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Petite
Sirah - The Misunderstood Red Wine Grape
Have you ever tried Petite
Sirah? It's a red wine that is made from grapes grown in
various locations, including California. Petite Sirah is
often confused with Syrah, but is a totally different variety.
Petite
Sirah is a variety of red wine grape grown in California, France
and Australia. Petite Sirah is also known as ‘Durif’, a cross
between Peloursin and Syrah. Petite Sirah should not be confused
with Petite Syrah, which refers to small Syrah grapes grown in
France. Other alternate spellings for Petite Sirah include
"Petit Sirah" or "Petit Syrah".
These additional spellings have been known to confuse
producers and consumers alike.
Many
California wineries are known to produce wines with the name
Petite Sirah, or some variation on that wine. Petite Sirah produces a very dark, purple-colored wine.
Its vines are highly resistant to downy mildew, which can
cause black rot in grapes. Although the Petite Sirah wine is
popular among wine lovers, not many acres of this grape are
planted in the United States due to the grape being used more to
blend than to produce a stand-alone product.
It is often blended with zinfandel, and is typically chosen
for its deep color and strong tannins. Petite Sirah wine can,
however, be made into very fine wines on its own, and can
withstand ten years or more in the bottle.
State Wine Laws
Prohibit Growth
Thanks to overzealous state legislators,
wine may only be shipped to consumers in the following states:
Arizona
California
Colorado
Connecticut
District Of Columbia
Florida
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Louisiana
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oregon
South Carolina
Texas
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
If you don't see your state listed above, you're outta luck!
Visit FreeTheGrapes.org
and contact your congressional representative to ensure free
wine trade between all districts and states.
Also, visit Vineyard
Owner for instruction on vineyard site selection and grape
growing tips.
Wine Quotes
Some of
my favorite wine quotes...
"Beer is made by men, wine
by God!" - Martin Luther
"And Noah began to be a
husbandman, and he planted a vineyard." - Genesis 9:20
"I have enjoyed great health
at a great age because everyday since I can remember, I have
consumed a bottle of wine except when I have not felt well. Then I
have consumed two bottles." - Bishop of Seville
“Wine makes a man more pleased
with himself; I do not say it makes him more pleasing to others.”
- Samuel Johnson
A Pinot Gris Success
Story
My e-zine article "Pinot Gris" has recently climbed to Page 1
on Google for searches under Pinot Gris.
You can see the Google results here.
I'm currently at the bottom of Page 1.
Fill it with Merlot,
Please!
A GOOD wine is a terrible thing to waste.
But sometimes even the French have no choice when the good stuff
isn't selling. As painful as it surely must be in a country
where the fruit of the vintner's labors is considered a fine
art, winemakers are drowning in vats of surplus wine.
The worldwide glut has gotten so bad that for the first time in
history French vineyards that produce quality wine several
sniffs above the ordinary table brands are getting rid of it.
They're distilling millions of bottles worth of reds and whites
into - fuel. Mon Dieu!
Previously France had resorted to distilling surpluses of lowly
table wines into vinegar and ethanol. But the quality wines were
sacrosanct until bottles began piling up in vineyards and stores
where shoppers could buy some for less than what it cost for
bottled water.
Winemakers long deceased must be turning in their graves with
the woeful developments. And yet their successors, some of whom
took to the streets early in the year to protest the falling
wine prices, have to survive somehow.
By the end of this year hundreds of wine-makers will turn their
mellow Merlots and crisp Chardonnays into crystal-clear ethanol,
which will be sold to oil refineries for use as an additive for
gasoline. France already uses about 1 percent ethanol in its
gasoline and that percentage is expected to rise to 5.75 percent
in a few years to meet European Union demands for more use of
renewable fuels.
In the meantime, France will continue exporting its wine-blended
gasoline abroad to one of its biggest markets in the United
States. Ironic, no? People who wouldn't touch a french fry in a
patriotic huff could be pumping gas into their cars with a bit
of France's best Beaujolais.
The reasons for the wine glut vary from new producers in
countries like Australia and Chile to falling demand in France,
where wine used to be abundantly enjoyed at lunch and dinner
until a crackdown began against drunken driving.
"What's killing consumption is fear of the gendarmes,"
lamented one vintner before his doomed wine headed off to the
local distillery.
The ruinous price decline of even top-shelf French wine will, by
year's end, force millions of bottles worth to become full
bodied gasoline at the tank. It could be the end of French
civilization as we know it.
Instead of toasting the new year will motorists wonder how many
miles per gallon the Gamay Beaujolais can deliver?
Article Source: Toledo Blade
Don't Like Wine? Try
Ice Wine
Even though wine's popularity is soaring
everywhere, there are still a few people who don't care for
grape juice in its more sophisticated form. Most of these
individuals would say that it's the bitter taste that comes from
the acidic/sugar balance that sets their pallets recoiling.
I'll bet most of those critics have never tried Ice Wine.
Recently, I have given a few bottles away, and without
exception, everyone has made it a point to tell me how much they
loved the wine. The dessert wines usually come in 375 ml
(half-size) bottles. Pinot Gris grapes are often used in the
production of Ice Wine, along with Muscat and Gewurztraminer.
If you've never tried Ice Wine, look for it the next time you're
in your local supermarket. if they don't carry it there, try a
wine shop or a World Market.
What Wine Goes With
Turkey?
"Which wine goes with turkey" is
a question that comes up often during the holiday season. My
personal choice would be a delicious bottle of Pinot Gris.
However, your guests might prefer a red wine to a white. I'll
list a couple of alternatives below, and let you make your own
decision.
