Behind the Cork™ - LO CA Organic Chardonnay

2022 Domaine Bousquet LO-CA Organic Chardonnay ($14)

LO-CA organic Chardonnay, from Domaine Bousquet in Uco Valley Argentina, is a feel-good, taste-good wine with more altitude, attitude, and fewer calories.

The name is a play on “low-calorie,” but Loca also means “crazy” in Spanish. So, this LO-CA Chardonnay is low-calorie, low-alcohol, low-sugar, vegan, gluten-free, USDA-certified organic, Regenerative Organic Certified™, and Eco cert-approved – how crazy is that!

This LO-CA wine is produced from 100% Chardonnay that is fermented in stainless steel tanks for 12-17 days. Bottling followed shortly after to ensure peak freshness.

This LO-CA Chardonnay is medium gold in color with medium aromas of tropical fruit. On the palate it has flavors or grapefruit and green apple with crisp acidity.

This is an easy to drink, light and refreshing wine that can be enjoyed at any time and fits right in as the Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week!

Alcohol: 9% Acidity-Ph: 8.4/3.24 gm/L, Residual Sugar: 1.15 gm/L, Calories:75 per 5 oz serving

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

Sample Provided by Domaine Bousquet (via Creative Palate Communications)

Ever Wonder? How are Non-Alcoholic Wines Made and are they Good?

Non-alcoholic wines have been around for years. But, you may have wondered:

  • “What exactly is non-alcoholic wine?”

  • “How is it made?”

  • “Is it any good?”

First, let’s look at non-alcoholic wine. It actually is ‘real’ wine that’s been made from fermented grapes. It can have similar flavors to wine, just without the alcohol. Although, non-alcoholic wine may still contain a very small amount of alcohol. So, check the label - it will tell you the exact amount of alcohol that it contains.

Now, let’s take a brief look at how non-alcoholic wine made. As stated previously, it starts with "‘real’ wine made from fermented grapes. Then it goes through one of two processes to remove the alcohol. One method is called vacuum distillation where the wine is heated to temperatures where the alcohol begins to evaporate. This temperature is below the boiling point of the wine but, because the boiling point of alcohol is lower than water, the alcohol ‘boils’ off and is pulled away in a vacuum chamber.

The other method is reverse osmosis. This process uses an extremely fine filter that only allows the water and the alcohol to pass through. The filter catches all the fine grape particles that give the wine its color, its tannin and its flavors. The mixture of water and alcohol is then distilled to remove the alcohol. The left-over water is then recombined with the grape solids to form a non-alcoholic wine.

The same processes are used for “low calorie” or low-alcohol wines except they don’t remove all the alcohol.

Now, there’s the final question “Is non-alcoholic wine any good?” And, as you might have guessed, it’s not as good as “real” wine but it does have a lot of similarities. We’ll discuss this a bit more next time. Until then, Cheers!

Food and Wine Pairing - Just the Basics

The following suggestions are general guidelines for food and wine pairings. The first rule is drink what you like! The second rule is choose a wine that won’t get overpowered by the flavors of the food. But, if you’re looking for some help, here are some general pairing suggestions:

  • Sparkling wines work well with most any food 

  • Pork and chicken dishes work well with most white wines

  • Carb-based meals (pasta, potatoe, rice) work well with acidic wines, like Sauvignon Blanc (white), Pinot Noir or Barbera (reds)

  • Spicy dishes generally pair well with fruitier, sweeter wines (Riesling, Grüner Veltliner, Gamay Beaujolais, Carménère)

  • Rich or fatty dishes can benefit from either a high acid wine such as a Pinot Noir or an oaked Chardonnay that will complement the flavors

  • Red meats that are well-marbleized with fat, work well with higher tannin wines, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah or Tannat

Some Further Specifics:

  • Brunches

    • Egg dishes, Quiche: Sparkling Wine, Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, Un-oaked Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio

  • Poultry

    • Un-Seasoned Grilled Chicken: Sauvignon Blanc, Un-oaked Chardonnay

    • Chicken with Barbecue Sauce: Zinfandel

    • Spicy Asian Chicken: Grüner Veltliner

    • Turkey: Most white wines, Pinot Nor and Zinfandel

  • Red Meats

    • Steaks: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petite Syrah, Zinfancel, Merlot

    • Hamburgers: Most red wines

    • BBQ Beef Ribs: Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel

  • Seafood

  • Mild White Fish: Pinot Grigio, Viognior, Un-oaked Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc

  • Medium Fish (trout, snapper, grouper, or halibut): Un-oaked Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Noir

  • Bolder Fish (salmon, swordfish and tuna): Pinot Noir

  • Lobster: Sparkling wine, Sauvignon Blanc

  • Crab: Oaked Chardonnay

The bottom-line is back to rule number one - drink what you like! But, hopefully these suggestions will help if you’re in a quandary. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Vitis Ridge Cabernet Franc

2017 Vitis Ridge Cabernet Franc ($34)

Vitis Ridge is currently owned and operated by Chris & Sharon Deckelmann.  What started as a hobby in their garage over 20 years ago has evolved into one of the North Willamette Valley's most popular wineries. Vitis Ridge is part of the Cascade Foothills Winegrowers, a consortium of wineries on the East side of the Willamette Valley.

Established in 2005, Vitis Ridge is a boutique Oregon winery producing about 3,000 cases annually. They focus on unique wines and specialty blends and are currently offering 30 varietals.

Their Estate vineyards are comprised of nearly 150 acres and include Pinot Noir, Maréchal Foch, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Chardonnay, and Muscat.  They also bring in grapes from vineyards throughout the Northwest to provide a broader range of offerings and interesting terrior differences.

This Vitis Ridge Cabernet Franc is sourced from Washington’s Yakima Valley. It it deep purple in color with notes of red fruit and spices. On the palate it is rich with intense flavors of red fruit (raspberry), blueberry and black plum with the distinct Cabernet Franc spicy, peppery notes.

This wine is excellent and a great value, too! Vitis Ridge always keeps their prices affordable so you can open the bottle you want to drink anytime...not just for the special event. That makes this Vitis Ridge Viognier a perfect fit as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week!

Next time you are in the Willamette Valley in Oregon, stop in at Vitis Ridge and meet their Tasting Room Manager, Brian Everest, to check out all their great wines. Cheers!

Disclosure: This wine was purchased directly from Vitas Ridge. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.