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#wine-styles
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Albariño: the grape & wine
Albariño : the grape & wines Many white wine drinkers reach instinctively for familiar favourites like Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, or Pinot Grigio. There is nothing wrong with any of these well-known varieties but looking further afield there is a world of exciting alternative white wines. None of these alternatives is more refreshing, versatile and food-friendly than Albariño (pronounced phonetically as Alba-reen-yo). If you’re looking to expand your palate and discover a white wine that balances elegance with vibrancy, Albariño may be exactly what you are missing. In my opinion, Albariño, especially from the Rías Baixas DO, is one of the best Spanish (and Portuguese) still white wines today. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll explore everything you need to know about the Albariño grape and its wines — from its origins and flavour profile to food pairings and buying tips—so that you can skip the Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Pinot shelves and find a great bottle of this delicious wine ins
by WinesWithAttitude5 viewsgrape-varietieswine-stylesalbarinowine-facts - news
Carmenère: Chile’s signature grape & wine
Carmenère: Chile’s signature grape & wine You would not be surprised to learn that Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and other well-known grape varieties are popular search terms on the Wines With Attitude website. However, one of the most searched-for varieties is Carmenère (pronounced car-mun-air), a rather more obscure, though distinctive, black grape variety. Part of the reason for its low profile is that Carmenère accounts for only a tiny proportion of the total world wine grape production. In addition it has long been the source of mystery and misidentification. In fact the grape was almost extinct and was only rediscovered many years later, in the late 20th century, on a different continent having long been mistaken for another grape. So why is Carmenère such a popular search term? Let’s delve into the mysterious Carménère and find out where it is grown, what kind of wines it produces, what it tastes like and why you should make it a part of your wine repertoire. The Ca
by WinesWithAttitude5 viewsgrape-varietieswine-stylescarmenerewine-facts - news
A guide to the wines of the Rhone region
A GUIDE TO THE WINES OF THE RHONE REGION AN OVERVIEW OF RHONE WINES This blog post on Rhône wines, the first in a series, can only be an overview – the Rhône wine region is huge and the range of Rhône wines so varied that it is impossible to cover it all in one relatively short article. This guide covers Northern Rhone wines, Southern Rhone wines and their differences, Rhone wine labelling, what Cote du Rhone wines are and the general style of the region’s wines. Since 81% of Rhône Valley wines are red, I’ll focus on red Rhone wines – with the Rhone’s white and rosé wines to be covered at a later date (whites are 6% of production with rosé 13%). The terms Rhône and Rhone are used interchangeably in this blogpost. RHONE WINE STATISTICS First some figures about Rhone wine: there are over 5000 wine-growing businesses in 28 Rhône wine appellations using one or more of 27 permitted grape varieties to produce 3 million hectolitres for c. 372 million bottles of wine* – and that’s ignoring any
by WinesWithAttitude4 viewswine-regionswine-stylesrhonewine-region - news
Malbec grape and wines
Guide to the Malbec Grape & its wines Malbec, Argentinian Malbec in particular, is one of the most popular red wines in the UK. It was long considered one of the ‘beefiest’ red wines and became a staple house wine for many pubs and restaurants, initially increasing its popularity. That may however have come at a cost as public perception of the quality of Malbec seems to be in decline. This blogpost looks into the reasons for Malbec’s popularity, explores facts about the Malbec grape that account, in part, for the wine’s different aromas & flavours and for the different styles of Malbec wine. It also considers if quality has become an issue for ‘brand Malbec’ and covers which food is best consumed with Malbec. The Malbec grape Although the Malbec grape is the flagship grape of Argentina, it originated in the area of South West France around the city of Cahors, east of Bordeaux and north of Toulouse. It is also known in that area and in the Loire where a little is grown as Côt or Auxerr
by WinesWithAttitude5 viewsgrape-varietieswine-stylesargentinafood-pairingmalbecwine-and-food - news
7 facts to help make sense of Burgundy wine
7 FACTS TO HELP MAKE SENSE OF BURGUNDY WINE … & UNDERSTANDING BURGUNDY WINE LABELS How are you supposed to make sense of Burgundy wines? Understanding Burgundy wine labels can seem impossible. Sometimes it is even difficult to know whether you have selected a bottle of red wine or white wine without an expert knowledge of the region and its producers. But it is worth finding out a little about the region’s wines because Burgundy, or Bourgogne as it is known in France, is one of the oldest wine-producing regions in Europe and has a reputation for producing some of the world’s best wines. So let’s tackle this relatively small but daunting area with its complex labelling and numerous wine producers often with the same family name. Here is Burgundy in a nutshell, all you need to know to start you off tasting Burgundy wines. The beautiful village of Santenay in Burgundy The focus in the wine world at the beginning of each year is on Burgundy with the release of the latest vintage – in Janua
by WinesWithAttitude4 viewswine-regionswine-stylesburgundywine-region - news
Guide to New Zealand Wines
Guide to New Zealand Wines The New Zealand Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc ocean New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and specifically Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc have been pretty much synonymous with New Zealand wine until fairly recently. Indeed even in 2023 Sauvignon Blanc still accounted for 65%* of New Zealand’s total wine grape vineyard area – and most of that was in Marlborough, 58% of New Zealand’s total vineyard area. Amazing facts especially when you consider that the grape was first planted in Marlborough only in 1975. You cannot ignore the importance of this grape as it thrust New Zealand onto the international wine scene. Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc still clearly has its fans. Many have fallen for its aromatics, its crisp zing and unique flavours of gooseberry, red peppers with hints of passionfruit and fresh cut grass. As Sauvignon Blanc production started to become more commercial in the 1970s, at the lower end of the market (encouraged, it has to be said, by retailers importing into
by WinesWithAttitude5 viewswine-regionswine-stylesnew-zealandorganicpinot-noirsauvignon-blanc