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Chardonnay
Believed to be of Middle Eastern origin, Chardonnay is the world’s most popular white varietal, and one that loses itself completely to wine making techniques. More a type of wine than a vine variety (with some definite exceptions), Chardonnay is made in every imaginable style. In the last 50 years or so, plantings in Australia […]
Semillon
Semillon seems to have originated in the Bordeaux region of South West France, where it was well recognized in the eighteenth century. In Australia the variety was probably brought out in the Busby collection of 1832 (as Groendruif). It is known that wine was being made from Semillon grapes in the Hunter Valley area of […]
Viognier
The precise historical origin of this varietal is unknown, but many believe it dates back to the Roman Empire. According to one story, Emperor Probus imported Viognier into Condrieu from Dalmatia (in present-day Croatia) in 281 AD as a means of replacing the vineyards destroyed by Emperor Vespasian. Legend has it that Vespasian tore up […]
White Rhone Blend – Marsanne/Roussanne
Marsanne originates in France’s Rhone Valley, where it is the mainstay of the whites of this area. It is one of eight white grape varieties allowed in the Côtes du Rhône appellation and forms the foundation of white Hermitage. Unlike Roussanne, it is an aggressive producer with no significant growing problems, and has gradually taken […]
Gewurztraminer
Gewürztraminer is one of the most pungent wine varietals, easy for even the beginning taster to recognize by its heady, aromatic scent. While the French have achieved the greatest success with this grape, the history of Gewürztraminer began in Italy’s Tyrollean Alps, near the village of Termeno (Tramin) in Alto Adige. Since the Middle Ages, […]
Pinot Gris/Grigio
Pinot Gris is one of the many mutations of Pinot Noir. Its skin ranges from white to pink to black, and occasionally the wine will have a “gris” or gray, even pink hue. The grape adapts amazingly well to its site. As a result, it is hard to believe that a rich, honeyed, tangy, minerally […]
Chenin Blanc
Chenin Blanc was cultivated from the ninth century in the Anjou region of France’s Loire Valley, and since the mid 1600’s in South Africa. Rabelais wrote about this varietal. While at its pinnacle in the Loire, much of what is produced in South Africa, where it goes by the name of Steen, and in North […]
Riesling
The world’s greatest white variety, Riesling, has very vibrant natural acidity, giving it longevity and the potential to make a very balanced sweet or dry wine. Misunderstood and for the most part unappreciated, the brilliant Rieslings of Germany, Austria, and Alsace are tremendous values for those who appreciate them. Riesling has thrived in Germany since the […]
Muscat
Muscat is an aromatic grape which leads to the production of excellent dessert wines and interesting dry whites. Fresh or aged, natural or fortified the dessert Muscat wines are appreciated by experienced and young palates alike. It is the world’s oldest known grape variety, and probably originated in Greece, where it is still cultivated today. […]
The Sizzle – a Culinary Collaboration of Sriracha and Wine
What does the Godfather of Zin and an artisanal chili sauce producer have in common? Let’s just call it the sizzle, which is similar to the feeling when Joel is in the room. California’s Ravenswood Winery has partnered with Brooklyn, NY’s Jolene Collins, who handcrafts all natural small batch sriracha from locally grown peppers, to […]
Discovery to Table
Cellar to Table with Your Chanticleer Wines By Master Sommelier Catherine Fallis, aka grape goddess®* You’ve discovered a great wine, visited the winery, scored a spot on the mailing list, and the wines are now in your hands, ready to deliver pleasure to you and your guests. Yet it is at […]
The Truth Behind Bev Mo’s 5 Cent Sale
Buy one bottle, get one for 5 cents. That sounds like a great deal and an excuse to stock up, right? I hear this all the time, from consumers to students of wine. They assume they are getting deals and are shocked when I explain this reality to them. Here is an example. A nice […]
Fun, Festive & All-American Thanksgiving Wines
Enjoy any of these all-American selections with your friends and family this holiday! Sparkling 2013 Kramer Family Celebrate! Sparkling Muller-Thurgau Yamhill-Carlton Willamette Valley Oregon$22, 89 points – This dry, charming bubbly with notes of pineapple, guava, lemon, and violet candy from an esoteric grape is ideal for guests to sip on while waiting for […]
