WineMasters Class

This eastern segment of the Loire Valley is the birthplace of Sauvignon Blanc and it is here where you can find the 2 most famous appellations of the Loire; Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. We will explain one of the fundamental traits in wine, acidity, in detail in our experiment. Besides Sauvignon Blanc we will also speak about Pinot Noir and other appellations like Menetou-Salon, Reuilly and Quincy.

Its fame as a great wine-producing region faded with the collapse of the Roman Empire. But today, Campania counts some of the highest densities of DOCs and DOCGs (quality wine-areas) within Italy. Campania is thriving with re-planted ancient varieties that once grew on these lands some 2,000 years ago and were buried under volcanic ash and pumice in 79 A.D.

The Alsace area is known for its aromatic, fruity intense and spicy white wines, primarily from Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris and Muscat which are the 4 noble grapes varieties. Alsace wines tend to be dry, but these days wines can be more divers in styles including some residual sweetness but that is not often indicated on the label, so that can make challenging for us drinkers.

The future of Spanish wine lies in its history. Ambitious winemakers are heading off to the hinterlands in search of old vines. We visit Toro where red wines are made from Tinta de Toro (a local version of Tempranillo) are making fame. Then to Bierzo where between the hills and lush river valleys red wine is made of the Mencia variety.

Altitude is key in Argentina. Except for the Patagonia region, most vineyards in Argentina are situated on 600 to 2000 meters above sea level and located close to the Andes mountains. Of course, we will highlight the most famous wine area Mendoza and the Malbec grape, which was brought from France around 1850 and has adapted greatly on the terroirs of this country.

We start this episode on a unique island in the Atlantic Ocean; Madeira. The 4 styles of the quality spectrum get their names from the white wine grape used in them: Sercial, Verdelho, Bual and Malmsey aka Malvasia, and in this order, they range from dry to sweet. On the mainland we visit unique appellations near the capital city of Lisbon and then on to a huge rural wine region known as Alentejo.