Does Knowing The Region Where The Grapes Come From Enhance The Taste?

By Tom Marquardt And Patrick Darr

Sancerre is arguably one of the most requested and consumed white wines from France. However, it is doubtful whether consumers know the grape is produced from (sauvignon blanc) or where it is grown (Loire Valley).

Now, you don’t need to understand a wine’s pedigree or place of origin to appreciate its qualities. However, knowing a bit about the elixir in your glass can greatly enhance your enjoyment of the wine.

The Loire Valley is one of the top five recognized wine-producing areas in France along with Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone Valley, and Champagne. The valley and the surrounding grape growing areas stretch about 170 miles from the Atlantic Ocean west into the interior of France. The Loire Valley is home to some of France’s iconic expressions of the sauvignon blanc and chenin blanc grapes. It is home to the melon de bourgogne grape that yields the lively muscadet wine, arguably the perfect accompaniment to oysters on the half shell. Cabernet franc, pinot noir and gamay also make appearances representing red grapes from this region.

We recently tasted a selection of wines from the Loire Valley alongside a very popular sancerre to provide a contrasting look to the different sub-regions and grapes. In the process, we discovered a lot more about the region.

We began our tasting with the Raphael Midoir Plaine des Cailloux Touraine Oisly 2018 ($18-20). Touraine Oisly is a sub-region of Touraine and has only existed since 2011. Our previous experience with sauvignon blancs from Touraine were from tasting an inexpensive white wine exhibiting herbal citrus notes in a relatively simple package — not quite up to the quality of sancerre but it could work in a pinch. The Raphael Midoir Touraine Oisly is in another class. Rich with a deep golden color and a complex textured experience with floral, grapefruit, peaches and some tropical fruit notes in a wonderful mélange. An amazing wine at a bargain price. It is our understanding that a 2021 vintage exists, but we have not tasted it.

The Patient Cottat Sancerre Ancienne Vignes Sancerre 2022 ($35). This is a classic sancerre exhibiting herbal citrus notes with a hint of tropical fruit in a very smooth package. Unfortunately, prices for sancerre white wines have increased dramatically recently.

Pascal Janvier Jasnieres 2022 ($28). Made from the chenin blanc grape in an appellation we didn’t know, Jasnieres is a sub-appellation of the Coteaux du Loir and only produces wine from the chenin blanc grape. The wine presents a honied mineral experience with subtle acidity and a very creamy finish. Although certainly drinking well now, these wines have a reputation for aging gracefully.

The only red wine we tasted was the Domaine Filliatreau Samur-Champigny Vielles Vignes 2018 ($28-34). This wine was presented in a bold style that was clearly designed to pair with meat dishes or strong cheeses. The abundant tannins are soft with plum, cranberry and a hint of herbs in the nose and mouth. A serious wine for serious food.

Wines from Sicily

Sicilian wines, once obscure and sparsely stocked in wine shops, are now finding increasing availability in this country. White, red, and rosés are now exported to the U.S. and generally priced for consumers with moderate means. We’re all in for a good deal, right?

Sicily is an island off the southwestern coast of Italy. Its capital Palermo has a reputation for suffering more invasions than any other city in the world. Sicily’s cuisine today reflects the influence of these many invaders.

Sicily boasts a robust wine industry with nero d’avola planted more than any other red grape. We feel that nero d’avola is easily compared to the cabernet sauvignon grape in the U.S., producing bold, long-lasting fruity wines. Nero d’avola means black grape from the town of Avola in the province of Siracusa in southeastern Sicily. Although considered indigenous, it was brought to Sicily by the Greeks thousands of years ago.

We were impressed by the consistency and overall quality of a flight of nero d’avolas we recently tasted. Some of these wines listed may be hard to source. If you can’t find the specific wines mention, we recommend selecting available nero d’avola with a Sicilia DOC designation in the $20 range. Our experience with this class of wine is that they are remarkably consistent.

Following are our tasting impressions:

Duca Di Salaparuta Passo Delle Mule Nero D’Avola Sicilia DOC 2021 ($25). Deep dark cherry nose. Bold cherry fruit flavors and mild tannins. Excellent!

Baglio Oro Ceppineri Nero D’Avola Riserva Sicilia DOC 2017 ($23). Plum and cherry nose and flavors with hints of mocha. Soft tannins and very enjoyable.

Cantine Vinci Lithos Nero D’Avola Sicilia DOC 2018 ($23). This wine displayed more dried fruit notes with plums and cherries dominating.

Cantine Paolini Nero D’Avola Sicilia DOC 2019 ($15-20). Once again, a very substantial red wine displaying plum and cherries and in an easy-drinking soft tannin package.

Wine picks

Fiddehead Cellars Seven Twenty Eight Pinot Noir 2016 ($48). The additional bottle age rounds out this outstanding, terroir-driven pinot noir from Sta. Rita Hills. Jammy black cherry notes with a dash of spice.

Garfoli Piancarda Rosso Conero DOC 2020 ($17).  The oldest family-owned winery in the Marche region of Italy, Garfoli has several wines worthy of their price. This classic montepulciano is fruit-forward and is light- to medium-bodied.

Tenuta Scersce Nettare Rosso di Valtellina DOC 2021 ($30).  Winemaker Cristina Scarpellini bottles her passion for wine in this easy-to-drink nebbiolo.  It’s light enough to go well with pasta and other simple foods.