Every Monday, discover new wines, regions, and ways to understand this fermenting sea.
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Munching Vidal Blanc on Keuka Lake, New York
Category Archives: Sparkling
VELO VOUVRAY 2: CHATEAU MONCONTOUR AND CHENIN BLANC: EU Austerity Drinking Tour #47
Last Monday’s EU AUSTERITY DRINKING TOUR post began our cycle of the Loire with Marc Brédif’s chic winery. Well inebriated, we continue upriver into Vouvray, hunting wine.
As mentioned prior, the green grape Chenin Blanc reigns supreme in Vouvray. Crafty Dutch merchants launched it here four centuries ago. It fits decently in this cold, marginal climate because it ripens earlier than red grapes. Although other whites would work better, the obstinate French stick to tradition. Continue reading
Posted in Chenin Blanc, EMPTIED BOTTLES, Sparkling
Tagged Balzac, Château Moncontour, chenin blanc, France, Les Chapelles, Loire, London, Marc Bredif, Methode Traditionelle, Moncontour, Montfort, Paris, Touraine, tuffeau, Vaugondy, Vouvray
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Marcato, “iPrandi” Brut, Lessini Durello DOC, Italy NV $10-14.5
Think of Italian bubbly and we probably think of Prosecco, maybe Moscato or Lambrusco.
However, hidden in North Eastern Italy, smack dab between Venice and Verona, lay the Lessini hills. Here an ancient grape called Durello thrives. The name may come from its thick skins, or high acid. It may be native. Either way, it loves the volcanic soil. basalt. Elevations are high. Thus Lessini Durello has its own DOC. Continue reading
Posted in Durello, EMPTIED BOTTLES, Sparkling
Tagged Anxiety, Blind experiment, Chamomile, Cooking, durello, Durello grape, Home, iPod, iPrandi, italy, Lambrusco, Lessini Durello, Marcato, Matricaria chamomilla, Perelman School of Medicine, pinot noir, Placebo-controlled study, Prosecco, Relaxation technique, Shopping, Sotheby, Sparkling wine, Veneto, Venice, wine, Xarel·lo
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‘MERICA: Domaine Saint-Vincent Brut, Albuquerque, New Mexico USA, NV
With the sun setting and the staccato of fireworks and screams building in the neighborhood, it’s time for my palate to get patriotic. Tonight we pop fizz with Domaine Saint-Vincent’s Brut from the highland, cool nights near Albuquerque, New Mexico: … Continue reading
Torre Oria, TORREORIA, Brut, 100% Macabeo, Cava (Requena), Spain NV
100% Macabeo, aka Macabeu, aka Viura (a player in the classic Cava triumvirate, alongside xarel-lo, perellada). Never tried it as a single varietal Brut. Rare for Spain. Tasted non-blind without food. Let’s see: It looks clear, with a medium minus … Continue reading
Posted in Cava, EMPTIED BOTTLES, Sparkling
Tagged Brut, cava, Food, Green tea, Macabeo, macabeu, Matcha, perellada, Requena, Spain, Spanish wine, Sparkling wine, Tea, Viura, xarel-lo, Xarel·lo
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WAYWARD WINE 