The Wine Bible

Viognier is one of the finest but rarest French white grapes. The grape nearly went extinct in the 1960s, until it became fashionable in California and in Languedoc-Roussillon.

MUSCAT

GRAVEL Soil that is loose and pebbly and has good drainage and poor fertility. Vines planted in this type of soil must penetrate deeply to find nutrients in the subsoil. The Graves and Sauternes regions of Bordeaux consist predominantly of gravel-based soil.

SILT Soil type consisting of fine-grain deposits that offer good water retention but poor drainage. It…

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When it’s young, sangiovese has the wonderful appeal of a fresh, warm cherry pie. As it ages, the wine takes on dried leaf, dried orange peel, tea, mocha, spicy, peaty, earthy flavors, and a fabulous sensation of minerality, even saltiness.

The wine’s easily understood, appealing flavors—vanilla, butter, butterscotch, buttered toast, custard, minerals, green apples, exotic citrus fruits—are matched by equally effusive textures—creamy, lush, and full-bodied.

BALANCE

LOESS very fine, silt-based soil composed of wind-borne sediment that is typically angular and decalcified. The soil has good water retention and warming properties. Loess is a common soil…

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CHARDONNAY