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Posts Tagged ‘Varietals Guide’

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!

Varietals – fancy wine term for “types”

Believe it or not, there are over 1000 different types of red and white wine-grapes in the world. Some you’ve heard of and most you probably haven’t. What we’re trying to say, is that there are so many more wines for you to try that go beyond Chardonay, Pinot Grigio, Merlot and White Zinfindal. The crew at Wine365 has a fondness for New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. We openly admit that. But it’s certainly not the only white wine that we drink. So, before you grab your everyday Pinot Grigio or Merlot (we love them too!) –try something new. You might find that you actually like something else. But you won’t know unless you give it a shot.

Albarino – Spain’s most popular white wine grape.

Sort of like saying that it’s “Spain’s Chardonnay”. The Albarino grape however is much different than the Chardonnay grape.

The Albarino grape is primarily grown in the Rias Baixes (Lower Inlets) section of the Galicia region of Northwestern Spain. When looking for a bottle of Albarino at your wine shop, look for the wine label to say Rias Baixes.

Weather conditions in the Rias Baixes are generally cool, windy and rainy. Vines must be trained high and open to allow winds to dry them out and avoid the ongoing threat of rot, mildew and other fungal diseases. Because of the weather conditions here, the Albariño grape develops thick skins that contributing to their intense aromas. This Spanish white grape is very aromatic and has a lot of intense apple and peach on the taste.

 This type of wine goes great with seafood and Asian style food.

One big final note on Albarino, they do not age well. Your best bet is to drink this while it’s still young. You should stay away from old vintages.

Give it a try if you’ve never had one!