Abruzzo Wine Region is in an Exciting Phase of Transformation – Part lll – Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo for the Summer!

My new favorite rose style for the summer is “Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo!” and here is why…

This is Abruzzo’s rose and it represents a classic, long-established style that is native only to this region. The DOC has existed since 2010, while previously these (rose) wines were under the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC.

Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo wines get their distinctive deep red colour from a short maceration period (24 hours). The high-level of anthocyanins (in the skin) of the grape imbues the must with colour and tannin during this short process and time. Thereafter, the juice is matured in stainless steel for a few months before bottling.

Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo’s Profile

Cerasuolo wines traditionally have a deep, garnet color, and are made from the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo grape variety. During my recent visit, I found producers and winemakers making these wines lighter and paler in colour than in previous years,

These wines have a fruit-forward profile and energetic acidity along with great intense tannic character and wonderful freshness.  It’s interesting to note that these wines have good aging potential.

I attended a wonderful six-course dinner paired with Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo. What stood out for me what that we dined on local dishes, including antipasto, a risotto dish, white meat dish, and a variety of local seafood and all the wines tasted stood up to these dishes!

#abruzzowine #cerasuolodabruzzo #rosewine #roseallday #rosewinelover @visititaly #vinidabruzzo #abruzzowines #abruzzo #abruzzoitaly #abruzzowine #wine #winelover #travelling #winetravel #winetourism #womeninwine #wineexperience #winelovers #winetravels #winetasting #wineinfluencer #wineadventures #traveldiary #traveling #italianwines #vin #abruzzowines #vinidabruzzo #abruzzolovers #abruzzowinelovers #abruzzo #regioneabruzzo @ieemusa

Drone Footage on Mount Etna [The Highest Active Volcano in Europe]

…….Pls note:  DF will be found on my Instagram @lizpalmer_

One of the most memorable highlights of my trip to Sicily was a 1.5 km hike up Mount Etna with Federico Lombardo di Monte Iato, COO of Firriato wines, and Rossella Marino Abate, Consulente Social Media presso Firriato and to celebrate the trek tasting Le Sabbie Dell’Etna Rose 2021 on lava rocks.

Experiencing Mount Etna in person was like visiting a distant planet, as you can see from the footage. We had clear visibility with various cloud formations which made the trek more magical. Views of the terrain were spectacular….

We walked through startling volcanic landscapes: silver birch woods, pine forests, and lava flows.  The terrain was very challenging with the altitude changes and unstable volcanic rock, but worth it!

There are documented records of Mount Etna historical eruptions dating back to 1500 BCE. Scientists have found that activity has frequently originated from its summit areas, which include the Northeast Crater, the Voragine-Bocca Nuova complex, the Southeast Crater (formed in 1978) and the New Southeast Crater (formed in 2011).  Another crater, the “cono della sella” developed during 2017 between SEC and NSEC. Its most recent eruptive period began in September 2013 and more recently has been characterized by Strombolian explosions, ash plumes, lava fountaining, and flows.

According to the Smithsonian Institution, Global Volcanism Program Mount Etna has three volcanic types: Stratovolcano, Caldera, and Pyroclastic cone.

Stratovolcano is located:

Latitude 37.748°N

Longitude 14.999°E

Summit 3320 m

Elevation 10,892 ft

And believe it or not scientists have numbered the volcanos and Mount Etna is active Volcano Number 211060.  Its last known eruption was February 23-25 2022 CE. A brief overview of the report follows.

Last Report
February 23 – March 1 2022

INGV reported that during 23-25 February activity at Etna’s Southeast Crater (SEC) was characterized by Strombolian activity and occasional ash emissions that rapidly dispersed to the SSW and SSE. At 1338 on 24 February a forceful ash emission from Northeast Crater drifted SSE. A diffuse ash emission rose from the same crater at 1642. Emissions at Bocca Nuova Crater consisted mainly of gas with occasional minor ash content during 21-27 February.

Source: Sezione di Catania – Osservatorio Etneo (INGV)

Wine Tasting on Mount Etna

Le Sabbie Dell’Etna Rose 2021

Grape Variety: Nerello Mascalese 100%

The grapes come from different areas of the North side of the Etna. The soil

composition is Loamy –sandy of volcanic origin, highly draining. Exposure is

the Northeastern side of the Volcano (720 metres above sea level).

