Eve's Wine 101

WSET Bitesize: How to taste wine without drinking wine, 10/25 Online Course

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Drinking wine should be easy, right? But can you describe what you are tasting?

Descriptions of wine can be surprisingly complicated.

Wine labels can often have too many words and sometimes can poorly reflect what we’re tasting. Luckily, there are a few tricks you can use to help identify what you are tasting using some kitchen staples.

In this interactive session, we’ll be rummaging through the kitchen cupboards to help you learn about tasting wine. These will represent the structure and flavour of wines to help build a picture of how the different elements interact and balance each other out.

To get the most out of the session, come prepared with:
• jug of water
• 4 glasses or cups
• 2 or 3 grapes of any colour
• two slices of lemon
• tea bag
• white sugar

This webinar is free to attend and open to anyone, no prior wine knowledge is needed. The new series of bitesize 30-minute webinars are designed for beginners looking to start their wine education journey.

This event does not necessarily constitute official WSET course material and should not be used as such.
Link to join is public on Facebook.

Wines ‘Til Sold Out (WTSO.com) Launches Premium Subscription Service

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MOORESTOWN, N.J./PRNewswire/ — Wines ‘Til Sold Out (WTSO) has a new kind of wine club subscription, the WTSO Monthly Subscription experience. In the monthly shipments, wine enthusiasts of all levels are invited to sip on 2-3 premium selections that are meticulously chosen. It highlights some rare, luxurious wines from around the world and their stories — all at a discount price that WTSO is known for providing to customers. Each set is available at the low rate of $99.99 per month. Included in the subscription service is a live virtual class, where members are encouraged to be interactive with professionals and among the community. On top of that, there’s expected to be many more exclusive events for this group.

The series to kick off the launch is a duo of Brunello. This popular Italian wine is a favorite with its 2 year minimum oak-aging process bringing out the best of the cherry flavors and a layered finish. The release of Brunellos, after a mandatory five-year period from the harvest, keeps fans anticipating each new vintage from the Tuscan vineyards. All members who subscribe during the first month will receive a limited-edition gift box. The special offer is valued over $200 and contains deluxe gifts from WTSO’s partners such as Repour Wine Savers and Gabriel-Glas.

“WTSO has a reputation of sourcing wines that meet high standards and making them widely available to consumers across the country. Our customers have expressed interest in learning the true value of wines they’re drinking. We’re listening because I think it’s important to know and understand how they’re made, the terroir, and differences in quality. This new membership extends our mission of providing accessibility to purchase and learn the narratives of all these fine wines. It makes drinking them that much more special,” says Joe Arking, Co-Founder and CEO of Wines ‘Til Sold Out.

The WTSO Monthly Subscription comes from a history of curated wine experiences that the company has developed and transformed over the years. In 2016, they introduced Weekly Tasting sets handpicked by wine partners from around the country. Together with these industry experts, they brought wine education directly to the customer through a robust YouTube channel. During the height of the pandemic of 2020, the company launched WTSO Live to bring the community together via Zoom through these curated sets. With the rise of video conferencing, this new virtual format greatly expanded the reach and convenience of the educational series.

Running off the success of WTSO Live, the new signature tasting series takes it all to the next level. Each month provides a unique opportunity to bring the labels to life. The subscription offers an easier way to gain access into the wonderful world of wine. For instance, WTSO Monthly Subscription events hope to offer direct connection and conversations with the winemakers themselves, as well as other industry professionals. In addition, there’s direct access to the company’s in-house wine expert for further recommendations.

Current host, Marc Supsic, is a professional certified by institutions like the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and UC Davis California. He says, “I’m excited to be directly engaged with the wine community that WTSO built. We’re going to spend time with some fantastic wines that are not readily available unless you subscribe to a specific winery. The WTSO Monthly Subscription provides more access to those same prestigious brands with less fees. They’re really special wines, and I’m glad to be a part of this new journey.”

