I spotted these napkins at a holiday party we went to, my first reaction was to raise my glass to Santa....

Holiday wine selections

I have been asked recently about suggestions for wines to serve during the holidays, something special, not the everyday glass. I usually counter with 2 questions.... what are you serving for food, and what do you like to drink for wine?

It's not always easy to pick one wine that will match with everything on the table, I like to pour both a white and a red wine with the meal. Of course a sparkling wine can always bring a nice touch to a festive holiday meal, either before or with the meal.

It really comes down to personal preference, but here are a few wines that my family and I have enjoyed with our holiday meals over the years. If you try any of them please let me know what you think of them.

-Chardonnay-

Buehler - always a nice balanced, elegant food friendly wine. Usually about $20 per bottle but sometimes on sale for $12.00

-Riesling-

Ch Ste Michelle - Eroica Riesling,  $17.99  a joint effort between Dr Loosen of Germany and the wine makers in WA State. A delicious well made wine that is consistant every year, and pairs well with a wide range of foods.

Salmon Run Riesling - $11.99  The "second" label of the Dr Frank Winery out in the Finger Lakes of NY State. A great introduction to how good the Rieslings can be from this area, and food friendly to boot.

-Champagne/Prosecco -

Domaine Ste Michelle - Brut Rosé  $12.99 - a nice sparkling wine at a good price from WA

Mionetto - $11.99  a nice bottle from Italy at a great price.

-Pinot Noir -

Erath - $24 Oregon  Estate bottling, this winery has been a consistant producer of very good Pinot for years.

Argyle - $19.99  Oregon  Another good Pinot that will be nice with dinner.

Rodney Strong - Russian River Valley CA  $14.99  this wine is a good value for the money, and goes   well with food.

-Merlot -

J. Lohr - Los Osos $14.99  CA  a very smooth tasty wine that will match well with fowl, prime rib or rack of lamb.

Rodney Strong - Sonoma  $17.99  always a good bottle of wine, and makes a holiday meal special.
                              Sku code 25994

-Cabernet Sauvignon-

Hess - Allomi Vineyard  Napa $29.99  a very nice wine that drinks like it should cost a lot more, decant for an hour prior to the meal.

Frei Brothers - Alexander Valley  $21.00  a beautiful expression of Cabernet from this area, I keep some of this on hand all the time. Decant for an hour prior ...

Ch Ste Michelle - Cold Creek Vnyd  WA $24.99  a big cabernet from a special site that would be great with rack of lamb, or prime rib.

Wishing all of you a special holiday season....

Cheers!

Ed



 

Banyan  2017 Gewürztraminer  Monterey County

I stopped by the Centerra Coop store for Thanksgiving supplies and near the cheese counter there was a person pouring samples of white and red wines that would pair well with the traditional meal on Thursday.

All of the wines were good, but the Banyan and a Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre blend from Paso Robles stood out. I can't remember the name of the winery that produced the red blend, but all of the wines that were sampled are on the stand in the aisle near the cheese counter.

Beautiful notes of white stone fruits in the nose, spice, intriguing, matching flavors on the palate with distinct flavors of peach and apricot, a nice mouth feel and very pleasant finish. There was a hint of saltiness as well on the finish, perhaps due to the vineyards proximity to the ocean influence in Monterey. One of the best 'Traminers I've tried in a while, and at a decent price for the quality. I kept thinking about this wine after I left the tasting and had to go back for a bottle....

Available at the Centerra Co-op store for $15.99, maybe the Hanover store has some, and 2 of the NH Liquor outlets near the MA border for $13.99. I think they had 6 or 8 bottles on the stand at Centerra, if you like Gewürztraminer you should try a bottle of this wine.

Cheers,

Ed

Thanksgiving meal wine options

With Thanksgiving almost upon us, I have been asked by a few people about what my thoughts are on which wine to serve with this meal.

I always answer that question with a question, what are you serving for food?

These days people don't always stick to the old traditions for this meal, so the wine selection for it can vary greatly. But I think some wines can pair well across a number of different choices for the main course.

A light to medium body Pinot Noir will taste good with oven roasted turkey, and also with prime rib. A good quality Merlot would also match up well with both of these options, and all of the side dishes can bring out nuances in both wines.
I tried a wine from Bertani last year with our meal, it's a blend of Sangiovese and 3 other grapes native to the Verona area of Italy. Some of the grapes are air dried on a bed of straw like Amarone and make for a smooth food friendly wine that pairs well with a number of dishes.

Some people prefer white wines, so in my experience a dry or off dry Riesling works well with poultry. I also like a Frascati or Fiano di Avellino from Italy, they have good fruit and balance with a nice palate cleansing quality.

As always, if you like a wine, then that's the right one for you....

 Red wines;

Starmont - Pinot Noir -  well made, good value $14.99 @ NH Liquor outlets

Mark Herold -  Flux -  Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre blend  $14.99 @ NH Liquor

Secco Bertani - Sangiovese and 3 native Italian varieties  @17.99 @ NH outlets

J. Lohr - Los Osos - Merlot -  well made, smooth  $14.99 @ NH outlets

White wines;

Chateau Ste Michelle - Riesling - dry or off dry  $8.99 @ NH outlets 

Fontana Candida - Frascati - food friendly wine,   $7.99 @ NH outlets

Vendange - Sauvignon Blanc - great value,  $7.99 (1.5 liter) NH  outlets


Wishing you all a great Thanksgiving with family

Ed

Columbia Winery  2015 Merlot  Columbia Valley

I like Merlot from WA State, the climate and soils there are suited to maximizing the nuances this variety is capable of. In my experience the bottles I've tried have been a good value and from certain sites this grape can have more body and power than Cabernet Sauvignon, a good example of this is the Merlot from Chateau Ste Michelle's Cold Creek Vineyard. A warm site with an extended growing season that produces great wines almost every year....

We tried this wine in Montreal at the annual tasting event last year or the year before, good wines made by dedicated people.The winery offers bottlings across several price points, all were solid to very nice wines at fair prices. It was a nice surprise to see this on the shelf in West Leb today...

This opens with notes of dark berries, a hint of very ripe strawberries, a spicy note, and some other nuances in the nose I couldn't quite place but are intriguing. I taste cherry, a mix of black and blueberry flavors, it has a nice mouth feel with fine grained tannins and a lingering berry flavor. Even though it's 3 years old at this time, I think it has the structure to evolve further and would benefit from resting in the cellar for another 12 to 18 months.

I enjoyed this with slow cooked pork ribs from the grill, but it would also pair well with a boneless chuck roast slow cooked in a crockpot with a cup or so of this wine along with onions, carrots, and red potatoes.... an oven roasted chicken dinner also comes to mind.

Available on sale now at the NH Liquor outlets for $12.99 per bottle, a good wine and a nice change of pace from the California or European Merlots you usually find on the shelves...

Cheers!

Ed

STARMONT  2013 Carneros Pinot Noir

I enjoy a good Pinot Noir occasionally, and for my palate (and wallet) my favorite regions are Oregon, Switzerland, and Carneros in CA. These three areas produce world class wines at reasonable prices, and are usually made in the classic style. They're not over extracted, lighter in body, but full of flavor and great with a good range of foods.

Starmont started out as a "second" wine of Merryvale and was more affordable than the main label, (it still is) but has expanded it offerings over the years and now has it's own winery located on part of the historic Stanley Ranch property in Carneros. Starmont offers Chardonnay, Merlot, Rose of Pinot, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, there is a limited release selection that has Viognier, Syrah, Malbec, Pinot Gris, and a couple of single vineyard Pinots.

This Pinot opens with notes of cherry and red/black plum, hints of strawberry, and a slight attractive spicy note in the nose. The palate matches the nose, the spicy note is there also, along with some other flavors I couldn't quite pinpoint but are seductive.... the tannins are fine grained, and finishes with the fruit fading nicely. I kept taking small sips trying to figure it out but wasn't too serious in this endeavor, for the wine is quite pleasant as it continues to open up with time.

I enjoyed this with grilled garlic/herb chicken sausage served on a bed of pasta topped with a 4 cheese red sauce. I think some oven baked stuffed chicken breasts and classic risotto would work also. Grilled pork roast stuffed with plums also sounds good...

