Posts Tagged ‘Wine Dictionary’
Wine Dictionary – Muscadet
Muscadet is a white French wine made from the Muscadet grape, which is formally called Melon de Bourgogne, often referred to simply as melon pronounced “meh-Lawn”. This French white wine is primarily made at the western end of the Loire Valley, near the city of Nantes in the Pays de la Loire region of France.
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!
Posted in Dictionary | 
Tags: French Wine, Muscadet, Varietals Guide, wine definition, Wine Dictionary, wine terms | 
No Comments »
Wine Dictionary – Viognier
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.
Posted in Dictionary |
Tags: French Wine, Varietals Guide, Viognier, White Wine, Wine and Food Pairings, Wine Dictionary, wine reference, wine terms |
No Comments »
Wine Dictionary – Rose
Hey, is that Kool-Aid that you’re drinking? Nope, its Rosé wine.
So what the heck is Rosé wine anyway? Well, it can be a simple mix of white and red wine. But, in most cases, a Rosé wine is just the by-product of a red-skinned grape. Rosé wines are usually made by removing the skins just before the juice is a deep ruby red color. This contact period with the juice is usually about 2-3 days to achieve its “pretty in pink” color.
Rosé wine is usually on the lighter side and exhibits some strawberry-like flavors. Here in the US a lot of consumers enjoy White Zinfandel. However, this popular pink concoction is not considered a true rosé, but rather a “blush”.
Rosé wine is a great hot weather wine that matches up well with BBQ sauce slathered chicken, ribs, fried fare, and believe it or not – Easter ham.
If you’re in the market for the real deal in Rosé, I highly recommend trying one from Spain, Portugal, or France. Chill well before drinking.
Wine Dictionary – Torrontes
Torrontes is the most popular and widely grown white grape in Argentina. This native Argentinean white grape is grown mainly in the provinces of Catamarca, La Rioja, Mendoza, Salta, San Juan and Rio Negro. The Torrontes grape produces wine with a very strong floral scent to it – and I’m not joking when I say a strong floral scent! It hits you like you’ve just walked into a flower shop. The Torrontes wine shares many similar attributes to a Viognier wine: Torrontes wines exhibit a floral scent and generally have a powerful punch of peach and citrus flavors, similar to Viogniers.
Torrontes is a great sipping or “stand-alone” wine. It’s terrific with salads, cheeses and grilled/smoked meats. It’s really awesome with spicy dishes as well!
Posted in Dictionary |
Tags: Torrontes, Wine and Food Pairings, Wine Dictionary, wine reference |
No Comments »
Wine Dictionary – Finish
If you drink wine, you’ve probably seen or heard the wine term “Finish” used more than once. But what the heck does this descriptive wine term actually mean?
Here’s a wine experiment for you to try at home:
1.) Take a sip of wine
2.) Move the wine around in your mouth
3.) Swallow it
4.) Now count. If the “Finish” or “Aftertaste” of the wine is less than a few seconds, then your taste buds have determined that this particular wine has a “Short Finish”. A “Medium Finish” means that it lingers around a bit just for a little while longer. If you have a wine with a “Long Finish” it means that the taste of the wine seems to go on and on forever in your mouth.
“Finish” is just one part of the wine tasting experience. It simply means how long the taste of a wine stays in your mouth or on your taste buds after you’ve swallowed it. After swallowing the wine, you try to determine in your own mind if the wine’s “finish” lingers around for a while or if it’s gone faster than you can say, “buh-bye”. Typically, in fancy shmancy wine terms, when a writer or critic says that this wine has a “Long Finish”, they are giving the wine a gold star and saying “good job” to the winemaker. However, don’t be confused, as it is only one indicator – there are many things that taste terrible and leave a horribly long aftertaste or “finish” in your mouth. Think cod liver oil.
Cheers!
