1. There is nothing  "petite" about Petite Sirah. This is a big, inky monster of a wine.
2. The first plantings in California date back to the 1880s. Only a handful of other varieties can make that claim.
3. It's not unusual for Petite Sirah to be used as a blending wine to "beef up" other varieties, particularly in lesser vintages.

Which makes sense, since Champagne is the wine of celebrations, and the final month of the year offers plenty of reasons to party.

But a good deal of sparkling wine also is sold during the summer months for serving at weddings. Bubbly adds class to nuptials, and it's the perfect wine for toasting the happy couple in style.

This year, the dates are June 11-12 and 25-26. Visitors can choose between full-weekend or Sunday-only packages, and visit an array of wineries in order to experience a wide variety of both food and wine flavors.

Each winery will prepare its own unique barbecue dish, featuring a marinade, special sauce or rub made in New York state. They'll also pour their various wines, with a special emphasis on those that pair particularly well with the barbecue.

Previously used exclusively for blending, this unique grape varietal, with its jammy fruit flavors and generous, age-worthy tannins, has entranced oenophiles and consistently gained in popularity since its "birth" 50 years ago. Concannon Vineyard, along with an expanding community of vintners and growers, will honor Petite Sirah with numerous celebrations throughout 2011...

We're talking about Spanish and Portuguese varieties such as Tempranillo, Albarino, Garnacha, Graciano, Mourvedre, Touriga, Verdelho, Bastardo, et al.

Virtually all of these varieties have been featured at various times by the wine clubs of Vinesse...

Every so often... and not more often... because it's an under-the-radar wine variety. Not much of it is made in the U.S., and not much is imported, either. So on those rare occasions when a high-quality Gruner Veltliner finds its way into the supply chain, our wine finders jump all over it...

So much so, in fact, that he has rapped about it.

Check out these lyrics...

In recent years, genetic "fingerprinting" has revealed that Zinfandel is virtually identical to the Italian grape known as Primitivo.

It makes perfect sense that California and Italy would share a common grape variety, since many of California's earliest vintners were Italian immigrants...

Certain terms or phrases may mean one thing to one person and something entirely different to another. That's why we try to be consistent in the way we use vinous verbiage - not only here on VinesseTODAY.com, but also in The Grapevine newsletter and in the Tasting Notes that accompany the bottlings shipped by the wine clubs of Vinesse...

Yes, according to Professor Gerard Liger-Belair, who recently conducted a series of tests utilizing thermographic equipment at the University of Reims.

The amount and persistence of bubbles in the glass is a key factor in the enjoyment of Champagne. So the goal is to "protect" those bubbles - i.e., to preserve as much CO2 as possible...