Available at some NH Liquor outlets for $14.99 per bottle in the powerbuy section,  or $21.99 at Total wine in Natick(they also have more wines from Starmont) there's also a 15% case discount on Pinot's and Chardonnay's at NH Outlets.... this is a chance to buy a very good Pinot from a special region at a great price, let me know what you think.

Cheers!

Ed

Mark Herold Wines 2013  Flux  Red blend  Napa

This wine was brought to my attention by someone who knows that I like red wines, it's a new powerbuy wine at the West Lebanon Liquor store. I've never heard of this wine company but I liked the blend of grapes in this bottling, and in recent years growers in CA have been figuring out where the best places are to grow them.

Flux is a blend of 66% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 14% Mourvedre. Upon opening there are notes of blackberry, black raspberry, a bit of tobacco leaf, and a floral note that reminds me of roses.

The palate matches the nose, with an added hint of blueberry... it's not over extracted, slightly translucent with a nice color. The finish is smooth with fine grained tannins and a berry note.

Day 2 brought more of the berries in the nose, it reminded me of a mixed berry pie smell, the tobacco leaf note is a bit more present but balanced with everything... very interesting. The mouthfeel became a bit more viscous, with the berry flavors blended together, with a spicy note on the finish.

Available at a number of NH Outlet stores in the powerbuy section for $14.99, also at Total Wine in Natick for $27.00 per bottle.... There is also a 15% case discount sale that ends tomorrow night at the NH Outlets....

Cheers!

Ed

2016  Alamos  Red Blend  Argentina

I have tried a few of the wines from Alamos, for a "second wine" of Bodega Catena they are well made and a good value for the money. Their Torrontes white and Malbec "seleccion" are among the best $10 to $15 bottles out there right now.....

So when I saw the Red blend bottling on the shelf the other day I figured it would be worth a try. The 2016 blend is primarily Malbec, Bonarda, and Tempranillo, with small amounts of other grapes. While the website only mentions the blend from 2014, I'm guessing there is a bit of Syrah also. There was the strong note in the nose typical of Syrah, but on day 2 everything had blended together nicely. I have tried a Bonarda on it's own before, great flavors and nose, but a bit acidic on it's own.

Notes of blackberry, plum, cherry, the deep note from Syrah in the nose on day one, next day the Syrah is more in balance with the berry notes, and a tobacco leaf note is present now, adding to the complexity of this wine.

The palate on day one matches the nose, plum, berries, slightly tannic, but interesting. Day 2 brings an added flavor of blueberry, the wine is slightly tart in a good way. The acidity is just right, and the wine finishes clean with lingering notes of berries.

 A good food wine, I would try it with grilled burgers, Italian sausage with peppers and onions, Angus tips, a meat Lasagna would also work I think...

On sale at the NH Liquor outlets for $10.99 per bottle, plus the current case sale gives you an additional 15% on any wines.... that makes this $9.35 per bottle. A very good value!

Cheers!

Ed

Chateau St. Jean   2014 Cold Creek Ranch  Chardonnay

After enjoying the Robert Young Vineyard Chardonnay, I decided to try a bottle of the Chardonnay from the Cold Creek Ranch vineyard. This vineyard is located in the southernmost part of the Sonoma Coast appellation, which is prized for the cool growing conditions that allow for full development of flavors in the grapes and balancing acidity.

Cold Creek Ranch fruit is known for tropical fruit aromas, I noticed pineapple and a floral note I couldn't quite pinpoint. On the palate I tasted peach, pear, lemon, and a nice spice note on the finish.
This vintage was aged in used oak barrels on the lees, (yeast and grape bits) so there is no oak influence, which allows for the flavors of great fruit to shine on its own. Aging on the lees also adds a creamy mouth feel, making for a very enjoyable bottle of wine.

This was the eighth reserve bottling of fruit from the Cold Creek Ranch by Chateau St Jean since 2002, each vintage used is fermented differently depending on how the fruit developes.

Available at some NH Liquor outlets on sale for $13.99 per bottle (regular retail $35.00) and from the winery for $35.00 per bottle. Current case sale at NH outlets is 15% mix and match any wines... that makes the price of this wine $11.64 per bottle.... a steal at that price.

Cheers!

Ed

Maddalena 2014 Monterey Riesling

I saw this wine in the powerbuy section of the West Leb NH Liquor outlet, and knowing that my wife likes a good riesling I decided to try a bottle based on the reviews I could find of this vintage.

The fruit for this wine comes from the Rancho Soledad vineyard, in the Monterey appellation, a cooler climate, which has morning fog and afternoon breezes which allow for slow development of flavors and preserves balanced acidity. The vineyard is 282 acres, planted to Riesling and Pinot Grigio.

When first opened, there are nice notes of wet stone, apple, honey, citrus, and apricots with similar flavors on the palate. I like the mouthfeel, slightly thick with delicious, lingering flavors of apples and apricots. The wine has some sweetness, but it has enough acidity to keep it balanced on the finish.

This wine is perfect by itself with friends and some aged Gruyere on a warm summer afternoon, or with a Thanksgiving dinner. I could also see pairing this wine with spicy food, the sweetness in it would play nicely against the heat of the dish.

Available at some NH Liquor outlets in the powerbuy section for $6.99 per bottle, and $10.99 at some Total wine stores. And there is also a 15% discount on any mixed case of wine currently at the NH Liquor outlets.... how can you go wrong?

Cheers!

Ed

Chateau St Jean 2013 Chardonnay Robert Young Vineyard Reserve

The Robert Young Vineyard is located in Alexander Valley, and planted to the Chardonnay clone of the same name, the original plantings were of the Wente clone. Over time Robert selected vines that produced exceptional fruit in the soils of this site, and his clone 17 was certified in 1989.

This wine is barrel fermented, and aged sur lie (on yeast and sediment) for an extended period of time. This technique gives the wine a creamy mouth texture, the barrels are French oak, about 60% new .... so the oak influence is there but not too heavy for my taste. The wine is also aged in the bottle for a year before being released, so this is a true reserve wine.

The nose has notes of lemon and pear, there's a spice note I can't quite identify but fits in nicely with the other scents. The palate matches the lemon and pear notes, has a nice creamy texture and finishes smooth with perfect balanced acidity. The color is a beautiful yellow with a greenish tint, and there's a nice lingering note of the fruit that fades pleasantly...

I enjoyed this with the Tortelloni Brunelle dish from Lui-Lui's, which has a lemon caper sauce. I think some grilled lemon/lime garlic shrimp would also be good with this wine. Another option would be a veal or chicken schnitzel finished with a wedge of lemon and buttered spatzle or french fries....

Available at the winery for $50.00 per bottle, or at the NH Liquor outlets in the power buy section for $15.99!  If you enjoy a good Chardonnay get in to one of the outlets and grab a bottle or two before they're gone... I think once people figure out what a steal this is they'll fly off the shelf.

Cheers!

Ed

The Wallis valley of Switzerland

We just returned from spending 4 days with one of my aunts in this valley, and everywhere you look there are vineyards on the slopes below the mountains. Depending on exposure to the sun, some are on one side or the other of the valley. There are a few vineyards on the valley floor, but the best wines come from sites on the hillsides.

We were in Chandolin, a small village adjacent to Saviese. I have included a photo of the view from the balcony of her apartment, I can see why she chose this spot. To wake up, or watch the sun go down in the evening over the high mountains, and be surrounded by vineyards is really special.

We were treated to some very good cooking, and some nice wines from this area. I tried some wines from this region that are a few of the 52 varieties grown in this valley. We enjoyed a Johannisberg (white) from St. Jodern Kellerei in Visperterminen, grown in the highest vineyards in Europe at between 2100ft and 3700ft. It was perfect with the Raclette we had for dinner that night....

I also enjoyed a Cornalin (red grape) from Robert Gilliard, it's an old variety from this valley which produces a nice soft red wine with good blue and black fruit flavors balanced by just right acidity. A very good comanion to the Fondue Chinoise we had on another evening meal.

Fondue Chinoise is a hot vegetable boullion into which you can put thinly sliced beef, calf's meat, chicken, small meatballs of pork, or shrimp, scallops, on a normal fondue fork until it's just cooked through and served with assorted sauces of your choice to dip the meat into. Delicious!

