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LIGHT (STILL) WINE
ROSE
Grenache Rose (greh nahsh roh zay) - A Rose made from the Grenache grape, with an intense, distinctive quality and a touch of sweetness.
Rose (roh zay) - A wine made by crushing red grapes and drawing the clear juice off before fermentation, resulting in a pink wine. Light, fresh, fruity, and usually somewhat sweet.
White Zinfandel - A Rose made from Zinfandel grapes. Usually salmon-pink in color, with a strawberry character and a touch of sweetness.
WHITE
Chablis (shah blee) - Both the name of a blended wine from the United States; light, fresh, and often with a touch of sweetness, and a French wine made from Chardonnay grapes.
Champagne (sham pane) - Sparkling wine. The bubbles come from a secondary fermentation which puts carbon dioxide in the wine. The name originates in France, but has gained use as a generic term. Champagnes come in various levels of dryness (from natural - the driest, through brut and extra dry to sec - the sweetest) and some subtypes (such as blanc de blanc - made from white grapes and blanc de noir - made in part from red grapes and slightly pink in color).
Chardonnay (shar doe nay) - A dry, crisp, flavorful wine with nuances of apples, citrus and vanilla. Often put in oak barrels at the winery for complexity, and can gain more with bottle age.
Chenin Blanc (shen in blahnk) - A soft, uncomplicated wine with a melon-like
character and a touch of residual sweetness.
Fume Blanc (foo may blahnk) -
See Sauvignon Blanc.
Gewurztramniner (guh verts tra mee ner) - A light-to-medium bodied wine with
a distinctive spice and floral character. Usually slightly sweet.
Gray Riesling
(grae rees ling) - An off-dry wine with modest fruit aromas and flavors that
suggest pears, and a slightly tart finish.
Johannisberg Riesling (yoh hawn es berg rees ling) - Fresh, lively and delicate
wine with nuances of apricots and fresh flowers. Usually made with a touch
of sweetness, but sometimes made as a very sweet and rich dessert wine.
Pinot
Blanc (pee no blahnk) - A wine much like Chardonnay, only less complex and
more fruity. Sauvignon Blanc (so veen yon blahnk) - A versatile and very
popular wine with a rich herb character and a dry, crisp, almost austere
finish. Also called Fumer Blanc.
Semillon (seh me yawn) - Smooth, dry wine of
medium intensity, with nuances of figs. RED
Cabernet Sauvignon (cah bear nay so veen yon) - From California and other
regions, full-bodied and rich. Flavor can include nuances of berry, herbs,
cedar and chocolate. Gains smoothness and complexity with age.
Burgundy (burr gun dee) - Both the name for a blended wine in the United States;
fruity, uncomplicated and for casual dining, and also a wine from
France made
from the Pinot Noir grape.
Gamay Beaujolais (gam may boh joh lay) - Light, fruity wine made in the US from the grape of the same name. Made both as a light-bodied, fruity wine and in the grapey "nouveau" style; both best enjoyed young and chilled.
Merlot (mehr lo) - A grape from France now gaining popularity under its own name in California, Washington state and elsewhere. Similar to Cabernet Sauvignon, but fruitier and softer in character.
Petite Sirah (puh teet seer rah) - A dense, rich, peppery wine. Syrah and
Shiraz are similar wines (though earthier and fruitier) made in California
and Australia.
Pinot Noir (pee no nwah) - A light-to-medium-bodied (and colored)
wine made in California and the Northwest from the grape of the same name.
Complex, smoky and earthy, with a velvet texture.
Zinfandel (zin fan dell) - A California orignal; medium bodied with a berry/spicy character and some tartness. Gains complexity with age. Sometimes also made as a swett, alcoholic "late harvest" wine.
DAC'S Grog Shop currently carries over 300 wines.
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