sauvignon blend they called a Super Texan. The wine immediately commanded world wine attention when it won the coveted Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco International Wine Competition that year.  Sangiovese continues to thrive in Texas.
  • Oregon, Washington State, Virginia, and The Niagara Peninsula now have Sangiovese plantings, as do Australia, Argentina, Romania, Corsica, South Africa, and Chile.

 Food Affinities – Base Ingredients: 

  • Beef, Lamb, Pork, Chicken, Turkey, Duck, Hard Cheeses
    sangiovese steak

Food Affinities – Bridge Ingredients:

  • Simple, rustic dishes, Grilled Foods, Fresh Herbs
  • Tomatoes, Sun-dried Tomatoes, Tomato Sauces
  • Onions, Garlic, Mushrooms, Eggplant, Fennel, Roasted Bell Peppers
  • Green Olives, Black Olives, Capers
  • Pecans, Walnuts
  • Pasta Dishes, Risotto Dishes
  • Prosciutto, Pancetta, Bacon

Note: When it comes to food pairings, by all means—drink what you like!

The Bubbly Professor is “Miss Jane” Nickles of Austin, Texas….

 

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Wine Grape Cheat Sheets: Chenin Blanc

October 13, 2022 6 Comments

The Soundbyte: Chenin Blanc is native to the Loire Valley Region of France and is widely grown throughout the Loire Valley. It also thrives in many other regions in Europe and beyond!

Chenin Blanc produces a fruity, floral, easy to drink white wine with clean, fresh flavors and a good zing of acidity. However, this is no simple little white wine grape—Chenin Blanc can be made into serious, mineral-driven dry wines, traditional method sparkling wines, and decadent botrytis-affected dessert wines in addition to the well-known, and much beloved easy drinking style.

Typical Attributes of a Chenin Blanc Based Wine:

  • Typical, dry (to off-dry) Chenin Blanc-based wines are generally light bodied with fruity, floral, and nutty overtones. They tend to be low(ish) in alcohol and easy to drink.
  • Chenin Blanc has a good deal of acidity. However, this zing is often balanced with the fruity (and sometimes sweet) flavors typical of the grape; as such, it generally comes across as a smooth, easy-to-drink and easy-to-love wine.
  • Despite its reputation for producing easy drinkers, Chenin Blanc most definitely has a serious side, as is often seen in the western/middle Loire. For example, the steely, nervy, mineral-driven wines of Savenniéres have been called “the most cerebral wines in the world.” (Imho, this means that the wine steals your attention and makes you think.)
  • Chenin Blanc’s delicate character makes it a good match for delicately flavored foods—there are few chances for the flavors of the wine and the food to clash.
  • Chenin Blanc is a great base wine for bubbly, and as such, it is often sparkling wines in the Loire Valley and other regions.
  • While they are somewhat obscure, Chenin Blanc is also used in dessert wines. These are typically produced in a late harvest or botrytis-affected style. Excellent examples of sweet Chenin are produced in the Coteaux du Layon region (in France’s Loire Valley) and South Africa.

Typical Aromas of a Chenin Blanc Based Wine:

Fruity:  Apricot, Melon, Green Apple, Green Plum, Pear, Quince, Lemon, Lime, Grapefruit, Greengage (a light green plum popular in France and England)

Floral/Herbal:  Orange Blossom, Wildflowers, Perfume, Honey, Honeysuckle, Acacia, Grass, Hay, Angelica (an herb that smells somewhat like celery, is often candied, and is used to flavor Chartreuse)

Chalk, Mineral:  Flint, Smoke, “Steely”

Nutty:  Almond, Marzipan

Where The Best Chenin Blanc is Grown:

  • The Loire Valley in France, notably the regions of Vouvray, Coteaux du Layon, Savevnnières, and Saumur.  The Loire Valley is thought to be the native home of Chenin Blanc, and it is used to make just about every type of white wine possible.  The region of Savennières produces bone-dry, steely versions, while Anjou, Montlouis, and Vouvray are made in a variety of styles from dry to sweet.  Saumur and other Loire regions produce sparkling Chenin Blanc from dry to sweet, and world-class dessert wines are the specialty of Bonnezeaux and Quarts-de-Chaume.
  • Chenin Blanc is the most widely planted white wine grape in South Africa, where for centuries it has gone by the name of “Steen.”  The grape may have been one of the original grapes planted by Jan van Riebeeck in 1655, or it may have come to South Africa with the French Huguenots who arrived a bit later.
  • California, Washington, New Mexico and several other states in the US
  • Australia, where it is often blended with Semillon
  • New Zealand, where it is grown in small amounts on the North Island
  • Many other wine producing regions and countries—including the emerging regions of Brazil, Uruguay, and Mexico—have plantings of Chenin Blanc.

