Product Details

PINOT BLANC WINES

The main and significant characteristic of wines made from Pinot Blanc (and Auxerrois) is a certain sweetness of flavor because the acidity is relatively low. Made with the Pinot Blanc grape (also known as Weissburgunder in German), Pinot Biancos from northeast Italy are extremely elegant and offer a tantalizing combination of creamy and crisp, dry and mineral-driven.

When compared to Italy’s most popular white, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco generally has more finesse and is more delicately scented, typically offering apple, pear and hints of white flower. Even though Pinot Bianco and Pinot Grigio from this corner of Italy have lively acidity, Pinot Bianco boasts an alluring, creamy texture almost never found in Pinot Grigio.

In Germany Pinot Blanc is known as Weissburgunder, the vine’s influence in Germany has been increasing. Austria is perhaps the country which values Weissburgunder the highest – particularly around the shallow Neusiedlersee where grapes can ripen to exceptional ripeness and botrytis is almost an annual occurrence. The variety is also grown in Styria where Alois Gross makes an attractively crisp example in Kittenberg and in Lower Austria as well as by some in the vineyards around Vienna. The Austrians also treat their ripest Weissburgunder, often blended with other grape varieties, particularly Chardonnay, to oak aging. Some of Burgenland’s finest Weissburgunders are made around the little town of Gols by the likes of Matthias Beck, Gernot Heinrich and Matthias Leitner. Fine Austrian Weissburgunder can age particularly well.

On export markets the name Pinot Bianco hardly has the cachet of Pinot Grigio but in Collio and Isonzo, Pinot Bianco marketed by the border with Slovenia where it can also produce similarly dazzling wines, it seems particularly at home. Here the grape’s natural body and breadth of flavor combines well with the lively growth that results from the climate and super-clean wine making methods and the wines are much in demand from Italians seeking interesting whites, both oaked and unoaked, from the likes of Mauro Drius, Felluga, Jermann and Schioppetto.

Perhaps the most ambitious Pinot Blanc in the world of wine is made by the intense Sebastiano Castiglioni of Querciabella in Chianti. This estate’s Batàr is modelled on Bâtard Montrachet, no less, and is made from a blend of Pinot Bianco and Chardonnay.

In Slovenia, Croatia and Vojvodina, Pinot Blanc is quite widely grown, as Beli Pinot, and is sometimes treated to barrels, particularly in Slovenia which copies the Friuli habit of blending several grape varieties together in some of its best white wines.

A smattering of Pinot Blanc is grown all over the New World. Some best is grown in British Columbia in western Canada where the naturally high acidity and well-delineated fruit flavors suit this sometimes rather amorphous variety.

The quality bar is higher across the board with Pinot Bianco, which is made in limited quantities compared to Pinot Grigio. Even though producers make several distinct styles of wine, from vibrant and linear to medium-bodied with complexity, Pinot Bianco usually guarantees a decent to high-quality wine. That’s reflected in its generally higher price tag in comparison to cheap, cheerful Pinot Grigio.

The quality bar is higher across the board with Pinot Bianco, which is made in limited quantities compared to Pinot Grigio. Even though producers make several distinct styles of wine, from vibrant and linear to medium-bodied with complexity, Pinot Bianco usually guarantees a decent to high-quality wine. That’s reflected in its generally higher price tag in comparison to cheap, cheerful Pinot Grigio.

Pinot Bianco needs very specific growing conditions to excel, including high hillside vineyards, generally above 450 meters (1,476 feet), where the combination of altitude and fresh breezes generate cool temperatures during the growing season. When compared to Pinot Grigio, for example, Pinot Bianco fares better when it’s exposed to less direct sun and heat. Pinot Bianco also needs complex soils, mainly limestone with some clay. Choosing the best sites has been crucial for improving Pinot Bianco.

Food Pairing and Pinot Blanc

A wine like Pinot Blanc is best suited to foods with more subtle flavoring. It will match up well with light fish, soft cheeses, and salads.

Salads, cold meats and tarte flambée

Pasta in white sauce

Roasted chicken and Turkey

Fried chicken

Fresh fruit salads particularly with tropical fruits

Smoked cheese

Asian stir fries and noodles

Sushi

Shellfish and Fish Caviar

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Please review some of the fine Pinot Blanc wines below for your next order or go to our main site for a complete selection of all wine and spirits available from around the world.

