Topic: Varietals-and-Wine-Styles
Sauvignon Blanc: The ‘wild white”
MEMBERS ONLYSauvignon Blanc originated in the Loire Valley of France, and people started cultivating it as a wine grape starting sometime in the 19th century.
Grenache: An international blender
MEMBERS ONLYIn the vineyard, Grenache is extremely vigorous and needs a long growing season to mature all of its fruit.
Riesling: German nobility
MEMBERS ONLYTo this day, I consider that Riesling vintage one of the best wines I ever made, and I wish I could find a bottle or two in my cellar to taste what I had predicted to be a very graceful aging wine.
Merlot: Noble grape of Bordeaux
MEMBERS ONLY. . . Merlot is the most common grape variety grown in France with about 280,000 acres.
Nero d’Avola: The red grape of Sicily
MEMBERS ONLY. . . Sicily’s legacy of red wine is all about Nero d’Avola, second only to Catarratto Bianco. There are almost 18,000 hectares (about 46,000 acres) of Nero in Sicily.
Marquette: A hardy cold-climate hybrid
MEMBERS ONLYIf you are looking for a cold-tolerant red grape, Marquette might be the varietal for you. Bred in Minnesota, this hybrid can withstand temperatures as low as -30 °F (-34 °C).
Montepulciano
MEMBERS ONLYTo understand Montepulciano the grape, you also have to understand the difference with Montepulciano the place. Chik Brenneman takes you on a tour of eastern Tuscany, Italy in this issue.
Versatile Viognier
MEMBERS ONLYIt was not long ago that Viognier was almost an extinct grape varietal. Luckily for wine fans, both grape growers and winemakers have learned some tricks to unlock this grape’s true potential.
Cabernet Sauvignon: Master Class
MEMBERS ONLYGrab a seat, take out your pencil, and get ready for an introduction into the master class on the world’s most popular grape. Guest lecturers include three experts on making Cabernet wines.
Chocolate Infused Wine
MEMBERS ONLYWine and chocolate are a match made in heaven. But it doesn’t have to be two separate delicacies. Home winemakers can actually combine the two by infusing wine with chocolate.
Making White Zinfandel
FREEFunny you ask this question as I’ve just now got three tanks full of 2016 Monterey Pinot Noir rosé fermenting in the winery. White Zinfandel, contrary to what some folks think, is
Amarone: A Taste of Valpolicella
MEMBERS ONLYFind out how to replicate the method of making Amarone — the famed red “straw wine” from the Valpolicella zone of Italy’s Veneto province made from grapes partially dried on straw mats to concentrate their juice.
Barbera
MEMBERS ONLYBarbera is a favorite among winemakers because its high acidity makes it a useful grape for blending and also a unique varietal wine. Get tips to make your own Barbera wines at home.
Making Pear Cider/Perry
FREEHard cider doesn’t have to be made from apples. Try making a pear cider (perry) this summer!
Cold Climate Grape Growing
MEMBERS ONLYIndeed, for 4–6 months of the year, the frigid and snowy landscape hardly seems like a great place to plant a vineyard. Temperatures in January and February drop sufficiently low to kill
Pinotage: The Red Grape of South Africa
MEMBERS ONLYPinotage is the most recognized — though not the most widely grown — South African red wine grape.
Making Sherry-Style Wines
MEMBERS ONLYSherry is the fortified wine from Jerez, Spain, made in soleras and conditioned with flor yeast.
Using South American Grapes for a Second Winemaking Season
MEMBERS ONLYAnd you thought there was only one time each year to make wine from fresh grapes; in the autumn season. But, surprise, there is another whole world south of the Equator. As
La Crescent: Cold-Climate Hybrid
MEMBERS ONLYLooking for a cold-hardy white to grow in a colder northern clime? Meet the University of Minnesota’s La Crescent.
Making La Crescent Wine: Tips from the Pros
MEMBERS ONLYThanks to the University of Minnesota, wine grapes can thrive in some of the coldest climates in North America (and beyond). In this issue, two winemakers discuss making wine with the Minnesota-bred,
Making Wines with Finesse
MEMBERS ONLYThe mantra for the quest for making a big blockbuster type of wine is “more is better” — more sugar in the grapes, more alcohol in the wine, more extraction, more color
Pinot Noir Winemaking Techniques from Burgundy
MEMBERS ONLYWe have all heard the expression that great wine is made in the vineyard. And while we home winemakers generally accept this as truth, nowhere has this been more obvious to me
Syrah: Versatile, bold and colorful
MEMBERS ONLYAustralia recognizes Syrah as Shiraz. It is presumed that the name stuck as the cuttings that were brought to the country in the 1830s by James Busby were identified with the names Ciras and Scryas, making it difficult to research the origins of the name, given the Iranian connection . . .
10 Italian Red Wines to Make at Home
MEMBERS ONLYNEBBIOLO Nebbiolo derives its name from nebbia, in reference to the foggy conditions under which it is typically harvested, and possibly from nobile, as it is considered the most noble of Italian
Chenin Blanc: The taste of terroir
MEMBERS ONLYViticulturists in the Loire Valley tend to describe its flavor as an expression of the terroir of the land.