ARNEIS, A WHITE VARIETAL FROM PIAMONTE

Do you know that the Piedmont region in Italy is also well-known for white wines?

Let me introduce you to Arneis, the most widely planted white grape in Roero, a province that lies between the cities of Bra and Alba, where the sandy soils make fantastic white wines. Long time ago this white grape was really planted with the aim of attracting birds and bees away from the red grapes; but within the incoming years its quality became better and it is now known as a perfect white wine.

City of Bra. (picture: Davide Papalini)

Arneis is a low acidity grape that is difficult to be cultivated as it has a tendency to over ripe if it is harvested after the month of September. A medium bodied white wine, with peach, apple and citrus flavors with a hint of bitterness on the finish that might taste like grapefruit.

Also known as Barolo Bianco or White Barolo, it has been used to soften the natural harshness of the Nebbiolos too.

Serralunga D'Alba, Piedmont (picture: Flickr)

Arneis is usually fermented in stainless steel barrels for five months and aged on oak barrels giving the opportunity to produce more full bodied white Arneis with aromas of almonds, apricots and peaches.

Drink it while it is young so that you could enjoy its freshness and match it with starters, shellfish, chicken and any buttery or spicy sauces.

Great wine for summer!

CINSAUT, THE FRENCH COLONIES’ WINE

Cinsaut also known as Cinsault is an ancient red wine that started being produced at the French colonies of Algeria and Morocco. We usually find it blended with other grapes as Carignane or Grenache.

Tangier

This wine became very popular in Algeria as its drought resistance and nowadays is very popular in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in France and South Africa where it is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon.

Cinsaut grapes offer great perfume and when transformed into wine, they could become great rose wines or they could be blended with other red varietals. Back in the days, the North African plantings were shipped across the Mediterranean Sea from the French colonies to France. This type of grape used to be known as “Hermitage” in South Africa and when it was later blended with Pinot Noir it was renamed as “Pinotage”.

The best rose wines produced from Cinsaut are the ones from the Chateauneuf-du-Pape, located in the southeastern part of France near Avignon and Orange. The altitude in this regions reaches 120 meters and their terroirs are famous for the “galets roules” (round rocks/pebbles) that cover the clay soil. These rocks retain the heat from the sun, releasing it at night, helping with the ripening of the grapes in a short period of time.

Father’s Day is around the corner, why don’t you plan an exotic Moroccan night for your father or beloved husband?

Go to your nearest fresh market, grab some spices like cumin, ginger and paprika; cook a Moroccan style lamb with prunes and apricots, add some eggplant appetizers and saffron rice and you are ready to go!

Don’t forget to bring a French Cinsaut like the 2006 Domaine du Vieux Lazaret Chateauneuf-du-Pape.



The Blue Gate - Fes

Note: A couple of years ago, I actually walked thru The Blue Gate at Fes and it was an amazing moment in my life!

Happy Father’s Day!

AUSTRIA UNCORKED

How much do you know about Austrian wines?

Let’s start saying that for many thousand years Austria has been producing their wines in the same way keeping alive their own tradition related to their natural rural landscape.

Hallstatt, Austria (Andrew Bossi)

Austria offers wonderful opulent red wines like the Zweigelt, which is a non oaked full bodied wine with strong cherry aromas and delicate spice. They also produce the St. Laurent varietal which belongs to the Pinot family; fruity with aromas of blackberries and plums.

Regarding the Austrian white wine culture which is vast and famous you could find great aged wines that are produced in amazing terroirs like: the Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Grauburgunder.

Mariahilferstrasse, Vienna (Herbert Otner)

Nothing is better than paring Austrian cuisine, based on the traditions from the old Austro-Hungarian Empire and Austrian wines. They just match perfect! Traditional recipes that include rabbit, Tafelspitz (juicy cooked beef), Schweinsbraten (spiced port roast) and the famous Wiener Schnitzel (breaded veal or pork cutlets) are better enjoyed with their own local wines.

Today is becoming more frequent to find top restaurants in New York, Tokyo and Hong Kong that are including top Austrian wines to their wine lists as they match better with Asian dishes. Any fish appetizer or the classic Dim Sum and spring rolls would match better with a robust Grüner Veltliner due to its sharp flavor and well integrated acidity that refreshes the palate.

If you are like me and you love sushi and tuna, next time upgrade your wine taste and experience a top notch Austrian wine!



City of Salzburg, Austria (Thomas Pintaric)



ICE WINE, A GIFT FROM THE CANADIAN WINTER

Ice Wines are amazing wines that are mostly produced in Canada and Germany. Ice Wines are a type of dessert wines produced from grapes that have been frozen while there were still on the vine. The freezing happens before its fermentation and the magical thing is that the sugar in the grape does not freeze but the water does.

Ice Wine Grapes.
(picture from Flickr by Dominic Rivard)

These wines are usually expensive, as its production process is more intense, risky and the amount of produced bottles is rather small. The grapes are picked by hand during the extremely cold winter season (17 degrees Fahrenheit) and workers have to struggle through the intense snowing in the middle of the night. How amazing is that!

You could find great Riesling, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Franc Ice Wines not only in Canada but also in Oregon and Washington, as the Pacific Northwest is an important producer in the United States.

Canadian red Ice Wines
(picture from Flickr by Craig Hatfield)

The Ice Wines are considered rare luscious nectars that are enjoyed with dessert, before dessert or even as a dessert. You could even enhance a dish like Foie Gras, duck or lobster with a classic Ice Wine served very frozen.

Peller Estates Icewine in Canada, produce well known ice wines and you could find in their website (http://www.pellericewine.com) different recipes for a superb dinner. Check it out, enjoy their “Ice Wine story movie” and plan your next winter trip to Canada!

Ice Wines are a truly gift of a winter night; magical and romantic...