July 26, 2019

MASOTTINA Extra Dry 2018

(Veneto, Italy) $22

Exuberant and joyful with delicious pear notes and lacy bubbles.

In Burgundy, one of the outcomes of the French Revolution was:

A. Extended use of French oak barrels during winemaking and aging

B. Fewer producers making larger amounts of wine

C. More producers making smaller amounts of wine

D. Fewer Grand Cru wines and more village wines

At the end of the French Revolution, the abolition of the Ancien Régime, or Old Regime, stripped numerous privileges from the ruling classes. Larger vineyards owned by nobility and religious institutions were confiscated, divided, and re-distributed, resulting in many more producers who made much smaller amounts of wine. Interestingly, La Romanée is one of the few clos that was not divided in 1789. The Conti family’s assets were confiscated, but for unknown reasons, this vineyard was spared from division. Today, the entirety of the La Romanée vineyard is owned by Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair whose wines are not the most expensive in the world, but pretty darn close.

Ghost Winery

While the term “ghost winery” conjures images of phantoms and rattling chains, the only spirits referenced here are the wines made long ago. The term is used to describe a winery that was built between… Continue reading

MASOTTINA Extra Dry 2018

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