Petit Manseng: The Rising Star of Virginia Winemaking
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Welcome to another engaging episode of Winephabet Street, where the world of wine becomes more accessible, one letter at a time. In this episode we're delving into the letter "P" with a focus on Petit Manseng, a varietal that may not be on every wine lover's radar but certainly deserves a spotlight for its distinctive qualities and growing popularity, particularly in Virginia. Lori and I are joined by Lee Hartman from Bluestone Vineyards in Virginia, who shares his deep insights into Petit Manseng. Lee's journey in the wine industry, from his initial reluctance to his aha moment realizing the...
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Exploring the Unique Flavors of Orange Muscat
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In December on Winephabet Street we learned about the Orange Muscat grape with our special guest, Andrew Quadi of Quadi Winery. Nestled in Madera, California, Andrew and his wife have been crafting exceptional wines since the late '70s, transitioning from an engineering background to the art of winemaking. Orange Muscat, is a grape variety that boasts a fusion of orange and apricot flavors that fascinate the senses in a surprisingly delightful way. Despite its green skin, the wine reveals a captivating golden orange hue and an irresistible aroma, The winemaking process for Orange Muscat...
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Legacy of Whitecliff's Olana Vineyard in Hudson NY: A Blend of History and Viticulture
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Back in the fall, I had the opportunity to spend an afternoon with Michael Migliore, owner of Whitecliff Vineyard and Winery, at their Olana Vineyard in Hudson, NY. This is a 10 acre site just over the Rip Van Winkle Bridge on the Hudson side, in the shadows of the Olana Estate and on the banks of the Hudson River. Michael established and started farming this land in 2015 with Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Gamay Noir, and Chardonnay. The vineyard is situated on land that has a long agricultural history dating back to indigenous peoples who inhabited the area over 3,000 years ago....
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Clinton Vineyards Bought By Milea Vineyards-What It Means for Hudson Valley Wine's Future & Identity
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I wanted to talk to you today about an article that was in the Daily Catch. org. It was written by Scott Davis and full disclosure, I am quoted twice in the article. The article is about Milea Vineyard's plans. with Clinton Vineyards. And if you're not already aware, Clinton Vineyards was purchased by Malaya in 2022. And it was a great article, talks about Phyllis and Ben Feder, how they started Clinton Vineyards, with the Seyval Grapes, because they knew that the Save All Grapes grew well on that property. And they made Meth and Champagnois, still wine. So what they plan on doing with the...
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Nero d'Avola: Sicily's Crown Jewel with VALLE DELL' ACATE's Gaetana Jacono
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I’m taking you on a virtual journey down Winephabet Street, where we dive deep into the world of N for Nero d'Avola, a red wine varietal from Sicily. In this episode of Winephabet Street, our special guest comes from the heart of Sicily, Gaetana Iacono from VALLE DELL' ACATE Winery. Gaetana hails from a family in the wine business for six generations. She has a great affinity for the native wines of Ragusa, Sicily. Determined to continue the legacy, she works hard to promote the value of the native wines of her region. The region is known for it s beautiful...
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Indulge in the Virtual Journey to Argentina's Malbec Magic! with Winephabet Street
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Join us on our journey to South America, where the rich soils of Argentina have produced some of the world's best Malbec wines with guest Veronica Kathuria from Wines of Argentina. Argentina it's located in the southern most corner of South America the South American content And it's about in a better way I have I will speak kilometers and miles because I still go to kilometers but it ranges about 38 kilometers distance from extreme north to extreme south. A Brief History: Malbec's Journey to Argentina Malbec's origins can be traced back to France, especially in regions...
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Lagrein Unleashed: A Journey into Alto Adige's Bold Red with Karoline Walch on Winephabet Street
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In the heart of Alto Adige, a region nestled amidst snow-capped mountains and verdant valleys, thrives a grape as bold and characterful as the landscape itself - Lagrein. Join us on Winephabet Street, as we delve into the fascinating world of this indigenous Italian variety, accompanied by a very special guest - Karoline Walch from the esteemed Elena Walch Winery. The Magic of Lagrein Born from Alto Adige's mineral-rich soils and varying climatic conditions, the Lagrein grape creates an intoxicating wine that commands attention. Its dark fruit flavors, robust tannins, and slight spiciness...
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A Look into the Indigenous Grape Variety from Crete the Kotsifali Grape
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The Kotsifali grape is an indigenous red grape variety from the Greek island of Crete. This grape is an essential component of many Cretan wines and is highly prized for its unique qualities.It is known for producing wines with medium to full body and moderate acidity. The grape is often blended with the Mandilaria grape to create wines with a deep ruby color and notes of dark fruits, herbs, and spices. The Kotsifali grape also produces rosé wines with fresh fruit flavors and floral aromas. The winemaking tradition of Crete dates back to ancient times, and the island has a long...
