Category Archives: Wines

France, Wines

Wine Notes: Appellation Saint Joseph

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What I Learned

Three great appellations begin about 15 miles south of Lyons. They range along the right bank of the Rhone and are, from north to south: the famous Cote Rotie, Condrieu, and St Joseph. In two of the three appellations, the Syrah varietal reigns supreme.

The Saint Joseph appellation is the largest. Its vineyards line the steep banks of the Rhone for about 60 kilometers, or 37 miles, and includes 26 villages and towns, mostly located along its shores. The vineyard soils are predominantly granitic.

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Switzerland, Wines

Wine Notes: Switzerland’s Ticino

What I Learned:

The Ticino canton ranks as the fourth most important wine growing canton in Switzerland. Wine production in this area can be dated to the Roman era. Some of the older varietals formerly grown in this area, such as the Freisa, Paganona, and Rossera, were devastated by the phylloxera parasite which arrived in the Ticino around 1893.

This area is now famed for its Merlot grapes. These were primarily introduced at the beginning of last century, after, and in response to, the phylloxera epidemic. They are grown in about 1000 hectares of this canton. Merlot buds rather later in the spring compared to some other varietals, and its harvest in this area occurs at the end of September or beginning of October. From these grapes, its vintners produce a red wine version, aged in oak or steel, and a unique white wine version. Look for “Merlot Vinificato in Bianco.” Approximately 85% of all wine production in this canton is Merlot.

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Germany, Wines

Wine Notes: Baden’s Breisgau District

What I Learned:

The Breisgau area of the Baden Region of Germany has some unique topography, both natural and manmade. From the plain, you see ridgeline after ridgeline, each rising higher as it moves away from the Rhine, and toward the upper reaches of the Black Forest to the east.

The vine-covered hills, usually on the first or second ridgelines after the plain, tend to be small, but steep. Man has worked around this by terracing many of them over time. This terracing provides plenty of opportunity to notice the primarily loess and sandy soils that predominate in this area.

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Germany, Wines

Wine Notes: Franconia’s Maindreieck

What I Learned:

Along the Main River in Franconia (Franken, in German), there are three wine districts of good repute: Maindreieck, Mainviereck, and the Steigerwald, set slightly off the river, but still enjoying a climate mild enough to grow grapes. This post focuses on the Maindreieck district only.

The Maindreieck is a triangle of land surrounded on three sides by the Main River. The Main is a tributary to the Rhine. The river makes three dramatic curves close to the heart of Franconia, forming this “triangle” (dreieck) as a paragon of viticulture in south central Germany. The most important and undoubtedly best known town for wine culture in this area is Wuerzburg.

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France, Wines

Wine Notes: Beaujolais Crus

What I Learned:

Beaujolais is a wine region just south of Burgundy. It has three different quality levels: a simple Beaujolais produced in the southern-most reaches of this region; a Beaujolais-Village appellation; and in the northern part of this wine region, ten villages have their own appellations due to their special crus. It is a singular geological area, once part of an ancient sea bed. The hills are often steep and hide valleys between them. Schist and granite soils in the Beaujolais give a distinctive minerality to the wines. The best of these wines, the ten villages/areas of appellation (Brouilly, Chenas, Cote de Brouilly, Chiroubles, Fleurie, Julienas, Morgon, Moulin a Vent, Regnie, Saint-Amour) offer good value for quality wines.

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Germany, Wines

Wine Notes: Germany’s Wuerttembergisch Unterland – Part II

What I Learned:

About 20 miles north of Stuttgart, Germany, there is a distinctive grape growing area, lining the Neckar River as it flows north past the towns of Mundelsheim, Hessigheim and Besigheim. An unusual geological feature here is a fractured, limestone cliff with rock outcroppings that tower above the Neckar. Known as the Felsengarten, this site is favored by local rock climbers, as well as wine lovers who delight in visiting the vineyards surrounding the cliff, and the local wine cooperative, the Felsengartenkellerei, at the base of the cliff.

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Germany, Wines

Wine Notes: Germany’s Wuerttembergisch Unterland – Part I

What I Learned:

About 20 miles north of Stuttgart, Germany, there is a distinctive grape growing area. An unusual geological feature here is a fractured, limestone cliff with rock outcroppings that towers above the Neckar River. Known as the Felsengarten, this site is favored by local rock climbers, as well as wine lovers who delight in visiting the vineyards surrounding the cliff, and the local wine cooperative at the base of the cliff.

Continue reading Wine Notes: Germany’s Wuerttembergisch Unterland – Part I →

France, Wines

Wine Notes: Alsace Haut-Rhin

What I Learned:

Alsace is a fantastic wine country. Alsace’s Haut-Rhin (upper Rhine) area is particularly favored with great terroirs, such as the Mandelberg displayed above. Here, as elsewhere in Alsace, the harvests are primarily white varietals. The soil here is minerally, and complex, resulting in crisp, refreshing and uniquely flavored white wines. The six main white varietals grown in Alsace are Riesling, Sylvaner, Muscat, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris. The only red varietal is Pinot Noir.

Visiting Alsace practically mandates you taste some local wine. First, you will notice the unusually tall wine bottles. You will also notice green-stemmed stemware, with smaller than usual bowls. These two unique items have more in common with German Rhineland traditions than French ones. But like the French tradition, wine producers proudly offer tastes of their product, for wine-making here is an art, and even nowadays, still a family affair.

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Luxembourg, Wines

Wine Notes: Luxembourg

What I Learned:

Little known, as not much is exported, Luxembourg’s wines are readily available and thoroughly enjoyed by residents and visitors in the Grand Duchy. For lovers of dry, white wines, this region provides some delicious alternatives to Alsatian or Rhine white wines.

From the towns of Schengen to Wasserbillig, Luxembourg joins the centuries old tradition of producing wines along the Moselle. On this west side of the river, local vintners grow their grapes mostly in terraces rising steeply from the narrow river plain for much of Luxembourg’s 42 kilometer stretch along the Moselle.

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France, Wines

Wine Notes: Champagne

What I Learned:

 Champagne can only come from Champagne, the region, about 90 miles from Paris. In spite of its proximity to “gay Paris,” champagne did not enjoy great fame until fairly recently. Although grapes were cultivated in the region as early as Roman times, the often cold, foggy climate worked to ensure that grape ripening was not consistent from year to year. Hence the wine was not always good, or plentiful.

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