Wine
While wine can be made from many types of fruits and flowers, it is iconically produced from fermented grapes. Wine production dates back at least 8000 years, and today it is produced in quantity in more than 70 countries, with Italy, Spain, France, and the United States the largest producers of wine today. The world of wine is vast and complex, with more than 10,000 grape varietals in existence. This is largely due to experimental cross-breeding and grafting that has taken place for millennia, and such experiments have led to some of today’s most popular grape varieties, including Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. The primary styles of wine today include red, white, and rose. While almost all grape juice itself is white, red wine is made by allowing the juice from black (aka red) grapes to ferment in contact with its skins, while white wine is usually (but not always) made from white grapes. Rose wine is made from black grapes with limited skin contact, which provides the pinkish color.
Top Wine Posts:
Understanding the Wines of France
Wine and Beer Touring in California’s Paso Robles, 2017
Touring and Wine Tasting in California’s Anderson Valley
Harvest in Chile’s Casablanca Valley – A Dusty Paradise
Chateau Montelena’s Dream Tasting: A Retrospective of Five Decades of Wine
Exploring Port Wine: Touring Porto and the Douro Valley
Visiting Tuscany’s Tenuta dell’Ornellaia
Having experienced double-digit growth in production, sales, and a rather aggressive diversification of its portfolio, Uco Valley’s Domaine Bousquet continues to amplify its voice in the conversation of wines from Argentina. Over a recent webinar, vineyard owner Anne Bousquet and lead winemaker Rodrigo Serrano presented an overview of current winery operations and sustainability measures while…
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Another pair of releases from the negociants of Cameron Hughes. For those unfamiliar with the premise behind Cameron Hughes’ operations, it’s quite simple: they (Cameron or some delegates) travel the world sourcing a wide range of wines from vineyards, bringing them to market under their own label at financially feasible price points. This time around,…
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If there’s one thing you can count on in this world, it’s that a by the glass wine list will have something from La Crema available. The California giant is known for producing good wine at a good price, but in this tasting of three new bottlings, you might be surprised to discover some of…
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Opolo is a long-time friend of Drinkhacker, turning out a tight range of zinfandel and cabernet sauvignon-focused wines from the Paso Robles area. Today we dig into three new releases from the winery, two zins and a cab. 2021 Opolo Zinfandel Summit Creek – The classic zinfandel recipe has been followed to a T here,…
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No surprises here from this iconic name in California wine: This is an expressive Napa chardonnay, with a bold emphasis on vanilla and brown butter. Notes of lemon curd quickly take hold and give the experience a citrus-fueled sweetness, though toasty oak and vanilla custard quickly come back into focus, taking over. It’s a bit…
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We’re longtime fans of Sonoma-based Dutcher Crossing, and today we’re checking out three new releases for 2023, including our first sparkling from the winery, a chardonnay, and a top-shelf, reserve cabernet that’s been mellowing for six years. NV Dutcher Crossing Posterity Reserve Blanc de Blancs – Fresh and lively, this is a classic California chardonnay-based…
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Lugana can be found in the north of Italy, and the focus here is far and away on white wines. We’ve covered the wines of Lugana extensively in the past, but this is our first round with Ottella, which also produces olive oil and grappa. Let’s dive in. 2021 Ottella Lugana DOC – 100% turbiana…
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Sicily’s Donnafugata is no stranger to Drinkhacker’s pages. In fact, post #1, back in 2007, was a review of a Donnafugata wine. 16 years later we’re back for more, which now includes a partnership with Dolce & Gabbana, which provides a brand-appropriate spin on a few of the winery’s labels. Today we take a deepish…
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As the proprietor of an organic winery in Mendocino’s Sanel Valley, winemaker Ettore Biraghi prides himself on applying old-world Italian techniques to his offerings, placing an emphasis on Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot varietals across 35 acres of vineyards. Today, we have a look at three of his most recent releases. 2019 Ettore Cabernet Sauvignon…
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Located in Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma County, Kokomo emerged in 2004 and presents wines from three appellations wholly distinctive in their quality: Russian River, Dry Creek, and Alexander Valleys. While they offer many different varietals and vintages, Kokomo makes its debut on the site today with a Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. A gratuitous tip…
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