Wine Varieties

Reverie Brewing Co. in Newtown became the first brewery in Connecticut to start producing hard cider this winter, but it won’t be the last. Due to changes in Connecticut law passed in 2019, brewers, distilleries and wineries can apply for permits to produce multiple types of alcohol instead of only being licensed to produce either beer, spirits or wine (cider makers obtain a wine license).

“Breweries have the knowledge and experience of making alcohol and they want to pursue that in cider and wine,” says Phil Pappas, executive director of the Connecticut Brewers Guild.

While Reverie is the first to go the cider route, other businesses are mixing and matching the types of beverages they produce. Two Roads Brewing Co. in Stratford has obtained a distilling license and is offering canned cocktails, while Taylor Brooke Winery in Woodstock has a sister business called Taylor Brooke Brewery. The Taylor Brooke operations both predate the rule change but they had to go to some lengths to get around the previous laws, including having separate facilities.

Now that the permit process is easier, Pappas is getting inquiries from breweries, distilleries and wineries interested in branching out to other beverage varieties.

Frank Lockwood, head brewer of Reverie and a co-owner, says that he’s seen breweries in other states expand to more than one type of beverage. “The Finger Lakes is a big wine area but there’s also a lot of breweries, and I’ve seen a lot of wineries buy breweries,” he says.

Lockwood says the move to start producing cider as well as beer was motivated by the passion he and his co-owners have for mixing up the styles of beer and other alcoholic beverages they drink. “We love variety; we like to bring it to our customers,” he says.

So even before Lockwood started making and selling cider, Reverie was home to an array of beer styles alongside beer-related beverages such as hard seltzer and gruit, a type of medieval ale bittered by herbs other than hops. But Lockwood, a one-time homebrewer, always had the idea of also producing cider in the back of his head. “As a homebrewer I brewed beer, but I brewed plenty of cider as well, so I’ve got a passion for doing both, and at the outset of starting the brewery I always said I wanted to produce our own cider because I know a lot of breweries don’t do it,” he says.

Currently, Reverie is offering one variety of cider that has a 5.5 ABV. “Per the state guidelines here in Connecticut, you can’t produce a cider that’s above 6.9 percent. If you do, you have to call it an apple wine, but as a cider drinker, nobody wants to drink an apple wine,” he says. “We chose five and a half percent because we think as far as our brewery goes and our clients go, cider is something that should be a little bit lower ABV, something you can enjoy more than one of.”

And the Reverie cider is not sweet. “Personally, as a cider drinker myself, I’m not a fan of sweet ciders,” Lockwood says. “I know there’s a big market demand for sweet ciders.”

To provide for that demand, Reverie has various flavored simple syrups that can be added to the base cider to make it sweet and bring in new flavors. Lockwood says that eventually, if there’s a clear favorite taproom flavor to add to cider, they might produce a large batch.

While the cider is currently only offered on tap at the brewery or in growlers, plans are underway for its canning. The brewery also has outdoor seating, curbside pickup and will do local deliveries as long as the state permits breweries to continue home delivery.

Lockwood says that while brewing a batch of cider takes much less time than a batch of beer, cider can be less forgiving, as it’s harder to get rid of undesired flavors. But he enjoys the challenge of it, and in the future, he’s not limiting his experimentation to cider or beer. “We’re going to be doing mead down the road. It’s a niche market, there’s not a huge market for mead, but as brewing nerdom goes, it’s a fun area to dive into and spend some time trying to craft quality mead products and be one of the few places you can get mead in Connecticut.”

---

Reverie Brewing Co.

57B Church Hill Road, Newtown

203-872-2124, reveriebrewing.com, @reveriebrewing on Instagram

Hours: Open Wed.–Sun. 

Wheelchair accessible

HTF MI added a new research study in its database with title ‘Global Wine Market Insights by Application, Product Type, Competitive Landscape & Regional Forecast 2027’ that includes detailed analysis, Competitive landscape, forecast and strategies. The study covers geographic analysis that includes regions like Americas, APAC, EMEAand important players/vendors such as Concha y Toro, Constellation Brands, E. & J. Gallo Winery, LVMH, Treasury Wine Estates. The report will help user gain market insights, future trends and growth prospects for forecast period of 2021 – 2027.

Request a sample report @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/3262176-global-wine-market-26

Summary


Wine is an alcoholic beverage that is made from the fermented juice of grapes and other fruits. The taste of wines ranges from bone dry to super sweet and can also have a still or fizzy effervescence.

analysts forecast the Global Wine Market to grow at a CAGR of 1.59% during the period Market Insights by Application, Product Type, Competitive Landscape & Regional Forecast 2027.

Covered in this report


The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global wine market. To calculate the market size, the report considers the consumption volumes of wine varieties such as still and sparkling wine.

The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:


• Americas


• APAC


• EMEA

Key vendors


• Concha y Toro


• Constellation Brands


• E. & J. Gallo Winery


• LVMH


• Treasury Wine Estates

Market driver


• Growing demand for wine in China


• For a full, detailed list, view our report

Market challenge


• Stringent regulation and taxation


• For a full, detailed list, view our report

Market trend


• Rising consumption of craft and artisan wines


• For a full, detailed list, view our report

Key questions answered in this report


• What will the market size be in and what will the growth rate be?


