2016 SETTESOLI Nero D'Avola Sicily, Italy. Since 1958
I was up at the Coop store Centerra today after work to pick up some fresh basil and Ciliegine mozzarella for Caprese salad on a stick. As I was on my way to the cooler where the olives and cheese are, I saw a center island with a number of Sicilian wines on it.
I recently read an article about the food and wine consumed in Sicily, and Greece that has been called the Mediterranean diet. It involves a much different approach than the American way to the work day, when meals are served, and what is eaten, and the wines served during those meals. Some of these areas have citizens who live a good, simple life and live a long life.
The Nero opens with an intriguing notes of cherry, grape, and tobacco leaf in the nose, the palate has matching flavors with a nice spicy component to it, and a juicy but not over the top fruity mouthfeel. It then finishes dry with a mild tannic dryness that is appealing, and a just right level of acidity.
This wine was very nice with the meal I prepared for myself tonight, it was warm enough today that I didn't want anything too heavy. So I made some stick Caprese salad, crumbled garlic and herb Feta, cherry tomatoes, 3 year old Cheddar, thin sliced landjaeger wurst, Red Hen Mad river Grain bread, and a few slices of good Prosciutto from Parma Italy.
I believe that the wine would also be quite good with wood oven fired thin crust pizza, red or white sauce.... you pick the toppings, this is a versatile wine. Grilled veggies marinated in good olive oil, fresh crushed garlic, and herbs comes to mind as another good pairing. Experiment with your own recipes and let all of us know what you liked...
Available at the Centerra Coop, and maybe the other 2 stores as well for $9.99 per bottle!
Are you kidding me? You could make this your house wine for the summer season and not break the bank.... open the bottle and pour into a carafe for 30 to 45 minutes before serving, it got tastier the longer it was open...
I haven't seen it anywhere else, but I'll bet if you google it there's a few other retailers who carry it as well.
Prost, Cheers!
Ed
Tuesday, July 21, 2020
Newport Vineyards Great White White blend non-vintage
When I saw that this wine was from Rhode Island, and read the tasting notes I decided to give it a try. It's a blend of Cayuga, Vidal Blanc, and Riesling. These same 3 grape varieties are grown out in the Finger Lakes with good results, so I anticipated that this wine would also be nice.
It opens with very vivid notes of ripe apricots, peach, melon, and a hint of grapefruit in the nose, the palate has the apricot, peach, with a spicy note. The wine has a slightly sweet impression when it first enters the mouth, the mouthfeel is not thin or thick, but just right. It finishes almost dry with the flavors fading pleasantly away, and I found myself wanting to have another sip...
The winemaker has done a great job finding the perfect balance between the sweetness and the acidity, this is such a delicious wine. You could enjoy it alone before the meal, or enjoy it with some spicy grilled shrimp, lobster, or at the end of the evening while sitting around the campfire.
You can order it from the winery for $16, and they ship to NH. Or, you can stop at a number of the NH Liquor outlets and buy it for $9.99 per bottle. There's also an American wine mixed bottle sale currently which takes additional 15% off, bringing the price down to $8.49 per bottle..... that's a great price for a wine you can enjoy this summer....
Cheers!
Ed
When I saw that this wine was from Rhode Island, and read the tasting notes I decided to give it a try. It's a blend of Cayuga, Vidal Blanc, and Riesling. These same 3 grape varieties are grown out in the Finger Lakes with good results, so I anticipated that this wine would also be nice.
It opens with very vivid notes of ripe apricots, peach, melon, and a hint of grapefruit in the nose, the palate has the apricot, peach, with a spicy note. The wine has a slightly sweet impression when it first enters the mouth, the mouthfeel is not thin or thick, but just right. It finishes almost dry with the flavors fading pleasantly away, and I found myself wanting to have another sip...
The winemaker has done a great job finding the perfect balance between the sweetness and the acidity, this is such a delicious wine. You could enjoy it alone before the meal, or enjoy it with some spicy grilled shrimp, lobster, or at the end of the evening while sitting around the campfire.
You can order it from the winery for $16, and they ship to NH. Or, you can stop at a number of the NH Liquor outlets and buy it for $9.99 per bottle. There's also an American wine mixed bottle sale currently which takes additional 15% off, bringing the price down to $8.49 per bottle..... that's a great price for a wine you can enjoy this summer....
