UNCORKED WINE TRAVELS

Musings Along The Wine Trails

Spring Is The Ideal Time To Visit Wine Country

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There’s an electricity in the air in early Spring when the vineyards awaken from dormancy.  Wild shades of vibrant green shoots emerge from the bare vines and stretch upward to the sun. Tendrils wrap around the staked guide wires and prepare for flowering.

Grape flowers are called the perfect flowers, as they self-pollinate, without the need for bees.  A few days after flowering occurs, fruit set takes place.  Fruit set is the actual formation of the grape seeds, which grow rapidly, forming mature grapes over the next 100 days.

Pruning and canopy management, is essential. Leaves or grape clusters are often removed during the growing season to allow for ventilation and for even ripening.   Some vineyard managers will thin or drop excess grape clusters in order to concentrate the juices.   [Read more…]

NEW BOOK RELEASE: Root Cause, A Novel by Steven Laine

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For some light “wine centric reading”, Root Cause, A Novel by Steven Laine, is an engaging  who-dun-it globe-trotting mystery with a twist.

The plot is fast-moving, sprinkled with historical wine antidotes and international intrigue.  Flying winemaker Corvina Guerra discovers her own family’s vineyard in Tuscany is infected with Phylloxera, a deadly plant louse which feeds on the grape roots.

Corvina fears that other vineyards around the world may also be threatened with devastation so she sets out to find the “root cause”.  In her travels, she meets wine blogger Bryan Lawless who joins her in a zany world-wide search for the perpetrator. 

Author Laine, a WSET Diploma Candidate himself, creatively peppers the pages with intense descriptive wine tasting notes and captivates the reader at every turn of the page.  Pour a glass of wine and let the wine capers begin…  www.stevenlaine.com

Discover the Hidden Wine Caves in Sonoma Wine Country

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Looking for something different on your next wine trip to Sonoma County?  Start at the far end of Sonoma Valley at Buena Vista Winery, California’s first commercial winery established in 1857 by Count Agoston Haraszthy.

Steeped in history, legend has it that migrant Chinese workers were trapped alive while digging the caves for the Count.  Hence, ghost sightings have been reported in the tasting room and in the cave after hours.

Tucked away in the Chalk Hill AVA, east of Windsor, Roth Estates Winery features a more modern cave setting.  Specializing in Bordeaux varietals, Roth offers a unique property tour ending with a reserve tasting in the cave itself.

[Read more…]

Vin Santo Reigns In Chianti’s Medieval Hamlet of Castello di Volpaia

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On a recent trip to Tuscany, I had the good fortune to revisit the medieval hamlet of Castello di Volpaia, rising five miles atop the Tuscan hills near Radda in Chianti  The fortified borgo (village) dates back to the 11th century and is most well-known for it famous resident clockmaker and namesake, Lorenzo della Volpaia, and of course, its Vin Santo.

Vin Santo translates to “Holy Wine”, and is a type of Italian dessert wine.  One theory on the origin of  the “Holy Wine” is referenced in the historic use in the Catholic mass, where sweet wine was preferred.  Another claim dates back to the Renaissance era when wine merchants peddled the sweet nectar on the streets of Rome.

Interestingly, Vin Santo can be made sweet or bone dry, depending on how the wine is finished. Typically, Malvasia or Trebbiano grapes are used to craft a white Vin Santo and in Chianti, the flagship Sangiovese grape is used to make the red or rose Vin Santo.

Grapes destined for the dessert wine production are harvested in September or October and are hung to dry in the warm rafters or laid on straw mats in attics for several months, allowing the moisture to evaporate and the sugars to concentrate.  Sometimes these wines are also called “straw wines”.

The longer the wines are dried, the higher the residual sugar content, and the sweeter the wine. It is not uncommon to let the grapes dry naturally and hang in the rafters until March before crushing and fermenting the grapes.

Vin Santo is aged and stored in small oak barrels, for a minimum of 3 years and often aged up to 10 years.  The color of Vin Santo can range from pale to dark amber, even neon orange.

Vin Santo’s flavor profile has nutty or raisin notes with honey and cream attributes.  In Italy, Vin Santo is traditionally served with biscotti for dunking.

 

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Hidden Gem Alert ~ Dry Creek’s Unti Vineyards Is A “10”

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One could easily imagine being in the heart of Tuscany or in the hills of the Languedoc when driving through Dry Creek Valley.  The scenery along the 16 mile long valley floor is absolutely stunning and reminiscent of the Mediterranean countryside. The undulating forested hills and thick vineyards are steeped in history dating back to the 1860’s when the first Italian immigrants settled there, planting the first Zinfandel vines.

Fast forward to 2018 where Zinfandel is still King here, although many other mediterranean varietals are now grown in this fertile valley ~ just ask Mick Unti, winemaker at Unti Vineyards.  Unti is a little gem of a winery hidden off Dry Creek Road, slightly past the historic Dry Creek General Store.  The tasting room is small and understated, however, the wines are stellar.

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