• What are the key Market trends?


• What is driving this market?


• What are the challenges to market growth?


• Who are the key vendors in this market space?


• What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?


• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?

You can request one free hour of our analyst’s time when you purchase this market report. Details are provided within the report.

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PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY


PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT


PART 03: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY


PART 04: MARKET LANDSCAPE


• Market ecosystem


• Market characteristics


• Market segmentation analysis


PART 05: MARKET SIZING


• Market definition


• Market sizing 2017


• Market size and forecast 2017-2022


PART 06: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS


• Bargaining power of buyers


• Bargaining power of suppliers


• Threat of new entrants


• Threat of substitutes


• Threat of rivalry


• Market condition


PART 07: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY PRODUCT


• Segmentation by product


• Comparison by product


• Still wine – Market size and forecast 2017-2022


• Sparkling wine – Market size and forecast 2017-2022


• Market opportunity by product


PART 08: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE


PART 09: REGIONAL LANDSCAPE


• Geographical segmentation


• Regional comparison


• Americas – Market size and forecast 2017

….Continued

View Detailed Table of Content @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/3262176-global-wine-market-26

Thanks for reading this article, you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.

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Gallery 7 at Fairmont Ambassador Seoul presents ‘Taste of Spring’ Fairmont Ambassador Seoul presents “Taste of Spring,” a seasonal promotion offering private dining experiences in the elegant event spaces of Gallery 7, through the end of May. Located on the seventh floor of the hotel, Gallery 7 is home to a portfolio of small and medium-scale meeting spaces with interior designs evoking an art gallery. The venues offer customization for events, while a business dining menu presents breakfast, lunch and dinner options that change each month to embrace new seasonal ingredients. Breakfast is priced from 75,000 won, and lunch and dinner from 110,000 won each.

For more inquiries and reservations call Fairmont Ambassador Seoul at (02) 3395-6000

JW Marriott Hotel’s Margaux Grill celebrates with 2021 Wine Fair

JW Marriott Hotel Seoul presents the 2021 Wine Fair, a celebration of some 70 wine varieties from leading wineries in 11 countries across four continents, including France, the US, Chile and Australia. The fair takes place at the outdoor garden of the Margaux Grill.

Running from April 21 to 23, this year’s fair offers wines at up to a 50 percent discount. Beverages purchased at the wine fair can be enjoyed at hotel restaurants Flavors, Tamayura and the Margaux Grill corkage-free until July 31.

For inquiries, call the Margaux Grill at (02) 6282-6760.

Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul presents Private BBQ Dinner promotion

Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul’s Moon Bar on the top floor offers the Private BBQ Dinner promotion, where guests can enjoy grilled cuisine at the outdoor terrace with a view of Namsan.

For the promotion, a barbecue platter consisting of beef, lamb ribs, chicken, shrimp and more is given for the guests to cook, alongside salad and eight servings of Guinness.

The promotion is offered until the end of October for 440,000 won for four people and needs to be reserved at least three days in advance.

For more information, call Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul at (02) 2250-8000. 

Park Hyatt Seoul greets the season with ‘Spring at the Park’ package

Park Hyatt Seoul offers a relaxing seasonal break with the “Spring at the Park” package.

The package includes a one-night stay, florally-inspired Flower Afternoon Tea Set and two bottles of alcohol-free sparkling wine (200ml) served in-room, 25 percent off dining at hotel restaurants and complimentary use of hotel swimming pool and fitness studio.

Guests booking on the hotel website or with the Hyatt mobile app will also receive a gift of Aesop bath salts with each stay. The package is offered at a starting price of 345,000 won for a Standard Room until May 31.

For more information and reservation, call Park Hyatt Seoul at (02) 2016-1234.

Enjoy perfume and floral desserts at ‘Fleur de la Reine Royal High Tea’Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas in Samseong-dong will showcase the French perfume brand Maison Francis Kurkdjian along with “Fleur de la Reine Royal High Tea,” inspired by flowers at the Lobby Lounge & Bar.

“Fleur de la Reine Royal High Tea” offers 11 dishes that pair well with tea, such as flower dacquoise, flower chips and spring flower scallop puree, among others, with two sets of perfume by Maison Francis Kurkdjian.

This promotion is available until the end of June at 80,000 won for two people.

For information and reservation, call the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas Lobby Lounge at (02) 559-7603.

Kathy Marcks Hardesty: Wines exclusive to club members

1 of 2

The gorgeous, romantic patio behind Carhartt Family Wines tasting room in Los Olivos.

The Carhartt Family Wines estate vineyard with Chase, Brooke and Mike Carhartt.

It’s really quite rare to find a winery that sells exclusively to wine club members and online, or to anyone visiting the tasing room, yet that’s exactly how it’s done at Carhartt Family Wines in Los Olivos.

Although the vineyard and tasting room have been entirely owned and managed by Mike, Brooke, and Chase Carhartt, they have never departed from that sales philosophy. After inheriting the Rancho Santa Ynez from Mike’s father, who registered the dairy and cattle brand in 1969, Mike registered the ranch as Carhartt Vineyard in 1996.