Cheers!
Ed
Mezzacorona Rosé Vigneti Delle Dolomiti Italy
When the weather turns hot and humid like we have right now, we tend to sip on more white and rosé wines. We find them refreshing at the end of a long day, and they tend to be very food friendly as well.
I picked up this wine and another Rosé by Ménage a Trois at the West Lebanon Liquor outlet, the price was right on both and with the American wine case sale still going on I figured this was a good time to do some research so I can put together a case or two for the summer patio sipping season....
This Rosé opens with notes of ripe raspberries, strawberries, melon, and a hint of citrus in the nose. The palate tastes of strawberries, melon, the raspberry is there too, the citrus takes on a slight lemon flavor, there is a decent amount of acidity that cleanses the mouth nicely.
The grape used to make this vintage is a local grape variety called Teroldego, which grows well in the Dolomite Mountains of North East Italy. The winery uses other varieties depending on the vintage.
I tried this wine with the Quattro Stagione pizza from 3 Tomatoes in Lebanon, which has fire roasted peppers, mushrooms, artichokes, spinach, fresh garlic, and mozzarella with a base of their red sauce... it was a good pairing for the wine, the acidity was balanced out by the ingredients of the pie, and the flavors in both played well together.
What really surprised me was how well the wine paired with my dessert, which was a slice of strawberry rhubarb cake given to me by my wife's boss. Thank you Shirley! It was a fantastic pairing, again the flavors in both danced with each other beautifully....
Available at the NH Liquor outlets for $8.99 per bottle, and I'm sure other online retailers. It's not an American wine, so it doesn't qualify for the 12 bottle 15% discount but I'm still going to get half a dozen to have this summer on those warm evenings.
I'll have a review shortly for the Ménage a Trois Rosé, my neighbor stopped by after work, we opened up the bottle, next thing we knew it was gone.... it was that tasty. So I'll have to get another bottle to do a proper review. $9.99 per bottle and it is an American wine so it qualifies for the 12 or more case sale if you don't want to wait for the review....
Cheers!
Ed
When the weather turns hot and humid like we have right now, we tend to sip on more white and rosé wines. We find them refreshing at the end of a long day, and they tend to be very food friendly as well.
I picked up this wine and another Rosé by Ménage a Trois at the West Lebanon Liquor outlet, the price was right on both and with the American wine case sale still going on I figured this was a good time to do some research so I can put together a case or two for the summer patio sipping season....
This Rosé opens with notes of ripe raspberries, strawberries, melon, and a hint of citrus in the nose. The palate tastes of strawberries, melon, the raspberry is there too, the citrus takes on a slight lemon flavor, there is a decent amount of acidity that cleanses the mouth nicely.
The grape used to make this vintage is a local grape variety called Teroldego, which grows well in the Dolomite Mountains of North East Italy. The winery uses other varieties depending on the vintage.
I tried this wine with the Quattro Stagione pizza from 3 Tomatoes in Lebanon, which has fire roasted peppers, mushrooms, artichokes, spinach, fresh garlic, and mozzarella with a base of their red sauce... it was a good pairing for the wine, the acidity was balanced out by the ingredients of the pie, and the flavors in both played well together.
What really surprised me was how well the wine paired with my dessert, which was a slice of strawberry rhubarb cake given to me by my wife's boss. Thank you Shirley! It was a fantastic pairing, again the flavors in both danced with each other beautifully....
Available at the NH Liquor outlets for $8.99 per bottle, and I'm sure other online retailers. It's not an American wine, so it doesn't qualify for the 12 bottle 15% discount but I'm still going to get half a dozen to have this summer on those warm evenings.
I'll have a review shortly for the Ménage a Trois Rosé, my neighbor stopped by after work, we opened up the bottle, next thing we knew it was gone.... it was that tasty. So I'll have to get another bottle to do a proper review. $9.99 per bottle and it is an American wine so it qualifies for the 12 or more case sale if you don't want to wait for the review....
Cheers!
Ed
2016 Zin-Phomaniac Old vine Zinfandel Lodi CA Mendocino Wine Co
I don't often buy a wine based on the label, I'm more likely to do some research online, google some reviews, and decide if I want to spend my hard earned money on it.... my wife on the other hand, has great luck finding delicious wines using the pretty label method. Go figure....
