What We Drank Tonight.
In this second ever episode of the podcast, we take a different approach to talking about wine: instead of focusing on wine theory like in the Middle-earth and Old World Wines episodes, we’re focusing on the process of tasting a wine, and showing how different wines made from the same grape and even from the same place can taste totally different. Rather than giving broad strokes about different wine regions and grapes, in this episode we are honing in on one wine region, which is Tuscany, and one grape, which is Sangiovese.
If you are interested in reading Uma Thurman's account of her experiences involving these movies, here is her interview in the New York Times.
First of all, here's a Wine Map of Tuscany from WineFolly, a great online resource. This will definitely be helpful to look at before, during, and/or after listening to the episode.
Some wine terms and clarifications:
- The Four Fundamental Elements of Wine: Tannin, Acid, Sugar, and Alcohol.
- Appellation- both a designation of place and designation of quality (Chianti, Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, and Rosso di Montalcino are all appellations within Tuscany)
- Fact Check: Chianti must be at least 80% Sangiovese.
- Clarification: A better way to describe how most rosé is made, rather than whatever Emma said in this episode, is red grapes made in a white wine fashion.
- Declassified Wines: wines that don't follow established classifications. AKA #rebelwines
- Feminine vs. Masculine as wine descriptors. Pretty much what you'd expect, as long as wines are being heteronormative.
- Vino Nobile di Montepulciano vs. Montepulciano d'Abruzzo: one's a region, one's a grape, and they're both different! Why Italy why?!?
- Classic Chianti vs. Chianti Classico: Not the same thing! O, the importance of one letter...
- Sight is an important part of the tasting process, but hard to talk about on a podcast. :-/
- Clarification: Vin Santo is a dessert wine made in Tuscany. It can sometimes be made from the Sangiovese grape, but more often is a blend of the Trebbiano and Malvasia grapes. The Vin Santo we reference, from Badia a Coltibuono, is no exception to the trend.
- Emma's #1 Rule For Tasting Wine: You can't be wrong, so don't be afraid!
What we were drinking tonight:
- 2016 Il Poggione 'Brancato' Rosato- Literally impossible to drink less than a bottle in one sitting.
- 2015 Bibi Graetz 'Casamatta' Toscana Rosso- check out his whole site to see his awesome artwork! Click here to see the bottle we were drinking
- 2014 Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona Rosso di Montalcino- check out the whole site to learn who married the Ciacci.
- 2013 Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva- that's Castello di Monsanto, not the other Monsanto
- 2012 Tenute Silvio Nardi Brunello di Montalcino- find my friend Emilia Nardi on the site!