In fact, Mike grew up on the ranch starting at the young age of 6, where he learned to raise cattle and horses the cowboy way. The Carhartts’ son, Chase, explained that his grandfather moved Mike there in the 1950s and he noted, “The ranch foreman raised my dad.”

It was also in 1996 when Mike planted 10 acres of vineyards, merlot and syrah, planning to sell their harvest to winemaker friends in the Valley. But his wife, Brooke, who earned a master’s degree in psychology, became interested in winemaking.

In 1998, she made one barrel each of merlot and syrah. The results were so good, she began increasing the volume, making more wines each new vintage. Today, the wines are still made at the original ranch Mike founded in 1996. And their son, Chase, is Brooke’s enthused co-winemaker.

Over the coming years, changes grew the brand from making a few barrels to being a highly regarded family business making 7,000 cases annually in 2021. Chase, who graduated with an enology degree at Cal Poly in 2012, told me proudly that his mom was a “self-taught winemaker.”

To further hone his craft, while still attending Cal Poly in 2010, Chase began traveling round the world working harvest with winemakers in South Africa, the Rhone Valley in France, Tasmania in Australia, and Patagonia in Argentina. He was quite fortunate to be able to gain such valuable experiences.

Over the past three years, the Carhartts have been busy reworking the brand to better emphasize what they truly are, a family business run with enthusiasm and zeal in their efforts to evolve. The brand has been renamed Carhartt Family Wines; it’s now a multivineyard and winemaking ranch that focuses on remaining intimate and direct-to-consumer.”

“We don’t sell to retailers or restaurants, we’re 100% direct,” Chase explained, adding that his parents worked hard to create the family business. “We have a wine club focus, and put a lot of time into our relationship with our customers. We also surround ourselves with thoughtful people who are good at what they do in their jobs.” His dad, Mike, has always been the viticulture expert.

Recently, they created new wine labels, making Rancho Santa Ynez, the family’s original home, a focal point. The various colors represent the Santa Ynez Valley and the Central Coast, and help define their lineup of wines. They also have an awesome new website to better communicate with their members and patrons. My interview with Chase was enlightening, and I was surprised at discovering this spring is the 25th anniversary of Carhartt Family Wines. But I did enjoy learning more about this family brand, and learning about Chase, who’s only 32 years old.

I met Chase at the tasting room patio on a Wednesday, and despite it being a day when many tasting rooms are closed, they were busy. It was definitely a safe, socially distanced setup, but Los Olivos was a busy little town that day. Chase admitted that they get so many visitors on weekends, reservations are required. But they will accept walk-ins if tables are available.

The lineup was excellent, and I liked everything Chase presented. The wines show great balance and depth without going over the top in being overly ripe, hot wines (meaning high alcohol), including wines that are normally fruit bombs like zinfandel and petite sirah.

“My mom has always treated wine varieties with delicacy, and takes care with every wine we make.” Although Chase follows his mom’s lead with the classic varietals they produce, he has his alternative label, Carhartt Venture. It’s inspired by his world travels to various wine-producing countries. “Those wines are more progressive, made to be whatever they want to be, I simply go with it,” Chase added. “I’m always changing up the wine list in the tasting room. It’s like dining in a restaurant; I always want something fresh of good quality when I return.”

Your best deals will come by joining the “Rascals Wine Club.” The more you sign on for, the better the price breaks. You join by buying two, four, six, or 12 bottles for each shipment. The wines are shipped, or you can pick them up at the tasting room, with each of the four seasons.

Among the perks in joining the club, you get numerous complimentary tastings, special shipping rates, and discounts. There are many invitations to club events, like wine release parties, winemakers’ dinners, pop-up wine tastings, harvest brunch, the chili cook-off and much more.

“Because we don’t distribute (retail), our wine club is the centerpiece of our business, the focal point where we direct an immense amount of time and energy,” Chase explains on their new webpage at carharttfamilywines.com. “It’s no secret that members of our club truly get the best we have to offer. Thank you for your continued support over the years; it means the world to us, and we will continue to be the best we can be for our loyal following.”

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San Marcos Pass has been used to connect the coast and the Santa Ynez Valley for thousands of years. The Chumash used the Pass as the main trading route between the coastal and Valley Chumash villages. Later, the Spanish missionaries and soldiers used the Pass to travel between the missions.

DEAR ABBY: I’ve been dating a married man for the last three years, and everything was great. We were attached at the hip and inseparable. I thought we had something special going.

DEAR ABBY: I am a 48-year-old woman, divorced for 10 years. During that time, I have been in two serious relationships. I’m no prude, but it seems like everyone I date, and who my friends and I talk to, and articles I see are all about sex, having sex, rushing to sex. It’s like there’s no emphasis on actually getting to know a person anymore.

DEAR ABBY: My wife and I have been married five years and are raising four children. One is from my previous relationship, one is from her previous relationship and two are ours. We both have joint custody. My son goes to school near his mom. My wife’s son goes to school where we live. They are 9 and 8.

DEAR ABBY: I work as a receptionist in a small medical office. I love my job, but I cannot tolerate when my co-workers make fun of our patients. Sometimes it happens while the patients are still in the exam rooms, maybe within earshot. Even the doctor contributes to this crudeness.