  Trimbach Pinot Blanc 2016, Pinot Blanc from Alsace, France

Eyrie Pinot Blanc 2016, Pinot Blanc from Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon

  Kettmeir Pinot Bianco 2017, Pinot Blanc from Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy

Koehler-Ruprecht Weisser Burgunder Kabinett Trocken 2017, Pinot Blanc from Pfalz, Germany

  Chalone Estate Pinot Blanc 2014, Pinot Blanc from Chalone, Monterey, Central Coast, California

Selbach Oster Pinot Blanc 2016,  Pinot Blanc from Mosel, Germany

Villa Russiz Pinot Bianco 2015, Pinot Blanc from Collio Goriziano, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

Dopff & Irion Pinot Blanc 2018, Pinot Blanc from Alsace, France

   Wittmann 100 Hills Pinot Blanc 2017,  Pinot Blanc from Rheinhessen, Germany

Nals Margreid Sirmian Pinot Bianco 2017, Pinot Blanc from Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy

BEST MERLOT WINES

Merlot is thought to be a diminutive of the French merle which is French for ‘The Little Blackbird’. Merlot is the second most popular red grape in America and known for being soft, ripe and elegant. Merlot s are easy drinking reds that go well both with food as well as on their own. Its softness combined with its earlier ripening, makes Merlot a popular grape for blending with the sterner, later-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon.

Along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, Merlot is one of the primary grapes used in Bordeaux wine, and it is the most widely planted grape in the Bordeaux wine regions. Merlot is also one of the most popular red wine varietals in essentially most markets. This flexibility has helped to make it one of the world’s most planted grape varieties. As of 2015, Merlot was estimated to be the third most grown variety at 660,000 acres globally.

The earliest mention of this grape was in 1787 when a French winemaker in the Bordeaux region formally labeled the grape as an ingredient in his Bordeaux blend. The use of this grape spread across the Bordeaux and become known its ability to add fruitiness and softness to the wine with the combination of the favorite grape Cabernet Sauvignon. The Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon combination became the main ingredients for the world-famous Bordeaux blends.

In 1824, the word Merlot itself appeared in an article on Médoc wine where it was described that the grape was named after the local black bird. Other descriptions of the grape from the 19th century called the variety lou seme doù flube meaning “the seedling from the river” with the grape thought to have originated on one of the islands found along the Garonne river. By the 19th century it was being regularly planted in the Médoc on the “Left Bank” of the Gironde river.

Merlot was introduced into Italy in 1855 with the name Bordo. The grape was also introduced to the Swiss in the 1800’s and became popular in the early 20th century. As recently as the 1990’s became very popular in the United States.

In the late 1990s, researchers at University of California, Davis showed that Merlot is an offspring of Cabernet Franc and is a half-sibling of Carménère, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. The identity of the second parent of Merlot wouldn’t be discovered until the late 2000s when an obscure and unnamed variety, first sampled in 1996 from vines growing in an abandoned vineyard in Saint-Suliac in Brittany, was shown by DNA analysis to be the actual mother of Merlot.

Merlot grapes are identified by their loose bunches of large berries with color has less of a blue/black hue than Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and with a thinner skin and fewer tannins per unit volume. It normally ripens up to two weeks earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon and tend to have a higher sugar content and lower malic acid.

Merlot thrives in cold soil, particularly ferrous clay. The vine tends to bud early which gives it some risk to cold frost and its thin skin increases its susceptibility to the viticultural hazard of Botrytis bunch rot.

While Merlot grapes are grown and wine produced throughout the world, there are two basic styles. The “International style” favored by many New World wine regions tends to emphasize late harvesting to gain specific ripeness and produce inky, purple colored wines that are full in body with high alcohol and lush, velvety tannins with intense, plum and blackberry fruit. The traditional “Bordeaux style” of Merlot involves harvesting Merlot earlier to maintain acidity and producing more medium-bodied wines with moderate alcohol levels that have fresh, red fruit flavors of raspberries, and strawberries.

Merlot is one of the world’s most widely planted grape varieties. France is home to nearly two-thirds of the world’s total plantings of Merlot. Beyond France, it is also grown in Italy, Algeria,]California, Romania, Australia, Argentina, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Greece, New Zealand, South Africa, Switzerland, Croatia, Hungary, Montenegro, Slovenia, and Mexico.

