Famous Wine Regions: The Best Of Italian Toscana – Moncharm Fine Wine Merchants

Famous Wine Regions: The Best Of Italian Toscana – Moncharm Fine Wine Merchants

Famous Wine Regions: The Best Of Italian Toscana

• Fine Wine Blog

Home to some of the world’s most noteworthy wine regions, Tuscany is known for producing stellar wines from its diverse vineyards. From Florence to Chianti, Ornellaia to Tignanello, Tuscany has produced extraordinary wines for hundreds of years.
Famous for some of the best fine wine to come out of Italy, the region is widely known for its distinctive nature and distinguished reputation among wine connoisseurs from around the world.

Introduction to Tuscan Wine

Italy produces some of the most celebrated wines in the world, and Tuscany is central to that observance. Located in central Italy, Tuscany’s Mediterranean roots and rolling hills make the region's vineyards lush and fertile – the perfect grounds for growing an ideal grape.
Recognized worldwide as coming from one of the top wine making regions of the world, Tuscan wine gains its infamous reputation from the Sangiovese grape – the pillar variation of all of Tuscany’s topmost red wines.
Tuscany has ancient traditions dating from the day of the Etruscans. With perfect weather and soil conditions, the abundant vineyards bear grapes that are much sought after and renowned. Wine and winemaking are as much a part of the Tuscan civilization as the olive trees that the region is also known for.

Moncharm’s Top Tuscan Selection

We’re proud to provide an extraordinary selection comprising some of the best that Italy has to offer in our online wine shop. Here are 3 super tuscans from various vintages that we’re pleased to recommend. Please click on the year number of each Tuscan for more information on the specific vintage.

1. This Sassicaia, 2006 – as the wine that started it all, Sassicaia remains one of the most desirable super tuscans. The 2006 vintage features a bouquet of smoked fruit, leather, and layers of earthiness.

One of the region’s great vintages, the 2006 boasts a spectacular combination of ripeness and acidity complemented by a complex nose that blends dark fruits and berries with minerals and dried herbs. Other distinguished Sassicaia vintages that you should look at are the 2005 and 2007.

2. The Tignanello, 2008 follows the great vintages from Italian winemakers. This selection is captivating and precise with subtle notes of tobacco, black cherries, smoke and liquorice.

A multi-layered consistency with silky tannins that will caress the palate. This elegant vintage has an unexpected lushness that’s balanced with perfect acidity. Other notable Tignanello vintages that you should look at are the 2007 and 2010.

3. This Solaia, 2007 is an extraordinary selection of striking quality. Translated as “sunny one” from Italian, this Solaia features an elaborate bouquet full of black cherries, crème de cassis, dark fruits, mocha, and oak.

The palate is rich, balanced, and full of delicacy. The notes are rounded and graceful, with layers of fruits and firm tannins. Generous and effortless, this delicious choice has all the subtlety and layers that you would expect from the Tuscan region. Another special Solaia vintage that you should look at is the 2001.

Making Your Choice

We provide a vast array of wine selections to suit both novices and seasoned collectors. Our wine shop offers some of the best fine wine from Tuscany, as well as other famous regions from around the world.
Browse through our extensive collection of the world’s finest, and you’re guaranteed to find the ideal vintage to suit your own taste and unique personality. If you have any questions or queries, please contact our experts – we’ll be quick to respond and happy to help!
Image source: Flickr

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Wine Acidity: A Guide to An Essential Wine Characteristic – Moncharm Fine Wine Merchants

Wine Acidity: A Guide to An Essential Wine Characteristic – Moncharm Fine Wine Merchants

Wine Acidity: A Guide to An Essential Wine Characteristic

• Fine Wine Blog • Wine Acidity • Wine Guide • Wine Tasting

Wine acidity is a confusing concept for many, and the taste of acidity is frequently mistaken for tannins or alcohol. But the acid in wine plays an important role.
From a functional perspective, acidity is crucial for the preservation of wine. Proper wine acidity prevents spoilage of the wine and inhibits microorganism growth – while an acidity level too low will ruin the wine quickly as it will go bad.
The acidity of your wine is also important from an enjoyment perspective, providing balance and zest. We discuss in greater detail in this quick guide to wine acidity.

What Does Acidity Taste Like In Wine?

For an easy generalization, wines with higher acidity feel lighter or “zestier,” while wines with less acidity feel heavier or “richer.” Acidity can be recognized as a tingling sensation at the sides of the tongue, or a bumpy feeling on the rough of the tongue, with a prominence of saliva in the mouth.
Wine lacking acidity tastes flat and boring, while wine with too much acidity is too tart and sour. Acidity and sweetness in an ideal wine should correctly be used to balance each other.
Proper acidity proportions can enhance a wine’s refreshing qualities, and can complement paired foods exquisitely. This is achieved incredibly well in highly regarded fine wines such as those from these wine investment regions.

Types Of Acid In Wine

Four types of acid are found most commonly in grapes and in wine. The presence of a fifth type of acid (acetic acid or vinegar) should be found only in tiny amounts in good wines, because in large amounts it indicates a wine flaw – a common occurrence in cheap table wine. Acetic acid is undesirable and volatile.
Tartaric and malic acid are the most common acids in wine, and are created in grapes as they mature on the vine, with acidity decreasing as the grapes continue to mature. In general, wines from cooler years and areas tend to have higher acidity and lower sugar.
Warm climate grapes tend to have lower acid and higher sugar. Colder climates’ acidity is preserved better as compared to warm climates (thus presenting a higher level in the wine), because warmth and sunlight cause grapes to both mature and lose acidity faster.

