Thursday Virtual Happy Hour: Mourvedre

Mourvèdre, or Monastrell as it is known in its native Spain, Mataro in Australia and California, is a black-skinned variety that has been grown in vineyards all around the western Mediterranean for centuries. Thought to have originated in Spain, it is now grown extensively throughout the Iberian Peninsula, southern France, California and South Australia.

The grape variety likes warm, dry climates and has small, thick-skinned berries – the textbook combination for making wines with intense color and high tannin levels. In fact, it is the its mouth-drying tannins that earned the grape the French nickname Étrangle-Chien (the dog strangler).

Mourvedre's meaty, herby aromas are very distinctive, as are its strong tannins. These qualities make it a potent ingredient for blending, most often with vibrant, rich Grenache and structured, spicy Syrah (see Grenache – Mourvedre – Syrah).

Single-variety wines are not particularly common (in Spain or in France). But as the curiosity of the average wine consumer increases, so more and more producers are experimenting to that end.

## We have a choice of videos to watch including:

1. https://youtu.be/fWV2OdQfLYI?si=7e6WAieE2SScaXYt - Wine information & How to Pronounce Mourvèdre / Monastrell Grape - Julien Miquel (2:47)
2. https://youtu.be/APnIu1rC1vc?si=kkA39U2H4rTnLSJ4 - Mourvedre In 5 Minutes: Everything you need to know - Intovino (5:50)
3. https://youtu.be/UJS2iZkrOtA?si=-fiAEZFODmttQroS - Mourvedre - Know Wine In No Time (8:54)

So, pick up a bottle and watch a couple of videos. Let us know what you’re drinking and eating, and, if possible, the region from which your wine comes. Do you have any comments (positive or negative) about the videos? And, as always, tell us what’s going on in your life - what's happening with you, how you're feeling about things, updates, successes, challenges - as much or as little as you’re willing to disclose. We are in this together. And - thank goodness - we have wine!

Cheers!!