Which States Make The Best Tasting Wine? (Alabama-Missouri) | World Of Wine | Bon Appétit

Summary

In this engaging video, a sommelier explores wines from various U.S. states, showcasing the diverse offerings of the wine industry. Each state's unique climate and grape varieties are highlighted, from Kentucky's early-harvest Cabernets to Maine's apple wine. The sommelier shares tasting notes and personal reflections, revealing the challenges and surprises in American winemaking. As he navigates through different regions, he emphasizes the importance of understanding lesser-known grapes and the evolving landscape of wine production in the U.S. The video promises an informative journey through the complexities of regional wines and the sommelier's own learning experience.

Takeaways

• 😀 The yield of grapes per acre directly affects the concentration and flavor of the wine; higher yields often result in less flavorful fruit.
• 🍇 Vineyard management decisions, such as dropping excess fruit, can enhance the quality of the remaining grapes but come with higher costs.
• 🌱 The use of hybrid grape varieties, like Blanc du Bois in Louisiana, helps combat diseases caused by heat and humidity.
• 🍏 Apple Table Wine from Maine is distinct from apple cider, made through a fermentation process similar to that of grape wine.
• 🌊 Maryland's 2019 Boordy Vineyards Albarino showcases the challenges and potential of growing this Spanish grape variety in a non-traditional region.
• 🏴‍☠️ The Diamond White wine from Massachusetts, made from Concord grapes, surprised the taster with its sweetness despite expectations of dryness.
• ❄️ Ice wine from Michigan, made from frozen Vidal Blanc grapes, is recognized for its rich texture and concentrated sweetness, offering a unique dessert option.
• 🌾 Minnesota's Itasca wine presents an unexpected flavor profile, marked by strong tannins and a powerful, peppery finish, showcasing the region's emerging wine scene.
• 🍷 The exploration of native grape varieties in the U.S. indicates a growing trend toward 'Anything But Vinifera' wines, suggesting a shift in consumer preferences.
• 🗺️ Missouri's Norton wine offers a rich, jammy flavor and highlights the state's historical significance in American viticulture, being home to the first AVA.

Q & A

What factors influence the concentration of flavors in wine grapes?

The concentration of flavors in wine grapes is influenced by yield; specifically, a higher yield means more grapes per acre, which typically results in less concentrated and less flavorful fruit.

Why do some vineyards choose to drop fruit during the growing process?

Some vineyards drop fruit to concentrate the remaining grapes on the vine, enhancing the flavor and quality of the wine produced. This process can be expensive and is sometimes seen as impractical from a business standpoint.

What unique characteristics does the *Blanc du Bois* wine from Louisiana exhibit?

The *Blanc du Bois* wine from Louisiana is described as having a golden color and complex aromas, including hints of banana peel, cardamom, and citrus oil, showcasing its ability to reflect local growing conditions.

What distinguishes apple wine from apple cider?

Apple wine is fermented in the same way as grape wine, leading to a different fermentation process than apple cider, which typically has a petulance and prickliness due to its fermentation methods.

What are the expected flavor profiles of Albarino, and how did Maryland's version compare?

Albarino is expected to be fresh and lively, often associated with coastal regions. However, Maryland's version was found to have an unexpected cooked taste, which did not complement local seafood as anticipated.

What is the significance of ice wine, and what flavors were noted in Michigan's *42 Ice Wine*?

Ice wine is a dessert wine made from grapes left on the vine until frozen, concentrating their sweetness. The *42 Ice Wine* from Michigan was praised for its rich, layered flavors of stewed peach, pear, and mirabelle plum.

How did the speaker describe the wine from Minnesota?

The wine from Minnesota, *Itasca*, was described as having a powerful and peppery profile, with a strong presence but lacking complexity, leaving the speaker unsure about its enjoyment.

What is the speaker's opinion about the *Lomanto* from Mississippi?

The *Lomanto* from Mississippi was found to be dark and tannic, but lacking fruitiness on the palate. The speaker noted that it felt unbalanced and missing depth.

What are the key characteristics of the Norton wine from Missouri?

The Norton wine from Missouri is described as deep and dark in color with jammy and smoky notes. The speaker found it to be well-made compared to other Nortons tasted during the session.

What overarching lesson did the speaker learn from the wine tasting experience?

The speaker emphasized the importance of a sommelier's role in understanding a wide range of wines, not just personal preferences, and recognized that wine packaging does not always reflect the quality of the wine inside.

Outlines

00:00

🍷 Exploring the Journey of Wine from State to State

In this part, sommelier Andre Hueston Mack embarks on a journey to taste wines from various states across the U.S. The segment begins with the introduction of wines from Virginia, focusing on the unique aspects of Petit Verdot, a grape known for its boldness. Mack also explores the wines from Pennsylvania, highlighting a local winery's take on Chardonnay and a dry red blend that impresses with its complexity. He then shifts to New York, sampling a Riesling that surprises with its balance of sweetness and acidity. The part concludes with reflections on the evolution of American wines, emphasizing the growing quality and diversity in winemaking across the states.

