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Today we’re hanging out with one of the most underrated white wines in France, and I promise it will challenge everything you know about fruit-expressive wines. White wine drinkers tend to belong to one of two camps for white wine preferences: fruit-expressive or mineral-driven. Today’s Vouvray falls under the fruit-expressive category. Fruit-expressive does not necessarily mean sweet, but rather that the dominant flavours are those of fruit.

Vouvray? Is that the grape?

THE PLACE

Vouvray is a wine from a subregion of the same name within France’s Loire Valley. It produces whites made from Chenin Blanc, the grape.

I like to introduce maps early!

The Loire Valley is the wine region that follows the Loire River, France’s longest river (1000 km / 625 mi long). This river was key to the wine trade prior to the advent of railway systems. The Loire River starts in the center of France and flows north then west, all the way to the Atlantic. Should you follow this water course, you would encounter four unique wine regions - although all are officially considered Loire!

The Loire regions have evolved to grow different grapes, producing wines of different taste and style profiles. The result is 34 subregions broken down within these four wine regions. For more on that check it out here.

Nifty.

Here is the featured nifty place.

Vouvray is within Touraine, one of the four wine regions of Loire. Can you picture yourself standing just east of the charming city of Tours, on the right bank of the Loire, looking out over rolling limestone hills? That’s Vouvray.

I’m there baby, I’m there! All I’m missing is understanding what is in my glass, man!

Right! If Loire is four wine regions for the price of one, Vouvray is five wines for the price of one subregion.

Handy!

Let me explain...

THE GRAPE

Vouvray is 100% dedicated to Chenin Blanc.

Chenin Blanc, often abbreviated to just Chenin, has been referred to as the world’s most versatile grape.

The featured wine is a dry Vouvray, and it is still (not sparkling) although it can also be produced as a sparkling wine. This one is dry, but Vouvrays can be fully sweet and everything in between – making for five distinct wine styles from the same grape in the same place.

That’s unusual, isn’t it?

It is – its superpower is its acidity, which gives it the versatility to produce balanced sweet wines as opposed to cloying sweet wines that taste like syrup.

The result is a wine that can be bone dry to tooth-achingly sweet, still or sparkling, enjoyed young or aged 5 years, or in the case of fully sweet wines, 50 years even! Chenin does it all. Not many grapes can pull off this range.

Is this why you talked about fruitiness from the onset?

Actually no, thanks for bringing us back there.

Since our brains are hardwired to associate fruitiness with sugar, many perceive that fruit-expressive wines are sweet on the palate. A real turn-off for the “mineral-driven wine” camp drinkers, and fair enough – you love who you love!

But!

Even if you don’t like sweet … keep reading! The featured wine is fruit-expressive and not sweet– I will get to that later.

THE HISTORY

Vouvray goes way back to the year 372 when St. Martin founded the first vineyards. A legend goes that the benefits of short pruning grape vines were credited to an overindulgent donkey.

A donkey! That’s a first, your stories have not included a donkey before!

And to be specific, short pruning means that the lower trellis wire is no higher than 0.55 m (1.8 ft).

That’s very specific.

Agreed. Apparently, that was lower than the donkey’s knees as he left those untouched.

Hhhmmm

The suspicion is that the legend was inspired by the biblical book of Genesis where Judah tied his donkey to a grapevine, or in Greek mythology where Aristaeus ‘discovered’ that pruning was “invented” by his vine eating goat.

I have written about St. Martin before; he really kicked off a wine tradition that endures to this day. As far as Chenin Blanc is concerned, it is more “modern” dating back only to the 13^th century. The grape growers had already located the best plots for white grapes along the edge of the plateau and hillsides with their “tuffeau” soils, a chalky limestone. Chenin Blanc was eventually given the privilege of that best seat amongst the vineyards.

Because of the view?

No, because the soil drains well. This means that vines planted in the stony limestone soils ripen better than those planted in more clay-based soils, which are colder. This coolness inhibits ripening.

As the centuries rolled on, the kings demanded Vouvray, the monks such as St Martin dug it, and the Dutch brokers flogged it, resulting in northern European countries buying it. By the 20^th century, within Loire, Vouvray was the first to be considered an official subregion, due to its enduring reputation, literally putting it on the (wine subregion) map!

Okay, I get it now. Let me take another sip. Yes, fruit-expressive with its acacia, apple, and quince, but you’re right, it’s dry!

You sound surprised. Still don’t trust me, huh!

(awkward silence)

Now I hear the donkey’s ghost saying to stop reading and go find a bottle! Don’t forget to keep scrolling down to get to the featured wine section.

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Champalou Vouvray Sec 2023, Touraine, Loire, France

Style: Medium Body Fruit-expressive White Wine

Variety(ies): Chenin Blanc

In the glass are bright notes of white acacia blossom, green apple, pear, quince, an evocative honey wax note, and a touch of dried herbs. It’s medium-bodied, has fresh acidity, and such a long finish.

Best pairings: Roasted poultry, white fish in sauce, grilled white meat, shellfish, vegetable stir-fry, and Japanese cuisine. Cheese: fresh goat cheese and Brie

Serving Temperature: 10 degrees Celsius

Serving Tips: Pour & enjoy

Price: ~$34 Cdn

Relevant Shades of Grape links: Keep scrolling

If you're in Alberta and want a one-on-one wine curation experience, please reach out! No commitment or minimum purchase required. Interested? Please reach out!

A huge thank you to my paid subscribers—your support helps cover the costs of creating these weekly articles.

Love my wine recommendations? Enjoy my personal wine curation service? If you find value in my writing, consider upgrading to a paid subscription to help me keep sharing the world of wine with you!

Paid subscribers receive 15% off Wine & Spirits whenever shopping at Cork Fine Wines, ground floor, Bow Valley Square in downtown Calgary.

LINKS TO RELEVANT PAST SHADES OF GRAPE ARTICLES:

SOURCES

Arthur, G. (2020). The mythology of wine (eBook). ISBN 978-0-2288-3259-1.

Champalou. (n.d.). Champalou. https://champalou.com/

Harding, J., & Robinson, J. (2023). The Oxford companion to wine. Oxford University Press.

McNeil, K. (2015). The wine Bible (3rd ed.). Workman Publishing.

Shades of Grape. (n.d.). A river runs through it: Loire Valley’s. https://www.shadesofgrape.ca/p/a-river-runs-through-it-loire-valleys

Vins de Vouvray. (n.d.). Our terroir: Chenin wine. https://www.vinsdevouvray.com/en/our-terroir-chenin-wine/

Wine & Spirit Education Trust. (2025). D3: Wines of the world—An accompaniment to the WSET Level 4 diploma in wines (Version 1.2). Wine & Spirit Education Trust.

Drink better this year! I offer wine orders customized to your palate. Reach out for one-on-one curation time with me with no commitment or minimum purchase required.

Subscribing is a way to show your appreciation for:

• my wine recommendations,

• any assistance I provide along your wine journey, or

• my writing entertainment!

become a free or paid subscriber

I’m intrigued by this headline!

Someone getting punished is always intriguing isn’t it? Let’s set the stage with a map. We will head to Portugal and talk about a few wine regions. The Bairrada wine region in red below has the Vinho Verde wine region (in yellow) to the north, Douro (pink) to its northeast, and Dao (gray) to its east.

The Douro region is named after the Douro River that runs through it, and is the same region where Port is made. The Douro River is a continuation of the “Spanish” Duero River, which switches names upon crossing the Spanish-Portuguese border and continues about 90 km to the city of Porto, eventually reaching the Atlantic Ocean to the west.

Just south of the Douro River is Bairrada, whose wine history goes back to the 10^th century when Portugal ceased being under the Moors’ control. Moving forward in time, Douro’s Port wine demand was higher than the region could supply.

Let me guess …someone found a solution.

Yes. Bairrada wines were marketed under false pretenses and sold either as Port outright, or blended into Port to add more colour and give the illusion of a higher quality wine.

That is a big no-no.

Hence Bairrada’s punishment.

In 1756, the Marquês de Pombal wanted to win back Port’s credibility and rid it of the offending grapes. So he ordered the Bairrada vines pulled to protect the wealth Port brought in! This was devastating to Bairrada’s industry, ultimately taking more than 200 years to get back on its feet.

Bairrada is an interesting name.

One that I keep misspelling. I never know where to put the ‘i’. Interestingly it comes from the word barro, which means clay in Portuguese.

And barro has no i’s so that doesn’t help you.

True! But the soils do contain clay with limestone, with some more sandy.

Do you remember the wine Mateus? The rosé wine in the funny wide bottle.

I remember as a child my aunts drinking it at family gatherings.

Well, it is still on the market. I was shocked when I tasted it blind during my diploma course. Talk about a blast from the past! Mateus started in Bairrada where out of approximately 2500 producers, about 900 sell their grapes to Sogrape, Mateus’ producer.

The Baga grape is the main star here and it grows well in the limestone-clay soils. Its name means “berry” to highlight its small grape size. It’s a black grape, constituting over 75% of the region’s wines, followed by the Alfrocheiro, Tinta Pinheira, and Touriga Nacional varieties. The predominant white grape variety is Fernão Pires (known as Maria Gomes in the region), followed by Arinto, Bical, Cercial, and Rabo de Ovelha.

The featured wine fits the norm, being Baga dominant and blended with Touriga Nacional and Castelão.

Who would you recommend the featured wine to?

Someone who likes a well-made high quality easy drinking wine.

Other than call it high quality, I think that your description can be perceived negatively.

It shouldn’t. It means it is smooth and can be enjoyed with or without food. What it isn’t is high in any one structure.

It is medium body, the tannins are soft, and its finish is long which is a sign of quality. I was very impressed with this wine. A great wine for beginners whose palate has not developed an appreciation for higher tannins and acidity level, or for fuller bodied wines, which can be an acquired taste.

So serious wine drinkers should stay away.

Not at all. This is a great wine, particularly for the price. It may not appeal to everyone’s palate, which goes for any wine or food for that matter.

Check out the detailed wine description below!

I can’t wait to try it!

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Regateiro ‘JR’ 2018, Bairrada, Portugal

Style: Medium Body Red Wine

Variety(ies): Baga,Touriga Nacional, and Castelão

This lively wine shows red and dark berry fruit—cherry, prune, and forest berries—alongside black pepper and a slightly dry, vegetal edge. It’s medium-bodied with good depth and texture, fresh acidity, soft ripe tannins, and a long finish.

Best pairings: grilled sausages, grilled lamb chops, pork roast, coq au vin, creamy mushroom risotto, Cheese: aged sheep cheese

Serving Temperature: 16-18 degrees Celsius

Serving Tips: Enjoy

Price: ~$26 Cdn

Relevant Shades of Grape links: Keep scrolling

If you're in Alberta and want a one-on-one wine curation experience, please reach out! No commitment or minimum purchase required. Interested? Please reach out!

A huge thank you to my paid subscribers—your support helps cover the costs of creating these weekly articles.

Love my wine recommendations? Enjoy my personal wine curation service? If you find value in my writing, consider upgrading to a paid subscription to help me keep sharing the world of wine with you!

Paid subscribers receive 15% off Wine & Spirits whenever shopping at Cork Fine Wines, ground floor, Bow Valley Square in downtown Calgary.

LINKS TO RELEVANT PAST SHADES OF GRAPE ARTICLES:

SOURCES

Falstaff. (n.d.). Bairrada (Portugal). https://www.falstaff.com/en/regions/portugal-bairrada

Harding, J., & Robinson, J. (2023). The Oxford companion to wine. Oxford University Press.

Instituto da Vinha e do Vinho (IVV). (n.d.). IVV official website. https://www.ivv.gov.pt/np4/785/

Intowine. (n.d.). Bairrada: Home of Portugal’s Baga grape. https://www.intowine.com/bairrada-home-portugals-baga-grape

McNeil, K. (2015). The wine bible (3rd ed.). Workman Publishing.

Vinerra. (n.d.). Baga: An in-depth wine profile. https://vinovoss.com/regions/bairrada-portugal/

VinoVoss. (n.d.). Bairrada wine region. https://vinovoss.com/regions/bairrada-portugal/

Wines of Portugal. (n.d.). Bairrada wine region. https://winesofportugal.com/en/discover/wine-regions/bairrada/

Wine & Spirit Education Trust. (2025). D3: Wines of the world — An accompaniment to the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines (Version 1.2). Wine & Spirit Education Trust.

Drink better this year! I offer wine orders customized to your palate. Reach out for one-on-one curation time with me with no commitment or minimum purchase required.

Subscribing is a way to show your appreciation for:

• my wine recommendations,

• any assistance I provide along your wine journey, or

• my writing entertainment!

become a free or paid subscriber

I always ask for feedback when I curate wine for people. Usually this comes in the form of a bottle photo along with a thumbs up or down emoji. A particular wine is hitting with people recently. Although Pietradolce’s Etna Rosso has been a go-to wine for clients for some time, the 2023 seems to be especially appreciated.

Italian I assume?

Yes. It’s from Sicily and you guessed it, the vineyards lie on the Mt Etna volcano in southern Italy. I think of Sicily as the soccer ball (football) that is hit by the toe of mainland Italian boot.

Zooming in to Sicily itself, the Etna subregion is the pink crescent shape on the east side of the island.

For a long time, Sicily was more about quantity than quality. The grapes were allowed to grow to high yields, and the winemaking was non-focused. It wasn’t until the 21^st century, with EU wine support programs, that the focus was shifted. Nero d’Avola is the top black grape of Sicily, with the top white grape being Catarratto.

These must be indigenous to Sicily.

Yes, as well as Nerello Mascalese, from which today’s wine is made.

Sounds like a fancy pasta dish!

It is Sicily’s 3^rd most planted black grape variety. To be labelled Etna Rosso, the wine must be a minimum of 80% Nerello Mascalese with Nerello Cappuccio being the only other allowed grape.

Ah the fancy pasta comes with a fancy dinner coffee!

Isn’t it too hot to grow quality grapes in Sicily?

Not in the right growing environment. Here, altitude is key. This wine’s vines grow at 800 m (2625 ft) above sea level. This provides a cooling influence slowing down ripening and retaining acidity while flavour complexity develops.

And of course, the soil would be volcanic.

Indeed, along with being sandy. Volcanic soils also influences the temperature as they tend to be dark-coloured. During the day they absorb more heat and then release it at night or on cooler days. This is ideal for the warm Mediterranean climate of Sicily.

And cooler climate regions would do better with lighter soils, I presume?

Exactly. The perfect example is the white- or cream-coloured chalky soils of Champagne or Sancerre France. These reflect the heat and sunlight. The lower part of the vine’s canopy will actually receive sunlight for photosynthesis due to the reflective effect.

Who would your recommend this wine to?

Pinot Noir lovers really dig this wine. It has an elegance and weight similar to what Pinot Noirs are known for. Prior to drinking, I pour it in the decanter, even for just a minute, before pouring it into a glass. This just gives it the nudge it needs to come alive. Otherwise I decant it for about an hour while sneaking little tastes to see how it progresses along the way.

Okay, I am ready to move on to the featured wine details section.

Have at ‘er! The pairings make me salivate!

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Pietradolce Etna Rosso 2023 from Mount Etna, Sicily, Southern Italy

Style: Medium Body Red Wine

Variety: Nerello Mascalese

This smooth textured wine has aromas of wild berries, black cherry, blackberry, black plum, tart blackberry and cherry with herbal, baking spice, and smoky notes. The tannins are fine and the finish is long.

Best pairings: Fancy thin crust pizza, French onion soup, Italian sausage pasta dishes, Meatier fish (tuna or swordfish), poultry, or pork with tomatoes and capers, Italian cheeses (parmesan, pecorino, provolone).

Serving Temperature: 16-18 degrees Celsius

Price: ~$36

Serving Tips: Decant minimum of 1 hour or to taste

Relevant Shades of Grape links: Keep scrolling

If you're in Alberta and want a one-on-one wine curation experience, please reach out! No commitment or minimum purchase required. Interested? Please reach out!

A huge thank you to my paid subscribers—your support helps cover the costs of creating these weekly articles.

Love my wine recommendations? Enjoy my personal wine curation service? If you find value in my writing, consider upgrading to a paid subscription to help me keep sharing the world of wine with you!

Paid subscribers receive 15% off Wine & Spirits whenever shopping at Cork Fine Wines, ground floor, Bow Valley Square in downtown Calgary.

LINKS TO RELEVANT PAST SHADES OF GRAPE ARTICLES:

SOURCES

Sicily map of vineyards wine regions (no date). https://vineyards.com/wine-map/italy/sicily.

Stacy.Louise (2020) ‘Wine region Overview: Southern Italy - Briscoe bites,’ Briscoe Bites - Booze, Baking, Big Bites and More!, 21 August. http://briscoebites.com/wine-region-overview-southern-italy/.

Superiore.de. n.d. “Pietradolce Rosso Etna DOC 2023.” Accessed March 20, 2026. https://www.superiore.de/en/wine/sicily/pietradolce/pietradolce-rosso-etna-doc-2023.html

Vineyards.com (no date) Vineyards.com. Available at: http://www.vineyards.com (Accessed: 5 February 2026).

Wine & Spirit Education Trust (2025) D3: Wines of the World — An accompaniment to the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines. Version 1.2. London: Wine & Spirit Education Trust.

Drink better this year! I offer wine orders customized to your palate. Reach out for one-on-one curation time with me with no commitment or minimum purchase required.

Subscribing is a way to show your appreciation for:

• my wine recommendations,

• any assistance I provide along your wine journey, or

• my writing entertainment!

become a free or paid subscriber

What’s on your mind today?

Wine curation for red wine drinkers… And how important it is for wine drinkers to understand their preferred wine style.

Cuz if you can’t explain what you like, you won’t get what you like!

Big picture, in wine style language, we discuss the body of the wine…

A wine’s body is the ‘presence’ the wine commands in your mouth. Think sense of touch rather than taste. A good comparison is milk where lower fat milk is lighter and waterier. This is analogous to a light bodied wine. At the other end of the spectrum is heavy cream, which coats the walls of your mouth giving a ‘fuller’ sensation similar to a full body wine. In the middle of the range is the medium body wine.

… and old-world style vs new-world style wines…

Generally, people think that these styles refer to European wines (old-world) vs. non-European wines (new-world). And while this can be true, these are generalizations as the old-world now makes new-world style wines and vice versa, but it helps understand different wine styles.

Hence why you qualify with the word style.

