"G" Grapes and their White Wines

As I moved into the "G" grapes, I was amazed at how many white wines are made from these grapes, Garganega, Gewurztraminer, Godello, Grechetto, Greco, Grenache Blanc, and Gruner Veltliner. Wines from Italy, France and Austria made up my "sipping" list. The Italian grape Garganega (gahr-gah-NEH-gah) was found in a bottle of Soave Classico Vigna Dello Stefano 2009 from the Veneto region of N.E. Italy. Light, delicious with a hint of almonds....I loved it by itself or with a summer salad. My second "G" grape, Gewurztraminer (guh-VURTS-trah-mee-ner) was found in a 2007 Alsatian Hugel Gewurztraminer. It was one of the more expensive bottles of wine at $30.00 but definitely well worth it. The Hugel family from the Alsace region of France has been producing wine for 12 generations. I explored this grape with my wine sipping buddy, Melanie at Dallas's Thai-riffic Restaurant over steamed Thai dumplings, Pad Kee Mow and a dish of Panang, a red curry. A great wine and food pairing! Moving on to the next grape, Godello which I found in a Castelo do Papa 2005 from the Valdeorras region of Spain. Tropical aroma, herb notes and a well balanced acidity made this another easy summer sipping wine. Two more Italian wines from Jimmy's included the grapes Grechetto (gre-KEH-toh) and Greco (GREH-koh). The wines were a $14.99 Sportoletti Assisi Grechetto 2006 and Greco di Tufo Tenute di Altavilla at $19.99. Both wines were more minerally in flavor than fruity. The Grenache Blanc (gruh-NAHSH blahn) grape was found in a bottle of La Vielle Ferme 2008 from the Rhone Valley of France. Another light wine that was perfect with a cold chicken salad. My final "G" grape was the Gruner Veltliner (GROO-ner FELT-lih-ner) in a bottle of Wolfgang Concerto 2005 from the Burgenland region of Austria. It was challenging getting past the metallic aroma and I found the wine not in balance as the acidity was very pronounced. Overall, the hot Dallas summer evenings were definitely cooled down with some of these delightful white wines.

Exploring the World of White "F" Grapes

My next group of grape varieties were all white grapes that began with the letter "F"....Falanghina, Fiano, Folle Blanc , Friulano and Furmint. I tasted the Falanghina(FA-lan-GHEE-nah) grape in a 2008 Terredora Dipaolo from Jimmy's Italian market http://www.jimmysfoodstore.com/. A really nice summer wine with flavors of citrus fruits and a hint of minerals and a great bargain at only $16.99.

Next was another Italian grape Fiano (fee-AH-no). This medium bodied wine, Cantele Alticelli Fiano 2007 was pretty heavy on the grassy and herbal notes, almost like a really overpowering Sauvignon Blanc.

Moving on to the Folle Blanc grape. I found this grape at the Highland Park cheese store, Molto Formaggio (http://www.moltoformaggio.com) in a 2008 Berroia Bizkaiko Txakolina from Spain. It was a blend of 90% Hondarrabi Zuri, 6% Folle Blanc and 4% Riesling. I may not be able to pronounce the wine, but I can certainly recommend it! Fresh and crip with more mineral aromas and flavors than fruit. A great "sipping by the pool" wine on a hot Texas day.

Friulano, a popular grape from the northern Italian region of Friuli was another wonderful discovery...very aromatic! The wine, di Lenardo Vineyards TOH da uve Friulano 2008 had more notes of fruit (pears) than the others which when I paired it with a homeade gazpacho....home run! The fruitness in the wine balanced with the acidity of the tomatoes in the gazpacho.

Finally we come to the Hungarian grape variety Furmint (FOOR-mint). This grape made up 70% of a 2005 Kiralyudvar Tokaji dry white Hungarian wine. The other grape in the blend was a Harsleveli. I served it with a butternut squash risotto and was very pleased with the combination. Who would have thought that there were so many great, off-beat, random "F" wines!

Piedmont Grapes... Dolcetto and Erbaluce

What I love about this challenge is discovering hard to pronounce grape varieties AND having fun while tasting them! My next two grapes are from the Piedmont region in northwestern Italy, the red Dolcetto (dohl-CHEHT-oh) and the white grape variety Erbaluche (erh-bah-LOO-chay).

I explored the Dolcetto in a 2007 L'Ardi Dolcetto d' Acqui which was made up of 100% of the Dolcetto grapes. A light bodied wine with an aroma of ripe cherries; the name Dolcetto translates to "little sweet one" although these wines are usually dry. It's a fun sipping wine or wonderfully paired with a yummy pizza~

Have you ever had an "Erbaluce Experience"? Mine began with just a few sips of a 2007 La Torrazza Erbaluce Di Caluso. What a discovery! This light bodied wine filled my wine glass with wonderful fragrances of pears, lemons, apples, rosemary and sage. The name Erbaluce comes from two Italian words, erba means "herb" and luce means "light". Served with a shrimp pasta dish, it was a definite flavorful wine experience~ Now see if you can say Erbaluce three times in row.. Erbaluce, Erbaluce, Erbaluce! Sounds like an Italian cheer at one of the World Soccer Cup matches~

Clairette

Clairette, a French white grape variety is one of the 13 grapes permitted by the French government for use in red Chateauneuf-du-Pape wines and in white Cotes du Rhone wines.

Looking for this grape led me to La Cave Warehouse where my friend Gabe recommended a 2008 Coteaux-Du-Tricastin from Southern Rhone. The wine is a blend of these grape varieties, Marsanne, Grenache, Bourboulenc and Clairette. It had a delightful aroma of apricots and peaches and was so alive on the palate! A definite keeper~ I served it with cheese ravioli over a bed of sauteed spinach, garlic and topped with grated parmesan cheese. Magnifique!