Styles of Merlot and Food Pairing

Light and Medium bodied Merlot s

Pizza and toasted cheese dishes.

Pasta dishes with tomato-based sauces

Grilled chicken with grilled vegetables, such as peppers, zucchini and eggplant

Cold ham

Stronger Styles of Merlot

Italian-style sausages with fennel

Spaghetti and meatballs

Baked pasta dishes such as lasagna and veggie bakes

Macaroni cheese

Meatloaf

Burgers – especially cheeseburgers

Spicy rice dishes such as jambalaya

Bean dishes with smoked ham

Roast turkey

Mild to medium hard cheeses

Seared – even blackened – salmon

Chinese style crispy duck

Braised short ribs

Chicken, pork or rabbit casseroles with a fruity element such as apricots or prunes

Merlot-dominated Blends from Bordeaux

Grilled chops – veal, pork or lamb – especially with herbs such as thyme and rosemary

Steak, especially in a red wine sauce

Beef Wellington

Roast beef or lamb with a simple jus or a mushroom sauce

Roast chicken, turkey and guinea fowl

Simply roast duck – and Chinese crispy duck

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Please review some selections of our Best Merlot Wines below and place an order or go to our main site for our extensive collections

Château de Langaleire 2017 Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux

Spicy and smoky, this wine moves easily between bright berry fruits and a structure made for aging. With a fresh edge of black currants and a firm core of tannins, the wine will age well.

Château Tour des Gendres 2015 Les Gendres Parcelle No. A298 Merlot (Côtes de Bergerac)

One of several single-parcel wines from this producer, this 100% old-vine Merlot is dense and ripe. Red-berry flavors are warm, on the verge of becoming smooth while still having structure.

Georges Vigouroux 2016 Château Leret Monpezat Malbec-Merlot (Cahors)

Dense, concentrated and packed with tannins, this wine comes from one of the estates managed by the Vigouroux family. Ripe, juicy black fruits impress with richness, layers of spice and acidity.

Georges Vigouroux 2016 Château de Mercuès Malbec-Merlot (Cahors)

The spectacular hilltop castle of Mercuès, now a hotel, forms the backdrop to this wine’s vineyards. The wine is powerful and dense, packed with tannins that are slowly melding with the black-plum fruits.

Beringer 2016 Bancroft Ranch Merlot (Howell Mountain)

Sanguine with fruity flavors of currant and cassis, this is a hearty, full-bodied and substantially ripe red, lush on the palate with a succulent texture. It has aspects of forest sage, dusty rock, cocoa powder that highlight mountain tannin structure and bold oak.

Januik Winery 2016 Merlot (Columbia Valley (WA))

The aromas draw you into the glass, with notes of dried herb, dark chocolate, cherry and cedar. Well-proportioned, slightly jammy red- and black-fruit flavors follow, supported by a lovely sense of structure andaccented by plentiful barrel spices.

K Cellars 2015 Merlot (Thracian Valley)

This garnet-colored Bulgarian Merlot has aromas of cranberry, dark plum,red raspberry and violet. There is a nice level of acidity in the midpalate with flavors of cherry preserves and ripe black raspberry.

Columbia Winery 2016 Merlot (Columbia Valley (WA))

Toast, freshly brewed coffee, chocolate and spice aromas are at the fore, with barrel notes playing a strong influence. Full-bodied raspberry and cherry flavors follow, shortening on the finish.

Lovingston 2017 Josie’s Knoll Merlot (Monticello)

Nearly black in the glass with a vibrant magenta rim, this has a distinctly funky nose. The palate is mild in flavors of plum and red apple, with vanilla, tilled earth and cocoa powder.

Maryhill 2016 Proprietor’s Reserve Merlot (Columbia Valley (WA))

Dried herb, cherry, dark chocolate, raspberry, plum and anise aromas are out front. Plump, tart fruit flavors follow. There’s a strange mixture of tartness and ripeness.

TOP CHARDONNAY WINE

Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand. For new and developing wine regions, growing Chardonnay is seen as a ‘rite of passage’ and an easy entry into the international wine market.

Top Chardonnay wine is the most popular white wine on earth and, more recently, it has also become the most divisive. Travel to any wine region in the world, and you’ll find at least one vineyard growing Chardonnay. It’s a wine that can be simple or regal, aged for many years or consumed immediately.