Indeed.

Generally speaking, old-world style wines are not overtly fruity but have integrated flavours of fruit, minerality, and perhaps oak.

For new-world style wines, the opposite is true: they tend to be fruity or fruit forward, and when oaked they can have prominent American oak characteristics (vanilla and coconut). It’s important to note – the term “fruity” in wine speak does not mean sweet. It means that the wines’ dominant flavours are those of fruit.

But.

I have found another key nuance in understanding people’s palate preferences.

Firstly, red wine fruit flavours are broken down into red and black fruit. If the wine is a blend of different grapes, it may have both red and black fruit flavours present in the wine. Otherwise, wines are generally dominated by one or the other.

Definition please! At least some examples please!

Red fruit flavours range from redcurrant, cranberry, raspberry, and strawberry to red cherry and plum notes. Examples of black fruit flavours are blackcurrant (cassis), blackberry, blueberry, and black cherry and plum.

Generally red fruit wines have a brighter, lifted profile, what I have coined as higher frequency flavours. When I use the term bright as a descriptor, something resonates with people.

Pun intended!

Okay that is helpful as frankly I don’t really know what type of fruit flavours I like in my wine. What about black fruit?

Black fruit flavour dominant wines tend to have a deeper, darker character tending towards broodiness at the extreme end.

So black fruit flavours are lower frequency. Got it!

Again, when I throw around these concepts with people, they get it.

They tune right in? haha!

Gosh.

Are there specific grape varieties that are associated with red versus black fruit flavours?

Yes and no.

It depends on many factors - mainly where they are grown, the weather for the given vintage, and how long the grapes are allowed to ripen.

For example, a Merlot can be red fruit flavour dominant when grown in Canada’s cool climate wine regions. In Bordeaux, France however, Merlot can be black fruit flavour dominant and can even be hard to distinguish from a Cabernet Sauvignon that I generally consider black fruit dominant.

And yet, a specific wine example the high quality 2016 Bordeaux featured in my article linked below. It is a 50% Cab Sauv/ 50% Merlot blend that has both red and black fruit flavours. So it breaks “the rule” that these grapes tend to be black fruit dominant in Bordeaux.

To fine-tune your understanding of the concept here are some wine articles that feature wines that are:

Red fruit flavour dominant wines

Black fruit flavour dominant wines

That was super helpful - I am starting to get it!

I hope this will help you drink better and dial into YOUR perfect red wine frequency!

Cuz if you can’t explain what you like, you won’t get what you like!

Enjoying my recommendations? Consider upgrading to a paid subscription.

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If you're in Alberta and want a one-on-one wine curation experience, please reach out! No commitment or minimum purchase required. Interested? Please reach out!

A huge thank you to my paid subscribers—your support helps cover the costs of creating these weekly articles.

Love my wine recommendations? Enjoy my personal wine curation service? If you find value in my writing, consider upgrading to a paid subscription to help me keep sharing the world of wine with you!

Paid subscribers receive 15% off Wine & Spirits whenever shopping at Cork Fine Wines, ground floor, Bow Valley Square in downtown Calgary.

SOURCES

Chartier, E. (no date) A Chilean wine story: from Grand Marnier…. Shades of Grape. Available at: https://www.shadesofgrape.ca/p/a-chilean-wine-story-from-grand-marnier (Accessed: 5 February 2026).

Chartier, E. (no date) Bee hotels, Bordeaux and biodiversity. Shades of Grape. Available at: https://www.shadesofgrape.ca/p/bee-hotels-bordeaux-and-biodiversity (Accessed: 5 February 2026).

Chartier, E. (no date) Bootleg Burgundy: meet Coteaux Bourguignons. Shades of Grape. Available at: https://www.shadesofgrape.ca/p/bootleg-burgundy-meet-coteaux-bourguignons (Accessed: 5 February 2026).

Chartier, E. (no date) Drink better with ease. Shades of Grape. Available at: https://www.shadesofgrape.ca/p/drink-better-with-ease (Accessed: 5 February 2026).

Chartier, E. (no date) First papal vineyard: monk eyeing around…. Shades of Grape. Available at: https://www.shadesofgrape.ca/p/first-papal-vineyard-monk-eying-around (Accessed: 5 February 2026).

Chartier, E. (no date) Goldilocks & the three wines: why temperature matters. Shades of Grape. Available at: https://www.shadesofgrape.ca/p/goldilocks-and-the-three-wines-why (Accessed: 5 February 2026).

Chartier, E. (no date) Greece gave Sicily everything: wine and history. Shades of Grape. Available at: https://www.shadesofgrape.ca/p/greece-gave-sicily-everything-wine (Accessed: 5 February 2026).

Chartier, E. (no date) Italy’s first president made Dolcetto. Shades of Grape. Available at: https://www.shadesofgrape.ca/p/italys-first-president-made-dolcetto (Accessed: 5 February 2026).

Chartier, E. (no date) Old world and new world wines: exploring the differences. Shades of Grape. Available at: https://www.shadesofgrape.ca/p/old-world-and-new-world-wines-exploring (Accessed: 5 February 2026).

Chartier, E. (no date) Two Rhônes make a right: a tale of…. Shades of Grape. Available at: https://www.shadesofgrape.ca/p/two-rhones-make-a-right-a-tale-of (Accessed: 5 February 2026).

Chartier, E. (no date) Understanding “Superiore” on Italian wine labels. Shades of Grape. Available at: https://www.shadesofgrape.ca/p/understanding-superiore-on-italian (Accessed: 5 February 2026).

Chartier, E. (no date) What connects Sancerre and Marlborough?. Shades of Grape. Available at: https://www.shadesofgrape.ca/p/what-connects-sancerre-and-marlborough (Accessed: 5 February 2026).

Drink better this year! I offer wine orders customized to your palate. Reach out for one-on-one curation time with me with no commitment or minimum purchase required.

Subscribing is a way to show your appreciation for:

• my wine recommendations,

• any assistance I provide along your wine journey, or

• my writing entertainment!

become a free or paid subscriber

So much to say so little time!

For my last article I wrote about Provence, whose raison d’être seems to be amazing rosé.

And yet you featured a white Vermentino!

Keeping you on your toes, baby!

And now we are going to Abruzzo where Montepulciano is the red grape of the region…

And let me guess …

I am going to write about rosé – well rosato in Italian!

I knew it!

I told you these articles revolve around the wines I find! And regardless, their rosé has a special name: Cerasuolo! How fun is that!

I love saying it: Cerasuolo, Cerasuolo, Cerasuolo with a ‘ch’ sound like chicken!

And it is made with a minimum of 85% Montepulciano.

Remind me about the confusion around Montepulciano again.

Thought you would never ask!

Montepulciano is a town and a grape. The municipality is in Tuscany, but Montepulciano, the grape, is not grown there. Tuscany’s famous wine, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, is made from mostly the Sangiovese grape.

Montepulciano, the grape, is widely grown in Italy, particularly in the Abruzzo and Marche regions. You may have heard of the wine named Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. In that case Montepulciano is the grape and Abruzzo is the region.

Do they have anything in common?

Quite a bit actually. Both Tuscany and Abruzzo are in Central Italy. Tuscany is on the west side and influenced by the Mediterranean, while Abruzzo is on the East side with Adriatic Sea effects. On the Italian wine region map below, Tuscany is highlighted in green around Florence, while Abruzzo appears in fuchsia on the Adriatic side of central Italy, east of Rome.

What else do they have in common?

Sangiovese and Montepulciano grapes are both considered to be native to Italy and are the country’s top two most planted black grapes (Sangiovese is number one). They also both have legends associated with them.

I love myself a good wine legend!

Since it is a myth there are several versions. The jest goes that the famous General (and future Roman emperor) Hannibal believed Montepulciano wine healed and strengthened his soldier’s wounds. He even gave his horses Montepulciano baths to make them invincible. One version of the legend says that the baths would heal them of scabies.

The soldiers?

The horses, silly!

Now I want to hear about this rosé with a special name Cher….

Cerasuolo!

Right – it sounds intriguing!

Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo is known for being a darker coloured rosé although it is made a little lighter now than in the past.

Why are some rosés dark in colour while others are so light that they are practically colourless?

Answer: WINEMAKING!

Usually, people prefer one style over the other!

The colour of all wines comes from grape skins since most grapes, regardless of skin-color, have colourless flesh. That is why white wine can be made from black grapes. The best example of this is a Blanc de Noir Champagne which is a white sparkling wine made from black grapes only.

I thought we were talking rosés today, Eveline … (sheesh!)

Ok, that was a tangent …

All rosés are made from black grapes. Whether making sparkling or still wines, there are 3 methods of making rosé:

1. Direct pressing results in the lightest coloured rosés. This is on trend right now. With this method, black grapes are pressed as soon as possible resulting in minimal colour extraction from the skins. This is the traditional Provence style rosé – their palest of rosés are barely pink and sometimes go by the name vin gris. Vin gris translates into grey wine – sounds nicer in French doesn’t it!

Everything does!

2. Blending just enough red wine with white wine to get the desired colour and flavour of rosé! Enough said!

3. Short maceration means the winemaker leaves the juice in contact with the skins for a few hours or a few days after crushing. A longer time gives the darkest rosés. This method was traditionally used to make rosado (rosé in Spanish) from Spain or Tavel rosé within France’s Rhone Valley…

…and Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo!

Yes! However, due to the popularity of the Provence style rosés, even these areas now make some direct pressing rosé to keep up with consumer demand.

Figure out which style you prefer so you know what to ask for! Although you can generally tell with the colour if the wine bottle glass is clear.

Okay so tell me more of this Cerasuolo rosé!

It is called Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo. Cerasuolo means pale cherry red. This wine would have a short maceration (up to 12 hours in general). Some will be direct press depending on the producer. The Montepulciano grape is naturally rich in colour, so a little skin contact goes a long way. It is fresh tasting and if time is spend on skins there will be more structure, meaning slight tannin and more body. These will typically be medium to moderately full bodied, making for great food rosés!

NOW Cerasuolo di Vittoria, a wine made in Sicily, is NOT rosé.

Oh man, the Italians do it to me again with more confusion!

Tell me about it! Turns out this is a sub-theme for this article.

In the case of Cerasuolo di Vittoria, Cerasuolo comes from the Sicilian word Ceresa, meaning cherry, referring to the cherry flavours in the wine.

Okay got it!

To wrap things up prior to discussing the featured wine, I would be remiss to not tell you a little blurb about the producer Ciavolich.

That ain’t Italian!

LOL. No, it isn’t! In the 16^th century, the Ciavolich family immigrated to Italy from Bulgaria where they were wool merchants. They eventually got into grape growing and winemaking, founding the oldest cellar of the region in 1835.

Super cool. True entrepreneurs! Okay I am saturated with facts, now I want to be saturated with rosé!

Sounds great! Scroll down for the featured wine and relevant Shades of Grape article links.

Ciao ciao!

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Ciavolich Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo Rosé 2024, Abruzzo, Central Italy

Style: Medium Body Rosé Wine

Variety(ies): Montepulciano

This fresh dry rosé wine has notes of strawberry, red cherry, kirsch, blueberry, pomegranate, and cantaloupe with a hint of mint. This wine is fruit-driven, has medium intensity, very slight tannins, and a long finish.

Best pairings: Pizza, Pasta with tomato or seafood sauces, Grilled fish or poultry, Antipasti, Bruschetta, Green salad with strawberries, feta, and creamy poppy seed dressing, Charcuterie board, Cheese: Young to semi-aged cheeses (pecorino, mozzarella)

Serving Temperature: 8 -10 degrees Celsius

Serving Tips: Enjoy

Price: ~$28 Cdn

Relevant Shades of Grape links: Keep scrolling

If you're in Alberta and want a one-on-one wine curation experience, please reach out! No commitment or minimum purchase required. Interested? Please reach out!

A huge thank you to my paid subscribers—your support helps cover the costs of creating these weekly articles.

Love my wine recommendations? Enjoy my personal wine curation service? If you find value in my writing, consider upgrading to a paid subscription to help me keep sharing the world of wine with you!

Paid subscribers receive 15% off Wine & Spirits whenever shopping at Cork Fine Wines, ground floor, Bow Valley Square in downtown Calgary.

LINKS TO RELEVANT PAST SHADES OF GRAPE ARTICLES:

SOURCES

Abruzzo Information (no date) 10 things you need to know about Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. Available at: https://www.abruzzoinformation.com/en/10-things-you-need-to-know-about-montepulciano-dabruzzo/ (Accessed: 5 February 2026).

Harding, J. and Robinson, J. (2023) The Oxford companion to wine. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

MasterClass (no date) Learn about Montepulciano: grape characteristics, wines, and how to pair Montepulciano. Available at: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/learn-about-montepulciano-grape-characteristics-wines-and-how-to-pair-montepulciano (Accessed: 5 February 2026).

McNeil, K. (2015) The Wine Bible. 3rd edn. New York: Workman Publishing.

Robinson, J. (no date) Abruzzo’s new avant-garde – part 2. Available at: https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/abruzzos-new-avant-garde-part-2 (Accessed: 5 February 2026).

Shades of Grape (2023) Chartier, E. Rosé all day!. Available at: https://www.shadesofgrape.ca/p/rose-all-day (Accessed: 5 February 2026).

Shades of Grape (no date) Vino Nobile: the Montepulciano that’s…. Available at: https://www.shadesofgrape.ca/p/vino-nobile-the-montepulciano-thats (Accessed: 5 February 2026).

Vineyards.com (no date) Vineyards.com. Available at: http://www.vineyards.com (Accessed: 5 February 2026).

Wikipedia (no date) Hadrian. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadrian (Accessed: 5 February 2026).

Wine & Spirit Education Trust (2025) D3: Wines of the World — An accompaniment to the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines. Version 1.2. London: Wine & Spirit Education Trust.

Wine Insiders (no date) Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. Available at: https://wineinsiders.com/blogs/wine-101-types-of-wines-grapes/montepulciano-dabruzzo (Accessed: 5 February 2026).

Drink better this year! I offer wine orders customized to your palate. Reach out for one-on-one curation time with me with no commitment or minimum purchase required.

Subscribing is a way to show your appreciation for:

• my wine recommendations,

• any assistance I provide along your wine journey, or

• my writing entertainment!

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Why do you write your Substack with two “voices” – we know YOU are both voices?

There … I finally asked what everyone is dying to ask!

Even you?

Even me.

I want my writing to be approachable and easy. Don’t you feel like fun gets sucked out of everything lately? I’m just not into that!

I value fun too.

Surprising.

Some of you may remember the book “The Wealthy Barber”. It came out right around the time I graduated from high school. A (wealthy) barber shares financial advice with a client conversationally at the shop - a back-and-forth dialogue just like here at Shades of Grape. As a young adult, I appreciated how The Wealthy Barber was easy to read and stay focused on.

Except I’m not a client, I’m imaginary, really.

One who serves the key purpose of asking questions that may naturally occur to the reader.

But now onto the purpose of sharing the story behind today’s featured wine!

Let’s head to Provence in Southern France where their main white grape is Vermentino!

Fun! I love Vermentino.

Me too.

Shocking!

EU rules state that France is technically not allowed to use the term Vermentino because Italy protected the name by including it in a subregion.

I am surprised they have not copyrighted the word zucchini!

They may yet try!

Peyrassol, the producer of the featured wine, refer to Vermentino on their website. They, as many others, are still using the name they know and love. Rolle, a French Vermentino synonym, is the official French name. However, I have been told during winery visits in France that the French don’t love that name. They prefer Vermentino!

It has a sort of je ne sais quoi!

Agreed. I love how Peyrassol has both a rebel instinct and a super fun history. Their estate was established by the Order of the Knights Templar in the 13^th century!

Okay that IS quite cool! I don’t know who those Templar guys were though.

I wondered the same thing.

Astonishing!

I learned these guys were essentially monk-soldiers! According to Britannica, they were a “religious military order of knighthood established in 1119 during the Crusades.” It started with eight or nine French knights whose purpose was to protect Christian pilgrims heading to Jerusalem. Their name comes from the lodgings given to them by Baldwin II, king of Jerusalem, in the royal palace near the former Temple of Solomon. Over two centuries time period, the Templars grew to 20,000 members.

All I can picture is A LOT of chain mail.

The habits they wore were white with a red cross.

Isn’t there a belief that they still exist? Underground maybe? I hope they still make wine!

Well, they picked good lands allowing Phillippe Austruy, the new estate owner since 2001, to make excellent wines. They are in the Côtes de Provence subregion shown in peach on the map in the center of the eastern section of lands, east of Brignoles.

The southern France wine region of Provence is west and southwest of Nice and Cannes and surrounds the city of Marseille. Côtes de Provence is known for rosé, which makes up approximately 90% of Côte de Provence wines. The remaining wines are made up of about 7% reds and 3% whites. The rosé and red main grape varieties are Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Mourvèdre, and Tibouren. As for whites, the grapes are Rolle (Vermentino in Italy!), Sémillon, Ugni Blanc, and Clairette. Typically, all these wines are blends, including the featured white made up of 90% Vermentino, 5% Sémillon, and 5% Ugni Blanc.

Before I scroll down to read more about the featured wine … say more about Vermentino!

Vermentino is a semi-aromatic grape and is generally made in two styles. The first style is a lighter and zestier medium body wine, the second is richer, creamier, and fuller bodied. It produces wine with complex flavors and can include a subtle bitter flavor that ranges from citrus peel or pith to green or fresh almond. Additional fruit flavors can range from green fruit and citrus to stone fruit or tropical, along with engaging dried herb and saline notes.

So why did you choose a white when it is rosé all day in Provence?!

The particular wine.

This Substack revolves around recently discovered wines.

Truly.

It starts with finding a great featured wine. AND this one is great!

Sounds delicious – fill me up!

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Peyrassol ‘Les Commandeurs’ Blanc 2024, Côtes de Provence, Southern France

Style: Old World Full Body White Wine

Varieties: 90% Vermentino, 5% Sémillon, 5% Ugni Blanc

This smoothly textured dry white wine has notes of honeysuckle, tangerine, stone fruit (peach & nectarine), wet stones, and hint of herbs. It has a zippy tang that is balanced with the richness of cream, and a cheese and almond undertone. This wine has medium intensity, with a persistent finish.

