Thursday Virtual Happy Hour: Tannat

Tannat is a red-wine grape whose origins lie in the Basque country, on the border between France and Spain. Here, in the shadow of the Pyrenees Mountains, the terrain is rough and rugged, so it is only fitting that Tannat should create wines which are equally deep, dark, dry and rustic. Although Tannat is still used among the foothills of the Pyrenees, the most famous Tannat wine is made a little way to the north, in Madiran. The name of this tiny village, which is also home to the less-famous white Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh, is virtually synonymous with that of the Tannat grape.

Further abroad, Tannat's success in the Americas (notably Uruguay), has made quite an impression. Indeed, Tannat has migrated with relative ease and is now planted in Argentina, Australia, the US (California, Oregon and Virginia), Brazil and even in southern Italy's Puglia region, where it is used as a blending grape. The Tannat vines growing in the Americas are subtly (but noticeably) different from those found in modern-day French vineyards, because the oldest of them are direct descendants of the pre-phylloxera cuttings taken across the Atlantic in the 19th Century. The net effect of this is that Uruguayan Tannat is slightly lower in the tannins for which Madiran has long been known.

Some purists might suggest that it is Uruguay which has the "true" Tannat, as the style there is more akin to olden-day Madiran. Whatever the case, Tannat will most likely be adopted as the national grape of Uruguay, and its links with France will gradually fade.

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

1. https://youtu.be/ytzfibr-8Vc?si=iAyE2wI2-ZqwWDQZ = All you need to know about Tannat - Intovino (5:23)
2. https://youtu.be/brhK6LJYEoM?si=Yq3CiE5O5ZOUNIXk = The Unusual Varieties: Tannat - Eat Sleep Wine Repeat (9:09)
3. https://youtu.be/_35U8CbRBBw?si=ZfHmxw9cMdHgR1vs - France vs Uruguay Tannat Wine - Wine Folly (5:26)

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!!