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The Unique and Rare Jampal Grape: Exploring Portugal's Hidden Gem
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The Jampal grape, also known as Jampel or Malvasia Fina de Jampal, is a unique and rare grape variety native to Portugal. It is believed to have originated in the Douro Valley region. It is predominantly grown in the Terras do Dão region, located in the country's central northern part. The Jampal grape is a white grape known for its high acidity and aromatic qualities. It is said to produce wines with a rich, full-bodied flavor that is often described as having a mineral quality with notes of citrus, green apple, and stone fruits. Jampal grapes are known for their thick skin, which helps...
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Winephabet Street: The Isabella Grape
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In this episode of Winephabet Street, we learned about the Isabella grape with Stephen Casscles, a viticulturist and winemaker from New York's Hudson Valley. His project is where he works with indigenous, native or historically notable grapes and re-introducing them and a national audience to bring these grapes back. Winephabet Street is a monthly series where Lori Budd of and I work our way through the alphabet exploring wine and wine regions one letter at a time. The show is live on the third Monday at 8pm (but does change depending on our schedules) and is free, but you must...
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Welcome to Winephabet Street Season 2 Episode 16- P is for Petite Sirah
Winephabet Street is a monthly series where Lori Budd of Draceana Wines and I work our way through the alphabet exploring wine and wine regions one letter at a time. The show is live on the third Monday at 8pm and is free, but you must register to attend. Put it on your calendar, pour yourself a glass of wine and hang out with us.
February was all about Petite Sirah. We had special guests Steve Tenbrink from Tenbrink Vineyards and his daughter Lisa Howard from Tolenas Winery. Steve is a big Petite Sirah grower and we did a deep dive into Petite Sirah.
First some facts on Petite Sirah:
- Petite Sirah is known as Durif a grape named after its founder Dr. Francois Durif. He was a grape botanist and breeder who in 1880 released the variety that he grew from a cross between Peloursin and Syrah.
- In 1884 Petite Sirah was imported to California by Charles Mclver for his Linda Vista Vineyard at the Mission San Jose in Alameda County.
- 1900 Petite Sirah became a popular variety in California
- 1920’s - Petite Sirah was shipped from California to home winemakers in the East during Prohibition
- 1930’s There were approximately 7,500 Petite Sirah acres planted in California
- 1960’s acreage was down to 4,500
- 1976 California acreage of Petite Sirah is up to approximately 14,000
- 1988 A big decline in California’s Petite Sirah crop to just 5,000 acres between Napa, Sonoma, Monterey and the Central Valley
- Today according to an article in the Napa Valley Register article dated Nov 2016, Petite Sirah acreage is roughly 7,500.
Steve Tenbrink and Lisa Howard
Steve and Lisa are located in the Suisun Valley and they explain whythe Suisun Valley is the Petite Sirah Capital of the world. Many winemaker were coming to the Suisun Valley to purchase Petite Sirah and said that the grapes purchased from there makes the best wine. The favor structure is what shines. The tannins in the Petite Sirah in the Suisun Valley are so soft, not mouth gripping like the grapes grown in other regions. The tannins are still very structured, but they aren’t overdrying abrasive tannins. They believe it’s from the shift in temperature and they are a tad warmer than other areas growing Petite Sirah.
Steve and Lisa go into the physical growth of the grapes. Talking about the cover crops, planting and the weather. The need to thin the grapes down. It’s all about what happens in the vineyard then comes the wine.
2017 Tolenas Suisun Valley Red Blend This is a blend of 50% Petite Sirah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Zinfandel. The wine is all pressed and aged on its own and then comes together in the bottle. The Petite Sirah is put in an 8 ton wooden fermenter. The wine gets gentle pumpovers and is fermented at a high temperature.
The wine has beautiful aromas of sweet herbs and blueberry leading to a soft and silky palate with notes of black cherry, blueberry and black plum. The tannins bit on the finish as the acidity brightens the palate.
Typically Petite Sirah is dark and inky - think purple teeth! It’s a big bold wine and can be very tannic. It has great structure and a unique flavor.
Suggested food pairings for Petite Sirah are red meat, pasta, cheese. It’s a great food wine.
Listen to the podcast or watch the webinar. Unfortunately for this episode I kept getting booted off. Weather, minor technical difficulities, but Lori carried on….
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