Behind the Cork™ - Beronia Crianza

2019 Beronia Crianza ($14.99)

This Beronia Crianza, from the Rioja region of Spain. Their innovative nature led them to pioneer the use of mixed oak barrels, a combination of American oak staves and French oak ends. The marriage of the two results adds a unique combination of complex aromas and flavors. American oak is widely used throughout Rioja. Hard and almost impermeable, but with a looser grain, it imparts pronounced flavors of vanilla, coconut and sweet spice. The grain of French oak is much finer than its American counterpart, and gives more subtle flavors and toasty, nutty characteristics. French oak also contributes to the soft, silken tannins found in aged red wines.

This Beronia Crianza is made primarily from Tempranillo, along with just a bit of Garnacha and Mazuelo (a.k.a. Carignan). By Rioja regulations, a Crianza (“kree-ahn-tha”) wine must be aged for a total of two years with at least one year in oak barrels. In the case of this wine, it was aged over a year in the mix oak barrels. It was then bottled and left to rest for three months prior to its release.

This wine is medium ruby in color and has nice aromatics including red fruits (cherry and raspberry) and herbal notes. On the palate this Beronia Crianza has big red fruit flavors, medium tannin and a really nice lingering finish with a bit of crisp acidity.

This Beronia Crianza Rioja is imported by González Byass USA and nicely fits as an affordable and attainable Behind the Cork™ wine of the week! 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 González Byass via Donna White Communications

How to Choose a Good Chianti

Chianti is a great wine to enjoy with an Italian meal. Whether it is spaghetti and meatballs, sausages or pizza, a Chianti is a great pairing. And it's not hard to find a good one for a very reasonable price.

Chianti is a region within Tuscany in central Italy, between Florence and Siena. And it produces the best known of the Italian wines. While the wines have been around since the Middle Ages, the Chianti region was officially established in the 18th century (1716 to be exact). But it wasn't until 1967 that the Chianti Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) was created. Then, in 1984, the region reached Italy's highest level of wines, the Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG). This is important because DOC wines are the most commonly found wines in Italy, while DOCG wines only cover a handful of Italian wines with the highest of quality.

So, again, Chianti is a region, not a grape.  The wines of Chianti are made from the Sangiovese grape. Local laws require Chianti to have at least 70% Sangiovese with the more prestigious Chianti Classico having at least 80% Sangiovese.

When shopping for Chianti, look for the black rooster (gallo nero in Italian) on the neck of the bottle.  The black rooster indicates it is authentic Chianti Classico, making it easy to distinguish from the more common Chianti.

Some may also know of Chianti as the wine bottle in the straw basket.  While this was a distinguishing trait of Chianti in the past, most producers are now using the traditional styled wine bottle. But, if you're trying to create an Italian look for your meal, a bottle of Chianti with a straw basket base will certainly do. But if you're looking for a nicer bottle of Chianti, go with the rooster and one with DOCG on the bottle. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - The Wines of Beronia from Rioja Spain

Nestled in the heart of la Rioja Alta region of Spain, the Beronia winery sits beneath a plant-covered roof, partially underground, and blends seamlessly into the hillside to preserve the natural beauty of the landscape. From their initial design conception and build of the winery to the geo-thermal temperature control and efficient waste management, every care is taken at Beronia to preserve nature’s balance. Sustainability is integral to their philosophy of producing great wines.

2022 Beronia Rosé ($12.99): This rosé produced from 60% Tempranillo and 40% Garnacha. It is pale salmon in color with delicate aromas of cherry and strawberry. On the palate, the light-bodied, dry rosé (13% ABV) has delicate flavors of candied cherry and strawberry, refreshing acidity and an easy finish.

2019 Beronia Reserva ($24.99): This Beronia Reserva is produced from 95% Tempranillo, 4% Graciano and 1% Mazuelo. It is pale purple in color with medium-high intensity aromas of black fruits, especially cherry. On the palate, this full-bodied Reserva has flavors of black cherry, black berry, medium tannin and distinct notes of oak from spending at least one year in oak, per the requirements for a “Reserva” wine in Rioja.

2015 Beronia Gran Reserva ($29.99): This Gran Reserva is produced from 94% Tempranillo, 5% Graciano and 1% Mazuelo. It is medium purple in color. On the nose it has plum and black cherry with notable oak from its 28 months in French oak (2-year requirement for a Gran Reserva). On the palate this full-bodied wine has big dark fruit flavors including black cherry, medium tannin and medium-high acidity.