Chardonnay was born in the Burgundy region of France, where it is known as White Burgundy, and it was there that the wine gained great acclaim for its elegance.

Soon after Chardonnay’s rise in popularity, winemakers in Champagne began to grow the grape as well, using it as the dominant ingredient for their sparkling wines.

Chardonnay Origins

For much of its history, a connection was assumed between Chardonnay and Pinot noir or Pinot blanc. In addition to being found in the same region of France for centuries, it was noted that the leaves of each plant have near-identical shape and structure. Chardonnay’s true origins were further obscured by vineyard owners in Lebanon and Syria, who claimed that the grape’s ancestry could be traced to returning Crusader who introduced the grape to Europe. There has been no solid external evidence supports that theory.  Another theory stated that it originated from an ancient indigenous vine found in Cyprus. The Chardonnay grape itself is neutral, with many of the flavors commonly associated with the wine being derived from such influences as terroir and oak. It is vinified in many styles, from the lean, crisply mineral wines of Chablis, France, to New World wines with oak and tropical fruit flavors. In cool climates (such as Chablis and the Carneros AVA of California), Top Chardonnay wine tends to be medium to light body with noticeable acidity and flavors of green plum, apple, and pear. In warmer locations Australia and New Zealand), the flavors become more citrus, peach, and melon, while in very warm locations as California, more fig and tropical fruit notes such as banana and mango come out.

Chardonnay is an important component of many sparkling wines around the world, including Champagne and Franciacorta in Italy.

Modern DNA fingerprinting research has now suggested that Chardonnay is the result of a cross between the Pinot noir and Gouais blanc grape varieties. The Romans are thought to have brought Gouais Blanc from Croatia, and it was widely cultivated by peasants in eastern France. The Pinot of the French aristocracy grew in proximity to the Gouais blanc, resulting in grapes having an opportunity to interbreed. Since the two parents were genetically distant, many of the crosses showed hybrid vigor and were selected for further propagation.

Chardonnay grapes are complicated as they take on very different characteristics when in Champagne than in Burgundy. Winemakers began to realize that the grape could truly embody the region and area where the wine is grown. No two places that grow Chardonnay produces the exact same wine, yet every region finds it is relatively easy to grow.

Chardonnay Growth Conditions

While Chardonnay can adapt to almost all vineyard soils, the three it seems to like most are chalk, clay, and limestone, all very prevalent throughout Chardonnay’s traditional “homeland”. The Grand Cruz of Chablis are planted on hillsides composed of limestone, and chalk. The outlying regions, falling under the more basic “Petit Chablis” appellation, are planted on Portlandian limestone which produces wines with less finesse. Chalk beds are found throughout the Champagne region, and the Côte-d’Or has many areas composed of limestone and clay. In Burgundy, the amount of limestone to which the Chardonnay vines are exposed also seems to have some effect on the resulting wine. In the Meursault region, the premier Cruz vineyards planted at Meursault-Charmes have topsoil almost 79 in above limestone and the resulting wines are very rich and rounded. In the nearby Les Perrieres vineyard, the topsoil is only around 12 in above the limestone and the wine from that region is much more powerful, minerally, and tight, needing longer in the bottle to develop fully. In other areas, soil type can compensate for a lack of ideal climate conditions. In South Africa, for example, regions with stonier, shaley soils and high clay levels tend to produce lower-yielding and more Burgundian-style wine, despite having a discernibly warmer climate than France. In contrast, South African Chardonnay produced from more sandstone-based vineyards tend to be richer and more weighty

As the grape quickly spread across the world, winemakers discovered that warm climates would produce a Chardonnay grape that was full of tropical flavors, while in cooler climates the grape had flavors of apple as well as earthy fall aromas such as mushrooms and fresh leaves. With the variety of different Chardonnays that can be produced around the world, wine drinkers literally have a Chardonnay for every season and occasion. This worldwide variety allows Chardonnay to go extremely well on its own while sitting outside in the summer, or even on a cold winter’s night with a hearty stew.

