Grape Varietal Part II: Gamay

Name: George Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau

Varietal: 100% Gamay

Vintage: 2012 

Region: Burgundy, France

Sub-region: Beaujolais

Price: $4.95 on sale (Vintage Cellar)

I paired this wine with meatloaf and green beans because my boyfriend begged me to make meatloaf and I knew that I wanted to open this bottle of wine that night. It was an okay pairing, but the wine tasted somewhat watery compared to the very strong flavors of the meat (I opted to serve the wine chilled like Kevin Zraly suggests on page 115 of his book). Given the opportunity to purposely pair a specific food with the Beaujolais Noveau, I would pick something extremely simple so that the mild flavor of the wine is not overpowered. A good pairing would be a caprese salad or caprese sandwich- the basil adds a salty crispness that would be balanced by the watery fruit of the wine. This wine would definitely be something I would drink at lunch, not dinner.  I am curious to try a full-bodied Gamay (as opposed to a Nouveau) and see if my thoughts on food pairing would change.

Overall, I found the 2012 George Duboeuf to be a major disappointment. After reading all about Gamay first in Kevin Zraly’s Windows on the World Complete Wine Course and then in my varietal report research, I was expecting a fruitier, more fulfilling experience. What I got was a flabby wine that might as well have been watered-down Koolaid. Based on the translucent color of the wine in my glass, I was expecting it to be light, but not as weak as it was. Descriptors of Gamay wines include berries and cherries but I really did not get any distinct smells or tastes from the George Dubeouef 2012 Beaujolais Nouveau, if anything, perhaps some watermelon or raisin. Because the wine is recommended to be consumed young and I opened it right around the six month mark, I am wondering if perhaps it was just starting to go downhill and that is why it was so disappointing…

The astringency of the wine was low, which I always prefer but the sugar-acid balance was very out of whack- as I mentioned previously, the wine was beyond flabby. At 12% alcohol, it is obvious that the wine was earlier harvest- much closer to a German wine in alcohol content than a typical French wine! I generally like wines that have a short finish and mild to no aftertaste and this wine satisfied that requirement of mine (which I expected it to be like seeing that it was basically water with some red food coloring). Despite my less than stellar experience for my first time trying a wine made with Gamay, I am definitely up for trying more soon, perhaps a full-fledged Beaujolais.

Map of Beaujolais region where the 2012 George Dubeoeuf Beaujolais Nouveau came from (AOC)

While the Beaujolais sub-region of Burgundy grows strictly Gamay grapes, the other varietals planted in all of Burgundy include: Pinot Noir, Grenache and Syrah; to a lesser extent: Cinsault and Mourvedre [1].

As discussed before, Gamay is actually a very adaptable grape, if not finicky like its relative Pinot Noir. The major challenge to growing Gamay is expressed in the Beajoulais Nouveau- minerals in the soil can impart so much acid into the plant that leaving it on the vine to increase sugars/alcohol is simply not an option. I can infer that this is not a problem for just Gamay, but is due to the terroir of the Southern Beaujolais region.

                                                                  References
1. Zraly,K.,Kevin Zraly's Windows on the World Complete Wine Course.2011:Sterling Epicure.323.

Grape Varietal: Gamay

Gamay grapes growing on the vine

Gamay noir grapes, more commonly referred to as simply “Gamay” grapes, are of the vitis vinifera species, a cross between Pinot Noir and an ancient grape called Gouais and are most commonly associated with the Beaujolais region of Burgundy in France (all wines that come out of this region are 100% Gamay)[1]. In fact, the word “gamay” comes from a hamlet near Puligny-Montrachet- a commune in the Cote de Beaune of France[2]. When the grape was first introduced to the area, the dukes that were in control of the land attempted to outlaw it because it was unfamiliar and taking up space that could be used to grow Pinot Noir, but the ban was lifted when the crop proved to be extremely profitable[3]. In addition to Beaujolais, the grapes are also frequently grown in the Loire Valley of France and in Valais, Switzerland[4]. Certain areas of Canada and Oregon are just starting to experiment with the varietal[5]. While there are other areas that grow the grapes, it is relatively uncommon with only 37,000 hectares planted worldwide. Of these 37,000 hectares, 34,000 are in France[4].

Areas where Gamay is planted worldwide. Most of the world's Gamay is in France.