Each of these wines from Beronia’s Rioja Alta region are great tasting and affordable, thus being a great fit as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wines of the Week. Salud!

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

Samples Provided by Beronia Winery via Gonzalez Byass and Donna White Communications

Rioja - Spain's Top Wine Producing Region

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

Rioja - Rioja (re-OH-hah), in northern Spain, is their top wine producing region. It produces red wines made from Tempranillo (>80%), but Carignan, Garciano, Cabernet Sauvignon and Maturana Tinta are also used in red Rioja wines.  Very few white grapes are grown in Rioja but include Chardonnay, Viura, Malvasia, Sauvignon Blanc, Verdejo and Granacha Blanca. These white wines account for less than 10% of Spain’s annual production.

Here are a few facts about Rioja wines:

The controlling board in Rioja, the Consejo Regulador DOCa Rioja, ensures that the Rioja quality requirements are met.

There are various types of Rioja wines:

“Rioja” is the most basic. It is aged for a matter of months, bottled and sold. It’s bright and fruity with big cherry flavors.

“Crianza” is required to be aged for one year in oak and spend one year in the bottle before being sold.

“Reserva” in Rioja actually means something. A Rioja Reserva is required to be aged for one year in oak and then are not sent to market for three years after vintage.

“Gran Reserva” must spend a minimum of two years in the barrel and two years in the bottle before being sold with a total of five years of aging. This wine is produced from the best grapes and ends up with the best tannin structure.

There are three wine zones in Rioja:

Rioja Alavesa - With rolling hills throughout this region, its wines tend to be similar to those of Rioja Alta with higher levels of tannin and acidity. 

Rioja Alta - With its elevation and cooler temperatures, Rioja Alta wines tend to be more balanced with good tannin and acidity. Sub-regions include:

Iregua Valley - The Iregua River divides Rioja Alta and Rioja Baja. This valley, which lies in both Rioja Alta and Rioja Baja, produces wines of medium acidity and lower tannin due to its warmer temperatures.

Najerilla Valley - This valley has the highest number of acres of vineyard in Rioja. Growing primarily Tempranillo and Garnacha from old vines (some 80 to 100 years), these wines can have smoky hints of tobacco, red fruit flavors and higher levels of tannin and acidity.

Oja Valley - The vineyards of this valley are planted at the highest elevation in Rioja Alta. The wines produced nearest the Oja river are rich, highly aromatic and lower in acidity.  Wineries on the northern side of the valley are more fruit forward with higher acidity and stronger tannin. These wines do well with aging.

Rioja Oriental - Known previously as Rioja Baja (i.e. lower in altitude), the name was changed in 2018 from Rioja Baja. The sub-region forms the largest portion of the Rioja region, and accounts for 40 percent of its wine output.

The Rioja wine production began in the period from 200 BC to the sixth century. In 1901, the phylloxera mite arrived in Rioja, causing wide-spread devastation in the region's vineyards. It was not until the 1970s that the industry once again came back to full production.

So, try some of the wines from the Rioja region of Spain. And, when you raise your glass, say “Salud!” as you will be toasting good health to everyone. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Flora Springs Napa Valley Rosé

2022 Flora Springs Napa Valley Rosé ($32)

Flora Springs was founded in 1978, but their legacy dates back to the late 1800s when wine grapes were first planted on the Napa Valley property that is now their estate vineyards.

The Flora Springs Napa Valley Rosé grapes are grown in sustainably-farmed vineyards.

This rosé is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Merlot (all red wine grapes) and Vermentino (a white wine grape). The wine is made using a classic technique known as Saignée ("San-yay") or Bleeding. Once the handpicked grapes arrived at the winery, the whole-clusters are pressed, removing the juice from the grape skins quickly in order to preserve freshness and leave the wine with its light color. After fermentation the wine was rested in tanks for seven months with twice-weekly lees stirring prior to bottling.

This Flora Springs Napa Valley Rosé is a cherry red color with delicate aromas of strawberry and cherry. On the palate it is light-bodied with medium acidity, with flavors of raspberry and cherry with a touch of sweetness and a great finish. The seven month on-lees has given this rosé a nice smoothness on the mouthfeel that makes this rosé unusually rich.

This Flora Springs Napa Valley Rosé is a new release that’s available from their website. It’s a great value and a great fit as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

14.2% Alcohol By Volume

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

Sample Provided by Flora Springs Winery via Forte Mare