After the inaugural Brunello set, the series is slated to feature wines that will pair perfectly with seasonal holiday plans. Subscribers can be prepared to welcome Autumn with Cabernet Sauvignon, Champagne, and Burgundy wines.

For more information and to view a special introductory offer for the first shipment, visit wtso.com/wine-subscription. Learn more by following WTSO on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

About Wines ‘Til Sold Out (WTSO.com) 
Wines ‘Til Sold Out (WTSO) has a mission to create a first-class wine experience by providing accessibility to wine enthusiasts across the United States. At the core of WTSO is strong, lasting relationships throughout the industry to source a great variety of high-quality wines at the best prices. With a vast network of experts, they provide detailed knowledge and foster an engaged wine community. Known for their dedication to customer service, WTSO stands behind their brand and products by backing each and every experience with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Jumbo Shrimp Wine Study Maps

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VERONA, ITALY (PRWEB) – Mamma Jumbo Shrimp, a new “umbrella brand” in the wine world, presents its most recent project: Jumbo Shrimp Wine Study Maps.

Mamma Jumbo Shrimp was born during the 2020 lockdown, the brain child of Stevie Kim, founder of Italian Wine Podcast and Managing Director of Vinitaly International. The brand includes several editorial and digital projects focused on wine, turning complex themes into simple formats, making them accessible to everyone.

Mamma Jumbo Shrimp encompasses Tik Tok and Instagram accounts, a YouTube channel with a video series entitled “On the Road Special Edition,” and a series of books including Among the books, Jumbo Shrimp Guide to Italian Wine and Jumbo Shrimp Guide to International Grape Varieties in Italy. MJS is also closely connected to Italian Wine Podcast, the only daily wine podcast in the world.

The simple style with scientifically curated content, accompanied by entertaining stories and illustrations, carries over into the brand’s latest editorial project: Jumbo Shrimp Wine Study Maps. The set of 39 maps depicting all the wine regions of the world was conceived and designed as a study tool for wine exams, such as WSET Level 3 and other international exams or training courses. The easy-to-read graphics, with in-depth written content, make the set ideal for wine lovers, wineries, wine bars and wine schools.

The entire graphic and editorial team of Mamma Jumbo Shrimp dedicated itself to the project for two years, inspired by the original drawings of talented illustrator Rosie Baker. Now the set is available at a special price in beta version: the material is still subject to modifications and improvements, thanks to the feedback of an international expert advisory board. The aim of the project is to create maps that are attractive, original, thorough, in-depth but easy to understand.

To encourage passion for wine and assist wine students, the Italian Wine Podcast will release a series of episodes dedicated to the narrated explanation of the Jumbo Shrimp Wine Study Maps. This free content will be available on demand on Italian Wine Podcast. The final version of the maps will then be published in a study book, full of additional specific educational content, which will be available in autumn 2022.

The Jumbo Shrimp Wine Study Maps set is available for purchase on the website http://www.mammajumboshrimp.com. In addition, it is also possible to continue shopping at the Instagram Shop of the @mammajumboshrimp channel. Follow the profile and like the latest news and stay updated on upcoming projects!
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About: Mamma Jumbo Shrimp is an “umbrella brand” of the Just Do The Work agency, founded by Stevie Kim, CEO of Vinitaly International. Mamma Jumbo Shrimp’s goal is to bring together a global community of wine enthusiasts by leveraging emerging social media platforms and creating high-quality content in its products, such as podcasts, books, videos and maps. Mamma Jumbo Shrimp promotes engaging communication, information and education in fun and inclusive formats.

Odyssey Wine Academy Launches Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) Certification in Healdsburg

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HEALDSBURG, CALIF. (PRWEB) – Odyssey Wine Academy has announced the upcoming launch of Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) courses at Healdsburg’s wine tasting room collective, Bacchus Landing. The Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) is globally recognized as the international standard in wine & spirits knowledge. Odyssey Wine Academy will offer Level 1 Introduction to Wine through Level 3 Advanced courses, flexible course times throughout the year during the day, evenings and weekends to accommodate wine and hospitality professionals, as well as consumers.