Most Gamay grapes are planted in the Beaujolais area of France (a sub-region of Burgundy)

An example of a wine that is 100% Gamay

The Gamay grape has a very thin dark purple, almost black skin with completely colorless juice and leaves that are a lustrous yellow-green color, morphing into a reddish hue in the fall months; the thin skin makes this variety particularly susceptible to rots/molds and frosts. This varietal ripens very early but Gamay grapes tend to produce a large second harvest[1] so the threat of a low yield due to damage from spring frosts is minimized. Considered to be extremely adaptable (with the exception of not being able to adapt to very hot climates), the Gamay grape is categorized as a vigorous vine that can flourish in a variety of different soil types and at different altitudes. Despite its adaptability, as mentioned, it is still grown primarily in the Beaujolais region of France where the soil is granite and the vineyards tend to be on slopes[6]. Wine produced from the Gamay grape is almost always red, fruity and intended to be consumed young[6]. Specific notes that are often present in wines made from Gamay are strawberries and cherries[3]. The Beaujolais region of Burgundy also produces a lighter, fruiter style of wine from Gamay called Beaujolais Nouveau. Released the third Thursday in November each year, these wines are intended to be consumed within six months of bottling. Although Beaujolais, Beaujolais Nouveau and other Gamay wines are red, they are often served chilled[7].

Below is a chart outlining some flavor variations in wines made with Gamay grapes from different regions (varying from the standard Beaujolais Gamay flavor profile).

Region	Flavor Profile
Loire Valley	Usually blended with Cabernet Franc and Cot (Malbec clone), showing notes of raspberry and pepper[5]
Niagra Peninsula, Canada	Sometimes made with Gamay Droit (a recognized regional mutation of the gamay grape), light-bodied red wines suitable for early drinking[5]
Wilamette Valley, Oregon	Wines that are very similar to Crus Beaujolais[5]
Southern Beaujolais	The soil is not well-suited for making anything other than the Beaujolaid Nouveau because of extremely high acid level imparted by the limestone in the soil[5]
Switzerland	Sweeter style gamays (largely due to chaptalization)[8]

References

1.            Viticultural Information. UC Integrated Viticulture  [cited 2013; Available from: http://iv.ucdavis.edu/Viticultural_Information/?uid=14&ds=351.

2.            Gamay. French Wine Guide  [cited 2013; Available from: http://www.terroir-france.com/wine/gamay.htm#.UX3ZWaKG0vk.

3.            Gamay Wine. Grape Varieties; Available from: http://www.wine-searcher.com/grape-182-gamay.

4.            Gamay grape variety in France.  [cited 2013; Available from: http://www.concoursgamay.com/gamay-en-france.html?lang=en.

5.            Gamay.  [cited 2013; Available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamay#Regional_production.

6.            Gamay grape variety.  [cited 2013; Available from: http://www.concoursgamay.com/gamay-cepage.html?PHPSESSID=c47f936035fc8b1c3325de0f4dfa7318.

7.            Zraly, K., Kevin Zraly's Windows on the World Complete Wine Course. 2011: Sterling Epicure. 323.

8.            Robinson, J. Gamay.  [cited 2013; Available from: http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/gamay.html.

Wine Festival: Blacksburg Fork & Cork

It was a dreary day outside on the morning of Blacksburg Fork and Cork 2013 but, alas, there was wine to be tasted! My friend, Brianna, and I packed an umbrella and headed out to the First and Main shopping center for the festival and checked in to get our event wine glasses. I was so glad that I had purchased our tasting tickets ahead of time at Kroger because the event was sold out! We headed down to the very end to start off with the Trump Winery tasting because I had heard good things about their wines- they were actually featured at a wine/food pairing dinner at Preston’s the night before Fork & Cork. – and got super annoyed by the long line that we found ourselves in. Luckily for us, two girls behind us had a bottle of wine that they had purchased and share some with us during the long wait. When we finally reached the tasting table, we sampled the following five wines:

Brianna and I (I am on the right) right as we arrived- we were thirsty!

Blanc de Blanc $25

Brut Sparkling wine made from 100% Chardonnay, using the traditional French method Champenoise. Nose of green apple, brioche and slight pear. On the mouth there is a crisp

The pourer at Trump Winery was very knowledgeable!

acidity with citrus notes. Aged 22 months on the lees. Pair with mild cheeses, sushi or serve as an aperitif.

