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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A few weeks back we made a pulled pork on the Big Green Egg Smoker. It was our first time making a big piece of meat in years. We flavoured the pork with a Carolina Mustard Sauce as we prefer barbecue sauces that tend to the savoury instead of the sweet.

When I say “we”, I mean my husband. I mainly just fretted about what wine to pair it with. It had been so long that I couldn’t remember what worked.

A common saying for wine pairings is what grows together goes together. Barbecue, being associated with the “new world” aka non-European, tends to pair best with fruit focused wines. This led me to a Beaujolais wine that was new to the store. I must say the pairing turned out perfectly!

Let me guess … enter the featured wine… a Beaujolais

You betcha!

(I have written about Beaujolais a few times, so for the region’s nitty gritty see here, here, and here or access these same links at the end of this article.)

But remember, for Beaujolais it is easy – 2 grapes only. If it’s red think Gamay, and if it’s white it’s Chardonnay. But don’t let the simplicity of a two grape region fool ya! Not all Beaujolais are created equal– particularly when it comes to the reds.

Today, I focus on one of the region’s ten crus. Cru refers to a subregion whose vineyards are considered superior in quality to the rest of the wine region. In the case of Beaujolais, they extend over the northern portion of the region. They are numbers 3 to 12 on the map below.

The specific wine I chose, La Côte Étoilée ‘Cadole’ 2023, is from the Brouilly cru. I had not had a Brouilly in a long while, so I was pumped!

Brouilly is the largest and the southernmost of the Beaujolais cru. They tend towards being lighter and perfumed wines, although the featured wine is medium body. Perfumed! - this one sure was – I loved the nose – the aroma of violets! Overall, I would call it very elegant in style.

Elegant? Does that mean it is soft?

It can, but that is not really what we mean when used to describe a wine.

My favourite definition is from Peter Munro, the head winemaker at St Hugo in South Australia: “Elegance is analogous to balance, where nothing stands out… It doesn’t necessarily have to be light; it could be a full-bodied wine, but it has a seamless, even palate.”

This is what I found in this Brouilly! Nothing stealing the show! The whole, simply harmonious!

But back to the subregion. So much to say, so little time! Brouilly’s vineyards grow on Mont Brouilly, which according to a local legend was named after a 4^th century Roman lieutenant named Brulius. The man is said to have settled on these slopes….

…and planted some vines!

That’s how the story goes!

You may have noticed on the map above that there is also a Côte de Brouilly. It is considered a separate cru. While the Brouilly subregion surrounds the lower and mid-slope, Côte de Brouilly occupies the top portion of the hill itself. They tend to be more structured and have greater ageing potential than the Brouilly.

There is a fun story around La Côte Étoilée winery’s name, which translates to the starry hillside or slope. The name makes reference to a chapel on Mt Brouilly which when illuminated at night shines on the hill like starlight. Built to honour the Virgin Mary, the chapel is aptly named Notre Dame aux Raisins (Our Lady of Grapes). Since the mid-1800s, the chapel is associated with protecting the crops. The winery refers to it as their lucky star (notre bonne étoile).

But what of the name of the wine itself? Cadole is the local term for a small stone building used as shelter for workers. Larger versions would accommodate a horse. While the term Cadole is regional to Beaujolais, these shelters are not unique to even France. These structures are common in many wine regions. They are typically made of rocks removed from the soil while planting or maintaining vineyards.

When reading the definition, my mind went straight to Priorat, Spain where we spent a week helping at the Gratavinum winery during harvest. You may have noticed a small building in the headline photo. This is a small building in one of Gratavinum’s vineyards. Notice the two different construction methods, likely build at two different times. I am sure there is a story there too!

Ain’t there always??!!

Let’s get back to the wine – why was the pairing so awesome anyway?

Right! Talk about a tangent!

There is a lot going on flavour wise in the pulled pork, with its rich and fatty meat and the complex Carolina Mustard Sauce. The Brouilly’s fruit notes complement the intensity of the tang from the vinegar and mustard in the sauce. What also makes this wine great for this dish is how its acidity cuts through the meat’s richness, refreshing the palate. Its medium tannins give just enough structure without clashing with the slight heat from the sauce’s spice and mustard.

Sounds like the fretting paid off!

Yup, mental energy well spent! Scroll down for more tasting notes and pairing ideas.

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La Côte Étoilée ‘Cadole’ 2023 from Brouilly, Beaujolais, France

Style: Medium body red wine

Variety(ies): 100% Gamay

This perfumed wine introduces itself with notes of violet and red cherry on the nose followed by a hint of raspberry hard candy that soon fades away. Then enters more earthy flavours and aromas of clove and forest floor. As the wine opens up more fruity elements of blueberry, black cherry, cranberry, strawberry, raspberry, and blackberry gradually unfold. This is when the tannin, which starts out very soft, also becomes more apparent with a slightly grippy character although staying at a medium level. As we pour the last of the decanted wine, caramel, wet leaves, black olive, and cedar flavours come through. This wine has intensity on both the nose and palate, and a long finish.

Best pairings: Carolina Mustard Sauced Pulled-Pork, Pork Tenderloin with cherry sauce, Fish Tacos, Ginger Beef, Salt and Pepper Prawns, and Jerk Chicken, Cheeses: Comté, Gruyère and Aged Gouda.

Serving Temperature: 14-16 degrees Celsius

Serving Tips: Decant for about 30 minutes

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:

Beaujolais.com, no date. Brouilly. [online] Available at: https://www.beaujolais.com/appellation/brouilly/ [Accessed 3 September 2026].

Domaine Famille Morin, no date. Construction d’une cadole. [online] Available at: https://www.domainefamillemorin.fr/construction-dune-cadole/ [Accessed 3 September 2026].

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

Institut national de l’origine et de la qualité (INAO), no date. Brouilly ou Brouilly – Cru du Beaujolais. [online] Available at: https://www.inao.gouv.fr/produit/brouilly-ou-brouilly-cru-du-beaujolais-18176 [Accessed 3 September 2026].

La Côte Étoilée, no date. La Côte Étoilée. [online] Available at:

https://www.la-cote-etoilee.com/

[Accessed 3 September 2026].

Le Progrès, 2016a. À la découverte des cadoles, abris des vignerons. [online] Available at: https://www.leprogres.fr/beaujolais/2016/08/05/a-la-decouverte-des-cadoles-abris-des-vignerons [Accessed 3 September 2026].

Le Progrès, 2016b. La commune rénove une cadole. [online] Available at: https://www.leprogres.fr/beaujolais/2016/09/27/la-commune-renove-une-cadole [Accessed 3 September 2026].

Shades of Grape, no date a. Gamay and its own unique world of… [online] Available at: https://www.shadesofgrape.ca/p/gamay-and-its-own-unique-world-of [Accessed 3 September 2026].

Shades of Grape, no date b. Once banished: Not all Beaujolais… [online] Available at: https://www.shadesofgrape.ca/p/once-banished-not-all-beaujolais [Accessed 3 September 2026].

Shades of Grape, no date c. Vino Nobile: The Montepulciano that’s… [online] Available at: https://www.shadesofgrape.ca/p/vino-nobile-the-montepulciano-thats [Accessed 3 September 2026].

Techno-Science.net, no date. Cadole. [online] Available at: https://www.techno-science.net/fr/definitions/cadole [Accessed 3 September 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

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The wine world is small.

Which is why I got goosebumps when I revisited Zsirai winery via their website. I was introduced to them a few months ago when their Head of Sales visited Calgary. Turns out Máté studied for his WSET Diploma (Level 4) at the same school as I did in the tiny city of Rust, Austria. We compared experiences, and memories of my time in the region came flooding back to me.

