Método Tradicional

Spanish term denoting SPARKLING WINE made by the Champagne method (MÉTHODE CHAMPENOISE). CAVA, by law, must be made this way.

What is liliorila?

A. A popular cocktail first invented in Shanghai (and purported to have health benefits) combining Prosecco and an extract from lily flowers

B. An ancient type of wine once made from sun-dried grapes in Sicily

C. A rare cross of chardonnay and another French grape, soon to be used in some white Bordeaux

D. A newly discovered Vitis labrusca (American) grape variety that grows on the Eastern seaboard and is related to concord

Liliorila (li-lee-OR-i-la) is a cross between chardonnay and the southwestern French variety baroque. It was developed in France in 1956, and makes low acid, powerfully aromatic wines. Until recently, liliorila was virtually extinct. But its fortunes are changing thanks to climate change. It is now one of the varieties awaiting approval as an officially permitted grape variety for basic white blends in the appellations Bordeaux and Bordeaux Superiéur.

“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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