"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!

Colombard, Cortese and Corvina

What a treat to discover during a tasting at the Dallas Food and Wine Festival, two of the white grape varieties on my A-Z list. Colombard, a white grape often used in France for distilling into Cognac and Ugni-Blanc also know as Trebbiano, another French white grape variety. Ugni-Blanc can also be found in many Italian white wines. These grapes were blended in a very delightful white wine which was a silver medal winner, Domaine Du Tariquet, Vin de Pays des Cotes de Gascogne 2009. A 3rd generation family winery produced this light, lemony, acidic and very easy to drink wine and it's only $8.99!

The next grape variety on my list is Cortese, a white grape from the Piedmont region of Italy. Of course, when I need to find an Italian wine, I turn to Jimmy's Italian market. The white wine with the Cortese grape, Michele Chiarlo 2008 Gavi was light, fruity and would make a fabulous summer wine and did I love its aroma of fresh peaches! The best way to serve it is chilled and for dinner I paired it with bowtie pasta tossed in a creamy basil pesto and for dessert....peach pound cake! My oh My!

Next is the Corvina grape, an Italian red grape variety blended with two other red grapes, Rondinella and Molinara in a 2007 Fabiano Valpolicella. This light bodied wine with a hint of tart cherries was a good pairing with rigatoni pasta tossed with roasted asparagus, cherry tomatoes, shallots and mushrooms. I discovered this wine at a hidden treasure in Dallas called La Cave Warehouse. (http://www.lacavewarehouse.com/) What a find! I am so impressed with their wine selections, temperature control and Gabe.... who is extremely knowledgeable on wines with great customer service. Every time I enter La Cave, I feel that I am taking a trip around the world in first class.

Cinsault

Cinsault (San-soh) is a red grape variety that is widely planted in France. In the southern Rhone area of France, it is often found as a blend with Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre. I explored this grape in a very affordable bottle of Réserve Perrin 2007 Côtes du Rhône which was a blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre and 10% Cinsault. This very flavorful, smooth, full bodied wine with its peppery, dark cherry notes was an excellent pairing with a creamy mac n' cheese. Yum!

Chenin Blanc-a Noble Grape

"Bees have their queens, wolves have their alpha males, gorillas have their silverbacks, and humans have their royal families. In the grape kingdom, there are nobles, too-at least as interpreted by the human beings who drink the wine made from those grapes. Noble grape varieties (as wine people call them) have the potential to make great-not just good-wine. Every noble grape variety can claim at least one wine region where it is the undisputed king. The wines made from noble grapes on their home turf can be so great that they inspire winemakers in far flung regions to grow the same grape in their own vineyards." (Wine for Dummies) This brings me to my next white grape variety on my list, Chenin Blanc from France's Loire Valley....a classic example of a noble grape. Susanna Griffith at the Walnut Hill Centennial liquor store here in Dallas assisted me with finding a great Chenin Blanc, Domanine de la Taille Aux Loups 2006 Vouvray. This medium bodied wine had a brilliant gold color with a fabulous almond, honey, apricot aroma. Need I say again, how much I love inhaling an aromatic wine! The wine was ideal with Central Market's crab cakes and fresh green beans with toasted almonds. I love Leslie Sbrocco's comment about a Vouvray Chenin Blanc wine in her book Wine for Women, "...it's apt to tingle your taste buds". What an evening for my senses!