Zsirai winery is in Hungary. In fact, the grapes for the featured wine were grown in the Nagy- Somlói wine region, just on the other side of the Austria - Hungary border very close to the city of Rust. Rust is on Lake Neusiedl shown on the map to the northwest of the blue circle which highlighting Nagy Somló.

Zsirai is a family business founded by the late Csaba Zsirai (1961-2011). What started out as a hobby turned into his “second act”. Just like me, he left his office job, followed his passion, and went full time into wine where he eventually built Zsirai winery. His legacy now continues in the capable hands of his daughters Petra and Kata, who are now at the helm with their mother.

Honestly, I didn’t know that Hungary made wine.

Common mistake.

Winemaking has been happening in Hungary since Roman times. Today, sweet Tokaji is Hungary’s most famous wine with records going back to as early as the late 15^th century. More on Tokaji in another article!

I’m surprised Hungarian wines are not as well-known with such a long history!

During the Soviet era, Hungarian wines languished when the focus became quantity versus quality. This stalled the country’s grape growing and winemaking evolution – as the rest of the wine world embraced new wine knowledge and technologies.

Today Hungary has 22 wine regions, with the Olaszrizling grape being its most widely planted grape…. And you guessed it, the star grape for this article.

Never heard of it.

Olaszrizling, not to be confused with the Riesling grape, has many synonyms. It is known in other countries as Welschriesling in Austria and Germany, Graševina in Croatia, and Laški Rizling in Slovenia, just to name a few.

It is grown throughout Central and Eastern Europe and is known for its ability to retain acidity, giving it the versatility to produce many different styles of still or sparkling wine, ranging in sweetness from dry to sweet.

But its true superpower is it is capable of ageing.

Aren’t all grapes capable of ageing?

No this is a misconception. Firstly, regardless of the grape variety the majority of the world’s wines are designed to be consumed within a few years. In other words, for their intended shelf life these wines will peak in terms of best drinkability window, and at a certain point their quality will start to diminish.

The ability to age means a wine is capable of improving with time, by increasing its complexity and developing interesting new characteristics (mainly flavours and aromas), and also in terms of texture and structure integration (acidity, alcohol, and tannins). The key components needed are the wine’s structure and initial concentration of flavour and aromas.

Wine structure consists of acidity, tannins, alcohol, and in some cases, sugar. I think of these elements as the foundation or backbone of the wine. Without that structure, the wine will fall apart as it ages. Essentially the structure maintains the wine in parallel to the flavour’s evolution. The goal of ageing is for the wine to get better!

Okay what would happen if it were not improving with time?

Not only would the flavours increase in complexity, but they become less intense and fade with time. Some wines will oxidize leaving unpleasant aromas of bruised apples.

Let’s go back to the Nagy- Somlói wine region. Turns out there is a fun legend associated with it. Wines of this region were nicknamed wedding night wines.

Gasp, I thought this was G rated. (awkward pause)

What, this is history!

The myth goes that when these wines are consumed prior to consummation on one’s wedding night, the result is the conception of a baby boy. Rumour has it this “method” was adhered to by several European royal dynasties to increase the likelihood of a male heir!

Sounds like clever marketing.

According to several sources, the Habsburg dynasty employed this method for centuries. Some even state that Nagy- Somlói wines were sold in pharmacies. The legend continues that Queen Victoria was apparently a fan and kept these wines in her cellar, perhaps because her first and third child were female.

Need an heir and a spare! I’m always amazed that you find these quirky stories.

Me too. You cannot make this stuff up!

But I didn’t feature this wine for the folk story (although it was a fun find!) but rather for its ageing notes. This is a 2020 vintage wine and it is very complex. There are some captivating notes I still don’t know what to call. Exotic flavours that are perhaps foreign to a North American palate.

But what notes would be considered ageing notes?

Nuts, marzipan, marmalade, ginger, and caramel.

Any parting words, Eveline?

Indeed. Don’t shy away from foreign sounding grapes and regions. Exploration is the best part of wine! What’s the worst that can happen?

Cheers to that - I look forward to the details of this wine and related articles below!

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Zsirai Olaszrizling 2020 from Nagy- Somlói, Hungary

Style: Medium body minerally white wine

Variety(ies): 100% Olaszrizling

This captivating and intriguing wine starts slow. It needs some swirling and a little time to allow intensity to come through. Your patience is rewarded with notes of grapefruit, almond skin, white blossom, green apple, lemon, unripe peach, mandarin orange with hints of passion fruit, marmalade, and ginger. Eventually the more mineral focused notes enter the picture with saline, wet stone, and flint characteristics. After the wine has had a chance to breathe passion fruit, citrus oils, caramel, marzipan, and nut flavours shine through. This wine keeps on giving with its long finish.

Best pairings: Grilled scallops, Chicken almondine with a white wine sauce, Pork tenderloin with apple and ginger, & Asparagus risotto with Parmesan, Garlic, sea salt, and lemon zest flatbread, and Sushi, Cheeses: Comté, Gruyère and Aged Gouda.

Serving Temperature: 8 - 10 degrees Celsius

Serving Tips: Decant for about 15 minutes

Price: ~$29 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:

Austrian Wine, no date. Welschriesling. [online] Available at: Austrian Wine [Accessed 20 August 2026].

Colonia Natura, no date. Eddig lehet, hogy rosszul tudtad, hogy hol terem a nászéjszakák bora. [online] Available at: Colonia Natura [Accessed 20 August 2026].

Europe Between East and West, 2015. Somló: wine, lineage and legend, rarity & royalty. [online] Available at: Europe Between East and West [Accessed 20 August 2026].

GuildSomm, no date. Grow: Welschriesling/Graševina grape. [online] Available at: GuildSomm [Accessed 20 August 2026].

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

Hungarian Wines, no date. Grape varieties. [online] Available at: Hungarian Wines [Accessed 20 August 2026].

Jancis Robinson, no date. Welschriesling. [online] Available at: Jancis Robinson [Accessed 20 August 2026].

PBS, no date. The surprising lives of Victoria’s children. [online] Available at: PBS [Accessed 20 August 2026].

Sanderson, R. and Thomas, R., 2025. Nitrogen | Definition, symbol, uses, properties, atomic number, & facts. Encyclopaedia Britannica. [online] Available at: Encyclopaedia Britannica [Accessed 20 August 2026].

Taste Hungary, no date. Nagy Somló PDO: A guide to the wine region. [online] Available at: Taste Hungary [Accessed 20 August 2026].

Természetjáró, no date. The magical secrets of Somló. [online] Available at: Természetjáró [Accessed 20 August 2026].

Tóbiás, T., 2024. A beginner’s guide to Somló wines. Offbeat Budapest & Vienna. [online] Available at: Offbeat Budapest & Vienna [Accessed 20 August 2026].

The page identifies Tas Tóbiás as the author and gives the publication date as 14 January 2024, so I would use an author-date citation rather than “Offbeat Budapest, no date.” (Offbeat Budapest)

Vinoport, no date. Somlói – a nászéjszakák bora. [online] Available at: Vinoport [Accessed 20 August 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-Searcher, no date. Welschriesling. [online] Available at: Wine-Searcher [Accessed 20 August 2026].

Zsirai Winery, no date. Somló wine region. [online] Available at: Zsirai Winery [Accessed 20 August 2026].

Zsirai Winery, 2020. Olaszrizling 2020. [PDF] Available at: Zsirai Winery PDF [Accessed 20 August 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!

It’s not uncommon to hear misconceptions about wine. And who’s to blame – things change continually, and as in any field there can be confusion or misinterpretations of facts! An example of this is the understanding of what wood ageing contributes to wine. I decided to focus on this topic here!

