Port vs Madeira: What’s the Difference?
Fortified wines aren’t well understood, but two classics, Port vs Madeira, are worth your time. Madeira and Port share several similarities. They are both sweet, fortified Portuguese wines. Madeira has high acid, with stewed fruits, nuts, burnt sugar, citrus peel, and varnish. Port has tannin, with red and black fruit, licorice, and leather. Both wines […]
Madeira vs Sherry: What’s the Difference?
If we lived several centuries ago, we’d all know the difference between Sherry vs Madeira, two classic fortified wines. But today, Sherry and Madeira aren’t the go-to wines for most people. Madeira and Sherry are fortified wines but use different grapes and winemaking methods. Madeira is sweet, high acid, with stewed fruits, nuts, burnt sugar, […]
How Is Sherry Made: A Complete Guide
Comparison of Sherries Sherries Comparison Type Aging Regimen Biological or Oxidative Aging Sweet or Dry Flavors Fino Under flor (yeast layer) Biologically Dry Crisp, almond, green apple Amontillado Biological aging followed by oxidative aging Both (starts biologically, then exposed to air) Dry Nutty, caramel, dried fruit Oloroso Oxidative aging Oxidatively Dry Rich, toffee, walnut Pale […]
Albariño Wine Guide
Honest confession time. Albariño is the one wine that I always have challenges with on blind tasting exams. Albariño (al-bah-reen-yo) is a refreshing, light-bodied white Spanish wine from the northwestern corner of Spain in the region of Rias Baixas, Galicia. Albariño wines showcase lemon zest, apricot, melon, grapefruit, white peach, nectarine, and honeysuckle. You may […]
What Is Medoc Wine?
Shopping for French wines can be a little cryptic. The wine labels often have regions instead of grapes on them, making it hard to figure out what wine style you’re buying. If you have a label with ‘Medoc’ on it, here’s what that means. Medoc wine is a red wine from the Bordeaux region of […]
What Makes a Wine a Bordeaux?
When someone says ‘Bordeaux’, what exactly do they mean? Bordeaux (Bore-doh) can be a place, a wine, or even a wine style. Bordeaux wines, mostly red blends, originate from France’s Bordeaux region on the Atlantic coast. Dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Carménère, and Malbec in varying proportions, these wines […]