Vin Santo – The Perfect Final Touch

 

Is there anything better than a fine Italian dinner? Of
course there is: one that finishes with a biscotti and a glass of Vin Santo.

Vin Santo, with its notes of raisin, honey, nut and cream,
is the traditional velvety dessert wine of Tuscany.  Its proper place is at the very end of the meal, after
espresso. The biscotti is meant to be dipped into the wine. It is the perfect
final touch to punctuate a great dining experience.

Vin Santo, which means holy wine, was first used
ceremonially in religious masses during the Renaissance, but it was not long
before it graced the dinner tables of Tuscan families. From there it spread
throughout Italy, Greece, and eventually became a staple of the Russian
Orthodox Church.

For hundreds of years Italian winemakers have been
harvesting grapes in the fall, most commonly trebbiano and malvasia, and drying
them indoors across straw mats or hung from racks. This process, called
desiccation, dehydrates the grapes and concentrates their natural sugar
content. The amount of residual sugar increases with the length of the drying
period. Usually fermentation begins during the following spring and then the wine
is aged in oak barrels. This oak aging further softens and sweetens the wine
while enhancing its color. In most regions four years in the barrel allows the
wine to be called riserva (reserve).

This wine is now made in many Italian regions with several
variations. Some less sweet versions are served like dry sherry. Others feature
50% or more sangiovese,  a red
grape, and make a dessert rose called Occhio Di Pernice, Eye of the Partridge.
Still, it is the original version with its golden amber hue that satisfies best
at the end of meals.

Centuries ago, friars sometimes administered the leftover
wine after mass to members of their flock that needed healing. We can’t vouch
for the healing powers of Vin Santo, but we can promise it will provide a
wonderful taste experience at the end of dinner.

For an excellent example, try splitting a 375ml bottle of Antinori Santa Cristina Vin
Santo with family and friends after your next special dinner.  You can find the bottle at Vinnin
Liquors, along with other great Vin Santo varieties!

A Grape By Any Other Name – Sauvignon vs. Fume Blanc

 

The calendar tells us that warm weather is here to stay,
providing perfect opportunities to drink chilled Sauvignon Blancs and Fume Blancs.
It also gives us a chance to answer a frequently asked question: What is the
difference between these two wines?

The answer:  there
is no difference, but there is a story.

Back in the 1960’s Robert Mondavi had plenty of Sauvignon Blanc
vines, but no market to sell them to in the United States. The grape was
unpopular here and the wines that were made with it were often overly sweet or
thin. Mondavi had plenty of experience drinking the drier wines made with
Sauvignon Blanc grapes in France and bottled as Sancerre, Poully-Fume and Blanc
Fume. He knew he could produce appealing wines of this style, but he wasn’t
sure he could overcome the stigma attached to the grape name in this country.

His solution was simple:  make up a new name.

The name he chose was Fume Blanc, and soon wine buyers were
asking for and enjoying this new and different wine. Of course, if Mondavi’s
wine wasn’t delicious, the new name would have been no help. However, just as
he predicted, consumers fell in love with this dry, oak-aged wine and an old
grape became a new star under its invented moniker.

Mondavi did forget one important thing, though. He never
trademarked the name. Soon other California winemakers were bottling there
Sauvignon Blancs and selling them under the name Fume Blanc.  Though he didn’t get to keep the name to
himself, Mondavi did succeed in popularizing the Sauvignon Blanc grape in the
United States. This spring and summer, as you lift your chilled Sauvignon Blanc
to your lips, whether the label says Fume Blanc, Sancerre, Poully-Fume or the
grape name itself, give a toast to Robert Mondavi. His efforts helped put that
wine in your glass.

If you’re looking for a recommendation for this spring or
summer, try one of these excellent white wines, all of which can be found at
Vinnin Liquors:

• 2012 Celestin Blondeau Sancerre, Loire, France –
  $16.99
• 2013 Tohu Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand –
  $10.99
• 2013 Joel Gott Sauvignon Blanc, California – $9.99
• 2012 Ferrari-Carano Fume Blanc, Sonoma County,
  California – $11.99
• 2011 Chateau St Jean Fume Blanc, Sonoma County,
  California – $10.99

What’s your favorite Sauvignon Blanc… or Fume Blanc… or Sancerre… or Poully-Fume? We’d love to know – just tell us below in the comments!