The sad part for us in America is that 95% of all Swiss wines are consumed within the country, or a small distance into the surroundind countries.... very little is imported into the USA, and probably only the major cities.

Joe, given our discussions about wine, you would love it here! You've got to convince the company you work for to somehow send you to a neighboring country for business, then take a few days to wander around doing "research" on the many varieties grown in this valley.

Cheers, Sante!

Ed

Weingut Umbricht Untersiggenthal Switzerland

I was introduced to this winery 2 years ago during a visit to family here in Switzerland, it's located 5 minutes from one of my cousins. We were at restaurant Steinenbuhl that serves wines from the surrounding area, and my wife was having fondue. My wife saw that there were local wines on the menu and asked my cousin for his recommendation. 

Vik suggested the Sauvignon blanc from this winery, it was a good match for the fondue, nice nose of melon, citrus, similar flavors on the tongue, not sweet but not completely dry either, good mouthfeel with enough acidity to cleanse the palate from the cheese.

The Sauvignon blanc is very popular locally, enough so that when we stopped today to purchase the wines you see in the picture, the bin for it was empty.... I have tried their regular Pinot, and the Cabernet/Malbec blend and would highly recommend them to anyone. The Chardonnay just won a gold medal at an international competiton, and I'm sampling the Spatlese Pinot Noir now.

The grapes for the Spatlese (later picked) must have been in great condition, spot on old world color, beautiful nose of cherry, cola, a spicy note, with matching flavors in the mouth. Just right mouthfeel with a deft touch of oak barrel aging, nice lingering finish of fruit and spice.... this is good by itself or with food, very well made.

Their wines come in either 500ml or 750ml bottles, priced between 10Chf and 19Chf depending on bottle size and variety of grape. I can see why 95% of Swiss wines never make it out of the country, good to great wine at good prices. If only I had a wine cellar here.... well, then I'd be broke...

The picture is one of Umbricht's vineyards in Untersiggenthal.

Cheers!

Ed

2012  Beringer  Knights Valley  Cabernet Sauvignon

I first tried a Knights Valley bottling 6 or 7 years ago at a tasting event in NH, it was quite nice, and I was intrigued by the potential I thought it had for cellaring between 5 to 10 years. I didn't buy much of it each year as the cost in the NH Liquor system was and is $35.00 per bottle, but there are now other retail options available to all of us that are much less. We'll get to that later....

The vineyard is located in Knights Valley, northwest of Napa, in Sonoma County and composes about 600 acres. It's planted with Cab Sauvignon, Malbec, Petite Verdot, Merlot, and Cab Franc, all of which enjoy the warm growing conditions there. It's a fairly rustic area with rocky, well draining alluvial soils which pushes the vines to produce great fruit.

When first opened, notes of black cherry first, followed by subtle hints of black raspberry, plum, blackberry, and an intriguing spicy note in the nose. The palate has the black cherry with the other fruits in the background, the spice on the finish with balanced tannins and a pleasant lingering fruit note.

Day 2 brings the black cherry with more of the black raspberry, and a deep note of mixed berry pie, very interesting nose.... all the fruit flavors are more blended together on the finish with fine tannins and a beautiful lingering berry note. Delicious...

This would be very nice with a juicy Delmonico steak grilled medium, I could see this with bacon wrapped tenderloin filets from the grill, or equally at home with a Sunday roast chicken dinner and fixings...I'm going to try it later today with a home made bacon cheeseburger and grilled veggies.

I bought 3 bottles of this vintage with the idea of leaving them in the cellar for a while, I opened a bottle last year about this time to see how it was developing. It was good, but wasn't quite ready yet.
Now it's in the sweet spot for me, which matches what some of the reviews out there are saying. I think after 5 years past the vintage year is when this wine really starts to shine.

Available at most NH Liquor outlets for $34.99, Total wine in Natick has it for $23.00, and if you're in the Boston area try a Wegmans grocery store... I bought my 3 bottles there for $20.00 each! That's quite a savings over the NH price.... this wine seems to be fairly consistant each vintage but look for the 2015, I'm reading some good things about that year....

Cheers!

Ed

Shannon Ridge  2015 Cabernet Sauvignon  High Elevation Collection  Lake County CA

I remember trying a bottle from this winery a few years ago somewhere, it was okay and interesting but not available locally at the time. I found this bottle in the powerbuy section at the West Leb Liquor outlet store. There is also another offering from this winery in the same section, a reserve bottling that I haven't tried yet...

The '15 Cabernet High Elevation bottling sources grapes from 3 different vineyards that are between 1200' and 2400'   the areas are; High Valley, Red Hills, and Big Valley. The wine is aged 12 months in French and American oak.

When first opened, notes of blackberry and cranberry, a hint of black plum, and there is something in the nose that reminds me of other wines i've tried from the Lodi area.... I can't quite put my finger on what it is, but it's interesting. I taste blackberry, cranberry, cherry, the tannins are slightly chalky in texture but not overly so. The finish is pleasant and lingers nicely...

Day 2 the nose has become more balanced between the 3 berries, I think the cherry is more noticable. The chalky texture in the mouth has smoothed out, and the palate has a nice, slightly thick mouth feel with the cherry flavor first, then the blackberry and plum follow. Pleasantly tart on the finish with nice tannins.

Right now at not quite 3 years of age, this wine would be nice with food that has some fat in it, grilled sausages, steak tips, a nice Demonico steak, boneless chicken thighs marinated in olive oil, fresh garlic and sea salt.... bbq chicken from the grill would be okay too.

I am intrigued enough by this wine to consider buying 6 bottles and lay them down in the cellar to see what evolves over the next 4 to 5 years, I don't think I'll be disappointed... in the meantime the pricepoint in the powerbuy section is $9.99 per bottle (half price), and until July 1st you get an additional 15% off if you buy a case or more... are you kidding me?!  go try a bottle and tell me what you think.

Cheers!

Ed

 

2010 Rodney Strong Rockaway Vineyard Alexander Valley CA

When I first tried this wine 4 years ago upon its release, it had very vibrant blackberry notes in the nose and palate along with hints of blackcherry. The tannins were surprisingly smooth for a young wine of this caliber, but the winemaking team there is top notch and have the added benefit of Dave Ramey as a consulting winemaker. Dave is a master at making wines of power and grace that are accessible early in their life, but can also age very well.

At almost 8 years of age the blackberry is still dominant, but the  blackcherry has come forward more in both the nose and taste, and possibly a hint of blueberry as well. There are the telltale herbal notes that good Alexander Valley Cabs have, the tannins are still smooth, with a nice balance of fruit and barrel notes on the lingering finish. I believe this bottle had the ability to hold in the cellar for 10 or more years from the vintage date.

 Just a delight to savor, and now more of a match for a piece of bacon wrapped beef tenderloin grilled medium, lamb chops from the grill, or herb crusted pork roast done on a rotisserie. Sides of marinated grilled zucchini, portobello mushrooms, or summer squash would be nice as well I think.

This is not an everyday wine, more of a special occasion treat. I thought Father's day was a good reason to enjoy a bottle of it.... (Mothers day next year also qualifies) I hope all of you Dads out there had a great day, and you or your kids made a special day of it.

Available from the Rodney Strong winery for $75.00 per bottle, also at Total wine in Natick MA for $64.00 per bottle, or $58.00 per bottle if you buy 6 or more "pick 6" qualifying wines... ie; 5 more bottles at $8 to $10 each gets you the discount....

Cheers!

Ed

2016 Fossil Point Rose' Cenral Coast California

I do enjoy a good Rose wine during the summer months, for me it's lighter than a red wine but still gives me the impression I'm drinking more than a white. A good one can stand up to various meats from the grill, and pairs nicely with grilled veggies including grilled Portobello mushrooms.

Fossil Point sources their grapes from various Central Coast vineyards which have soils that are composed of old oyster shells and Calcareous shale and coarse sand. They get breezes from the Pacific ocean which keeps the temps moderate and allows the fruit to mature slowly and evenly.

