French Wines
Understanding the French wine classification system Appellation d’Origine Controlée (AOC)
Part of understanding a country’s wine is understanding how the country controls (and therefore labels) its wine production. Perhaps the best place to begin is the system that many modern wine wine governances are modeled after: France’s Appellation d’Origine Controlée (AOC). Appellation d’Origine Controlee Definition and Purpose The term appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) means “controlled … Continue reading
Olivier Leflaive “Les Setilles” Bourgogne 2009
I once had a complicated relationship with white wines. While most wine drinkers start on white wines and then ease into tannic reds, I ventured full-steam-ahead into the land of red wines, falling in love with–of all varietals–Petite Sirah. Don’t ask me how or why my first favorite red wine became one of the most … Continue reading
The Perfect Picnic Wine: an Overview of Rosé
I don’t want to change the wine world… but I do want to change a few opinions regarding a wine that has received a bad reputation over the last few decades: rosé. What IS rosé? Rosé is a pink wine made from red grapes. The pink color can range from a pale orange to a … Continue reading
Learning France’s Rhône wines
In 2007, Wine Spectator Magazine named the Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2005 the wine of the year. But this certainly wasn’t the first time the Rhone region gained acclaim for its wines: the land has been producing wines since around 600 B.C. The following are some quick notes to familiarize yourself with the Rhone region. … Continue reading
Congrats, St. Emilion! France gains a wine classification
France has gained a new classification. Welcome, St. Emilion! According to Decanter.com, the St Emilion classification has finally been approved by the French government. The official announcement was published in the Journal Officiel on June 16. Officials have been waiting for approval by the French Ministry of Agriculture since the application was submitted in January … Continue reading
Dom Perignon 2002
Ah, Dom. Sedimentality wouldn’t be a true wine website without at least one article paying homage to this Champagne. I’m not one to get excited about overpriced wines, (I like to pride this website in basically only showcasing wines that are $20 or less!), but like a few pairs of shoes in my closet, my … Continue reading
Winery Focus: Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin
Few wineries have labels which are as iconic as Veuve Clicquot… and few have such fascinating histories. What started as a champagne house in the 1700s that was part of a small banking fortune has turned into a multi-million dollar Champagne industry… and years later, still remains one of the top producers of quality French … Continue reading
Variety Focus: Merlot
It may have been dissed in the wine movie “Sideways” and received a lot of scrutiny shortly thereafter, but Merlot is actually an incredibly popular grape: along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, Merlot is one of the primary grapes in Bordeaux wine. Its dark color and smooth tannins add complexity to … Continue reading
Variety Focus: Cabernet Franc
In the Variety Focus portion of Sedimentality, we focus on one varietal at a time, highlighting the grape’s origin, flavor profile and pairings. We also include some of our (decently priced) favorite wines made from this varietal, in case our readers would like to sample a well-made example of the highlighted grape. Our Variety Focus … Continue reading
Carmelo Patti Malbec 2005
Finally getting around to reviewing a wine from Christmas, so please excuse the photo decor! Argentine vintners have gotten incredibly good at producing rich, fruity and intense Malbecs… so much so, in fact, that I was a little concerned that they had pigeon-holed themselves into a country that only made one style of wine. Thankfully, … Continue reading