Date: Friday 6/7/23Location: Antonio’s Restaurant, San Juan, PRDistributor: LuxoWineWines: It’s been a while since I’ve done a double header. It’s also a complicated thing to do when it’s supposed to be a tasting and you are starting out because the inclination to leave wine in the glass, to me, is not innate. But it wasn’t…
A Wine Tasting With Master of Wine Almudena Alberca
Date: Friday 6/7/23Location: Almacen del Vino, Guaynabo, PRDistributor: B. Fernández Do titles define us, or do they serve as an expansion of our true nature and lengthen our personality? I’m sure an argument can be made for both cases. Regardless, I think it’s quite easy to identify them. Nothing, to me, says experience like humbleness…
A Road To 500 Grapes Wine Tasting
When I was in my twenties, I was in a band. It was a fun time. We recorded two albums, played amazing gigs, but I have to tell you, being an introvert and standing in front of people…not an easy endeavour. So most nights, we’d be playing and I’d be wanting the set to end…
163 – Vitovska – 337 Grapes Left
Curious Synonyms: Vitovska Grganja, Vitovska Garganja Nerd Alert: Rare and ancient greenish-gold variety that is found predominantly in Carso, in the northeastern Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of Italy. The name is of slovenian origin. Believed to be a crossing of Prosecco Tondo and Malvasia Bianca Lunga. Traditionally used in blends, but recently it started panning out….
162 – Niagara – 338 Grapes Left
Curious Synonyms: Niagara White, White Concord Nerd Alert: Light-skinned hybrid variety grown mainly in the northeastern United States. Created in the New York county of Niagara in the mid-19th Century from the Concord grape variety (probably a cross between a wild Vitis labrusca variety and an unknown Vitis vinifera variety) and the labrusca Cassady. It’s…
Synonym Grapes List: #1 Cannonau/Grenache
Grape: CannonauAlcohol: 13.5%Vintage: 2018Wine: Dolia Cannonau Di Sardegna D.O.C.Winery: Cantine di DolianovaCountry: Sardegna, ItalyDate: 12/3/22DOC: Cannonau di SardegnaDistributor: Total WineOriginal Grape Entry: RT500 #97 (8/12/21)Original RT500 List Grape: Grenache What’s this list? Well, the Repeats Lists are literally wines with the same name I reviewed for RT500. The Synonyms List is the same DNA but…
161 – Tinto Velasco – 339 Grapes Left
Curious Synonyms: Graciano de Alfaro, Velasco, Blasco, Benitillo, Frasco Nerd Alert: This grape is known in la Rioja Baja and it wasn’t until the early 1990’s that it was demonstrated it wasn’t really Graciano. It is considered a spanish varietal even though it is not recognized as an authorized varietal in any D.O. in Spain….
160 – Foja Tonda – 340 Grapes Left
Curious Synonyms: Casetta, Maranela, Lambrusco a Foglia Tonda, Lambrusco Casetta Nerd Alert: This obscure red variety was planted in the Adige valley for many centuries. Grown sin ce the Middle Ages and well known in the 18th Century when Alto Adige was annexed into the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The variety was ignored until recently. Mostly exclusive…
A Martin Codax Wine Tasting
I remember a story from a famous music group from the 1970’s called Blondie. For the longest time people assumed that was the name of the singer, Debbie Harry. I guess it’s a sociological assumption since most bands name with what sounds like a persons name tend to be that of the singer. Well the…
158 – Valdiguie – 342 Grapes Left
Curious Synonyms: Napa Gamay, Gamay 15, Gros Auxerrois, Brocal. Nerd Alert: Red grape primarily grown in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France but it is also grown in California. Until 1980 it was called Napa Gamay until DNA testing validated it was a different grape. It’s a high yeilding, low alcohol with fruity flavors but…