When I first opened the bottle it had distinct notes of citrus and red berries in the nose, the palate had the citrus with a slight bitterness I wasn't in love with. The bitterness fades after 20 minutes or so and the wine fills out more. I decided to put the cork back in and try it the next day, as it seemed out of sync.

What a difference waiting has made, the nose is a delight to smell with the citrus, a raspberry/strawberry note and a hint of rhubarb. The palate has the citrus (sweet mandarin orange, ruby grapefruit) a hint of peach, and finishes with a pleasant crispness from balanced acidity. It also has a nice slightly thick mouthfeel that begs another sip...

I enjoyed this with some leftover chicken schnitzel, red cabbage and sauerkraut from the Von Trapp brew pub, my wife had a smoked turkey and Cabot cheddar sandwich with her glass. The wine tasted good with both dishes, and l can't wait to try it with some slow cooked ribs, or bbq chicken.

62% Grenache, 38% Syrah, both red grapes that can make a Rose full of flavor....this is one non-red wine that would benefit from opening the bottle an hour ahead of time, or pour the bottle into a carafe or decanter and keep it chilled until serving.

Available at the NH Liquor outlets for $8.99, and it qualifies for an additional 15% off during the American wine sale if you buy a case or more. That drops the price to $7.64 per bottle... can it get any better?

Cheers!

Ed

Vigilance  Cabernet Sauvignon  Red Hills Lake County  California

I have tried some wines from Lake County in the past, this AVA growing area is not as well known as Napa or Sonoma but produces some good wines. It's kind of flying under the radar at the moment but as prices continue to rise for the more popular regions I think you'll see more of the wines show up on shelves.

When first opened, notes of cherry, spice, bell pepper, black currants, and hints of chocolate in the nose. The palate has matching flavors from the nose, with additional dark berry/plum flavors. The tannins are not excessive, with just enough acidity to keep things balanced.

After 30 minutes the wine comes together nicely in both the nose and palate, with a bit more of the dark berry flavors in the mouth. I found myself taking another sniff of the glass as the nose evolved, trying to identify the notes in there...

I think this wine would be best enjoyed with food at the moment, but I have a feeling this will be quite good on its own in 12 to 18 months. Try some herb crusted grilled pork, garlic/rosemary lamb chops, beef stew, a peppercorn crusted sirloin steak....

Available at NH Liquor outlets for $9.99 in the powerbuy section, it's a good value at that price and it qualifies for an additional 15% case discount if you buy 12 or more American wines. That drops the price to $8.49 per bottle, at that price buy a case and drink well during the summer bbq season!

Cheers!

Ed

2013 JENNER Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

This is a good time of the year for Rose' wines and lighter bodied Pinot Noir's, they pair well with the flavors that foods from the grill take on as they cook.

There's veggies and salad items available from the Southern growing regions of the US, and the selection of seafood is starting to increase as well, which gives all of us options for fresh and healthy meals to choose from.

One of the staff at the West Lebanon liquor store mentioned to me there was a new powerbuy red wine that just came in, it had good ratings and positive reviews so I stopped by to try a bottle of it.

The Pinot opens with notes of strawberry, red raspberry, and hints of other red fruit, there's a spicy note as well in the nose. It has a beautiful color, it's not over, or under extracted with a translucent look to it. The palate starts with matching flavors of the nose, but after 20 minutes additional notes of cranberry, cola, and boysenberry develope, and the nose deepens also. It was quite good on the second day as well...

It's soft enough to be sipped on by itself, (and delicious) but there is enough acidity to keep it balanced and allow for a number of food pairings. Grilled Salmon with a chutney topping, flank steak with a blackberry reduction sauce, grilled rosemary/garlic lamb chops, grilled slabs of zuchinni and summer sqaush with a topping of your choice, etc...

Available at a number of NH liquor outlets in the powerbuy section for $12.99 per bottle, a great value at this price if you like Pinot's and perfect for those nice evenings out on the deck or patio.

Try it slightly chilled also....

Cheers!

Ed

2014 Da Luca Primitivo Puglia Italy

I tried this Primitivo at my friend Mark's house a week or so ago, and really liked it. We enjoyed it with a number of appetizers including bruschetta with a fresh tomato and mozzarella topping.

It opens with a black plum, blackberry and tobacco leaf note in the nose, the palate has juicy flavors of blackberry, blueberry, plum, and a hint of black raspberry on the tongue. It's quite drinkable and pleasant to sip on by itself, but would pair nicely with a number of foods.

I think grilled chicken with bbq sauce would be good, red sauce pasta, red sauce pizza (ziggy's 4 meat) teriyaki steak tips, pork roast done on a grill rotisserie....

Not a wine for long keeping in the cellar, but more of a great everyday sipper that won't break the bank.

Available at some NH Liquor outlets for $7.50 per bottle in the powerbuy section, at that price you could buy a case and make it your house wine. I did have to have it transferred to W. Leb from another store to get it, check with your local outlet to see if they have it.

Cheers!

Ed

2014 Housley's Century Oak Winery Old vine Zinfandel Inez's Vineyard Lodi

I've looked at this bottle in the power buy section of the W. Lebanon liquor store for a few months now, and what I had read about it up to this point about the wine hadn't convinced me to try a bottle.

 But a different review showed up in my search, which mentioned that this winery had been voted best of Lodi a couple of times. So that made me decide to give this a try...

When first opened, the nose has notes of blackberry, cherry, black raspberry, and a freshness that is intriguing. It tastes of red fruits with nice acidity that has a palate cleansing effect, and a lingering finish of fruit on the tongue. The tannins are fine and pleasant, not overly mouth drying. The color is red and translucent, not overly extracted and dark.

After 30 minutes the fruit notes blend together and a spicy note is added to the nose, with almost a hint of raspberry. The palate has all of the fruit notes mentioned above, blended together into a very tasty sip.

I enjoyed this wine with the wurst (sausages) in the picture, along with grilled summer squash and zucchini, topped with tomato-basil feta and a drizzle of traditional dark balsamic vinegar from Infuse Me (in the powerhouse mall) and baby Yukon potatoes seasoned with kosher salt, onions, pepper, olive oil and bacon..... delicious! a great match....

Day 2 brings notes of tobacco leaf and ripe fruit, cherry, black fruit, hints of cinnamon, and spice in the nose. The palate is blended fruit flavors that beg another sip, a nice medium mouth feel with a spice note and the same pleasant lingering fruit notes on the finish.

This is a well made wine, and a chance to try a single vineyard bottling that nornally would cost you a lot more...This will pair well with a number of foods from the grill, and red sauce dishes with meat in them.

Available at the NH Liquor outlets for $12.99 per bottle in the power buy section, that's about half it's normal retail price.... I think you could buy a case of this and enjoy it over the next 18 months or so with no problem.

Let me know what your thoughts are on this wine....

Cheers!

Ed

2011 Rodney Strong Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

A few weeks ago Peter asked me if I knew of any red wines that were ready to drink as soon as the cork was pulled from the bottle... (or unscrew the cap) ones that didn't need breathing time or storage in a cellar for years before being able to enjoy them. I have been considering an answer to his question since then...

Based on my experience so far, I believe the choices come down to most of the wines in the $8.00 to $13.00 price range you find on shelves everywhere. These wines are made to be enjoyed immediately, without any delay. That price range is the sweet spot for retail outlets, and where most consumers feel comfortable spending their money when they just want something to have that night or the coming weekend.

The wines from WA State offer a good to great price to quality ratio in that price range, and are usually well made. I have tried some Italian wines lately that were quite good at a fair price, and within 20 minutes were ready to drink (prep time for your meal) Spanish Tempranillo bottlings usually satisfy nicely for $8.00 to $12.00 and are delicious right away.

If you want to step up a price range ($18 to $25) then for sure the Cabs and Merlot from WA State can be a very nice experience right away. Try some of the bottlings from J. Lohr, their wines have been on a roll the last few years...Two Italian reds come to mind in that price range, Palazzo della Torre by Allegrini, and Bertani - Original Vintage Edition. 

I can recommend the red wines from Rodney Strong, the wine making team does a great job across the price ranges and especially the single vineyard bottlings and the reserves. The Reserve Cabernets are delicious as soon as they are released, and will gain additional nuances over 5-7 years of cellar time.

