by Minnesota Uncorked™
Now in its eighth year, the International Cold Climate Wine Competition (ICCWC) is the only wine competition in the world devoted exclusively to cold-climate wines — and it takes place right here in Minnesota. Gordon Rouse, chief of competition and primary organizer of the event, says the aim of the Minnesota Grape Growers Association (MGGA) in starting the competition was twofold: to promote good wines and the cold-climate grape varieties to winemakers.Rouse provides some insight into the effect of competition in wine-making: “Wine competitions promote quality because judging wines and putting them in competitions helps the best wines win awards and get reputations of being quality. And by having a competition and giving awards, you promote the wine varieties themselves.“People are ...
by Melissa Andrews
Most people love wine but only a few really know how to dive into its real taste and flavor. You'll see them sipping through their wine glasses as If they had just tasted the finest wine they could have. The truth is, not too many people really recognize how to savor the fine taste and aroma of a wine that has aged through time. If you have been into wine for quite a while then I assume you already know that there are several techniques that you can apply in order to bring out the best in your wines. But, if you are someone who has just started your wine collection and are still incognizant on the principles behind wine and wine tasting, then now is the right time to start doing your homework. As you probably know wines are delicate beverages. The process they undergo before you pour them ...
by Dean Morretta
1965 was a big year for equality in America. In a young civil rights movement, the important Voting Rights Act of 1965 passed. In a millennia old wine industry, the very first woman would receive an enology degree from University of California, Davis. Several years would still pass before woman #3 would receive her degree and emerge as a defining force in American wine. That woman is Merry Edwards.Four decades later I am walking into Merry Edwards Winery in the heart of Russian River Valley. This visit was a must for my Washington-Oregon-California tasting trip. Not only had I sold Merry Edwards wines during my retail career, but her story had been impressed upon me by another woman in wine... Deborah Brenner, the author of Women of the Vine: Inside the World of Women Who Make, Taste...
by Dean Morretta
I am feeling zen-like relaxation. And yet, I’m alertly observing a major operation, filled with skilled tireless professionals, conducting research, innovations, progress. How’s this possible? Lynmar Estate makes it so.Leading up to my Washington-Oregon-California tasting trip, everybody who seemed to be in the know uttered the name Lynmar. Expectations were high as we drove though the gate onto the Russian River Valley property. An oasis unfolded. Sloped vineyards, overflowing edible gardens, a stunningly stylish tasting room.... relaxation commenced. We were greeted by Michael Cima, Lynmar’s Hospitality Manager, who as a sommelier has worked many of San Francisco’s Michelin starred restaurants. He whisked us to our ‘ride’ for the day, a vineyard climbing ATV, and bega...
by Dean Morretta
Uh oh. We’d sold out. It was two hours into our big pre-sell tasting of Copain Wines at Vintology Wine & Spirits back in April, and the popular and delicious “Tous Ensemble” Pinot Noir was done. And our customers wanted more. My curiosity was piqued... I just had to visit Copain.A few months later, I’m pulling off Eastside Road in bucolic Healdsburg, California onto Copain’s long vineyard flanked driveway. I just returned from a comprehensive Washington-Oregon-California tasting trip, and after all the enthusiasm at April’s event, Copain was a priority. Jeff Connelly of Copain met us, and I knew we were in good hands... Jeff has been to well over 400 tasting rooms in his career. He led us next to the hilltop winery to an outdoor tasting patio overlooking the Russian Riv...
by Susanna Gaertner
The “pro” in Prosecco might just mean that this reasonably priced Italian charmer is one to consider if Champagne—the real stuff—is not in your budget. If you like champagne but don't appreciate the price tag, I'd like to suggest a high quality Prosecco. While true champagne must come from the eponymous region of France, we've all had cheap fizzy stuff that purports that leaves in its wake a gummy residue on the palate...and perhaps a headache the next day. Similarly, there are sweet, cloying examplars of Prosecco and if you've only ever tried one of those, you might never know the pleasure to be found in a superior exemplar. Enter Carpenè Malvolti Prosecco di Conegliano DOCG, a bright and delicious Prosecco from the Veneto region of northern Italy, where limestone marl and chal...
by Lori Budd
Welcome to the season of Rosé. People often view rosé only as a summer sipper, but please don’t fall into the bad crowd. The wise, cool kids know this wine can be perfect in any season. A Bit of HistoryAlthough it is not known when the first rosé was actually labeled as such, it is of general acceptance that the earliest red wines color were more like a rosé, rather than the color of today’s wines. It may have been due to technology advancements allowing the winemaking process to provide a darker and more tannic red wine or it may have been the timing allowed for maceration. Back then, red and white grapes were often picked and pressed together. They were more interested in making the wine quickly as opposed to our current desire of quality and variation. Since they picked the ...
by Naushad Huda - I Like This Grape
Pairing the kills from Game of Thrones season 6 finale with wine.By now you’ve come out of the glorious fog from Sunday’s GoT finale and are coming back to reality. A harsh reality where you won’t see dragons, gory kills, strategery, sexy warriors, nor lovely bosoms for about a year. After watching GoT the I LIKE THIS GRAPE team wondered, what wines could we pair with each of the individual kills? What wine properly fits the occasion, sentiment, and feeling of the killer and their kill?Caution – spoilers ahead.Cersei’s wipe out killThis was big. This was a statement. Cersei was pushed to the brink and hit back hard, and hit just about everyone. She killed the High Sparrow, her daughter in-law Queen Margery, a few Tyrells, her uncle, her cousin and a host of others who were gather...
by Dean Morretta
Congratulations American wine region, you made it! You’ve graduated from an emerging wine region and you now enjoy commercial success, sales in national and international markets, and the respect you deserve. How did you do it? By mastering Vitis vinifera.In the American wine industry, vinifera is the new black. One might take this for granted, until he or she realizes the bounty of non-vinifera native grapes growing on the American land mass. Despite this, it seems that only through mastering the imported vinifera that a wine region earns commercial success and respect. I must ask: why does making it in America mean making vinifera?Vinifera in a Land of ‘Other’From sea to shining sea, the Lower 48 is a deluge of wine grapes, with the widest variety of wild grapes on the ...
by Minnesota Uncorked™
“They Make a Lot of Fruit Wine There”“Now, when it says notes of peach and apricot, does that mean those were actually used to flavor the wine?” my sister asked the guide on a tour of a California winery.“Ahem, no. Wine in California and France and Italy is made from grapes,” he said, dripping with condescension. “Are you from Wisconsin? They make a lot of fruit wine there.” Though he was one state off about my sister, he was right about the other part. And Wisconsin vintners are proud of it, as well they should be.Misplaced coastal snobbery aside –– does he think French and Italian viticulturists would list California in their company? (they wouldn’t) –– wine can be made from many fermented fruits, and while you may have tried plum wine with sushi or dug out Gran...
