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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Winephabet Street: H is for Hondarrabi Zuri
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Have you heard of the Txakoli region of Spain and/or the Hondarrabi Zuri grape? First let me tell you how these words are pronounced. Txakoli is pronounced chah-kuh-lee and Hondarrabi Zuri is pronounced ohn-dah-rah-bee Zoo-Ree. Our January episode of Winephabet Street we explored the Txakoli region of Spain and the Hondarrabi Zuri grape with special guest Rick Fisher, Spanish Programs Director at the Wine scholar Guild. 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...
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Have You Heard of the Graciano Grape?
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Have you heard of the Graciano grape? I didn’t until we featured it on Winephabet Street in November. Graciano is mainly grown in the Rioja and Navarra regions of Spain. It is difficult to grow, is low-yielding, late harvesting and susceptible to mildew. It is used a lot as a blending grape for its deep color, strong aromas and ability to age. 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 sechedules)...
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Winephabet Street Season 3 Episode 6- F is for Frappatto
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Welcome to Winephabet Street Season 3, Episode 6- F is for Frappatto. In this episode of Winephabet Street, we talk about the Frappatto grape with Pietro Russo, the winemaker at DonnaFugata Winery. 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 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. The Frappato grape is grown in the southeastern coast of Sicily. It produces a...
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Becoming a Fan of Jumilla
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If you haven’t tasted wines from the Jumilla region of Spain, you must. You will become a fan instantly! Trust me! On October 12, I had the opportunity to attend Spain’s Great Match at the Mercado Little Spain, NYC, and learned a little more about the wines from this region of Spain. The Jumilla region has some beautiful wines, and the predominant grape is Monastrell. Take time to read the article and listen to the podcast about the Jumilla region and the wines. You will have a better understanding of the grapes and wines from this region. You will reach for a bottle next time...
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7 Facts About Madeira Wine
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I got invited to a Madeira wine tasting a few weeks ago. Madeira? I realized I didn’t know much about this type of wine. I went to the tasting and attended the seminar and educated myself all about Madeira. Madeira is very versatile and pairs well with many foods. I’m going to give you 7 facts about Madeira and at the end is a podcast that will give you a better understanding of this wine from the seminar I attended with Bruno Almeida, Sommelier and Portuguese Wine Ambassador.I hope you learn as much as I did, and give Madeira a try. 7 Facts About Madeira Wine Madeira is a...
info_outlineThis month on Winephabet Street Lori and I explored the Mt Etna region of Italy for the letter E. I had a great presentation all prepared and then my 18 month old Lenovo computer crashed. I wasn’t a happy camper and tried to recreate what I had put together for the event.
Mt Etna is a DOC regions that sits on the north, east and south slopes of the Etna Volcano in the province of Catania. It’s been farmed since ancient times going way back to when the Greeks conquered the region in 729 BC and planted grapes.
Thirty years ago there were just 5 wine producers in the region. The resurgence is due to Giuseppe Benanti who began producing wines from local varieties on his farm in the Etna region in the early 1990’s. Now many are buying up land and planting in the region.
Etna’s primary wine producing zone rises up the slopes of Mt. Etna to an elevation of 3,500 feet and higher. They are the highest commercial vineyards in the world. Due to the steepness the harvesting is all done by hand. Etna’s soil is rich wiht volcanic nutrients that are hospitable to growing frapes. The high elevation vineyards are also an inviting environment for growing grapes with the hot Mediterranean sun while the warm Mediterranean breezes are conductive to an extended growing season. Etna’s rich volcanic soil also contains a high concentration of sand a compination that has proved to be highly resistant to the phylloxera root pest that decimated other European vineyards in the late 1800’s.
The wines produced in the region are primarily red and white with some Rose (Rosato).
Etna Rosso (red) is a blended wine with 80% Nerello Mascalese and 20% Nerello Cappuccio both indigenous to the region. It’s been said that Etna Rosso wines have a nice structure similar to Barolo. They don’t require aging and like to be drank young.
Etna Bianco is a blend of 60% Carricante and 40% other whites grown in the region.
For this episode I choose a Firriato Le Sabbie Dell’Etna Etna Bianco which is a blend of Catarratto and Carricante. I was so pleasantly surprised on how much I enjoyed this wine. You’ll see how excited I am when you listen to the video or audio. I’ll save it for there.
Don’t forget to sign up for November 20th when Winephabet Street explores F for Furmint. Sign up here.