Julie Rothberg, President of Medlock Ames Winery, founded Odyssey Wine Academy out of a desire for those presenting wines to have a global perspective. “At Medlock Ames, I wanted our hospitality team to be certified through the WSET to broaden their understanding about wines from around the world,” says Rothberg. “An international perspective aids our team in educating guests about what makes wines from Sonoma County so unique.”

In 2021, after discovering a lack of in-person public courses available in Sonoma County for her team at Medlock Ames, she decided to develop a solution in the creation of Odyssey Wine Academy, Sonoma County’s first and only publicly available offering of WSET courses. Her vision is to make wine education accessible, fun, and interactive for the deeply curious, whether they have a career in wine, want to explore the industry, or love wine and want to learn more. As courses are open to everyone, no matter consumer’s level of wine knowledge, Rothberg anticipates the WSET courses appealing to locals who enjoy wine and those who visit wine country seeking wine-centric experiences. The Academy’s inaugural year will also aim to establish the WSET Level 1 introductory course in Spanish, available through a scholarship program for non-native English speakers who work in the vineyards or cellars.

“I’ve been shocked by the overwhelming and positive responses when I started talking about this idea,” says Julie Rothberg. “Not only did this excite wine professionals but also locals who live in the heart of wine country with careers in technology, law, and the arts and have a strong interest to learn more about wine. After working in wine for over 20-years, the goal of Odyssey Wine Academy is to offer a wine education to everyone, not just those looking to advance their careers in wine.”

With accessibility and convenience in mind, Odyssey Wine Academy’s home at Bacchus Landing, just moments from Healdsburg Square, was deemed the perfect location. Partnering with the Lopez family, founders of Bacchus Landing, the Academy will hold courses in the property’s Wine Lab.

“Our vision for Bacchus Landing from the beginning has been to create a space where people can spend the day and get an all-encompassing experience in wine country,” says Monica Lopez, General Manager of Bacchus Landing. “Adding wine education builds on that vision, allowing guests to come and taste from our seven wineries while also getting a world-class wine certification. I’m thrilled to partner with Julie and Odyssey Wine Academy to offer wine certifications this year.”

Lopez was immediately drawn to Odyssey Wine Academy’s vision upon first learning of the concept. “There is a real need and want from our community and those who come to visit one of the three major growing regions that surround Healdsburg, and there is no other option nearby,” says Lopez. “The seven wineries at Bacchus Landing represent a wide range of varietals and California regions so we’re excited for people to connect their learnings in the Wine Lab to tastings from these wineries.”

For more information or to register for a course, please visit odysseywineacademy.com.

About Odyssey Wine Academy
Odyssey Wine Academy was founded in 2021 by passionate wine leader, Julie Rothberg. Odyssey Wine Academy is singularly focused on making wine fun, approachable and accessible to all. Rooted in Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) certifications, we seek to educate our community about global styles of wines with a systematic approach to tasting, evaluating and enjoying. Currently, Odyssey Wine Academy offers courses from Introduction (Level 1) through Advanced (Level 3). We believe deeply that learning about wine is an odyssey and all are welcome on the voyage.

About Bacchus Landing
Founded by siblings Monica and Francisco Lopez, along with their parents Al and Dina, Bacchus Landing is a curated collective of wineries representing a diverse spectrum of grape varieties and winemaking styles. It is located in the heart of Healdsburg at the crossroads of three of Sonoma County’s premier wine regions. Designed to reflect the Lopez family’s deep-seated passion for hosting family and friends, Bacchus Landing welcomes guests to come and stay the day, offering a relaxing escape from everyday life. The three-acre property boasts five spacious, open-air tasting rooms, an artisanal food market serving local wine-friendly bites, a more casual green space with picnic tables and bocce courts, a central piazza with café tables, a full commercial kitchen, and a variety of spaces for corporate meetings and events.