Food Affinities – Base Ingredients:

  • Delicately Flavored Seafood, Smoked Seafood, Shellfish
  • Chicken and other types of Poultry
  • Chicken Liver, Duck Liver, Foie Gras
  • Ham, Prosciutto, Bacon
  • Goat Cheese, Sheep’s Milk Cheese (and other salty, flavorful cheeses)
  • Crudities and Dips
  • Potato Dishes, Vegetarian Dishes
  • Savory dishes with a fruit component(such as roast pork with cherry sauce)
Food Affinities – Bridge Ingredients:
  • Curry, Indian Spices, Asian Spices
  • Capers, Herbs
  • Mushrooms, Avocado, Zucchini, Endive, Spinach
  • Honey (go easy on the sweetness with dry wines)
  • Almonds, Hazelnuts
  • Apricot, Melon, Apple

Note: When it comes to food pairings, by all means—drink what you like!

The Bubbly Professor is “Miss Jane” Nickles of San Marcos, Texas

 

 

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Wine Grape Cheat Sheets: Gamay

October 12, 2021 5 Comments

The Soundbyte:  The Gamay grape—officially known as  Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc—can make uncomplicated, easily drinkable, light bodied, light-colored red wines.  It is also capable of producing richly hued, rather tannic, complex, and age-worthy wines.  It’s a vinifera chameleon.

One thing that we can be assured of, though, is that the grape is hearty in the vineyard.  The grape is so prolific and high-yield that long ago it was feared that Gamay would overwhelm the vineyards of Burgundy, and the prolific grapes would damage the reputation of the fine Pinot Noir the Burgundy region was (and is) known for. In order to avoid this messy complication, Philip the Bold—then the Duke of Burgundy—banished the grape from the Kingdom and declared it to be an evil, disloyal plant. In a wonderful twist of fate, grape growers in Burgundy who loved the high-yield, easy-drinking wine made from Gamay were nonplussed and set up their beloved Gamay vines just a bit to the south of the vineyards of Burgundy, where the grape still reigns today.

Typical Attributes of a Gamay Based Wine:

    • Light-to-medium bodied, although it can surprise you at times with a sturdy wine.
    • The tannins in a Gamay-based wine can be quite diverse—some versions are light-to-medium, while some versions have sturdy tannins.  The grapes themselves are considered high tannin, although wine-making traditions often ameliorate their impact.
    • Crisp, lively acidity.
    • Some versions can have a light, cranberry juice-like clear red color; others have a deeper red hue that resembles a dark version of Pinot Noir.
    • Fruit-forward aromas and flavors of ripe berries, red fruits of all kinds, even apples and pears—however, some versions can show more aromatic complexity. Such version may show aromas and flavors such as savory herb, earthiness, and minerality.
    • Many versions are considered picnic wines—uncomplicated and easy to drink.  The fact that Gamay can be served slightly chilled for a refreshing thirst quencher adds to the picnic appeal.
    • Beaujolais is sometimes produced via the fermentation technique known as carbonic maceration.  Because of this unique process, Beaujolais often displays aromas of banana, bubble gum, pear gummies and/or red candy.
    • Many Gamay-based wines are highly drinkable when young. However, Gamay is capable of producing age-worthy wines. The Beaujolais Crus are all good examples of age-worthy Gamay.
    • We can’t forget the very popular “nouveau” style wine made from Gamay that is intended to be consumed just a few months after harvest.  Look for Beaujolais Nouveau to be released every year on the Third Thursday of November, along with a good deal of publicity and many excellent parties.

Typical Aromas of a Gamay-based Wine:

  • Fruity:  strawberry, raspberry, cranberry, cherry, red plum, red currant, ripe pear, red apple
  • Floral:  lavender, wildflower, violet, rose 
  • Herbal: dried herbs, white pepper, crushed black pepper
  • Earthy/Mineral: wet stone, crushed rock, dried leaves, wet dirt
  • Oak-Derived: oak, cedar, vanilla, sweet spice, licorice, nutmeg
  • Sometimes found as a result of carbonic maceration: pink bubblegum, banana, pear drop, red candy

Where The Best Gamay is Grown:

  • The Beaujolais Region of France, just south of (and somewhat overlapping) the Burgundy Region.  The wines of the Beaujolais Region include Beaujolais AOC Beaujolais-Villages AOC, and the highest quality wines—the ten Beaujolais Cru. Each of the ten Beaujolais Cru has its own AOC and will be labeled with the appellation name (such as Saint-Amour, Juliénas, Chénas, and Moulin-à-Vent.
  • We can’t forget the fun-and-fruity Beaujolais Nouveau, which accounts for almost 50% of the entire output of the region.
  • It’s kind of a well-known secret, but Gamay is still permitted to be used in in certain parts of Burgundy such as the Mâconnais, and just may be surreptitiously tucked in amongst the Pinot vines—even in some of Burgundy’s higher-ranking vineyards.
  • France’s Loire Valley, particularly Anjou, Touraine, and Cheverny, where the grape may turn up in red wines, rosé, or sparkling wines.
  • The Niagara Peninsula and other parts of Ontario (Canada).
  • California grows some Gamay, but there was confusion in the past about a wine called Napa Gamay or Gamay Beaujolais.  It is now known that these wines were made from a grape known as Valdiguié, which has its own history and style.  However, you can find true Gamay in California and Oregon these days.
  • Australia and New Zealand have a bit of Gamay.

