Swill or Swell: Episode 33

Francis Coppola Sofia Blanc de Blanc

Watch the Episode Here

Welcome to Swill or Swell, a weekly series where I taste grocery store wines and let you know if they’re worth the buck or just meant for the drain! 

CAVEAT! As you read this, please keep in mind that wine is subjective! This means that everyone enjoys different things and something I like might not be something you like and vice versa. I’ll be as objective as I can with facts about the wine’s quality, but in the end if your opinion differs from mine...that’s perfectly fine! Wine is only worth drinking if YOU like drinking it.

LET'S INTRODUCE THE WINE

Today I'll be tasting the canned Sofia Blanc de Blanc from Francis Coppola. I purchased this for around $4.99 at my local Kroger QFC. Unlike many canned wines, this one is only 187mL, making it the perfect single serving of wine! I've heard good things about this wine so I figured it was time for me to give it a try!

SOFIA BLANC DE BLANC FUN FACTS

Let's start by talking about the grapes found in this wine (70% Pinot Blanc, 15% Riesling, 15% Muscat):

• Pinot Blanc
  • white grape mutation of Pinot Noir
  • a grape mutation occurs when a variety reacts to changes in the environment and changes so much that it becomes a new variety (not a hybrid, only one species, and only one varietal involved!)
  • likely originated in France
• Riesling
  • check out my recent tasting on Emma Reichert Riesling to learn more about this grape
• Muscat
  • world’s oldest known grape variety
  • origin is still a little unknown, but many believe it to be from Greece
  • known for being incredibly aromatic and perfumed
  • actually a family of grapes
    • two most common varieties of Muscat are Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains (Muscat Blanc) and Muscat of Alexandria
    • Italy's popular Moscato d’Asti is made with Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains (Moscato is Italian for Muscat)

Now let's talk about the region - Monterey County, California:

• ​part of the larger Central Coast AVA
• largely unplanted with grapes until the mid-1970s
  • today has 40,000 acres under vine
• northern portion is a cool growing region, but one with a very long growing season
  • Whereas southern portion can exceed temps over 100 degrees
• soil is sandy and most regions require extensive irrigation from the Salinas River

WINE TASTING NOTE

Look: Pale to Medium Yellow
Smell: While this wine did exhibit a slight reduction aroma (burnt matches), it didn't last long. I smelled green apple, white flowers, pineapple, and almond.
Taste: Be sure to drink this straight from the can! In the glass, the bubbles disappeared immediately. Otherwise I'd say medium body, high acidity, touch of sweetness but nothing more than a typical sparkling. The bubbles were a bit more like soda bubble (a bit overwhelming) but I got used to them.
Think:
Occasion - This is definitely the perfect summer wine! It's transports easily due to its small size so bring it to the beach, a cookout, or to your friend's place. Be sure to keep it nice and cool though.
Rating -  For a grocery store canned wine...I can't complain! This gets a swell from me!

Want to learn more? Check out my Instagram every Thursday at 5PM PST for a new episode of Swill or Swell! Have a wine you’d like me to taste? Write your request in the comments below or send me a message on Instagram!