Glou-Glou Wine
Free tasting | Saturday, July 27, 2019 | 4-6PM
Join us on Saturday from 4-6PM when Joe from Hangtime is opening all Glou-Glou wine, including the newest Sicilian red actually named ‘Glou-Glou’ from the Elios dudes. It’s going to be Glou-tastic!
Go drink some water really quickly. Now do you notice that hollow gurgling noise at the back of your throat? That’s Glou-Glou! This is an onomatopoeic noun turned adjective that refers to either the noise that comes from drinking liquid really fast or the sound of liquid leaving a bottleneck. Glug, glug, glug…you get the idea!
Photo cred: The Drinks Exchange. Check out their great article about Glou-Glou!
Words are just as expressive, unique, and fascinating as wine, and if you’re skeptical of that statement here’s a fact that will blow your mind: authors Alexandre Dumas and Emile Zola used the term ‘Glou-Glou’ in their writings! Actually, the earliest documentation of Glou-Glou dates back to a 1666 play by Molière called The Doctor Despite Himself. In more recent history this term has moved across oceans and become a part of the international wine vocabulary. There are wine bars in Amsterdam and Paris and a wine magazine in LA that are all named Glou-Glou. Basically, this puckish term is here to stay!
So, when do we refer to a wine itself as Glou-Glou? Any wine that is light-bodied, fresh, and gulpable is a Glou-Glou wine, but traditionally wines from the Loire Valley and Beaujolais have clamored for this term. The rule of thumb is this: if you can picture yourself chugging it with friends while dancing in front of a fire pit then its Glou-Glou. These are not wines to drink while broodily staring into a fireplace and pondering the meaning of life with a furrowed brow.
More recently Glou-Glou has been used to describe natural wine, but, honestly, if any light-bodied wine makes you go “Ooh-la-la” then it is Glou-Glou!
If you need inspiration for your Glou-Glou wine adventures, check out the classic French drinking song Il Est Des Notres !
(P.S. Some of the wines on Saturday may not be totally considered *Glou-Glou* but we think they are. Glou-Glou is also up to interpretation! Stop taking wine so seriously everyone! :))
2018 Elios Modus Bibendi Macerato
Who: Owned by two friends, Nicola and Roberto.
What: Blend of Grillo, Cataratto, and Zibibbo
Where: Sicily, Italy
How: The grapes are in contact with the skins for 20 days before the wine is aged for 7 months in stainless steel.
Farming Method: Biodynamic
Fun Fact: Elios also makes stellar honey and olive oil.
Tasting Notes: Smooth tannins alongside notes of kumquats, nectarines, and apricot.
2018 Elios ‘Glou- Glou’ Rosso
Who: The playful duo Nicola and Roberto!
What: Nerello Mascalese
Where: Sicily, Italy
How: The grapes are macerated for 1 day before going through malolactic fermentation; the wine is then aged in stainless steel for 7 months.
Farming Method: Biodynamic
Fun Fact: Can’t get too Sicily just yet? These movies will all inspire you! Cinema Paradiso and The Godfather II and III were partially filmed in Sicily. Also, the footage of the 2002 eruption of Mount Etna was the inspiration for some of the special effects in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. Aka the Battle of Mustafar!
Tasting Notes: Medium-bodied, playfully acidity with earthy notes of black currants and violets.
2014 Domaine des Terrisses Rouge
Who: The Cazottes Family
What: Blend of Braucol, Duras, and Syrah
Where: Southwest, France
How: This was aged in tank for a year.
Farming Method: Organic practices
Fun Fact: The Cazottes family has owned this land since 1750!
Tasting Notes: Cranberry and plummy notes.
2017 Domaine des Terrisses Blanc
Who: The Cazottes Family
What: Len de l'El, Mauzac, and Sauvignon Blanc
Where: Southwest, France
How: Fermented in tank and rests on its lees.
Farming Method: Organic practices
Fun Fact: Curious about the unique grape, Len de L’el? This is a super localized grape that is only grown in Gaillac in Southwest, France. Len de L’el translates too ‘far from the eye,’ which refers to the long stems’ distance from the vine buds (AKA this grape has particularly long stems!)
Tasting Notes: Just picture biting into a crisp and tart Granny Smith apple…covered with honey.
2015 Camin Larredya ‘La Part Davant’ Jurançon Sec
Who: Jean-Marc Grussaute
What: Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng, and Petit Courbu
Where: Southwest, France
How: Aged in foudres and aged on its lees for 6 months.
Farming Method: Organic
Fun Fact: The small appellation Jurançon only produced sweeter wines until recently. A helpful hint when buying wines from this hilly area: the word ‘Sec’ on the label signifies dry.
Tasting Notes: Yellow plum, honey, and lemony notes that coast along that refreshing acidity.