Cortese Dessert Wine Red Bordeaux Roditis Tannat
The Cortese white wine grape varietal has been grown in and around south Piedmont, Italy, for at least five hundred years. Its delicate nature and moderate acidity have made it a favorite with people around the world, and it is most commonly served alongside the excellent seafood and shellfish dishes of the part of Italy it is traditionally grown in. Cortese grapes are easily identifiable by their lime and greengage flavors, and their generally delicate and medium bodied character. Cortese wines are also notable for their freshness and crispness, again, making them an ideal match for seafood. Whilst colder years often produce harsher, more acidic Cortese wines, practices such as allowing malolactic fermentation can solve any such problems and still produce delicious white wines made from this varietal.
There are few regions in the world with stricter regulations in regards to wine production and grape varietals than those found in Bordeaux, France. Here, in the home of the world's finest wines, the type and quality of grapes used is of utmost importance, and the legendary wineries which work on the banks of the Gironde river have mastered the careful art of juice blending to find the perfect balance for their produce. Whilst there are six 'official' Bordeaux grapes, the two key varietals for almost every fine Bordeaux wine are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and with good reason. Whilst Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are renowned for their acidity and astringency, strong fruit and spice flavors and full body, Merlot grapes are notably rounded, soft, fleshy and lighter on tannin. The combination of these two varietals, along with a small percentage of (commonly) Petit Verdot or Cabernet Franc, is the perfect balancing act – the two grape varietals cancel out each others weaker points, and accentuate all that is good about the other.
This vividly rosé colored grape varietal has been grown in and around the Attica region for centuries, and due to its elegant characteristics and fantastic flavors, it has gained popularity all over Greece over the past twenty-five years. Nowadays, you'd be just as likely to find vineyards growing Roditis grape varietals in the Peloponnese mountains, in Thessaly, Macedonia and many other parts of the country. Indeed, on the slopes of the Peloponnese, Roditis grapes are exclusively grown for the production of the wines of AOC Patra, where the award winning dry white wines of the region are made from 100% Roditis grapes, and are prized by wine collectors and Greek wine fans alike.
Roditis grapes produce the best results when they are cultivated to relatively very low yields, with the mountainous slopes giving them both the perfect amount of sunshine and the unique range of minerals in order to ripen and maintain their delightful flavor. Wines made from Roditis grapes tend to hold quite strong citrus flavors, making them an ideal drink for refreshment on a hot day. Their long, complex after-tastes are what they are most revered for, making them a great accompaniment for the local seafood cuisine of the region they are grown in.
Additional Information on Greek Wines
Greek Wines
Ancient Greek Wines – A Brief History of Wine in Greece
The Myth of Dionysus, Greek God of Wine
What is Retsina?