05:01

🌍 Unveiling the Unexpected: Wine from Louisiana to Missouri

This segment continues the exploration of U.S. wines, starting in Louisiana with Landry Vineyards’ Blanc du Bois, which impresses with its mineral notes and resemblance to French oxidative styles. The tasting moves to Maine, where Dragonfly Farm's Apple Table Wine presents an unusual aroma but fails to deliver a satisfying taste. Next, in Maryland, the 2019 Boordy Vineyards Albarino surprises with a salty air aroma but lacks the expected freshness. In Massachusetts, Truro Vineyards' Diamond White, made from Concord grapes, turns out sweeter than anticipated. The exploration continues with Michigan's 42 Ice Wine, showcasing rich flavors, before heading to Minnesota for Schram Vineyard’s Itasca, which surprises with its funkiness. The journey concludes in Mississippi with R&R Vineyards' Lomanto and finally in Missouri with Augusta Winery's Norton, both emphasizing the potential of hybrid grapes and local winemaking traditions. The segment encapsulates the diversity and unexpected quality found in wines from these lesser-known states.

Keywords

💡Wine Regions

Wine regions refer to specific geographic areas where grapes are cultivated for wine production. These regions, like Kentucky, Louisiana, and Maryland, are often characterized by their unique climate, soil types, and grape varieties. The video emphasizes the diversity of wine production across the United States, illustrating how different states contribute distinct flavors and styles to the wine market.

💡Hybrid Grapes

Hybrid grapes are varieties created by crossing different species of grapes to achieve desired traits, such as disease resistance and adaptability to specific climates. In the transcript, the use of hybrids in regions like Louisiana is highlighted, where high heat and humidity necessitate varieties that can withstand such conditions, thereby showcasing the practical adaptations in wine-making.

💡Terroir

Terroir is a French term that encompasses the environmental conditions, including soil, climate, and geographical features, that affect the taste of the wine produced in a particular area. The video discusses how terroir influences flavor profiles, with wines from different states evoking unique characteristics based on their respective environments, thus impacting a wine's overall identity.

💡Flavor Profile

A flavor profile refers to the distinct combination of tastes and aromas that characterize a particular wine. In the transcript, various wines are evaluated based on their flavor profiles, with descriptors like 'jammy,' 'smoky,' and 'oxidative' used to illustrate how each wine evokes different sensory experiences, providing insight into the wine's quality and appeal.

💡Yield

Yield in viticulture refers to the amount of grapes produced per acre of vineyard. The transcript explains how higher yields can lead to less concentrated flavors in the wine, emphasizing the balance winemakers must strike between quantity and quality. This concept is crucial for understanding the economic and artistic decisions made in wine production.

💡Albarino

Albarino is a white grape variety known for its aromatic qualities and high acidity, originally from Spain. The transcript features a 2019 Boordy Vineyards Albarino from Maryland, discussing its characteristics and how the grape's traditional coastal associations might influence its adaptability to different regions, thus connecting it to local cuisine and enhancing its appeal.

💡Ice Wine

Ice wine is a type of dessert wine made from grapes that have frozen on the vine, concentrating the sugars and flavors when they are harvested and pressed. The discussion about Michigan's 42 Ice Wine illustrates the process and the resulting richness and texture of the wine, underscoring how ice wine can provide a unique tasting experience that contrasts with other wine styles.

💡Packaging

Packaging refers to the visual and physical presentation of a wine bottle, which can influence consumer perception. The video mentions a lighthouse-shaped bottle from Truro Vineyards, noting that attractive packaging can draw in customers, even though it does not necessarily reflect the wine's quality. This highlights the marketing aspect of wine production.

💡Noble Grapes

Noble grapes are varieties that have a long history of cultivation and are considered the standard for high-quality wine production. The transcript discusses the shift toward exploring native and hybrid grapes, suggesting that while noble grapes have established reputations, there is growing interest in other types as producers experiment with different grape varieties across the U.S.

💡Tasting Notes

Tasting notes are descriptive terms used to convey the flavors, aromas, and overall impressions of a wine. The transcript provides tasting notes for each wine sampled, including descriptions of smells and flavors, which help viewers understand how to articulate their own experiences with wine, thus enhancing the appreciation of different varietals.

Highlights

High yields in vineyards can lead to less concentrated and flavorful wines.

Decisions in vineyards are often driven by cost considerations, impacting the quality of the fruit.

Dropping excess fruit can concentrate flavors, but it is an expensive process.

Surprising wine quality from Kentucky demonstrates that good wines can come from unexpected regions.