When opened, nice notes of red and black fruits with a spicy component in the nose. Matching flavors with a smooth mouthfeel, some spicy notes and lingering fruit on the finish. After 30 minutes the nose leans more towards blackberries, black plums, the spice note is still there, it has developed more of a plush mouthfeel with mixed blackberry, cherry and plum flavors with a nice lingering finish suggesting another sip... no food required to balance the wine. It's just delicious... it was like this when I first got the wine club shipment in 2014, and it's still good now at almost 7 years from the vintage date.

 Available at Total wine in Natick MA for $34 per bottle, or if you buy other "pick 6" qualifying bottles you can get it for $30.59 per bottle.... worth every penny for an anniversary dinner, or some other special occasion.

Life's short, and you have only so many bottles in your life, never drink a bad one....

Cheers,

Ed

2016 Villa Pozzi Nero D'avola Sicily

I said I would review this wine in the last blog post, I did open the bottle at the end of a long day, I ended up enjoying 3/4 of the bottle that night....

What I can tell you about this wine is that it had the same nose and flavors of the Stemmari, but with deeper notes of the fruit in the nose leaning more towards black fruit than red fruit. The palate reflected the  flavors of the nose, and had a bit more of a full mouth feel. It felt like a better made wine, more of a dinner companion than a pizza wine.

I liked both of these wines, and as I mentioned in the review of the Stemmari, these are both a nice change of pace from a Chianti for a Friday night pizza or a meat based pasta dish.

Available at the NH Liquor outlets on sale for $9.99, Italian wines also qualify for a 15% discount if you buy a case... so that makes this wine available for $8.49 per bottle. A great price for an everyday wine, or on pizza night.

Also available at Total wine in Natick MA for $6.99 per bottle, or $6.29 per bottle if you purchase 6 or more qualifying wines.... are you kidding me?  You would pay for the gas if you drove down and bought a case at that price....

Give this wine a try and let me know your thoughts....

Cheers!

Ed

2015 Ste Michelle Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 50th Anniversary special bottling

This is a nice bottling from a very good vintage in WA State, the blend is composed of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 4% Syrah, and 1% each Malbec, Cab Franc, and Petite Verdot.

It grabbed my attention right from the start, the Merlot opens first in the nose, then the Syrah chimes in with it's distinct WA State deep funky notes (in a good way), then after 45 minutes the Cab Sauv opens up, and then the rest of the grapes fill in making for a very aromatic, tasty red wine.

Notes of blackberry, black raspberry, cherry, tobacco leaf from the Cab Franc, ripe raspberry, and a hint of vanilla in the nose. Cherry, black raspberry, blackberry, red or black plum on the palate.
Wow, what a great tribute to their beginnings in WA State....

I enjoyed this with an Angus hanger steak cooked medium, seasoned with Kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, and topped with my garlic herb butter, recipe courtesy of Olga....

I might also try this with grilled rosemary/garlic lamb chops....

Available at Wegman's in Natick Ma for $11.99 per bottle, Total wine in Natick for $10.99 per bottle, and some NH Liquor outlets for $16.99.

Get some while it's available... I believe you could drink this over the next 2 to 4 years no problem.

Cheers,

Ed

2015 Stemmari Nero D'Avola Sicily

I have been meaning to pick a bottle of Nero since watching a show where they made a red sauce using some Nero in it. The recipe looked amazing, which inspired me to check this grape out. The NH Liquor store in W. Lebanon has 3 different wineries to choose from; they range in price from $7.99 to $13.99.

I decided to try the Stemmari ($7.99) and Villa Pozzi ($9.99) both have screwtop enclosures. But don't be put off by this, the modern Stelvin enclosure works great for wines meant to be consumed within a couple of years of being released.

 I've noticed more of the wines in the $7 to $15 dollar range with the screwtop enclosure in recent years; this is in response to the fact that demand for cork has outstripped supply. The bark of the Cork trees can only be harvested every 7 years, and there are only so many trees....

At first, the Stemmari has some red fruit, tobacco leaf notes, a bit of freshness in the nose. The palate has semi-tart strawberry, cranberry, red plum? with good acidity that cleanses the palate.

After 45 minutes the nose takes on cherry, strawberry, almost black plum notes, the palate has developed more of a full mouth feel with a nice blend of matching flavors of the nose. This has developed nicely since opening, it finishes pleasantly tart with lingering red fruit notes.

I made some bruschetta using Pricehopper's Central Market tomato topping, and put some freshly grated Parmigiano cheese on top. The Nero paired nicely with this, and would likely go well with a number of foods... in my opinion this is a nice change of pace from Chianti, and at a good price.

On sale now at NH Liquor outlets for $7.99, and probably a few other retail outlets as well.

Cheers!        Next up, the Villa Pozzi....

Ed

14 Hands Winery  2015 Merlot  Columbia Valley

It's no secret I like Washington State wines, I believe they offer a great price to quality ratio in most instances. The growing conditions are usually very stable, and the growers can produce optimum fruit for wine. The 2015 growing seaon was very favorable, and almost all wines across the board are quite good.

This winery is part of the Chateau Ste Michelle group, which means the winemaking team has the equipment and resources available to make top notch wines at an affordable price. 

Merlot got a bad reputation in California a while back because it became the darling wine, and producers pushed out quanity over quality. When people realized this, it fell out of favor there. But in WA State they've quietly continued making very good Merlot, and it's okay if a lot of people don't know this... it keeps the price down for those of us who do know.....

Upon opening notes of cherry, red plums, bright red fruit and a nice spicy note in the nose, the palate has similar flavors to the nose. After 30 minutes I noticed a blackberry note both in the nose and the palate, and more depth of fruit. And a hint of cocoa/milk chocolate in the nose, nice medium mouth feel and decent length of finish, with pleasant lingering fruit notes.

I enjoyed this with chicken pot pie, but this is a food friendly wine and would pair well with a number of different things.... have fun and experiment to find out what works for you.

On sale now at the NH Liquor outlets for $9.99 per bottle, available at Total Wine in Natick for $8.99 per bottle. At that price buy a case for everyday drinking....

Cheers!

Ed

A few options for wine glasses.....

I was asked recently about the different types of wine glasses used in the wine blog. I have researched all kinds of glasses, and found you can spend a lot money on all sorts of stemware if you choose to.

My friend Mark first showed me a Riedel stemmed glass that he had, a Vinum Cabernet/Merlot model. It was an improvement over the basic glass I had at the time from Walmart, the wine smelled and tasted better to me. This was an eye opener, and as I read about the family who makes these glasses I realized how devoted they are to optimizing the wine drinking experience.

The shape of the bowl, and the thickness of the glass at the lip really do make a difference in how you taste and smell the wine. I use the Riedel Cabernet/Merlot glass for the initial tasting of all red wines, I feel it allows me to see the wine for what it is. Good or bad.

When I'm not trying a new wine, the Riedel stemmed glasses are used for the special wines I don't drink everyday as it makes the experience that much more enjoyable.

 We also have a set of Bormioli Atelier glasses that we use for Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Albarino, and other fragrant white wines. The shape of this glass really focuses the nose and taste of these wines, I highly recommend you obtain a set of these glasses if you like any of those grapes.

We do have some basic stemless glasses that we use for everyday wines, I found them at various retail outlets for an affordable price. A large bowl glass for red wines, and a smaller bowl glass for Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and other dry whites.

Shop around for the Riedel and Bormioli glasses, they can be found for less than normal retail price. Try TJ Maxx, Target, or other outlets....

Cheers!  Ed

2013 Chateau St Jean Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

I can't remember the first time I tried one of Ch St Jean's Alexander Valley Cab's, I do know it was after a visit to one of the Total Wine stores.

One of their employee's asked if he could help with any selections, I told him I was fond of the Alexander Valley Cab's, that they just made sense to my palate. He asked which ones I'd tried so far, listened to my list and suggested this winery. The winemaker is Margo Van Staaveren, and she's been making wine there for 37 years using fruit from a number of regions in California.

The bottle sat in my cellar for a month or so, until one night I purchased a nice NY Strip steak from the Co-op store, and wanted a nice Cab to go with the steak. I started poking around in the cellar and came across the 2012 which was quite good with the steak. I went back as soon as I good and bought more. For my palate there is something special about the match of grilled beef and red wines from the Alexander Valley, and a slice of garlic herb butter melted over the steak.