DEAR ABBY: My sister is a pathological liar who causes rifts between family members. She tries to turn us against each other. We must constantly check with each other to find out if what she has said about each of us is true. We can’t understand why she’s this way. None of the rest of us is. When I have asked her, “Why are you lying about me, us, etc.?” she tells me, “I did not lie.” I think she believes her lies.

The English language is filled with both simple and complex words. When someone uses an overly complex word in ordinary circumstances, they’re…

DEAR ABBY: After I ended a 20-year marriage, I took some time off from relationships and am now back in the dating world. My ex-husband and I never had children.

What would life and our special celebrations be without mouth-watering salsas? Yes, there also is salsa, as in salsa dancing, but we’re not going there today. However, you are permitted to salsa dance about the kitchen as you prepare one of these recipes.

Dear Doctor: I’ve been running during the lockdown, and about a month ago, my outer thigh started to feel like it’s clenched up, and the outside of my knee hurts sometimes. My roommate says it’s most likely that my IT band is too tight and needs to be stretched. What does that mean?

Morocco produces grapes for both the fresh produce sector as well as for wines. According to Fatiha Charrat, commercial and marketing director for Delassus, plantations for the latter have increased, but the plantations for table grapes still have a large majority in share: “The Moroccan acreage dedicated to grapes was 51,000 ha in 2018. Since then, new plantations have been added, especially for wine varieties. In 2019, production reached 427 140 tons, including all varieties. Table grapes represent 75% of the production, while 25% is used for dried fruits and wine.”

The grape season will soon be in full swing and Charrat states it will be a very busy couple of weeks for Delassus. “from Morocco, about 6,000 tons of grapes are exported in a narrow window of 5 to 6 weeks, from mid-May to mid-July. These grapes are grown in high-tech farms with greenhouses, drip to drip irrigation, certifications, packing houses with fast cooking system. These operations work with high-end protected varieties. They are located in Taroudant and Marrakech. The main varieties that Morocco exports are early sweet, Sugra one and Crimson. Other tasty varieties were introduced during the last three years, such as the new red seedless Passion Fire (Arra 29), Sugar Drop (Arra30) variety and the Prima black variety with seeds.”

Overall Charrat expects the volumes of exported grapes to increase this year, as well as an extended season due to new varieties coming into production. “Delassus has the ambition to be the reference of the grapes from Morocco. The strategy is to have the best recent varieties known for their flavor, productivity and shelf life in production. As many new varieties are coming into production this season, we expect an increase of 36% when it comes to volume and the season should be extended until the third week of July. We expect to reach 2000 tons in exports by 2023. About 50% of the grapes will be white varieties, 35% red and 15% black.”

For Delassus, the main markets are the United Kingdom and Germany. Each market has its preference in terms of variety, Charrat says. “Germany and UK are the main markets for our grapes. German consumers are not fans of black varieties, but are open to Moroccan white and red varieties. The UK market prefers Midnight Beauty and Sable. Having these varieties in the Delassus portfolio facilitates our supply to the UK. Morocco competes with Egypt, so in May prices are under pressure, they should start to come back to normal in June.”

Although the Moroccan produce exporter has mainly focused on white varieties, recently they have shifted some of that focus to black and red varieties, Charrat explains: “At Delassus, we’ve been growing and exporting grapes for over 15 years. We were focusing on white varieties, but since we decided to grow our grapes business, we’ve managed to introduce Morocco to Sunworld famous varieties of black seedless grapes: Midnight beauty® and Sable®. We also grow red variety Passion Fire (Arra) and Timco (SNFL). On the whites, we will export this season Ivory (SNFL) on top of Arra’s varieties.”

For more information:

Fatiha Charrat

Delassus Group

Tel: +212 665 186 868

Email: Fatiha@delassus.com

www.delassus.com 

This episode of “Wine 101” is sponsored by Fleur de Mer Rosé. Throughout the rolling hills and valleys of Provence, fields of lavender thrive in the warm sun and fresh, crisp, seaside air. In French, Fleur de Mer means “Flower of the Sea,” and our wine celebrates the region’s famed flowers as well as its historical tradition of crafting incredible rosé wines. Each sip of Fleur de Mer Rosé engages the senses with bright fruit notes, crisp acidity, and a clean, dry finish. For a taste of true Provencal rosé wine, reach for Fleur de Mer Rosé.

In this episode of “Wine 101,” VinePair tastings director Keith Beavers discusses France’s Provence region. Listeners will learn about all the appellations that make up the region, including the largest rosé-producing appellation, Côtes de Provence. Beavers takes listeners through the five red wine varieties used to make the rosés in Provence: Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Tibouren.

Tune in to become an expert on Provence and its wines.

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Or Check out the Conversation Here

Keith Beavers: My name is Keith Beavers, and we just bought our first house. I know, it’s very exciting. Do you guys know there’s a lot to do when you own a house? It’s a lot.

What’s going on, wine lovers? Welcome to Episode 14 of VinePair’s “Wine 101” podcast, Season 2. My name is Keith Beavers. I’m the tastings director of VinePair, and how are you? Here we are. Provence. It’s time to figure this all out. We all love the pink stuff, and this is an O.G. moment. What is it about Provence?