Top Chardonnay Wine Food Pairing

Appetizers:

• Hummus with Pita Chip,
• Shrimp Baked with Herbs,
• Seafood Terrine

Cheese:

• Brie
• Fresh Mozzarella
• Ricotta
• Brillat-Savarin
• Fontina

Vegetables:

• Green Peas
• White Beans
• Zucchini
• Edamame
• Butternut Squash
• Carrots
• Yams/Sweet Potatoes
• Corn
• Pumpkin
• Truffles and Mushrooms
• Fruits:
• Apple
• Pear
• Peach
• Mango
• Lemon

Pizza:

• White Pizza with Chicken,
• Mushrooms and Mozzarella,
• Mushroom & Brie Pizza,
• Apple and Brie Pizza.
• Four Cheese White Pizza

Pasta / Polenta / Risotto:

• Lemony Shrimp Risotto
• Wild Mushroom & Herb Pasta
• Spring Vegetable Risotto Fettuccine with Scallops & White Wine

Sauce:

• Pasta Creamy Chicken Sauce
• Butternut Squash Risotto
• Fettuccine Alfredo
• Creamy Pasta Primavera
• Fettuccine with Scallops & Cream Sauce
• Polenta with Beurre Blanc and Scallops

Pork:

Roast Pork with Wine or Lemon

• Pork Chop with Gremolata
• Roast Pork with Cream or Apples
• Pork Chop with Cream and Calvados
• White Sausage (Boudin Blanc)
• Hazelnut-Crusted Pork Chops

Poultry:

• Poached Chicken with Lemon Butter Sauce
• Baked Chicken Breasts with Tarragon
• Baked Chicken with Herbs & Mushrooms
• Roast Chicken with Herbs
• Wine-Braised Chicken with Mashed Potatoes
• Grilled Lemon-Garlic Turkey
• Pecan-Crusted Chicken
• Roast Turkey with Stuffing
• Chicken/Turkey Pot Pie

Soup:

• Vichyssoise
• Creamy Vegetable Soup
• Pureed White Bean Soup Seafood Bisque
• Corn Chowder
• Butternut Squash Soup

Salad:

• Chicken Salad with Grapes
• Poached Salmon Salad
• Tarragon Lobster Salad
• Pecan-Crusted Chicken Salad with Apples and Brie
• Warm Scallop Salad with Mango and Hazelnuts
•  

Sauce:

• Wine Sauce
• Butter Sauce
• Cream Sauce
• Mild Cheese Sauce

Seafood:

• Sole with Butter & Lemon
• Almond-Crusted Trout
• Crab Cakes
• Lobster with Drawn Butter
• Pan-Seared Scallops
• Classic Crab Roll
• Baked/Poached Salmon Cod
• Halibut with Brown Butter
• Lobster/Scallops with Butter & Cream
• Macadamia-Crusted Mahi-Mahi
• Seared Sea Bass on Potato Puree
• Lobster Pot Pie

Please sign up for our email list below to get the latest information on our latest product descriptions, upcoming sales and special offers. We have some of the best offers in the business so please keep updated and have all questions answered in our COMMONWEALTH NEWS

Please chose from our samples of fine Chardonnay below or go to our site for select from all fine wine and spirits.

  Kendall-Jackson Jackson Estate Camelot Highlands Chardonnay 2016

  Louis Latour Ardeche Chardonnay 2016

  Benjamin Leroux Meursault 2017

  Pepperlwood Grove Chardonnay

  Mer Soleil Santa Lucia Highlands Reserve Chardonnay 2017

  Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 2016

Joseph Drouhin St. Veran 2017

Olivier Leflaive Meursault 2016

SYRAH and SHIRAZ

Syrah also known as Shiraz, is a red grape variety used to make high-quality fine wine. Syrah is known for being dense and full-bodied, heavy and powerful but still smooth and drinkable. As a wine, Syrah and Shiraz becomes one of the darkest red wines available, almost to the point of being purple. The syrah flavor profile is primarily characterized as meaty with black pepper, dark fruit, violets and notes of blackberry, blueberry, boysenberry, herbs, licorice, chocolate, and olives.

Both Syrah and Shiraz refer to the same type of grape, as well as the red wine produced by that grape. When the syrah grape was introduced by France to Australia, its name gradually changed to shiraz. Generally speaking, wineries use shiraz to suggest their wine is a little more rich, lush, ripe, and fruity than the traditional French syrah, which is a bit lighter on the fruit factor.