Louisiana's high heat and humidity necessitate the use of hybrid grape varieties.

The aroma of a Louisiana Blanc du Bois wine resembles banana peel and butterscotch, indicating possible aging or air exposure.

Maine's Apple Table Wine is distinct from apple cider, highlighting differences in fermentation processes.

The taster finds the Apple Table Wine unappealing due to its nail polish remover scent.

Maryland's Albarino is influenced by local conditions, raising questions about its viability in the region.

Massachusetts's Diamond White wine, made from Concord grapes, surprises with its sweetness despite initial expectations of dryness.

Michigan's 42 Ice Wine showcases rich, layered sweetness, representing the ideal characteristics of dessert wines.

Minnesota's Itasca wine has a strong, peppery flavor profile that challenges conventional wine expectations.

Mississippi's Lomanto wine lacks fruitiness and complexity, reflecting the ongoing evolution of wine production in the U.S.

Missouri's Norton wine impresses with its jammy and smoky characteristics, altering perceptions of the state as a wine region.

The tasting experience emphasizes the need for sommeliers to explore diverse wines beyond their personal favorites.

The appearance of wine packaging can be misleading, as it doesn't always reflect the quality of the wine inside.

Upcoming tastings will focus on wines from Montana to Wyoming, promising further exploration of lesser-known wine regions.

Transcripts

- Oh my god.

Oh my god.

Wow.

Did you know that every state in the US produces wine?

Hey, this is sommelier Andre Hueston Mack,

and I'm gonna be tasting wine

from every single state in the US.

Today is part one, Alabama through Missouri.

Did you know that you can actually find wine in Alaska?

Hawaii?

That's kind of why I'm excited today.

These aren't generally wines

that I would work with

and/or regions that I'm familiar with,

but that's what's really exciting about wine to me,

is that you can't know everything.

I'm sure that there's lots of things

that I don't know about these wines

or where they've come from,

but I'm eager to taste them.

Alright, our first state, Alabama.

This is Morgan Creek Vineyards, the Regal Red.

This actually looks like the Crimson Tide.

Ooh, I'm a little afraid.

[Andre laughs]

I'm sorry to say I'm a little...

It smells slightly sweet,

ripe.

I never really had anything like that.

You know, it's pretty interesting.

I guess the first thing I didn't realize

is that it was gonna be sweet,

not like a port sweet, in that way.

It does have some acidity to it.

I can't talk right now

just because the sides of my tongue are tingling.

I'm salivating.

It also has kind of a sherry quality to it, too.

It's slightly nutty, in a way.

The sweetness in this wine

is due to stopping the fermentation

so there is some residual sugar left in the wine.

This wine is from Alabama.

Geographically, very different

than a place like France or California.

It is a lot warmer there.

The warmer it is, the riper the fruit.

Ripe fruit means more sugars.

This is actually a Muscadine grape,

and Muscadine is the grape species

that is native to North America.

A lot of the wines that we probably will taste today

are sweet wines, right?

Local wine is made to go with the local food,

and Pacific regions are making wines

for those specific taste palates,

and I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

I'm not sure that I would drink this every single day,

but it's just kind of cool

to know that it's out there,

and kind of fun.

Next state is Alaska.

This is blueberry wine.

You can make wine from any fruit.

It just so happens that what's most popular

in the world that I come from is grapes.

But wine can be made from even flowers, as well.

But this is made from blueberries,

which I've never had before.

Oh my god.

It smells like blueberries, somewhat.

But then underneath that,

there's kind of this little bit of Pine-Sol,

kind of disinfectant

that is kind of mixed in there with that.

Smells like a sterile hospital room.

You know, it's kind of one of those things,

the first time you have beer

or liquor or something like that.

You know, "Don't worry about it, Sonny.

You gotta get used to it."?

I don't know if I could ever get used to this.

There's not a lot of complexity to the wine

and it feels a lot of, you know, pretty one-dimensional.

I'm actually at a loss of words.

I just wouldn't drink this.

I'm sorry. [Andre laughs]

I just...

That's no disrespect.

Making wine is science,

but also, it's an art.

The science part tells you,

"Hey, grapes don't grow well here.

What else could we do?"

And as an artist you say, "What else could we plant here?"

So if blueberries thrive there,

then how about making a little bit of blueberry wine?

So...

Here's to artistry.

Next state, Arizona.

Look at that color,

dark rich color there.

I'm familiar with wines from Arizona.

The sandy soils are kind of very similar

to the rocky and sandy soils in the Rhone,

the South of France.

So they tend to be,

stylistically, almost the same,

but a little bit more round or rich

and slightly exaggerated.

And that's all due to

its proximity to the equator.

It's just a lot hotter there.

This smells like a little bit of clove, cinnamon,

a little chocolate-covered cherry.

It does smell like a furry animal.

I mean that in a great way.