Let’s get right into my top 3 wood ageing myths:

Myth #1 – Wine from the Chablis region is never aged in oak

There is no single Chablis recipe. Some are entirely aged in stainless steel. However, Premier and Grand Cru Chablis can be oak aged in newer wood, which imparts wood flavour. The Petit Chablis and the straight Chablis subregions however, are more likely to not be oak aged or only aged in old oak, which means no oak flavours are transferred into the wine.

To my point …

Myth #2 - You can always taste oak flavours when a wine is matured in oak

If the ageing vessel is large or if the vessel has been used several times previously, there will be no oak flavours in the wine. If wine is aged in new wood, that is when wines get flavours of vanilla, cloves, nutmeg, coconut, toast, cedar, toast, or smoke.

New wood sounds like a new tea bag, where in the first use it is more flavourful and concentrated compared to the next use.

Perfect analogy!

This myth is what inspired the featured wine!

I chose a wine from Montalcino in Tuscany because it makes this point! The wine spends time in very large oak casks, but because the vessels are so large and used continually the wood flavours are not imparted into the wine. But oak in fact contributes so much more!

But first - the subregion.

Montalcino is in Tuscany, Italy, and is known for the famous Brunello di Montalcino. Today’s wine is a Rosso di Montalcino from Col D’Orcia winery, which we visited in 2023 after I wrote my last WSET Diploma exam.

(I have written about this subregion here before – you will find more information on this subregion here and here or see the links below.)

The wine in my glass has spent a year in 75 and 150 hectolitre (1 hectolitre is 100 litres, so these are big - almost 2000 and 4000 US liquid gallons!) Slavonian oak casks. A portion of the wine was also matured in concrete vats. This means the winemaker aged a portion of the wine in each cask size and a portion in concrete vats. Eventually all three wines were blended to make the final wine.

This wine has great texture from the extremely fine tannins that are in perfect harmony with the rest of the wine elements. The tannins have just the slightest grit like on a super fine sandpaper - this mouthfeel just screams quality to me!

All the structural elements (tannin, alcohol, and acidity) are in perfect accord! These are all things that proper oak maturation can provide!

Fun Fact: Count Francesco Marone Cinzano is at the helm of Col D’Orcia – and he is the first count I ever met!

You are not encountering (get it?) many counts roaming the streets of Canada, huh?

Count Cinzano is of the same family as the Cinzano Vermouth and Spirits brand. The family founded this company in 1757 and eventually sold it to the Campari Group in 1999. It wasn’t until 1973 that the Col D’Orcia winery was purchased by the Cinzano family.

Myth #3 – Oaking is just about flavouring the wine

There are many reasons to age wine in wood – flavours, texture, and structure integration.

Oaking wine slowly introduces oxygen into the wine. Wood is porous, so when a barrel or cask is empty oxygen will enter its pores. This oxygen will enter the wine, and some wine will eventually evaporate through these same pores. But most importantly, the wine encounters oxygen every time the wine is “manhandled” during the ageing process.

Huh?

Ageing wine needs significant attention to ensure things go correctly. Air is introduced every time the wine gets transferred into or out of a vessel and every time the bung is opened to top up the wine due to wine evaporation. Topping up prevents too much oxygen contact, which could result in the wine oxidizing. Oxidation imparts undesirable flavours, unless the style is deliberate oxidation like in some sherries and ports.

The result of introducing oxygen? Tannins soften, flavours integrate (sort of like a slow simmer on a soup or stew), and the wine’s structure components integrate - meaning alcohol, acidity, and tannins become “one” with the wine. Lastly, ageing can provide texture to a wine.

Texture is big in wine. Some wines’ texture doesn’t stand out, but others’ merit extra quality points as texture creates interest. Interest is what makes you want another sip and to buy another bottle.

Or twelve!

But I still don’t understand what you mean by texture in wine?

The Wine Enthusiast website compares wine texture to the tactile sensation of textiles in between your fingers: “Burlap, velvet, silk. The mention of these fabrics stirs a visceral reaction. You can imagine the rough, plush and slippery-soft textiles between your fingers.”

The same goes with wine except your mouth is what “feels”. Mouthfeel is the other term that is used to describe texture. The winemakers may age a wine in wood to achieve a certain texture.

Got it! I had no idea that oak was not just a flavour tool but actually a way to transform a wine!

Precisely! And the featured wine demonstrates just this! Check out more details on the wine below as well as the links to relevant past wine articles!

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Col D’Orcia Rosso di Montalcino 2023, Tuscany, Central Italy

Style: Moderately full body red wine

Variety(ies): 100% Sangiovese

This intense wine spoke of violets, red cherry, and graphite with the slightest note of smoked meat right out of the bottle. This evolved to blueberry, black cherry, desicated cherry and blueberry, chocolate, sour cherry, and ripe dark cherry. It’s on the lighter side of full bodied, has the finest, ripe, high quality tannins - these really stood out for me - and a persistent finish.

Best pairings: Veal parmesan, Tagliatelle with Ragu, T-bone alla FIorentina, Lasagna Bolognese, Cheeses: Aged Pecorino (with Salami & Prosciutto of course)

Serving Temperature: 17 - 19 degrees Celsius

Serving Tips: Decant for about 30 minutes - a little longer if you are using a small decanter

Price: ~$38 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:

Campari Group, 2025. Sale of Cinzano: Press release. [PDF] Available at: https://www.camparigroup.com/sites/default/files/downloads/20250626_Sale%20of%20Cinzano_Press%20Release%20ENG_9.pdf [Accessed 6 August 2026].

Cinzano, no date. Cinzano. [online] Available at: https://cinzano.com/en [Accessed 6 August 2026].

Col d’Orcia, no date. History. [online] Available at: https://coldorcia.it/en/history [Accessed 6 August 2026].

Col d’Orcia, 2023. Rosso di Montalcino 2023. [PDF] Available at: https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/69830d24de59887dfc4d43c8/6a54a35d4fabb6487a77b351_Rosso%20di%20Montalcino%202023_ENG.pdf [Accessed 6 August 2026].

Col d’Orcia, 2021. Brunello di Montalcino 2021. [PDF] Available at: https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/69830d24de59887dfc4d43c8/6a54964fa9614f1b949a373f_En%20Brunello%202021.pdf [Accessed 6 August 2026].

Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino, no date. Brunello di Montalcino DOCG. [online] Available at: https://www.consorziobrunellodimontalcino.it/en/583/wines#586-anchor [Accessed 6 August 2026].

Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino, no date. Rosso di Montalcino DOC. [online] Available at: https://www.consorziobrunellodimontalcino.it/en/583/wines#587-anchor [Accessed 6 August 2026].

Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino, no date. Sant’Antimo DOC. [online] Available at: https://www.consorziobrunellodimontalcino.it/en/583/wines#1352-anchor [Accessed 6 August 2026].

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

Robinson, J., no date. Abruzzo’s new avant-garde: Part 2. [online] Available at: https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/abruzzos-new-avant-garde-part-2 [Accessed 6 August 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 Enthusiast, no date. What is texture in wine? [online] Available at: https://www.wineenthusiast.com/basics/texture-wine-definitione/ [Accessed 6 August 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!

A few weeks ago, while having seafood cake night, we needed an influx of wine as the first bottle’s fill line dropped. I headed to the wine cooler and found today’s featured wine there. Its brightness and freshness struck me! It paired so well with the richness of the seafood cakes on our plates. The citrus notes, including the slight pithiness of grapefruit, were such a fun contrast to the creamy flavours of the seafood. So I bought another bottle to conduct further analysis. I would not want to lead my readers astray after all. I have a HUGE responsibility!!

Okay, enough with the mystery what is the wine already! There is building suspense and interest, and then there is being a tease…

d’Arenberg The Hermit Crab Viognier Marsanne blend 2024 from McLaren Vale, in South Australia (see map).

