“Pét-Nat,” or “pétillant naturel,” is the term given to sparkling wines made with a single fermentation. Fermentation is started in-tank, then the wine is put into a bottle and topped with a crown cap, like those on beer or glass soda bottles. The yeast in the bottle will continue to ferment the sugar in the grape juice, and the carbon dioxide that is a byproduct of fermentation has nowhere to go, except into the wine itself, yielding a sparkling wine.
Join City Vino on Thursday night, June 25th, at 7 PM, as we virtually hit the highway with a tasting of wines from Highway 12 Winery. Jon Yeager, of International Cellars, and Paul Giusto and Jeff Lubin, of Highway 12, will be steering us on this trip along the highway. The tasting will feature the Highway 12 Carneros Highway Chardonnay 2018 , Highway 12 Sauvignon Blanc 2019, and the Highway 12 Pinot Noir 2017.
Most people are familiar with Argentinian wines made from the Malbec grape. Did you know that the second-most-planted grape in Argentina is Bonarda? The grape was brought to Argentina in the 19th century and was thought to be the Bonarda del Piedmont grape, from Italy. DNA studies in 2009 changed that thought, when it was discovered that the Bonarda in Argentina is actually the Corbeau Noir—a grape from Savoie in the French Alps. The name Argentina was placed behind the name Bonarda, to differentiate it from the Italian variety of the same name. Other synonyms for Bonarda, in addition to Corbeau Noir, include Charbono and Douce Noir.
The country of India conjures up thoughts of exotic spices; colorful fabrics, woven with golden thread; intricate hand-drawn henna hand art; elaborate gold jewelry; and beautiful temples; but did you know that it is a growing wine region? Grape growing in India dates back a couple of millennia, but modern-day winemaking in India saw its start around the 1980s, with the rise of the middle class and its demand for wine.
Portugal is home to over 250 native grape varieties. These are referred to as “Autochthonous Grapes,” since they are indigenous to the place where they are found. Most of the grapes found in Portugal are not found or planted in other regions of the world.