Syrah was found to be the offspring of two obscure grapes from southeastern France, Dureza and Mondeuse Blanche grapes. The style and flavor profile of wines made from Syrah is influenced by the climate where the grapes are grown with moderate climates as in such as the northern Rhone Valley and parts of central Washington State tending to produce medium to full-bodied wines with medium to high levels of tannins and notes of blackberry, mint and black pepper. In hot climates in regions of Australia, Syrah is more consistently full-bodied with softer tannin, jammier fruit and spice notes of licorice, anise and earthy leather. In many regions the acidity and tannin levels of Syrah allow the wines produced to have favorable aging potential.

Aside from its deep red hue, the syrah grape has several other distinct qualities:

• Syrah grapes are small, and range from round to a bit egg-shaped.
• The grape is sturdy, but is susceptible to coulure, a weather-related hazard which causes shattering after flowering. It is also vulnerable to attacks from mildew and oidium.
• The grapes have a short ripening period, so picking syrah is a delicate process requiring strong human oversight and know-how.
• The tannins in the skin of the syrah grapes allow it to age well in the bottle for decades. However, syrah grapes are picked at peak maturity, so the wine doesn’t necessarily need to age for decades to get the full body and flavor. Most syrah wines are ready to drink after only a few years.
• Syrah grapes prefer dry climates and soils that permit deep root penetration (hence their popularity in Australia). The syrah grape is very sensitive to frost and over-cropping.
• Syrah is known as a “workhorse grape” or a “chameleon grape” for its ability to combine well with other grapes, including Grenache, Mourvèdre, Carignan, Cinsaut, Bordeaux, and Viognier.

Syrah is used as a single varietal or as a blend. Following several years of strong planting, Syrah was estimated in 2004 to be the world’s 7th most grown grape at 142,600 hectares (352,000 acres). It can be found throughout the globe from France to New World wine regions such as: Chile, South Africa, the New Zealand, California and Washington. It can also be found in several Australian wine regions such as: Barossa, Heathcote, Coonawarra, Hunter Valley, Margaret River and McLaren Vale

SYRAH or SHIRAZ FOOD PAIRING

• Barbecue, especially spareribs
• Braised beef
• Cheese, especially aged hard cheeses like Gouda
• Chicken, especially barbecued and braised
• Duck
• Grilled meats and vegetables
• Hamburgers
• Lamb, especially roast leg of lamb
• Mushrooms
• Pork
• Sausage
• Steaks and chops
• Tuna, especially grilled or seared tuna
• Veal
• Venison

Please sign up for our email list below to get the latest information on our latest product descriptions, upcoming sales and special offers. We have some of the best offers in the business so please keep updated and have all questions answered in our COMMONWEALTH NEWS

Please order from the excellent samples below or go to our site for many more options

2007 Alexandre Rochette & cie St. Joseph

2016 Amon Ra By Ben Glaetzer Barossa Valley Unfiltered Shiaz

2007 Andrew Hardy OX Shiraz

Fisher Vineyards Hidden Terrace Vineyard Syrah

2010 Guigal Ermitage Ex Voto

2012 Haut-Blanville 1955

Jean-Luc Colombo Cornas les Ruchets

2017 Lancyre Rose

2009 Nicolas Perrin Cornas

2004 Planeta Syrah

 

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BEST MOSCATO WINE

The history and origins of Muscat grapes is a bit vague and limited on good documentation with the origins of the ancestors of the varieties back to the ancient Egyptians and Persians at or about 3000-1000 BCE. Other research has suggested that the family of Muscat varieties were propagated during the period of classical antiquity at or about 800 BCE to 600 AD by the Greeks and Romans. Even though this suggestive information has been available, there is no solid historical evidence that these early wine grapes were members of the Muscat family.

The first documented mention of grapes called “muscat” was in the works of the English Franciscan scholar Bartholomeus Anglicus who wrote of wine made from Muscat grapes in his work De proprietatibus rerum written between 1230 and 1240 A.D.

The Muscat grape is one of the oldest domesticated grapes in the world. For centuries, people have valued this grape enough to keep it in existence and use it to make a variety of interesting and appealing wines as in the best Moscato wine.

The Muscat grape belongs to the species vitis vinifera and is widely grown in warm temperate climates around the world to produce wine, raisins and table grapes. There are hundreds of varieties of Muscat grapes, but the four varieties most commonly used to produce wine are Muscat of Alexandria, Muscat Blanc a Petit Grains, Muscat Ottonel and Muscat Hamburg.