Chardonnay 2012 $17

90% in stainless steel and 10% in French oak barrels. Vibrant grapefruit, pear and citrus aromas that are lush and crispy on the palate, finishing with a subtle creaminess. Refreshing, crisp and clean, this wine is easy to drink by itself and stands up well to food. Pair with gazpacho, caprese salad and quiche.

Rose 2011 $10 (Festival Special)

Dry rose blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Nose of strawberry

Trump Winery Rose

and flowers. Raspberry and grapefruit on the palate. Excellent balance between acidity and volume. Pair with anything off the grill, pizza, charcuterie, and cheese.

My thoughts: This was the wine that I had on its own as well as with food. On the nose it was mildly fruity but is much drier than I would have expected. It was well-balanced and light- it did not leave me feeling sluggish.It was sort of like tannic, watered down fruit juice.

Simply Red 2008 $17

48% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Franc, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. Lightly toasted aromas of black currant, blueberries and cherries. Smooth, medium bodied with flavors of black cherry and cocoa with a long finish. Pair with chicken, pork tenderloin, and soft cheeses.

CRU $28

100% Chardonnay juice fortified with brandy, and then aged in bourbon barrels. Try it on the rocks or mixed for a sweet treat with a kick. 14% rs.

My thoughts: This port was insanely sweet- I don't think I could have managed more than the half sip that I took. It was like drinking pure corn syrup. 

As Fork & Cork was my first wine festival, I was surprised how hurried the tastings were; I only had time to jot down notes for a few wines all day because of the volume they were pouring.

Me, ready to wait in line now that we had provisions of wine!

Next up was Hill Top Berry Farm & Winery. I was beyond excited because I am a huge fan of mead after first trying it at the Maryland Renaissance Festival over the summer and Hill Top has 12 different styles of mead in addition to their other wines! Although Hill Top has a rather large selection of wines/meads, I only sampled five of them:

Cranberry Table Wine $18.95

Hold onto your taste buds! This tart wine is perfect paired with turkey during the holidays. Try it in a cosmopolitan, spritzer or in cranberry lemonade.

My thoughts: Keep this one away from the kids! If I did not know it was wine, I would have mistaken this for cranberry juice cocktail. It made my mouth pucker and was very authentic in its taste. I like the winery’s suggestion to have it with turkey during the holidays! I would definitely also try making a spritzer from it.

Virginia Peach Wine $16.95

This “front porch” wine is like biting into a ripe, juicy peach, without the pit and the fuzz. This delicate sipping wine also pairs well with seafood.

Lavender Metheglin $16.95

Derived from the Welsh word Meddyglyn, meaning healing drink, metheglin is spiced mead. Ours is spiced with lavender flowers and is both fragrant and delicious.  

My thoughts: I really was not sure what to think of this mead. The lavender metheglin was like nothing I have ever tried before. It was like mulled wine/cider but with a definitive hit of lavender and maybe even cinnamon. I liked it a lot but cannot for the life of me think of what I would pair this drink with food-wise as I am afraid it would overpower any culinary flavors.

Banners for some of the wineries that were represented at Fork & Cork 2013

Dragon’s Blood $16.95

This rich, bright red pomegranate melomel pairs with grilled or smoked foods, red meats and even chocolate. It is both slightly sweet and slightly tart and very delicious.

My thoughts: The Dragon’s Blood mead smelled exactly like a bonfire, complete with the burning wood and smoke. I found it to be just sweet enough but with the earthy, smoke flavor that I expected based on the nose.

Hunter’s Moon $21.95

Our Spiced Pumpkin Mead is just the trick to treat your taste buds! Slightly sweet with pumpkin pie spieces, this is a great holiday wine and delicious all the time!

My thoughts: The Hunter’s Moon mead was one of the wines that I could not stop thinking about after I tasted! It was phenomenal. Very, very rich and thick, it smelled and tasted just like pumpkin pie (very similar to the famous Southern Tier Pumking beer), with a bit more clove. A bit thick for the summer months, come fall there will definitely be a few bottles of this in my wine cellar.

These women were irish-style cloggers- it was fun to see local talent that had nothing to do with food/wine in addition to all the wine-related activities.