Interesting that Viognier and Marsanne are from Rhône per your headline!

Hermit Crab is a funny name for a wine – must be a story behind it?

Geologically speaking, the McLaren Vale vineyard soils contain remnants of an old seabed which includes critters’ remains like the Hermit Crab. According to the Cambridge dictionary a hermit crab is:

a type of crab with a soft abdomen that lives inside a shell left by another sea creature. As a hermit crab grows it must change shells regularly to accommodate its larger body.

Coincidentally, in the Rhône Valley there is a famous hill named Hermitage which has been associated with winemaking since Greco-Roman times. This hill is part of a Northern Rhône wine subregion of the same name that makes top-quality reds made from Syrah, and whites made from Marsanne and Roussanne grapes.

Its name comes from, as you already guessed, the word hermit – specifically the legend of a 12^th or 13^th century crusader named Henri Gaspard de Stérimberg, who after his return from duty retreated from the world and became “a hermit”. He was granted permission to build a chapel on the hill by Blanche of Castille, the Queen of France. He lived there for 30 years until his death.

Is that the chapel shown on the headline photo?

You betcha!

Ironically Viognier, which is the dominant portion of the Hermit Crab blend, is not allowed in the Hermitage subregion.

Insignificant!

Agreed! I love the playfulness of the name!

This little number punches way above its price.

Fourth generation winemaker Chester Osborn is the mastermind behind many of d’Arenberg‘s current philosophies and concepts. Known for his long hair and flashy clothing, Chester sounds like a card.

One of these concepts was to introduce many grape varieties that some say may not “belong” in McLaren Vale.

But who is to say that? What if he finds the perfect plot – what if he figures out the perfect grape picking window – all in the spirit of making a great bottle of wine at a great price just for us? Like this week’s featured wine.

To take a step back, the 3 grape varieties that McLaren Vale is known for are Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Grenache. Whites are not really on the radar other than some easy-drinking Chardonnay.

Well Grenache and Shiraz (aka Syrah in France) are both from Rhône grapes. So why would Viognier and Marsanne not belong in McLaren Vale?

It is believed that it is too warm there for these varieties – but I think this man knows what he is doing!

The proof is in the glass!

The other concept that Chester brought about is that all grapes are pressed with a basket press. Whether an entry level wine like the Hermit Crab wine or d’Arenberg’s higher end wines, all grapes go through a basket press.

You’ve never talked about presses before.

True.

Pressing in winemaking separates the juice from the grape’s “solids” which include skins, seeds, and stems (if the bunches did not undergo destemming beforehand). For red wines, the grapes are pressed after fermentation. This is to allow colour and tannins from the grape solids to be extracted, and that happens better when there is alcohol in the mix.

…and there is no alcohol without fermentation!

Bingo!

But in white winemaking no significant colour or tannins are desired, so the grapes are pressed at the beginning of the winemaking process before fermentation is allowed to start. (Note that the colour and slight tannin in orange wines comes from white grape solids, using similar methods to red winemaking).

Throughout time various press designs have been used. These have been found in various parts of the world providing evidence of winemaking history globally. The basket press goes back to the Middle Ages and is still in use today. Back then they were almost entirely made of wood. These days there are many metal components and various mechanical components to replace the entirely manual pressing of the Middle Ages.

What is the reason that Chester uses basket presses?

As stated on the d’Arenberg website, they believe that every vineyard has a personality. It is their philosophy that the basket presses allow this personality to show through. They believe that these time-honoured traditions should remain as part of the modern winemaking process. In fact, their reds are even foot trod two thirds through the fermentation.

Oh wow, that is traditional.

It is not uncommon for high quality producers to use basket presses, also known as vertical or Champagne presses. When we worked in a winery in Priorat in the fall of 2024 we pressed very small batches of grapes. As you can see in the photographs a flat horizontal disk gently puts pressure on the vertical “basket” of grapes, allowing the juice to run through the wooden slats and eventually into a tray below. Basket presses are believed to be gentler on the grapes and also typically allow for the smaller batches which d’Arenberg pride themselves on.

See the video of us pressing red wine at Gratavinum winery in Priorat, Spain.

Wow – so much care and attention, even for entry level wines. No wonder it is so delicious.

Exactly! It is so satisfying to find little treasures like this one to share with you all!

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d’Arenberg ‘The Hermit Crab’ Viognier Marsanne 2024, McLaren Vale, South Australia

Style: Moderately full body white wine

Variety(ies): Viognier and Marsanne

This fresh, bright, and expressive wine has a pronounced nose of lime, mandarin, lemon, and grapefruit along with unripe nectarine, white peach, cream, yogurt, ginger, wet stone, and a hint of pencil shaving. It’s on the lighter side of full bodied, has the slightest grip, and a persistent finish.

Best pairings: Ricotta ravioli with sage butter, Crab cakes with lemon aioli, Chicken in a light cream sauce, Grilled halibut with lemon butter, Seared scallops, Vietnamese lemongrass chicken, Cheeses: Triple-cream Brie, Young Comté, and Mild washed-rind cheeses

Serving Temperature: 6-8 degrees Celsius

Serving Tips: This wine needs a little nudge to open up. Worth pouring in a decanter prior to pouring in your glass.

Price: ~$23 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:

Australian Wine, no date. McLaren Vale wine region. [online] Available at: https://www.australianwine.com/our-places/south-australia/mclaren-vale-wine-region [Accessed 23 July 2026].

Cambridge Dictionary, no date. Hermit crab. [online] Available at: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/hermit-crab [Accessed 23 July 2026].

d’Arenberg, no date. 2025 The Hermit Crab Viognier Marsanne. [online] Available at: https://www.darenberg.com.au/2025-the-hermit-crab-viognier-marsanne [Accessed 23 July 2026].

d’Arenberg, no date. The story. [online] Available at: https://www.darenberg.com.au/the-story/ [Accessed 23 July 2026].

d’Arenberg, no date. Viticulture and winemaking. [online] Available at: https://www.darenberg.com.au/viticulture-and-winemaking/ [Accessed 23 July 2026].

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

Jancis Robinson, 2025. Abruzzo’s new avant-garde: Part 2. [online] Available at: https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/abruzzos-new-avant-garde-part-2 [Accessed 23 July 2026].

Shades of Grape, no date. About South Australian Shiraz. [online] Available at: https://www.shadesofgrape.ca/p/about-south-australian-shiraz [Accessed 23 July 2026].

Vins Rhône, no date. Côtes du Rhône Cru AOC Hermitage. [online] Available at: https://www.vins-rhone.com/en/cotes-du-rhone-cru-aoc-hermitage [Accessed 23 July 2026].

Wine Australia, no date. McLaren Vale. [online] Available at: https://www.wineaustralia.com/labelling/register-of-protected-gis-and-other-terms/geographical-indications/mclaren-vale [Accessed 23 July 2026].

Wine Australia, no date. McLaren Vale Consumer Guide (PDF). [online] Available at: https://assets-us-01.kc-usercontent.com/c28c6566-725d-0048-c076-bd0fa28fb4a9/64bbb89b-bfee-4d39-a697-39ee3936c9ed/AWD_McLarenVale_ConsumerGuide.pdf [Accessed 23 July 2026].

Wine-Searcher, no date. d’Arenberg. [online] Available at: https://www.wine-searcher.com/merchant/17341-d-arenberg [Accessed 23 July 2026].

Wine Anorak, no date. d’Arenberg with Chester and his Cube. [online] Available at: https://www.wineanorak.com/wineblog/australia/darenberg-with-chester-and-his-cube [Accessed 23 July 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.

