Pale ruby color; strawberry, cranberry, red fruits, smoke, grapey on the nose; strawberry, pomegranate, balsamic notes on the palate. Continue reading “Planeta Frappato Vittoria 2020”
Category: Wine & Grapes
Beronia Gran Reserva Rioja 2013
Deep ruby-garnet color; cherry, cedar, tobacco on the nose; cherry, blackcurrant, plum, blackberry, black olives, mocha, earth, vanilla, oak spice on the palate. Continue reading “Beronia Gran Reserva Rioja 2013”
Stromberg-Zabergäu Pinot Meunier Sparkling Rosé Extra Brut NV
Medium copper color; apple, bread, raspberry on the nose; apple, peach, nectarine, bread on the palate. Continue reading “Stromberg-Zabergäu Pinot Meunier Sparkling Rosé Extra Brut NV”
Optimism 1-4-2023
New year. No matter if you look back on 2022 with a sigh of satisfaction or you are grovelingly thankful to survive another solar circumnavigation, time for optimism. Continue reading “Optimism 1-4-2023”
Chardonnay 7-20-2022
The past 40 years have been a rollercoaster for chardonnay, the most popular wine in the United States. Continue reading “Chardonnay 7-20-2022”
Donnafugata Bell’Assai Vittoria DOC Frappato, Sicilia 2019
Medium ruby color; red berries, grapes, violets, roses, lavender on the nose; strawberry, pomegranate, tart cherry, raspberry, cinnamon on the palate. Continue reading “Donnafugata Bell’Assai Vittoria DOC Frappato, Sicilia 2019”
Fruit wines 5-18-2022
Almost all the wine we drink is made from various varieties of Vitis vinifera, a grape native to the Mediterranean and Central Asia. There are more than 10,000 varieties of this genus of grape.
But Vitis vinifera is not the only fruit that produces wine.
Virtually any fruit can produce wine.
Vitis labrusca is a grape native to eastern North America. Some wines are made with Vitis labrusca, but you likely know it better as Concord grape juice and Concord grape jelly.

• Strawberry wine uses strawberries, water, lemon juice, yeast, and sugar. Sugar and water are key ingredients in most fruit wines. Sugar is needed because many fruit wines do not have enough natural sugar to support fermentation, but you can go light on the added sugar to produce a dry, low-alcohol wine. Strawberry wine aroma is distinct and agreeable, and the wine delivers a parade of pleasant flavors.
• Plum wine is made from fermented plums in a way similar to how apples are used for cider. It is particularly associated with the north Cotswolds in south-central England.
• Pineapple wine is a soft, dry wine with a strong pineapple bouquet. In Mexico, it is called tepache and has an alcohol content similar to beer. Pineapple wine also is popular in Thailand and other southeast Asian countries.
• Pomegranate wine is commercially produced in Israel and marketed as Rimon. The Israeli wine is made from a special variety of pomegranates developed to deliver high levels of sugar for fermentation.
• Dandelion wine uses dandelion petals, sugar, and—often—lemon juice. Most dandelion wine is homemade, but several U.S. wineries produce it as a commercial product.
• Banana wine is made from ripe bananas that are mashed and then boiled for several hours to form a base of juice and pulp. The resulting mash is strained, sugar is added, and the juice boiled again. Fermentation lasts up to three weeks, then sterilized water is added to dilute the wine. It is particularly associated with Tanzania, the Philippines, and India.
• Cherry wine is made using tart cherries and can be the basis of fortified wines and liqueurs. Michigan is the leading cherry wine state—it is the leading cherry-producing state after all.
These are some of the most popular fruit wines. Other fruit wines are made with oranges, lychee, blackberry, blackcurrant, blueberry, cranberry, elderberry, gooseberry, raspberry, and mulberry. All you need is fruit juice, sugar, yeast, and time. Voilà! Wine.
Last round: How do you impress a female baker? Send her flours. Wine time.
Top grapes by country 5-11-2022
While most countries produce a variety of wines, they also have a signature export wine and grape variety. The University of Adelaide in Australia tracks this and presents the signature variety for the top 25 wine-producing countries. Continue reading “Top grapes by country 5-11-2022”
Bordeaux blends 4-27-2022
When people speak of red wine blends, Bordeaux invariably is in the conversation. Here is a quick primer on the region and its blends. Continue reading “Bordeaux blends 4-27-2022”
Farmhouse Vineyards Smōk & Miroirs NV
Deep ruby-inky black color; black fruits, blackcurrant, bacon, smoke on the nose; blackberry, black cherry, black pepper, meat, tobacco on the palate. Continue reading “Farmhouse Vineyards Smōk & Miroirs NV”