The Weekly Whine-o

Well you know it is nice when magazines like In Style attempt to educate the masses on anything wine-related, but I think that somebody in the research department needs to be scolded by a Frenchman.

Wow, Sancerre is a varietal? That's what you deserve for getting your wine info from a fashion magazine...that I will totally forgive if they put Reese Witherspoon on the next cover.

In the next issue they will try to convince us that Barolo is a varietal that means nebbiolo in English. Are you buyin' it?

**Post-publication: I realized that it may be helpful if I explained the mistake instead of simply making fun of it. I just assume that everyone out there knows more about wine than me, but just in case that isn't true, I'll explain myself. Sancerre is found in the eastern Loire Valley in the northern half of France and is famous for its Sauvignon Blanc. Although there is a small production of red and rose' (made from the varietals pinot noir and gamay), what you will find in the U.S. is mostly their minerally, herby, and utterly sassy whites. As with most wines produced in the old world, the region (Sancerre) is synonymous with the varietal (Sauvignon Blanc) or varietal blend. This came from the wisdom of centuries of wine producing experience. Many wines were made from indigenous grapes, which were naturally well-suited for their respective environments, which meant that there was no need to state the varietal on the bottle because it was all just understood. Now that's my kind of philosophy.