Anthony Mulders – De Beir
Unusual grape varieties used for sparkling wine: Xinomavro
Xinomavro, which literally means ‘sour black’, is a Greek variety coming from the upper north of the country and often compared to the Nebbiolo. This is due to its resemblance in earthy aromas and its ability to age for quite a long a few years. Due to its high acidity and complex structure, beautiful results…
Read More
Unusual Sparkling: Auxerrois
For this issue of Unusual Sparkling, I went back to my Belgian roots, and almost all the way to my birth region. An hour’s drive south from the region of Bruges, where I grew up, you find the Flemish wine region of Heuvelland. Here, the use of the right varieties has made it possible to…
Read More
Unusual Grape Varieties Used For Sparkling Wine: Nerello Mascalese
This native Sicilian grape variety is mainly found on the Eastern part of the island, around the city of Catania, where it usually grows on the steep slopes of the Etna. This explains the prolific notes of flint and smoky spices. By itself, it is a wonderful variety that produces elegant and high-quality red and…
Read More
Unusual Grape Varieties Used For Sparkling Wine: Pinot Gris
New Zealand is the land of Sauvignon Blanc, the grape that made the country shine on the wine map of the world. However, since the late 1980’s, and early 1990’s the country has developed an outstanding reputation in terms of high-quality wine, and has been known for its remarkable Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and…
Read More
Unusual Grape Varieties Used For Sparkling Wine: The Albariño
We all know the three varieties used to produce Champagne, that in the Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and the Meunier. An adaption of the blend is made in several new world countries such as Australia or South-Africa. Further than that the Gleira grape gains popularity with the production of Prosecco and we find the blend of…
Read More
A Guide To French Crémant
Crémant, the French word for creamy, refers to a group of sparkling wines from France, other than Champagne. Different Crémant, made of different grape varieties, coming from different regions. Feeling a bit confused? This article will happily guide you through them! The French Crémant is the sparkling wine that is produced in almost every wine…
Read More
Limoux, The Oldest Sparkling Wine In The World
To everybody’s surprise, not to mention disappointment, it is not Champagne that holds the reputation of the oldest sparking in the world, but it is the sparkling of Limoux! Limoux, a town in the region of Occitanie in France is not only the oldest sparkling winemaking region in the world but is also one of…
Read More
Botanic: A Unique Sparkling Retsina!
Retsina is a famous wine style coming from Greece, where pine resin gets added to the wine so more herbaceous aromas can develop. One innovative winery took this old traditional method a step further. A coincidental twist of fate led to the production of a sparkling Retsina, the very first in Greece, and therefore in…
Read More
Sparkling Shiraz: So Australian!
The Rhone Valley grape of Syrah has made a new life for itself on the other side of the globe, where it has made its mark as Shiraz on the Australian wine market. Shiraz is now considered to be the signature grape of Australia. Shiraz is a very heat and drought resistant grape that develops…
Read More