Cheap Buzz: What's in a name?
Buzz learns that European wine names are complicated but important in knowing what they will taste like.
BUZZ: Hey Marnie, my sister asked me to pick up some "Mona Pushana" wine for her lasagna dinner tomorrow. I've never heard of it - where do I find it in the store?
Marnie: I think she was probably talking about Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Buzz. It's a very popular Italian red wine.
Buzz: What a mouthful. Can't they just call it "Monty" for short?
Marnie: Not really. European wine names can be complicated. In this case, the full name is almost always used to distinguish Montepulciano d'Abruzzo from another famous Italian red called Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Plus there are lower-quality Montepulciano wines made in neighboring regions.
Buzz: I'm getting dizzy already. How do the clerks keep them all straight?
Marnie: It helps to speak a little Italian. The word "di" means "from," so Montepulciano d'Abruzzo means Montepulciano wine from the Abruzzi region, where Montepulciano is the name of their local red grape. Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, on the other hand, means "noble wine" from a place called Montepulciano, in this case a small village in Tuscany. Winemakers there make their red wines with the same blend of grapes that are used for Chianti, mostly the native Tuscan Sangiovese.
Buzz: These wine names are like a mess of spaghetti. I buy California wines because all I need to know is the grape I like, not its mailing address.
Marnie: It's true that the traditional European system of naming wine for its region of origin is a little inefficient. Wine professionals have to learn hundreds of place names instead of just a few dozen grape names.
Buzz: Why not simplify?
Marnie: There's a method to the madness. If you want to guess how a wine will taste, knowing where a wine comes from can actually be more important than what grape it was made from.
Geography, biology, history and culture all come together to influence how ripe the grapes get and whether the winemaker prioritizes food-friendliness or wow factor on first sip.
Buzz: I flunked geography, biology, history and culture, but I got an A in wine sipping, so I'll be asking for "Monty" on my next state-store visit.