Antinori Family Wine
October 31, 2008
Several weeks ago 60 Minutes profiled the Antinori family, winemakers for over 600 years in Italy. They are billed as the oldest winemaking family on earth. For decades, Marchese Piero Antinori led the family business, just as other male family members before him. However, with no male heir, his three daughters – Albiera, Allegra and Alessia – are poised to take over the family business and become the first female leaders of the family business.
The daughter’s learned the business from the bottom up, working as field hands and helping with the harvest as teenagers. Alessia attended agriculture school in northern Italy to learn more about the family business; she was one of just two females in her class. Today, the daughters travel the countryside and the world, helping to grow, promote and market Antinori wines. These women intend to keep the business in family hands because if it was good enough in 1385, it’s good enough today.
Click here to read the transcript from 60 Minutes.
Dominio de Tares Mencia
October 29, 2008
Winery: Dominio de Tares
Wine: Baltos – Mencia 2005
Location: Bierzo, Spain
Purchased: wine.com
Price: $18.29
After tasting one Mencia and thoroughly enjoying it, Jonathan and I decided to try another. It did not disappoint. The Dominio de Tares Mencia was equally as good. Baltos is 100% Mencia and aged for six months in oak barrels. Wine Spectator scored this wine with 90 points and rated it 67 in their Top 100 Wines.
Helpful Wine Websites
October 28, 2008
Recently, I came across some helpful websites. Browse through them and see if you find anything helpful.
Wine Regions: Bierzo
October 23, 2008
Don’t pull out a map looking for Bierzo, or do a quick Google search. This wine region is not a household name. In fact, until a few weeks ago I hadn’t heard of this area in Spain. However, on a whim I wanted to try something different. I enjoyed other wines from Spain so I decided to give a Mencía from Bierzo a shot. Now, it’s quickly becoming one of my new favorites.
Bierzo sits in the far northwest corner of Spain, situated along the northwestern corner of Castilla y Leόn. It nestles into the valleys of the Sil, Ancares and Burdia rivers, and high mountain ranges protect the vineyards from excessive temperatures and climate conditions. Sometimes Bierzo is known as “the gateway to Galicia.”
The fertile land enclosed by the mountains creates ideal growing conditions for grapes. The valley has a microclimate and keeps away the worst of the winter temperatures. Only occasionally, does the area receive a frost, hail, high winds or excessive summer heat. The average temperature for the year is 54 degrees, and the area receives a sufficient amount of rain. The soil for the region is loose, slaty and reasonable fertile. Some sandy granite can also be found. The grapes are planted along the valley sides reaching heights of 450 to 1,000 meters.
Within the Bierzo region, two kinds of white wine grapes are grown, Doña Blanca and Godello grapes. Malvasía and Palomino are sometimes grown in this region. The principal red grape grown is Mencía. These grapes are indigenous to Northwest Spain and similar to the Cabernet Franc grape. However, recent DNA testing ruled out any relation between the Mencía and Cabernet Franc grapes. Garnacha and Tintorera are also grown in the Bierzo region.
It’s not surprising many of us haven’t heard of Bierzo. They were only officially recognized as a winemaking region in 1985. Yet, the region’s history dates back to medieval times. Benedictine monks settled in the region and found the area favorable for growing grapes. The wine was impressive and winemaking slowly spread through the nearby hills. However, due to the distance from early courts and later centers of population, the wines of the Bierzo region only recently started gaining popularity.
Veramonte Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva
October 21, 2008
Winery: Veramonte
Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2006
Location: Colchagua Valley, Chile
Purchased: wine.com
Price: $9.99
Veramonte Estate began with less than 100 acres of grapevines in the Casablanca Valley of Chile in 1990. Coastal mountain ranges surround the estate creating a diverse microclimate. The valley’s cool floor is similar to Carneros in California, while the foothills are warmer, similar to Napa Valley. Today, Veramonte is one of the largest contiguous vineyards in Chile. It features over 1,100 planted acres of grapes. The vineyard is surrounded by 12,000 acres of natural, unplanted greenbelt that is habitat to native plants and animals, and a natural lagoon, which is home to more than two dozen species of migrating birds. The winery sits just 20 miles from the Pacific coast.
The winery utilizes the latest viticultural technology, including vertical trellising and dense vine spacing to balance growth and fruit production. Although, Veramonte’s vineyard produces lower yields than other grape growing regions in Chile, the grapes are more intense and concentrated.
The Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva is a blend, featuring 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot. It aged for eight months in French and American oak. The Colchagua Valley experienced perfect growing conditions this season with excellent ripening in March and April. The grapes saw extended hang time on the vines. This resulted in ripe flavors and soft tannins. The Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva is a phenomenal wine, especially for the price.
Veramont’s Cabernet Sauvignon offers deep, ruby red colors in the glass. The fruit smells are noticeable the minute the wine emerges from the bottle. Strong aromas of blackberry, cherry and raspberry tickle the nose. However, a sip of this wine presents the drinker with notes of spice, cinnamon and mocha. The wine is exquisitely smooth and balanced. It’s plush, velvety and creamy. The finish is long and bold. The intricacies of this wine are surprising, but delightful. Jonathan and I both enjoyed this wine and will make it a regular purchase.