I think every time I say something like this,

I think that you guys think that I'm full of [bleep],

but it does kind of smell

like petting my mother-in-law's dog.

Kind of short finish.

It actually tastes a little bit caramelized, in a way,

and maybe that's due to heat.

Getting a lot of tingling sensation

in the front part of my teeth.

There's cherries, pomegranates,

there's a slight kind of acetone to this wine,

which I kind of see as a fault.

I think, for some people, they've embraced it as a style

and people enjoy it.

But it's kind of hard for me, sometimes,

to get past that in a wine.

Maybe that's something that developed

in this particular vintage.

But I would definitely give it a shot next vintage

and see how it turned out.

Arizona, what's interesting about this

is that they chose to plant

what we call the noble grapes,

so the grape species that are more indigenous to Europe.

And they found a place in Arizona,

this microclimate,

that they felt that these grape varietals would do well.

When you think of something like Muscadine,

those are a different species of grape

that are native to North America.

Next state, Arkansas.

This is Chateau aux Arc.

This is from the Ozark Mountains,

and this is called Savant.

Arkansas white table wine.

So that's interesting,

because as you look at it,

it clearly,

it looks like it is red.

So I don't know the law here,

but clearly, it doesn't look white,

but it is listed as a white table wine.

It smells musky.

I think it's Muscadine

that's kind of the culprit there.

There's some vanilla component to it,

a little bit of cinnamon.

It tastes like caramelized sugar.

If you were to burn cotton candy,

that's what it kind of tastes like to me.

That's not a good thing.

If it's your thing, then it's a good thing.

It's not my thing, so...

Definitely, I wasn't expecting that.

Feels like it's part wine

and part mead, so like made from honey.

So it has like this musky thickness to it,

but not very cloying.

I am salivating,

so I feel like there is some acidity to it,

but it needs food.

I don't think most people

could actually drink a full glass of this.

It's like a liquified fruitcake.

When you see Muscadine,

I'm starting to realize

maybe there's some sweetness to the wine.

It's slightly maderized

or burnt a little bit in some way.

Next state, California.

Alright, so we have BV Vineyards.

This is Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley,

one of the most famous wine regions in the world.

When people generally think about wine

in the United States

or talking about wine in the United States,

this is what we're talking about, right here.

First off, kind of campfire smokiness to it.

Raspberries, violets,

just a little bit of hint of cranberry.

Really rich tannins,

bitter chocolate, cassis,

raspberries.

This is a classic example of California Cabernet.

It has concentration.

Some of the earlier wines,

the fruit wines we tasted

didn't have this depth of concentration to it

and this kind of depth of flavor

that kind of keeps going and keeps going.

Here, there's some complexity to it,

and a little bit more elegance to it, as well.

This is like a warm hug.

This is something

that I know and that I embrace

and that I'm most comfortable with.

California is the standard bearer here.

Between 80% and 90% of all wine produced

in the United States is produced in California.

It is one of the largest states in America,

and with that comes a diversity in climate.

So you can plant all different types of grapes,

and in particular for wine,

it has this really great soil content, microclimates,

but also it abuts the Pacific Ocean.

You want hot days so the grapes can ripen phenolically,

but also you want cool nights

so the wines can retain some type of acidity.

California is really great for that.

Next state, Colorado.

This is Brookcliff Vineyards Malbec 2020.

I'm looking at that color, very dark,

kind of deep purple-ish hue,

so it looks like Malbec to me.

Roasted meat, blackberries,

lots of vanilla.

Would attribute that to maybe its oak regiment.

And a little bit

of black pepper.

I like the way that the wine flows.

It is pretty refined for Malbecs in general.

The tannins are pretty well-integrated.

I'm a little taken aback

because of a little bit of the sharpness

of the alcohol in it.

But all in all,

I think it's a well-made wine of consequence.

I was like,

"Alright, we're gonna taste a Colorado wine today.

Cool."

And then when I looked and it said Malbec,

I kept thinking to myself,

"Okay, the highest elevation wines in the world

actually come from Argentina,

and Colorado is known as high-altitude.

Malbec thrives there in high elevation.

Why wouldn't it thrive in Colorado?"

Next state, Connecticut.

Alright, this is called Stonington Seaport White.

This is a blend of Chardonnay and Vidal Blanc.

Ah, this smells kind of fresh,

smells slightly soapy,

not in a bad way,

like a little bit of potpourri.

Green apple, and then maybe a little peach pit.

Wow.

Yeah, really peachy.

There's some acidity to it, but it's not overly acidic.

Just enough

it feels very fresh and lively.

Then it's got this really kind of sturdy base.

It has structure to it,

and maybe that comes from the Chardonnay.

This is actually rather enjoyable.

So this is in Stonington,

right there on the coast.