When first opened, notes of mild blackberry, red plums, and a hint of mixed berry pie in the nose, the palate has the blackberry along with black cherry, and a nice brightness to the fruit.

After 45 minutes the blackberry notes in the nose are distinct, along with blueberry, and bramble patch fruit, just a delight to smell, the palate has deepened but still has the right acidity to balance the lushness of the fruit.

 At almost 5 years of age it was perfect tonight with the Angus NY Strip steak grilled medium, baked potato with sour cream, and a side of grilled onions, garlic, and mushrooms.

Available at NH Liquor outlets for $29.99, Total wine has it for $19.99 and qualifies for a pick six price of $17.99 if you get 6 or more.... can you say road trip?

Cheers!

Ed

2014 Puramun Malbec Reserva Valle De Uco Argentina

I used to do my wine shopping at a store in North Hampton MA called the big Y, they had a nice selection of beer and wine for all budgets, along with a monthly news letter profiling different regions of the world.

I remember one month the news letter highlighted the wines of Bodega Catena, specificly the Chardonnay from this winery. At the time I wasn't drinking white wine and didn't try, or buy, any of this wine, which was likely my loss. The head winemaker was Pepe Galante, who, with the help of Paul Hobbs, was bringing Argentine wines to the worlds attention....

Pepe left Catena in 2010 to do his own thing, and Puramun Malbec is the result of his efforts. As soon as I opened this wine and poured some in a glass, I knew this was different than most of the Malbec's I've tasted before. It has spicy red fruit in the nose, inviting another swirl and sniff of the glass...red plums, raspberry, a bit of ripe strawberry, then black raspberry, white pepper with a bit of tobacco leaf.

Nice mouth feel right from the start, black plum, cherry, black raspberry, and a nice spicy, lingering finish with a pleasant tartness. The tannins are there, but fine and not overly mouth drying. This wine has a beautiful color, deep red, but not black.

After 30 minutes in the decanter, deeper notes in the glass of blackberry, black plum, black cherry, spice, just a beautiful nose... matching flavors on the palate, with more of a full mouth feel, wonderful spicy finish, not as tart, just delicious to sip on.

I paired this with a regular flavor rotisserie chicken from pricechopper, Swiss rice, and mixed veggies with some garlic herb butter. I spooned the au jus from the chicken over the rice, it was a great match. I think this would be nice as well with prime rib, or garlic-rosemary lamb chops from the grill.

Available at some NH Liquor outlets (W. Leb) for $18.99 per bottle, in my opinion drinks like it should cost way more than it does....

Cheers,

Ed

Simi 2012 Landslide, day 2

This wine has developed a beautiful nose with blue and black fruits sharing space, the blackberry is now there with the cherry, and a blueberry component. There is a spicy note as well, and a hint of cigar box that kept me giving this another swirl or two so I could smell the wine again...

This wine is not over extracted, the color is a nice brick red with a pleasant slightly thick mouth feel.
Elegant, one that doesn't overwhelm the mouth... while this wine has the ability to stand up to bbq, I can see this pairing with an herb crusted prime rib, a garlic/rosemary rack of lamb, pan seared beef or pork tenderloin medallions with a sauce of some sort.... perhaps with Morel mushrooms.

At 5 years of age in the bottle, this wine is in the sweet spot for my taste, I think it will hold for 2 or 3 more years easily. In good vintages I usually buy 6 and open a bottle upon purchase, and then every 6 to 9 months so I can judge when to try the next one. In vintages that are average this wine drinks well at release (3 years after vintage)

At about $25.00 a bottle it's not an everyday wine, but for special occasions this is a nice addition to anyone's collection... from what I read in vintage reports '13, '14, '15 should be be good. Of course each harvest brings subtle differences in the wine, but that's what makes tasting wine so fun.

Cheers!

Ed

Simi Winery 2012 Landslide Vineyard Alexander Valley

Back in the mid 70's I was dating a girl from CT who spent the summers with her Aunt in Braintree VT, competing in English equestrian events. Her Aunt opened some bottles of Simi Cabernet to have with the wood fired grilled steaks for dinner one night. I didn't know much about wine at that time, but I remember I liked the flavor of the wine with the steaks, and the Simi name has stuck with me since.... and the memory of that summer when I was 17 and fresh out of high school....

Fast forward to 2010, and after work one day I walked into a NH Liquor store where a guy was pouring some free samples of wine. He asked if I liked red or white? Red I said, and he poured me some of the 2007 Simi Landslide Cabernet. The wine had been open for about an hour, and it was delicious.... (the '07 vintage was one of the best) the taste of the wine, and seeing the name on the bottle brought back a flood of memories revolving around that summer when I met this girl and was introduced to this winery.

Since then I have kept some of these bottles in my cellar, in most vintages the wine is very good and can be outstanding in great years. The vineyard has some unique geological soil features resulting from, yes, a huge landslide which created a special medium where Cabernet vines produce fruit that is distinctive, and really tasty!

When first opened, bright notes of black cherry, and red raspberry in the nose. Cherry, blackberry, and a minerality in the palate, along with fine tannins and a slightly tart finish. After an hour the blackberry is noticable in the nose, sharing space with the cherry notes. The palate is now mixed black fruit and more plush in the mouth, quite nice. Finishing with lingering fruit and a bit of fine tannins, really enjoyable to sip on....

I tried this wine with grilled Johnsonville cheddar brats, chicken bouillon rice, and green beans with bacon, garlic, and butter. An okay pairing, but grilled beef, pork, or chicken would be best in my opinion.

Available at Total wine stores for $26.00, $24.00 if you buy 6 or more wines in the "pick 6" category.
$35.00 thru NH Liquor outlets, sometimes NH will have sales which get you close enough to Total's prices that it saves the drive down to MA.

Cheers,

Ed

Arbios Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Here's a picture of Bill's Cabernet Sauvignon....

2015 Praxis Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

Praxis Cellars and Arbios Cellars are the creation of Bill Arbios, who made a name for himself creating red blends in California before it became popular to do so. Bill worked as winemaker for several wineries, and designed a couple of wineries as well. Eventually he decided to go out on his own so he could have the freedom to make wine the way he wanted to.

Bill now makes 100% varietal wines, which is more difficult to do. It requires attention to detail in the vineyard through out the growing season, you can't make good wine from bad grapes. How the grapes are handled once they begin the winemaking process also makes a big difference in how the wine presents itself.

The Arbios Cellars Cabernet comes from Bill's own 21 acre vineyard planted at between 1600' and 2000' in Alexander Valley. There are 6 different clones of Cab, all selected for their small berry size and intense flavors (One of the clones came from the famed To Kalon vineyard in Napa) and is sustainably grown.

The grapes for the Praxis wines come from sustainably farmed vineyards chosen for their location and quality.

This 100% Pinot Noir comes from a vineyard at the southern end of the Sonoma Coast appellation, at the border of the Carneros appellation known for its cool climate growing producing beautiful Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines.

Upon opening, notes of cherry, raspberry, earth, violets, vanilla and spice in the glass, it has flavors of raspberries, plums, mild cherry, the mouthfeel is soft but it's balanced by just right acidity. It's so interesting to sip on, there are subtle flavors that I couldn't quite pinpoint lingering into a nice finish with a spice note.... delicious!

In this part of the country the only way to buy Bill's wines is to join their wine club. It is one of the most reasonable cost clubs I've seen, $50 to join (which includes a wine surprise) and $25 per quarter. Each quarterly shipment includes 1 or 2 bottles at a great discount, and a 25% discount for that quarters wines ordered within 30 days of receiving your shipment. So you only spend as much or little as you want...

I can vouch that all the wines are well made, and quite tasty. The Cabernet is very good, ages beautifully, and at $35 per bottle a great value for a wine of this caliber. On top of that they are nice people who care for the land and their wine country neighbors.

Cheers,                                    arbioscellars.com  PraxisCellars.com

Ed.  

