Tag: Wine 101

50 years of Custoza : A Masterclass with Kerin O’Keefe

Custoza, if you’ve not heard of it, is located Northern Italy in the Provence of Verona—comprised of nine townships, named after village of Custoza, a hamlet of Sommacamapgna. The hills originate from glacial deposts between Verona and Lake Garda – massive amount of deposits created an incredibly complex and variable soil situation. The main soils are calcareous clay, interspersed with gravelly rocks and sand. It is this soil structure that greatly differentiates Custoza from surrounding DOCs. It is the soil that creates a uniqueness to the white wines produced, providing a savoriness that will make any doubter of the reality of ‘minerality’ a true believer.

Maps courtesy CONSORZIO di TUTELA del VINO CUSTOZA DOC
Maps courtesy of the Consorzio di Tutela del Vino Custoza DOC

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DipWSET Theory and Tasting—Greece

When I was studying for my WSET Level 3 exam, I had this to say about the Greek wine region:

Greece is one of those wine regions that fascinates me, simply because the tradition of winemaking is so old. I’m one of those people that gets joy out of studying wine because it takes me into different cultures and different cultures’ histories. I kind of wish this section was a bit bigger in the WSET text book. But, I guess that gives me more room to dive deeper either on my own time or, dare I say it, in pursuit of my WSET Diploma??

And here I am, indeed studying for my WSET Diploma and there is much and more to know about Greece in our D3 text. I’m covering just three of the major PDOs here, along with conjunctive tastings.

Caravaggio: Bacchus Bacchus, oil on canvas by Caravaggio, 1596–97; in the Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy. Fine Art Images/Heritage-Images
Caravaggio: Bacchus
Bacchus, oil on canvas by Caravaggio, 1596–97; in the Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy.
Fine Art Images/Heritage-Images;  britannica.com/topic/Dionysus

For a general overview of Greece as a wine producing country, based on Level 3 material, please see Wine Region Overview: Greece

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DipWSET Theory and Tasting—White Wines of Portugal

Don’t forget, Portugal makes white wines too. And it’s not all in Vinho Verde. Let’s take a look at some key white wine grapes, white wine producing regions, and tasting notes.

Loureiro wine grape; winesofportugal.info
Loureiro wine grape; winesofportugal.info

 

Check out my Top Portugal 10—10 ‘quick facts’ to know about Portugal as a wine producing country.

For a general overview on Portugal, please see Wine Region Overview: Portugal, based on WSET Level 3

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DipWSET Theory—Portugal

Before I get into any tastings, I’m sharing my Top Portugal 10—the top 10 ‘quick’ facts I’ve decided are the ‘need to know’ to master this wine producing country. In black are my ‘quick facts,’ as written in my notes. In pink are a few ‘fun facts’ I found in my supplemental reading materials. 

winesofportugal.info
winesofportugal.info

What are your favorite Portuguese wine facts? Share with me—either in the comments below or contact me directly. Vamos la!

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