It's hot enough for the grapes to ripen,

but it's cool enough

to have the wines have some type of crisp

and freshness to it.

Cool climate Chardonnay tends to be more apples

and pear flavors,

but cooler climates

tend to lead with less fruit.

This wine is an example of that.

It has fruit, but it's not over ripe.

It has a little bit of sweetness to it.

I like this wine.

Next state, Delaware.

This is Salted Vines.

This is like potpourri jumping outta the glass,

cotton candy.

I definitely think it's gonna be sweet.

Muscat gummies.

I refer to this all the time.

I'm not real sure if everybody's ever had them.

They're like gummy bears, but grape-flavored.

This is what that smells like to me.

It's sweet.

Not thick sweet in any type of way.

It's not good.

It's not my favorite.

That's what I tell my children to say.

It tastes pretty flabby.

Flabby just means the wine has no acid.

There's no spring to it.

Doesn't feel fresh or lively in any way.

The aftertaste in my mouth

is kind of like after you taste Robitussin.

This is not like anything I've ever had before.

It's aromatics, but then also this funkiness

that comes maybe from the grape,

to me, is just a little bit too overpowering.

Something that I can't get past

in order to be able to enjoy the wine.

Alright, so I want to break down a little something for you

that most people may not understand.

Not all wine grapes

are produced in the state in which they are made.

You can produce wine from grapes in Delaware

that were actually grown from another state.

In particular, this wine,

it actually,

the grapes were grown in Pennsylvania

and then they brought them to their winery in Delaware

and the wine was produced there, made there.

Here, I think that what we have to really understand

is that it's from Pennsylvania,

and Pennsylvania and Delaware are adjoining states.

So when we talk about terroir,

terroir doesn't really

encounter state lines or anything like that.

So it's still regional.

Next state, Florida.

This is called Orange Sunshine,

and this is made with real oranges.

I've never had a wine made from oranges.

I would have to say that this

was probably the one that I had the most energy about.

I don't know if that was nervous energy

or excitement energy

or anything like that.

But this is the one

that I was most interested in experiencing.

You know, this smells more like orange zest

than when I think about an orange.

It smells like something I should probably wear

or dab,

instead of something that I should drink.

It tastes kind of like if a SunnyD could ever go bad.

I don't know if SunnyD could ever go bad.

I think they've stayed in the refrigerator for years.

Really rich and slightly artificially orange,

like a SunnyD.

This is weird.

I mean, it's just a weird kind of experience.

Then again, not all that bad.

I would use this to make a cocktail with.

I couldn't drink a full glass of this,

but I think the best way to probably enjoy this, to me,

would be by adding some vodka or gin to it.

Next state, Georgia.

This is Currahee Vineyard.

This is a Muscadine.

Ooh.

Man, this smells like some artificial candy

I had when I was a kid.

It smells like Bubblicious chewing gum.

It's very fruity, fragrant.

It tastes like potpourri.

It's musky. This is Muscadine.

It reminds me of the first wine that we tasted,

from Alabama,

which was also a Muscadine wine.

It's bright,

it's got a lot of fruit

and flavor to it,

but all of it tastes very artificial.

Then a hint of,

there's this cologne to it,

that doesn't really make it very pleasurable to drink.

Next state, Hawaii.

This is called Maui Blanc,

and guess what?

It's made from pineapples.

This is the part that I feel is really funny.

I'm really laughing inside.

I'm trying to hold it in.

Generally, when you see people taste wine

or talk about wine,

they talk about all these things

that actually aren't in the wine.

"Oh yeah, this Chardonnay has lots of tropical fruit.

What I'm really getting up front is pineapple."

But there's actually no pineapple

in that wine that they're talking about,

'cause it's made from Chardonnay.

In this wine, I smell pineapple,

because there's actually pineapple in it.

Very clean, very fresh,

and not like Dole from a can.

This is like fresh pineapple.

This is an interesting thing about this wine

is that it's not sweet,

at all.

This tastes like a central coast

from California,

tropical kind of Chardonnay

without any texture or body to it.

It almost kind of slightly feels watered down,

not rich or sweet or anything like that.

Maybe that's really what I was expecting.

But this is pleasant.

It's refreshing.

It seems to be well made,

of quality.

In the category of all the fruit wines I've tasted today,

I would have to say this is probably the best one.

Next state, Idaho.

So this is Ste. Chapelle.

This is Muscat Blanc,

and this is called Open Air.

Smells like Muscat to me.

It's very fruit forward,

pears, peaches.

It's pretty light, but not in a bad way.

It's got a weird minerality in it.

It almost tastes like a jalapeno, actually.

Less with the heat but more of that flavor.

It's really strange, in a way.

There's no texture to this wine.

Doesn't feel like there's layers.

Not a lot of flavor.

I don't think it's a bad wine,

but it definitely seems to fall short

and be somewhat flabby.