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I love exploring. Studying wine at the WSET Diploma level exposed me to more “rare” wine regions, from a Canadian point of view anyway. So, when perusing the wine shelves for inspiration recently, I was thrilled to discover a Heathcote wine! Grabbing it was a no-brainer!

Never heard of it.

First one I have seen honestly.

Here’s a map of the wine regions of Victoria. Find the Heathcote wine region - it is almost smack in the middle of the map, within the Victoria Central Zone in Australia.

Heathcote is one of the cooler regions within the Victoria Central Zone. Summer days are warm, but nights cool off due to two factors. Firstly the altitude at its position on the side of Mount Carmel Range at 110 to 600 m (260 to 1970 ft), and secondly the cool prevailing southerly and south-easterly winds that funnel along the slopes.

Why is cooling important for grapes again?

Retaining the grapes’ acidity is key for quality wines. Without enough acidity wines can feel flat and heavy, losing the refreshing character which keeps you coming back for more. Cooling grapes at night also slows down ripening, giving the grapes time to develop more complex flavours which translates into better wine!

Primarily a red wine region, 85% of Heathcote grapes are black. Shiraz is its star accounting for 50% of black grapes. For the whites it is Chardonnay all day. But the region is moving beyond its comfort zone of Shiraz, hence the newly discovered Cab Sauv and Cab Franc wine that I was so impressed with.

It is perfect for the summer weather here in the Northern hemisphere.

I thought people moved away from reds when the weather is hot.

Sure, lighter wines are great for summer, but New World-style reds go great with grilled food, so this is when I shift towards those styles.

Put some burgers on the barbie did ya, mate?

Well, we had no “barbie” for some time as we were staging our condo for sale, and so we pulled some Shepherd’s Pie from the freezer. Turns out the pairing was spectacular as hubby seasons the pie with tarragon. It was a “match made in Calgary”, pairing beautifully with the herbal notes from the Cabernet Sauvignon & Cabernet Franc.

For those who are not familiar with Shepherd’s Pie, it is a British comfort dish traditionally made with a savoury lamb filling topped with mashed potatoes. In Western Canada it is typically made with ground beef, although we personally sometimes mess around with the meat combination. There’s also usually a vegetable layer in the middle. The tarragon is not traditional at all, but man, it made that wine sing!

Fun Fact: Our beef version would be called Cottage Pie across the Atlantic in its native land, instead of Shepherd’s Pie. Who knew!

So back to Heathcote. Let’s talk soils.

Its famous red, deep soils retain water, reducing the need for vineyard irrigation. The result? The vines produce small berries that are concentrated with flavour and aromas, providing a stand out richness.

Fun fact: this red soil is known as Cambrian Greenstones

Confusing, I know, don’t ask. (Blame some Australian geologist!)

Now a little about the producer. Wild Duck Creek Estates was founded by David Anderson when he planted his first vines in 1974 at the age of 21. His son Liam is now a key player in the operation.

I love the winery name and waterfowl theme!

Me too.

The combination of a nearby creek named Wild Duck Creek and the founder’s nickname being “Duck” made for…

…A match made in wine heaven!

I loved perusing the names of their wines, many duck themed. My favs are Duck Muck, Fortified Duck, Grandpa Duck (as David is known by his grandchildren), and of course Ducks and Drakes, the featured wine.

Great now I’m craving comfort food with red wine!

Have I got a pairing for you!!

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Wild Duck Creek Estate ‘Ducks & Drakes’ Cabernet Sauvignon & Cabernet Franc 2022, Heathcote, Central Victoria Zone, Australia

Style: Full body New World-style red wine

Variety(ies): 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc

This wine needed a little nudge with some decanting to show its colours. Flavours of fresh cassis, red currant, dusty black cherry, and earth were the first to appear. Next came cloves, red cherry, and a minty/eucalyptus note. The wine continued to evolve until sadly the bottle was gone with flavours of blueberry and nuts. This is on the lighter side of full bodied, has moderately high intensity, moderately high ripe tannins that have a slight grip, and a long finish.

Best pairings: Tarragon seasoned Shepherd’s pie, Grilled steak, Herb-crusted rack of lamb, Red wine–braised beef short ribs, Duck breast with a cherry or cassis reduction, Roast pork loin with rosemary and garlic, Mushroom Wellington, Cheeses: Aged Cheddar, Comté, or Manchego

Serving Temperature: 16-18 degrees Celsius

Serving Tips: Decant for a minimum of 30 minutes as this wine takes time to wake up

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:

Goulburn-Murray Water, 2013. Wild Duck Creek Local Management Rules 2010 – updated June 2013. [PDF] Available at: https://www.gmwater.com.au/downloads/gmw/LMR/WILD_DUCK_CREEK_LOCAL_MANAGEMENT_RULES_2010_-_updated_June_2013.pdf [Accessed 9 July 2026].

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

Heathcote Winegrowers Association, no date. Heathcote Winegrowers. [online] Available at: https://www.heathcotewinegrowers.com.au/ [Accessed 9 July 2026].

Robinson, J., no date. Abruzzo’s new avant-garde: Part 2. [online] Available at: https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/abruzzos-new-avant-garde-part-2 [Accessed 9 July 2026].

Wild Duck Creek Estate, no date. Wild Duck Creek Estate. [online] Available at: https://wildduckcreekestate.com.au/[Accessed 9 July 2026].

Wine Australia, 2024. Heathcote region snapshot 2024–25. [PDF] Available at: https://www.wineaustralia.com/getmedia/2e933649-7d7f-4428-a047-c9ef32253796/MI_Heathcote-Region-Snapshot-2024-25.pdf [Accessed 9 July 2026].

Wine Australia, no date. Heathcote. [online] Available at: https://www.wineaustralia.com/market-insights/regions-and-varieties/victoria-wines/heathcote [Accessed 9 July 2026].

Wine Australia, no date. Victoria wine map. [online image] Available at: https://www.wineaustralia.com/getmedia/bc43c787-0492-478d-9ef0-fd2ce006e10b/Victoria-Map-105556_1.jpg [Accessed 9 July 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!

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We are nearing the end of a full house reno and an imminent move. Life is pretty intense right now. But Saturday, I popped into the shop to get a bottle of Italian to go with the veal parmesan that husband was going to make.

What? You guys are swamped and likely spent the day at the house, and you choose to make veal parmesan?

I know.

He offered.

I still see him there, with his three “dredging” glass pie plates to apply the breading and I think, how did I win the husband lottery?

So I wanted to make sure that the bottle I grabbed would please him. I chose a 2023 Langhe Nebbiolo … and well, it blew both our socks off. I am salivating as I write.

I have previously written about Nebbiolo (the grape) and Langhe (the wine subregion) which lies within Piemonte (the wine region).

I visited Piemonte a couple of years ago, so if you’d like a refresher on Nebbiolo and Langhe, I’ll link those articles below.

For context, here is a map Piedmont, Italy":

Great – so why did the socks get knocked off?

1 word

Complexity.

The pronounced intensity of the flavours and aromas, in particular the smoky note that accompanied all the various kinds of cherry notes, was enchanting.

But first let’s take a step back.

Wine aromas and flavours can come from three general “processes”.

First is the fruit itself.

This sounds simple but this is influenced by what, when, where, why, and how the grape was grown. The “what” is mainly the difference between grape varieties and their unique characteristics. We call these primary flavours and aromas.

These are generally aromas ranging from fresh fruit and vegetables, to herbs, spices, and minerals.

Next are characteristics brought about from the winemaking. These are called secondary flavours and aromas. Examples are flavours like spice, dairy, bread, dough, chocolate, coffee, caramel, and wood flavours.