After leaving the Hill Top booth, Brianna and I went off in search of some food but got distracted and ended up waiting in line at Fincastle  Winery where we waited an absurdly long time due to bunches of people cutting in front of us multiple times (this seemed to become more of a problem as people got increasingly drunk). Looking at the tasting notes, there are no prices on the Fincastle wines, but if I recall correctly from the sign in front of their booth, the whites were all $12 and the reds were $14. At Fincastle, I tasted six wines as well as their sangria and I must say that of all the wineries, I was the least satisfied, not really liking any of their wines. From Fincastle:

Chardonnay

Dry white aged 6 months in American oak, buttery toast and caramel up front

Cabernet Sauvignon

Full bodied dry red aged 2 years in American oak, with cherry and black currant notes.

Cabernet Franc

Dry red aged 24 monthsin oak. Less tannic than sauvignon with hints of anise, blackberry and black cherry.

My thoughts: Smelling this wine, I got jamminess but that was not reflected in the taste; this wine dried my palate a lot as it was very spicy with notes of Aleppo pepper.

Rose

Refreshing, off-dry to semi-sweet blend of Chambourcin with an excellent balance of acidity and tangerine fruit flavors. 3% residual sugar.

Hybrid Vigor

Semi-sweet white with a citrus finish blended from French-American hybrids Chardonnel, Vidal Blanc and Traminette. Bold tropical fruit flavors of pineapple and mango. 3% residual sugar.

My thoughts: I could see myself sipping this wine by the pool or at a steeplechase. It has a light floral nose but actually tastes more of stone fruit.

Traminette

Sweet white with intense floral aromas of honeysuckle, violets and roses. 5% residual sugar.

My thoughts: The traminette smelled like a garden blooming in the summertime! It was very sweet, almost like drinking pure honeysuckle nectar.

Sangria

Made with the rose and fresh strawberries. Ask for the recipe.

Corn Crabcake over a bed of arugula paired with Trump Winery's Rose

By the time we finished up at Fincastle, we were absolutely famished and headed over to the Bull & Bones tent to get some pulled pork sandwiches. Unfortunately, they had just run out of the pulled pork and only had hotdogs and hamburgers left. I turned up my nose at these options and opted to purchase a fresh corn crabcake over a bed of arugula from Preston’s- boy, am I glad I did! The crabcake was fantastic and complemented extremely well by the Trump Rose that I paired it with (Brianna and I purchased a bottle of the rose). I found that by pairing the crabcake with the rose, the arugula’s spiciness was brought out and the ‘fishiness’ of the entire dish toned down. I may just be imagining things, but I felt as if the rose tasted a sweeter when paired with the crabcake since the wine was rather dry on its own.  By the time we finished eating our crabcakes, it was getting close to 5:00pm so we decided to head over to the Horton Vineyards tent that we had seen everyone carrying boxes around from.

The line at Horton was so long. And when I say line, I mean mass blob of people all elbowing each other to try to get a tasting. What was taking so long? Well, Horton had brought

Waiting in line at Horton, we were visited by the Tech Trons. Who knew there were two?!

approximately twenty wines with them and was allowing people to taste them all! No wonder the long wait. It was 4:50pm or so when we finally got up to the front- how lucky of us! Because there were so many wines tasted, I will only list some of my favorites:

2012 Viognier $20

Exotic honey and tropical fruit aromas jump from the glass. Full bodied, viscous mouthfeel

Sweet Concord (America’s Sweet Red) $12

Sleepy Hollow Red; Highly aromatic, fruity grapey flavors, sweet crisp finish.  Wine for "Hard Times!" Sweet Concord Wine from Horton that I purchased My thoughts: Super jammy on the nose and on the palate. This wine is sweet and different than many wines that I have tried in the past (like Welch’s jelly!) because it is made from a different species of grape vine. I purchased this wine to enjoy in the summertime with a light meal, perhaps fish or a salad. Freedom (Sweet Tropical Wine) $12 Fruity wine shows aromas of granny smith apples, peaches and mangos. Serve chilled with hot  spicy food. My thoughts: All I could think of when I tasted this wine was passion fruit. It was super tropical and refreshing. I think it would be awesome with thai food. I did not have time to smell it because we were doing what I am calling “power tasting”, with barely 2 seconds in between wines due to the crowd. Raspberry Fruit Wine $12 Raspberry with a small blend of Cabernet Franc. Blanco XOCO (White Chocolate Dessert Wine) $16/ 500mL Sweet chocolaty white wine made with Rkatsiteli, Vidal Blanc & Chocolate essence. Chocolate covered cherries gone wild! My thoughts: WOW! This wine was THAT good. It really tasted like a high-quality white chocolate such as Ghiradelli and is so unique (every other chocolate wine I have ever tried has been red or more like gloopy adult chocolate milk). The sugar seemed well balanced and as if it would not give me a stomachache if I wanted to have more than 5oz. I definitely got the cherry flavor although it was mild enough not to overpower the chocolate. I will 100% be purchasing this wine in the future! ***This was my favorite wine of the day because it was DELICIOUS and I loved it.  I did not purchase because any of it because  a)it was fairly expensive for the small bottle and b) as a dessert wine, it is not as versatile as other wines (I was on a limited budget at the festival and could not get everything I wanted to get)