Tasting Notes

Beautiful fine pink colour; The wine has pronounced intensity on the nose with aromas of ripe raspberries, pomegranate, and minerality; on the palate there is freshness, medium acidity, with flavors of strawberries lots of minerality through to a long finish.  A great elegant wine that reflects the territorial characteristics of its origin. 

Thank you Federico Lombardo di Monte Iato, Firriato wines, and Rossella Marino Abate for this amazing memorable experience!

#winesofsicily #sicilianwines #italianwines #siciliaenprimeur2022 #siciliaenprimeur #Sicilia #Sicily #SicilyWine #WineofSicily #DrinkSicily #sicilianwine #sicilianwines #vinosiciliano #vinosicilia #winelovers #wineexperience #travelling #winetravels #winetourism #traveler #winetasting #wineinfluencer #wineadventures #traveling #italianwine #italianwinelovers #AssoviniSicilia #Firriato #FirriatoExperience #FirriatoWinery #volcanicwine #drone #dronephotography #dronepilot

@assovinisicilia @just_sicily @wineinsicily

Interview: Elizabeth Gabay – “Rosé has the potential to be the most exciting wine category around”

Elizabeth Gabay is a Master of Wine and the world’s foremost rosé expert. She is the author of ‘Rosé: Understanding the Pink Wine Revolution’ (2018), the ‘Buyers Guide to the Rosés of Southern France’ (2021),and was recently on the panel of the Rosé Wine Session, Concours Mondial de Bruxelles.

When did you discover your passion for rosé and what fascinates you about it?

EG: Quite late. I was turned off by the marketing of the lifestyle image, swimming pool wine. Around 2015, I started to taste more interesting rosés – but still only from Provence. Once I started researching the rosé book in late 2016, I just discovered more and more. Rosé has the potential to be the most exciting wine category around.

What do rosé wines owe their rising popularity to?

EG: This is the multi-million-dollar question. Global warming, hotter summers. Young Millennial market looking for easy, fun, glamour drinks. The rise in quality. Excellent marketing campaign by Provence for the past 25 years.

What makes rosé wine so appealing to Millennials?

EG: Rose initially sold itself as a simple fun wine which did not need in-depth wine knowledge, vintage charts or a big budget. Marketing pushed the lifestyle image. 2010 and the rise of Instagram fed into this marketing.

Are rosé wines still more of a female drink?

EG: In many places, but not universally.

Is rosé a “summer wine”?

EG: No, it stopped being just a summer wine a while back. From easter to autumn…. The season is long and there are weightier rosés good throughout winter.

In terms of origin and style, what are the most sought-after rosés today?

EG: Provence still remains the most sought-after origin with ‘Provence-style’ being popular, although whether the consumer always knows what a Provence-style is other than being pale, is debatable. There are also very popular rosés in more local markets.

Currently, which are the most relevant rosé categories?

EG: I think the style is becoming as diverse as red and white. Sparkling is a massively growing sector, fresh dry rosé is a classic, natural ‘funky’ rosé is developing a small hipster market and I would love to see sweet pinks become more popular.

How do you see the future of rosé?

EG: I would like to see the wine trade not ashamed of rosé, for producers and the wine trade to recognize the full diversity of styles, for restaurant wine lists to offer as many different rosés as red and white wines. There is still a long way to go to educate the market.

Which are the rosé market trends to watch in 2022?

EG: Growth in premium and ultra-premium rosés and growth in regional identity.

Source:   Concours Mondial Bruxelles

#rosewine #winelover #Saturday #Saturdayvibes #winetime #winestagram #winenews #winetrends #rosewinetime #rosewinelovers #rosewinelover #sparklingrosewine #frenchrosewine #loverosewine #provencerose #rosewinetasting #provence #dryrosewine #rosewineday #iloverosewine  #rosewineallday #womeninwine #nationalrosewineday  #rosewinespritzer #rosewineparty #pinkrosewine

Rosé Wine Trends: Provence continues to influence

Valladolid, Spain hosted the recent Rosé Wine Session of the 2022 Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. The competition took place March 11 – 13 at the Patio Herreriano.

