Home and Living Page for the English Language source of News for the Riviera Nayarit Mexico, La Penita de Jaltemba, Rincon de Guayabitos, Lo de Marcos. Los Ayala, Lo de Marcos, and San Pancho

Introducing Cliff the Wine Guy From La Bodega Wines in Guayabitos

The Jaltemba Sol is pleased to announce a new regular feature to our Homes and Living Section. Cliff from La Bodega Wines and Spirits has kindly offered to share his knowledge with us every other week. Learn more about wines and what is available right here in Jaltemba Bay.

WINE TALK

with

Cliff the Wine Guy

From La Bodega Wines in Guayabitos

La Bodega Wines and Spirits are located on Sol Nuevo in Rincon de Guayabitos in the Equinoxio Disco Mall Go here to see their ad

The good folks that bring you the Jaltemba Sol have asked me to write a series of articles about wine.

In this, the first article I will talk about grapes and wine styles, in broad general terms.

In later columns I will talk about some specific wines and their attributes. You will note the liberal use of the terms “generally” and “typically” as with wine, exceptions are the rule.

Of the over 10,000 grape varieties there are only about 11 important whites and 12 important reds.

White:	Red:
Chardonnay	Cabernet Sauvignon
Riesling	Merlot
Sauvignon Blanc	Pinot Noir
Pinot Gris	Shrah
Chenin Blanc	Zinfandel
Albarno	Nebbiolo
Gewuztraminer	Sangiovese
Gruner Veltiner	Tempranillo
Muscat	Barbera
Pinot Blanc	Cabernet Franc
Semillon	Gamay
	Grenache

Of these varieties, seven are considered to be the classic or “noble” wine grapes and while they maybe cultivated in many areas of the world, they are generally associated with their place of origin or prominence.

Cabernet Sauvignon – Bordeaux F.

Shrah - Rhone Valley F.

Chenin Blanc – Loire Valley F.

Nebbiolo – Piedmont I.

Sangiovese – Tuscany I.

Chardonnay – Burgandy F.

Riesling – Mosel & Rheingau G.

Red wines are typically tannic (astringent) to varying degrees as they are fermented with the grape skins and pips in the must (fermenting juice). They can be A) Light bodied, low tannin with fruity flavors B) Medium bodied, more tannic less fruit flavors C) Full bodied, high tannin content with spicy flavors D) Powerful/heavy, very tannic, spicy/earthy flavors.

White wines are typically acidic in nature, with no tannin content (other than oaked Chardonnay). They are generally light bodied and crisp with little sweetness. White wine is usually categorized as A) Fresh, crisp, dry and light bodied B) Earthy, medium bodied, dry C) Aromatic, more intense flavors, less dry D) Rich/Oaky, very dry with strong oak flavors.

In the coming months we will talk about examples of each type of wine from regions around the world.

Writers who love Mexico

The March meeting of Writers Who Love Mexico will empower both men and women to get their work to market and to the public directly. Three, maybe four, authors who have used Createspace to publish their own work will share their experience and know-how bringing novels and non-fiction to publication in hard copy form, as well as in eReader formats, such a Kindle and Nook. Those who attended recent writers conferences will share what they learned, as well. Make your reservations for March 6, 11 a.m., at Xaltemba! 150 pesos for lunch.

Solar Energy in Mexico Heats Up!

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – While Mexico produces and exports solar panels and photo voltaic cells, the country has not previously explored using solar energy, a form of alternative energy, to generate electricity at home. However, this will soon be changing.

In light of depleting oil reserves, talk of solar energy in Mexico is heating up, as the nation examines the potential for drawing energy from the sun. According to National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the government will fund a project aimed at estimating Mexico’s potential for using solar energy, to see if the sun can fulfill its growing energy demands.

To carry out the research, personnel from UNAM will calibrate solar sensors installed at the Mexican meteorological service’s 133 automated weather-monitoring stations.

According to UNAM researcher Mauro German Valdes, setting the sensors to the same specifications will make it possible to recalculate the last decade’s worth of readings from the stations, thereby creating a central database.

“We will have systematized information from different parts of the country that will be useful for industry, physicists, architects and biologists, among others,” Valdes said.