Craig Stoller has 24 grape varieties planted at his RBZ vineyards in Paso Robles. Submitted photo
Paso Robles wine region takes pride in its diversity, with more than 40 different grape varieties planted throughout 11 sub-appellations. At any given winery itâs not uncommon to see a spectrum of wines ranging from Bordeaux and Rhône style varieties to Spanish and Italian and, of course, Pasoâs heritage grape, Zinfandel, all produced under one roof.
There are a few exceptions such as Windward, exclusive to Pinot Noir, or Clesi and Giornata, both focused on Italian varietals.
Even in such a landscape of variety, winegrower Craig Stoller stands apart, establishing two wineries and a vineyard estate, each one dedicated to a specific style of wines expressing the spectrum and essence of the wine regions along Californiaâs Central Coast. These holdings span the counties of San Luis Obispo (SLO) and Monterey with a collective planting of 500 acres under v
Photo courtesy of Norwegian Wine Federation
Five years ago, Klaus Peter Keller led a tasting of his Spatbürgunder, or Pinot Noir, from Germany. He was showing off how the cold climate created beautiful expressions of the variety and, at some point, made an offhand comment that stood out long after the fact.
“I planted a vineyard in Norway.”
Fast-forward to today, and Keller’s vines there have yielded several vintages of Riesling. Wines from Norway, along with those from Japan, Bolivia and ever-growing swathes of British Columbia, Canada, testify to transition afoot. As the climate changes, so does the number of winegrowing areas. These four regions represent new frontiers of viticulture and, in many ways, prove that the future is now.
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With hundreds of varieties of wine white grapes, there’s as much white wine information to learn about as there are white wine grapes planted in all corners of the globe. That being said, you’ll likely encounter only a handful of these grapes most often. In this white wine basics section, we cover the flavor profiles and regions of the most common white wine grapes. You can certainly choose to discover more beyond this short list, but for a quick and easy white wine 101, the following will fit the bill:
Chardonnay
Flavors: Green apple, citrus, pineapple, papaya
Versatile and popular, chardonnay grows all over the world. It reaches its mineral-laced pinnacle in Burgundy, ripens to tropical richness in California and Australia, and takes very well to new oak. It picks up buttery aromas from malolactic fermentation, and toasty or vanilla scents from aging in new barrels. By itself, young Chardonnay is most likely to recall fresh green apples in both smell and flavor. Depen
New Names, New Wines from Napa
As some readers know, I’ve only recently been able to dedicate more time to writing here on Vinography after a number of years being an entrepreneur and small business owner trying to squeeze in some wine writing around the edges. By virtue of that struggle for time, I have not exactly kept up with new developments in California wine at the level to which I aspite. There was a time that thanks to an endless parade of large public tastings, I was almost sure to hear about new wine projects soon after they popped up.
North Carolina winery set up perfectly for customers who want the full ‘Southern hospitality’ experience
Updated 12:59 AM;
Today 12:41 AM
Shelton Vineyards is located in Dobson, North Carolina, about an hour and a half drive north of Charlotte.
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One of North Carolina’s oldest wineries is also the largest estate winery in the state.
Shelton Vineyards opened in 2000 when there were fewer than a dozen wineries in the state. It has grown into a destination winery, with a tasting room, hotel (Hampton Inn & Suites at Shelton Vineyards) and restaurant (Harvest Grill).
The more than 20-year-old vineyard covers 72 acres and includes a combination of grapes most drinkers have heard of – Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon – and a few that might be a little less known to mainstream drinkers – such as Tannat and Petit Manseng.