Along with sixty international judges, also in attendance was the Mayor of Valladolid, Óscar Puente; the Town Councillor, Ana Redondo; the Chairman of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, Baudouin Havaux; and Vice-Chairman of the Valladolid Provincial Council, Víctor Alonso.

Valladolid Wine Region

Valladolid is the only province on the Iberian Peninsula that boasts five appellations: Cigales, Rueda, Ribera del Duero, Toro and León. There are over 27,000 hectares planted with over twenty different grape varieties. It is also home to four wine routes: Cigales, Rueda, Toro and Ribera del Duero.

Rosé Market

Between 2002 and 2018, the global consumption of rosé wine rose from 18.3 million hectolitres to over 26 million, representing a surge of almost 40%. Western Europe and the United States are the world’s largest consumers of rosé.

Rosé Trends: Interview with Nathalie Pouzalgues, for Concours Mondial de Bruxelles

Nathalie Pouzalgues, winemaker, and project manager with the Centre for Rosé Research in Vidauban, Var.

  1. When did you begin your work on rosé wines?

I joined the team at the Rosé Wine Centre in 2011, but before that I worked at the Côtes de Provence producers’ organization. The Rosé Wine Centre was established in 1999, on the initiative of the Provence wine industry (CIVP and Var Chamber of Agriculture) and the French Vine & Wine Institute. It is a one-of-a-kind resource in France and worldwide for applied research into rosé wines. Our aim is to improve the quality of rosé wines by conducting experiments that range from the vine itself through to the bottled wine. My role within the team is to run experiments focusing on rosé wine and I specialise in applied research on sensory wine analysis.

  1. Where does the information for your research come from?

Research programmes involving either viticulture, oenology or sensory analysis are regularly submitted at different levels. Depending on the research topic, we do agronomy monitoring, small-batch winemaking (100 litres) and/or tastings. The research findings are processed using a range of statistical tools and then passed on to industry members through scientific and technical journals, video-conferences, symposiums, etc.

  1. How have rosé wines changed over the past decade?

The quality of rosé wines has improved. From a technical perspective, temperature control from harvesting the grapes through to storing the wine in bottles was one of the first noteworthy advances. The second breakthrough stems from oxygen management, controlling oxidation and now planning vineyard management designed for rosé wine. You don’t manage a vineyard in the same way if you aim to make rosé or red wine.

  1. Rosé sales in France account for approximately 30% of the market, ahead of white wine. Why is rosé so popular in France?

The quality of French rosé is indisputable. Some regions, such as Provence, are iconic. It is also important to realise how attached the French are to the way rosé is drunk – it is relaxed, unconventional and sociable.

  1. There is an international trend towards paler, drier rosés. In your opinion, what is driving this trend, and will it continue in the future?

The motivation for making drier, paler rosé wines is definitely a bid to replicate the Provence rosé model of delicate, light, fruity wines. There is no way of knowing whether this trend will continue, but we do know that it is not just a passing fad. Rosé wines from Provence have always been in this category. They have a very light colour and are aromatic with floral, fruity and mineral notes. On the palate, they are rounded yet dry, with very fruity, refreshing notes that often recall citrus and tropical fruit.

  1. Which countries predominantly adopt this style?

As far as I know, this is a widespread phenomenon and affects various French regions and different countries. Areas with a Mediterranean climate and grape varieties are certainly better equipped to produce the light, fruity, rounded yet dry wines that consumers currently favour.

  1. Does the international trend for paler rosés affect those from Provence?

The trend may lead to some confusion but conversely, it strengthens Provence’s status as a benchmark. If the colours are similar, this creates a whole new ballgame, shifting emphasis to aromas and flavours. And here too, we are ahead of the curve. The vineyards of Provence are genuine rosé terroirs.

  1. Are certain grape varieties better suited to producing pale, dry rosé wines?

Grape varieties with less colour that deliver fruitiness seem to be better suited to producing pale, dry rosé wines because their fruitiness creates an impression of sweetness when actually the wines are dry.

  1. In your experience, is protecting traditional rosé production techniques and the use of local (native) grape varieties still a trend?

Yes, for a significant part. High-tech methods and expertise do not rule out the use of ancient techniques (concrete, terracotta or wooden vessels, a curb on sulphites, etc.) and traditional grape varieties (Rosé du Var).

