The flavor of oak in wine of Arizona
Discover the of Arizona wines revealing the of oak flavor during the olphactive analysis (nose) and during the gustative analysis (mouth).
Arizona is located in the extreme Southwestern corner of the United States of America, bordered by Mexico to the south and southern California to the west. It covers 300,000 km² (114,000 square miles) between latitudes 31°N and 36°N. The main varieties used to make Arizona wines are Syrah, Viognier, Muscat and, of course, the ubiquitous Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel. They do best in cooler regions, especially in the southwest.
Grapes have been grown in Arizona for over 400 years, originally by Spanish missionaries who needed wine for religious purposes. This is a common story throughout the United States - especially in the south and west - and also in South American countries. Although Arizona was almost entirely devoid of viticulture after Prohibition, the industry has since undergone a renaissance of sorts. There are now two sub-regional AVAs and hopes for a third, and the wines are beginning to gain international recognition.
My book The Complete Bordeaux, which has been revised every five years, is soon to be published in its fourth edition. This may seem like excessive haste, given the scope of the book, but it is astonishing how rapidly changes can take place in the region. Burgundy, in contrast, is relatively stable, since most properties are family-owned and tend to stay that way. But not so in Bordeaux, where there are ample opportunities for newcomers to acquire established properties, as they have been doing ...
First past the post in a race for the world’s first biodynamic whisky release was Waterford Distillery’s Luna 1.1, made with biodynamic barley from three Irish farms. Matured in used and new American oak, French oak and vin doux naturel casks, the single malt joins Waterford’s Arcadian Series heritage range. Released towards the end of 2021 and priced at £89.95 per 70cl at Master of Malt and The Whisky Exchange, Waterford Luna 1.1 (Alc 50%) is fruity with mellow cereal and rye notes. The smooth ...
Last year, there was much mirth on wine Twitter about a particularly excruciating tasting note. You’re right. The wine trade needs to get out more. But still… this one was a beauty. It began well enough – really quite beautiful, in fact. But before long the imaginative descriptions were getting more ornate and strained. It moved from poetic to meaningless before finishing with a reference to Burnt Norton – the first of TS Eliot’s Four Quartets – that put it firmly in Private Eye magazine’s ...