Best pairings: Seafood: Grilled shrimp, scallops, or lobster with a light butter or citrus sauce, Poultry: Roast chicken or turkey, especially with an orange glaze or herb rub, Vegetables: Lightly roasted or grilled vegetables, like zucchini, bell peppers, or asparagus, Salads: Green salads with citrus vinaigrette or stone fruit additions (peaches, nectarines), Cheese & Nuts: Soft cheeses like Brie or Camembert, or a small plate with almonds.

Serving Temperature: 8 -10 degrees Celsius

Serving Tips: Enjoy

Price: ~$35 Cdn

Relevant Shades of Grape links: Keep scrolling

If you're in Alberta and want a one-on-one wine curation experience, please reach out! No commitment or minimum purchase required. Interested? Please reach out!

A huge thank you to my paid subscribers—your support helps cover the costs of creating these weekly articles.

Love my wine recommendations? Enjoy my personal wine curation service? If you find value in my writing, consider upgrading to a paid subscription to help me keep sharing the world of wine with you!

Paid subscribers receive 15% off Wine & Spirits whenever shopping at Cork Fine Wines, ground floor, Bow Valley Square in downtown Calgary.

LINKS TO RELEVANT PAST SHADES OF GRAPE ARTICLES:

SOURCES

Britannica, 2025a. Templars. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/summary/Templars?utm_source=chatgpt.com [Accessed 29 January 2026].

Britannica, 2025b. Templars. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Templars?utm_source=chatgpt.com [Accessed 29 January 2026].

Harding, J. and Robinson, J., 2023. The Oxford companion to wine. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Peyrassol, no date. Peyrassol. [online] Available at: https://www.peyrassol.com/en/?utm_source=chatgpt.com [Accessed 29 January 2026].

Shades of Grape, no date. Vermentino: from underrated to unforgettable. [online] Available at: https://www.shadesofgrape.ca/p/vermentino-from-underrated-to-unforgettable [Accessed 29 January 2026].

Shades of Grape, no date. Van life and vino: Paso Robles quest. [online] Available at: https://www.shadesofgrape.ca/p/van-life-and-vino-paso-robles-quest [Accessed 29 January 2026].

Vins de Provence, no date. Carte des appellations. [online] Available at: https://www.vinsdeprovence.com/en/les-appellations/carte-des-appellations [Accessed 29 January 2026].

Vins de Provence, no date. Côtes de Provence dépliant (PDF). [online] Available at: https://www.vinsdeprovence.com/files/7fd77d7f/2016_cotes_de_provence_depliant_2_volets_en.pdf [Accessed 29 January 2026].

Wine & Spirit Education Trust, 2025. D3: Wines of the World - An accompaniment to the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines. Version 1.2. London: Wine & Spirit Education Trust.

Drink better this year! I offer wine orders customized to your palate. Reach out for one-on-one curation time with me with no commitment or minimum purchase required.

Subscribing is a way to show your appreciation for:

• my wine recommendations,

• any assistance I provide along your wine journey, or

• my writing entertainment!

become a free or paid subscriber

Wow, the third week of January is behind us already!

I know! It has flown by, hasn’t it! I have only just now started reflecting on last year. I was pretty burnt out after an amazingly successful fall and holiday season! And things are still going strong, albeit at a less frenetic pace than December!

But I thought it was dry January, so no one was drinking?

Not in Shades of Grape-ville. Perhaps because I mostly recommend dry wines.

Haha!

Ultimately, build it and they will come. I learned that while working as an engineer. In this case, the key is making ease the focus. Turns out wine lovers appreciate good design too!

Why are you talking about ease and design? I thought this was a wine Substack.

Ease of drinking better!

Ohh! I am all ears now!

I figured! Think,

• Ease of access,

• Ease of decision making, and

• Ease of understanding

As wine consumers, our goal is to get a good wine into our glass. Outside of restaurants and bars, this can be done several ways depending on the local liquor laws; namely online, in-store, winery, wine clubs, etc.

So how do you choose?

When I worked at a winery in the Okanagan, many patrons who lived nearby would just buy from the 5-6 wineries in the area. They were often part of the winery’s wine club. They came in, they tasted some wine at the tasting bar and bought the ones they liked.

EASE-Y!

What if you don’t live in wine country? Or what if you live in the new world (not Europe) and you prefer European wines?

Yes, let’s face it, most of the world’s population don’t live in wine country and they may drink wines from other countries or at least other jurisdictions.

Wine clubs can be popular for some, though the biggest complaint is having to commit to buying a specific amount…

I strongly dislike (read hate) commitment.

Me too, especially when it arrives in a box every three months and I forget it was part of my life!

Yup, I only did that once. People end up receiving wines they don’t like which accumulate at the back of the wine pile.

Okay. So that leaves online and in-store for most people.

Yes, online is great as you can do it from the ease of your home particularly if the site has a good selection. The reality is unless you are drinking mass produced wine, the wine availability changes continually.

Yeah, why is that?

Vintages change and wines may sell out or are unavailable for weeks or months until the next shipment arrives from out of country. If you find the wines you know and love then Bob is your uncle. Unfortunately, that is often not the case.

Pun intended, I am sure. But I like variety too, and I find I get hooked on a wine from a smaller producer and then they sell out and I have to start over.

Yes, and that takes time.

Right – and the point of this Substack today is ease … so I am starting to get what you are laying down!

Having a person helps.

A person?

A wine whisperer.

A translator if you will.

One or a few people who you trust to recommend you wines that suit your palate. This can be hard to find but once you find a store or an online source to help you it can be easy.

But how do they know my palate.

Part communication and part trial and error.

Communication is how well you understand the following:

• Your own palate, and

• Descriptions that both you and your trusted person understand.

Trial and error is important as you may or may not know what you like, but you may not know what you don’t like either. And most importantly, you don’t know what you don’t know!! There is so much out there to explore in the wine world!

Huh.

All these elements are key to achieving a successful personal wine curation.

I always wondered what you meant by personal wine curation.

For me to learn to truly understand palates, I needed two things. First, the education to understand the wine’s elements thoroughly. Next, many interactions with people to create general categories for specific palates. Trial and error is required, as I need to get feedback from people to know whether I hit the mark.

I don’t want to get into it here (see link below instead), but what a client pairs with a wine really matters. If they pair a tannic wine with spicy tacos they will hate the wine, and that has nothing to do with me. So, I also test and allocate for that challenge.

But all this to say is that if you want to drink better…

…And with ease, don’t forget!

…it helps to get a little education on what “categories” of wine you like, and how to pair appropriately if you are consuming the wine with food.

So what are your categories?

These are also called wine styles; I refer to them in the description of each featured wine. Knowing your wine style will help you drink better with ease!

Starting with whites:

• Dry Minerally White Wines

• Dry or off-dry Fruity White Wines (I sometimes refer to them as “aromatic”)

• Full body White Wines

These two following rosé styles:

• Light Rosé Wines

• Darker Rosé Wines

All red wines have a degree of tannin extraction from grape skins, seeds, and stems and may be oaked or unoaked.

• Light Body Red Wines

• Medium Body Red Wines

• Full Body Red Wines

The terms old world (European) versus new world (non-European) help to further differentiate wine styles above.

And lastly, (but not the least)

• Sparkling Wines are produced as white, rosé, or red and run the gamut of sweetness/dryness and complexity.

• Fortified & Sweet Wines are combined here as some fortified wines, such as port, are sweet. Fortified wines have grape spirit added to them making them higher in alcohol & body. Sweet wines have significant residual sugar, also increasing the body.

The last thing I will say is wine professionals taste a lot of wine! Wine representatives visit to have us sample their wines. We are naturally obsessed with wine, so we bring bottles home, we talk about them, a lot. We are also trained to evaluate the aromas, flavours, and structure, and most importantly quality for money. We can find very good wines at any price point.

Ultimately, drinking better just means having a design that works for you!

To give you more ease! And take the guessing work out!

Exactly! Check out the featured wine as well as the links within and below for more on all this drinking better business!

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Château Lamothe-Bergeron 2016, Cru Bourgeois, from Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux, France

Style Old World Full Body Red Wine

Varieties: 50% Cabernet Sauvignon & 50% Merlot

This dynamic dry red wine has rich flavours of red cherry, black cherry, dried cherry, kirsch, black currant, and a hint of sage and thyme. It also has the additional complexity of earth, vanilla, dark chocolate, cocoa, and a hint of cedar. This wine has intensity, high fine-grained tannins, and a persistent finish. This wine has lots of life remaining for a 2016!

Best pairings: Grilled ribeye or sirloin, Herb-roasted lamb, Beef bourguignon, Duck breast with a red wine sauce, Stuffed grilled portobello mushrooms, and Cheese: bold, aged cheeses like Aged cheddar, Comté, Aged gouda, and Blue cheese.

Serving Temperature: 15-17 degrees Celsius

Serving Tips: Decant for about 1 hour.

Price: ~$43 Cdn

Relevant Shades of Grape links: Keep scrolling

If you're in Alberta and want a one-on-one wine curation experience, please reach out! No commitment or minimum purchase required. Interested? Please reach out!

A huge thank you to my paid subscribers—your support helps cover the costs of creating these weekly articles.

Love my wine recommendations? Enjoy my personal wine curation service? If you find value in my writing, consider upgrading to a paid subscription to help me keep sharing the world of wine with you!

Subscribers receive 15% off Wine & Spirits whenever shopping at Cork Fine Wines, ground floor, Bow Valley Square in Calgary.

LINKS TO RELEVANT PAST SHADES OF GRAPE ARTICLES:

Drink better this year! I offer wine orders customized to your palate. Reach out for one-on-one curation time with me with no commitment or minimum purchase required.

Subscribing is a way to show your appreciation for:

• my wine recommendations,

• any assistance I provide along your wine journey, or

• my writing entertainment!

become a free or paid subscriber

Many of my friends are winos and a lot of my family members are too! Some of them travelled to Western Australia in December and were very impressed with the Vasse Felix winery. I got a play by play of the interaction with the winery, including pictures of various wine bottle sightings afterwards.

I had previously tasted the Vasse Felix ‘Filius’ Chardonnay the store currently has in stock, but the “familial” excitement called upon me to bring a bottle home. I was impressed.

What impressed you?

The bright acidity yet richness of intense captivating flavour. That combination can be difficult to achieve.

I had heard of the winemaker, Virginia Willcock, as she has visited the store before, unfortunately I missed the visit. She made quite the impression on my colleagues, who said she was quite the character. But what I didn’t realize is that Vasse Felix are pioneers in the Margaret River wine region.

Winemaking is relatively new to Australia dating to the early 1800s.

What no Romans? Greeks maybe? How about monks?

Nope. It’s the new world baby!

But if we think early 1800s is new. Let’s talk mid-1900s!

Okay wow, that is “recent-recent” wine speaking wise, isn’t it!

It sure is!

1967 is when Vasse Felix came to be in Margaret River in the state of Western Australia.

Pioneers.

Truly.

But I want to start by setting the stage geographically – follow me down under.

As you can see on the map, most of Australia wine regions are in southeastern Australia. Margaret River is on the other side of Australia.

And Australia is BIG.

Yes from east to west Australia is almost 4000 km (2500 miles).

Zooming into Western Australia, the Margaret River wine region, shown in purple, is all by itself on the peninsula in the most southwestern corner of Australia. The peninsula is surrounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, while the Southern Ocean is to the south. This is key to producing quality wine.

Tell me more.

The Margaret River wine region is at about 34-degrees south latitude. Quality wine regions are typically between 30–50-degrees latitude (north or south). Margaret River is on the warmer side of this latitude spread, so cooling influences are important to produce quality wine. The region is flat and only at 40-90 m elevation above sea level, so the cooling comes from the proximity to the ocean here.

The cooling slows the ripening down, allowing time for grapes to produce more complex flavours and retain acidity.

Wow! Someone is a regular reader of Shades of Grape Substack!

You know it, mate!

Margaret River is the most well-known of the wine regions in Western Australia, with over 200 wineries now in operation.

Their key black grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, and Merlot, and for whites the super stars are Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Semillon. Margaret River however, is known for Cabs and Chards.

Let’s get back to Vasse Felix please! I am curious to hear more!

Yes, it all started with Dr. Thomas Brendan Cullity, a cardiologist, who kickstarted Margaret River with Vasse Felix. They are credited for being the first commercial vineyard and first commercial wine producer of the region.

Wow he clearly put a lot of “heart” into it … and it must have taken a lot of heart(s) to become the first winery in a very isolated region!

Oh brother … enough with the puns … are you French-Canadian or something? Sheesh!

Twelve years before the winery was born, the University of California had identified Margaret River as a viable wine region. Fast forward a decade, the University of Western Australia found that the climate and soils are ideal for making high quality wine.

The first vineyards that were planted with Cab Sauv and Malbec for Vasse Felix are still producing. Their first serious wines were produced five years after inception with a Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec blend and a Riesling.

But your featured wine is a Chard, right?

Yes, Chard is the region’s leading white. I mentioned above how for a warmer climate I was really impressed with the brightness of the wine. It made me want to dig a little deeper into how they achieve this.

I’ve mentioned grape clones here before, defined as:

During a vine’s growth, random genetic mutations can occur. Many mutations are irrelevant and have no effect on the vine. Some will vary its characteristics such as its resistance to disease, the grape size, or skin thickness. Such variations are considered clones of the same variety.

It turns out Vasse Felix uses the Gingin Chardonnay clone that I had never heard of before. It is common in Margaret River and is known for its small bunches, about 70-100 grams/bunch versus typical Chardonnay bunches weighing closer to 100-150g. The Gingin clone tends to have concentrated fruit flavours and naturally retains acidity.

Cool! You got your answer!

Totally! This clone also tends to ripen slowly – so as you correctly mentioned above, this creates more flavour complexity in the grapes.

Okay, this is a good place to end and scroll down to the featured wine details section and related links!

Agreed! All done and dusted.

That is Australian for “That’s all folks!“

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Vasse Felix ‘Filius’ Chardonnay 2024, from Margaret River, Western Australia

Style Moderately Full Body White Wine

Varieties: Chardonnay

This tangy dry wine has captivating flavours of green apple, tangerine, white nectarine, lemon, and unripe mango. It also has the additional complexity of cream and vanilla, with hints of herbal, white pepper, baking spice, honey, and ginger. This high intensity wine leans more towards aromatic versus mineral and a has very long finish.

Best pairings: Seafood (grilled prawns, scallops, or lobster), Lemon Chicken, Creamy pasta dishes, Lamb shawarma with tzatziki, Ratatouille, and Cheese: Mild Mediterranean cheeses like halloumi or ricotta

Serving Temperature: 8-10 degrees Celsius

Serving Tips: Enjoy

Price: ~$30 Cdn

Relevant Shades of Grape links: Keep scrolling

If you're in Alberta and want a one-on-one wine curation experience, please reach out! No commitment or minimum purchase required. Interested? Please reach out!

A huge thank you to my paid subscribers—your support helps cover the costs of creating these weekly articles.

Love my wine recommendations? Enjoy my personal wine curation service? If you find value in my writing, consider upgrading to a paid subscription to help me keep sharing the world of wine with you!

Subscribers receive 15% off Wine & Spirits whenever shopping at Cork Fine Wines, ground floor, Bow Valley Square in Calgary.

LINKS TO RELEVANT PAST SHADES OF GRAPE ARTICLES:

SOURCES:

Australian Government Geoscience Australia, no date. Continental extremities. [online] Available at: https://www.ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/national-location-information/dimensions/continental-extremities?utm_source=chatgpt.com [Accessed 18 December 2025].

AWD Margaret River Consumer Guide, no date. [online PDF] Available at: https://assets-us-01.kc-usercontent.com/c28c6566-725d-0048-c076-bd0fa28fb4a9/d1eba9b0-b437-4b26-ae36-64d2041e4034/AWD_MargaretRiver_ConsumerGuide.pdf [Accessed 18 December 2025].

Harding, J. and Robinson, J., 2023. The Oxford companion to wine. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Inherit, no date. Heritage inventory details: Margaret River property. [online] Available at: https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/public/inventory/details/84303d54-8cd4-44a8-8291-4ad39906ee30?utm_source=chatgpt.com [Accessed 18 December 2025].

MargaretRiver.Wine, no date. Viticulture & winemaking. [online] Available at: https://margaretriver.wine/viticulture-winemaking/ [Accessed 18 December 2025].

National Parliamentary Library of Georgia, no date. Chardonnay. [online] Available at: https://www.nplg.gov.ge/wikidict/index.php/Chardonnay?utm_source=chatgpt.com [Accessed 18 December 2025].

Shades of Grape, no date. Weissburgunder: it’s Pinot Blanc baby. [online] Available at: https://www.shadesofgrape.ca/p/weissburgunder-its-pinot-blanc-baby [Accessed 18 December 2025].

Vasse Felix, no date. Chardonnay. [online] Available at: https://www.vassefelix.com.au/chardonnay?utm_source=chatgpt.com [Accessed 18 December 2025].

Vasse Felix, no date a. Margaret River. [online] Available at: https://www.vassefelix.com.au/margaret-river [Accessed 18 December 2025].

Vasse Felix, no date b. Our story. [online] Available at: https://www.vassefelix.com.au/our-story [Accessed 18 December 2025].

Vineyards.com, no date. Wine map: Australia — Western Australia. [online] Available at: https://vineyards.com/wine-map/australia/western-australia?utm_source=chatgpt.com [Accessed 18 December 2025].

Wine & Spirit Education Trust, 2025. D3: Wines of the World - An accompaniment to the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines. Version 1.2. London: Wine & Spirit Education Trust.

Drink better this year! I offer wine orders customized to your palate. Reach out for one-on-one curation time with me with no commitment or minimum purchase required.

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This story begins with liqueur.

Grand Marnier specifically.

But first let’s take a step back in time.

Jean Baptiste Lapostolle founded a fruit liqueur distillery outside of Paris in 1827. Almost 50 years later, his grand-daughter Julia married Louis-Alexandre Marnier. Marnier’s family were wine and spirits merchants in the Loire Valley.

The marriage sealed a deal and voilà - La Maison Marnier-Lapostolle was born. A few years later, the groom decided to blend Cognac with high quality Bigarade oranges. You may have guessed it … this was the first batch of Grand Marnier! This recipe was a first of its kind and has stayed the same since!

I’m curious about these oranges.

These are a type of bitter orange also called Seville oranges.

Too bitter to eat?

Generally, yes. They are typically used for flavouring, including using their highly aromatic peels. In addition to Grand Marnier, they are used to make marmalade, perfumes, and sometimes for cooking.