2015 Frei Brothers Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma Reserve

From the first time I opened a bottle of Frei Brothers Reserve Cabernet, I have liked this wine. I remember visiting my friend Dave at a camp belonging to his in-laws near Lunenberg Vt with a bottle of this wine from the 2007 vintage (great year) 

We opened the bottle and poured some into our glasses, it was nice from the start. But after 30 minutes or so the wine really opened up and made for delicious drinking. As it was getting on in the day, and we had an hour drive ahead of us to get home, I stuck the cork in the bottle and started to get up. Dave looks at me and says, "you're not going anywhere until we finish that bottle, that's really good" and that's what we did.... my wife drove home.

I have kept bottles from this winery in my cellar since that time, it's always good and in some vintages exceptional. I believe 2015 is one of those years that's special, and you should try it if you like a good hearty red wine that pairs well with a variety of meats from the grill or bbq.

First day, notes of blackberry, black raspberry, red berries, spice and the herbal notes a good Alexander Valley Cab is known for. The palate brings red berries, spice, tannins, and an extra layer of fruitiness that tells me this is a special vintage.

Day 2, this really deepened in the nose, a distinct blackberry pie smell, blueberries, more of the spice, black raspberry, so intriging.... all of the fruit is in the taste with a nice, plush mouthfeel and a lingering slightly drying finish.

Any tannins present were offset by the grilled Angus tips, half regular, half teriyaki from the Hanover Co-op I grilled up tonight.

Approachable now and quite good, but based on prior experience with this winery, I think if you laid some of this down in the cellar for 4 to 6 years you'd have something really nice. Perhaps purchase 6 bottles and open one every 6 months to judge it's progression.... definitely worth the price.

Available now on sale at NH Liquor outlets for $19.99, Total Wine has it for $19.49 every day....

(Dave, lets get together soon and try this vintage....)

Cheers,

Ed

2014 Geyser Peak Cabernet Sauvignon

Back in 2012 this winery was sold to Accolade wines, a big wine group from Australia. They wanted a foothold in this part of California, and a label that people recognized. The entry level Cabernet used to be made entirely from Alexander Valley fruit, could be cellared up to 8 years, and was a great value for about $17.00 per bottle.

This vintage has some fruit from Alexander Valley, but now includes other locations from around California. I'm guessing some of the purchase contracts for grapes didn't go with the sale of the label.

While the nose still has some of the Alexander Valley notes ( blackberry, herbal, spice) there are other more generic Cabernet notes (cherry, plum, ) included.

The palate tastes of cherry, plum, vanilla, and is more like a basic Cab from the Sonoma area. The mouthfeel is okay, nothing special and finishes quickly.

I happened to be looking thru the pricebuster list on the NH website, and noticed next to the Geyser Peak name it was on sale for $7.99 (half price)  at this price it's a pretty good deal for an everyday bottle of wine, and better than most at that dollar amount.

I wouldn't pay the normal retail of $16.00 per bottle for this wine, but this sort of thing happens a lot when a big corporation buys wineries. The bean counters focus is more on quantity than quality....

Cheers,

Ed

Robert Young 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Scion

I have seen this wine come up in searches of other Alexander Valley Cab's along with good reviews, but the price point has usually deterred me from buying it. It's $70.00 from the winery, and the lowest price at a few other websites is $65.00....

So when I saw it at one of the NH Liquor outlets for $36.00 I decided to give it a try. This is a big wine, made like California Cab's used to be. Power with elegance, it has the tannins and backbone to age for at least 10 to 15 years past the vintage date. It's 5 years old now, and just starting to reveal itself nicely.

When first opened it was a bit closed on both the nose and palate, so I decanted about 2/3 of the bottle for an hour. First day brought notes of cherry, plum, cassis, a bit of tobacco leaf, and spice in the nose. Similar notes on the palate along with some blackberry, blueberry added in, and tannins that weren't overbearing.

Day two I noticed the black and blueberry notes in the nose, which really filled the glass...very nice.

Deeper flavors all around that lingered for 25 to 30 seconds, still a bit tannic on the finish but not overly so for me. These tannins would be easily offset by a nice Angus Porterhouse from the grill, topped with a pat of garlic herb butter. Steak tips, a Delmonico or a juicy bacon cheese burger would also be quite good with this wine.

I know most of us don't spend this much on a bottle of wine, but for me I believe this wine will continue to improve over the next 5 years. And it's a chance to buy an upper echelon wine for a great price versus it's normal retail... a special occasion wine for sure.

If you buy a bottle and open it now, decant the wine for 2 to 3 hours while you let those kosher salt seasoned steaks come up to room temperature, then fire up the grill and enjoy!
Let me know what you think....

Cheers,

Ed

2016 Domaines Sumeire Rose Cuvee Van Gogh Cotes de Provence

In spite of the weather we've had to endure here in NH lately, it's time to start thinking of lighter wines to serve on those warm afternoons of summer. There are many to choose from on the shelves, and it comes down to personal taste. Rose wines come in many shades of color, from a pale salmon to vivid red, and the taste from bone dry to sweet.

This Rose is at the lighter end of the color spectrum, a light salmon color that's nice to look at.

The nose is so intriguing, I get strawberry, honeydew melon, gooseberry, a bit of peach, and some other things I can't quite pinpoint. The palate reminds me of the juice from a fruit salad, a mix of everything in it. It has a nice mouth feel; you think it's going to be sweet, but it finishes dry with nice lingering notes of fruit.

This is nice to sip on now, but will really hit the spot when the weather gets warm.... it's a well made rose that will pair well with lighter fare or appetizers. I might be tempted to try it with steamed lobster dipped in drawn butter...

Available now at NH Liquor outlets in the power buy section for $9.49 per bottle (half retail price)

At that price I'm going to get 6 or so bottles to keep until patio season...

Cheers

Ed

2012 Dr Konstantin Frank - Old Vines Pinot Noir Finger Lakes, NY

My first ever visit to a wine growing region included a visit to this winery, which has been a leader in producing world class wines since Dr Frank was the first in believing that Vinifera grapes could be grown in this area during the early 50's. They also were the first to make a quality Champagne in this region from the 3 traditional grapes used in France.

As I came through the front door of the winery I became aware that there was a heated discussion going on behind closed doors. I tried to be quiet and was taking a look around the tasting room area when the door to that back room flew open... Willy, son of Dr Frank came storming out and disappeared into the back of the winery, a minute later his son, Frederick came through the door and noticed me standing in the corner.

He asked me how long I'd been there, I guess from the look on my face he knew I'd heard the gist of the discussion. Fred apologized for me having to hear that, I told him that these things happen... winemaking involves passion and a belief in what you're doing.

This estate continues to produce world class dry, and off dry Rieslings, and Pinot Noir. They also produce good Champagne under the Chateau Frank label, Brut, Brut Rose (really good) and a bubbly from Riesling in a Cremant style, which is not to be missed if you like this grape....

This Pinot Noir from some of the oldest vines in the Finger Lakes, is quite nice. '12 was a good year in this region for the red grapes, the summer had a higher number of warm days than normal. Which allowed the grapes to develop a good balance of sugars, acidity, and flavors that don't always happen in this cool climate area.

At 5 years of age this wine is in it's sweet spot, now is the time to drink it. Beautiful notes of cherry, plum, a bit of cola, perfect spicy notes from barrel aging in the nose. Slightly tart cherry flavors, plum, berries, nice medium finish, which lingers in the mouth inviting you to take another sip... and has a beautiful color.

I paired this with a chicken Cordon Blue, and oven roasted herbed potato wedges.... a nice match.

This wine isn't available anywhere other than at the winery, or at select stores in NY State. If you have any interest in discovering wines, take the time to travel out to the Finger Lakes and spend a week or so, If you're like me you'll realize we've got a special area almost in our back yard.

Cheers!

Ed

Vin du Lac of Chelan - 2013 Barrel Select Chardonnay WA

We only keep a few Chardonnay's in the cellar of our house, a couple from the Finger Lakes region and one from CA. To me, the variety is not as food friendly as Riesling, or as enjoyable sipped on by itself. But I keep trying Chards from different regions of the world, it's fun to learn about these areas.

This wine has a nice light shade of yellow, with subtle pear, apple, and spice notes in the nose. The palate reflects the nose, the pear, apple, melon, and spice flavors are balanced by just right acidity and linger nicely on the finish. It also has a slightly creamy feel in the mouth, a nicely made wine.