Italian Wine Academy expands to offer (online) English-speaking blind tasting sessions

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VERONA, ITALY (PRWEB) – In June 2020 the Italian Wine Academy decided that to supplement their courses they would offer blind tasting sessions for students, always in English. These evenings present the students with an extra opportunity to practice not only their tasting skills, but also their language skills. At the heart of WSET courses, there is the notion of building a common vocabulary designed to aid students in communicating about wine in an international context; IWA are using the English speaking blind tasting to take this a step further. Lead by native speaker and faculty member Dr Rebecca Lawrence, students are encouraged to use the session to learn new vocabulary and express their views on the wine, its characteristics, and qualities, using clear, confident, and most importantly, correct, English.

As Stevie Kim, founder of IWA comments, “we’re privileged to have a native speaker from the UK leading these courses. The stereotypes are true, Rebecca is very strict and inflexible, but this is exactly what you need when using the SAT, and when learning to communicate at a higher level.” She goes on to say, “I saw an opportunity to give our students and WSET community in Verona that extra added value that is so often missing: more time with wines, more language practice, and transferable skill-building for their futures.”

The sessions of 30 minutes involve tasting three wines blind, often with a carefully chosen theme. This means that students cannot form assumptions about the wine ahead of time, and forces them to think on the spot when describing wines, this enhances quick reactions in a second language (the majority of attendees are Italian native speakers or have English as a second or third language), a skill that is fundamental to working and presenting wines; a sommelier or sales representative may know their wine, but not what a client will ask about it! Dr Lawrence then guides the students through her tasting note, inviting discussion. Due to the broad range of levels in the room, Lawrence first uses her note to explain how a student from Level 2 should accurately describe the wine, and then moves through, all the way to giving guidance to diploma students. This means that participants can get the support they need no matter what stage of the WSET journey they happen to be on. Feedback from the students has been resoundingly positive, in a recent anonymous survey responses said that the sessions were “very useful for both the terminology and technical tasting skills”, and many attendees commented that the tastings were not only a change to improve their language skills but to meet others and expand their English speaking network in Verona.

Details about the English Speaking Blind Tasting are released on the Italian Wine Academy social media channels and for more information please email: info@italianwineacademy.org.
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About: the Italian Wine Academy is a wine school based in Verona, and it is an Approved Programme Provider qualified to teach WSET wine courses. WSET – Wine & Spirit Education Trust is the world’s largest provider of education on wine and spirits. WSET qualifications are globally recognized as the international standard in wine and spirit knowledge for wine professionals and enthusiasts. Vinitaly International Academy hosts WSET at wine2digital, next to the headquarters of Veronafiere.

Rocky Pond Estate Winery Is Opening a New Tasting Room in Woodinville

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WOODINVILLE, Wash./PRNewswire/ — Rocky Pond Estate Winery, the Washington producer crafting wines from their breathtaking sustainably farmed riverside vineyards in the Columbia River Valley, has opened a new tasting room in the heart of downtown Woodinville at the Woodin Creek project. The Rocky Pond team will be raising the bar by adding new and exciting culinary and wine experiences.

Double D Vineyard at Rock Pond Estate Winery, Washington.

“The new Rocky Pond Tasting Room in Woodinville will take our King County offering to the next level,” stated Owners and Founders David and Michelle Dufenhorst. “Our experienced team is focused on elevating the current offerings in the region by creating exclusive wine and food pairing experiences and intimate wine dinners in a sophisticated, yet casual, setting like no other.”

The Dufenhorsts have been actively compiling quite the all-star team of wine and service professionals at Rocky Pond and have again added regional super stars to create an unparalleled wine and hospitality experience in Woodinville.

To lead the culinary program, Rocky Pond has hand-selected a veteran of the industry in Chef Douglas Setniker to be the new Director of Culinary Experiences. Chef Doug has been involved in the high-touch catering industry for nearly thirty years. Doug graduated first in his class from the American Culinary Institute in Hyde Park, NY. From there, his career included eight years as the Director of Catering at Microsoft and fourteen years at Guckenheimer as the Executive Chef for the Pacific Northwest.

