Pinot Noir has been the darling of the American wine world for a couple of decades. Why is it so popular? The previous post, Why Pinot Noir Is So Expensive, touched on its popularity related to price increases over the past several years. This post will be about why everyone loves Pinot.
Pinot Noir is the new darling. Actually, not that new anymore, as it's been on a 20 year run. It seemed to start about the time of the release of the movie Sideways that hailed Pinot Noir at the expense of Merlot. If you look at the numbers though, Pinot Noir was already gaining followers before the movie.
Where there is rapidly increasing demand, there will be increased prices. And, boy, have we seen prices go up!
Part one of understanding American wine labels was published a couple of days ago. That one covered the basics of government-mandated information on labels, except for producer info. Examples of this are "produced and bottled by" or "cellared by." These terms are confusing and are pretty important to your understanding of the quality of a bottle of wine.
When I shop, I look at the appellation, the alcohol percentage, and this producer info to help me decide if I will like the wine.
What does all the information on an American wine label mean? Let's take a look at the legally required part, what the government says has to be there. A little knowledge can help you pick out the right wine. This is better than choosing by the artwork or just picking up a celebrity wine. Yeah, we all like Snoop Dogg, but that doesn't mean 19 Crimes is always your best choice. :)
The blog post coming later this week will focus just on the producer information because that one piece of information is a bit complicated, but can be very important.
Cabernet Sauvignon along with Chardonnay are the most popular wines in the world. Anyone who has ever had any wine at all probably has an opinion on Cab Sauv. Anyone who considers themselves a wine aficionado / snob / expert will have an appreciation for this wine. Some only drink Cabernet. Of the 1,300 or so grape varieties used to make wine Cabernet Sauvignon is king.
For years, people have loved to dissect and offer opinions on Napa Valley Cabernet, and for much longer on Bordeaux wines.
Wednesday, March 13th is World Riesling Day, sometimes called International Riesling Day. This was proclaimed by Germany, as this day marks the first known written mention of Riesling - March 13, 1435. It's been around longer than many popular grapes.
A couple of days ago was Old historic wineries of Napa Valley. Today it's Sonoma's turn.
What are some of the oldest wineries in Napa Valley? Here's a look at a few of them you can visit.