There's no zip or zing.

It's just kind of "blah" on your palate.

It's not lively in any way.

Next state, Illinois.

This is made with a grape called Chambourcin.

A really dark kind of violet color here.

Chambourcin, I've never had it before.

I think I just learned how to say it about 20 seconds ago.

This is a French hybrid grape.

All that means is that one of its parents is from Europe

and other parent's here from the United States.

They make these grapevines

that are really kind of resistant to pesticides and disease,

and generally speaking, phylloxera.

This looks really interesting.

It smells like...

Funny enough, blueberries and raspberries.

Very kind of fruit forward.

Almost what we like to call Kool-aid-esque.

There's some pepper,

like black peppercorn that I'm getting.

So there's a spicy element to it.

Seems pretty light-bodied.

Very short finish.

Seems like it really kind of dissipated,

and I hadn't drunk anything.

It doesn't feel really complex.

I mean, it's not really giving much off the nose

or even expressing any type of layers of flavors

on the palate.

It feels like a medium-bodied wine

that's a cross between Merlot and Syrah.

There's not concentration in this wine.

There's not depth of flavors or anything like that.

So it doesn't really feel like it's of quality.

I would love to taste other versions of this

at various price points,

just to kind of get a better idea

and grasp on it,

but it's kind of cool.

Next state, Indiana.

This is called Holtkamp. This is Traminette.

It definitely has kind of a spicy kind of smell to it

right away.

Like when I smell Gewurztraminer.

That kind of makes sense.

Gewurztraminer is one of the parent grapes.

This smells kind of like a little bit of pineapple,

nectarine, a little bit of kind of grassy notes to it.

I wasn't expecting it to be sweet.

I think that was a pleasant surprise.

What I was dreading

is that it would be ferment-y, completely dry,

and then not have any acid

or any texture or layer to it.

This is pretty fun.

There's a little bit of pineapple.

There's peach and nectarine there.

A wet rock or stone fruit, too.

It's interesting if you look at its parent.

Gewurztraminer is generally found in Germany

and Alsace, colder regions.

So, you know, it tends to do well

in those environments.

So I would think that it would do well in Indiana, as well.

This actually said it was bottled

in a town called New Alsace in Indiana

I think that kind of backs up the fact of,

you know, immigrants moving to United States,

planting what they know from back home.

So it makes sense

that they would choose Gewurztraminer here.

Even the name suggests that they might be from Germany

or from Alsace,

and probably is the reason

why they chose this particular grape

and why I'm a fan of it.

Alright, next state, Iowa.

This is Wide River. This is Caught Red Handed.

This is a Cabernet,

and I think there's a local grape,

a native grape called Petite Pearl,

which I have no familiarity with.

Very fruity.

There's some earthiness to it.

I smell a little bit of mushrooms,

kind of a rich kind of cherry component to it.

This is really light-bodied.

There's no mid-palate.

It feels like there's really nothing there.

It tastes like Kool-aid,

like flavored water.

Not much nuance to it.

Kind of disappointing, in a way,

where I think of all the regions in Southern France

that the wine reminded me of,

and then when I taste it,

there's really nothing there.

I would assume that Iowa's a really tough place

to grow wine,

just because of hot summers

that bring on disease,

but also cool climate,

which kills plants and grapes.

If you want to just smell your wine,

this is a great example of that.

But if you wanted to drink it, not so much.

Very promising on the nose.

Disappointing on the palate.

Next state, Kansas.

This is Grace Hill Winery.

This is called Peckerhead Red.

Smells like Muscadine.

These are all native grapes.

There's Concord, Chambourcin, and Norton.

I don't think I've ever had this combination before.

It smells very potpourri,

very perfumed.

But wow, it is pretty sweet.

Yeah, this tastes

like grape-flavored wine, right?

If you were drinking a wine cooler

or something like that.

It feels very fruity up front, very jammy.

It's not like a dessert wine

that has layers and intensity to it

or anything like that.

Those are just sweet

and then not sweet, once you finish it.

Quality-wise,

it feels all really put together,

but man, I can't get over the sweetness.

I can't even have a full glass of this.

But this wine isn't made for me,

and that's quite alright.

Next state, Kentucky.

This is a Cabernet from a winery called Poca Terra.

This is just labeled as American Cabernet Sauvignon

and no vintage.

This looks like Cabernet.

Looks dark.

Kind of has the color characteristics

that I would associate with California.

Aha.

Right off the bat,

it smells like cherry cola to me.

I would say it's pretty thin for Cabernet.

It almost tastes slightly hot,

so high in alcohol.

There's no weight to it.

There's nothing to it.

It feels like a light-bodied Cabernet.

There's definitely that reoccurring thing

of canned green beans,

which sometimes means

that the grapes were harvested too early

or they're young vines.

It's probably cropped at a high yield.

