19 posts
Marsanne 🥂 Marsanne (mar-shon) is a white wine grape from France that has its origins in the Northern Rhône Valley. The grape’s cultivation was first recorded in the 16th century. It was formally documented as a distinct varietal in 1781, establish...
Dolcetto 🍷 Dolcetto(dol-chet-to) is a black wine grape variety almost exclusively grown in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. While its name translates to “little sweet one” the wines produced from this grape are anything but sweet and actually...
Colombard (or Colombar) Photo from Pancrat on Wikimedia Commons The name Colombard likely comes from the French word for dove, “colombe”. Legend has it that the grape was so named because its white, dusty berries match the color of a dove’s pluma...
Cinsault 🍷 Cinsault (sin-so) is also known as “Cinsaut.” Cinsault vines have been grown for centuries in southern France, making it one of the oldest grape varieties found in the region. It has traditionally been used in Southern Rhône blends alon...
As we begin a new year, EverWonderWine will take you on a tour of the more common grapes, A to Z, used around the world to produce wine. We’ll look at where the grapes originated, where they’re grown, the various aroma and flavor profiles as well a...
We know that wine is a lovely drink made from fermented fruit, but what exactly is in a bottle of wine? Water Wine is usually comprised of 80-90% water that is directly extracted from squeezed grapes. In rare instances, water may be added to dilu...
While Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay are well known grapes used for making wines, here are just a few grape varieties that you may not have heard of previously. But, several Behind the Cork™ Wines of the Week have and will feature these lesser kn...
Wine making, on the surface, might seem pretty simple. You take grape juice, add yeast and presto, you have wine. And, indeed, a wine maker did tell me that it’s that easy. But, he went on to add, making good wine is not easy! Wine does begin wit...
Nebbiolo is a grape that is grown almost exclusively in Italy. In the Piedmont region. And, most famously in Barolo and Barbaresco. The Nebbiolo grape is named for the Italian word for fog which is “nebbia.” This grape thrives in the cool and foggy ...
Last time we looked at Baco Noir, a hybrid grape that produces a medium-bodied red wine. But, there’s also a Baco Blanc, a white wine grape. Both of these hybrid grapes were developed by François Baco. Baco Blanc was developed in 1898 by crossing of...
It’s always exciting to me to ‘discover’ and new wine grape. And, while doing some recent reading, I came across Baco Noir (BAH-koh NWAHR), a grape I’d not previous heard about. Baco Noir got its start in the early 1900. It’s a hybrid grape meaning...
Traditionally, white wine is made from ‘green’ grapes and red wine is made from ‘red’ grapes. But, did you know that white wines can be made from red wine grapes? First, let’s take a quick look at how white and red wines are made. In the productio...
While perusing the wine list at a casual restaurant, a friend of mine recently asked “Have you heard of Zibibbo?” I had to reply that I didn’t but promised to look into it. It turns out that Zibibbo is a white wine grape variety used to produce both...
During a recent stroll through the produce aisle of my favorite grocery store, I saw a display labeled “Champagne Grapes.” They are beautiful bunches of small red-ish grapes. And, they look really good. But, the first thing that came to my mind was ...
The grape growing cycle is currently at the point where berries (the actual term for individual grapes) begin to turn color. This marks the point at which the grape vines move from berry growth to berry ripening. The term for this stage is called Ve...
During one of our trips to Paso Robles a few years ago, we visited the Kenneth Volk tasting room and really enjoyed their wines. The Paso Robles tasting room is no longer open, but on a subsequent trip to Paso, we stopped in at the Albertsons market...
Last time, we started the exploration of wine flavors. And, basically, a wine’s flavor comes from the grapes, the fermentation process and its aging. So, let’s jump right in and start with the star of the show, the grapes. You might think “Well, of ...
There are only two ingredients in wine: grapes and yeast. Yet, white wines can be described as having flavors that include lemon, lime, grapefruit, apple, peach, pear and orange. And red wines can be described as having flavors of cherry, raspberry...
Well, maybe you haven’t ever wondered about the life cycle of a wine grape. Wine making is typically the process that gets all of the attention. And, yes, it’s amazing that grapes can be turned into such complex wines. The process of growing the grap...