Source:  Concours Mondial

 

Save the Dates: 2022 Wine Days to Celebrate!

To help you plan for 2022, here is list of some of the biggest wine days out there – in chronological order.

This list is comprised of important national or international wine days, with relevant hashtags, is a great starting point to assist you in planning fun and engaging posts. If I missed any dates, or if there are any new dates to be added, please let me know.

Happy Wine Tasting!

Liz Palmer

February

February 1, 2022 – International Furmint Day – #furmintday
February 16, 2022 – International Syrah Day – #syrahday
February 18, 2022 – Global Drink Wine Day – #drinkwineday
February 26, 2022 – Open That Bottle Night – #openthatbottlenight

March

March 3, 2022 – Mulled Wine Day – #mulledwineday
March 13, 2022 – International Riesling Day – #rieslingday

April

April 14, 2022 – Tannat Day – #tannatday
April 17, 2022 – World Malbec Day – #malbecday
April 23, 2022 – International Cava Day – #cavaday
April 27, 2022 – World Marselan Day – #worldmarselanday
April 29, 2022 – International Viognier Day – #internationalviognierday

May

May 6, 2022 – International Sauvignon Blanc Day – #sauvignonblancday
May 9, 2022 – World Moscato Day – #worldmoscatoday
May 17, 2022 – Pinot Grigio Day – #pinotgrigioday
May 25, 2022 – National Wine Day – #nationalwineday
May 26, 2022 – International Chardonnay Day – #internationalchardonnayday

June

June 10, 2022 – World Verdejo Day – #worldverdejoday
June 11, 2022 – National Rosé Day – #nationalroseday
June 18, 2022 – Drink Chenin Blanc Day – #drinkcheninblancday
June 20, 2022 – International Chenin Blanc Day -#internationaldrinkcheninblancday
June 21, 2022 – World Lambrusco Day – #worldlambruscoday

July

July 22, 2022 – Shiraz Day #shirazday
July 25, 2022 – National Wine & Cheese Day – #wine&cheeseday

August

August 1, 2022 – International Albarino Day – #albarinoday
August 4, 2022 – National White Wine Day – #nationalwhitewineday
August 13, 2022 – International Prosecco Day – #proseccoday
August 18, 2022 – International Pinot Noir Day – #pinotnoirday
August 28, 2022 – National Red Wine Day – #redwineday
August 30, 2022 – International Cabernet Day – #cabernetday

September

September 1, 2022 – International Cap Classique Day – #capclassiqueday
September 1, 2022 – International Cabernet Day – #cabernetsauvignonday

September 2, 2022 – National Chianti Day – #chiantiday
September 10, 2022 – International Port Wine Day – #internationalportday
September 16, 2022 – International Grenache Day #grenacheday

October

October 5, 2022 – World Vranec Day – #worldvranecday
October 6, 2022 – National Orange Wine Day – #nationalorangewineday
October 8, 2022 – International Pinotage Day – #pinotageday
October 14, 2022 – Prokupac Day – #prokupacday
October 26, 2022 – International Mavrud Day – #mavrudday
October 27, 2022 – International Carignan Day – #carignanday
October 28 – World Champagne Day – #champagneday

November

November 1, 2022 – International Xinomavro Day – #internationalxinomavroday
November 7, 2022 – International Merlot Day – #internationalmerlotday
November 10, 2022 – International Tempranillo Day -#internationaltempranilloday
November 12, 2022 – Wine Tourism Day – #winetourismday
November 16, 2022 – National Zinfandel Day – #zinfandelday
November 17, 2022 – Beaujolais Nouveau Day – #beaujolaisnouveauday
November 24, 2022 – International Carmenere Day – #carménèreday

December

December 1, 2022 – International Maratheftiko Day – #maratheftikoday
December 4, 2022 – International Cabernet Franc Day – #cabernetfrancday
December 10, 2022 – World Aszú Day – #worldazsuday
December 16, 2022 – Pinot Meunier Day – #meunierday

#winedays #2022winedays #winecalendar #winelovers
#wine #winetasting #redwine #whitewine #rosewine #instawine #winetime
#winenews #internationalwineday #nationalwineday #cheers #winestagram
#winetourism #winemarketing #digitalmarketing #vin #vinho #vino