I was so happy to run into my friend, Jessica, towards the end of the festival!

In my opinion, the $20 price tag to get in to Fork & Cork was too steep for what was included (almost everything was paid for a la carte inside) but I am glad that I was able to experience my wine festival and discover Horton Vineyards- my new favorite wines! I cannot get over how awesome all of their selections were-when it came time to purchase I could barely decide (I opted for the Sweet Concord which is actually made out of vitis la brusca). In the future, I would like to see more food/wine pairings- they really were separate with no integration between booths like I was expecting there to be. I was picturing more of a tasting with a sample of food next to the wine sort of thing. If only I had remembered to use my $1 off a bottle of wine coupon from the program!

Note: I was unable to take thorough notes for every wine I tasted because of the speed of the pouring and number of people waiting in line behind me

Me (left) and Brianna right around 5:00pm- much happier than we were waiting in the first line at the beginning of the day!

Wine Film: "Sideways"

This past Monday night I curled up in one of my Snuggies, poured myself a glass of Pinot Grigio and turned

on the movie Sideways (2004). The movie is about two middle-aged guys who take a trip to California’s wine country and go to various wineries and restaurants to taste wine and have a two-man bachelor party for one of the characters who is about to get married. There is plenty of wine- and even more “sniffing and swirling”- in the film but there is also some debauchery and uncomfortable situations that the characters find themselves in during what was supposed to be a relaxing weekend.

            Overall, I enjoyed the film but was surprised that it really was focused almost entirely on wine (I was expecting it to just be kind of in the background/setting only) and was a little disappointed that it was not very funny as I was bracing myself for all sorts of wine-induced escapades by the main characters, Miles and Jack! The director, Alexander Payne, did  a great job of creating two different kinds of character, the “wine snob” (Miles) and the “wine amateur” (Jack). This balance of characters made things more interesting because two snobs would make it boring while two amateurs would probably have made the film resemble Jackass. I found that Sideways was very accurate in the way it incorporated wine in the visuals as well as the dialogue with only a few minor things that could be considered to be inaccurate; That being said, I have learned that a lot of things in the wine world are about personal preferences so what is right to one person may be wrong to another! An example of a situation in the movie was during the dinner scene on the “double date” with characters Maya and Stephanie (waitresses that Miles and Jack met in their travels), the group enjoyed some heavy full-bodied reds before dinner, switching to white wine with the main course. I noticed this to be particularly unusual because generally speaking, people start off with lighter wines (more often white), then transitioning into roses, heavier reds, then finally dessert wines or fortified wines. This was not necessarily incorrect in the film but was definitely unusual!

            I found on IMDB that the film was actually filled on location in Santa Barbara wine country so it must have been extremely accurate in expressing the experience that Miles and Jack would have had in their travels. Of particular interest to me are the vineyards themselves, so I was somewhat disappointed that much of the movie was spent in restaurants or tasting rooms as opposed to at wineries and in the vineyards. Now that I think about it though, it makes the movie much more realistic because very rarely do people frolic through the vines- they are in the tasting rooms!