There are, of course, many wine selections that will go with
turkey and traditional holiday meals.
If your guests prefer white wines, then Pinot Gris would be the
natural choice for a match with turkey. There are many good
ones, and you should be able to find a bottle or two at your
supermarket in the $10 - $15 range. Another white wine that
would win your guests over is a bottle of Viognier, which might
be a little harder to find than the Pinot Gris, but is a crisp
alternative to the ever-boring Chardonnay.
If you usually like wine with a little sweetness, try a White
Zinfandel. If you think you'd like to try a dessert wine, you
might look for a sparkling Early Muscat or a bottle of Vin Glace
made with Pinot Gris grapes. The Vin Glace will usually come in
the 375 ml bottle.
If your guests prefer red wines, consider a Pinot Noir to go
with your turkey. It will have a richer fruit flavor than most
white wines, but will match up well with the meal. Pinot Noir is
traditionally very smooth, so it will not overwhelm the taste of
the food.
Look for a bottle from Oregon, California, or France in the $15
- $20 range. Serve Pinot Noir very lightly chilled (about 60
degrees Fahrenheit). Put the Pinot Noir in the refrigerator for
about 20 minutes before serving, and you will bring out the
fruit flavors and will remove the alcohol taste that can
overwhelm when served at room temperature.
I would avoid any bold reds, unless the meal features some form
of red meat. That means leave the Cabernet Sauvignon in the
cellar for a more opportune time.
Oregon Pinot Gris is
Washington Times Wine of the Week
From the Washington (DC) Times:
"Pinot gris is something of a chameleon. Pick the grapes
early in the harvest and the wine most likely will taste steely.
Pick them late, and it will seem almost honeyed. But pick
somewhere in the middle, and the wine will be redolent of crisp
apples and pears and just right for serving at
Thanksgiving."
Read the rest of the article here.
What In the World is
Pinot Gris?
Pinot Gris (or Tokay Pinot Gris) is a
white wine grape of species Vitis Vinifera related to Pinot Noir
which goes by a lot of other names:
Pinot Grigio (Italy)
Pinot Beurot (Loire Valley, France)
Ruländer (Austria and Germany, Romania, sweet)
Grauburgunder or Grauer burgunder (Austria and Germany, dry)
Grauklevner (Germany)
Malvoisie (Loire Valley, France and Switzerland)
Tokay d'Alsace (Alsace) (currently being renamed due to EU
regulations)
Auxerrois Gris (Alsace)
Fromentau (Langudoc, France)
Fromentot (France)
Fauvet (France)
Gris Cordelier (France)
Grauer Mönch (Germany)
Monemrasia
Crvena Klevanjka (Croatia)
Sivi Pinot (Slovenia)
Szürkebarát (Hungary)
"Pinot" means "pinecone" in French, and
"gris" means gray. The grapes grow in small clusters
(hence the pinecone shape), and upon ripening, often display a
pinkish-gray hue, although the colors can vary from blue-gray to
pinkish-brown.
Pinot Gris is called Pinot Grigio in Italy, and the grape is
grown in many regions, although, arguably, most successfully in
Alsace (France), Italy, Germany, and Oregon. In the United
States, Pinot Gris has recently supplanted Sauvignon Blanc as
the most popular white wine grape next to Chardonnay.
Pinot Gris produces wines that are generally fruity in aroma,
with flavors of honey, apple, pear, vanilla, oak, and citrus.
The flavors can vary from region to region, but a good Pinot
Gris will display crisp acidity, balanced with silky sweetness,
resulting in a complex array of flavors on the pallet. Pinot
gris goes well with foods typically associated with white wines,
including fish, seafood, chicken, pork, and Asian cuisine.
Pinot Gris is thought to have originated in the Burgundy region
of France, and was planted in Northern Europe for many years
before making its way to Oregon in the 1960's. The grape is
presently grown in many different areas, but prefers the
relatively cool climate of places like France, Germany, Italy
and Oregon, where the long (but not too hot) summer days mingled
with cool autumn weather bring the grapes into perfect ripeness.
Pinot Gris grapes grown in Italy (Pinot Grigio) usually produce
a somewhat wanting, light-colored wine with crisp acidity.
German Pinot Gris tends to be medium-bodied, with good balance
between sugar and acidity. Grapes grown in Oregon tend to
produce a wine that is medium-bodied, exhibiting strong fruit
flavors and aromas and superb crispness. Pinot Gris produced
from grapes grown in the Alsace region of France has proven to
show full-bodied, floral flavors, and a deep viscosity with a
long-lasting finish.
Pinot Gris made from grapes grown in other regions can also be
delicious, but generally don't deliver the same excellent
qualities that people have come to expect from wines made in the
regions listed above. California is one area where Pinot Gris is
grown, but the wines made there tend to be flabby, losing their
complexity due to the warmer weather. In fact, Pinot Gris
produced in California is often called Pinot Grigio because of
the similarity in style to the wines from Italy.
What is Ice Wine?
Ice Wine, or Eiswine (German), is wine
made from frozen, late-harvest grapes. The grapes are generally
left on the vine longer to ensure a higher sugar concentration.
Brix levels are typically in the 30+ range for Ice Wine grapes.
In certain cold-weather areas, the grapes must be
frozen by a natural frost. In other areas, artifical freezing of
the grapes is acceptable.
Pinot Gris grapes can make an outstanding Ice Wine, sometimes
called Vin Glace. The wine is usually sold in 375 ml bottles,
and should be available at many fine wine outlets.
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