Lastly, you guessed it, tertiary flavours and aromas come from maturation of the fruit or the wine. These can range from primary fruit flavours that have evolved to dried or cooked fruit, to flavours of nuts, mushroom, animal, tobacco, leaves, earth, hay, mineral, spice, chocolate, coffee, caramel…

…You have repeated some, go back and do some editing, girl …

Yes, I know. What is tricky is that there is a lot of overlap here. And although people try to “bin” flavours into one of these “processes”, we don’t completely understand how flavours come about.

Can you give an example?

Thanks for asking!

This wine is a perfect example of it.

I feel set up.

The smoky note threw me for a loop. I assumed that the winemaker used some (fairly) new oak barrels that had a decent amount of toast on them. This would be unusual for Piemonte, I thought, but hey maybe this winemaker is a little rogue.

But I was so convinced that the wine was oaked, that I never noticed that on the winery’s website the winemaking details never mentioned oak or wood whatsoever. It took a second pass to put this all together.

So then the smokiness is not from secondary aromas?

Precisely.

And it is a 2023 vintage, so not THAT much age on it, meaning you would not expect intense maturation notes. So, that leaves us with those flavours coming from the fruit itself.

Nebbiolo’s classic signature is “tar and roses” — smoke, tar, dried rose, anise, and red cherry are all fruit-driven aromas for this grape.

You may recall me calling it a grape of contradictions in past articles. One of the reasons Nebbiolo fascinates me is that it often looks and tastes like a contradiction. Pale in colour yet powerful. Floral yet stern. Approachable enough to enjoy young yet structured enough to improve for years.

Ultimately, I think THAT is also what kept bringing me back to the decanter.

Now what is also cool is that the featured wine has grapes that come from three different Piedmont vineyards – Alba, Cherasco, and even from young vines from the Barolo subregion, in this case younger than 7-8 years old.

Why would they not use the grapes grown in the Barolo subregion for Barolo wine?

This is common in the wine world, but let’s put a little Canadiana into the mix …with a hockey analogy?

For the young vines, the potential is there, but the coach isn’t yet convinced the vines have earned a spot on the top lines yet. They would be 3^rd or 4^th line players, so to speak.

The winemaker reserves its best fruit for its top wines. As young vines will produce more fruit, the juice from these grapes will be less concentrated. These grapes are capable of great wines (clearly), but for Cordero di Montezemolo winery they do not pass muster for their Barolo wines.

Wow. Why are you not writing about Barolo then. I clearly want 1^st line fruit, lady!

Cost.

As a general rule, I focus this Substack on wines in the $25 - $50 Canadian range, to be accessible to most pocketbooks who care enough about wine to be here. I think it is the sweet spot of quality for the money, AND it is where I mostly live wine wise as well.

Nebbiolo, whether in a wine like Langhe Nebbiolo or in a Barbaresco or Barolo, remains a favourite grape not despite its contradictions but because of them. This bottle was enjoyable now, yet every glass suggested the wine had more to say - which is why I quietly went back to the shop for a few more bottles.

Sssshhh don’t tell my colleagues!

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Cordero di Montezemolo Langhe Nebbiolo 2023, Langhe, Piemonte, Italy

Style: Old world style medium bodied red wine

Variety(ies): 100% Nebbiolo

Right out of the bottle, this wine showed pronounced aromas and flavours of roses, strawberries, ripe raspberries, just-ripe blueberries, sweet cherries, smoke, and toast. As we decanted the wine, notes of black cherries, cinnamon, cloves, dark chocolate, tobacco, tar started coming forward. It is on the fuller side of medium bodied, has fresh acidity, medium ripe tannins, and a long finish.

Best pairings: Veal Parmesan, Moussaka, Beef braised in red wine, Osso buco, Veal shank, Pork ragu over pasta. Risotto with porcini mushrooms, Tomato-based pasta dishes, Cheeses: Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino

Serving Temperature: 16-18 degrees Celsius

Serving Tips: Decant about 30 minutes

Price: ~$41 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?

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

Cordero di Montezemolo, no date. Estate. [online] Available at: https://www.corderodimontezemolo.com/en/estate/ [Accessed 18 December 2025].

Cordero di Montezemolo, no date. Langhe Nebbiolo. [online] Available at: https://www.corderodimontezemolo.com/en/wines/langhe-nebbiolo/ [Accessed 18 December 2025].

Jeb Dunnuck, no date. Cordero di Montezemolo Langhe Nebbiolo. [online] Available at: https://jebdunnuck.com/wines/744715/ [Accessed 18 December 2025].

Vinous, no date. Cordero di Montezemolo Langhe Nebbiolo. [online] Available at: https://vinous.com/wines/cordero-di-montezemolo-langhe-nebbiolo [Accessed 18 December 2025].

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

Some of you may have seen recent wine clickbait about Nazi Stashes of Sauternes wine. One headline from CBS on June 2^nd reads:

Legendary 130-year-old wine, hidden by suspected Nazi sympathizers, unveiled after decades under castle floor

In 1985, a collection of approximately 135 wine bottles dating back to late 1800s vintages were revealed. They had been hidden at the end of World War Two by the owners of Bečov castle in Czechoslovakia. Some of these bottles were from the French Sauternes subregion.

But they would surely be spoiled.

In fact, no. I will get into Sauternes wines in more depth shortly, but their high sugar and acid content act as natural preservatives. The wines were found under a chapel floor where appropriate humidity and coolness, and most importantly constant temperatures, created perfect cellaring conditions.

But what is the story, why were the wines hidden?

Widely regarded as Nazi sympathizers, and whose estate was seized after the war under the Beneš decrees, the noble Beaufort-Spontin family fled Czechoslovakia after the second World War. They were caught by the communist secret police when they tried to retrieve the bottles via an intermediary in 1985. Afterwards the wine actually continued to be cellared there, and wasn’t found “again” until 10 years ago when inventory was taken.

So why are we talking about it now in 2026?

The rediscovery led to laboratory tests to confirm the bottles were from Château d’Yquem.

Château d’Yquem, the Bordeaux producer, restored the bottles including replacing the corks to allow the wines to continue to age. Small quantities of the wine have been tasted to ensure that they are aging as would be expected for Chateau d’Yquem of that age. The Château d’Yquem bottles have now been returned to the Bečov castle.

Remind me about Sauternes again!

Ah Sauternes …

I vividly remember my first Sauternes. It was a blind tasting in a WSET class. I remember looking up at my teacher and thinking what have you done to me! I am now changed forever.

The complexity and depth of flavour. What is that? Marmalade, citrus peel, honey, oh! and tropical fruit… the texture, full body and the brightness to just make it all harmonious.

To me life changing. It stopped me in my tracks. I still have the experience imprinted in me, the sensation, the tastes, where I sat in the room, the teacher. We broke out for lunch right after and it was all I could think about.

Sauternes is a subregion of Bordeaux, right?

Yes. I went in 2022. I also visited Barsac, which you could call a subregion of the Sauternes subregion. It is a wine from Château Coutet in Barsac that I am featuring this week.

What makes Barsac stand apart from “greater” Sauternes?

Firstly, the wines produced in Barsac and Sauternes are sweet white wines. The grape varieties allowed are Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle. Sémillon, the dominant grape, is often infected by a rot called Botrytis. This is because its tight bunches and thin-skinned grapes make them vulnerable to infection.

Keep going this sounds appetizing (not)!

The pickers are trained to pick only the fruit that is either healthy or botrytis affected and leaving the unhealthy grapes behind. Harvest, which can run as late as November, often consists of multiple passes through the vineyards, in some years as many as 12 times. The people working the harvest literally pick grapes one by one. This results in very concentrated juice high in acidity, sugar, flavours, and aromas. The resulting wine is deliciously balanced, with the acidity balancing the sugar, and the weight of the full body balancing the intensity and complexity of flavours and aromas.

