American Liquor Alliance

Bordeaux White Blends

There’s white wine in Bordeaux, too! Typically made from Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and bits of Muscadelle, white Bordeaux can be a fully dry table wine or, as in Sauternes, a deliciously sweet dessert wine. In other areas of the world, a Bordeaux blend consists primarily of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, either of which may be the predominant variety. Bordeaux blends can vary in style, but most have good acidity and often a mineral overtone.

GLOBAL WINE AND SPIRITS

Storing Wine

For any wine lover, storing wine well is very important. There are a few simple principles that need to be understood in order to select proper wine storage conditions. We can logically break down the process into just 3 categories: storing wine for the short haul, storing wine for long term aging and storing (or saving) wines that have already been opened.

Short Term Storage:
This is wine you will consume within 6 months. These may be bottles that are just home from the store and destined to be consumed shortly or bottles that have been pulled from longer storage to be accessible for spur of the moment consumption.

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Global Wine and Spirits: Other than Port, the most notable export successes for Portuguese wines have been Vinho Verde (a high acid white wine that goes well with seafood) and the Portuguese Ros?s (Mateus & Lancers) that were so popular in the U.S.A. in the early 1970’s.
About Andy Tasker
Global Wine and Spirits
About Keith Lawes

Sangiovese (red)
The major grape in Chianti (along with Canaiolo) although now Italian producers are beginning to make it a varietal wine. It is 100 percent in Brunello di Montalcino and a constituent of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Highly acidic and tannic.
Noted flavours: Cherry, truffle.

AMERICAN LIQUOR ALLIANCE
Andy Tasker: Petite Sirah is a grape whose origins and the spelling of its name have been a subject of conversation. We now know that most of the Petite Sirah in California is actually a grape called Durif with most of the rest being Peloursin. The Durif grape was developed in France in the late 1800s by Dr. Durif by crossing Syrah and Peloursin. Over time since the Syrah grape was brought from the Rhone River Valley of France in about 1870 and called Petite Sirah, the Petite Sirah name has become almost a catch-all name for old red grape vines in California that were not otherwise identifiable. It is only since we have been able to use DNA testing to properly identify grape varieties that we have been able to unravel the mystery of Petite Sirah

The Petite Sirah grape grows in very tight bunches and is susceptible to rot. In growing regions without much rainfall (like California) this does not represent a problem. In areas with rain during the growing season, it practically disqualifies the grape. Under the right conditions, Petit Sirah can make strong red wines with peppery flavors.

FULL LIQUOR
Nebbiolo (red)
Grown extensively in Piedmont and other northern Italian provinces, Nebbiolo produces the long-lived, somewhat austere Barolo and Barbaresco with their characteristic bitter finish.
Noted flavours: Truffle, tar, roses

RSVP Wine and Spirits

Marsanne

This grape is a little used variety grown in the northern Rhone river valley to make white versions of Crozes-Hermitage and Saint-Joseph. Its blending partner is a grape named Rousanne. It makes wines that are medium dry, full bodied and very rich in flavor with notes of spice and pear.

Keith Lawes

What makes vintage Champagne better? Well, status for one – many vintage Champagnes are made in small quantities, so low supply and high demand beefs up the price and the prestige of a vintage bottle. And of course, beyond the status symbol of vintage Champagne is the taste and care given to the grapes. For vintage Champagne, the grapes are carefully selected, the blends painstakingly created and the ageing process lovingly prolonged. Vintage Champagnes are often more complex and flavorful than their non-vintage counterparts, and can often age for up to a decade or two, although most houses release their bottles at an optimum time for drinking. Vintage Champagne differs from non-vintage because the winemaker’s focus is on that specific year rather than a blend to match the house style.

Sparkling wines from regions that follow the traditional method are apt to create vintage wines as well. These regions typically enjoy more freedom in their vintage choices. While they only make wines from years they deem worthy of vintage, they do not have a regulated body to declare a vintage year, so it’s to the winemaker’s discretion in making a vintage or non-vintage.

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