With the summer heat upon us, we are all looking for wines that are perfect for the warmer temperatures because they are refreshing, quench one’s thirst, are quaffable, and simply taste good. Porch, picnic, and backyard wines are those wines that fit that bill, and are the focus of our tasting this weekend at City Vino.
For City Vino's weekly tasting the weekend of June 18th, 2021, we take you all to on a summer tour of France. Summer temperatures in France, generally, are warm and not hot. Paris, for example, has average temperatures of 60 to 80 degrees. Along the southern coast of the country, temperatures run higher.
We are family, I got all my Pinots with me, we are family, Get up everybody and sip!
Cabernet Franc is well known for being a blending grape in Bordeaux, but it is so much more than that. It is not only one of the parents of Cabernet Sauvignon, but also a parent of Merlot and Carménère. Cabernet Franc is also one of the top 20 most-planted grapes in the world. It is believed that Cabernet Franc originated in the Basque region in France, where Northern Spain meets with Southwestern France, near the cost of the Bay of Biscay.
While discussing wine, terms like AOC, AOP, DOC, DOCG, AVA, and appellation are often thrown around. The acronyms and words all equate to a recognized geographical area where wine is made. Within that geographical area, there are often rules, laws, and regulations that dictate what grapes can be grown, the weight of the grapes that can be harvested off one acre or hectare, barrel aging requirements, and what percentage of grape varietals have to be in a bottle labelled with the geographical term.
