SOMM Laguna

Wine Cheat Sheet – Walking around the aisle

Unlimited Choices – Explore

GO TO WINES – California Chardonnay and Cab – What’s on the other side of the Aisle? A whole world of flavors and bewilderment!

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Basics

• Wine is food. It is part of the meal and will taste differently with certain foods
• “DRY” does not mean how a red wine makes the inside of your mouth feel. If you want a wine that dry’s your mouth, ask for a wine with “Tannins”.
  • Cabernet Sauvignon (esp California)
  • Nebbiolo – Italy (Barolo)
  • Cabernet Franc – (Bordeaux and Loire)
• Buttery and Oaky Chardonnay -vintner’s choice.
  • Oak barrels – very expensive
  • Oak staves or chips
  • Oak powder/dust
  • Oak Essence or extracts
  • Vintners can control the taste every year.
  • Butter comes from Malolactic fermentation
• Geography and labels
  • European Wine Labels –
    • Look for Gov’t labels AOC, AOP, IGT, DOC, DOCG. That assures you of wine made within strict standards
    • Have a location – a country, region, village and vineyard.
    • The Importer – a good gauge as to the quality:
      • Kermit Lynch – French & Italian
      • Skurnik – Global
      • Louis/Dressner – Europe
      • De Maison – Spain
    • All wines must show the ABV% (Alcohol by volume).
      • European red wines will typically be between 13% and 14.5%
      • European white wines will typically be between 10% – 14%. The 10% is usually a Reisling
      • California reds are between 14% and 15.5%

• France
  • Bordeaux – Cab or Merlot blend, White are Sauvignon Blanc/Sémillon blend – Chateau Lafite is Cab based and Pétrus is Merlot based.
  • Burgundy – Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Gamay (Beaujolais). Bottle shape

• Loire – Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc – Sancerre is the town where much of the Sauv Blanc is produced. Bottle shape
  • Champagne is a town in the northern France that produces champagne from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier grapes. Only wine produced in the Champagne region can be called Champagne.
  • French sparkling wine outside of Champagne is called Crémant. It is an excellent value and well made.
  • Italy
    • Tuscany – Sangiovese (Chianti is the town)
      • Super Tuscans are IGT wines because they don’t conform with the standard Tuscan DOC rules.
      • Brunello Montalcino is Sangiovese Grosso
    • Piedmonte – Nebbiolo (Barolo is the town)
    • Veneto – Prosecco
    • Sicily
    • White wines
      • Verdicchio
      • Vermentino
      • Soave
      • Pinot Grigio
  • Spain
    • Rioja – Tempranillo & Garnacha
    • Rueda
    • Priorat
    • Ribera
    • White wines
      • Alberiño
      • Verdejo
      • Godello
• Sparkling wines
  • Champagne
    • Champagne, France
      • Expensive
      • Usually sold as Brut (dry)
  • Crémant
    • Sparkling wine from the rest of France
      • Modest in price
      • A great value
  • Cava
    • Sparkling wine from Spain
      • Very good wine
      • Also a great value
  • Italy
    • Prosecco
    • Franciacorta
    • Asti (Spumante)
    • Lambrusco (sparkling red)
    • Frizzante – lightly effervescent

Bottle shape Bordeaux	Bottle shape Burgundy, Loire, Rhone

Featured Image by Jill Wellington