Wine produced from the Muscat grape is characterized by smelling and tasting of the grape itself. Historically the grape has been used to make rich, luscious dessert wines in varying degrees of sweetness and fortification. Sweet Muscats exhibit the taste of raisins, toffee and oranges. More recently, Muscat grapes are being made into dry, aromatic table wines. Muscat grapes are also used to produce lively, refreshing sparkling wines.

Italy is one of the oldest and most important wine producing countries. Grapes were cultivated by the Etruscans in the 8th century BC. Muscat wines have been part of the Italian wine scene for centuries.

The Muscat grape most commonly grown in Italy is Moscato Bianco. It is the fourth most commonly grown white wine grape in the country. This aromatic grape produces wines that are characterized by floral aromas with peach and citrus overtones. It is widely used in Italy for lightly sparkling, or Frizzante wines, the most famous of which are Asti Spumante and Moscato d’Asti. Most of the non-sparkling Italian Muscats can be categorized as having varying degrees of sweetness. The strongest and sweetest Muscats are the specially made “Passito” and “Liquoroso” wines. An exception to the very sweet Muscat wines are Muscat de Chambave from the Aosta Valley which is an ancient and impeccably made dry table wine and the drier, crisper Muscats from the Trentino region.

Muscat Grapes

The Muscat family of grapes includes over 200 grape varieties belonging to the Vitis vinifera species that have been used in wine production and as raisin and table grapes around the globe for many centuries. Muscat grapes and wines almost always have a pronounced sweet floral aroma. The breadth and number of varieties of Muscat suggest that it is perhaps the oldest domesticated grape variety, and there are theories that most families within the Vitis vinifera grape variety are descended from the Muscat variety.

Among the most prominent members of the Muscat family are Muscat blanc à Petits Grains, which is the primary grape variety used in the production of the Italian sparkling wine Asti  made in the Piedmont region. It is also used in the production of many of the French fortified wines known as vin doux naturels. In Australia, this is also the main grape used in the production of Liqueur Muscat, from the Victorian wine region of Rutherglen. Young, unaged and unfortified examples of Muscat blanc tend to exhibit the characteristic Muscat “grapey” aroma as well as citrus, rose and peach notes. Fortified and barrel aged examples tend to be very dark in color due to oxidation with aroma notes of coffee, fruit cake, raisins and toffee.

Muscat of Alexandria is another Muscat variety commonly used in the production of French vin doux naturel, but it is also found in Spain, where it is used to make many of the fortified Spanish Moscatels. Elsewhere it is used to make off-dry to sweet white wines, often labeled as Moscato in Australia, California and South Africa. In Alsace and parts of Central Europe, Muscat Ottonel is used to produce usually dry and highly perfumed wines.

Pairing Food With Moscato Wine

Moscato is not formulated to be aged. It is best served fresh and well chilled. Moscato is great with fresh fruits and berries, summer salads, meringue pies, hazelnut desserts, lemon and poppy bread and cakes, and fruit cobbler.

Moscato pairs well with spicy Asian (Thai, Szechuan or Korean), as well as Indian and Mexican dishes.

Moscato d’Asti wines pair well with a variety of cheese courses, charcuterie, or antipasto plates.. Its versatility–when carrying a balance of sweet and acidity–along with lower alcohol also make Moscato an ideal aperitif candidate.

Please sign up for our email list below to get the latest information on our latest product descriptions, upcoming sales and special offers. We have some of the best offers in the business so please keep updated and have all questions answered in our COMMONWEALTH NEWS

Please order a Moscato wine below or go here for a complete selection of  wines and spirits

Saracco Moscato d’Asti

Rivata Moscato d’ Asti

Marchese dell’Elsa Moscato d’Asti

Mallee Point Moscato

Castello Poggio Moscato

Risata Moscato d’ Asti

Barefoot Bubbly Pink Moscato

Chiarlo Nivole Moscato

BORDEAUX WINE

A Bordeaux wine is any wine produced in the Bordeaux region of southwest France. The Bordeaux wine region is extensive and somewhat complex. The region is centered on the city of Bordeaux, on the Garonne River. To the north of the city the Dordogne River joins the Garonne forming the broad estuary called the Gironde and covering the whole area considered the Gironde region. These rivers define the wine-producing geographical subdivisions of the region. The ‘right bank’ is the right bank of the Dordogne, in the northern parts of the region, around the city of Libourne. The section is known as Entre-Deux-Mers which is French for ‘between two seas’. The area between the rivers Dordogne and Garonne is both tidal and in the center of the region. This region has about 8000 unique producers with close to 120,000 planted hectares. Average with a total vineyard area of over 120,000 hectares producing up to making it the largest wine-growing area in France. Bordeaux is the largest and most popular wine region in the world.