This region is particularly susceptible to rot because of its landscape. The mixing of air temperatures when two rivers join - one cold, the Ciron River and the warmer Garonne River - results in misty autumn mornings. This allows the Botrytis rot, also known as noble rot, to form. The mist then lifts allowing the grapes to dry in the afternoon sun, halting the formation of grey rot, the unhealthy kind of rot.

Barsac’s area represents about 17% of the Sauternes subregion areally. Its wines are said to be lighter because its land, gently sloping down to the River Garonne, has shallow red sand above the deep limestone bedrock. Greater Sauternes has rolling hills with soils of gravel over clay.

I’ve gone back to not liking sweet wines. So I’m out!

Do you like a certain dessert?

Yes.

Then pair it with Sauternes and Barsac! Both will be better together than apart. The only rule is the wine needs to be sweeter than the dessert, which is usually not a problem with these wines.

What was Barsac paired with when you were there?

Pineapple. Which actually threw me right off. I was prepared for disappointment. And then the pairing sang! Barbecue season is in full swing in the northern hemisphere – try grilling some pineapple until the fruit’s sugar caramelizes on the surface. This provides extra sweetness and complexity of flavour in the dessert, while complementing the tropical fruit flavours found in the wine.

These wines can outlive neglect and abandonment — you don’t need a Czech castle, just a grill and a great bottle.

Scroll down to read more about the featured Château Coutet wine!

Cheers!

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Château Coutet Barsac 2022, Sauternes, Bordeaux, France

Style: sweet full body white wine

Variety(ies): 94% Sémillon, 5% Sauvignon Blanc, 1% Muscadelle

This wine has intense aromas and flavours of lemon zest, mandarin, white nectarine, barely ripe mango, and honey with just a hint of ginger and white pepper. It is on the lighter side of full bodied, has fresh acidity, and an extremely long finish.

Best pairings: Candied salmon, Thai yellow curry with prawns, Duck liver mousse, Mango pavlova, Peach cobbler, Grilled pineapple, Blue Cheeses: Roquefort, Stilton, Gorgonzola Dolce

Serving Temperature: 7 - 9 degrees Celsius

Serving Tips: Pour & enjoy

Price: ~$51Cdn

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

CBS News, 2025. Wine unveiled decades hidden under castle floor. [online] Available at: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/wine-unveiled-decades-hidden-castle-floor/ [Accessed 11 June 2026].

Common Grape, no date. Bordeaux wine region. [online] Available at: https://www.commongrape.com/post/bordeaux-wine-region [Accessed 11 June 2026].

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

Jancis Robinson, no date. Abruzzo’s new avant-garde, part 2. [online] Available at: https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/abruzzos-new-avant-garde-part-2 [Accessed 11 June 2026].

La Carte des Vins S.V.P., 2019. Carte des vins Sauternes-Barsac. [online image] Available at: https://blog.lacartedesvins-svp.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/carte-vins-sauternes-barsac-10-1-1440x1798.jpg [Accessed 11 June 2026].

U.S. News & World Report, 2026. Czech castle’s cache of precious wine goes on display in new old bottles. [online] Available at: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2026-06-02/czech-castles-cache-of-precious-wine-goes-on-display-in-new-old-bottles [Accessed 11 June 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,

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Today’s story revolves around an engineer.

Oh! Way to make it all about you!

Not me actually! People assume there is a huge jump from engineering to wine, but there really isn’t. Wine revolves around several things:

• grape growing (biology, geography, geology, meteorology, climatology, and agriculture),

• the business of wine (math, economics, and marketing), and

• winemaking (chemistry and process engineering (equipment, instrumentation, temperature control, vessels, etc.)).

Fair! Lots of science and math.

Applied science and math to be exact! That’s the definition of engineering.

Interestingly, in the past to be accepted into the oenology (winemaking) department in Catalunya, Spain, you had to have another degree. Engineering was a common first degree.

So, who’s the engineer anyway, I assume he’s Spanish?

Fernando Mora, MW, the founder & winemaker of Bodegas Frontonio in Aragon, Spain. Since Aragon is the neighbour of Catalunya, it jibes that today’s story’s main character is an engineer from Spain.

MW stands for Master of Wine. Fernando became a Master of Wine in 2017. This is a big deal. There are currently only about 425 MWs globally.

After the Second World War the wine world needed some help, like many other industries. The Wine and Spirit Association and the Vintners’ Company were already establishing standards of education in the British wine trade. Together they set up the Institute of Master of Wine (IMW) program in 1953 (the education body from which MWs graduate). Gradually the MW program grew to serve the wine industry beyond Britain, including having approved program providers offering the training globally.

To pass the rigours of the MW program, candidates need to understand all aspects of wine. They must write many theory papers, pass many blind tasting exams, and author individual research papers. Only 521 people have become MWs since 1953, with about 425 of those people still living.

But back to Fernando. He worked as an engineer in the automotive and wind energy industries, and eventually turned his wine hobby into a profession. It started with 28 vines in his grandparents’ garden and a kit including ice-based temperature control set up in a bathtub.

His first vintage was in 2008, and in 2013 Bodegas Frontonio, his winery, was born!

Let’s go to Spain!! This is where we talk geography!

Here is a map from the Bodegas Frontonio website. Zone into the red blotch indicated by the red line where Bodesgas Frontonio is located in Aragon, west of the city of Zaragoza.

The featured wine is made in the IGP of Valdejalon in the Ebro Valley. The Ebro River is one that is associated with other major wine regions, namely Rioja, Alava, and Navarra. IGP stands for Indicación Geográfica Protegida in Spanish — “Protected Geographical Indication” in English. This is a wine zone that has specific sets of wine rules.

Of course, you guessed it that the featured wine, Botijo Blanco, comes from Bodegas Frontonio. Botijo Blanco is made from 100% Garnacha Blanca, also called Grenache Blanc in French. Blanca and Blanc mean white in English.

I thought Garnacha was only a black grape!

Understandable.

Its more common form is its black grape version, but it also comes in white and grey!

When people talk about Garnacha how will I know if they are talking about the black, white, or grey Garnacha?

If the colour is not included in the name – it will be black. Otherwise it is explicitly stated. This is fair, since the white and grey versions are clones of the black Grenache grape.

Garnacha Blanca is typically a blending grape in France, including in the regions of Provence, Languedoc-Roussillon, and the southern Rhone, as well as south of the French border into Spain’s Rioja and Priorat. But at Bodegas Frontonio, Garnacha Blanca is the star!

By the way a botijo, which is seen on the label, is a traditional Spanish clay water vessel.

How about a bathtub?

Shouldn’t that be on the label?

That would be fun marketing!

Scroll down to the featured wine section to see the label and the botijo.

But no bathtub – boo.

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Bodesgas Frontonio Botijo Blanco 2024, IGP of Valdejalon, Aragon, Spain

Style: Mineral driven medium body white wine

Variety(ies): Garnacha Blanca

This wine has intensity with precise and complex aromas and flavours. Right out of the bottle are precise aromas of yellow apple and pear finished with wet stone and saline. Eventually come notes of white pepper and an undercurrent of cardamon and unripe peach. At the final stage juicy, slightly tart mandarin, lemon, and tart apple come into play with the weakest hint of cream. It is medium bodied, has fresh acidity, a phenolic grip that adds interest, and a long finish.

Best pairings: Coconut shrimp with mild chili sauce, Grilled sea bass with citrus, Grilled scallops, Roast chicken with white pepper and cardamom, and Seafood paella, Cheese: Manchego, Mahon, and Goat cheese with zest and olive oil.

Serving Temperature: 7 - 9 degrees Celsius

Serving Tips: Pour & enjoy

Price: ~$24 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

Bodegas Frontonio, no date. Bodegas Frontonio. [online] Available at: https://bodegasfrontonio.com/en/home/ [Accessed 30 May 2026].