When we talk about yield,

just how many grapes that you can grow on an acre,

and the more that you grow on an acre,

the less concentrated the wine will be,

but you get a bigger yield,

but less flavorful fruit.

A lot of the decisions that you make in the vineyard

are based on cost.

Some people drop fruit,

where they go through and cut fruit off

because there's too much

and you want to concentrate the fruit

that's still hanging on the vines,

which is a very expensive process to do.

In some places,

people just think that, from a business standpoint,

it's just outright crazy.

I didn't even know that they made Cabernet in Kentucky.

This probably wasn't the best shining example of that,

but maybe there's one that exists.

Next state, Louisiana.

This is Landry Vineyards.

Blanc du Bois.

This is another hybrid here,

but high heat and humidity foster diseases,

that's why they use hybrids here.

It's white wine,

but it's more golden than most.

That tells me

maybe that the wine is a little bit older.

It almost smells a little bit like a banana peel.

A little bit of cardamom,

and then a little bit of citrus oil.

Almost stony and minerally.

It almost kind of has a slight tinge of butterscotch to it,

and that can mean

that it's been in the bottle old

or during some of the aging process,

it was exposed to air.

I was expecting this wine to be sweet.

I'm presently surprised that it's not.

Actually, not bad,

not bad at all.

It really reminds me of some of the wines

in Le Jura in France.

Definitely different climate styles,

but that kind of oxidative, minerally-style white wines.

It's shocking to me

how much this wine reminds me of wines

from that particular area.

I'm definitely intrigued by this wine.

This really tastes like something from Le Jura,

and that has me excited

to want to share that with my fellow geeks.

Next state, Maine.

This is Dragonfly Farm and Winery.

This is Apple Table Wine.

This is not apple cider. This is apple wine.

So this is taking apples and fermenting them

the same way that we would ferment grapes,

and going through that process to make wine.

That petulance and that prickliness

that you get in apple cider

comes from a different type of fermentation.

This is interesting,

because I don't smell any apple on it.

I think there's a slight slight hint

of something that smells like fruit,

like pear.

But the overall smell

and the thing that just wisps right in the glass

is fingernail polish remover.

It has a really nutty finish.

Nuts and apples,

people serve that all the time,

but I don't think that was the intention here.

I don't like this one.

[Andre laughs]

Next state, Maryland.

This is the 2019 Boordy Vineyards Albarino.

Albarino is a grape that's indigenous to Spain.

So kind of fresh, lively, grown on a coast.

Let's see what Maryland has to offer.

I'm familiar with the grape.

I'm not familiar with the region.

So I'm a little bit excited,

but also a little scared.

I don't know what to expect.

Color looks a little dark.

That just tells you that it has some bottle maturity.

It smells fresh.

Smells like salted air.

That is not what I was expecting.

You know what it tastes like

when you leave a bottle of wine open?

It tastes almost cooked.

There were some people in Oregon,

a producer who had spent three years

before they ended up in Oregon,

because they had did all this research

around the country

to figure out the best place to grow Albarino.

There's a lot of research that goes into it.

I don't know if this was backed by research

and saying, "Hey, this could grow there."

I can see why they would want to.

You know what I mean?

Thinking about growing the local wine

to go with the food.

So if I think about Maryland,

I'm thinking about fish, crustaceans, seafood,

all of those things

that Albarino tend to help sing.

This, not so much.

Next state, Massachusetts.

This is from a Truro Vineyards.

This is called Diamond White.

We have to talk about this bottle real quick.

Look at this.

It's shaped like a lighthouse.

It looks pretty cool to me.

Then again, I'm a sucker for packaging

and stuff like that,

on the business side.

This is made from the Concord grape,

which is generally used to make grape jams and jellies.

Also, this is one of those examples

where the grapes are actually grown in New York

but it's produced and bottled in Massachusetts.

It's sweet.

I wasn't expecting that.

I was thinking that it would be dry.

So that kind of threw me off.

It's not over the top sweet,

but there's definitely something missing there.

It doesn't feel complete.

It kind of dives right in the mid-palate.

There's nothing on the back end of this wine.

Not necessarily my style,

but I can see how people could be attracted to it.

It seems easy to knock back.

If this is what you like,

then that's,

all the power to you.

Next state, Michigan.

This is called 42 Ice Wine.

This is made from Vidal Blanc.

This is ice wine,

which falls into that kind of dessert wine category.

So, a sweet wine.

What that is

is that the grapes are left on the vine

until they freeze.

So it concentrates the juice,

makes it sweeter,

and then they quickly crush them

and then that's how the sweetness comes into the wine.

Very concentrated.

And generally, they come in half bottles, right?

Because most people can't drink a full bottle,

or it would go to waste.

Oh, that smells amazing,

like stewed peach,

pear, mirabelle plum.

