Wines

Sake to Zinfandel

Airen to Burgundy   Cabernet Franc to Est! Est! Est   Fior D'arancio to Liebfraumilch   Macon to Orange Muscat   Petit Sirah to Roussanne   Sake to Zinfandel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sake - wine is made from rice and is a traditional Japanese wine.

Sancerre - is a wine producing region of France that lends its name to a selection of wines, red, white and rose. These are usually light, easy drinking wines. The whites are based on Sauvignon Blanc grape while the reds and rose wines are based on Pinot Noir.

Sangiovese - is the core of the Italian Chianti wines. These wines are usually fresh and fruity. They are produced in the Chianti region of Tuscany.

Sassicaia - is an Italain wine blended from Cabernet Sauvignon (85) and Cabernet Franc (15).

Sauternes - is a wine produced in the Sauternes region of Bordeaux, France. These are sweet wines often referred to as dessert wines as they are an excellent accompaniment for most desserts and sweeter fruits. Sauternes are based on the semillon grape with a little blending of Sauvignon and Muscadelle.

Sangria - is a punch made from wine and other ingredients. Sangria is usually tailored to match the foods and the occasion.

Sekt - is sparkling wine of the champagne style that is produced in Germany.

Semillon - is a white wine produced from the Semillon grape. It is also the main wine used to produce Sauternes. On its own, semillon carries a grassy or 'figgy' flavor that is also somewhat floral and nutty to the taste-buds. Semillon is often blended with chardonnay or sauvignon blanc grapes to create a more interesting wine.

Sherry - A sweet, fortified wine originating from the Jerez region of Spain. Brandy is used for the fortification of the red wine used so as to create the sherry.

Shiraz - is a rich, full-bidied red wine produced from the Syrah grape. In fact, Shiraz and Syrah are synonymous with Australia using the name Shiraz and most other countries inlcuding its native France calling it Syrah. Australia is renowned for the quality of its Shiraz/Syrah. Shiraz is a great accompaniment for all red meats. Many Australians will drive shiraz with virtually anything. Shiraz it known for its peppery and rich fruity flavors. Apart from its own popularity, shiraz is also the primary component in Hermitage. The syrah grape is believed to be one of the oldest vines known to mankind.

Silvaner - is a white wine that first heralded out of Austria and now primarily comes from Germany. It is a gentle, floral, low-key style of wine that is very easy drinking especially during summer.

Soave - is another of the traditional Italian wines. It is created in the Venice area from the Garganega and Trebbiano di Soave grapes. There are three styles of Soave - dry, still; spumanti - sparkling; and recioto - sweet. Soave is often served before a dinner or with the soup course.

Steuben - is a spicy, sweet wine when produced.from the hybrid grape, Steuben. It is rare to find this wine and most of the grape production goes into juice, jelly and simple eating.

Syrah - See Shiraz above

Tannat - is a another rarely found red wine as it is primarily used in blending. It generally has berry flavors that it carries through to its blends.

Tempranillo - wine is the bases of the red Rioja wines of Spain. Refer to Rioja above.

Tokaji / Tokay - is the most familiar wine of Hungary but the grapes are also grown significantly in Australia. Tokay is a sweet wine similar to Sauternes but a little more towards semi-dry.. Nonetheless, it is generally drunk as a dessert wine because of its sweetness.

Trebbiano - is a very little heard of wine that is quite common in France and Italy as a general drinking wine. However, the grapes predominant use is as a base for brandy and as one of the components of Chianti.

Valpolicella - is a fruity, medium weight red wine of Italian origin. It is moderately low in alcoholic content at 11% for the standard grade and is therefore easy drinking. It pairs nicely with lighter faire.

Verdejo - is a light white wine from Spain. It has flavors similar to Sauvignon Blanc and requires specific night harvesting to retain their gentile nature. It is not uncommon to see this wine blended with Sauviognon Blanc for commercial reasons.

Vernaccia di San Gimignano - is a white wine made from grapes grown around Tuscany, Italy. The wines tend to be full bodied and on the bitter side.

Vidal / Vidal Blanc - wines are rare to find as the juice is using used in the production of other blended late-harvest sweet wines and even ice wines. When produced in its own right, Vidal produces a magnificent late-harvest, richly sweet dessert wine.

Vin Santo - is one of the wines that is created not so much around a grape but around an event. In this case, the event is All Saints Day as it is celebrated in Italy

Viognier - is indeed a rare white wine. Its rarity comes from the difficulty in growing the grape. It is today only grown in the Rhone Valley and California and in small quantities. The wine, however, is appreciated for its depth of character and complexity which is greater than the more favored Chardonnay. Viognier is noted for spice, floral, citrus, apricot, apple and peach flavors and is typically medium bodied wines with relatively high acids and fruit.

Viura - which is also known as Macabeo, is known for its almond and floral flavors but is rarely produced as a wine in its own right. The juice of the viura is used primarily as a blending wine and, in Spain, for their sparkling, champagne style wines.

Vouvray - are white wines that are produced in this particular region of France. They are made totally from the Chenin Blanc grape that is grown in this region. These are wines that are both sweet and yet dry to the taste and after taste with citrus, honey and other summer related flavors. They are a perfect pairing for shellfish.

Weissherbst - is a rose wine produced in Germany. It has specific component requirements that require that it be made from a single varietal such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot.

White Zinfandel - is produced from zinfandel grapes but without the skins which would otherwise provide a red color. It is a comparatively recent creation within the US wine industry of California.It is a light style of wine that is often favored to accompany a luncheon.

Xinomavro - is a light, gentle bodied, red wine with flavors of tomato. It is a brick red in color but not very dense / dark. The xinomavro grape is said to be indigenous to Greece which is where all of this kind of wine is produced. It is of a similar style to Chianti.

Zinfandel - wine is deep red, bordering on black. It is a spicy, peppery wine, with a hint of fruity flavor - berries or dark cherries are often the taste range. The Zinfandel grape heralds from Croatia but is now very much a Californian hallmark. It is favored for pairing with strong red meat meals and almost any typically American cuisine.