Chef Doug will be creating a locally sourced menu to accentuate and elevate each Rocky Pond wine. Guests can expect a menu of rotating small bites, weekly chef specials, and regularly scheduled multi-course wine dinners.

Holly La Porta-Jones, no stranger to the world of fine wine, recently joined the team as the Tasting Room Manager and will be creating a welcoming, world-class hospitality experience. Holly is a graduate of the University of Hawaii and worked as a Restaurant Manager at the Four Seasons Hualalai before joining Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits as a Fine Wine Specialist. Holly holds her Level 2 Certified Sommelier Certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers as well as her WSET Level 2 Certification from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust.

The new tasting room was thoughtfully designed with comfort and elegance in mind. The Dufenhorsts took cues from their popular downtown Chelan Tasting Room and have combined upscale touches with a beautiful mix of leather, metals, and stone textures throughout. Boasting a variety of comfortable seating options for private and members-only wine flights, the main room is anchored by a gorgeous custom-built bar that is perfect for walk-up tastings, bottle service, and wines by the glass. Two large outdoor patios are located on either side of the main room and offer a variety of relaxing options for wine enthusiasts looking for an intimate al fresco experience.

A large private room – perfect for small to medium sized private events – was created to host corporate functions, birthdays, wedding showers and more. This beautifully designed private space will be available for rent throughout the year with catering options.

Reserve a table today at: www.rockypondwinery.com.

Why I Go Both Ways: Enjoying Wine and Spirits

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When I first started drinking wine and decided to spend the time and money for further education and certification, I didn’t think about studying spirits as well. However, the course I wanted offered by WSET at the time, included both. (WSET stand for Wine and Spirits Education Trust. In the last few years they have split the two certifications, though they still go by the WSET name.)

L to R: Claudia Sheridan, Denise Lowe and Eve Bushman shortly after receiving out WSET pins in 2010.

It was in those classes that I got to spend time learning about a wide array of wines as well as spirits. It might have been where the bug for spirits bit me. If you were to talk to my husband he would say that his interest in single malt scotch was what swayed me. (He may be right as we cover more than one whisky event a year. That category alone includes his beloved single malt scotch as well as rye, bourbon and blended scotch whisky.)

Fast forward a few years and I found myself offered not only wine tasting opportunities but spirit tasting as well. There is one event that offers both wine and spirits, and in those my Contributing Editor Michael Perlis usually covers the wine while I do the spirits. It’s a bit different than wine tasting – the offered taste is smaller, you still sniff and taste, but spit all out as the alcohol levels are so much higher. With that said, I usually only make it halfway through a spirit tasting until my lips grow numb and I have to take a break.

From spirit tastings I moved into a little bit of mixology classes and started experimenting with making cocktails at home. We hit on a few favorites and have stuck with them over the years.

My husband, also a lover of both wine and spirits, started buying me gifts that the home bartender would need, and I returned the favor and found him some unique items as well.

We now have travel kits, three or four shakers, different measures of “shot” glasses, bar spoons, single “rock” makers, simple syrup, brown sugar, sweet and dry vermouth, Amaro, Compari and other mixers, as well as a nice array of bitters, cherries, oranges, limes and lemons at any given time.

One friend, a fellow wine writer, asked me how I could like both wine and spirits. I found the question in and of itself to be peculiar, but answered anyway, I felt – and still do feel – that there are just as many discoveries in  aromas and flavors in both. If you can detect things like fruit, nuts, botanicals, earth and wood in your wine you will be pleased to learn that some of the same aromas and flavors are in your spirits.

On hot days we often enjoy chilled Viognier, Chardonnay, Picpoul de Pinet, Sauvignon Blanc, sparkling…basically any white wine that we own. But, on some hot days we also have been known to enjoy a gin Martini, Moscow Mule, Aperol Spritz, Sazerac, Negroni, Margarita, Rob Roy, Old Fashioned or a Manhattan. Usually how it works is that we have a cocktail before (aperitif) or after (digestif) dinner, and a nice bottle of white wine with warm weather dishes such as salads, seafood, chicken and cheese plates. During the cooler days of fall and winter we often enjoy Rhônes and Bordeaux varietals with dinner, but still enjoy a cocktail before or after.

