An Italian Wine Grape You Have Probably Never Heard Of – Cari (or Pelaverga)

Written by Allison Levine on June 21, 2018

Wine

If you read Ian D’Agata’s comprehensive guide, Native Wine Grapes of Italy, you will learn that there are approximately 2000 indigenous grape varieties in Italy, although only 400 of them are currently used to make commercial wine. Italy is home to more indigenous grape varieties than anywhere else in the world and sometimes you have to be in Italy to find them. On a recent trip to the Piemonte region, I was introduced to a wine varietal that I had never had before – Cari.

Cari is a rare red grape from the hills of Piemonte. It is also called Pelaverga, Carola, Fra Germano and Taddone. Cari (Pelaverga) can be found in the domination Collina Torinese DOC, established in 1999. One of the smallest DOCs in Italy, there are only two producers left producing Collina Torinese Cari (Pelaverga) for a total of 6000 bottles annually. Cari is a very delicate grape and very rare.

One of the two producers is Balbiano and I tried the Balbiano Collina Torinese Cari 2017 on a recent visit to the winery in Torino. The wine is served as a dessert wine. At only 6% alcohol, it is a cherry-red color and looks like Brachetto (one of my favorite wines). But, unlike Brachetto or Moscato, Cari is not an aromatic grape. The Balbiano Collina Torinese Cari 2017 has fruit and floral notes on the palate. It has half of the residual sugar of Brachetto or Moscato. Unlike these two wines whose sweetness coats the mouth, the Cari is higher in acidity and this acidity can pair with any sweet dessert, especially pastries, cakes, cookies and creams.

Six wines from Napa Valley that are not Cabernet Sauvignon

Written by Allison Levine on June 19, 2018

Wine

This story originally appeared in the Napa Valley Register.

Perhaps diversity is not the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Napa Valley. Especially for people who live outside of Napa, if asked what wine comes from Napa, they will always say “Cabernet Sauvignon.” But, no matter how good the Cabernet is, Napa offers so much more.

According to the Napa Valley Vintners, there are 45,000 acres under cultivation in Napa Valley. There are more than 34 different wine grape varieties grown in Napa County, and 23 percent of the vineyards are planted to white wine grapes and 77 percento red wine grapes. Forty-seven percent of the grapes planted are Cabernet Sauvignon, with Chardonnay, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel making up another 41 percent of the total grape production. That leaves 12 percent of the grapes planted to other grapes and here are six of the grapes to look out for.

Semillon – Fine Disregard 2016 Milhouse Semillon, Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley ($25)

In 2016, there were 724 tons of Semillon in the Napa Valley and Fine Disregard produces 218 cases of their Semillon. A personal project by winemaker Mike Schieffer, assistant winemaker at Truly, and Kate Maraden, a viticulturist and plant pathologist, the Semillon comes from a half-acre block planted on the eastern edge of Oak Knoll District in 1994. The resulting wine is clear and bright with notes of lemon curd, citrus zest, tree fruits and minerality and a lovely mouthfeel that is both round and delicate with racy acidity. Read More +

Please The Palate Pick of the Week: Farmhouse Wines

Written by Allison Levine on June 16, 2018

Wine

What do you look for when buying wine? That it tastes good? That the price is affordable? With Farmhouse wines, the wines taste good, are a great value AND they are produced organically and that is why they are the Please The Palate pick of the week.

Typically, when I think about an under $15 wine from California, right or wrong, I assume the wine will be a big fruit bomb, high in alcohol and possibly have residual sugar. I think of the “people-pleasing” wines for the masses. But, Farmhouse Wines are a great lesson in not judging a wine by its price, as these are wines that can happily be everyone’s everyday wine. These are “people-pleasing” wines that are balanced and do not sacrifice quality.

Farmhouse Wines is produced by the Cline Family, who also produce Cline Family Cellars and Jacuzzi Wines. Farmhouse Wines produces one white wine and one red wine. Read More +