What Is Moscato d’Asti? Moscato d’Asti is a sweet sparkling wine with low alcohol levels from Piedmont (Piemonte) in northwestern Italy. The wine, as implied by its name, is made from Muscat grapes cultivated in Asti. Moscato d’Asti is one of the most famous wines of Italy. The main grape variety used in Moscato d’Asti …
What Is Lambrusco? Lambrusco is a collective term for grape varieties that make sparkling red wine in Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy. So far, over 60 Lambrusco varieties have been identified. Lambrusco grows in many Italian wine zones. From Piedmont (Piemonte) in the north to Basilicata in the south, Lambrusco vines are grown with passion and …
What Is Rioja? Most commonly known as Spain’s signature red blend, Rioja is, in fact, a term describing the blending of traditional Spanish red grape varieties. The base of the Rioja blend is Tempranillo, followed by Grenache (Garnacha), Graciano, and Mazuelo (Carignan or Cariñena). Selected producers have dispensation to include Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend, …
What Is Chianti? Chianti is a dry red wine of the Sangiovese grape variety, from Tuscany, central Italy, Chianti is one of the most renowned Italian wine-making zones. More specifically, Chianti lies between Siena and Florence and produces up to 20 million gallons of wine (75 million liters) every year, more than any other Italian …
What Is Amarone? Amarone or ‘Amarone della Valpolicella’ is a distinctive dry red wine from the Veneto region of northeastern Italy. It is made with the appassimento method of dried grapes and is considered a very prestigious red wine. The best Amarone wines are from the Classico zone. Top winemakers, however, also produce elegant Amarone …
There are traditions to follow when pouring wine. Each wine deserves to be celebrated in a glass that is perfectly designed to bring out its unique characteristics. You may have noticed how some wines taste different in different glasses. With the right kind of glass, you will discover flavors in the wine that went unnoticed …
Over the years, hundreds and thousands of books have been published on the subject of wines. So it’s to be expected that sorting through them all to pick the best ones, will be confusing and difficult. Especially when you consider the array of subjects and diverse aspects of winemaking these books have covered! There are …
As a wine enthusiast, how would you evaluate the quality of wine? Swirl, sniff, sip, and swallow — these are the steps wine drinkers typically follow to understand the taste and texture of the wine. However, during a wine tasting session, you may ask questions such as “How do I know a wine has the …
Have you ever taken a look at a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and been confused by all the details given on its label? Or has a bottle of Merlot intrigued you in the same way? A wine label offers a variety of information about the wine. And these labels can be as complicated as the …
A good corkscrew is a basic and essential tool that every wine lover should own. If you don’t have a corkscrew, you risk the cork on your bottle crumbling, your bottle breaking, or worse still, not being able to drink your wine! Apart from being a necessary kitchenware item, corkscrews can also be great wine …
10 Types of Corkscrews Every Wine Lover Should Know Read More »