Shall we get to the wine portion now?

Right!

The family story continues but on a different continent! The great-granddaughter of Julia and Louis-Alexandre, Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle, and her husband Cyril de Bournet formed Lapostolle winery in 1994 in Chile. Their vineyards are specifically in the Colchagua Valley of the Chile’s Central Valley wine region.

This couple knew what they were doing. They zoned in on the Apalta subregion which now has a reputation of making high quality wine due to the prime grape growing conditions.

Apalta is a wine subregion near the town of Santa Cruz, 170 Kilometres (100 miles) southwest of Santiago. Apalta is situated on a north to south exposure, which is quite rare in Chile. The Tinguiririca river rests on the southern side, and the hills of the Coastal Cordillera surround the vineyard like a horseshoe. Both are integral in forming this unique terroir.

What can you say about Chilean wines?

By far, Cabernet Sauvignon is the most planted grape of Chile. According to Wines of Chile, Chile produces 15% of the world’s Cab Sauv. However, their signature grape is Carmenère, even though it is often used as a blending grape, as in today’s featured wine. Other key black grapes grown in Chile are Merlot, Syrah, and Pinot Noir.

Does Chile produce whites?

Yes, mainly Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

Can we talk Chile geography?

Chile is very unique geographically. It is the world’s longest and narrowest country. It is approximately 4300 km (2700 miles) long in the north-south direction and has an average width of 175 km (110 miles). Its west coast is shaped by the Pacific Ocean, with the Andes mountain range to the east forming its border with neighbouring Argentina.

Chile has six wine regions: Atacama is the most northern, followed by Coquimbo just to the south, then Aconcagua, the Central Valley (from which the featured wine comes), the Southern region, and finally Austral, the southernmost region.

Back to Lapostolle, please!

Today, Alexandra and Cyril’s son Charles de Bournet leads Lapostolle, representing the 7^th Marnier-Lapostolle generation. The featured wine from Lapostolle is a Bordeaux-style blend consisting of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 10% Carmenère, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Syrah.

What is a Bordeaux-style blend?

A wine that is made with at least two or more of the following black grapes, which are the grapes authorized to make Bordeaux red wine in the French wine region: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Carmenère, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.

Often wines that are blends are given a name. This one is named Apalta, the same name as its subregion.

Apalta from Apalta!

Exactly!

Cannot wait to try it out, right after I check out your wine description and further article links below.

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Lapostolle ‘Apalta’ 2021, from Apalta, Colchagua Valley, Chile

Style Moderately Full Body Red Wine

Varieties: 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 10% Carmenère, 7% Cabernet Franc, & 6% Syrah

This expressive dry wine has flavours of red currant, fresh red cherry, very ripe red cherry, black currant, cloves, thyme, sage, tomato leaf, and mint on the finish. It also has the additional complexity of cedar, vanilla, chocolate, and wet leaves. The wine has moderate intensity, moderately high ripe tannins with a slight grip, and a persistent finish.

Best pairings: Red meats: Grilled steak, roast lamb, or beef tenderloin, Hearty stews: Beef bourguignon or lamb stew, Rich dishes: Beef Stroganoff, and Cheese: blue cheese, or aged cheddar

Serving Temperature: 16-18 degrees Celsius

Serving Tips: Decant for approximately 1 hour to get the full complexity of the wine.

Price: ~$30 Cdn

Relevant Shades of Grape links: Keep scrolling

If you're in Alberta and want a one-on-one wine curation experience, please reach out! No commitment or minimum purchase required. Interested? Please reach out!

A huge thank you to my paid subscribers—your support helps cover the costs of creating these weekly articles.

Love my wine recommendations? Enjoy my personal wine curation service? If you find value in my writing, consider upgrading to a paid subscription to help me keep sharing the world of wine with you!

Subscribers receive 15% off Wine & Spirits whenever shopping at Cork Fine Wines, ground floor, Bow Valley Square in Calgary.

LINKS TO RELEVANT PAST SHADES OF GRAPE ARTICLES:

SOURCES:

Chatelaine, no date. Out and about: Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle. [online] Available at: https://chatelaine.com/recipes/chatelainekitchen/out-and-about-alexandra-marnier-lapostolle/ [Accessed 18 December 2025].

Grand Marnier, no date. Grand Heritage. [online] Available at: https://www.grandmarnier.com/grand-heritage/?utm_source=chatgpt.com [Accessed 18 December 2025].

Harding, J. and Robinson, J., 2023. The Oxford companion to wine. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Lapostolle Wines, no date. Domaine: History. [online] Available at: https://lapostollewines.com/domaine/#history [Accessed 18 December 2025].

Lapostolle Wines, no date. FC_LW_AP_2022_EN (PDF). [online] Available at: https://lapostollewines.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/FC_LW_AP_2022_EN.pdf [Accessed 18 December 2025].

Vinum Lector, no date. Lapostolle Apalta, Colchagua Valley, Central Valley, Chile. [online] Available at: https://vinumlector.com/our-wine/chile/central-valley/colchagua-valley/lapostolle-apalta/?utm_source=chatgpt.com [Accessed 18 December 2025].

Wine & Spirit Education Trust, 2025. D3: Wines of the World - An accompaniment to the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines. Version 1.2. London: Wine & Spirit Education Trust.

Wine Anorak, 2022. New wave Chile is here, with a little help from South Africa: The wines of Longaví. [online] Available at: https://wineanorak.com/2022/02/10/new-wave-chile-is-here-with-a-little-help-from-south-africa-the-wines-of-longavi/ [Accessed 18 December 2025].

Wine Enthusiast, no date. Colchagua Valley, Chile wine guide. [online] Available at: https://www.wineenthusiast.com/culture/wine/colchagua-valley-chile-wine-guide/?srsltid=AfmBOormPWONO9dCtWuiulvUX0Trk1r7uJHYs86kPhwpSOBeg0bg8-QU [Accessed 18 December 2025].

Wines of Chile, no date. Denominations of origin. [online] Available at: https://www.winesofchile.org/denominations-of-origin/ [Accessed 18 December 2025].

Shades of Grape, no date. From mistaken identity to signature. [online] Available at: https://www.shadesofgrape.ca/p/from-mistaken-identity-to-signature?utm_source=publication-search [Accessed 18 December 2025].

Private shops appointment still available. Drink better! Reach out for one-on-one curation time with me with no commitment or minimum purchase required.

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• my wine recommendations,

• any assistance I provide along your wine journey, or

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I am still stunned that people are surprised that I have been a long-time wine lover. Last month, someone was asking about the transition from engineering work to wine consulting. He thought this wine thing was new for me. I told him I had been taking serious wine courses when we worked together in “corporate Canada”!

Little did he know that my interest, appreciation, and eventual obsession with wine has been long lived. I naturally gravitated to people who liked wines to become friends. As a young adult I even named my first cat after a French wine region: Chat-Blis. The hyphenated name is a play on words for the French name for cat (chat) and the northern France wine region called Chablis, where the only allowed grape is Chardonnay.

What? I don’t like Chardonnay, but I love Chablis – or should I say Chat-Blis?

If I had a dollar for every time I heard that...

Chardonnay is one of the most adaptable grapes, both in terms of cultivation and winemaking. In fact, it’s one of the most widely planted white grapes globally, covering approximately 200,000 hectares of vineyards. It’s often referred to as a “blank canvas” because it can be transformed into a variety of styles depending on the winemaking.

At one end of the spectrum, a heavily oaked Chardonnay that underwent malolactic fermentation and lees stirring may have rich creamy buttery notes. This style can be polarizing, both in terms of the flavour and the texture, which feels heavier and more viscous. Meanwhile, unoaked Chardonnays will taste lighter and crisper. A good example are wines from Chablis.

Let’s dig into the styles within Chablis. But first a little background.

Chablis is a town and wine subregion in the most northern part of the Burgundy wine region. It is about 160 km (100 miles) southeast of Paris, and a similar distance south of Champagne’s Reims. In its heyday Chablis regularly shipped its wines to Paris via river transport. Eventually the railway from Marseilles to Paris was established. This meant that less costly wines from southern France were now available on the Paris market, hurting Chablis financially. When the phylloxera infestation (a louse that devasted wine vineyards) hit the region in 1887 there were about 40,000 hectares (about 100,000 acres) under vine. The two World Wars and a major frost in 1945 left only about 400 hectares (about 1000 acres) planted.

Yikes. I assume they eventually rebuilt themselves!

Cannot keep a good thing down! They now have a production area closer to 6000 hectares (about 15,000 acres)

The featured wine is a Petit Chablis.

Sounds cute – does it come in mini bottles?

(eye roll)

Let me explain the 4 different subregions within Chablis.

I had no idea there was more than one Chablis.

Petit Chablis was established in 1944 and currently makes up about 20% of Chablis’ land. What makes Petit Chablis lands stand out is that it tends to contain Portlandian soils (limestones with lower clay content) versus the rest of Chablis which has Kimmeridgian soils (limestone with clay and a large amount of fossilised seashells). They are also generally at higher altitudes and cooler but on flat ground or small incline.

Chablis was one of the first subregions established (along with the Chablis Grand Cru subregion) in 1938. It is the largest, producing 65% of all Chablis wines.

Both Petit Chablis and Chablis are generally on flat land or sometimes on slight inclines with varying aspects (orientation), but mainly north facing. These will be the lighter bodied wines with relatively more subtle intensity.

Chablis Premier Cru subregion has 40 named vineyards who have south and southeast facing slopes, and Chablis Grand Cru subregion has 7 south facing named vineyards. These will generally have more weight and intensity that the Petit Chablis and Chablis, with the Grand Cru being the fullest of the four.

Chablis Premier Cru was the last to be created in 1967, and comprises about 13% of the area, while Chablis Grand Cru makes up a scant 1.5%

These different styles mean that generally Petit Chablis should be served at the coolest temperature at 8 -10 C (46 - 50 F), the Chablis and the Chablis Premier Cru slightly warmer at 10 -11 C (50 - 52 F), and the most full-bodied Grand Crus to be served closer to 12 - 14 C (54 - 57 F).

Wow I cannot wait to try all the subregions to compare their styles! Looking forward to the featured wine below.

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Roland Lavantureux Petit Chablis 2022, from Chablis, Burgundy, France

Style: Dry Medium Body Minerally White Wine

Varieties: 100% Chardonnay

This elegant wine has flavours of pear, red apple, lime, lemon, lemon meringue, almond skin, flint, wet stone, with hints of cream, biscuit, butter, pastry, and herbal notes. This fresh wine has a moderate intensity and a long finish.

Best pairings: Seafood: Oysters, clams, mussels, scallops, or light white fish like sole or cod, Shellfish: Lobster or crab, especially with a simple butter or citrus sauce, Lightly seasoned chicken, Fresh salads, Asparagus, Cheeses: Soft, mild cheeses like goat cheese or young Brie.

Serving Temperature: 8 -10 degrees Celsius

Serving Tips: an optional quick decant wouldn’t hurt - I noticed the second day it had more intensity and precision of flavours

Price: ~$36 Cdn

Relevant Shades of Grape links: Keep scrolling

If you're in Alberta and want a one-on-one wine curation experience, please reach out! No commitment or minimum purchase required. Interested? Please reach out!

A huge thank you to my paid subscribers—your support helps cover the costs of creating these weekly articles.

Love my wine recommendations? Enjoy my personal wine curation service? If you find value in my writing, consider upgrading to a paid subscription to help me keep sharing the world of wine with you!

Subscribers receive 15% off Wine & Spirits whenever shopping at Cork Fine Wines, ground floor, Bow Valley Square in Calgary.

LINKS TO RELEVANT PAST SHADES OF GRAPE ARTICLES:

SOURCES:

Chablis Wines, no date. Chablis Wines. [online] Available at: https://www.chablis-wines.com/ [Accessed 18 December 2025].

Falstaff, no date. Wine route where the Chablis flows. [online] Available at: https://www.falstaff.com/nordics/travelguides/wine-route-where-the-chablis-flows?utm_source=chatgpt.com [Accessed 18 December 2025].

GuildSomm, no date. Chablis masterclass (PDF). [online] Available at: https://www.guildsomm.com/webupload/masterclass/chablis%20masterclass.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com [Accessed 18 December 2025].

Shades of Grape, no date. Chardonnay: versatile and misjudged. [online] Available at: https://www.shadesofgrape.ca/p/chardonnay-versatile-and-misjudged [Accessed 18 December 2025].

Harding, J. and Robinson, J., 2023. The Oxford companion to wine. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Wine & Spirit Education Trust, 2025. D3: Wines of the World - An accompaniment to the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines. Version 1.2. London: Wine & Spirit Education Trust.

Private shops appointment still available. Drink better! Reach out for one-on-one curation time with me with no commitment or minimum purchase required.

Subscribing is a way to show your appreciation for:

• my wine recommendations,

• any assistance I provide along your wine journey, or

• my writing entertainment!

become a free or paid subscriber

The evolution of Champagne spanned more than 200 years. Last week’s article discussed Dom Pérignon and his part in Champagne’s progression. When he died in 1715, there were still problems with the Champagne sparkling wines that would not be resolved for more than 100 years!

That’s a long time. I guess these would be what you call “Champagne problems!”

Ha ha – yes! It’s definitely a Champagne problem when the bubbly is cloudy.

Ugh not very inviting? Why was it cloudy?

Because the Champagne was bottled before completing fermentation, this meant yeast was naturally entrained in the bottles along with the wine. The yeast in suspension made the wine cloudy. Some would choose to decant prior to serving, but that led to bubble dissipation.

Where is the fun in that!!

Eventually, a solution was found by German born Anton von Müller (1788-1859), cellar master at the famous Champagne house, Veuve Clicquot. In the early 1800s, von Müller started to gradually twist and rotate bottles in short increments over time, gradually bringing the bottles from horizontal to a vertical upside-down position. This is called remuage –from the French word remuer (to move around) - riddling in English.

When done daily over a long period of time (typically weeks), riddling allows the yeast to accumulate in the neck of the bottle. The Veuve Clicquot house also made use of pupitres (shown in the headline photo), or riddling racks. These wooden racks have holes to accommodate multiple bottles at various angles throughout the remuage/riddling process. The Veuve Clicquot winery is said to be the only one to use the racks until 1821. Riddling racks are still in use today when traditional riddling is used. Once the spent yeast removed, the Champagne is clear!

Clearly (pun intended) this had a huge impact!

Yes!

Now more on yeast.

It plays an important part in wine, of course, but in Champagne it is doubly important as there are two fermentations involved. Firstly with the base wine, and secondly during the second fermentation which occurs in the bottle. The second fermentation’s role is purely to generate those important bubbles!

Human understanding of this organism was central to advancing Champagne to what it is today. It started in the 17^th century with Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, the Dutch tradesman who first noticed yeast using high-quality lenses he developed. However, he thought they were simply starchy particles from the grain used to make whiskey and beer.

Well, awareness is the first step.

Indeed.

Eventually, in 1755 Samuel Johnson “defined” yeast as something you “...put into drink to make it work; and into bread to lighten and swell it”.

Two important things in life!

He did not understand that yeast was alive. That discovery would come later.

Jean-Antoine Chaptal (1756-1832), the French scientist and statesman, figured out that sugar turns into alcohol during fermentation. This led to the concept of adding sugar to wine to restart or strengthen fermentation.

Fun fact: he also named the element nitrogen, nitrogen.

Mega cool, dude!

You are nerdier than I am.

(technically “exactly as nerdy” because I am you)

Someone who was likely nerdier than me…

… is young French aristocrat Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier, who in 1789 discovered that sugar was converted into alcohol and carbon dioxide (CO2) during fermentation. He also evaluated the proportions of CO2 and alcohol produced for a given amount of fermenting sugar, water, and yeast.

Without CO2 there is no bubble in my Champagne!

Exactly!

Not so fun fact: He was guillotined during the French Revolution.

Likely for being a nerd.

(awkward silence)

Lavoisier’s study of proportions set up Jean-Batiste François for another discovery in 1837. This pharmacist from the Champagne region figured out the precise sugar quantity necessary to create a deliberate second fermentation in the bottle.

(You may remember from last week’s article – see link below – that during Dom Pérignon’s time the bubbles were considered a fault – and therefore - obviously not deliberate.)

In my opinion this is the most influential element in the ‘creation’ of Champagne, because without a controlled second fermentation you only have Champagne bubbles sometimes.

And I want bubbles in my Champagne … all the time!

Exactly! Consistent bubbles is the key!

But who has heard of Jean-Batiste François?

Nobody.

He published his formula just prior to his death in 1838.

But there were more milestones to come.

I mentioned riddling above. It solved one Champagne problem but created another! It was tricky to get the yeast plug out of the neck of the bottle without making a mess and losing a bunch of wine.

Because the bottle was under pressure.

Yup.

It wasn’t until 1884 that the currently used method was developed by a man called Armand Walfard. This method is called le dégorgement à la glace, or disgorgement using ice. The neck of the bottle is immersed into a very cold solution, freezing the yeast plug. Once the bottle is opened, the plug pops out in one solid chunk.

Preserving more of the pressure and sparkling wine.

And the bubbles!

Wow, now I understand how the evolution was a PROCESS!

Yes, and most methods are still in wide use except for riddling, which can be replaced with a gyropalette to quicken this process without compromising quality. This saves significant time, as the gyropalette takes only 3-4 days for a procedure that takes up to 8 weeks to complete with riddling. But some wineries still choose riddling simply because they want the cachet of being traditional.

Today’s featured Champagne is what is called a grower’s Champagne. This means that the producer grows his own grapes in addition to making the Champagne. The bigger houses (Veuve Clicquot, Pol Roger, Laurent-Perrier etc.) buy most of their grapes from grape growers.

Well I feel I need a glass of Champagne now, as I feel I experienced true Champagne problems!

Chemically speaking, alcohol is a solution.

YES! I love how you justify things for me … now I got to scroll down for the rest of your goodies!

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De Vilmont Brut ‘Grande Réserve’ Premier Cru NV, from Champagne, France

Style: Dry Medium Body Sparkling White Wine

Varieties: 50% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Noir, 25% Meunier

This expressive sparkling wine has flavours of green apple, lemon, tart raspberry, unripe strawberry, biscuit/graham wafer, toast, cream, custard, and nuts with a hint of cheese. This entry-level Champagne has a delicate mousse and a persistent finish.

