New Year. New Wine. New You.
I'm going to start out the year in 2024 by challenging YOU. We all fall back on our comfort zones...the way we like our coffee, what meals we eat on certain days, the songs we play given our mood, and often what wine goes into our glass. We want familiarity. We want something we can pronounce. We want something that tastes understandable.
In 2024, it's the year of NEW WINE, NEW YOU.
Get out of your comfort zone when it comes to wine. I assure you: if you like something, you're going to like something else. Doing your part is the fun bit! Try a new wine you cannot pronounce. Whether it's from a place you're unfamiliar with or made from a grape you've never heard of before. Here's a list of hard to pronounce and scary grapes that won't scare you once they are in your glass:
Courtesy of Vintage59 Imports
Romorantin - a unique grape that was once widely planted in the Loire Valley. Today it is the mono-variety of the Loire Valley appellation Cour-Cheverny. Famously a half-sister of Chardonnay: both Romorantin & Chardonnay share Gouais Blanc as the maternal plant material. Recommended wine: Domaine des Huards Cour-Cheverny "Romo" 2019
Tsolikouri - native grape to the Republic of Georgia, known to handle warm and humid conditions. It produces full bodied white wines, with or without skin contact. The amber version with skin maceration is common. Recommended wine: Baia's Wine Tsitska-Tsolikouri-Krakhuna Imereti Georgia 2021
Hárslevelü - let's get to Hungary, and it's no surprise their wines make me hungry. Hárslevelü is fun to say once you get the pronunciation down, and it's so dang food friendly that is deserves to be at your winter or spring dinner table delighting you and dinner guests. Recommended wine: Somlói Vándor Hárslevelü 2020
Photo by Valeriy Voennyy
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