Food Affinities – Base Ingredients:

Seafood of all kinds – try Mussels, Lobster Rolls, Crab Salads, Snapper Veracruz, or fried shrimp.  This might work best with the lighter versions, but if you are looking for a red wine with seafood match, Gamay will be among your best choices.

Chicken (hot or cold), Duck, Poultry of any kind.  Try duck with cherries.

Just about anything made from Pork:  Ham, Prosciutto, Sausages, Charcuterie, Roasted Pork Loin, Pork Chops

Picnic Food, Cold Food, Cheese Plates, Sandwiches (think Prosciutto on a Baguette with a slice of Brie…)

Food Affinities – Bridge Ingredients:

  • Tomatoes, Capers, Dijon Mustard
  • White Cheeses, Sharp Cheeses such as Feta
  • Salty Foods – maybe chips and dips, pretzels and hummus?
  • Onions, Garlic, Green Bell Peppers
  • Green Olives, Black Olives
  • Mixed flavors such as an array of appetizers or finger foods

The Bubbly Professor is “Miss Jane” Nickles of Austin, Texas…

 

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Wine Grape Cheat Sheets: Viognier

October 5, 2021 1 Comment

The Soundbyte:  Just a generation ago, Viognier was close to extinction. These days, this richly scented white grape has made a full recovery in terms of fame, popularity, and acreage. Viognier makes unique white wines that will bowl you over with their outrageous floral aromas and peach-pear-apricot fruit flavors. While Viognier will beguile you with its gorgeous scent and yellow-gold hue—make no mistake, this wine can pack a punch in terms of body, flavor, and alcohol. Proceed with caution!

Typical Attributes of a Viognier-Based Wine:

  • Intriguing floral scent combined with apricot, peach, and pear aromas
  • Rich fruit flavors (tree fruit, tropical fruit, ripe citrus) and a creamy mouthfeel
  • Even without oak aging, Viognier can be as full-bodied as an oaky Chardonnay
  • Deep golden color
  • Rich and over-the-top intense in flavor
  • Very often, this tips the scales for high alcohol (in the context of a white wine), although the overall richness of the wine often masks the perception of the heat of the alcohol content
  • Viognier is quite low in acid, but it may contain a bit of a bite of bitterness on the finish
  • The typical low acid often comes across as smooth and velvety on the palate
  • I have had a few late-harvest dessert wines made from Viognier, and they are delicious!

Typical Aromas of a Viognier-Based Wine:

Fruity:  Apricot, Over-ripe Apricot, Mango, Pineapple, Ripe Citrus (Tangerine, Mandarin Orange), Apple, Pear, Peach

Floral:  Honey, Acacia, Orange Blossom, Violet, Honeysuckle, Wildflowers

Spicy:  Anise, Clove, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Vanilla

Herbal:  Mown Hay, Tobacco, Mint

Butter, Cream

Where the Best Viognier is Grown:

  • The Northern Rhône appellations of Condrieu and Chateau-Grillet produce amazing white wines from 100% Viognier.
  • In the Southern Rhône and throughout the south of France, Viognier may be produced as a single-variety wine or used in an eclectic “white Rhône blend” alongside Marsanne, Roussanne, Piquepoul, and/or Muscat (among others)
  • Also in the Southern Rhône (and elsewhere), Viognier is known to be used in teeny-tiny amounts to add fragrance and a soft side to the red G-S-M or Syrah-based wines of the Rhône.  Even if you wouldn’t know it from looking at the label, a red Southern Rhône blend may contain up to 10% Viognier in the mix.
  • California, particularly the warmer regions such as Lodi and the Sierra Foothills.
  • The State of Virginia is beginning to make some excellent Viognier, and Texas makes some nice versions as well!
  • Australia makes some excellent versions.
  • Plantings in France’s Languedoc, Roussillon, and Provence regions are expanding.