Best pairings: Bacon-wrapped scallops, Smoked salmon, Spicy tuna rolls, Tempura shrimp, Fried chicken, Potato chips, Popcorn, or Nuts, Cheeses: Fresh goat cheese, Brie, or Triple-cream cheeses.

Serving Temperature: 6 - 8 degrees Celsius

Serving Tips: Pop, pour & enjoy but remember the keep the bottle chilled! (to preserve the bubbles!)

Price: ~$66 Cdn

Relevant Shades of Grape links: Keep scrolling

If you're in Alberta and want a one-on-one wine curation experience, please reach out! No commitment or minimum purchase required. Interested? Please reach out!

A huge thank you to my paid subscribers—your support helps cover the costs of creating these weekly articles.

Love my wine recommendations? Enjoy my personal wine curation service? If you find value in my writing, consider upgrading to a paid subscription to help me keep sharing the world of wine with you!

Subscribers receive 15% off Wine & Spirits whenever shopping at Cork Fine Wines, ground floor, Bow Valley Square in Calgary.

LINKS TO RELEVANT PAST SHADES OF GRAPE ARTICLES:

SOURCES:

Champagne.fr, no date. Champagne and its history. [online] Available at: https://www.champagne.fr/en/about-champagne/champagne-and-its-history [Accessed 18 December 2025].

Champagne.fr, no date a. L’histoire du Champagne. [online] Available at: https://www.champagne.fr/fr/decouvrir-le-champagne/histoire-du-champagne?utm_source=chatgpt.com#origines [Accessed 18 December 2025].

Dom Pérignon: Fact & fiction, 2019. [online] Available at: https://www.guildsomm.com/public_content/features/articles/b/tom_stevenson/posts/dom-perignon?utm_source=chatgpt.com [Accessed 18 December 2025].

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2025. Antoine Lavoisier. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Antoine-Lavoisier [Accessed 18 December 2025].

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2025. The chemical revolution. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/science/chemistry/The-chemical-revolution [Accessed 18 December 2025].

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2025. The French Revolution and Lavoisier’s execution. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Antoine-Lavoisier/The-French-Revolution-and-Lavoisiers-execution [Accessed 18 December 2025].

Encyclopædia Universalis, 2025. Fermentations – repères chronologiques. [online] Available at: https://www.universalis.fr/encyclopedie/fermentations-reperes-chronologiques/ [Accessed 18 December 2025].

GmbH, W., 2023. Antoine de Muller. [online] Available at: https://glossary.wein.plus/antoine-de-muller-2?utm_source=chatgpt.com [Accessed 18 December 2025].

Harding, J. and Robinson, J., 2023. The Oxford companion to wine. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Jean-Antoine Chaptal, no date. [online] Available at: https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/265276?utm_source=chatgpt.com [Accessed 18 December 2025].

MAZLIAK, P., no date. FERMENTATIONS - repères chronologiques. [online] Available at: https://www.universalis.fr/encyclopedie/fermentations-reperes-chronologiques/?utm_source=chatgpt.com [Accessed 18 December 2025].

National Geographic, no date. Champagne. [online] Available at: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/search?q=champagne&location=inline&type=manual&typedTerm=champagne [Accessed 18 December 2025].

Oxford Reference, 2025. Jean Antoine Claude Chaptal. [online] Oxford University Press. Available at: https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095602732 [Accessed 18 December 2025].

Robinson, J., 2003. Vines, grapes & wines: The wine drinker’s guide to grape varieties. London: McArthur & Co. Publishing.

Sanderson, & Thomas, R., 2025. Nitrogen | Definition, Symbol, Uses, Properties, Atomic Number, & Facts. Encyclopaedia Britannica. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/science/nitrogen [Accessed 18 December 2025].

The birthplace of Champagne, no date. [online] Available at: https://www.champagne-patrimoinemondial.org/en/decouvrir/birthplace-champagne?utm_source=chatgpt.com [Accessed 18 December 2025].

wein.plus, 2025. Veuve Clicquot‑Ponsardin. [online] Available at: https://glossary.wein.plus/veuve-clicquot-ponsardin [Accessed 18 December 2025].

Wine & Spirit Education Trust, 2025. D3: Wines of the World - An accompaniment to the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines. Version 1.2. London: Wine & Spirit Education Trust.

Yeast, fermentation, beer, wine | Learn Science at Scitable, no date. [online] Available at: https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/yeast-fermentation-and-the-making-of-beer-14372813/ [Accessed 18 December 2025].

Private shops appointment still available. Drink better! Reach out for one-on-one curation time with me with no commitment or minimum purchase required.

Subscribing is a way to show your appreciation for:

• my wine recommendations,

• any assistance I provide along your wine journey, or

• my writing entertainment!

become a free or paid subscriber

Some of you likely sensed that I would write about Champagne soon.

There was some foreshadowing when you touched on Dom Pérignon and Benedictine monks. (see links at bottom of this article)

Awesome, I love that you are paying attention!

Indeed, Dom Pérignon was part of the Benedictine Abbey of St. Pierre d’Hautvillers, which some consider as the birthplace of Champagne, the sparkling wine. There are many myths that revolve around Dom Pérignon, including that he was the ‘inventor’ of sparkling Champagne.

This is false as no one person ‘invented’ Champagne. Ultimately, there was an evolution of Champagne spanning from approximately the 1600s to 1800s.

But first, let’s situate ourselves in the wine region of Champagne in northern France, quite close to Paris.

Hot tip: this proximity makes it a great first night stop to recover from jetlag should you be coming from overseas.

The Abbey where Pérignon spent over 40 years of his life was in Hautvillers, a village north of the city of Épernay. Épernay and Reims, the capital, are the key urban centres for the Champagne region.

The evolution of sparkling Champagne started in the Champagne region in the 17^th century. Dom Pierre Pérignon (1638 -1715) joined the abbey in 1668, becoming the abbey’s cellar master.

At that time Champagne was a still, pink wine made from Pinot Noir.

But Pinot Noir is a black grape, and doesn’t still mean no sparkles?

Correct on both counts. The pink comes from the fact that some of the skin’s colour leaked into the wine.

“Feels” wrong that a Champagne would not have bubbles.

Remember, Champagne is a region first, where even today still wines continue to be produced. You just don’t hear much about them on the export market.

Huh, you don’t say! So is this what you mean about the evolution of Champagne?

Yes.

But early on, the still wine was sometimes slightly fizzy. This was considered a fault by some, including by Dom Pérignon.

What was happening there?

When winter came after harvest, sometimes the fermenting wine’s temperature dropped low enough to stop fermentation. At the time we didn’t understand this magical phenomenon.

And by magical phenomenon, I assume you are referring to yeast’s role in fermentation?

Exactly. Yeast was not understood until Louis Pastor, the microbiologist and chemist, figured it out in 1860. Therefore …in the 1600s and 1700s …magic!

So, when the activity in the wine stopped, they assumed fermentation was complete. They didn’t understand that once the wine warmed up in springtime that the yeast would come out of dormancy and would get hungry again!

This meant that, depending on the stage at which the fermentation was interrupted, carbon dioxide (CO2, a by-product of fermentation) would be released into the wine and make it fizzy. If enough pressure built up when bottled in glass, the bottle would shatter, causing a mess as well as a loss of wine and revenue.

Not to mention potentially dangerous, no?

Totally, this was such a problem that in 1676 it was illegal to transport Champagne wine in glass bottles, although the monks skirted that issue with loopholes. It wasn’t until 1728 (after Pérignon’s death) that the French King Louis XV eventually allowed wines from Champagne to be shipped in glass for the first time.

So why was this an issue here and not elsewhere?

Champagne is one of the cooler climate wine regions. Other regions did not experience the same cooling in autumn, allowing fermentation to run its course naturally. This prevented the refermentation and the gas forming in the wine.

As mentioned, this fizzy wine was polarizing, but the English market started liking them. Eventually coal-fired ovens in England meant they could make stronger glass bottles. Using stronger glass bottles was something Dom Pérignon realised would solve the bursting bottles problem (mostly). This is one of the contributions he has been credited for in the evolution of Champagne.

What else did he contribute?

I mentioned the pink wine above. Depending how you press a red grape, you may or may not get as much of a pinkish hue.

Right, because a wine’s colour is dependent on the grape skin’s colour.

Exactly. So if the skin is in contact with the grape’s juice for very long, colour will be imparted into the wine. Pérignon eventually produced the first white wine made from black grapes. Today, this method is still used in Champagne and in other sparkling wine regions throughout the world.

But isn’t Champagne made with white grapes unless it is a rosé? So this is not saying much about his contributions.

Au contraire, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier/Meunier are all commonly used in non-rosé Champagne. So, this is very relevant!

Okay I had no idea …

Dom Pérignon was said to be a meticulous man who paid attention to details, especially when it came to improving grape growing and winemaking techniques. He strove to increase wine quality.

Tell me more.

Here are a few examples.

He pruned vines to avoid overproduction and reduce yields. This resulted in increased flavour concentration and complexity in the grapes, and consequently in the wine.

Press houses (the places where grapes are pressed) were built in different villages in closer proximity to vineyards, reducing the distance the grapes were transported. This reduced the potential for grapes to start fermentation in a non-controlled environment. This concept is still used in Champagne today.

He also experimented with blending wine from different vineyards, a key part of winemaking globally to this day. The goal is to have more balanced and therefore higher quality wines. Blending continues to be a key component of Champagne making.

But how do we really know that his wines were higher quality?

This is actually documented.

Wowza!

The documents show that Dom Pérignon’s wines were sold for 1000 lbs/queue.

In comparison, mediocre wines were sold at 150-300 lbs/queue and good to “more excellent” wines sold for 400-550 lbs/queue.

(Queue appears to be a French term for an unspecified standard of unit. My digging resulted in a vague explanation at best. I assume in this case it was a volume, but who knows!)

The point is that the documentation shows that his wine was sold for a significantly higher price, implying it was more valued due to its quality, although perhaps Pérignon was just a better negotiator.

True dat!

From that point, the next major shift for Champagne wasn’t until the 19^th century at the Champagne house owned and managed by the widow Clicquot, aka Veuve Clicquot.

Like what?

As I am likely close to losing some of your attention, I will pause here and continue in a future article.

More foreshadowing! Stay tuned folks!

Exactly, in the meantime, don’t forget to scroll down as I am not done! I will give you my customary information about the featured Champagne. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. We made a night of it, which seemed so appropriate at this time of year! I particularly loved our food pairings that I discuss below as well!

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Laurent-Perrier ‘La Cuvée’ NV, from Champagne, France

Style: Dry Medium Body Sparkling White Wine

Varieties: 50%+Chardonnay, 30-35% Pinot Noir, 10-15% Meunier

This super complex sparkling wine has flavours of green apple, lemon, lime, caramel, honey, ginger, pastry, and cedar. (These notes are reminiscent of candied or caramel apple, cookie dough, or apple strudel, all in the most positive light without the sweetness.) This high intensity wine has a fine mousse, precision of flavours, and a long finish.

Our pairings: Prawns in garlic & butter (on cast iron on the grill), Round 2: Reheat the same cast iron pan and cook crab cakes (serve with Sriracha sauce & aioli), Round 3: Reheat again - this time with fish cakes (serve with Sriracha sauce & aioli).

Best pairings: Seafood (see our pairings above), Seafood ravioli with a lemon butter sauce, Cacio e pepe, Prosciutto-wrapped melon, buttery puff-pastry bites, Potato chips, Popcorn, or Nuts, Cheeses: Fresh goat cheese, Brie, or Triple-cream cheeses.

Serving Temperature: 6 - 8 degrees Celsius

Serving Tips: Pop, pour & enjoy but remember the keep the bottle chilled! (to preserve the bubbles!) I particularly loved it paired with food

Price: ~$79 Cdn

Relevant Shades of Grape links: Keep scrolling

If you're in Alberta and want a one-on-one wine curation experience, please reach out! No commitment or minimum purchase required. Interested? Please reach out!

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Love my wine recommendations? Enjoy my personal wine curation service? If you find value in my writing, consider upgrading to a paid subscription to help me keep sharing the world of wine with you!

Subscribers receive 15% off Wine & Spirits whenever shopping at Cork Fine Wines, ground floor, Bow Valley Square in Calgary.

LINKS TO RELEVANT PAST SHADES OF GRAPE ARTICLES:

SOURCES:

Abbaye d’Hautvillers - Union des Maisons de Champagne (no date). https://maisons-champagne.com/en/houses/heritage/epernay-and-surrounding-area/article/abbaye-d-hautvillers?utm_source=chatgpt.com.

Champagne and its history | Champagne.fr (no date). https://www.champagne.fr/en/about-champagne/champagne-and-its-history.

Dom Perignon - The Monk, the Legend & The Wine (no date). https://www.rarewineinvest.com/news/2021/dom-perignon-the-monk-the-legend-the-wine/?utm_source=chatgpt.com.

Dom Pérignon: Fact & fiction (2019). https://www.guildsomm.com/public_content/features/articles/b/tom_stevenson/posts/dom-perignon?utm_source=chatgpt.com.

Du Tourisme Hautvillers, O. (2025) The 10 must-sees to discover in Hautvillers. https://www.tourisme-hautvillers.com/en/hautvillers-2/?utm_source=chatgpt.com.

Harding, J. and Robinson, J. (2023) The oxford companion to wine. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

L’histoire du Champagne | Champagne.fr (no date a). https://www.champagne.fr/fr/decouvrir-le-champagne/histoire-du-champagne?utm_source=chatgpt.com#origines.

Robinson, J. (2003) Vines Grapes & Wines: The wine drinker’s guide to grape varieties. McArthur & Co. Publishing.

Sanderson, & Thomas, R. (2025, December 6). Nitrogen | Definition, Symbol, Uses, Properties, Atomic Number, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/nitrogen

The birthplace of Champagne (no date). https://www.champagne-patrimoinemondial.org/en/decouvrir/birthplace-champagne?utm_source=chatgpt.com.

Wine & Spirit Education Trust (2025) D3: Wines of the World - An accompaniment to the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines. Version 1.2. London: Wine & Spirit Education Trust.

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Some of you know that I did my WSET Diploma classes (final level or level 4) in Austria and Tuscany. When you spend that much time in an area you can’t help but learn about the wines.

In Calgary, there is now snow on the ground and background Christmas tunes are playing in retail stores everywhere.

So, it seemed fitting to feature a wine that I love during the Christmas season. A sweeter wine.

Ugh – hate sweet wines.

You must have amnesia.

You do not hate sweet wines. You hate cheap wines. Period

Regardless, this wine is closer to medium-sweet. These types of wines (whether medium-sweet or sweet) shine with dessert.

I would pair this one with a not super sweet dessert. Like a lemon meringue tart.

How about something more festive?

Fruitcake, Pannetone, Spice cake, and shortbread cookies!

Yum! Where are we going in terms of country?

Austria.

Region?

Niederösterreich (aka Lower Austria)

Never heard of it.

Understandable.

Subregion?

Thermenregion.

Still drawing a blank.

It is a very new wine subregion created in 2023.

I took most of my classes and exams for the Diploma on the west side of Lake Neusiedl, super close to the Hungarian border, in the small town of Rust where the Ruster Ausbruch subregion lies. It is about a 10-minute drive to Eisenstadt, the city famous for being where Haydn, the Austrian composer, lived from 1766 to 1790 and where his tomb is located.

This is in the Burgenland wine region of Austria. The Thermenregion subregion, named for the area’s hot springs, is located in the Lower Austria wine region, right next door to Burgenland.

Red wines in Thermenregion are made with Pinot Noir/Spätburgunder and Sankt Laurent/St Laurent, while the whites use Rotgipfler (the featured grape) and Zierfandler/Spatröt.

Rotgipfler has a very attractive brightness, which is awesome for sweet wines as it balances the sweet flavours. It is often compared to Chenin Blanc, which also makes delicious sweet wines, likely for the same reason.

Would you say it has high frequency flavours?

Someone paid attention last week (see link at the end of this article)!

Yes, it has a zingy yet rich lemon note which I describe as high frequency. Even the ripe peach and mango flavours have some zing … they are typically a little lower frequency to me.

Honestly, I did not know what to expect with this wine. However, I was very impressed and assessed it as outstanding.

The Rotgpfler grape is a natural cross of Savagnin/Traminer and Roter Veltliner which likely occurred locally. It is effectively not grown anywhere else.

Doesn’t “rot” mean red in German? Yet this is a white grape, correct?

Yes, the vine’s shoot tips are reddish bronze, which is how it got its name.

Although I mentioned Thermenregion is a very new subregion, that doesn’t mean that grape growing and winemaking is new there. It goes back to the region’s pre-Roman days in 400 B.C. when the Celts grew grapes in the area. Winemaking accounting documentation dating back to 1326, possibly the oldest in Austria, shows wine quantities from the regional town of Gumpoldskirchen.

I have never heard the term medium-sweet before.

For sweetness/dryness in wines, the WSET (Wine and Spirit Education Trust) uses a 5-category scale. Each category has technical values to define them, which need to be learned for theory exams. As far as tasting assessment goes, the palate determines the category – so let’s focus on that!

The easiest way to describe this is with the two opposing ends of the categories, namely Dry and Sweet. Dry is where no sweetness is perceived on the palate, and Sweet is where sweetness is the wine’s defining feature.

The next category that is easy to understand, Off-dry, shows just a small perception of sweetness. This is a small band.

The hardest categories to define, and this takes practice (well they all take practice), are the Mediums. I like to think of them as the “bookends once removed” from dry and sweet.

As the name implies, Medium-dry is the drier of the two. These wines pair nicely with spicy food as opposed to dessert, while Medium-sweet is defined more as sweet…

…and would pair with dessert.

The rule of dessert wine pairing is that the wine needs to be as sweet or sweeter than the dessert. And most desserts are quite sweet. One also can think of the weight or the body of the wine. If it really envelops your mouth, the sugar content is such that it is on the sweet or medium-sweet scale.

The summarized categories from dry to sweet are:

• Dry: no perception of sweetness.

• Off-dry: has a small perception of sweetness.

• Medium: is split in two categories:

  • Medium-dry: more than a perception of sweetness. One distinguishes it from medium-sweet as a wine that pairs better with a non-dessert. Many people mistake these wines for off-dry.

  • Medium-sweet: definitely sweet but not full-on sweet – would pair better with desserts that are less sweet.

• Sweet: sugar is the wines defining feature.

Note: these categories are defined differently for sparkling wines.

