Toasting

Charring the inside of new barrels over an open flame. Charring caramelizes the staves of the wood. Wine stored in barrels treated this way will pick up a VANILLIN, toasty character.

Which wines in the world were the first to collectively be stoppered with screw caps?

A. Australian rieslings from the Clare Valley

B. New Zealand sauvignon blancs from Marlborough

C. Chilean chardonnays from Santiago

D. Italian pinot grigios from the Veneto

As of the 2000 vintage, virtually every riesling in Australia’s Clare Valley was stoppered with a screw cap (technically known as a Stelvin Cap) instead of a cork. While countless upscale wines around the world are now stoppered with screw caps, these were the first to shrug off tradition and forsake cork.

Don’t-Taste

Here with a few items we’ve filed under the heading Don’t-Taste. (And, yes, the following all exist). Pinot Meow—Wine for your kitty. (You’d think cat-pissy sauvignon blanc would have been the first feline varietal but,… Continue reading

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