Just in Time for #TempranilloDay – Four from Spain
Planet Grape Wine Review – 2008 Bordon Rioja Reserva Spain $18 This elegant blend of 80% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha and 5% Mazuelo is traditional Rioja at its best – understated, earthy, slightly tannic, and ideal for slow braised Lamb shanks or Lentil Dal. 94 – 2011 Bodega Balbas “18” Ribera del Duero Crianza Spain $15 […]
Post Election Day Pinots
Now that Election Day and Halloween are over, sit back, relax, and enjoy a big, bowl-shaped glass of one of these saucy sirens: – 2013 Argus Pinot Noir Napa Valley Carneros California $42 Ben and Jerry Cherry Garcia bombshell. Rich, silky palate. 98 – 2012 Frank Family Vineyards Pinot Noir Carneros California $35 Sweet ripe […]
Midnight Red and Berry Vodka for Haunted House Party
Happy Halloween! Looking for that something special to serve at your Haunted House Party? We’ve unearthed these two devilish delights to get your spirits lifted: – 2013 Menage a Trois MIDNIGHT Dark Red Blend California $14.99 A deeply fruity, silky, smooth and ripe, almost port-like red wine. – Menage a Trois Berry Vodka […]
Pere Ventura Cava – A Beautiful Sparkling Wine for $15
Cava is the popular and very well-priced Spanish sparkling wine which is similar to Champagne in production and aging but made with indigenous grapes. The most noble grape, Xarello (say “Cha – reh- lo”) is the bones, or the structure, while Macabeo is the meat or flesh. Parellada comes into the mix, as well as […]
Sicily’s Donnafugata Winery
Giacomo and Gabriella Rallo along with their daughter Jose and son Antonio launched Donnafugata Winery in 1983 both at the family’s historic cellars in Marsala and at their Contessa Entellina vineyards in the heart of western Sicily. “Donnafugata,” or “woman in flight,” refers to Queen Maria Carolina, wife of Ferdinand IV of Bourbon, who sought […]
Mondavi Launches Animo – A New Napa Valley Mountain Cabernet
Named after the Italian word for spirit, or heart, Animo is a new project from Michael Mondavi and his family. The 2010 Animo Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley $85, a sleek, fruit forward and softly tannic wine, has notes of blackberry, blueberry, mocha, coffee bean and smoke. The vineyard is located on a 15-acre […]
Two for Tuesday – Greek White & Lodi Zin
White Wine Tonight, try something new. Check out the 2012 Domaine Porto Carras Malgouzia, Regional Wine of Sithonia, $14.95, a rich, dry, aromatic white wine from Greece. Domaine Porto Carras, one of Greece’s most significant and globally-recognized wineries, saved this unique grape from extinction in the 1980’s and ’90’s. It is round and silky with […]
74th DOCG Granted – Italy Celebrates a Serious Barbera
After a frenzy of new DOCG’s, many of them granted for less than serious wines in less than serious styles (think sweet, red and sparkling), Italy’s 74th DOCG, or Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita, has been announced. Piedmont’s Nizza DOCG is official. The Consorzio Tutela Vini d’Asti del Monferrato agreed to elevate the Nizza subzone […]
Sabering Moet et Chandon Champagne at Sea
Sabering at Sea Cellar Master Sasa Grujicic and Master Sommelier Catherine Fallis Saber Moet et Chandon Rose Champagne in tandem, in the Dining Room, on Holland America’s MS Maasdam while sailing through the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada. © Copyright 2014 Master Sommelier Catherine Fallis, Planet Grape LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Malibu Coast Becomes an AVA
Photo Courtesy David Glancy MS, SF Wine School The 46 mile long and 8 mile wide Malibu Coast, with glitzy beachfront mansions and celebrity-filled Starbucks, is now an official American Viticultural Area, or American wine appellation. This is ironic in that the area is home to several low profile celebrity rehab facilities. Nonetheless, Malibu is […]
Umbrian Essence – Strada del Sagrantino
For lovers of Umbrian wines, the Sagrantino Umbrian Essence event, held on June 10th at San Francisco’s The Press Club, was a rare treat. Eight producers were on hand to showcase their wines, with an emphasis on the star of the region, Sagrantino di Montefalco. The indigenous Sagrantino grape produces very tannic wines that are […]
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