94's Blog

Brown Bag

Last years/weeks wine was known as the "Lady Killer". Don't worry if you didn't get this one. It was a first for me also. Pelaverga Piccolo could be the perfect grape for your Valentines activities as the locals believe it to have aphrodisiacal qualities.

New Year... New Wine... New Clues...

Grape –

Purple colored grape.
Its full name is ________ Noir à Jus Blanc.
Been around at least since the 1400s. Shortly after the Black Death.
Often used as a mass production grape, but can make some fabulous wine when love and care is given.
Typically light bodied and fruity.
Typically this grape goes through carbonic maceration. This bottle did not however.
Until 2007 this grape name was misused in California. The actual grape name will appear on bottles from California now – Valdeguié.
Commonly grown in the Niagara Peninsula in Canada.
Introduced to Oregon in 1988 by Amity Vineyards.
July 1395, the Duke of Burgundy Philippe the Bold outlawed the cultivation of of this grape as being "a very bad and disloyal plant"-due in part to the variety occupying land that could be used for the more "elegant" Pinot Noir. 60 Years later Philippe the Good banned it again. Apparently someone didn’t listen…

Region –

This grapes “home” due to it’s perfect conditions to grow this grape.
50 kilometer stretch of hilly country – full of granite and sand.
Its underlying soils are schistous rock colored red by iron oxide.
Situated around an extinct volcano, a sub-area of this region has distinctive blue-stoned soils (grapes for this bottle come from both the main and sub regions).

Producer –

A partnership between two greats. Both well respected wine producers (one who even finished school).
This company was formed after the need to fill an order arose in 1999.
They both believe is getting the best from their project. Pruning, normal fermentation, just the right amount of oak aging and giving the grapes the time they need to become what they are in this bottle.

Year -

Was it hot? Was it cold? How well do you know your growing regions and their weather? Only way to do this one is taste it was I'm not gonna tell you!

Answer - ???

Tre Piccoli Fratelli
Three Little Brothers

- Scoparolo -
Antica Cascina
Produced in limited quantities by expert hands; each individual wheel of cheese bares a unique identifier. Inside the rustic golden brown rind is a dry and crumbly paste with hints of sweet nuttiness and fields of grain; well balanced against a tangy bite.
(Sheep, 3 Month+) Emilia-Romagna, Italy No 42007

- L’Ulivo -
Antica Cascina
Aged for two months in cellar and then transferred to wooden barrels filledwith olive leaves for an additional 20-25 days. Hidden within the simple rind is a crumbly paste that seals in a rich creaminess with hints of olive and butter.
(Sheep, 3 Month+) Emilia-Romagna, Italy

- La Tentazione del Frate -
Originally, as with many cheeses, this was a staple of mainly farmers. Lack of refrigeration caused people to get creative with their perishables and invent all kinds of great things we still enjoy today. Aged just long enough to make the white paste slightly dry and crumbly yet still creamy and mild on the palate. It pairs very well with pears and honey. This type of cheese is so inviting that even a monk could give up to this temptation... Hence it’s name “The Temptation of the Monk”.
(Sheep, 3 Month+) Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Sherry & Cheese Sampler

A bit o' the Blighty
in honor of Jenna May's recent visit.

Fiscalni Farm's Bandage Wrapped Cheddar, Westcombe Cheddar & Jumpin’ Good Goat Dairy's North Cove Farmhouse Cheddar are paired with Lustau's East India Solera Sherry.