It is common for people to perceive sweetness when a wine is fruity/fruit dominant, especially in whites. Our brain associates fruit with sugar because fruit is sweet. But the flavour compounds of fruit in wine are not actually sweet, they are just flavours.

Meaning it is the sugar in wine that is sweet, not the flavour compounds?

Exactly.

Sweet spice or baking spice also gives this perception. Cinnamon - I put that on my unsweetened yogurt, and I’d swear it makes it sweeter. BUT cinnamon is not sweet, yet we associate sweetness with it in baking or cinnamon toast, etc.

Fascinating. And a good diet trick!

The brain plays tricks on us!

How does this fit into your personal wine journey? Why is this wine relevant to you?

When sweet wines are done properly, they are divine. I love to end a meal with them – no better way to linger with friends, cheese, nuts, and dessert!

This one is no exception.

I remember tasting some sweet wines during my early WSET sessions. I would look at the glass lovingly thinking “where have you been all my life”.

This one is low alcohol as it is NOT a fortified wine (Port, Madeira & Sherry) where alcohol spirit is used to stop fermentation. For this wine they didn’t allow all the sugar to be converted to alcohol like for a dry wine. So this is a nice bonus at the end of the night.

Perfect! Cannot wait to read about the featured wine description below and click all the links you have at the bottom of this post!

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Johanneshof Reinisch Auslese Rotgibfler 2018 from Thermenregion, Niederösterreich (aka Lower Austria), Austria

Style: Medium Body Medium-Sweet White Wine

Varieties: Rotgibfler

This rich yet bright wines has flavours of ripe lemon, lemon curd, ripe peach, mango, and cream. This high intensity wine has precision of flavours, and a long finish. Quality: Outstanding.

Best pairings: Peach cobbler, Lemon meringue tart, Panna cotta with a fruit glaze, Fruitcake, Pannetone, Spice cake, and Shortbread cookies! Nuts: Almonds & Cashews, Cheeses: Blue cheese, Aged Gouda, Creamy goat cheese.

Serving Temperature: 6 -8 degrees Celsius

Serving Tips: Pour & enjoy!

Price: ~$34 Cdn

Relevant Shades of Grape links: Keep scrolling

If you're in Alberta and want a one-on-one wine curation experience, please reach out! No commitment or minimum purchase required. Interested? Please reach out!

A huge thank you to my paid subscribers—your support helps cover the costs of creating these weekly articles.

Love my wine recommendations? Enjoy my personal wine curation service? If you find value in my writing, consider upgrading to a paid subscription to help me keep sharing the world of wine with you!

Subscribers receive 15% off Wine & Spirits whenever shopping at Cork Fine Wines, ground floor, Bow Valley Square in Calgary.

LINKS TO RELEVANT PAST SHADES OF GRAPE ARTICLES:

SOURCES:

Austria (no date). https://wineguide.wein.plus/wine-regions/austria.

Austrianwine.com. (2024). Rotgipfler. [online] Available at: https://www.austrianwine.com/our-wine/grape-varieties/white-wine/rotgipfler [Accessed 5 Dec. 2025].

Britannica Editors (1998). Eisenstadt | Baroque Architecture, Burgenland & Music. [online] Encyclopedia Britannica. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/place/Eisenstadt [Accessed 5 Dec. 2025].

Geiringer, K. and H.C. Robbins Landon (2019). Joseph Haydn | Biography, Compositions, & Facts. In: Encyclopædia Britannica. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joseph-Haydn.

GmbH, W. (2017) Rotgipfler. https://glossary.wein.plus/rotgipfler.

Harding, J. and Robinson, J. (2023) The oxford companion to wine. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

Pigott, S. et al. (no date) WEINLAND THERMENREGION. https://www.thermenregiondac.at.

Robinson, J. (2003) Vines Grapes & Wines: The wine drinker’s guide to grape varieties. McArthur & Co. Publishing.

Thermenregion DAC (2018) Rotgipfler. https://www.thermenregiondac.at/en/wine/rotgipfler/.

Wine & Spirit Education Trust (2025) D3: Wines of the World - An accompaniment to the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines. Version 1.2. London: Wine & Spirit Education Trust.

Wanna DRINK BETTER? Reach out for one-on-one curation time with me with no commitment or minimum purchase required.

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I have often touched on monastic influences on wine, including some subregions that were even established by the monks.

What no Romans?

Not always.

Greeks? How about Etruscans?

Sometimes not!

I’d like to focus specifically on the Benedictine monks today.

Why’s that?

I went away a few weeks ago to Oklahoma for my nephew’s priestly ordination within the Benedictine order.

Do they grow grapes?

They sure do!

The Cynthiana grape which is a black grape known as a hybrid.

You haven’t spoken much about that grape.

That is because most of the world’s wine is made with Vitis vinifera, a European grape species, while hybrid grapes are just what you would expect, a hybrid of two species. In this case the species are both American. Cynthiana is (almost) identical genetically to the Norton grape. The origin appears to be disputed between Virginia or Arkansas depending on the source.

Fun Fact: Cynthiana is the official state grape of Arkansas.

So glad I am blessed with that knowledge! Not too much of it makes it on the export market I suspect.

No.

Benedictine monks have centuries of experience in grape growing and winemaking. Take the Beaujolais, France region for example, where they established vineyards as early as the 7^th century.

Dom Pierre Pérignon is perhaps the most famous Benedictine monk due to his impact on Champagne.

MMMmmm Champagne.

You have not written about him.

Surprisingly no. I am saving it for the right moment.

Give us a hint.

He was a 17th-century Benedictine monk at the Abbey of Saint-Pierre d’Hautvillers, France. He has been credited with inventing Champagne. This belief shortchanges other influential figures, as the Champagne we know today has been an evolution. But he gets mega points for devoting his life to the Champagne cause.

Indeed, likely guaranteeing him a spot in heaven!

One should hope so, it is a benediction after all!

Now I want to know more about him and Champagne’s evolution!

Consider this foreshadowing.

Now let’s stay in France but head to Ventoux subregion in southern France’s Southern Rhône Valley. I HAVE written about Ventoux, but first let’s focus on the Sainte-Madeleine Abbey in Le Barroux southern France.

Established in 1970 by Dom Gérard Calvet, this monastery is founded on the Benedictine ethos of Ora et Labora – pray and work. Approximately 60 resident monks pray 7 times a day starting at 3:30 am.

Are these guys into wine?

Patience young padawan.

It is believed that the first papal vineyard was established in 1309 near the original Sainte-Madeleine Abbey in Le Barroux, whose ruins still exist. This vineyard pre-dates the Châteauneuf-du-Pape subregion.

Whoa, okay that is kinda cool.

Pope Clement V came to the Rhône Valley in 1309 when the monks relinquished their monastery to become the papal palace.

You have written about Clement V. That dude was into Rhône wines.

Yes, according to the Oxford Companion to Wine, 75% of the papal court’s wines came from the Rhône. (Although Burgundy was up there too!)

Fast forward 600+ years later, Dom Gérard Calvet founded the current monastery with the same name as the original abbey. If you want a little inspiration and knowledge about the monks check out this very interesting video.

So I will beat you to it. When does the featured wine come in, you ask?

In 2015, after a very good harvest, the monks decided to suggest a partnership between the monks and nuns of the Abbeys of Le Barroux, and the subregion’s grape growers to pool resources and know-how. From this, project Via Caritatis was born. The lands cultivated include the papal vineyard I mentioned above.

The wines are sold under the name Via Caritatis – via meaning way or path, and caritatis meaning charity or love in Latin. On the bottle photo you will see written on the cork: Si je n’ai pas la charité, je ne suis rien. ‘Without charity I am nothing.’

This particular wine is a red blend called Vox In Deserto red. Vox means voice, echo, or song in Latin. This comes from the aim ‘To be men who listen to the word.’ In Christianity, word comes from the Greek word Logos which can also be translated into the divine order.

So I interpret this as drinking wine is charitable and divine! Let’s pour it out man!

Who would you recommend this wine to?

Someone who likes savoury wines that have dark fruit flavours.

I don’t really know what flavours are in the wines I like – can you dumb it down please. Sheesh.

In this case, it is easier to say what it isn’t. Red fruit tends to be brighter and sometimes even has a slightly sour note. I like to refer to this as higher frequency fruit notes. Think cranberry or sour raspberry being the highest frequency fruit notes. Continuing through the frequency, the flavours would then ‘drop’ to strawberry and then red cherry.

Okay – I kind of get where you’re coming from. So the featured wine is the opposite of this?

Yes exactly. In between this and the featured wines there are roughly two other “frequency stages” I would say.

Imagine the transition from red fruit to blue fruit like blueberries and less ripe blackberries. Then you get into full black fruit flavours evolving from black cherry to black currant (cassis) to dried black currants.

The fruit almost becomes fruit leather snack flavoured, as it has deeper (aka lower frequency) flavours of dried fruit without the sweetness.

I think you could write a whole post on this.

I plan to. Above is just for red wines. Whites have a different taste profile of course - but my frequency rules apply!

Ultimately, this wine is definitely not fruity, meaning it is less fruit dominant and has more emphasis on herbal, savoury, and earthy notes.

Okay I am saturated with information and THIRST – I am scrolling down to the wine description and the links to relevant past posts.

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Via Caritatis ‘Vox In Deserto’ Red 2019 from Ventoux, Rhône Valley, France

Style: Full Body Old World Style Red Wine

Varieties: 60% Syrah, 30% Grenache, & 10% Marselan

This predominantly savory wine has sour blackberry, blueberry, cooked black cherry, herbal (sage, rosemary, and mint), animal, sweaty saddle, stinky cheese, and dark chocolate notes. This higher intensity wine has ripe chalky high tannins, and a long finish.

Best pairings: Herb crusted roasted lamb, Beef Bourguignon, Herbes de Provence duck, Grilled portobellos, Charcuterie platters, Cheeses: Comté, Aged Gouda, or Tomme de Savoie

Serving Temperature: 16-18 degrees Celsius

Serving Tips: A quick decant was great, 60 minutes is even better!

Price: ~$26 Cdn

Relevant Shades of Grape links: Keep scrolling

If you're in Alberta and want a one-on-one wine curation experience, please reach out! No commitment or minimum purchase required. Interested? Please reach out!

A huge thank you to my paid subscribers—your support helps cover the costs of creating these weekly articles.

Love my wine recommendations? Enjoy my personal wine curation service? If you find value in my writing, consider upgrading to a paid subscription to help me keep sharing the world of wine with you!

Subscribers receive 15% off Wine & Spirits whenever shopping at Cork Fine Wines, ground floor, Bow Valley Square in Calgary.

LINKS TO RELEVANT PAST SHADES OF GRAPE ARTICLES:

SOURCES:

Barroux Abbey (2025) The history of the monastery - Abbaye du Barroux. https://www.barroux.org/en/history-of-the-monastery/.

EWTN (2021) Monks making wine at a 14th century vineyard | EWTN News in depth. (video)

GmbH, W. (2017) Norton. https://glossary.wein.plus/norton.

Harding, J. and Robinson, J. (2023) The oxford companion to wine. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

Home - Via Caritatis - Une voie plus excellente - Un Pape, des Moines et des Vignerons - Mont Ventoux (2021). https://www.via-caritatis.com/?lang=en.

LibGuides: CARITAS CENTER: HOME (no date). https://libguides.brescia.edu/CARITAS/home#:~:text=Caritas%20is%20a%20Latin%20word,charity%22%20or%20%22love%22.

Official state grape (2024). https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/official-state-grape-3118/?utm_source=chatgpt.com.

Robinson, J. (2003) Vines Grapes & Wines: The wine drinker’s guide to grape varieties. McArthur & Co. Publishing.

Vukovic, P. (2024) Rhone Valley Wine Map, Wine Scholar Guild. Available at: https://www.winescholarguild.com/wine-maps/french-wine-maps/rhone-valley-wine-map (Accessed: 19 June 2025).

Wine & Spirit Education Trust (2025) D3: Wines of the World - An accompaniment to the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines. Version 1.2. London: Wine & Spirit Education Trust.

Wanna DRINK BETTER? Reach out for one-on-one curation time with me with no commitment or minimum purchase required.

Subscribing is a way to show your appreciation for:

• my wine recommendations,

• any assistance I provide along your wine journey, or

• my writing entertainment!

become a free or paid subscriber

Last Friday I coordinated a festival-style tasting at a local private club. I love curating so this was fun to put together. Also fun is seeing what the most popular wines were based on sales. What is cool is the crowd tended to pick my favourites too! This is great confirmation with over 140 people in attendance. As to be expected with the Calgary market, red wines were dominant.

Today I am featuring one of the night’s top 3 wines: Degani Valpolicella Superiore 2022 (the other two were the Caprili Ilex that I featured last week, and the Mas Martinet Menut that I featured a couple years ago, which has become an enduring favourite.)

I don’t think you have discussed the term Superiore before. Are you going to explain?

Thanks for the lead in. Superiore is an Italian labelling term that is tricky. Depending on the subregion, superiore can indicate lower yields, a higher alcohol level, longer ageing before releasing to the market, or a combination of two or even all three of these factors.

So what does it mean for the Valpolicella subregion?

The wines must have a marginally higher minimum alcohol level and must be aged for one year after the 1st of January of the year after the harvest. For Ripasso, the values are specified and Superiore wines must be a minimum of 13% alcohol vs. 12.5 % for the “non-Superiore” wines

I don’t understand the alcohol thing. Why is that considered superior?

It’s two-fold.

Alcohol is the biggest contributor of body in a wine. Body is the fullness perceived in the mouth before swallowing the wine. Fullness is a function of the viscosity and weight of the wine and any other sensation created in terms of texture.

The second thing is that higher alcohol require riper grapes, which by definition means they have a higher sugar level

And sugar is what yeast converts to alcohol…

… leading to a “superior” wine because riper also means more development of aromas, flavours, colour, and potentially complexity in ideal growing conditions.

Like simmering a sauce, stew, or soup.

Exactly. And why they are better the next day!

What else are you gonna bore me with?

Ouch.

Sorry, inside thought…

What’s the grape here anyway?

Valpolicellas are typically blends and must contain by law 45-95% Corvina and/or Corvinone, and 5-30% Rondinella. Other varieties are allowed with no minimum content specified.

The Degani Valpolicella Superiore contains: 40% Corvina, 30% Rondinella, 25% Corvinone and 5% other.

Now let’s explain how the Superiore term relates to all the Valpolicella wines.

Right, I remember from your two Valpolicella posts that there are several different wines which vary depending on two things:

• geography

• grape growing/winemaking.

Let’s start with geography. Valpolicella is a northeastern Italian sub-region immediately north of the city of Verona and east of Lake Garda, within the Veneto wine region. It is about a 120 km drive west of Venezia (Venice).

Valpolicella is broken up in two parts: “the plains” and the Valpolicella Classico zone. These are shown on the map just above as the lighter (eastern) and darker sections (western) respectively. The term Classico means the grapes were grown within a hilly, defined, historic area with theoretically better vineyards for higher quality wines. The grapes for the “non-Classico” wines are grown on the plains.

Easy – I can remember that!

Hey, the featured wine isn’t a Classico. So are you flogging us a dud?

Rude.

There are definitely some vineyards within the straight/non-Classico lands that produce excellent wines. This one is also a Superiore which by definition means that it is a higher quality wine. And the “lack of it being Classico” is perhaps why it is a better value for its quality.

Okay so for better value go for non-Classico, got it.

Not necessarily, but if you are getting are a recommendation you trust – then yes, go for it.

Okay so now let’s get back to all the different Valpolicella wines … the second element is the grape growing and winemaking …

Enter the following terms:

• Recioto

• Amarone

• Ripasso

These wines reflect different ways the fruit is handled in the vineyard and the winery, creating different wines.

The sweet Recioto della Valpolicella and the dry or off-dry Amarone della Valpolicella wines are both made from dried or “raisined” grapes. The Ripasso wine uses the Recioto or Amarone “by-products” for its winemaking.

So incestuous!

Oh brother!

More specifically, at the end of the Amarone or Recioto fermentation, these wines are drained into different vessels leaving grape skins behind. This material is combined with newly completed Valpolicella or Valpolicella Classico wine.

This new mixture undergoes a second fermentation from the remaining sugars and yeast in the Recioto or Amarone grape skins. This provides the Ripasso wine with more colour, flavour, tannins, and alcohol.

Okay so let’s tie it all together. The term Classico can be added to the following wines above if the grapes are grown in the Classico zone.

Yes.

And the term Superiore too?

No.

Since the Recioto and Amarone grapes are raisined they are already naturally at lower yields and higher alcohol levels, meaning Superiore is a redundant term for these wines.

SO.

Superiore only applies to the Ripasso wines in terms of the three wines impacted by grape growing/winemaking.

But can apply to “straight” or Classico wines.

Correct.

To summarize here is a list of all the wines showing what can be labelled Superiore:

Grapes grown on plains:

• Valpolicella

• Recioto della Valpolicella

• Amarone della Valpolicella

• Valpolicella Superiore (like the featured wine)

• Valpolicella Ripasso

• Valplicella Ripasso Superiore

Grapes grown on hilly historical vineyards, aka the Classico zone:

• Valpolicella Classico

• Recioto della Valpolicella Classico

• Amarone della Valpolicella Classico

• Valpolicella Classico Superiore

• Valpolicella Classico Ripasso

• Valplicella Classico Ripasso Superiore

These wines are making me thirsty!

I know that was a lot! The links of my last two Valpolicella articles can be found after the featured wine portion below.

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Degani Valpolicella Superiore 2022 from Valpolicella, Veneto, Italy

Style: Medium Body Old World Style Red Wine

Varieties: 40% Corvina, 30% Rondinella, 25% Corvinone & 5% other grapes

This predominantly savory wine has violet, strawberry, red cherry, ripe raspberry, blackberry, cassis, fennel/anise, and earth notes. It has the additional flavour complexity of milk chocolate and hints of leather and tobacco. It has moderately high, slightly grainy ripe tannins, and a long fruit finish.

Best pairings: Pasta with tomato-based sauce, Veal, chicken, or eggplant Parmigiana, Pizza, Porchetta, Roasted poultry, sausage & bean soup/stew, Pork fennel burgers, Cheeses: Asiago or Fontina.

Serving Temperature: 16-18 degrees Celsius

Serving Tips: A quick decant was great, 60 minutes is even better!