After our best meals, which usually means a beautiful sous vide filet and a red wine from our cellar, we often finish our evening not with a cocktail but with a nosing glass (aka a Glencairn) of one of our favorite single malt scotch whiskies. Then we linger over those flavors as well.

Now, how do you imbibe? Maybe it’s time to widen your taste profile a bit.

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

Wine House’s Monica Marin, DipWSET, Nominated as WSET Educator of the Year

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WEST LOS ANGELES, CALIF. (PRWEB) – The Wine House, named one of the world’s best wine shops by Food & Wine, is proud to announce that Monica Marin, Director of Education, is one of ten educators worldwide that have been nominated by the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) as an Educator of the Year for 2019.

Monica Marin, center, flanked by her WSET students. Photo: Facebook.

“We are thrilled that the WSET is recognizing what we have known all along – that Monica Marin is a phenomenal and passionate wine educator,” said Bill Knight, Wine House President. “We have been fortunate to have Monica leading Wine House WSET programs of all levels here since 2012, and our customers have benefited greatly from her knowledge and enthusiasm.”

The Educator of the Year Award recognizes the outstanding contribution of an individual or company within WSET’s network of Approved Programme Providers. The recipient will have demonstrated a significant contribution to the development of WSET, promoting its values and vision while achieving noteworthy success in their own region. The award is proudly sponsored by Riedel.

Marin started out teaching Levels 2 & 3 Award in Wines & Spirits, and she now also teaches Level 4 Diploma in Wines as well as WSET Level 1 in Wines and Level 1 in Sake courses. The Wine House teaches over 500 WSET students a year and has recently opened two satellites in the wine-growing areas of Paso Robles and Santa Barbara. Marin is also a ‘Flying Wine Educator,’ teaching several times a year in Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Panama and Mexico.

Originally from Spain, Marin teaches in English and Spanish and enjoys experiencing the different cultures as she shares her love of teaching and her students enjoy learning about wine!

“It is an incredible honor to be considered for such an award by the WSET, and I am grateful to be nominated along with other top wine educators from around the world,” said Marin.

In January 2020, The Wine House will offer WSET Level 1 in Wines, WSET Level 2 in Wines, WSET Level 3 in Wines and WSET Level 1 in Sake. More courses, including a new intake of WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines, will be offered throughout the year.

About The Wine House:

The Wine House is a family-owned independent retailer that has been serving customers from around the world for over 40 years and was named as one of the Ten Best Wine Stores in the World by Food & Wine. Our 25,000 square foot facility in West Los Angeles, CA has a vast selection of over 6,000 domestic and imported wines, spirits and beers that is one of the largest and well-curated collections in the country. With helpful and knowledgeable staff to help customers make their selection and a wide variety of events such as seminars, tastings, wine and food pairings – from casual, in-store tastings, to sit down dinners with winemakers from all over the world as well as in-depth seminars that lead to certifications – we provide a unique, exciting shopping environment for clients ranging in wine experience from the complete novice to the connoisseur. We are honored to be the First Call for customers seeking products or assistance with any of our wide variety of products.

About the Wine & Spirit Education Trust:

Set up in 1969 and celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2019, WSET is the largest global provider of qualifications in the field of wines and spirits.
WSET offers qualifications across four levels, from one-day beginner courses through to an expert level diploma. Courses are available in more than 15 languages and over 70 countries and are open both to industry professionals and interested enthusiasts.
WSET is recognised as an awarding organisation by Ofqual, the English regulator of qualifications and examinations. All WSET qualifications have a strong reputation worldwide as the industry standard for knowledge.
In the last academic year (2018/19) over 100,000 candidates sat for a WSET qualification and, since 1969, WSET has awarded nearly one million individuals a WSET qualification.

