Wine Talk: Varietal vs. Variety

As your liquor store in Knoxville, we try to keep updated with all things liquor related. Here’s what got us researching lately: In wine terminology, the words “varietal” and “variety” are often used interchangeably even though they mean two very different things.

A variety is simply a variety of grape vine and should be treated as a noun.

Varietal is adjective referring to a product itself that is composed of a specific variety.

Varietal Wine

This is made from a single grape variety or a dominant variety with smaller amounts of others blended in. The legal percentage in order to label a bottle and sell in liquor stores as a specific variety differs across the globe. This is to preserve the integrity of the final product.

Oregon state law requires winemakers to use at least 90% pinot noir grapes in order to label it as pinot noir. Other varieties like syrah, cabernet sauvignon, and merlot only need to contain at least 75% of the named variety. This is the same for all wines in California.

However in Burgundy, almost without exception, the whites are required by French law to be 100% chardonnay and the reds 100% pinot noir. European laws tend to be stricter to establish tiers of quality.

Drop by your local liquor store in Knoxville and pick out your favorite bottle of wine – be it varietal or not!

Cheers-

Campbell Station Wine & Spirits, Always of Good Cheer! Your Friendly Farragut wine and liquor store ! Conveniently located on the West End of Turkey Creek in Farragut. It is our pleasure to assist in picking the perfect wine or liquor  for your enjoyment. Visit us today and check out our full inventory that includes popular, premium, and even extremely rare wines and spirits. Don't forget we also sell beer, mixers and other wine accessories.  Visit our website www.campbellstationwine.com or call 865.966.7122

Wine Talk: Varietal vs. Variety

3 Rules For Serving Every Type of Wine At The Right Temperature

After picking out your favorite bottle at your liquor store or wine store in Knoxville, the quality of how you serve is now in your hands. Serving wine at certain temperatures can and will affect the way it tastes which is why there are ideal temperatures for each kind. To help you out, here are 3 rules to serve as your wine temperature serving guide:

Serve your wine at the right temperature

1.) Sparkling wine should be served ice-cold

About an hour or so before opening, leave your bubbly in the freezer until it’s about 40-50 degrees cold. An alternative would be to place it in a bucket of ice for 30 minutes. This is because the ice-cold temperature will help keep the bubbles fine rather than foamy. Once opened, keep it on ice.

2.) White wine and Rosé should be served cold

White wine and Rosé are meant to be served chilled but not necessarily ice-cold. Store it in a cool place immediately after purchasing it from your local liquor store. If you plan to drink it soon, leave it in the fridge for a few hours or keep it in the freezer for about 30 minutes until it’s about 50-60 degrees. After opening, let your bottle cool on the table and enjoy how the wine’s aroma slightly changes as it cools down.

3.) Red wine should be served cool

As a liquor store, we get a lot of questions about wine. A common misconception we hear for serving red wine is that it has to be at room temperature. Bear in mind that “room temperature” can mean vastly different things in other parts of the world. We recommend slightly cooling it by placing it in the fridge for an hour before serving, just until it’s about 60-70 degrees. If you need it sooner, you can keep it in the freezer for about 15 minutes. After opening, let it cool down by leaving it on the table instead of on ice.

Should you require any assistance or more information, drop by your local liquor store or wine store in Knoxville and they’ll be happy to help!

Cheers-

Campbell Station Wine & Spirits, Always of Good Cheer! Your Friendly Farragut wine and liquor store ! Conveniently located on the West End of Turkey Creek in Farragut. It is our pleasure to assist in picking the perfect wine or liquor  for your enjoyment. Visit us today and check out our full inventory that includes popular, premium, and even extremely rare wines and spirits. Don't forget we also sell beer, mixers and other wine accessories.  Visit our website www.campbellstationwine.com or call 865.966.7122

3 Rules For Serving Every Type of Wine At The Right Temperature