           

Some things that I would not have known and/or picked up on in Sideways if I had not taken Geography of Wine (but definitely not the only things) are:

•   In the first dinner scene with Miles’ mother, the characters were drinking the wines out of the wrong glasses!
•   I knew that it was correct when Miles mentioned that Pinot Noir is grown primarily in Northern California (as opposed to Southern California) because of the cooler climate
•   At the first tasting, watching Jack learn to “sniff and swirl” was hilarious because his reaction was how I felt my first few times doing it and the facial expression was what a “non-wino” would definitely make in the situation!
•   There were so many terms thrown around by characters that helped me understand the scenes better:  “tannins” and what a “young” wine means, “flabby”, etc.
•   It was interesting to hear the wines in the movie described as being aged in French oak (Sauvignon Blanc in the date restaurant scene) because I now know that French oak and American Oak are two very distinct things
•   I actually learned from the movie that very few vineyards do a straight Cabernet Franc- this is something that I did not know before- this tells me something about the industry trends of the moment
•   When Miles was gushing over Opus One in the movie, I knew that it was a proprietary wine that is considered to be very good; since proprietary wines are a relatively new thing in the winemaking industry, it was nice to hear about the practice.

           

            It is a funny phenomenon how maturity or outside knowledge can change one’s perception of a book, a movie or even a joke. If you watch a movie as a kid and then go back and watch again when you’re an adult, you will likely catch things that went “over your head” the first time you watched. This usually happens with ‘adult’ references, but I definitely think that Sideways is a movie that will take on a whole different meaning and invoke a different type of reaction for people that are schooled in wine. I know that I giggled when Jack seemed so confused that Pinot Noir could be a white wine and Miles had to explain that the color in wine comes from the skin. This is something that would surely not be funny to me in the slightest if I had not already known that! I would definitely recommend the movie to anyone that is into wine or trying to get into wine because it has so many tidbits of knowledge and, as mentioned before, little jokes that would go over your head if you know nothing about wine. If the wine were taken out of the movie and only the mid-life crisis/ relationship drama sub-plots were left, I would not have liked the movie at all; for this reason, I ONLY recommend Sideways to people who know a thing or two about wine. Now I am busy planning my vacation to California wine country J

P.S. Gas was under $2 a gallon in the movie-how crazy!!!

Tasting: Reserve Grand Veneur Cotes du Rhone

Name: Reserve Grand Veneur Cotes du Rhone
Variety: 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Cinsault
Region: Rhone Valley
Country: France
Year: 2010
Price: $14.95/750mL or $38.95/3L

Winery review: As for their other values, the 2010 Grand Veneur Cotes du Rhone Reserve (70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Cinsault) displays loads of ripe flavors. It is very concentrated for a Cotes du Rhone,
and is actually an amazing wine. Classic garrigue, black cherry liqueur, lavender, licorice and spice box are all present in this fullbodied, intense, and rich Cotes du Rhone. This is a sensational effort to drink over the next 4-5 years, although it might last even longer

My review: The aromas on this wine were overwhelmingly powerful, blasting me with currants/dates and a whiff of coffee. It was spicy yet earthy with a hint of melon. The finish left me with lingering notes of cherries in my mouth. This is the first Rhone Valley wine I have tried and I really liked it! I was surprised to find that it is supposed to peak in 4-5 years because it was fantastic right now.

Food:  None

Tasting: Lobetia Tempranillo

Name: Lobetia Tempranillo
Variety: Tempranillo
Region: La Mancha
Country: Spain
Year: 2011
Price: $10.95

Winery review:Organically and naturally grown and made, this wine allows the varietal and the terroir to stand out cleanly. It shows a nice cherry color with a violet shade because of its youth. Red berries and
cherries on the nose. On the palate it is fresh, slightly astringent, and harmonious with a long finish.

My review: The Lobetia Tempranillo smells earthy and tobbaco-like, just as I have come to expect of most tempranillos. In my opinion, there is less scent variety with this type of grape than many others (based on my personal experience). I dries the mouth a bit and is certainly astringent but is a more medium-bodied wine than some of the full-bodied tempranillos I have had previously. I thought it tasted chemical and found the finish to be short. Overall, I did not like the wine and would not purchase.

Food:  None

Tasting: Lobetia Chardonnay

Name: Lobetia Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: La Mancha
Country: Spain
Year: 2011
Price: $10.95

Winery review: Organically and naturally grown and made, this wine allows the varietal and the terroir to stand out cleanly. Clean, bright color with a greenish-yellow tone. On the nose, exotic fruits like pineapple. Full flavored, fresh, with good acidity in the mouth, it finishes with tropical fruits.

My review: On the nose, this wine was nondescript but proved to have a full flavor! It was more acidic than I prefer but the melon and tropical flavors were very fresh and well-balanced. I liked the composition of the wine and found it very interesting that it was produced "biodynamically"

Food:  None