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Spain
Central to the Spanish winemaking philosophy is the belief that wine should be released only when it is ready to be consumed, and not a moment before. Spanish wine law focuses squarely on this issue: the terms Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva are highly regulated indicators of the amount of time a wine has aged prior to its release. In Rioja, Navarra, and the Ribera del Duero (which have the...
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Grenache
The Grenache grape (a.k.a. Grenache Noir) produces relatively pale, fruity red wines that often stop just short of sweetness. Grenache is familiar to most wine drinkers as an ingredient in the blends of the Rhône and Languedoc-Roussillon, where it can add charm to varieties that are a little rougher around the edges. The distinguished Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas appellations are both...
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Syrah
We'd like to clear this up once and for all: the Shiraz grape is genetically identical to Syrah. Australian winemakers put "Shiraz" on the map (and, many would argue, vice versa), and the term is now used throughout much of the New World. Let it never be said, however, that Shiraz and Syrah are the same thing: the region in which the grape is grown determines much about the flavor of the wine it...
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