For more information about WSET, please visit WSETglobal.com.

Vintage Eve Circa 3/2016: Tasting Sicily’s Nero d’Avola

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I’ve tasted Sicily’s Nero d’Avola wine before, well at least once in 2010 during my Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) course, and during annual Italian wine tasting events. These two wines below, sent for review, I had never had before and was anxious to continue my education. So, without further adieu, here is your virtual taste.

Photo credit: VinePair

2013 Stemmari Nero d’Avola, Sicily

Tasting Notes:

Dried black currant, sweet plum, tobacco, mint chocolate, red bell pepper and forest floor on the nose was followed by smooth flavors of red fruit, white pepper and black cherry with a sharp, yet lingering, dry finish. 88 Eve pts. 

About (From the tech sheet)

Prince of the enological re-birth of Sicily, the Nero d’Avola is a very important native varietal. Initially found in Siracusa, it is now found in all of the wine-making areas of the island.

PRODUCTION AREA

Sambuca di Sicilia, in the province of Agrigento, where rich, mature, and structured Nero d’Avola is obtained. It prefers clay-like terrain and is very sensitive to excessive dryness and too much exposure to sunlight. The type of farming is “Espalier”, used with an average density of planting where there are 4500 plants per 2.5 Acres.

VINIFICATION

100% Nero d’Avola. It is an average to early varietal maturing around the first week of September.
This wine is obtained from grapes that have reached perfect aromatic and polyphenolic maturation. Destemming and alcoholic fermentation with the skins occurs for 6-8 days at 22-24 degrees. Malolactic Fermentation occurs with selected bacteria, then finally maturation occurs for 6 months in French barriques.

CHARACTERISTICS

Color: Deep ruby-red with pleasant reflections of violet.
Bouquet: Intense and covered, notes of currant stick out, wild strawberries, and pomegranate. 
Flavor: Soft and velvety. Distinct characteristics of fruitiness come forth.

ALCOHOL CONTENT: 13.5%
 CHARACTERISTICS: 
Color: Deep ruby-red with pleasant reflections of violet.
 Bouquet: Intense and covered, notes of currant stick out, wild strawberries, and pomegranate.
Flavor: Soft and velvety. Distinct characteristics of fruitiness come forth.

2012 Tenuta Rapitala “Nuhar” Pinot Nero, Nero d’Avola

Tasting Notes:

Aromas of grape jelly, bruised red plum, cedar and mint leaves; and then in the mouth it was all about dried red currant, lush juicy raspberry, burnt toast and mushroom. 89 Eve pts.

About (From Frederick Wildman and Sons)

Nuhar, meaning flower, is sourced from parcels located in the heart of the vineyard. Here, vines grow on clay soils, sheltered from the wine, and in full sunlight. Two great varieties are planted: Nero d’Avola, which develops rich tannins and body in these conditions, and Pinot Noir, King of Burgundy, which responds well to the heat of Sicily with color, softness and depth unlike anywhere else.

Terroir: Select parcels lie at 1,800 feet above sea level are Guyot-trained on clay soil with yields of 32 quintals per acre.

Vinification: Each variety is manually harvested, first the Pinot Noir at the end of August, then the Nero d’Avola at the end of September. Each parcel is vinified in small, stainless steel tanks. Long maceration at a controlled temperature of 75-82°F allow for the extraction of only the best polyphenols. The Nero d’Avola ages in stainless steel to preserve freshness, while the Pinot Noir matures for nine months in small French barriques. Following blending, the wines are bottle refined.

Additional Information

Bright, ruby-red color and a bouquet with strong aromas of dried fruits. The palate is warm and full with a balanced acidity and elegant tannins. The finish is long and lingering and at this point, we discover again the classic aromas of a Pinot Noir ripened by the hot, Sicilian sun. Pairs well with roasted meats, game and truffle dishes.

Eve Bushman has been reading, writing, taking coursework and tasting wine for over 20 years.  She has obtained a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, has been the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and recently served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits that may be answered in a future column. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com