Odors

The panoply of smells that may emanate from a wine. These include a whole range of fruits and berries (apple, lemon, peach, apricot, cherry, raspberry, cranberry, plum, and so on); plus flowers (honeysuckle, rose, violet, geranium, and so forth); plus assorted other smells reminiscent of the earth, yeast, beer, leaves, herbs, vegetables, mushrooms, truffles, straw, wet wool, caramel, pepper, spices, nuts, oak, wood, meat, game, mold, cigar boxes, dust, mint, pine, eucalyptus, olives, fusel oil, and rubber boots.

The state of Oregon requires wine producers who make pinot noir to use 100% of that variety if they want to label a wine as such.

Answer: False.

While Oregon has opted to regulate itself even more strictly than U.S. law mandates, it hasn’t gone that far….yet. According to current Oregon law, the state’s most widely produced wines: pinot noir, pinot gris, chardonnay, pinot blanc and 50 other varieties must contain at least 90 percent of whatever grape variety is named on the label. (U.S. law mandates a minimum of 75 percent.). Bills still pending before the state legislature may increase that requirement to 100% by 2030. However, there are 18 grape varieties exempted from the 90 percent rule (including cabernet sauvignon, syrah, sauvignon blanc) as they have a long history of being used for blending in their respective European regions. Oregon also requires that 95% of grapes must be from the AVA named on the label (compared to federal law of 85%)

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… Continue reading

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