wine reviews, wine events, and all things wine related
Ever since my first taste of Tannat, I’ve been hooked. Whether from California, Oregon, or it’s modern official homeland, Uruguay. And my experience with Y. Rousseau’s rosé of Tannat was exquisite. So you can imagine my excitement when I saw pretty pink wine in my Stinson Vineyards package.
Want to learn more about the Tannat grape? Let’s Talk (and taste) Tannat!
After the fun rosé I experienced from Stinson Vineyards, I was curious and hopeful about what their Chardonnay would present. Chardonnay is something I’m not stranger to. It’s the most widely planted wine grape here in California. Styles span a whole spectrum — from oaky, creamy “butterbombs,” to crystal clear and crisp. How a Chardonnay presents relies almost entirely on the winemaker and less so on the soil. But a chance to taste from the east coast doesn’t present itself very often. So I was eager to taste what the other side of our States had so say about California’s great white grape.
I was extremely excited when I opened my package from Stinson Vineyard to find a rosé of Mourvèdre. Ever since I’ve tasted the version created by Larry Schaffer of Tercero in Santa Barbara, California, I’ve been in love with this kind of wine innovation. A rustic red turned rosé? Yes please. But to taste something from the other side of the country, from White Hall, Virginia, was to taste something completely different. 
Riesling. Oh Riesling. You poor stereotyped varietal. While I’ve had some fun and, for lack of a better word, tasty Rieslings from the States, I have to say that, for the most part, what our New World has done to the variety is a bit of a shame. What’s more, is I feel like there’s a bit of a stigma surrounding German wines — a few sweet Gewürztraminers and suddenly folks think everything from the cool Rhine region is sweet. When, in fact, it is just the opposite. For the most part Germans tend to make (and enjoy) the dryer style wines (and warm beer, but that’s a different story).
Lucky for me I made a new friend at a local wine shop. A sommelier whose specialty is German and Austrian wine. So when I asked him to pour my anything he recommended that would help me discover the area, he asked “how do you feel about Riesling.” My response, “As long as its as dry as God intended it.” So this is what he poured me. This is what I bought. This is what I enjoyed again and can’t wait to enjoy again.
I present to you Riesling from the Rhine…
Franciacorta is a new adventure to me. When I received a few samples, and asked around, it seems like it’s not a well-known region-slash-wine to many in my little new world wine drinking world. (Read some Franciacorta 101.) But I love that I’ve discovered it. Like other well-known sparkling wines, like Champagne or Prosecco, there’s something for everyone — from the very sweet to the bone dry. I, for one, am all about dry sparkles: the depth, the complexity, the structure, the purity of the fruit. The has all of that. So grab a glass and join me…