I mean, who does not associate pink wine with Provence? Even if you don’t know where Provence is, even if you don’t even understand the whole Provence thing, you probably know there’s pink wine and a lot of it coming from Provence. It just so happens to be the southeastern part of France, mostly in a department called Var. I’m probably butchering the pronunciation of that.

Provence does produce the majority of the pink wine or rosé in France, and they produce a lot of it. In 2016, over a million cases of Provence rosé — that’s 12 bottles per case — a million cases of Provence rosé were exported into the U.S. That’s just the U.S. Imagine how much they drank in Provence. It’s insane. Even though this is the home or a home of rosè or pink wine, rosé didn’t begin in Provence. I have an episode in Season 1 all about how rosé is made and all that. The idea of rosé has been around for a long time. It’s just this area, because of its climatic geological position, it makes sense to make pink wine. There are 3,000 hours of sun a year in the region of Provence. That’s a lot of sun hours.

Also, even though this region does get up into some hilly areas and higher elevations towards the north, it’s basically the most Mediterranean climate. It is the Mediterranean climate. This is where the Mediterranean climate idea came from. Not really but it feels like it. It’s warm and it’s near the sea. A lot of seafood. There’s a lot of garlic, a lot of aioli going on over there. It makes sense that nice, crisp, high-acid wine would do well with the food and the climate and the lifestyle of the area. Maybe you say, “Well, Keith,” and I would say, “What’s up?” “What about white wine? Why do rosé, why not just do white wine?” I’ll say “Oh, good question.”

In the region of Provence, the people there also make red wine, and they make white wine. Just not as much as they make pink wine. The thing is, this area of France has been producing wine for such a long time, there’s not even a precise date to show when the vine began being cultivated in this area. This location in France, in the Mediterranean near northern Italy, was a land that was fought over for hundreds and hundreds of years.

The Greeks got there first, then the Gauls had a run at it. Then there are all these other eras. You had the Saracens, you had the Carolinians. Of course, the Roman Empire had a thing. There are the counts of Toulouse. The Catalans, René of Anjou, the house of Savoy, and the kingdom of Sardinia. All of these eras existed and occupied this area. That’s a lot of humans, and that’s a lot of vines being exchanged over a very long time. The variety of grapes that thrive in the Provence region are a result of the survival of the fittest varieties that have been so successful that they kept them around and made wine with them. What is really wild about the Provence region is, in Côtes de Provence alone — which we’ll get to in a second — Jedi wine master Jancis Robinson states in “The Oxford Wine Companion” that Côtes de Provence, which is one of the wine regions in this area, has no less than 13 varieties they can use in their wine. It’s very similar to a wine region just north of Provence called the southern Rhône, which we talked about before.

There are vines all over this part of France or vines of different varieties all over this part of France. This is crazy because this is history. The connection between this area and Spain and Italy is pretty intense. I wish I had time to talk about it. Interestingly enough, it does have to do with Piedmont in Barolo, which is crazy. However, the shortlist of varieties that are used predominantly in Provence are more of a reflection of the most recent occupations of that land, specifically Italy and the island of Sardinia. Interestingly enough, at one point Spain occupied Sardinia. Italy and Spain have both occupied Sardinia. There is a story that goes that there’s a grape called Grenache from Spain, and there’s a grape called Cannonau in Sardinia. Those two varieties are the same, and it has to do with the Spanish bringing, they think, the Cannonau grape to Sardinia. Being that Provence was once part of the kingdom of Sardinia, it would make sense that the varieties that were thriving on the island of Sardinia would be making their way over to Provence.

I know that’s crazy and I can’t get into a lot more of it, but I just want to give you a little slice of that. OK, one more thing. On the eastern coast of Spain, there is a wine region called Jumilla, and that region specializes in a specific variety they call Monastrell. It ripens, survives, and thrives there because of the warmth and the sun. It loves warmth and loves sun. Over in southern France, specifically in Provence, because we’re talking about Provence, there’s a variety that they use called Mourvèdre. Mourvèdre is Monastrell. There’s another connection there. Also, Syrah is a big deal in Provence and that is because the Rhône is just north. I’m going to list all these grapes and it’s going to be very clear. I just want to give you guys a sense of the density of the history here without going into all the crazy cool stories.

The wine-growing region of Provence consists of nine appellations. One of those appellations, the largest one, has four sub-appellations within it. Five of those appellations we see pretty regularly on the American market. The other four are very small and we don’t often see them on the American market. I’m not going to go into those small appellations because I don’t really have the time but we’re going to talk about what you will see. Also, as I’ve stated before, the wine-growing region of Provence produces red, white, and rosé. Rosé being the lion’s share. The big old lion of the region. In a lot of cases, the red and the white doesn’t really make it to the United States. If they do, it’s in very small quantities. Now, there is one appellation that I’m going to talk about that’s primarily red that does make it here, but for the most part, we’re talking about rosé today across the nine wine-growing appellations of Provence.

