Taking the world one wine at a time.
Grape Prosecco di Valdobbiadene [Val-do-bi-ad-en-ay] Facts Prosecco is made using a much simpler method than true Champagne. Instead of fermenting in the bottle (as Champagne is), Prosecco grapes are fermented in large stainless steel vats. There are a couple of reasons behind this; firstly it’s cheaper, secondly if the wine was made in the same way as Champagne (and subsequently aged in the bottle), the wine would lose a lot of its freshness,…
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Wine: Biltmore Century Wine Blend Grapes: Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Riesling and Malvasia Region: Mendocino, Monterey and Washington State Price: $15.99 retail from Biltmore.com
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Grape 99% Chardonnay, 1% Riesling Facts Biltmore Estate took almost 7 years to build, but this isn’t so shocking when you consider the size of the 175,000 square foot home. To put that in perspective, that’s about the size of 88 average size homes! The Vanderbilt’s were worth over $200 million, which is obviously a lot of money today, but think about that amount back in the 1800’s! Biltmore wines are made by the…
Read MoreWine: Biltmore Reserve Region: Russian River Valley, Sonoma, California Grape: 100% Pinot Noir Price: $25
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Grape 87% Chardonnay, 5% Viognier, 3% Malvasia Facts The wine is named “Sur Lies” (pronounced lees), after the dead yeast cells (lies) which settle to the bottom of fermentation tanks. If these cells are agitated (usually by the winemaker stirring the vat), the wine will take on some of the qualities of the yeasts, giving additional richness, complexity and a toasty quality. Only one third of the wine that goes into the final blend…
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Grape Dornfelder (you’re forgiven if you’ve never heard of it before). Facts Dornfelder is a hybrid red grape of Germany that has been achieved by crossing the obscure grapes of Helfensteiner and Heroldrebe. The grape does well in conditions that are usually more suited for white varieties i.e. the cold climate of Germany. Dornfelder is the second most grown red wine grape variety in Germany behind Pinot Noir (known as Spatburgunder). …
Read MoreWine: Darcie Kent Vineyards Gruner Veltliner Place: “Rava Blackjack Vineyard”, Monterey County, California Price: $18 from Underdog Wine Merchants
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Grape 100% Merlot Facts Merlot is believed to have received its name from an old French word meaning “young blackbird”. (Merle is the French word for several kinds of birds). Two components link the Merlot grape with blackbirds, the first being the grape’s dark blue color, and the second being the bird’s liking for the grape. The earliest recorded mention of the Merlot grape was in 1784, but the French were obviously growing it…
Read MoreWine Chockstone Shiraz 2008 Region Grampians, Australia Price $25 Available from UnderdogWineMerchants.com
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Grape 100% Zinfandel Facts You might have seen the Cardinal Zin before with a different label. Cardinal Zin used to be a Bonny Doon project, but was acquired by Underdog Wine Merchants back in 2006. In their own words; “Underdog Wine Merchants is the champion of the more interesting, albeit sometimes misunderstood or under-appreciated wines and wine styles. In a word…the “underdogs” of the wine world.” Underdog isn’t just a wine importer, they…
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Grape 100% Pinot Gris [Pee-no Gree] The word "Pinot", comes from the French word for pinecone" The grape grows in small pinecone shaped bunches on the vine. Grigio (Italian) or Gris (Everywhere Else) eludes to the unusual grey-blue color of the grapes. Facts Even though Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris are the same grape, the differences in the wines produced from these grapes can be huge. Pinot Grigio is the Italian version of the…
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Wine: Landmark Vineyards Damaris Reserve Chardonnay 2008 Place: Sonoma, California Price: $40
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