Food Affinities – Base Ingredients:

  • Pungent Cheeses
  • Crab, Mussels, Shrimp, Salmon, Smoked Salmon
  • Smoked Food, Poultry, Turkey, Pork

Food Affinities – Bridge Ingredients:

  • Curry, Ginger, Clove, Cinnamon
  • Sweet Onions, Garlic, Coconut, Honey
  • Herbs, Corn, Polenta, Walnuts, Hazelnuts
  • Butter, Cream, Fresh Cheeses

Note: When it comes to food pairings, by all means—drink what you like!

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Wine Grape Cheat Sheets: Riesling

September 23, 2021 3 Comments

The Soundbyte: Often misunderstood due to those overly sweet, bright blue-and-pink bottles resting on the bottom shelf at the supermarket, Riesling is one of the leading white wine grapes in the world.  Riesling produces some of the finest, most complex, and longest-lasting white wines in the world.  It is considered to be native to Germany, where its cultivation can be traced back thousands of years.

The Riesling grape is renowned for its ability to walk a tight rope balancing act in its combination of sugar and acid, resulting in wines that somehow manage to be both delicate and complex.  As for the pronunciation of the name, in order to say it correctly—REE-sling—you have to smile!

Typical Attributes of a Riesling Based Wine:

  • Riesling has the amazing ability to be both very fruity and very acidic at the same time.
  • Riesling’s acidic backbone and complex, balanced flavors give it the ability to age (when produced in an age-worthy style).
  • The greatest Riesling vines in the world are grown in cool growing regions and often made into dry white wines renowned for their bracing acidity. Terms like steely, nervy, racy, tongue-curling, zingy, and precise come to mind as good ways to describe the potential acidity of a Riesling in all its glory.
  • Despite my devotion to the dry Rieslings of the world, it is true that much of the Riesling you may find on the shelf does indeed have a degree of residual sugar. This sweetness may or may not be detectable due to the balancing acidity in the wine.

In a German or Austrian wine, the term Kabinett on the label indicates a low level of ripeness at harvest. The terms Auslese and Spätlese refer to grapes with a higher level of sugar at harvest—these wines may be dry, or they may contain a small degree of residual sugar (this depends on the winemaking process).

Dessert wines made from Riesling have their place among the best dessert wines in the world.  Such wines may be labeled as Late Harvest Riesling, Botrytis-affected Riesling, and Riesling Ice Wine.  German-speaking regions may refer to these wines using terms such as Beerenauslese,  Trockenbeerenauslese, or Eiswein.

Typical Aromas of a Riesling Based Wine:

Fruity:  Peach, Dried Peaches, Apricot, Apple, Green Apple, Baked Apple, Pear, Orange, Orange Peel, Lime

Floral:  Jasmine, Rose, Orchid, Juniper, Honey, Perfume, Wildflowers, Orange Blossom, Lime Blossom

Mineral:  Flinty, Steely, Wet Stones, Chalk, Ozone (the scent of the air after a rainstorm)

Chemical:  Petrol, Gasoline, Rubber Bands, Varnish, Wet Paint, Paint Remover

Late Harvest Riesling and Riesling Ice Wine (Eiswein) can take these aromas to the extreme…I’ve found that the lime aromas transform into a quick scent of pickle juice or green olives (sounds weird, I know, but give it a try). Sweet Riesling may evoke the aromas of dried peaches rubbed on a wet stone.  Just try it for yourself!

Where the Best Riesling is Grown:

  • Riesling is native to Germany and grown throughout Germany’s wine regions.
  • Austria
  • The Alsace Region of France.
  • California, Oregon, Washington State (Bubbly Prof really likes the Washington State Rieslings)
  • New York State’s Finger Lake Region
  • Canada, especially the Niagara Peninsula
  • The cooler regions of Australia such as the Eden Valley and the Clare Valley

Food Affinities – Base Ingredients:

  • Sushi…it’s the best match in town so I had to list it first.  It’s crave-worthy.
  • Seafood of all kinds
  • Smoked Seafood – Smoked Salmon and Riesling would be my “last meal” request.
  • Chicken (and poultry of any kind)
  • Ham, Pork, Prosciutto, Sausages
  • Asian Flavors, Indian Flavors—Riesling loves the salt, the spice, and even the heat.

 Bridge Ingredients:

  • Jalapeno Peppers, Wasabi – Bubbly Prof says any type of “green heat” is fabulous with Riesling.
  • Cilantro, Lemon Grass, Fresh herbs of any kind
  • Orange, Orange Zest, Lemon, Lime
  • Avocado, Corn, Leeks, Sweet Onions, Tomatoes, Sun-dried Tomatoes
  • Bacon, Pancetta, Green Olives, Capers
  • Ginger, Curry, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Allspice, Soy Sauce, Salty condiments

Note: When it comes to food pairings, by all means—drink what you like!

The Bubbly Professor is “Miss Jane” Nickles of Austin, Texas

 

 

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