Wine

The wine was introduced to the Bordeaux region by the Romans around the mid-1st century A.D. and wine popularity and production has continued for 1000’s of years. Bordeaux had its beginning and notoriety in the approximate 1600s. Bordeaux in its entirety can be divided into two parts or regions consisting of the ‘Left Bank’ and the ‘Right Bank’. The Left Bank, which is famous for its wines dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon while the Right Bank produces wines that have a large percentage of Merlot. The Right Bank is the home to Petrus and Cheval Blanc. Bordeaux has one other major appellation, Sauternes, which is where the world’s greatest, sweet Bordeaux wines come from. It is these two main areas that produce many of the world’s best red wines.

Wines of the Left Bank:

The wines from the Left Bank are blends with predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon. Thus, the most important grape is Cabernet Sauvignon followed by Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Carmenere. The major appellations in the Left Bank are Pessac Leognan, Margaux St. Julien, St. Estephe, and Pauillac.

The main character of the Left Bank wines is due to the appropriate soil condition consisting of limestone and clay. The best wines combine elegance with tannic structure, giving the wine’s flavors of currants, spice, earth, and tobacco when young.

As the wines age, they become more refined, and they take on additional nuances of cedar, herbs, truffle, leather, and smoke. Bordeaux wines from the Left Bank are famous for their ability to age and develop for years or even decades. And the best chateaux, in the top vintages are capable of making wines that can age for a century or longer.

Wines of Right Bank Bordeaux:

The Right Bank of Bordeaux is where you find the absolute best wines in the world produced from Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Beside Merlot and Cabernet Franc there are also smaller plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Carmenere. The 2 most famous appellations in the Right Bank are St. Emilion and Pomerol.

As in Left Bank, it is the clay that gives the wines from this area its plush, opulent, character as well as the ability to be aged as well as the best wines of the Left Bank

Right Bank wines at their best offer lush, sensuous textures, soft tannins and noses of juicy, black cherries, licorice, black and red plums, chocolate, flowers and truffle when young. As the wines age, you find more tobacco, truffle, dark chocolate, and earthy characteristics.

It is basically the soil condition that gives the variations between the Left Bank and Right Bank Bordeaux wines. The terroir (soil conditions, climate and environmental factors) provide the factors that produce the variations and similarities for all the wines in the Bordeaux region.

Bordeaux is famous for its red wines with 90% of the production as very fine red wine. However, Bordeaux is also very capable producing great white Bordeaux wine. These are traditionally made from Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Sauvignon Gris. The famous sweet, white Bordeaux wines are made from Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle which have been affected by noble rot, also known as botrytis.

Bordeaux Wine and Food Pairing:

Generally, the more expensive the wine, the more decanting it might need, depending on the vintage. Lesser wines might need little or no decanting to be delicious. Decanting allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. The wine will also gently warm in the glass, releasing its aromatics. Older vintages might also need decanting, for both aerating and to remove the sediment.

Red Bordeaux wine is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised and grilled dishes.

Red Bordeaux is a perfect match with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, salmon, mushrooms and pasta as well as cheese.

Dry white Bordeaux wine is a perfect wine to serve with shellfish, sashimi, sushi, all types of seafood, chicken, veal, and cheese.

Sweet Bordeaux wine is best paired with cheese, spicy foods, Chinese or Asian food, rich seafood like crab, lobster, and chicken, veal or pork.

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Please review the fine samples below or go to our main website, for selections from around the world.

  Chateau La Fleur Peyrabon 2014

  Chateau Prieure Lichine 2012

  Chateau La Lagune 2004

  Chateau Gruaud LaRose 2012

  Chateau Chasse Spleen 1996

  Chateau Cantemerle 2012

  Chateau Margaux 1990

  Chateau D’Yquem 2017

  Chateau La Croix Du Casse 2005

Chateau La Confession 2015