Acetaldehyde

Produced naturally during FERMENTATION, acetaldehyde is a colorless volatile component with a pungent ODOR. It is an asset in flor-based (see FLOR, Spanish Glossary) wines, such as Sherry, but a detectable amount in table wine is considered a flaw. Also occurs in coffee and ripe fruit.

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.

Infused for Summer: Vermouth

Vermouth is a fortified wine infused with botanicals, herbs, spices, fruits, and sometimes vegetables. Among the ingredients is usually the aromatic plant wormwood (from which the word vermouth is derived). Each vermouth producer has his… Continue reading

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