Primarily, there is a list of five red wine varieties that are used to make the rosés of this area. There’s Grenache from Spain. This is the most planted variety in Provence. The second planted grape variety, red, is a grape called Cinsault. This is native to France, and it’s usually used as a blending variety, but it can do more. Then there is Syrah, the third most planted variety in Provence. As we know, that comes from the Rhône, which is just north of Provence. Then, you have Mourvèdre, otherwise known as Monastrell, on the eastern coast of Spain. This is not planted as much as the other varieties because Monastrell or Mourvèdre is picky when it comes to the sun. It needs warmth. There are only certain places that it does really well, and we’ll get into that. The last variety, I think, is one of the most fun varieties, if you will. It’s being used more and more in Provence. It once was not used, but now it’s coming back. It’s a grape that’s so old, there are two names for it and no one knows which was the original name for it.

Over in Liguria, which is just over the border into Italy from this region of Provence, there’s a grape called Rossese di Dolceacqua. It is an awesome red wine, soft, smooth, similar to a Merlot. It’s awesome stuff. Over in Provence, they call it Tibouren, and it has similar characteristics to that variety. It is the same variety, but no one knows what’s the original name. Tibouren is being used more often in the rosé blends. It gives a nice fat paunch, if you will, to the rosés. As I’ve mentioned before, the Provence wine-growing region is in the southeastern part of France on the Mediterranean, and it surrounds a bunch of cities. The main city that it surrounds is Marseille. I mention that because when the ancient Greeks got to this land, they actually created that city which was called Massalia.

With the large port town of Marseille on the coast being the anchor of this, if you go north of Marseille, then east and west, spreading out in both directions, that is the Provence wine-growing region. Going east all the way to the border of northern Italy and going west to the border of a region called Languedoc, which we’ll talk about in some other episode. Oh, my gosh. It’s an amazing place. Across the nine appellations of Provence, the five red wine grape varieties that I mentioned are used in different proportions throughout, with Grenache being obviously the most popular. I say this because there’s a lot of proportioned changes between the appellations because these are the main varieties that are used. I’m not going to go into the different proportions per appellation because I think we would both get very dizzy and may not even retain it. Just know that these are the varieties that are blended into the wines you’re going to see on the shelf in the United States.

The rosé we see the most of here, and the largest appellation in Provence, is Côtes de Provence. This appellation has a whopping 50,000 acres of land under the vine. It’s huge, and it’s mostly concentrated in the eastern side of the region, but it also has pockets all over the place. There are pockets over in the west, in the south, and the far north. The reason why it’s called Côtes de Provence — remember the Burgundian episode, Côte d’Or, slope or hill. In this area, there are a couple of what I call mini-massifs. The reason I say that is because we talk about the big massifs when we talk about Burgundy. Well, these other massifs just aren’t as big, but it does create hilly geography as you go north in Provence. Obviously, the majority of the wine here is pale pink and dry rosé.

They like to concentrate on Grenache and Cinsault. Again, they do other varieties. The ones that I listed, they’re actually playing around with Tibouren more than usual these days. Only about 15 percent of this area is red wine, but we don’t even see it here. I don’t know if you guys have, but I haven’t had a red wine from Côtes de Provence yet. Côtes de Provence is large and it’s spread out, but it does have four sub-appellations. Usually, when you see sub-appellations, we’re talking about terroir, right? We’re talking about different soil compositions, different exposures to the sun give different varieties different characteristics. These areas have proven over time that they’re different. Therefore, they’ve gotten their own. It’s similar to a village, if you will.

If you listen to previous episodes for Burgundy or Rhône, where they can say Côtes de Provence and they can actually put the name of the village on the label. It’s only four of them, and you know I’m going to mess up these names, but I have to tell you because you’re going to see them and I want you to know what they are. You’re going to see Côtes de Provence on the label and then either underneath that or just in big words above that is the name of the village. One of the villages is called Fréjus. It’s located more on the eastern side of the Provence region. It’s a small town, about 650 acres. They do red wine there, but mostly rosé, of course, and the white wine is just general Côtes de Provence. They don’t even make enough white wine to have it part of the village. You could also see Côtes de Provence La Londe, which is located more on the Mediterranean coast. This is one of those spots where it’s warm enough that Mourvèdre can ripen fully. Here they do something called a GSM blend, which is Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre. Again, not everyone does that, but it’s popular there.

Also, you might see Côtes de Provence Pierrefeu, and the wines here are just known because it’s very terroir-driven in that they have various soil types that really define the area. Then there’s the last one, which is located in the west as well, but just north of Marseille. It’s known for its limestone soil, which is a big deal in wine, which we talked about in the Champagne episode also. Cezanne and Picasso did a lot of work in this area. It’s called Côtes de Provence Sainte-Victoire. Since Côtes de Provence is so big, you will see some white wine out there. I’ll run down a quick list of what they do with white wine grapes. They have Claret, which is a blending variety. Sémillon, which is a sweet grape that’s native to Bordeaux. Ugni Blanc, which is a very well-known variety for distilled wine spirits. Then, Rolle, also known as Vermentino, which is sometimes blended into the rosé. That’s what they do. They’re very clean, very quaffing, very good white wines.

The next big region, and this is an interesting one because you’re going to see it a lot. It’s very hard figuring out how to pronounce it. It’s pronounced Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence. From what I understand, aix is the old Latin word or term to refer to water or flowing water. Aix is actually a town in this region. I don’t know, it’s a little bit confusing, but it’s cool. Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence. Feels good to say it when you get it. Am I getting it? I don’t know much French.

