Wine

Wine Department: Zinfandel, America’s Grape

By T.J. Askren

When grape growing and winemaking started in California, Zinfandel was there. Used in every facet of wine making, Zinfandel was, and still is, a major player. In big and bold single varietal wines, in field blends, in sweet white zinfandels, and even in fortified port productions, America’s grape is present.

This noble grape can be traced back to the ancient Croatian grape Crljenak Kaštelanski, which was transported to the United States somewhere between 1820-1829 when clippings were shipped to Long Island from the Imperial Nursery of Vienna.

Wine Department: Spain in 10 Days

By T.J. Askren

Fresh off the lastest Jungle Safari to Spain, I am back in the country and excited to share my experience with you! This summer’s Jungle Safari was a 10-day excursion across northern Spain, which reaffirmed my love for Spanish wine and reinforced my favorites, new and old. We started in Porto Portugal, drove north to Vigo, Spain, then continued our journey with stops in Zamora, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Zaragoza,

Wine Department: German Wine 101 & The Mosel

Understanding the tradition of German wine can be a daunting task! The complicated classification system and the hard-to-pronounce names can turn off newcomers. However, German wines are diverse, flavorful, and well worth getting to know. Keep reading for an introduction to German wines that will help you read bottle labels and navigate the huge wine section here at Jungle Jim’s!

German wine regions are broken down into appellations,

Wine Department: Illahe Vineyards Historical Winemaking By Hand and By Horse

By: Todd A. Wiggs

I love wine! After nearly 30 years in the wine business, I can still easily proclaim this as an immutable truth. Sure, some of the romance has been stripped away by the never ending litany of mass-produced, chemically manipulated, laboratory plonk that have no soul or sense of place. OK, maybe I have become a bit jaded. But, I see little reason to drink another big red blend or so-called premium North Coast Cabernet that has more residual sugar than my morning orange juice.

Wine Department: It’s Time to Think Pink for the Spring

Rosé is produced in just about every growing region of the world. Interestingly, Rosé is the closest style to what ancient winemakers produced! Blended and fermented in three distinct styles, Rosé is not only refreshing but also very versatile. Rosé can be used as an aperitif, quaffing, food pairing, or as a dessert. As one of my favorite styles, I plan on bringing  everyone up to speed on this often scoffed at wine.

Wine Department: It’s Beautiful in the Central Garden of France in Springtime!

By T.J. Askren

Through my many travels through different wine country, nowhere has a sheer beauty and massiveness that strikes me more than Loire Valley. I was fortunate enough to visit the playground of Kings and Queens a few years back, and this is when my love for French white wine was cemented. Traveling from one end of the massive growing region to the other, I was struck by the vast difference in terroir that each application showcases.

Wine Department: From the Morlet Family with Love – All You Need is Love (from the Napa Valley)

By Kevin Keith

Luc Morlet gained notoriety as the winemaker for famed California winery Peter Michael, and was of such instant renown that winery owner Sir Peter Michael has allowed Luc the ability to spread his wings and be involved in many other projects – something Sir Peter had not done with previous winemakers. Since 2006 Luc has been primarily concerned with his eponymously-named winery, Morlet Family, as well as continuing as consulting winemaker to Peter Michael,