Red, White and Blue?

Ok, so there’s red wine, and there’s white wine, right? And some of you have probably had a glass or two of orange wine. But blue wine? Doubtful. Now, thanks to a group of Spanish entrepreneurs, that could change. Gïk, an azure-blue wine, is a blend of undisclosed red and white grapes sourced from vineyards around Spain. The sweet wine is dyed using natural indigo dye and anthocyanins—pigments found in grape skins. The wine isn’t out in the U.S. yet. But it’s coming.

Which of the following is a key red grape variety grown in Sicily?

A. Lambrusco di Sorbara

B. Nero d’Avola

C. Negrara

D. Canaiolo

Also called Calabrese, nero d’Avola is an important red grape variety grown in Sicily. A high-quality variety that can produce intensely black-colored wines, nero d’Avola often possesses red fruit aromas, like strawberries or sour cherries, with notes of licorice, cocoa, rose, and spices. Often, the vines are grown in the traditional albarello (or “little tree” or “bush”) manner—which is to say, without expensive trellising that would be difficult and expensive to construct in Sicily’s high-elevation mountains.

Veraison

The time in summer when grape berries change color signaling the onset of final ripening. White grapes go from green to yellow, and red grapes go from green to red.

Red, White and Blue?

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