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Wine Details
Price:
$10.00 per bottle
Description:
A blend of Chenin Blanc, French Colombard, and Muscat aged in Hungarian oak.
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Varietal Definition
Chenin Blanc:
Classic white varietal of France's Loire Valley and now grown throughout the world. Known for its rather unusual 'wet-wool', 'damp straw' aromas, it tends to be more floral than fruity when young and gives high acidity, growing well in marginal climates. It ages well and its susceptibility to 'botrytis'* produces some of the great sweet wines of the Loire, for example Quarts de Chaume and Vouvray. It is grown widely in South Africa where it is known as 'Steen'.
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Muscat:
Muscat, thought to be one of the oldest grape varieties, is grown worldwide. It is vinified in a multitude of styles, from still to sparkling, and dry to sweet to fortified. Also called Moscato, Moscatel and Muskateller, it is a sweetly aromatic, fruity grape that has many genetic variations and colors. It probably originated in Greece but maybe the independent sultanate of Muscat in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula had something to do with it. Over 200 different varieties and derivatives to the Muscat family exist today. Muscat Canelli, Orange Muscat and Black Muscat are varieties most planted in California, which makes primarily still wine. More unusual is Muscat fermented to total dryness, which leaves greater alcohol levels and no residual sugar. Some Muscats are aged in oak to provide additional complexity.Today’s recommended Muscats represent many of these styles, so use the tasting notes and percent of residual sugar - listed if provided by the winery - to find a wine you’ll enjoy. The more sugar and the lower the alcohol, the sweeter the wine, though wines above 10 percent alcohol can also be somewhat sweet.
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Colombard:
Better known as French Colombard in North America. Acidic grape crushed by some northern Californian producers and made into a fruity white wine of simple character in both dry and sweet versions. Mainly grown in California to provide acidic backbone for white "jug" wine blends. Still grown in France where it is used for white wine blends known as "Bordeaux Blanc" and is also used for distilling into brandy. Also widely grown in South Africa.
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