West Valley Wine Group

Châteauneuf-du-Pape; the southern French wine region whose renown is such that it is even known among those for whom wine is a mystery. Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a historic wine region located between the towns of Orange and Avignon, in France's southern Rhône Valley. It is famous for powerful, full-bodied red wine, largely made from the classic southern Rhône grape trio of Grenache-Syrah-Mourvèdre.

The three grape varieties are behind the vast majority of the appellation's red wines. However, a total of eighteen red and white grape varieties are approved for use. Red and white grape varieties are permitted in both red and white wines of the appellation with no restrictions around the proportions.

Grenache is the principle variety of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. It is well suited to the terroir and performs better here than in any other French wine region. Varietal Grenache is juicy with jammy red-fruit and black-cherry flavors with a high potential alcohol. It is aged in either vats or oak barrels for up to 18 months to create a rich and complex wine. The region is most notable for the GSM blend, with many producers creating Grenache dominant wines with Syrah and Mourvèdre in smaller proportions.

Syrah grows most successfully in the town's cooler sites, and brings structure and spiced black-fruit notes to the blend. The late ripening Mourvèdre flourishes only in the hotter, drier vineyards, and adds dark depths and bitter chocolate notes. These three varieties constitute approximately 90 percent of vineyards in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

The vineyards here also produce white wines in smaller quantities which are tangy, weighty and intensely perfumed. These are made from a number of rustic southern French varieties. A few of the minor varieties are entirely unknown outside southern France.

## We have a choice of videos to watch including:

1. https://youtu.be/wql26dV4ie0?si=PdMvdArvlz0X4zyW - Great French Wines: Chateauneuf Du Pape - No Sediment (5:01)
2. https://youtu.be/2msMmx1-b-4?si=6qUP1labsC0absPq - The Story And History Behind Chateauneuf Du Pape - Elicite' (3:01)
3. https://youtu.be/xdToi9IrVaw?si=c3rzInI6AvwNg3kV - French Red Wine: Exotic Wine Travel in Châteauneuf-du-Pape - Dr, Matthew Horkey (10:08)

So, pick up a bottle and watch a couple of videos. Let us know what you’re drinking and eating, and, if possible, the region from which your wine comes. Do you have any comments (positive or negative) about the videos? And, as always, tell us what’s going on in your life - what's happening with you, how you're feeling about things, updates, successes, challenges - as much or as little as you’re willing to disclose. We are in this together. And - thank goodness - we have wine!

Cheers!!

Sangiovese is the most widely planted grape variety in Italy. It is the key grape in most of the best red wines of Tuscany. Sangiovese has been grown in central Italy for generations, though recent grapevine research suggests the variety is not as ancient as once thought. The quality of Sangiovese wine can be notoriously variable. But in the 1980s, drastically improved winemaking techniques saw a significant shift toward more quality-oriented releases.

In Chianti, the grape variety must account for 70 percent of the blend (75 in the Senesi subzone). For Chianti Classico, the minimum rises to 80 percent. Other better-known Tuscan wines made mainly from Sangiovese, under various names, include Morellino di Scansano (85+ percent) and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (70+ percent). For the latter, Montepulciano is a region not a grape and the wine is often confused with Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. The traditional name for the grape here is Prugnolo Gentile.

As well as red wines, Sangiovese is used for Vin Santo wines across a number of Tuscan appellations. Italian examples are made by drying out the berries in an aerated room. Led by the so-called "Super Tuscans", the Toscana IGT category allows winemakers more freedom to blend indigenous Italian grapes (principally Sangiovese) with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot - see Cabernet – Merlot – Sangiovese to learn more about these wines.

Various meat dishes can work well. Because of its acidity, the grape can match well with fattier meats such as slow-cooked belly pork or duck breasts. Mushrooms have a particular affinity with Sangiovese. A mushroom risotto (alone or as a side dish to a steak) is a suitably Italian partner. Because of the prominent acidity and tannins, care should be taken with sweet or spicy sauces. Barbeque features these, and a degree of char which doubles up on the more astringent aspects of the grape. High-salt dishes or foods can be a problem; for example, Parmesan cheese is not ideal. In general, Sangiovese is not the most obvious wine for cheese, though it could work well with raclette of fondues.

## We have a choice of videos to watch including:

1. https://youtu.be/BiECxAevn5w?si=pT-QfsrwV4FrdVur - Wine Grapes 101: SANGIOVESE - No Sediment (5:30)
2. https://youtu.be/FUsaU-GZNS4?si=w1WUj8kiASh-2oYH - How To Choose The BEST Sangiovese Red Wine - Dr, Matthew Horkey (7:05)
3. https://youtu.be/qK5LfFGXpDM?si=xMTDNXFw4Cb7kf8Q - All About SANGIOVESE - Vero (6:27)

So, pick up a bottle and watch a couple of videos. Let us know what you’re drinking and eating, and, if possible, the region from which your wine comes. Do you have any comments (positive or negative) about the videos? And, as always, tell us what’s going on in your life - what's happening with you, how you're feeling about things, updates, successes, challenges - as much or as little as you’re willing to disclose. We are in this together. And - thank goodness - we have wine!

Cheers!!