Measuring Wine Acidity: TA & pH

TA (or total acidity) is measured under the assumption that a wine’s acid is all tartaric, and measures the percentage of acid in the wine. Total acidity is recorded as grams per 100 mL of wine. The general range is between 0.4% and 1.3%, with a most desirable range between 0.6% and 0.7%.
Wine that tastes too tart and sour would rate near 1.0%, while wine that tastes flat and boring is near 0.4%. An average red table wine is about 0.6%, with the average white wine just slightly higher.
An exception is very sweet white dessert wines, which may have acidity above 1%. This is considered very high, but necessary to balance the high sugar.
pH, on the other hand, measures active acidity. It is a logarithmic measure of wine acidity, meaning that a pH of 4 translates in 10 times more acidity than a pH of 5. The lower the pH number, the higher the acidity. If a pH is too high, microorganisms may grow in the wine.
Most wines are between the pH levels of 3.3 and 3.7.
To learn how you can find the acidity measurements of your wine, we recommend reading our recent article on wine tech sheets.

Understanding Your Fine Wine

The enjoyability of your wine drinking experience is often times dependent on your knowledge of it. It is this knowledge that helps you choose the right wine for your palate, and keep choosing right wines in the future. This is why we bring you weekly articles and guides here on our blog!
We hope understanding wine acidity will help you better understand your wine, and we recommend checking out our online wine shop for a collection of some of the world’s best fine wines from the most popular wine making regions – all just a button away from arriving at your doorstep.
For any other fine wine related questions or queries – or if you’re interested in fine wine investment or collecting – please feel free to contact our experts at any time. We always respond promptly, and will be glad to help!
Image source: Brent Hofacker

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What Is Bordeaux Famous For? | Moncharm - Fine wine Merchants

What Is Bordeaux Famous For? | Moncharm - Fine wine Merchants

What Is Bordeaux Famous For?

• Bordeaux Wine • Bordeaux Wine Region • Fine Wine Blog • What Is Bordeaux Famous For

What is Bordeaux famous for? A natural question about the most popular wine region today that every newcomer to the world of fine wine asks. And for good reason, given all the talk about it in this online community!
Bordeaux is famous for its red wines – of course – but is known for so much more! The World Heritage designation that this wine region has maintained over the last decade has increased interest in the region, but why? And what exactly is Bordeaux famous for, if not just red wine?

1. The Bordeaux region is famous for its shopping

The Rue Saint Catherine in the Bordeaux wine region boasts over a kilometre of fancy shops, bustling cafes, and beautiful shopping centres. The famous department store Galeries Lafayette – which resembles a royal palace – is known for being the longest shopping strip throughout Europe.
And of course, it goes without saying that the myriad vineyards and shops selling the region’s famous wine and foodstuffs are a main tourist attraction point in this region.

2. The Bordeaux region is famous for its beauty

Bordeaux lovers like to say that parts of Paris were modelled after Bordeaux, long known for its well-worn charm and pretty buildings.
An affectionate nickname for the city is Petit Paris (meaning Little Paris). With three beautiful universities, neat avenues, open squares, and ornate architecture, the city has an international vibe that inspires old school elegance.

3. The Bordeaux region is famous for its history

Wine has been grown in Bordeaux for thousands of years – since even before the Romans arrived. The city of Bordeaux is almost as old, and its wine has always been at the forefront of the economy.
The location of the city (near the port) allowed for easy commerce, and due to the control of the English, a major customer was England – who called the Bordeaux red wine “claret.”

4. Bordeaux wine is famous for amazing grape blends

All Bordeaux wine is made of region-specific grape blends. Red Bordeaux wines are nearly always blends of mainly Cabernet and Merlot – which are the main red varieties of the region. Other grapes (in smaller amounts) are grown and occasionally used as well – such as Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.
A white Bordeaux wine is usually a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, with the occasional Muscadelle in smaller quantities.
These grape blends resulted in impressive wine aromas that have been highly regarded consistently by wine connoisseurs.

5. Bordeaux wine is famous for consistent excellence

The wine-making process has been perfected in Bordeaux for thousands of years. Additionally, the two main grapes of the Bordeaux blend lend themselves to excellence.
Because the two dominant grapes have different ripening seasons, even if say Cabernet Sauvignon has a bad season, Merlot would not – and vice versa.
This provides consistency and reliability for all Bordeaux vintages, and helped secure the region’s popularity as one of the very best for wine investment and wine collecting.

6. Bordeaux is famous for the sheer amount of wine it produces

Producing four times as much wine as the second most famous region in France (Burgundy), Bordeaux is a production powerhouse.
It has over 250.000 acres of vines and over 20.000 wine producers in the region (though only about 100 are famous worldwide for making the region’s very best). In total, 850 million bottles are produced each year.

7. Bordeaux wine is even famous for its iconic bottles

The wine bottles of Bordeaux are iconic and highly recognizable around the world. With high, right-angled shoulders, you can’t mistake a bottle of Bordeaux for anything lesser.

What Is Bordeaux Famous For?

We hope our 7 reasons why Bordeaux is the most popular wine (and wine region) have helped answer your question! A history-making wine producer, Bordeaux is sure to have a wine in store that will fit neatly with your personal tastes.
Try one of Bordeaux’s world-famous wines from our online wine shop (click here), and have a piece of flavourful history brought right in front of your doorstep by our expert team! You can check out our best Bordeaux recommendations here to get you started.
If you have any wine-related questions or queries, please feel free to write us a quick message or give us a call at any time. Our fine wine experts always respond promptly, and will be happy to help!
Image source: Muhamad


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