We’re switching back to a classic red to warm you up on day 7! Although, given Charlotte’s weather, it could be 35ºF or 65ºF and sunny….
The Nebbiolo (neh-bee-oh-low) grape hails from the Piedmont (Piemonte) region of Italy. Varietal wines from the Southern Piedmont regions of Barolo, Barbaresco, and Langhe are known for their grippy tannins, high acidity, and perfumed aroma. Don’t let the pale ruby hue of Nebbiolo fool you, thick skins impart powerful tannins and a rosey finesse that keeps consumers coming back for more.
About the Producer
“The Grasso family have been making wine since 1927, but have only been bottling all their production since the mid – 1980s, when Alessio Federico took over from his father Silvio. The total vineyard surface area is 14 hectares; 6 estates are owned and 8 are leased. Federico Grasso is backed by his wife Marilena and by his sons Silvio and Paolo.”
Their estate fruit comes from hills with southeast exposure. This is an ideal position for vineyards located in cooler regions in the Northern Hemisphere, as the grapes can soak up the sun for most of the growing season.
AROMATIC COMPOUNDS FROM THE PULP AND THE SKINS!!
The floral notes in this wine are due to terpenes, like nerol, found in grape skins.
In the case of certain aromatic white grape varieties, a short maceration time of 4 to 24 hours will increase the intensity and add texture, without exposing the wine to excessive amounts of oxygen. In fact, a study conducted in the Czech Republic found that certain ter-penes (naturally occurring aromatic compounds) like Linalool, Nerol, and Geraniol carry over into the wine when there are longer maceration periods. “Nerol is characterized by a sweet aroma that resembles roses and thyme; some people also characterize its odour as “fresh”. It occurs mostly in skins. Geraniol and nerol are cis-trans isomers with an identical structure. In the course of fermentation, the content of nerol decreases and in the course of wine aging this compound is transformed to a-terpineol [15]. The length of maceration increased the lev-els of nerol and gerani-ol: as compared with zero maceration, their contents after 24 hours of maceration were two-times higher. The odour thresholds of nerol and geraniol are 400 and 130 μg/L, respectively.”
Full study here: https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/biol-2017-0005/html
Terpenes and their aroma:
Citronellol – Aroma of rose and citrus blossom
Geraniol – Geranium flowers, lavender
(In large amounts, aromas and flavors of geranium are considered a wine flaw.)
Nerol – Orange blossom, wildflower honey, rose, lilly, orchid
A-lonone – Violet
b-damascenone – Fresh and dried roses
FUN FACT! b-damascenone is a chemical compound that is found in certain species of roses. It is also found in bourbon, baked apples, elderberries, and tobacco!