There's lots of things going on.

Texture, I feel like it drapes over my tongue

and my palate.

It's got my tonsils on a speed bag.

When I thought about sweet wine,

this was the category of wine

that I talked about,

where it had texture and this richness

and these layers to it.

Also, I feel like texture gives wine a soul, right?

It gives a feeling.

These wines definitely do that.

This is something that I know

and something that feels very familiar to me,

and going in today,

this is what I thought

all of the sweet wines would taste like,

and they don't.

So that's a great learning point for me.

These wines are great.

If you've never had ice wine,

it's definitely something you should try,

and definitely can just be a fun way

to end a meal,

whether it be with dessert or cheese

or just by itself.

This is pretty cool,

to know that they're making ice wine there,

and this is pretty tasty.

Alright, next state, Minnesota.

This is from a Schram Vineyard.

It's called Itasca.

It's my first time having a wine from Minnesota.

Ooh.

There's a funk there.

Smells dry.

I guess, from smelling,

I think that it would,

that it's not gonna be sweet.

It's really golden in color,

especially for 2021.

Wow, that is,

that's pretty strong.

It's pretty powerful.

Wow, I just wasn't expecting that.

It has some tannin to it,

and it's peppery.

So it's got like this white pepper thing to it.

This is weird.

I don't think I've ever had the grape before.

It feels pretty hearty.

It's not polished.

It's big, and rough around the edges.

It's got my cheek spasming over here.

I don't know what to think of this wine.

This is definitely not a flavor

that I'm accustomed to

or feels enjoyable to me,

and there's no complexity to it.

It's kind of one-dimensional,

like you get this rush of alcohol

and this heaviness

and almost like you've tasted cologne in your mouth,

and then it, like that,

[fingers snapping] it's gone.

Next state, Mississippi.

This is from R&R Vineyards, and this is Lomanto.

I never heard of that, Lomanto, before.

I thought it was a cuvee name,

and apparently, it's a grape.

Yeah, I look at this,

it's very dark,

very purpley looking.

When I smell it,

it smells like that Muscat grape.

When I smell that,

I automatically know that it is a hybrid grape

or a native grape.

Kind of reminds me a little bit of Syrah,

just kind of off the first whiff.

Some spice here,

like a pepper spice mix.

It's kind of tannic,

so it is sucking the moisture out of my mouth.

There's really no fruit in the wine,

which just seems kind of strange and weird to me.

There is this fruitiness that you get on the nose

that really kind of falls flat on the palate.

It doesn't feel complete.

It's missing something.

You're hearing lots of rumblings

about this movement called ABV,

Anything But Vinifera.

A lot of eager wine drinkers

are championing those wines

and the taste of those wines.

Do I think, you know, in the next 50 years,

will these be more popular?

Yes.

And I would have to say,

within the last 10 years, they're more popular.

The noble grapes have been grown

and have a lot more history

of being worked with,

that come from Europe.

Here in the United States, it's relatively young,

our experience with grapes.

But I do think that some of the better known best practices

will create better wines,

and through experience,

you're gonna see a lot of that kind of spill over

into other parts of the United States

where they're making wine.

It's really gonna flourish.

I think these won't be so obscure,

and someone in my position,

30, 40 years from now,

within that repertoire,

they're definitely gonna be talking about native grapes.

Alright, our last wine for part one

is the great state of Missouri.

This is Augusta Winery. This is Norton.

Oh, right off the bat,

just really kind of deep, dark color,

rich color,

very purpley.

It smells very jammy.

It's smoky.

It adds a little bit of residual sugar,

but really kind of faint.

Jammy, spicy.

There's some tannin to it.

To be honest, it tastes better

than I thought it would taste.

I guess if I had to compare this

to the other Nortons that we've tasted today,

it's better made than those.

There's this kind of substance to it

that you get,

even though I would say that this is a medium body

and doesn't have this kind of lush quality to it,

I still think that it's well made.

I never think of Missouri

as being a wine destination at all.

But I do believe the first AVA

was conceived and is in Missouri.

To me, that's kind of a big deal

to show maybe where things have shifted,

to think that that was the first place

that we decided to incorporate an AVA.

I'm always fascinated by that.

[mellow upbeat music]

Alright, that was the end of part one.

What a great tasting.

Really fun.

I think, really informational for me.

A job as a sommelier

is not only to know

just the wines that you like and enjoy,

but also to know what other things are out there.

But coming soon will be part two,

and we'll be tasting wines

from Montana all the way to Wyoming.

This is kind of cool.

This is definitely not what I was expecting

when I opened it.

Actually, I was slightly afraid,

just looking at the overall packaging.

When I looked at this a little bit,

I was like,

"Oh, this looks like it's been printed off a home printer."

It's just a prime example that

just by looking at the packaging,

that really doesn't tell you anything about inside.