Hondarribi Beltza (HON-DA-ree-BEE belt-ZA)

Beltza means “black” in Basque. Used to make the somewhat rare, light, lively, crisp red Txakoli (shah-co-LEE) of Spain’s Basque reqion. Like cabernet sauvignon and carmenere, hondarribi beltza is one of the decendents of cabernet franc. Despite its name, it is not related to hondarribi zuri (white hondarribi).

Retsina is a pungent, resin-flavored wine from Greece. Which of the following tree resins are used to create it?

A. Cypress

B. Pomegranate

C. Olive

D. Pine

To make retsina, small amounts of resin from the Aleppo pine tree are added to savatiano grape juice as it ferments. Retsina’s distinctive piney flavor with a turpentine-like aroma is delicious when paired with many Greek meze (small appetizers served like Spanish tapas). Resinated wines have a long history in Greece: traces of pine resin have been found in Greek wine amphorae dating back to the 13^th century B.C. Now, retsina is made all over the country, although most is made in Attica, the wine region that surrounds Athens.

What the Hock?

The British name for a German wine from vineyards near the Rhine River, hock, is a reference to the famous village of Hochheim in the Rheingau. At first, hock implied a wine from Hochheim; later, it… Continue reading

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