Foods and Wines from Spain, no date. Valdejalón VDT. [online] Available at: https://www.foodswinesfromspain.com/en/wine/regions/ebro-river-valley/valdejalon-vdt [Accessed 30 May 2026].

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

Jancis Robinson, no date. Abruzzo’s new avant-garde: Part 2. [online] Available at: https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/abruzzos-new-avant-garde-part-2 [Accessed 30 May 2026].

Masters of Wine, no date. Fernando Mora MW. [online] Available at: https://www.mastersofwine.org/fernando-mora-mw [Accessed 30 May 2026].

McNeil, K., 2022. The Wine Bible. 3rd ed. New York: Workman Publishing.

Shades of Grape, no date. Corks and classrooms: Navigating the wine world. [online] Available at: https://www.shadesofgrape.ca/p/corks-and-classrooms-navigating-the?utm_source=publication-search [Accessed 30 May 2026].

Shades of Grape, no date. How a 1978 clone brought Germany... [online] Available at: https://www.shadesofgrape.ca/p/how-a-1978-clone-brought-germany [Accessed 30 May 2026].

Shades of Grape, no date. Not just Priorat’s shadow: Why Montsant. [online] Available at: https://www.shadesofgrape.ca/p/not-just-priorats-shadow-why-montsant [Accessed 30 May 2026].

TasteAtlas, no date. Valdejalón. [online] Available at: https://www.tasteatlas.com/valdejalon [Accessed 30 May 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.

WorldAtlas, no date. The Ebro River of Spain. [online] Available at: https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-ebro-river-of-spain.html [Accessed 30 May 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.

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• my wine recommendations,

• any assistance I provide along your wine journey, or

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This story is about an underdog.

I’m intrigued. I always root for the underdog. Where are we going?

New Zealand, which produces only 1% of global wine – about the same as Austria, Hungary, Brazil, and China. Surprising, as most wine drinkers know that New Zealand produces wine and have tried their wine at least once.

… likely a Sauvignon Blanc.

Agreed.

But to be clear, I am not calling New Zealand an underdog, but rather Nelson, one of its main wine regions.

Never heard of it.

Not surprised.

At just 2% of New Zealand’s production, the fact that some of their wines were brought to my little part of the wine world tickled me pink.

Single digit percentage multiplied by single digit percentage means that on the world stage, Nelson wines are miniscule baby potatoes.

Yup! AND delicious ones.

Just like the whole of New Zealand, Nelson’s top white and black grapes are Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. The only two other grapes of significance in Nelson are Chardonnay and Pinot Gris.

So how small IS this dog.

Less than 1000 hectares (2500 acres), providing grapes to about 40 wineries. It is tiny compared to neighbouring Marlborough at 32,000 hectares (79,000 acres), representing 73% of New Zealand’s vineyards.

I can’t believe I’ve made you wait this long for a map.

New Zealand has two islands: the North Island and the South Island. Wine is produced on both islands, with 10 main wine regions all within 130 km (80 miles) of the sea. In the northwest corner of the South Island, the Nelson wine region is located north of the country’s Southern Alps, the “spine” of the South Island. It has a cool maritime climate and enjoys mild winters & warm summers.

The South Island’s first city, Nelson, was founded in 1841 and is located on the eastern shores of Tasman Bay. With the area surrounded by mountains and the ocean, it is isolated from the rest of the South Island.

The Nelson wine region is shown here along with its two main subregions: Waimea Plains and Moutere Hills. There is another subregion not shown here called the Tasman Coastal subregion, a narrow strip (see map below).

The underdog’s underdog.

I guess so!

Below is a zoom in of the subregions showing their proximity to the municipality of Nelson.

Okay let’s zone in on the featured wine, I am parched!

The featured wine is the Moroki Pinot Noir 2022. Pinot Noir’s origins go back to a grape called Pinot which is believed to date back to Roman times, with evidence of the grape’s existence in France in the 4th century.

Wow, that is truly ancient.

This is where I like to get into Nelson history, which can be spotty or hard to find in new wine regions. I was pleased to find that radiocarbon dating indicates Māori people activity since the 1300s. Māoris are the indigenous people of New Zealand. Unfortunately, no indications of vines, but sweet potato plantations in Waimea show that agriculture started with the Māori.

Moving forward to the 1800s the New Zealand Company founded Nelson as a settlement. Many of the area’s inhabitants were from the UK, with 140 Germans also among them.

In 1868, F M Ellis & Sons Winery was established by Frank Ellis. Frank came from the UK with his family in 1849, when he was at least 6 years old (birthdate unknown). After working as a goldminer, Frank eventually made his way to England for a year to learn about the wine trade. This led to establishing the winery in Nelson and making wine in “substantial volumes.”

In 1907 he passed the winery on to Harry Ellis. In 1916, due to a flash flood the vines and winery were washed down to the sea. However, the business recovered and continued to sell wine for several decades.

It was sold to Bob and Phyllis Thorpe in 1937, and still remains in the family. It is now called Ellis Creek Farm, but sadly wine is no longer produced there.

Ultimately, it is not until the 1970s that things took off for Nelson’s modern wine industry.

The featured wine is made by Moroki, a wine cooperative from Malborough who also makes wine from fruit grown in Nelson. Moroki means “to go further” or “ongoing” in Māori.

Are they into wine?

I am not sure, we may need to make a trip to New Zealand and ask them personally!

Let’s do it – right after I scroll down for the low down of the featured wine!

Great! I’ll book the flights!

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Moroki Nelson Pinot Noir 2022, Nelson, New Zealand

Style: New world style, light body red wine

Variety(ies): Pinot Noir

On the nose, one is struck by the intense cedar and cherry notes. On the palate, sour cherry, red cherry, strawberry, and baking spice. This complex wine also has notes of smoke, forest floor, earth with a hint of mushroom. It’s light bodied, has fresh acidity, and a persistent finish. This will appeal to lovers of light, oaked pinot from the new world.

Best pairings: Cedar-plank salmon, Pork tenderloin served with cherry sauce, Wild mushroom pizza, Shepherd’s Pie, Roasted poultry, Portobello mushroom burger, Mushroom risotto, Cheese: Smoked Gouda, Goat cheese, Washed-rind cheeses

Serving Temperature: 13-15 degrees Celsius

Serving Tips: Pour & 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

Ellis Creek Farm. (n.d.). About us. Ellis Creek Farm

Carl Walrond, Nelson region, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/nelson-region (accessed 17 May 2026)

Facebook. (n.d.). Top of the South Noticeboard post. Facebook Post

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

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

Moroki Wine. (n.d.). Vinello. Vinello – Moroki Wine

New Zealand Winegrowers. (n.d.). Nelson. New Zealand Wine – Nelson Region

New Zealand Winegrowers. (2026). Vineyard report 2026. Vineyard Report 2026 PDF

New Zealand Winegrowers. (n.d.). Vineyard reports. New Zealand Wine – Vineyard Reports

Taste Nelson Wines. (n.d.). The Nelson wine region. Taste Nelson Wines – Region

Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. (n.d.). Nelson region – Page 10. Te Ara – Nelson Region Page 10

Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. (n.d.). Roadside stories: Nelson – The WOW factor. Te Ara – Roadside Stories Nelson

WikiTree. (n.d.). Ellis-3786. WikiTree – Ellis-3786

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.

Wine-Searcher. (n.d.). Nelson wine region. Wine-Searcher – Nelson Region

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

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.

Support & Subscribe

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!

become a free or paid subscriber

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!

Enjoying my recommendations? Consider upgrading to a paid subscription.

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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!

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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.

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

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.

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 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

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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!

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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.

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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].