Sauvignon Gris (SO vin nyawn GREE)

A grayish pink skinned genetic mutation of sauvignon blanc (gris means “gray” in French). Less aromatic and less “green” tasting than sauvignon blanc and less edgy on the palate. Grown primarily in Bordeaux and Chile, though there are also experimental plantings in California.

A cuvee is a wine made from one specific variety of grapes.

Answer: False.

False. “Cuvée" is simply the French word for blend. For example, the cuvée of a red wine may be made up of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc. A cuvée may also (in the case of Champagne and sparkling wines) be a blend of many still wines that will ultimately (after a second fermentation in the bottle) become the bubbly.

“Oak should fit into a wine like a shoulder pad in a coat–barely there. But if the guy is too scrawny or the shoulder pad is too big, the whole thing looks stupid.”

—John Kongsgaard
Kongsgaard Wine, Napa Valley

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