Price: ~$28 Cdn

Relevant Shades of Grape links: Keep scrolling

If you're in Alberta and want a one-on-one wine curation experience, please reach out! No commitment or minimum purchase required. Interested? Please reach out!

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LINKS TO RELEVANT PAST SHADES OF GRAPE ARTICLES:

SOURCES:

Andrea (2025) Home - Andrea Wine. https://andreawine.com/.

Chartier, E. (2024a) ‘Amarone della Valpolicella - Drying grapes and raising spirits,’ shades of grape, 18 June. https://www.shadesofgrape.ca/p/amarone-della-valpolicella-drying.

Chartier, E. (2024b) ‘Exploring Valpolicella’s diverse red wine styles,’ shades of grape, 28 May. https://www.shadesofgrape.ca/p/exploring-valpolicellas-diverse-red.

Consorzio Valpolicella (2025) Consorzio Valpolicella - Consorzio Tutela Vini Valpolicella. https://www.consorziovalpolicella.it/.

F.lli Degani Di Degani Aldo (2019) VALPOLICELLA SUPERIORE DOC - Fratelli Degani vini. https://deganivini.it/valpolicella-superiore-doc/?lang=en.

Harding, J. and Robinson, J. (2023) The oxford companion to wine. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

Robinson, J. (2003) Vines Grapes & Wines: The wine drinker’s guide to grape varieties. McArthur & Co. Publishing.

Wine & Spirit Education Trust (2025) D3: Wines of the World - An accompaniment to the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines. Version 1.2. London: Wine & Spirit Education Trust.

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A few weeks back I attended a girls’ weekend. For Canadian Thanksgiving a week earlier, I had assembled wines for one of the gal’s family dinner. At one point this friend said in a frustrated tone:

“Eveline, you need to write an article with all the French names for all grapes.”

“Many grapes don’t have French names.” I replied.

“Well how do I know what I am drinking then,” she replied with the same tone.

“Let’s back up,” I said. “Is this regarding last weekend’s white wines?”

“Yes, I didn’t know what I was drinking.”

I mentioned I put a Gavi and a Soave in the case for the dinner.

“Yeah, what is that in France.”

I explained how Italian wines can be confusing, as Gavi and Soave are not grapes but subregions, whose wines are made with Cortese and Garganega grapes respectively. These are indigenous to Italy and not grown in France, therefore don’t have a French equivalent.

“Ugh! See! How am I supposed to know that.”

I explained that ultimately, she doesn’t need to know the grapes, just that she likes Gavi and Soave and by default she will get those grapes when the bottles are labelled as such.

Somehow, I got into synonyms for Grenache specifically, its French name, and how it is called Garnacha in Spain, and Garnatxa in Catalonia’s portion of Spain.

“Yeah, this is what I am talking about. I assumed all grapes had synonyms and I find this all confusing. You need to write about THAT!” she stated.

And so here we are.

Exactly.

So I want to start by explaining that there are thousands of grape varieties out there. Even wine professionals cannot keep track of all of them. According to Jancis Robinson’s website, there are 5000 - 10,000 Vitis Vinifera varieties (grape species from which most of the world’s wines are made). Jancis’ book Wine Grapes, published in 2012, includes 1368 varieties that are “more common”.

No wonder there is confusion.

Yup – this is why people study wine. The bonus is it is never dull and there is always something to learn about and discover.

So let’s get into this topic! I will try to give my friend a list of grapes with synonyms.

Okay, let’s relieve some angst there!

Exactly, but first, I will refresh your memory on what international and indigenous grape varieties are.

Thanks, I was too embarrassed to ask.

In the wine world, the terms “international” and “indigenous” are used to describe grape vine varieties. The former are those that are well known internationally and commonly planted in many of the world’s wine regions. But it is a loose term, and the list will vary depending on the source. Below are some of the most important international varieties along with their relevant synonyms.

Relevant synonyms? Why not all synonyms?

Cuz this would get boring real fast. This is intended to be practical. Some synonyms are not relevant to the majority of the population.

White Grapes – international varieties

• Chardonnay

• Sauvignon Blanc

• Riesling

• Chenin Blanc/Steen

• Sémillon

• Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio/Grauburgunder

• Muscat/Moscato/Zibibbo/Muskat/Muskateller/Moscatel (Muscat is technically a family of grapes so there are many different names some are even black.)

• Gewürztraminer

• Viognier

• Pinot Blanc/Weissburgunder/Pinot Bianco

Black Grapes - international varieties

• Cabernet Sauvignon

• Merlot

• Pinot Noir/Spätburgunder/Pinot Nero

• Syrah/Shiraz/Mataro

• Garnacha /Grenache/Garnatxa/Cannonau

• Gamay

• Cabernet Franc/Breton

• Malbec/Côt

Okay so indigenous vine varieties must be less widely grown then.

Exactly. The Oxford Companion to Wine describes them as: ‘Vine varieties that are local to a particular area and have a relatively long tradition of being grown there.’

Depending on the source, some of the following could be considered international or indigenous as some are now grown beyond their country/region of origin, although not as commonly as the examples above.

White Grapes – indigenous varieties

• Vermentino/Rolle

• Melon de Bourgogne/Melon/Muscadet

• Aligoté

• Marsanne

• Roussanne

• Trebbiano/Ugni Blanc

• Cortese

• Garganega

• Malvasia/Malvoisie

• Viura/Macabeo/Maccabeu

• Grenache Blanc/Garnacha Blanca

• Grüner Veltliner

• Alvarinho/Albariño

Black Grapes – indigenous varieties

• Mourvèdre/Monastrell/Mataro

• Tempranillo/Tinta de Toro/Tinto Fino/Ull de Llebre/Cencibel/Tinta del País/Tinta Roriz/Aragonez

• Sangiovese/Brunello/Morellino/Prugnolo Gentile

• Nebbiolo

• Aglianico

• Carignan/Cariñena/Mazuelo/Carignane

• Carmenère

• Primitivo/Zinfandel/Tribidrag/Crljenak Kaštelanski

• Petit Verdot

• Pinot Meunier/Meunier

• Barbera

• Dolcetto

• Corvina

• Montepulciano

• Lambrusco (family of grapes – see Muscat above)

• Nero d’Avola

• Nerello Mascalese

• Cinsault/Cinsaut

So, I stopped at 50 grapes. I will likely offend someone because I didn’t mention this or that grape. I focused on the varieties that seem more common on the global marketplace.

So are you featuring a wine this week? And how did you choose?

I chose an Italian wine as Italy is known for having significantly more indigenous grape varieties than any other country: 375 to 500 identified varieties depending on the source.

This Tuscan Sangiovese dominant wine is an outstanding value. I had to prevent myself from tipsy texting my colleagues (again) as I was SO excited about this wine when I tasted it for the first time.

Oh brother, tipsy texting?

I just made that up. Snappy right? It’s an occupational hazard when I am sampling at home and not spitting!

The wine is a Super Tuscan as it also contains a small percentage of international varieties, namely Merlot and Syrah at less than 5%. The subregion the grapes are from is Montalcino, which is known for its Brunello di Montalcino. Brunello is a synonym for Sangiovese, but specifically a clone of Sangiovese also known as Sangiovese Grosso.

This IS a fitting wine for this article! Bravo!

Indeed! Check out the details including tasting notes and pairings below! Again, the value on this one is killer!

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Caprili ‘Ilex’ 2024 from Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy

Style: Medium Body Old World Style Red Wine

Varieties: 95% Sangiovese Grosso, 5% Merlot & Syrah

This elegant wine has violet and lavender aromas on the nose. The palate flavours include blueberry, ripe raspberry, blackberry, milk chocolate, and earth with hints of leather, wet leaves, animal, and herbal notes. It has high chalky tannins and a long finish. This wine is an amazing value.

Best pairings: Braised short ribs or lamb, Beef tenderloin with an Herbe de Provence rub, Pork tenderloin with a berry reduction, Lasagna, Pizza, Grilled portobello stuffed with ricotta and sage, Pecorino, Brie topped with a port jam and green onions.

Serving Temperature: 15-17 degrees Celsius

Serving Tips: A quick decant was great, 30 minutes is optimal!

Price: ~$21 Cdn

If you're in Alberta and want a one-on-one wine curation experience, please reach out! No commitment or minimum purchase required. Interested? Please reach out!

A huge thank you to my paid subscribers—your support helps cover the costs of creating these weekly articles.

Love my wine recommendations? Enjoy my personal wine curation service? If you find value in my writing, consider upgrading to a paid subscription to help me keep sharing the world of wine with you!

Subscribers receive 15% off Wine & Spirits whenever shopping at Cork Fine Wines, ground floor, Bow Valley Square in Calgary.

SOURCES:

Caprili (2025) Home | Caprili. https://www.caprili.it/en/#ilextoscanasangiovese.

Chartier, E. (2025) ‘When in Rome ... drink Bellone (Grape) wine!,’ shades of grape, 21 February. https://www.shadesofgrape.ca/p/when-in-rome-drink-bellone-grape.

Harding, J. and Robinson, J. (2023) The oxford companion to wine. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

Jr, T. (2025) Our 2025 wine writing competition. https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/introducing-our-2025-wine-writing-competition.

Robinson, J. (2003) Vines Grapes & Wines: The wine drinker’s guide to grape varieties. McArthur & Co. Publishing.

Wine & Spirit Education Trust (2025) D3: Wines of the World - An accompaniment to the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines. Version 1.2. London: Wine & Spirit Education Trust.

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Galicia is Spain’s most northwestern wine region. It has several wine subregions including: Rías Baixas, today’s featured region, as well as Ribeiro, Ribeira Sacra, Monterrei, and Valdeorras.

Last week you wrote about Toro in Castilla Y Léon, Spain, right?

Yes, Galicia is the closest autonomous region to Castilla Y Léon, they are separated by mountains, isolating Galicia from the rest of Spain. We mentioned how Castilla Y Léon borders Portugal on its west flank. Galicia is no different, but rather with Portugal to its south.

It is said that Galicia is different culturally from the rest of Spain due to its isolation by the mountains as well as its distance from Madrid and Barcelona. In fact, it has much in common with Portugal in terms of language and grape varieties.

How so?

For example, in addition to Spanish, the Galician locals speak ‘Galego’ or ‘Galician’ which is very closely related to Portuguese. Another culturally interesting fact is that the “gaita” – bagpipes – are played there.

Bagpipes?? Isn’t that a Celtic thing? I associate Celtic influences with the nations surrounding England.

Funny you should bring that up.

Above is a map of what are considered key regions with Celtic influences. As you can see, Galicia is included, although its Celtic language has been lost.

Back to wine please!

First, Quick Fun Celtic Wine Fact. According to The Mythology of Wine, although it was the Romans who were key to expanding the use of wooden wine barrels for transport (vs amphorae), it was the Celts who invented them in Gaul!

I am curious how Galicia as a wine region differs from other Spanish ones.

The climate is quite different. It has a strong wet Atlantic/maritime influence but also has a Mediterranean influence in some portions as you would expect from Spain. The key difference is it RAINS. A LOT!

While studying the region one of the things I retained is how so much of their infrastructure was designed to withstand a very wet region.

Such as?

A popular way of training the vines is via a pergola. In Galicia, the supports are made from granite stone instead of wood, to withstand the humid environment. The pergola allows for better air circulation under the leaves (aka canopy), reducing the fungal diseases to which vines are very vulnerable to in a humid region.

Rías Baixas, the featured subregion, has an annual rain fall of 1700 mm. Its climate is clearly maritime with warm summers and mild winters. This means that the vines can produce high yields.

Not always good for wine quality.

True, it can dilute flavors. So high quality producers reduce yields using a few different methods, such as green harvest.

How does that work?

After the grapes have fully formed but not ripened, growers can estimate a given year’s yield. Upon deciding the desired yield, they pick grape clusters “green” to reduce the final yield of ripe grapes.

Clever!

So, today’s featured wine is made of the Albariño grape from Rías Baixas. Albariño was key to putting Galicia back on the map and is definitely Rías Baixas’s main grape, accounting for about 95% of production. It can withstand the damp climate because of its thick skins.

Likely why it has survived in this subregion.

It has a different name in Portugal: Alvarinho

Rías Baixas in the 1970s and 1980s started striving to improve their wine quality. Part of this effort was growing the region’s indigenous grapes again. This focus on Albariño improved the quality significantly.

Rías Baixas wines are often 100% Albariño but are occasionally blended with one or more of the following grapes: Loureiro, Treixadura (Trajadura in Portugal) or Caiño Blanco.

Never heard of ‘em.

Also indigenous grapes!

Some black grapes are also grown in Rias Baixas: Sousón (Vinhão in Portugal) and Caiño Tinto (Borraçal in Portugal) are some examples. They represent only 1% of production.

This leads to my wine journey question. How does Galicia fit into your wine journey?

Galicia is a “need it” wine region for me.

As opposed to a “got it” wine region?

Exactly!

My maternal grandparents were born in Brittany in northwest France. My great-grandmother upon arriving to Canada did not speak French but rather Breton, a Celtic language. Brittany now predominantly speaks French, but Breton is still spoken by some and there is a movement to preserve the language.

As such, Galicia is also a “need it” because I plan to visit most Celtic nations in my lifetime. I also studied with 3 people from Galicia – two of them are winemakers, and I would love to visit them on their turf.

To whom would you recommend your featured wine?

Someone who likes whites that are on the fence between an aromatic versus mineral driven wine. This one has been hard for me to categorize as typically they are either one or the other. I decided to call this one subtly fruity as it is not intensely aromatic, yet it does not have much in terms of mineral notes other than a saline finish.

Sounds delish!

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As Laxax ‘Laxas’ Albariño 2023 from Rías Baixas, Galicia, Spain

Style: Medium Body Subtly Fruity White Wine

Varieties: 100% Albariño

This complex wine has notes of lemon meringue, ripe pear, yellow apple, unripe peach, almond skin, almond, cream, white pepper, and a touch of herb. It has a long saline finish.

Best pairings: Grilled shrimp or scallops with lemon-herb butter, Pan-seared white fish (sea bass, sole or halibut) with light cream sauce, Mixed green salad with pear slices, walnuts and a citrus vinaigrette, Fresh goat cheese or ricotta with pear slices drizzled with honey.

Serving Temperature: 9-11 degrees Celsius

Serving Tips: Enjoy

Price: ~$26 Cdn

If you're in Alberta and want a one-on-one wine curation experience, please reach out! No commitment or minimum purchase required. Interested? Please reach out!

A huge thank you to my paid subscribers—your support helps cover the costs of creating these weekly articles.

Love my wine recommendations? Enjoy my personal wine curation service? If you find value in my writing, consider upgrading to a paid subscription to help me keep sharing the world of wine with you!

Subscribers receive 15% off Wine & Spirits whenever shopping at Cork Fine Wines, ground floor, Bow Valley Square in Calgary.

SOURCES:

Bodegas as Laxas (no date). https://www.bodegasaslaxas.com/en/.

Celtic Legacy (no date). https://thecelticlegacytumblr.com (Accessed: October 30, 2025).

D.O. Rías Baixas (2025) D.O. Rías Baixas | Descubre el sabor de Galicia. https://doriasbaixas.com/.

George, A. (2020) The mythology of wine. https://openlibrary.org/books/OL32823454M/The_Mythology_of_Wine.

Harding, J. and Robinson, J. (2023) The oxford companion to wine. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

McIntyre, E. (2018) Celtic identity, language and the question of Galicia. https://www.transceltic.com/pan-celtic/celtic-identity-language-and-question-of-galicia?utm_source=chatgpt.com.

The Bagpipe Society (no date). https://www.bagpipesociety.org.uk/articles/2017/chanter/summer/iberian-overview/?utm_source=chatgpt.com.

Wine & Spirit Education Trust (2021) D3: Wines of the World - An accompaniment to the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines. Version 1.2. London: Wine & Spirit Education Trust.

Sunday shop anyone? For those is Calgary this Sunday, October 26th, 2025 - I will be opening Cork Fine Wine Shop just for YOU by appointment only. Contact me to set up your time.

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With November around the corner, things in the wine biz are continuing to heat up as the Christmas season (huge for retail) approaches. In parallel, winery representatives from around the world are visiting Calgary. It is such a pleasure to be able to travel vicariously through these people as they bring their wines and their wine stories with them.

The flip side is that this all feels extreme. This is very time-consuming, yet we do not want to miss out on opportunities to make connections with these very special people. With the wine store’s business growing and the upcoming season, staffing requirements have increased and it has been challenging. I won’t lie, the last couple weeks have been exhausting.

SO!

It feels fitting that I chose a featured wine from a subregion of extremes to match my state of mind!

Enter Toro.

Named after the town of the same name, Toro is approximately 70 km from the Portuguese border and about 175 km northwest of Madrid. It is part of the Castilla Y Léon wine region as seen in green on the map below.

As with most wine subregions, a key river runs through it, in this case the River Duero. It is the same river that runs through the Douro subregion where Port is made in Portugal.

The river starts in Spain where it is called the Duero. The first wine subregion it intersects is Ribera del Duero in Spain. (Fun Fact: Ribera means riverbank in Spanish.) It then continues west through the subregions of Rueda followed by Toro. As it continues to flow west, upon crossing the Spanish Portuguese border it switches name to Douro and continues about 90 km to the city of Porto.

I am curious about your earlier comment about extremes. Why do you say it is extreme, it sounds tame so far.

Toro is considered to have an extreme continental climate. A continental climate by definition means it has more extremes than non-continental climates as there are no moderating influences. But the kicker is that Toro is in Spain, where the temperature ranges are warm or hot. So, the temperatures are that much hotter than a cool or moderate continental climate.

No moderating effect, so that means the highs are more high and the lows are more low?

Yes! For example, the summers will be hotter and the winters will be colder than would be the case in a neighbouring region at the same latitude that is closer to a large body of water. The ocean absorbs heat during the hotter months and releases it during cooler months, making the highs less high and the lows less low.

Okay, I thought heat was bad for quality wine making, meaning moderating influences are essential.

Indeed. In this case the vines are grown at altitudes of 620-750 meters, such that the heat is muted by the elevation during the peak temperatures of the growing season. This also creates larger diurnal ranges (the difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures).

What are other factors that make Toro extreme?

It has low rainfall of only 350-400 mm annually, meaning Toro is extremely dry. The sun is also more intense at altitude contributing to the grape’s subregional evolution – more on that later. Lastly, spring frosts can be a problem too.

I thought spring frosts were just a Canada thing!

