In order to convert the grape’s natural sugars to alcohol, wine must go through fermentation.  But a winemaker may also decide to put the wine through a second fermantation, called malolactic fermentation (malo, for short). Malolactic is almost always used in red wines but is sometimes used on whites, most often on Chardonnay. Malolactic fermentation converts the malic acid (tart, like a green apple) to lactic acid (mild, creamy). This calms the acidity and can give the wine a buttery, rich mouthfeel.

A wine tasting can be based on any theme, but two of the most common are “Vertical” and “Horizontal” tastings.

A Vertical is a tasting in which one wine, from one producer is tasted across a series of vintages. The point of a vertical is to observe how the wine has changed over time and also discover its best/worst vintages.

A Horizontal tasting is one in which a style of wine (varietal, region etc.) is tasted across many producers in one vintage to discover the differences in how each producer crafts the wine when the vintage is constant.

Whatever you choose, you can learn a lot by comparing wines side-by-side! Planning on hosting your own wine tasting at home? Our Wine Enthusiast Essential Wine Tasting Kit is a great start!

Many wine lovers are familiar with Hermitage, the world-renowned wine from France’s Rhone Valley. But the origin of its name is an interesting story.

Throughout the 12th and 13th centuries, as battle raged in the Holy Land, legend has it that one Crusader, returning home to the Northern Rhone territory, threw down his armament and declared his days of battle behind him. Bearing Syrah vines, the man became a hermit and built a chapel on a hill, vowing that his vineyard would be his hermitage, and thus the venerable Hermitage wine region was founded. With just 331 acres of vineyards on the east side of the Rhone, the hilly Hermitage area towers over the riverfront town of Tain-l’Hermitage, and yields are low, making the wines very rare. Reds are made mainly from Syrah, but also Marsanne and Roussanne, and are renowned for their deep color, complex aromas and long cellaring life. Whites are harder to come by (account for about a quarter of production) and are made from Marsanne and Roussanne. They are known for being full-bodied and, likewise, have long aging potential.

As featured in the October issue of Wine Enthusiast Magazine. For more articles from the October issue visit Winemag.com

Stelvin is just a fancy name for a screw cap. It’s a particular brand of screw cap, made of metal, that has become almost universal. The brand name is used generically, much like “Kleenex” or “Xerox”. Screw caps have become a popular cork alternative as of late, as wineries seek to prevent the damages of cork taint. Much of the reason for using cork (aside from the romance) is to allow wine to breathe over time as it ages. Thus, wines that aren’t mean to age are fine under the Stelvin closure.

A certain type of mold called Trichloroanisole (TCA) can attack the cork and spoil the wine. This is known as “cork taint.” It’s not common (1-3% of wine is infected) but it happens enough to cause wineries and consumers a lot of grief. Imagine paying $60 for a special bottle and opening it, only to find that it smells like a dank basement or wet newspaper! And imagine the frustration of the winemaker, that his/her wine could potentially reach your lips in this spoiled state.

En Primeur is a term used to refer to wine futures, usually referring to high-end Bordeaux. Before the wine is bottled, critics and buyers taste a sample from barrel and their perception of its quality determines the future value. Interested consumers are then allowed to purchase the wine “en primeur.” The benefit is that you can purchase the wine before the price increases. Sometimes the purpose is to turn a profit and sometimes it’s for personal consumption. Someone may purchase a wine future and not receive the wine for many years. Futures are especially popular in great vintages, like 2005 Bordeaux.

“Rhône Ranger” is a term used to describe pioneer winemakers in California in the 1980s who introduced grape varieties from France’s Rhône Valley (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Viognier and more) to the soils of the region. These grapes flourished, making some of the early “Rhône Rangers” famous for the idea. It now commands a large following with even a Rhône Rangers association of which dozens of California wineries are members.

Garrigue is a tasting term used to describe herbal, earthy and/or lavender-like aromas that are often found in wines from the Mediterranean basin (including the Rhone Valley and Provence). The term originates from a type of perfumed, seaside scrub-brush composed of kermes oak, herbs and flowers such as lavender, thyme, sage and rosemary. Certain circles consider it to be the best example of terroir, in that the well-made wines from this region have an undeniable, unique earthiness that can only be ascribed to the climate and soil of the region where the grapes are grown.

As featured in the July issue of Wine Enthusiast Magazine, for more great wine information visit Wine Enthusiast Magazine Online

Petite Sirah (also called Durif) is a thick-skinned black grape, which was an offspring of Syrah in the late 1800’s, but now it is entirely its own varietal. It creates an incredibly dense and tannic red wine that is often used for blending but can be found on its own as well. It doesn’t appeal to everyone but its fans are passionate. It even has an advocacy group, P.S. I Love You!

Syrah is a dark-skinned grape as well which yields powerful wines too, though not as dark as Petite Sirah. Syrah was first planted in the Rhone Valley of France but has now expanded globally, most notably to Australia where it’s known as Shiraz.

We offer both Petite Sirah and Syrah at WineExpress.com

Roses can be made in a sweet or dry style and from a variety of red grapes including Zinfandel, Grenache, Merlot, Mourvedre and more.

As featured in the July issue of Wine Enthusiast Magazine, read more at WineEnthusiast.com/magazine