Anyways, the appellation is named after the town of Aix, and the appellation doesn’t really surround the town so much as it does expand from the western part of Aix going west, about 10,000 acres worth of vines, and that is Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence. The big five red grapes are here, but they’re also using a little bit of Cabernet Sauvignon, which is interesting. Also a grape called Carignan, which is a very old varietal in this region, which we’re going to talk about more in the Languedoc episode, but they’re not using it much. The big thing about this region, this appellation and the reason why you’re gonna see a lot of it on the American market is this is a big cooperative region. There are cooperatives here, and they pump out a ton of rosé and it’s going to come onto the market and say Aix-en-Provence.

The last rosé region in Provence I want to talk to you about is actually coming more and more onto the market. We’re gonna start seeing more of it. It’s an enclave that’s been cut out of the large Côtes de Provence region called Coteaux Varois. I think I’m saying that right. It’s named after the Var department, which most of this area is in. It’s not huge. It’s a little over 2,500 acres under vine, but it’s known for its pockets of limestone. Limestone is a very popular soil for vines. Also, it has little warm areas in it where Mourvèdre can actually ripen fully. That’s the thing in Provence. It’s hard to find places where Mourvèdre ripens, but when it does, it’s special.

The last place I want to talk about is not known for rosé in Provence. It’s known for red wine. It’s not big. It’s very small. From what I understand, urban development in this area, because it’s so close to the coast, is getting to the point where it’s hard for this little region to expand. It’s odd because they don’t produce a lot of wine here, but it is a very prominent wine on our market. It’s a little bit expensive, but if you get a chance to try this, it’s awesome. It’s a little appellation in Provence called Bandol, which is named after the port town it surrounds. It only has about 1,500 acres under vine, but what’s very special about Bandol is it’s the one place in Provence that can really ripen Mourvèdre. The majority of the wines, again the five grapes are there, but the majority of the wine that is made is red wine. Of those red wines, the majority of the blend is Mourvèdre. Actually, 50 percent of the blend is Mourvèdre. These wines are soft, lush, and smooth. When Mourvèdre ripens properly, it is this odd, beautiful thing. It’s deep, lush, and it’s medium body, but it also has a perception of fullness to it. There are some tannins. It’s wild, and the wines come from Bandol age for a long time, but also they drink really well in their youth. It’s a very wild thing.

Having the ability of Mourvèdre to ripen, they actually have all the vineyards that are facing directly south. They want as much warmth from the sun as possible in those 3,000 sun hours annually in Provence to really make these grapes ripen. The grapes are grown on terraces, they’re hand-harvested and blended. The wines from this area spent about 18 months in barrel before they’re released. Oh, wow. Look, we have aging requirements now. With rosé, there aren’t aging requirements in Provence. There are winemakers that are trying to make roses that will age, but there’s no requirement for it. Rosé is seasonal, especially here in the United States. In Provence, they drink rosé all the time because it’s 3,000 sun hours a year and the winters are very mild. They’re rolling it over every year because rosé is always available, but it doesn’t age. I go over all that on the episode of how rosé is made in Season 1.

OK, wine lovers, that’s Provence. That really breaks it down and gives you a sense of what’s available, what you’re going to see, how to pronounce the things, what are the varieties that are in these blends. Next time you’re out there, just try rosés from all over Provence and get a sense of what you dig mostly from that place. If you see any red wine from Provence, tag me @VinePairKeith on Instagram because I want to see it.

@VinePairKeith is my Insta. Rate and review this podcast wherever you get your podcasts from. It really helps get the word out there. And now, for some totally awesome credits.

“Wine 101” was produced, recorded and edited by yours truly, Keith Beavers, at the VinePair headquarters in New York City. I want to give a big ol’ shout-out to co-founders Adam Teeter and Josh Malin for creating VinePair. And I mean, a big shout-out to Danielle Grinberg, the art director of VinePair, for creating the most awesome logo for this podcast. Also, Darbi Cicci for the theme song. Listen to this. And I want to thank the entire VinePair staff for helping me learn something new every day. See you next week.

Ed. note: This episode has been edited for length and clarity.

Colleagues told David O’Leary and Nick Walker they were mad when they quit senior winemaking jobs to start their own business in 2000.

Now, the O’Leary Walker Wines founders are sharpening their focus on cellar door offerings and exploring new markets, as their wine-world comes full circle.

The duo has weathered the ups and downs of the Australian wine industry for two decades while forging a reputation for quality traditional wine styles from Clare Valley and Adelaide Hills.

But the coronavirus pandemic and changing wine tastes have the winery and its two cellar doors evolving fast to keep up.

O’Leary Walker has increased its food focus at its Clare Valley cellar door and last week launched a new website to help it cater to a growing online customer base.

It is also ramping up export efforts and is launching a seasonal release range of progressive varieties to appeal to younger palettes.

