Moscato or Muscat is thought to be the precursor of all modern wine grape varieties. Yet this ancient grape variety is finding new popularity today. A leading search engine provider indicates that Moscato is the most searched grape variety. The rapper, Kanye West, has a popular song that proclaims “we need a bottle of Moscato”.

So what’s up with this trendy grape variety? Moscato is actually comprised of hundreds of different varieties that range in colour from white to almost black. The grape is grown in temperate countries around the world, but most Moscato wines we see in Alberta are from California and are white wines. Some Moscato wines border on port like characteristics and can be consumed as dessert wines.

Moscato wines are noted for their musky, fresh grape flavours. This white wine variety has high concentrations of the antioxidants flavanoids and as high as many varieties of red wine. This means Moscato may have the same beneficial effects attributed to red wine consumption. Just tell that to people as you enjoy your Moscato.

We now offer a wonderful World Vineyard California Moscato. If you are looking for an off-dry white, and an alternative to traditional off-dry whites like Piesporter or Liebfraumilch this is a wine you should try. This kit will be lush, fruity, and delightfully sweet with juicy peach and tropical fruit flavours. In blind tasting at Winexpert and at Andrew Peller Limited, the World Vineyard California Moscato received the exact same scores as Barefoot Cellars Moscato, the top selling Moscato in the U.S.

Nebbiolo is a red Italian grape variety that is predominately grown in the Piedmont area of northern Italy, just below the Alps. It is actually native to this region. The word Nebbiolo is derived from the Italian word nebbia which means fog. This is because in October when the grapes are harvested the area can be quiet foggy. The resulting wine from Nebbiolo grapes typically is lighter red in colour, but can take on an orange red appearance particularly on the rim of the wine. The wine is one of the highest tannin containing wines around. Because of the high tannic nature of this wine, commercial Nebbiolos can take years to mature and be drinkable.

Barolo and Barbaresco are two provinces in the Piedmont district of Italy that grow the Nebbiolo grape. Most commercial wines containing Nebbiolo are marketed with the name of the these provinces. A decent commercial Barolo will retail typically starting at $40/bottle, Barbaresco maybe slightly less. The folks of this region are particularly proud of their wines and grape orchards. In fact in the 15th century cutting down of a Nebbiolo vine was punishable by cutting off your right arm. Repeated offenses were subject to hanging.

Nebbiolo is described as big, strapping and redolent with aromas of tar and roses, with chocolate, licorice and rich, spicy fruit. It has a good amount of acids like most Italian wines. It is best paired with rich lamb and beef dishes, stews, any mushrooms or root vegetables.

In April, we are featuring a Selection Limited Edition Italian Nebbiolo with grape skins from the Ghiardello Vineyard in Reggio Emilia, Italy. We have a few extras so be sure to snap one up.

Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound! Look, up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Super Tuscan! Huh!

What are Super Tuscans? Well, back in the 80’s, see something good came out of the 80’s, several Italian winemakers found themselves in hot water. These guys were producing some outstanding wines, but not using traditional Italian varietals, well at least in pure form. The Italian authorities would not allow the marketing of Italian wines unless they were authorized varieties and sanctioned methods. Chianti, which has Sangiovese as the main grape variety, but also can be a bland with other traditional Italian grape varieties. But heaven forbid if you blended it with non-Italian varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon. Heresy!

So these renegade winemakers starting blending Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and a traditional Italian variety Sangiovese, and sometimes others. These renegades felt they could make a better wine than those wines that had to be made within the Italian regulations. At the same time, the chief Italian red wine Chianti was the joke of the world’s wine. It had become bland table wine often found in cheap wicker baskets. This has since changed and perhaps these renegades were partially responsible to waking the Italian wine industry up.

Because these hooligans were doing this in bold defiance of Italian regulators the wines were branded as Super Tuscans. In the 1990’s the Italian authorities capitulated and allowed the designation Super Tuscans to hold.

Super Tuscans are big, bold, dark beautiful wines, velvety smooth with great structure and decent tannins. Super T’s pair well with any red meat, meat or mushroom based lasagna, or pepperoni or mushroom pizza. Commercial Super Tuscans start around $30, are commonly priced at $80 and can fetch up to $250.

In March, we will be offering the Limited Edition Vineco Sangiovese Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine will provide wonderful ripe blackberry fruit tastes, deep colour and firm tannins. We also offer the Cellar Craft Rosso Fortissimo and Vineco Founders Series Super Tuscan as regular product offerings.

Petit Verdot, a small grape with perhaps the biggest, boldest most structured wine. It is primarily used in classic French Bordeaux blends where it provides body and structure to these blends. Petit Verdot is high in tannins.

Because it ripens much later than other Bordeaux varietals it is not the primary grape in the blend and in some cooler shorter years maybe be absent. However in Australia, it ideally suited with the longer warm growing season. In Australia it is often sold on its own and not in a blend.

The origins of Petit Verdot are unknown, but it is an ancient variety, pre-dating Cabernet Sauvignon this variety is not for those that prefer fruity wines, but rather for those that like big bold wines.

When consumed young, Petit Verdot has banana-like aromas and pencil shavings. As it ages, strong tones of violet and leather develop.

What foods to enjoy your Petit Verdot? Because of the rigid tannic structure of the wine it goes well with foods with plenty of weight, protein and fat. So think of red meats, particularly barbecued, well-aged cheese such as Stilton, wild game and lamb chops.

You will find Petit Verdot in the February KenRidge Showcase Collection Menage a Trois. It is also available as a single varietal in the Selection Australian Petit Verdot which comes with crushed grapes.

This month’s white Limited Edition from Winexpert is a Torrontes. No, its not from the capital of Ontario, but rather Argentina. If you have never heard of Torrontes before you are in for a treat. A must do, in my books if you like dry whites. What is Torrontes?

Torrontes is a white grape variety unique to Argentina. It produces a fresh, aromatic, crisp white wine with outstanding quality. This moderate acidic wine, produces peach and apricot aromas. Genetic testing of Torrontes seem to indicate it was derived from Muscat, so no wonder it is so aromatic and fruit like.

So what would we compare it to that you might be familiar with. Perhaps a cross between Viognier, with wonderful aromas and citrus flavours and Gewurztraminer, dry, but with flinty fruit flavours. The New York times calls Torrontes, the white Argentinian counterpart to Malbec.

What to pair it with? Couple of suggestions, apple-walnut salad, grilled Mahi-Mahi, pork with caramelized onions.