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Posts Tagged ‘white wine’
Friday, April 26th, 2013
Moscato, Muscatel, Muscat… what’s the difference between them? Just the names, actually. Rather than just being one grape, Muscat includes a family of grapes in a range of colors (from white to brown, or to near black.) For instance, Moscato is the Italian name and Muscatel the Spanish.
Here in the U.S., Moscato is making its mark and has become the hot wine of the moment. Some would say sweet versions of Moscato are ideal for the American sweet tooth; it’s also an easy wine for the new wine drinker to love.
For a perfect spring day, pack a picnic with a chilled bottle of Temecula Valley Moscato and pair it with good cheese, buttery crackers and seasonal fruit. Salud!
pipesmagazine.com
Here are Five Fun Facts About Moscato
1. Muscat is the only fine wine grape that doubles as a table grape.
2. Twitter currently buzzes with an average of 250 tweets an hour about people drinking their Moscato.
3. In addition to Moscato, Muscatel and Muscat, this common white variety is also known as Muscadel, Muscat Blanc and Muscat Canelli.
4. Virtually all pink Moscatos gain their hue from a splash of red wine, not skin contact.
5. The breadth and number of varieties of Muscat suggest that it is perhaps the oldest domesticated grape variety, and there are theories that most families within the Vitis vinifera grape variety are descended from the Muscat variety.
Looking for a great bottle of Moscato wine in Temecula Valley?
Check these wines out!
Article sources:
Wikipedia, Muscat
WineIntro.com
Michigan University
Broker-wine.com
RoBeRt Haynes-Peterson/HawaiiBevGuide
Tags: about moscato, Callaway Vineyard and Winery, callaway winery, Danza Del Sol, danza del sol winery, europa village, moscato, moscato wine, muscat, muscat wine, ponte, Ponte Family Estate, Ponte Family Estate Winery, ponte winery, southern california wineries, temecula moscato wine, Temecula Valley, Temecula Valley Wine Country, temecula valley wineries, temecula wine events, temecula wine tasting, temecula wineries, temecula winery, visit temecula, white wine, wine country, wine tasting, wine tasting temecula valley
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Tuesday, November 27th, 2012
You can taste the world in Riesling, from Germany to Australia, from New York State to Oregon to Southern California. “Riesling is a fascinating grape not only because it can provide such a broad range of wine styles to enjoy, but also because it allows wine-lovers to compare terroir and winemaking from around the globe.” – Gregory dal Piaz, wine writer.
Riesling grape cluster at Falkner Winery
Here are five facts about this beloved white wine:
Facts courtesy of Wikipedia & Snooth
- A white grape originating in Germany’s Rhineland, Riesling’s origins date back to 1435, when a German count bought six wine vines – making it the first documented varietal sale.
- Considered one of the very best food-pairing wines, Riesling goes with a variety of dishes depending upon the level of sweetness and acidity. It’s also famous for cooling off the palate during a spicy meal.
- Riesling is especially well-known for its ability to show a sense of place. Many areas in the old and new world have the climate and soil capable of producing complex Rieslings – like Austria, northern Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, Finger Lakes, Washington State and Temecula, California.
- Seldom oaked, Riesling grapes can be used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet and sparkling white wines. Riesling makes excellent dessert wines and is typically thought of in the US as a sweeter white wine. But that there are many “dry Rieslings” that are in fact very crisp and food-friendly, similar in body and style to a light, aromatic Sauvignon Blanc.
- The characteristics of quality Riesling are reminiscent of peaches or, when young, apples. It has a unique acidity, minerality, and fruit flavor with aromas of wet stones, smoke or even petroleum (a highly prized note in aged Riesling).
- Bonus! Riesling has universally low alcohol content.
Check out these delicious Temecula Riesling selections for your holiday table!
