Behind the Cork™ - Amrita Seiza White Blend

2021 Amrita Seiza White Blend ($35)

Amrita Cellars, founded in 2017, prides itself on finding vineyards off the beaten path and sourcing their grapes from family-owned wine growers that use the best practices in renewable and sustainable farming.

Sunny, their winemaker is a first-generation East India gentleman born and raised in the United States. He named Amrita Cellars to honor his culture and family. Amrita in Sanskrit (ancient Indic language of India) means immortality and is often referred to as the elixir.

This Amrita Seiza is made from a 50/50 blend of Viognier and Grenache Blanc. Each is fermented separately and then blended post-fermentation and aged in stainless steel.

This wine is pale gold in color with bright floral aromas and hints of lemon peel and tangerine. On the palate it is medium-light bodied with a smooth mouthfeel, flavors of citrus and pear with moderate acidity. It is available directly from the Amrita Cellars website.

Also, check out Amrita Cellars Pinot Noir wines that won two Bronze Medals at the Orange County Fair Commercial Wine Competition in June 2022. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Amrita Cellars

Behind the Cork™ - Corvezzo Prosecco

Corvezzo Prosecco

Corvezzo (kor-VETZ-zoh) is the leading name in organically grown, vegan wines from northeast Italy’s Veneto region.

Founded in 1960, the winery is in the village of Cessalto near Treviso, a sweet spot in the Veneto between the cool Dolomite Mountains and the sunny Adriatic Sea.

Family-owned and run, Corvezzo has the largest acreage in Italy of certified organic Glera and Pinot Grigio grapes. According to owner/winemaker Giovanni Corvezzo, his wines have not only adapted to organic farming - they have thrived, becoming stronger, with better balance and producing higher quality fruit. The signature wine style for him is fresh and bright.

2020 Corvezzo Extra Dry Prosecco Rosé ($13) This prosecco is made with organic and vegan Glera and Pinot Nero grapes that were cold crushed and pressed for the primary fermentation. The secondary fermentation took place at 60 days using the Charmat method. It is pale pink in color with delicate aromas. On the palate it has light bubbles with light flavors of strawberry and citrus. It is 11.5% ABV with 12 g/L of residual sugar.

2020 Corvezzo Extra Dry Prosecco ($13) This prosecco is also made with organic and vegan grapes (85% Glera and 15% other DOC permitted grapes) that were cold crushed and pressed for the primary fermentation. The secondary fermentation took place at 60 days using the Charmat method. It is pale straw in color with delicate aromas of pear and apple. On the palate it too has light bubbles, delicate flavor and good acidity. It is 11.5% ABV with 12 g/L of residual sugar.

Both of these refreshing sparkling wines from Corvezzo are very affordable and make a nice fit as Behind the Cork™ Wines of the Week. Cheers!

The New Grapes to be Included in Bordeaux Wine Blends

There are many different types of grapes grown in Bordeaux and used in their famous wines.

In the past, there were just six varietals allowed for making red wine in Bordeaux: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Carménre. White wines were limited to the use of Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Muscadelle, Sauvignon Gris, Colombard, Ugni Blanc, Merlot Blanc, Mauzac, and Ondenc.

But in January of 2021, the governing body in Bordeaux allowed four new red varieties, including Touriga Nacional, Marselan, Castets, and Arinarnoa, as well as two white varieties, Alvarinho and Liliorila. This was done to give more viticultural options to grape growers to address climate change and combat less hospitable conditions. The new grapes will be listed officially as "new varieties of interest for adapting to climate change". This puts them third in the hierarchy behind "major" and "additional" grapes in official documents. This status will again be reviewed in 2031.

Under current restrictions, usage of the new varieties is limited. They may only account for five percent of the planted vineyard area, and a maximum of ten percent of a wine blend. Because of France's wine labeling regulations, these new varieties will not appear on Bordeaux labels. So, these changes to battle climate change will go relatively unnoticed for now.

Although you may not notice any real change in Bordeaux wine blends, they are changing as the world’s climate is changing. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Book Review: Find Your Wine Identity by Sandra Guibord

Find Your Wine Identity by Sandra Guibord ($26)

For a change of pace here on Behind the Cork™ let’s take a look at an interesting book on wines.

Sandra Guibord’s Find Your Wine Identity is an easy read that takes you through the seasons of the year and encourages you to explore new and different wines “…to break out of your ‘wine rut'.”

Find Your Wine Identity offers suggestions on how to turn your year-round entertaining into memorable events. With Sandra's natural, engaging style, she leads beginners and wine connoisseurs through the seasons, sharing ideal wine choices, tasty recipes for perfect wine-pairing, and notable tips to make every event truly special. She also includes wine histories for great party conversation. With carefully selected information presented in a casual, fun format, this book will help readers find a wonderful wine life of their own!

If you are looking for a good book to help learn about wines, or are looking for a holiday gift for a wine-lover, Sandra Guibord’s Find Your Wine Identity is a good choice. Cheers!

Not All Sparkling Wine is Champagne

It’s true that Champagne is a sparkling wine, but not all sparkling wine is Champagne.

Only sparkling wine produced in the small French region of Champagne may legally be labeled 'Champagne.'  And because of this region's northern location and cool weather, three grapes have been found to grow best and hence became the basis for Champagne: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay.  To this day, most Champagne relies on these grapes. But, Champagne producers are also allowed to use Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Petit Meslier and Arbane. When these latter grapes are used, they are typically used in very small quantities.

Champagne is actually a blended white wine that undergoes a second fermentation. Once each of the individual wines are produced, they are blended per the winemaker's liking and bottled. After the wine is bottled, a small amount of sugar and yeast is added to the bottle and then each individual bottle is tightly corked.  As the newly introduced yeast consumes the added sugar, it gives off carbon dioxide (CO2). Since the CO2 gas has nowhere to go, it stays in the bottle and is absorbed into the wine.  Then, when the cork is removed from the bottle, the gas is able to 'escape' from the wine. These are the famous bubbles in Champagne.  And generally, the bubbles in Champagne are smaller and longer lasting than other sparkling wines.

Unlike most wines, Champagnes are produced as both vintage and non-vintage. The non-vintage Champagnes allow the winemaker to select and blend grapes from different vintages (i.e., years) to achieve the best flavors. But, when there is a particularly good year for the grapes, the Champagne may be vintage bottled and usually commands a higher price.

So, just remember…all Champagne is sparkling wine, but not all sparkling wine is Champagne. Cheers!