All muscadet wine produced in France will have an “AOC” designation stamped on the label. “AOC” stands for Appellation d’origine contrôlée, which translates to “controlled term of origin”.  France has a very strict law that stresses that AOC products shall be produced in a consistent and traditional manner with ingredients from specifically classified producers in designated geographical areas. The products must further be aged at least partially in the respective designated area.  In this particular case, Muscadet has three “AOC’s” which are:

1.) Sèvre et Maine
2.) Coteaux de la Loire
3.) Côtes de Grandlieu 

Much of the best Muscadet comes from the Sèvre et Maine AOC area and all labels from this particular AOC will say “Sur Lie”, which means that the wine stayed in contact with its sediment for a period of time to give the Muscadet more complexity of flavors.

French Muscadet is a fairly light tasting style of white wine.  However, most possess a zippy tart lemon-lime flavor that is great for sipping on a sizzling summer day.  Muscadet is a terrific companion with shellfish-especially oysters and clams.  If the raw bar is your thing, a French Muscadet is the perfect marriage.

When shopping for Muscadet, make sure to purchase the youngest ones that you can find because this white wine in most cases, does not age well. 

Chill well and enjoy!

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Many guides differ slightly when giving the pronunciation of this native Rhone Valley white grape.  Some say vee-own-yay, while others say vee-on-yay.  Vee-on-yay with a short o is actually the correct way to pronounce it.  But hey, it’s all good no matter how you say it.

This awesome white grape that was originally born in the Rhone Valley of France is now being planted all over the globe.  In it’s native France, the majority of Viogniers are sold as  “Vin de Pays“, or “country wine” in the Languedoc wine region of France.  In the Rhone wine region, the Viognier grape is often blended with other native French white wine grapes like Roussanne, Marsanne, Grenache blanc, and Rolle.  Finally, in Northern Rhone, Viognier is sometimes blended with the Chardonnay grape.

Most Viogniers exhibit a rich, flower shop aroma that is similar to the Torrontes white grape from Argentina.  Most also have an apricot and citrusy flavor.  They’re usually made in a dry style with a hint of sweetness, and leave the oak in the woods where it belongs.

Viognier is a great summer sipping wine.  It partners very nicely with a variety of different foods and I really think it goes great with spicy ethnic dishes, too.  In addition, this white wine is also pretty darn good with soft French cheeses, such as Brie.

One piece of advice to remember when considering purchasing a bottle of Viognier – buy the youngest ones that you can find.  Most Viogniers don’t typically age very well.  

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Amarone comes from the Italian word “amaro”, meaning “bitter”.  Most Amarones have a tart or even an astringent taste to them.  However, there are some that can end up with a rather sweet taste.  This occurs when the sugars become more concentrated during the drying process of the grapes.  With regard to this drying process, a winemaker will take the harvested grapes and lay them on a straw mat, often in an attic or other warm room. The grapes are left to dry over the course of several months creating a “raisiny” flavor that is the backbone of all Amarones.  

You can drink Amarone while it’s young, but they can also age very well – for thirty years or more.  Amarone wine is rarely released until five years after the vintage.  A typical drinking age for an Amarone is 10 years.  Because of the high concentrated sugar level, the alcohol content in an Amarone can easily surpass 15% (the legal minimum is 14%). 

Because Amarones are super rich wines, they’re really great as an after dinner wine with blue cheeses, nuts and a little chocolate.  They should be served at room temperature.

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Tempranillo (tem-prah-NEE-yoh; tem-prah-NEE-lyoh)

The Tempranillo grape is Spain’s best known and most widely grown red grape.   Tempranillo takes well to both oak and bottle aging. This native Spanish red grape is often blended with other red grapes such as Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon and Monastrell (another native Spanish red grape). Tempranillo wines typically have flavors and aromas of dried cherries and other spices.

When shopping for Spanish Tempranillo red wine, look for the wine label to list one of the following Spanish regions on it:

1.)    Rioja

2.)    Ribera del Duero

3.)    Toro

4.)    Valdepenas

5.)    Penedes

Portugal also grows a considerable amount of Tempranillo grapes.  Look for the Portuguese wine label to say the “Duoro” or possibly the “Dão”.

Tempranillo is also found in Argentina, France, and the United States.

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Cabernet Franc was originally grown in France. Over the years, Cabernet Franc has been successfully grown in Australia, Chile, Canada, South Africa, California and Washington. Cabernet Franc is a fruitier and softer red wine than Cabernet Sauvignon.

Since the early 1980s, Cabernet Franc has become increasingly more popular in California, but because of its scarcity in relation to other red grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, it is more expensive. However, more growers have been more willing to work with this red grape since a harsh winter in 1996 killed off a great deal of the Merlot being grown in the Pacific Northwest. Growers really like Cabernet Franc because of its sturdy character and ability to endure cold weather.

If you’ve never tried a Cabernet Franc, you’re probably in the majority of American wine drinkers. This red wine is just not very popular in the United States.

Give it a try some night if you’ve never tasted one!

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