“Everyone should have at least one thrilling… riesling in their festive wine rack… off-dry rieslings… are perfect festive food wines.” December 2011, Jane MacQuitty, Thetimes.co.uk (UK)
credit: flicker/curtiskastner
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Tuesday, August 14th, 2012
This month it’s all about Chardonnay! Most would agree that Chardonnay is the world’s favorite wine – due both to its deliciousness and its versatility. Chardonnay can pair with a wide array of foods depending on the style (oaked/unoaked) and the region (old world/new world), and is equally enjoyable on its own. Great pairings to try include oysters with unoaked styles and oaked or earthy styles with trout, turkey or creamy seafood dishes like lobster mac and cheese.
The grape became a global phenomenon in the 1980′s. Because of its exploding popularity, many vineyards started planting Chardonnay vines for a guaranteed profit, especially in California. Thus solidifying it’s permanent place in wine history.
Check out these Five Fact About Chardonnay to learn more about how it became one of the most popular wines of all time!
- The Chardonnay grape itself is very neutral. Many of the flavors commonly associated with the wine are actually derived from its terrior and oak influence.
Chardonnay is an important component of many sparkling wines around the world, including Champagne.
- Chardonnay fruit is easy to cultivate, adaptable to different conditions, and ripens early.
- Main regions that grow this widespread grape: France, Italy, California, New York, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa.
- Contrary to the cheap, boxed versions we’ve seen, Chablis is actually a renowned sub-region in Burgundy, France that produces crisp, unoaked wines made from… you guessed it! Chardonnay.
Almost every Temecula Winery offers a great Chardonnay, of course! Here’s what we’re drinking for summer:
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Wednesday, August 24th, 2011
For this month’s roundtable, Temecula Valley is talking about Sauvignon Blanc. We all know how popular this crisp white wine is, but here are five interesting anecdotes about this universal grape that you may not know – toss ’em around at your next wine party!
- Sauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape gets its name from the French word sauvage (“wild”) and blanc (“white”) due to its possible early origins as an indigenous grape growing all over southwestern France.
- Sauvignon Blanc is widely cultivated in France, Chile, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Brazil, and California. The first cuttings of Sauvignon Blanc were brought to California in the 1880s by Charles Wetmore, founder of Cresta Blanca Winery and were brought into mainstream popularity by Robert Mondavi in 1968.
- California Sauvignon Blancs tend to fall into two styles: The New Zealand influenced-Sauv Blanc have more tropical fruit undertones with citrus and passion fruit notes while the Mondavi-influenced Fumé Blanc are more round with melon notes.
- Along with Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc was one of the first fine wines to be bottled with a screwcap in commercial quantities and is usually consumed young.
- Sav Blanc always pairs well with cheese, chicken, and is one of the few wines that is a great match for sushi.
Pick up a great bottle of Temecula Valley Sauvignon Blanc from the following wineries:
Tags: best white wine, california wine month, sauvignon blanc, temecula award winning wines, Temecula Valley, Temecula Valley Wine Country, temecula valley wineries, temecula wine, temecula wine country, temecula wine events, temecula wineries, temecula winery, visit temecula, what is sauvignon blanc, white wine, wine tasting, wine tasting temecula valley
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Friday, July 15th, 2011
For this month’s roundtable, Temecula Valley is talking about Rhone white varietals. Unfamiliar territory, you say? Well, that’s what this blog post is for! Here’s five fun facts about these refreshing grapes that you can toss around at your next wine party:
- The four main grapes in Rhone whites are Viognier, Roussanne, Marsanne and Grenache Blanc
- A white Rhone blend consists of two or more white grapes from its namesake appellation – the famous Rhone wine region in France, which is situated in the Rhone river valley.
- The Northern Rhone region is characterized by harsh winters and warm summers while Southern Rhone has a more Mediterranean climate with milder winters and hot summers.
- Top four regions for growing Rhone whites are California, Australia, South Africa, and Rhone (of course.)
- Common descriptors include honeysuckle, green apple, peach, nut, and spice
For examples of Temecula Valley Rhone whites, try:
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