The winery produces about 14,000 cases a year in the Clare Valley from grapes grown in the region as well as at a 16-hectare Adelaide Hills vineyard owned by O’Leary’s sister, Sue Cherry, in Oakbank

O’Leary said, traditionally, about 80% of the winery’s sales were to restaurants, placing pressure on its bottom line through coronavirus shutdowns and restrictions in recent months.

“Our sales domestically were down 75 per cent, which was pretty tough,” he said.

“It is starting to pick up a little bit again but very slowly.

“One of the unintended consequences was it forced everyone to have a look at their businesses and how they can improve and that has been a terrific benefit to us.”

O’Leary Walker opened its Clare Valley cellar door in 2010 and a second one near its Adelaide Hills vineyard in Oakbank in 2015.

The winery has increased its attention on its cellar doors this year, O’Leary said, following the appointment of a full-time resident chef and a greater focus on events.

“There’s been a big shift in people’s habits and we still want to get our wines on-premise but cellar door one-on-one is becoming a very powerful tool to show people our wines and sell them direct,” he said.

“In the past, we haven’t been very good at it but we’re seriously having a crack now.”

Like many cellar doors, both sites have reported increases in foot traffic and sales in the past couple of months as border lockdowns force South Australians to holiday in the state’s regions.

“The last four or five weeks the cellar doors have been incredibly busy — our patronage on Thursdays, Fridays and weekends has been unbelievable,” O’Leary said on Friday.

“One of the side benefits of that as well is people are visiting areas they haven’t been before and they are finding out that the Clare Valley is a bit of a hidden gem.

“We also put a lot of effort into our new website, which launched yesterday, and we’ve been working hard on the food offerings in Clare as well because you need a few strings to your bow in cellar doors these days. People want food and they’re pretty discerning when it comes to the quality.”

The business has not had much of an export presence in the past, but is among 10 SA wineries selected in the Wine Australia USA Market Entry Program this year, and has begun searching for a North American distributor.

It has also this month sent its first shipment of Riesling to Taiwan and is beginning exports to China despite some uncertainty around potential tariffs on Australian wine sold there in the future.

“When Nick and I first started 20 years ago we wanted to be strong at home,” O’Leary said.

“Anyone can export wine and put a label on, and plenty of people do, but I’m pleased we’re not overly exposed to exports and the risk of making wine that we haven’t been able to ship.

“But now we’re in a position where we can try to grow our exports and see what’s going to evolve domestically.”

O’Leary Walker has had a long-standing national distribution partnership through Negociants Australia that began soon after the business began in 2000.

The winery grows about two-thirds of its own grapes and has enduring relationships with four loyal Clare Valley growers to help protect it against the potential swings of annual grape shortages and gluts.

Walker and O’Leary already had about 40 years of winemaking experience between them when they started their partnership in 2000, making them one of the most experienced duos in the industry.

“As a partnership, we really wanted to emulate [Grant] Burge and [Ian] Wilson at Krondorf, because those guys weren’t in partnership anymore and we thought it would be a good thing to model ourselves on,” O’Leary said.

“Both Nick and I worked for Mildara Blass and my boss at the time rang me when we resigned and said we were mad.

“It was very tough in 2000. You couldn’t buy any fruit — pretty similar to today — and the only reason we got anything substantial was because Neil and Heather Grace pulled out of their contract with Mildara Blass.

“It was very tightly held at first and then the market became quite depressed for six or seven years and there was quite a surplus of fruit so it can change very quickly and now it’s gone full circle.

“We’ve both got our strengths and it’s been a wonderful journey.”

Now the next generation of winemakers is stepping up to complement the traditional ways of the winery’s founders, which has focused on staple Australian varieties such as Riesling, Shiraz, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Emerging winemakers Jack Walker — Nick Walker’s son — and Luke Broadbent have worked in the business for more than five years and are now stepping up to expand the range and create some fresh flavours to appeal to younger wine drinkers.

The next generation winemakers have been put in charge of a seasonal release project of emerging wine varieties, which kicks off this week with the launch of a Pinotage. Varieties being considered for future releases include Nero, Grenache and Gruner Veltliner.

All of the varieties are grown in the Clare Valley. Pinotage is a medium-bodied red resulting from a hybrid of Pinot Noir and Cinsault developed in the 1920s and has become South Africa’s signature red variety.

It is believed to be one of the only wines of its style currently produced in South Australia.

“Part of the reason for the seasonal releases is so we can cater a little bit better to seasonal drinking conditions so they’ll be released every three months and the wine will be chosen to suit the time of year it is released,” O’Leary said.

“The Pinotage is coming out as we’re emerging out of shiraz weather and those big bold wines you enjoy during winter whereas this is something more suited to the spring and we’re looking at whites and a Nero next to give our consumers something different to try in addition to our flagship wines.

“It’s really important for us to have people wanting to do a return visit to our cellar doors so in addition to our regular new releases we want to have different styles of wine to encourage people to keep coming back and have something different to try when they do.

“Things change as well and people are looking for lighter style reds and juicier, easy-drinking so we’re trying to develop and broaden our winemaking horizons.”

O’Leary Walker had initially planned 20th-anniversary celebrations for this month but was delayed following the onset of the coronavirus pandemic earlier in the year. While a few smaller events will take place in the coming months, the winery is working towards a 21st birthday party in 2021.

This article was first published by The Lead.

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