As the temperatures drop and our bodies attempt to adjust to the cooler temperatures of the fall into winter, we don heavier fabrics or add layers of clothing, sit in front of a roaring fire in the firepit or fireplace, and look to hot drinks to warm us from within. This week’s blog features warm wine concoctions, to ease in with the seasonal temperature transition.
Nebbiolo is an iconic grape hailing from the Piedmont region of Italy. Over 95 percent of the word’s Nebbiolo is grown there, and you’d be hard pressed to find much growing in Italy outside of this region. The origins of the name Nebbiolo have been linked to the Italian word nebbia meaning fog. This connection may be attributable to the fact that the best vineyard locations for the grape are above the fog line, once it has settled into the lower valley.
The “Look of Wine” is the first part of a multi-part blog that we’ll spread out over the next couple of months about how to taste wine. Each post will cover a different component of wine tasting. The key to beginning wine tasting is that there are no wrong answers! You can like a wine, not like a wine, or be ambivalent about it, and it’s all good. Wine preferences are subjective, even though wine scores tend to imply otherwise. Find out what you like, and don’t like, and own it. Explore outside your preferences and you may be surprised to find more wines or styles than you knew you like. The first thing you notice when wine is poured in your glass is the color. Wine Folly’s website released this graphic about wine color that is helpful in showing a wide array of shades of wine, and possible wine varieties or styles that the shade may indicate. For all wines, the grape variety itself, or the winemaking style, may produce juice that is either light or dark or somewhere in between as this chart indicates.
A red blend is a designation or description indicating that the bottle contains more than one grape variety. Red blends can be made in traditional style, such as a Bordeaux or Rhône wine, or with any combination of grapes that the winemaker desires, if it is in alignment with the local wine laws. Wine laws can dictate what grapes can be used and in what proportion.
In the words of renowned wine critic Michael Broadbent, "Drinking good wine with good food, in good company, is one of life's most civilized pleasures.” We here at City Vino agree wholeheartedly! With that in mind we are picking up from where we left off last week, covering sparkling and white wines for the holidays, we are now recommending some red wines for your holiday dining and gift giving pleasure.
