La Bella Vita Frappato

When one things of red wine from the island of Sicily they think of Nero d' Avola, but there is another grape that deserves some attention Frappato. La Bella Vita "The Good Life" produces Frappato from the western side of Sicily around the city of Marsala. Frappato grapes makes light bodied wine and has a grapey nose.

Dark red to the eye, Frappato on the palate is offers good fruit and earthy nuances. Medium tannins along with a hint of spice and cherries it's dry with nice finish. This wine is best paired with red meats and game and could also go nicely with aromatic cheeses.

What grape is that....?

In a continuing effort to familiarize people with lesser known varieties of grapes grown around the world I present you with this next installment.

PLOUSSARD also called POULSARD is a thin skinned grape found in the Jura region of eastern France. It's light color makes it ideal for Vin Gris and even for making of white wines.

FRAPPATO is a red grape found mostly on the island of Sicily and is related to Sangiovese and other Italian varieties. It's a lighter bodied wine with fruity aromas. Coincidentally, there is also a Italian white grape called FRAPPATO too.

AIREN is a white grape found mostly Spain and has the distinction of being the most widely grown grape in the world.

NORTON is native to North America and is a red grape found mostly in Mid Atlantic and Mid Western region of the United States. It's the state grape of Missouri and widely planted in Virginia.

What grape is that....?

With an estimated 10,000+ varieties of grapes used to produce wine around the world, why are only familiar w/ a small portion of them. Some grapes grow in specific regions in the world, some are grown throughout the world. Some are used exclusively for blending and some are bottled by themselves. Some grapes are the same but called by different names in different parts of the world i.e. Shiraz & Syrah or Grenache & Garnacha.

In on going posts "What grape is that.." I will shed some light on lesser known varieties that are slowly making their way onto the international wine scene. Quite often we've tasted theses wines, but never knew what they were. Think about it, 10 years ago who knew what Gruner Veltliner, unless you were from Austria. Here we go......

GRILLO is a Sicilian white grape that is used in Marsala and some producers bottle it by itself and it makes for light, refreshing glass of wine. It should not be confused with the red grape GROLLEAU from the Loire Valley. This grape is often used for rose or blending. It also has a very unique taste profile.

TORRONTES from Argentina is white wine that is very aromatic on the nose and is starting to get some recognition in the U.S. after riding Malbecs coat tails.

Just a few wines for today. Continue to check back for other grapes/wines you may not have heard of.. yet!