On the second day the flavors were nicely integrated, and very pleasant to sip on.... definite notes of pear, apple and spice in the nose.

 My wife thought she would like it with an oven roasted chicken dinner, I think it would also be good with grilled lime/garlic shrimp, or grilled lobster tail with a garlic herb butter melted over it. I'm sure there are other pairings for this as well.

Available on sale at NH Liquor outlets for $11.99 thru the end of January, 2018.

Enjoy, cheers!

Ed

Glenora Cellars Peach Spumante NV

 

Back in the early 90's I started trying red wine upon the advice of my Dr, and as I began learning about the many wine producing regions of the world, I decided I'd like to visit one of these areas.

California was too far at the time, Europe wasn't an option, but there was an area that kept coming up in all of the books I was reading that I could drive to. And the reviews of the white wines from this region were of the opinion that they were world class, so I decided to plan a visit to the upstate NY area known as The Finger Lakes.

The lakes are the result of glaciers that covered that area, and resulted in long, narrow, and very deep indentations in the earth which eventually filled with fresh water. Two of the 5 main lakes are about 35 miles long, no wider than a mile at most, and between 500 to nearly 800 ft deep. The depth allows the water to retain heat during the winter months, and helps protect the vines from freezing in the vineyards planted on the slopes along the length of the lakes. The lakes have only frozen over 3 times in the last 100 years....

I visited a number of wineries over the course of a long weekend, and had a great time. The people pouring samples in the tasting rooms were friendly, helpful, and made the learning experience a lot of fun regardless of how much or little you knew about wine. As the reputation of this area has spread, there are quite a few new wineries and even some distilleries but the experience is still the same. I would recommend you visit there sometime, we like going after Labor day as the crowds have thinned out, it's more relaxed, and the weather is still nice.

Glenora Cellars produces a number of wines, from Riesling to many of the French hybrids (popular in this region for their cold hardy abilities) and some sparkling wines, one of which is their Peach Spumante. It smells and tastes like you bit into a perfectly ripe peach, it's off dry but not too sweet, has a creamy feel in the mouth and finishes smooth with just enough acidity to keep it in balance.

It's my wife's favorite bubbly, she only breaks it out on special occaisions and shares a glass with me (for which I'm grateful) available at the winery for $15.99, probably some retail locations in NY State near Glens Falls, and they do ship to NH.

Cheers!

Ed

2015 HESS Allomi Vineyard

I have followed this single vineyard wine since being introduced to the 2009 bottling by a Total Wine employee a few years back. The store clerk had asked if I needed help finding anything, he then took a look at the contents of my cart and asked if I had tried the Allomi bottling.

When he described his impressions from the wine, I was intrigued. So after tasting the 2009, I have continued to purchase bottles from good vintages. The wine is always good upon release, and ages nicely, developing additional nuances with well integrated tannins.

The Allomi Vineyard is in Pope Valley, a remote area of Napa county, at the eastern base of Howell Mtn. The winters are very cold, (by CA standards) but summers are quite warm with a long growing season resulting in optimal ripening of the grapes.

The vineyard is now about 15 years old, I think it continues to mature and produce better fruit each year. The 2015 is definitely special, surprisingly approachable for being only 2 years old, with black cherry, plum, cocoa powder, and a bit of blackberry in the nose when first opened. It has matching flavors on the palate, nice acidity, with some spice on the finish.

The second day brings more blackberry in the nose, combined with the cherry and other black fruit notes. The wine becomes thicker, nicely mouth coating, with mixed berry, almost a blackberry pie/compote taste, with a nice lingering finish. This is a very good wine, I would pair this with an herb crusted prime rib dinner, grilled garlic/rosemary lamb chops, various grilled Angus steaks with herb butter, etc...

On sale now at NH liquor outlets for $24.99,  a markdown of $10.00 per bottle. This is a great value for a Napa wine, usually you'd pay twice that for something this good.... same price at Total Wine stores. This would be a great addition to your Christmas dinner table, or for any special occasion.

Cheers,

Ed

2015 Oak Ridge Lodi Ancient Vine Zinfandel

We first tried wines from this producer a few years ago in Montreal at the annual tasting event. They make a wide range of bottlings, Chardonnay, Merlot, Petite Syrah, Cabernet, and several bottlings of Zinfandel.  There were a few options available in the NH system a few years ago, a basic Zin for $6.99, and one called OZV for $10.99, (old Zin vines). Both of these wines are a very good value for the money.

The Ancient Vine opens with expressive notes of blackberry, black raspberry, cherry, cinnamon, a bit of tobacco leaf and some other notes I can't quite pinpoint in the nose... but it's so intriguing.

The taste is delicious! I get the black raspberry first, then cherry, black plum, blackberry, cinnamon, with a nice hint of pepper on the oh so smooth finish. Nice mouthfeel with just the right amount of acidity as it finishes... wow! I kept wanting to take another sip to experience the range of flavors. According to their website the fruit is sourced from 50 to 100 year old vines...

I tried this wine with a Canadian ground pork pie.... very nice. But any kind of bbq from the grill is going to be great with this, slow cooked ribs, chicken, burgers, take your pick...

This wine isn't available in NH, but you can find it at Total wine in Natick MA for $14.50 per bottle, $12.00 if you do the pick 6 deal. A great bargain even at the regular price.... this is real Zinfandel.
Try a bottle if you're near a Total wine store.

Cheers!

Ed

Thoughts on selecting a wine to buy....

A few weeks ago Diane asked me how I decided what wines to buy when I was browsing through the selections in a store.... I have been thinking about how to answer this question since...

When I first started drinking wine, I didn't know where to start other than what my Dr had suggested as part of a plan to lead a healthier life... a glass of red wine daily with dinner... So I went to the local NH Liquor outlet and wandered around the isles for a while looking at labels, kind of overwhelmed by all the choices.

One of the store employees stopped and asked me if he could help, so I explained how I came to be there looking at the red wines, and that I was totaly new to wine. He then asked me a few questions such as, what kinds of food I liked to eat, how much did I want to spend, did I have wine glasses at home? (What? Wine takes a special glass?)  Our talk was quite an eye opener for me... but because I knew I needed to make a change, I was all in.

So we settled on 2 selections, a Merlot from California which tends to be easy on the palate, and good with pork, beef, and chicken prepared a number of ways.  The other choice was a basic Chianti, good with red sauce pasta, grilled Italian sausages, grilled veggies, pizza, etc... I liked both of the wines, and I have been grateful for the good advice ever since.

So as I began to try different reds, and eventually whites, I wanted to know why I liked some wines and not others. So I checked the library for books on wine, did a lot of reading about wine regions of the world, and how they made the wines there. I bought some books of my own, and over time  through tasting, and writing down my thoughts in a wine log book, a memory bank of smells, tastes, and impressions gradually developed.

What's fun about tasting wine, is that everyone's perception of the same bottle of wine can be completely different.... or somewhat similar. So I would suggest that people make a list of what they like for grape varieties, and try that grape from different parts of the world. You'll know what you like and don't like... and come up with a list of memories that's yours....

As for publications or websites to possibly help you make a choice on a wine, quite a few of them use number scores for rating wines. If this works for you, and you're comfortable with it, use it. My choice is Hugh Johnsons pocket wine book, he uses a non numerical rating system. What I like is the descriptions of wines, and a bit of info about the winery. Over time his style of writing has really made sense to me and I have come to trust it. As any one person can't be everywhere in the world, he has developed a top notch network of people around the world who relay info to him.

 His book is published every year and gets a little bit thicker every year as new wine producing areas come on board, I use past years as a reference library. Each volume has a wealth of information in it, grape varieties, food pairings, vintage reports, his thoughts on when to drink vintages, a section on, if you like this grape, try this one, etc. The cost for his book is around $15.00, a bargain for all the information it contains.

Diane, I hope this answers your question regarding how I make a choice which wine to buy....

For a lot of people, they don't put this much thought into it....some pick a pretty label, some ask a clerk in the store, some rely on a friends recommendation, or a blog like mine. Everyone has a different approach to buying, I hope this helps you...

Cheers,

Ed