The heart of the Cote d’Or is bookended by the villages of Maranges to the south and Marsannay to the north. Over 10,000 acres of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are planted along this 35 mile stretch of the east facing “golden slope” and for many the bottles that emanate from this hallowed zone represent the[…]
Explorer Pack #10: Rioja Beneath the Sierra Cantabria mountain range 165,000 acres of vineyard land is dedicated to the production of Rioja Blanco, Tinto and Rosado. For the red wines the noble Tempranillo varietal is augmented by Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuelo (Carignan) while for whites, Viura is the most important cultivar. In the case of[…]
While California boasts over 140 American Viticultural Areas (AVA’s) and dozens of grape varietals, too often the wine industry’s focus falls on the Napa Valley and it’s star cultivar Cabernet Sauvignon. The California wine industry remains relatively young with arguably a 50-70 year history of producing significant quantities of fine wine. Many of the best[…]
Beginning in the 1970’s a small group of curious wine producers focused their attention on the unique growing conditions of Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Almost immediately, Pinot Noir was deemed appropriate to be planted in the vineyards that make up what has become a very important American Viticultural Area (AVA). Today, a multitude of other European[…]
Explorer Pack #7: Tuscany The Tuscan wine landscape loosely encompasses the vineyards located between Florence and Rome on the western side of Italy. Dozens of grape varietals call Tuscany home and its communes vary widely in terms of climate and soil depending on their elevation and proximity to the Mediterranean Sea. Winemaking styles are also[…]
Explorer Pack #6: Bordeaux The Bordeaux winegrowing region encompasses over 50 different appellations and 8,000+ chateaux producing a wide range of white, red and rose wine fashioned from less than ten grape varietals. The Atlantic ocean influenced climate of the zone provides relatively reliable growing seasons which typically feature cool Spring temperatures followed by warm,[…]
This month we begin our tour of Spain by focusing on the regions north and west of the city of Madrid. Beginning near the Atlantic ocean and continuing on to the relatively high elevation zones of Castilla y Leon, this portion of Spain features a variety of well sited vineyard locations which offer a combination[…]
For our first foray outside of France, we have selected the endlessly vast wine landscape of Germany. While best known for the noble Riesling variety, Germany is home to many, many other grapes, each holding their own charm and utility. There are also a number of unique growing regions to be discovered – from the[…]