Interestingly, the vineyards are often planted in a north-facing direction when on slopes. This, along with the large diurnals, allows for slower ripening, fewer grapes experiencing sunburn, and cooling down of the grapes at night. All this helps the grapes retain acidity and allows more complex flavours to develop.

Speaking of grapes…what is Toro’s main grape?

Toro’s main squeeze (pun intended) is Tinta de Toro.

Huh? Never heard of it.

Although this black grape is genetically a clone of Tempranillo, many consider it to be its own indigenous variety as it has developed to adapt to its environment. It has thicker skins, giving it greater colour, higher tannins, and higher concentrations of aromas and flavours.

Because color, tannins, and flavours in the wines come from the skins!

Yes, and to be complete, the seeds (and stems if included) also provide tannins.

Red wines are dominant here. Alongside Tinta de Toro is Garnacha (aka Grenache), although it is a lot less dominant here. The subregion’s wine laws stipulate wines must include a minimum of 75% Tinta de Toro with the remainder being Garnacha. Rosé can however be made from either of these black grapes. For white wines to be labelled Toro, they can only be made with Malvasia or Verdejo.

Any interesting stories in Toro??

Always!

Throughout the 12^th and 13^th centuries, Toro wines were so valued they were awarded royal privileges. Having the status of royal winery gave them access to sell in cities while those from other wineries were prohibited. It is said that Toro wine accompanied Christopher Columbus to the New World during his maiden voyage.

Super cool!

I know! Now I want royal privileges!

Like wearing a tiara and people bowing to you?

For a start. 😊

This leads to my wine journey question. How does Toro fit into your wine journey?

Mainly that I want to be the queen of everything wine and get royal privileges, of course!

Seriously, I have been to the subregions on either side of the Toro, Douro in Portugal was one of the first wine subregions I visited when I got out of university. This started a lifelong wine tourism tendency for me, finding excuses to visit wine regions, dragging my travel mates along to wineries in the most (wine) obscure places, including even Mexico!

Wine life, baby!

I also visited the Duero in 2017. I was very impressed with the wines, the scenery, the people, and of course the Duero River.

Sounds like you need to add Toro to your list!

To whom would you recommend your featured wine?

To the person who loves full bodied reds, and for Spanish wine lovers, particularly lovers of Ribera del Duero, as there are clear similarities between the two subregions. Also to those wine drinkers who are fans of wines aged in new oak. (a topic for another time.)

Winetaculor! I will scroll down to learn all about it!

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Quietud ‘Corral de Campanas’ Tinta de Toro 2021 from Toro, Castilla Y Léon, Spain

Style: Dry Full Body Old World Red Wine

Varieties: 100% Tinta de Toro

This bold yet plush slightly rustic wine has notes of red and black plum and cherry, raspberry, anise, dark chocolate, leather, and a hint of tomato leaf. This wine has moderately high, grainy tannins and a long finish.

Best pairings: Grilled lamb chops, BBQ beef steak, Hearty game dishes, Roasted duck with fig sauce, Smoked Chorizo, Jamon Ibérico, Lentil dishes, Cheese: Manchego & Pecorino

Serving Temperature: 16-18 degrees Celsius

Serving Tips: Decant. It can be enjoyed within 15 minutes, although the wine will continue to evolve.

Price: ~$32 Cdn

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SOURCES:

AdministradordeQuietud (2021) Inicio - QuintaQuietud. https://quintaquietud.com/en/.

DO. Toro - Metas y OG Image | bodegasfarina.com (no date). https://www.bodegasfarina.com/en/toro-denominacion-de-origen?utm_source=chatgpt.com.

Decanter Magazine. (2022) Toro: Independent spirit and elegant strength. https://www.decanter.com/sponsored/toro-independent-spirit-and-elegant-strength-473440/?utm_source=chatgpt.com.

Decanter Magazine. (2023) DO Toro – Modernity anchored in tradition. https://www.decanter.com/sponsored/do-toro-modernity-anchored-in-tradition-497488/?utm_source=chatgpt.com.

Harding, J. and Robinson, J. (2023) The oxford companion to wine. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

Historia – D.O. Toro (no date). https://www.dotoro.com/historia/.

Wine & Spirit Education Trust (2021) D3: Wines of the World - An accompaniment to the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines. Version 1.2. London: Wine & Spirit Education Trust.

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So, it’s Saturday late afternoon and we zip into the grocery store to get a few things for dinner. I let Eric decide. Of course, red meat.

Okay, what goes with red meat? 😊

I’m thinking Bordeaux!

Open the wine fridge. Oh, here is that non-Pomerol-Pomerol that we never opened a few weekends ago due to our family’s delayed flights.

Yeah, this is perfect.

Pour the wine into the decanter as I prepare a quick appie. The wine now in our glasses – we are impressed. The wine barely had a chance to collect its thoughts and is immediately showing notes of leather, dark fruit. Yum!

“What was the relative price on this one, Eveline?” Hubby asks.

“Actually, rather reasonable for Bordeaux if I remember. It’s a 2022 so that always helps…” I reply.

“Why’s that?”

“The older the wine, the longer someone has had to store it. That costs that someone money in real estate and logistics. That cost is passed on to you the consumer.” I respond.

I look up the price. Yes, very reasonable, particularly for this quality. Wow. …

Okay why do you say non-Pomerol-Pomerol?

Pomerol is a very very prestigious Right Bank Bordeaux, France subregion.

Right Bank means Merlot dominant wine, right?

Exactly. Right Bank wines are mainly Merlot, and usually blended with Cabernet Franc and sometimes smaller percentages of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot.

Okay good. Now continue with Pomerol.

Pomerol wines can fetch some very high prices. In fact, a set of 2 bottles of Petrus 2022 is, according to Christie’s auction house website, currently bid up to GBP 5000 (currently at 7 bids)!

Oh my, that is wild!

To be clear, not all Pomerol costs that much. Petrus is Peak Pomerol.

So what was your wine?

It is from the subregion just to the north of Pomerol proper called Lalande-de-Pomerol.

So what’s the difference?

These two subregions are neighbours with only a river, la riviere Barbanne, separating them. They are both located just north of the city of Libourne within Bordeaux wine region.

Pomerol has produced grapes on and off since Roman times but was abandoned during the Hundred Years’ War (1337 – 1453) until the 15^th and 16^th centuries. But it was always its other neighbouring subregion St-Émilion’s ugly stepchild. But eventually, in the early 20^th century Pomerol wine caught on in Belgium and things grew from there.

The area of Pomerol that has the highest reputation for quality wines, and more importantly higher prices, is on the highest parts of the plateau where Petrus grapes are grown. The soil is alternating layers of gravel and clay with sand concentration increasing westward. In the western portion, relatively lighter wines are produced.

On the north side of the Barbanne, in Lalande-de-Pomerol, the soil changes. The further you move away from the river (and Pomerol) the lower the gravel concentration.

Interestingly, the featured wine was made from grapes grown less than 2 km from the famous Pomerol plateau. Those vineyards do contain some sandy gravelly soil along with varying concentration of clay throughout the plot.

Tell me more about this wine!

The blend is 80% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.

The producer is called Famille Dubard, a family business founded by two brothers and sister in 1977. Enter the next generation with Grégory, who trained as an engineer and oenologist (aka winemaker). He took over a significant portion of the leadership in 2008.

Chateau La Croix Romane became part of the Famille Dubard’s wine estate around this time. The name comes from a nearby 12^th century church established by Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem (Knights of Malta).

Love that!

How does this fit into your personal wine journey? Why is this wine relevant to you?

I visited Pomerol in May 2022. After hearing so much about it and St-Émilion, it was pretty exciting. I hope to go back one day. The wines were delicious! I am a fan!

To whom would you recommend your featured wine?

To someone who likes a structured full body old world red wine.

What do you mean by structured?

This wine is high in tannins. They are very approachable as they are high quality and fine grained, but they are definitely high. The acidity in Bordeaux wines is also high. This is why they are such great food pairing wines. A Bordeaux, and this one is no different, pairs nicely with red meat as its protein binds with the tannin, softening the tannin’s astringency. The fat in the meat also smooths out the tannin’s bitterness. A classic pairing!

You make tannins sound awful. Astringent and bitter.

Do you like black or green tea (astringent) or coffee and dark chocolate (bitter)?

Yes! I see, that is helpful!

I recommend serving Bordeaux wines with food, but I have learned that some people will drink a Bordeaux or other structured full body wines solo. Ultimately, we all experience wines differently!

So true!

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Château La Croix Romane 2022 from Lalande-de-Pomerol, Bordeaux, France

Style: Dry Full Body Old World Red Wine

Varieties: 80% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc & 10% Cabernet Sauvignon

This outstanding, rich and complex wine has intense flavors of ripe red cherry, blueberry, blackberry, cassis, black cherry, baking spice, leather, earth, and a hint of coffee and tobacco notes. This wine has high fine grained tannins and a long finish.

Best pairings: Barbecued beef steak, Herb-crusted rack of lamb, Venison or other game meats, Duck Meat, Osso Buco, Beef Bourguignon, Pâtés and terrines, Mushroom risotto , Cheese: Gruyère or Comté

Serving Temperature: 16-18 degrees Celsius

Serving Tips: Decant. It can be enjoyed within 15 minutes, although the wine will continue to evolve.

Price: ~$38 Cdn

If you're in Alberta and want a one-on-one wine curation experience, please reach out! No commitment or minimum purchase required. Interested? Please reach out!

A huge thank you to my paid subscribers—your support helps cover the costs of creating these weekly articles.

Love my wine recommendations? Enjoy my personal wine curation service? If you find value in my writing, consider upgrading to a paid subscription to help me keep sharing the world of wine with you!

Subscribers receive 15% off Wine & Spirits whenever shopping at Cork Fine Wines, ground floor, Bow Valley Square in Calgary.

SOURCES:

AlicePiney_AdminDubard (2024) Nos valeurs - Vignobles Dubard. https://vignoblesdubard.fr/nos-valeurs/.

AlicePiney_AdminDubard (2025) ‘Château Laulerie, les racines de notre histoire - Vignobles Dubard,’ Vignobles Dubard, 22 April. https://vignoblesdubard.fr/chateau-laulerie-racines-de-notre-histoire/?utm_source=chatgpt.com.

Britannica Editors (2025) Hundred Years’ War | Summary, Causes, Effects, combatants, timeline, & facts. https://www.britannica.com/event/Hundred-Years-War.

Château Pétrus | Wine for sale, auction results & history (no date). https://www.christies.com/en/artists/chateau-petrus?lotavailability=All&sortby=relevance&utm_source=chatgpt.com.

Harding, J. and Robinson, J. (2023) The oxford companion to wine. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

Odvod Media (2025) Château Laulerie & Château La Croix Romane - Enotri Wine Marketing. https://enotri.com/brand/vignobles-dubard-chateau-laulerie/.

VIGNOBLES DUBARD and Dubard, M.E.G. (2016) Château La Croix Romane Lalande de Pomerol, Château La Croix Romane Lalande de Pomerol, pp. 1–2. https://enotri.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Ch-La-Criox-Romane-Lalande-de-Pomerol-2016.pdf.

Wine & Spirit Education Trust (2021) D3: Wines of the World - An accompaniment to the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines. Version 1.2. London: Wine & Spirit Education Trust.

Fall is officially here! We all need replenishing of our wine supply!

Interested in one-on-one curation time with me? No commitment or minimum purchase required. Flexible appointment times including weekends. Drink better!

HEADS UP! I have found out that I am very cheap compared to other Substack wine writers. I will increasing my rate soon - so if you are debating becoming a paid subscriber do it now and SAVE!

Subscribing is a way to show your appreciation for:

• my wine recommendations,

• any assistance I provide along your wine journey, or

• my writing entertainment!

Become a paid subscriber

As wine professionals we try to be as neutral as possible and not let our personal preferences interfere with our wine evaluations.

How can you do that? You either like the wine or you don’t.

But it is not about me. It is about the wine. I follow the WSET SAT (Wine Spirits & Education Trust – Systematic Approach to Tasting) which is systematic as the name implies, to be as analytical as possible. When followed, one should be able to draw conclusions that objectively assess the quality of the wine.

So whether it falls under my personal preferences as a human is moot.

I think the word is moo.

Oh boy.

But when it comes to today’s grape, Dolcetto, I have to say I have struggled.

Wow you sure are selling this article and the topic!

Well, again, I am being objective.

Are you? I am getting mixed messages.

Sometimes I believe Dolcetto’s fruitiness lacks balance which makes it dull…. Part of the problem is that it has thicker/darker skin which means it naturally has higher tannins.

Why?

The grape’s skins, stems, and seeds are the source of tannins in wine. So the thicker the skins the higher the proportional amount of tannins possible in the wine, depending on the amount of extraction during winemaking.

You can control that?

Yes, most of the tannin extraction occurs when the alcohol is present since the alcohol acts as a solvent, pulling the tannins out of the skins. Therefore the amount of extraction depends on how long the skins, seeds, and stems (if the grapes are not destemmed) are in contact with the wine after fermentation begins. It also depends how slowly the fermentation is allowed to progress (using temperature to control the fermentation rate).

The skins, seeds, and stems float to the top of the vessel during fermentation as the CO2 (byproduct of fermentation) pushes these solids upward. These solids are called a cap. Cap management is the method used to keep the juice in contact with the cap to allow extraction of flavours and aromas. How gently the cap is managed will also impact the tannin extraction.

Dolcetto means “little sweet one” although the wine is made dry (almost always!). The name comes from its relatively lower acidity, which gives a perception of sweetness while tasting the grape.

This lower acidity is also why they have to manage the tannins to ensure balance within the wine’s structure. The result is a softer, rounder, more fruity wine, which in my opinion sometimes lacks depth.

Okay that sounds objective.

Thanks for the feedback!

I found a Dolcetto I want to write about! Okay let’s start from the beginning.

Dolcetto is not grown in many places in the world. According to Italian Wine Central website 98% of Dolcetto is grown in Piemonte, Italy.

You have written about Piemonte before.

Indeed. I visited Piemonte last fall. This is the region in northwest Italy that also grows Barbera and Nebbiolo, which are also black grapes. Nebbiolo is the grape in Barolo and Barbaresco red wines. The main white grapes are Moscato and Cortese. Cortese is the grape in Gavi wine.

Right, it’s all coming back to me.

One of the subregions that grows Dolcetto is called Dogliani. This is where the featured wine comes from. There are many other subregions within Piemonte where it can be grown namely: Acqui, Asti, Diano d’Alba, Langhe Monregalesi, Alba, and Ovada. These last two and Dogliani are the subregions most important for Dolcetto.

Within Dogliani exist 76 crus, meaning small geographical areas within the subregion that are know for quality.

This is not a wine that is intended to age. Although the ones from better sites in Dogliani or Ovada can age a little more.

Tell me about the producer of the featured wine.

Gladly – this is such a fun story.

Poderi Luigi Einaudi was founded in 1897 by its namesake Luigi Einaudi (1874-1961), when he bought a farm in Dogliani called San Giacomo, including 16 acres of vineyards. He was 23 years old.

The poderi (“farm” in Italian) has been in the Einaudi family for 4 generations, with a son or daughter taking over at each generational handoff.

I was awestruck when I learned that Luigi was the first democratically elected President of the Republic of Italy in 1948, his term lasting until 1955.

That is President Luigi to you!

While running the winery, he was also a professor in Public Finance at universities of Turin and Milan-Bocconi and in Political Economy at the Turin Polytechnic. He also wrote newspaper articles for many Italian and foreign newspapers. Eventually he got involved in politics. After World War II, he was appointed governor of the Bank of Italy and then turned to politics, which led to his presidency in 1948. It was said he never missed a harvest despite these demanding positions in Rome.

Today Matteo Sardagna, Luigi’s great-grandson, owns the winery.

To whom would you recommend your featured wine?

Someone who is looking to pair a wine with Thanksgiving Turkey. This wine is very approachable, so this could be a great wine for someone who is new to wine.

Bring it!

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Poderi Luigi Einaudi Dogliani 2023 from Piemonte, Northwestern Italy

Style: Dry Medium Body Red Wine

Varieties: 100% Dolcetto

This fruit forward wine has intense flavors of sweet cranberry, raspberry compote, blueberry, baking spice (cinnamon in particular), a touch of herbal and earthy notes. This wine has a smooth texture, moderate tannins with a slight grip, and a persistent finish.

Best pairings: Turkey dinner, Stew, Soup, Agnolotti al plin with butter & sage sauce or mushroom sauce, Moussaka, Pizza, Ratatouille, Bruschetta, Cheese: Pecorino or Fontina

Serving Temperature: 13-15 degrees Celsius

Serving Tips: Enjoy

Price: ~$27 Cdn

If you're in Alberta and want a one-on-one wine curation experience, please reach out! No commitment or minimum purchase required. Interested? Please reach out!

A huge thank you to my paid subscribers—your support helps cover the costs of creating these weekly articles.

Love my wine recommendations? Enjoy my personal wine curation service? If you find value in my writing, consider upgrading to a paid subscription to help me keep sharing the world of wine with you!

Subscribers receive 15% off Wine & Spirits whenever shopping at Cork Fine Wines, ground floor, Bow Valley Square in Calgary.

SOURCES:

Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Dogliani (2024). https://www.langhevini.it/en/.

D’Italia, B. (no date) Banca d’Italia - Luigi Einaudi. https://www.bancaditalia.it/chi-siamo/storia/governatori-direttori-generali/governatori/luigi-einaudi/index.html?com.dotmarketing.htmlpage.language=1&dotcache=refresh.

Empson (2019) Poderi Einaudi | Empson & Co. https://www.empson.com/wine_producer/poderi-einaudi/?utm_source=chatgpt.com.

Harding, J. and Robinson, J. (2023) The oxford companion to wine. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

MacNeil, K. (2022) The wine bible. New York, NY: Workman Publishing.

San Giacomo Vineyards, Dogliani - Poderi Luigi Einaudi - Dogliani, Langhe (2023). https://www.poderieinaudi.com/en/wineyards-langhe-estates/san-giacomo-vineyards-dogliani/?utm_source=chatgpt.com.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica (1998) Luigi Einaudi | Italian statesman, economist, Nobel laureate. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Luigi-Einaudi.

Wine & Spirit Education Trust (2021) D3: Wines of the World - An accompaniment to the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines. Version 1.2. London: Wine & Spirit Education Trust.