But when I saw that the fruit was sourced from Lodi, home to some of the finest old vine (50-70 years old) and ancient vine (80-100+ years old) vineyards in this country, I decided to try a bottle of it. It didn't hurt that the price was right either....
The wine opens with notes of bright cherry, plum, and another red fruit...almost a mix of spicy strawberry and red raspberry in the nose. The palate has matching flavors, with a hint of cinnamon, and the finish lingers nicely, with the flavors of the raspberry and strawberry fading pleasantly. It has a nice slightly thick mouthfeel, with just the right amount of acidity which helped it pair beautifully with the ribs I had for dinner.
So, suggestive label aside... this is a well made Zinfandel from some good grapes that will pair well with grilled chicken, pork, and a well marbled steak. I'm thinking grilled veggies that include some crimini mushrooms would also taste good with this wine. Or you could go with more simple fair, some Prosciutto, a good Parmesan cheese, and other dried smoked meats... after all, this is the same grape as Primitivo from Italy.... legend has it that Italian immigrants brought the vines with them to this country during the Gold Rush, and at other times as well.
You can order it from the winery for $18.00 per bottle, I'm sure there are other online retailers who offer it as well. It's available at the West Lebanon Liquor outlet store for $9.99 per bottle, and this month there's a 15% discount on 12 or more powerbuy wines as well. So you could get a delicious, well made Zin, for $8.50 per bottle that be great with your summer bbq's.
Cheers!
Ed
I don't often buy a wine based on the label, I'm more likely to do some research online, google some reviews, and decide if I want to spend my hard earned money on it.... my wife on the other hand, has great luck finding delicious wines using the pretty label method. Go figure....
But when I saw that the fruit was sourced from Lodi, home to some of the finest old vine (50-70 years old) and ancient vine (80-100+ years old) vineyards in this country, I decided to try a bottle of it. It didn't hurt that the price was right either....
The wine opens with notes of bright cherry, plum, and another red fruit...almost a mix of spicy strawberry and red raspberry in the nose. The palate has matching flavors, with a hint of cinnamon, and the finish lingers nicely, with the flavors of the raspberry and strawberry fading pleasantly. It has a nice slightly thick mouthfeel, with just the right amount of acidity which helped it pair beautifully with the ribs I had for dinner.
So, suggestive label aside... this is a well made Zinfandel from some good grapes that will pair well with grilled chicken, pork, and a well marbled steak. I'm thinking grilled veggies that include some crimini mushrooms would also taste good with this wine. Or you could go with more simple fair, some Prosciutto, a good Parmesan cheese, and other dried smoked meats... after all, this is the same grape as Primitivo from Italy.... legend has it that Italian immigrants brought the vines with them to this country during the Gold Rush, and at other times as well.
You can order it from the winery for $18.00 per bottle, I'm sure there are other online retailers who offer it as well. It's available at the West Lebanon Liquor outlet store for $9.99 per bottle, and this month there's a 15% discount on 12 or more powerbuy wines as well. So you could get a delicious, well made Zin, for $8.50 per bottle that be great with your summer bbq's.
Cheers!
Ed
Falesco Vitiano Rosso 2015 IGT Red blend Umbria Italy
After taking a week of vacation off from work to relax and regroup, I stopped by the West Lebanon Liquor outlet to have look in the Italian wine section for Rosé wines. I also spent a few minutes in the the powerbuy section and saw this wine there, and after reading the back label decided to try it based on the blend of grapes used to make it.
The winery was founded in 1979 by two brothers Riccardo and Renzo Cotarella, two of Italy's most respected winemakers. The vineyard was planted in 1992, and the first wines were released in 1995. They have a white, a Rosé, and the red blend Rosso. Their focus is on using local varieties and the popular internationally known vinifera grapes.
There are almost equal parts Merlot, Cabernet, and Sangiovese used to make this vintage, the wine was treated to a short period of oak barrel aging, and it tastes like there was careful selection of fruit at harvest time.
The wine opens initially with notes of blackberries, plums, black cherries in the nose. After 20 minutes or so there is a just right note of tobacco leaf as well. There is a nice blance of the fruits from the nose on the palate, almost a sweet first impression, with a slightly thick mouthfeel, juicy, then it finishes dry with perfect acidity.
This is a very well made wine that has great versatility with a multitude of foods. We drank it over two nights to guage if if would improve, and it did develop some added flavors on day 2.
We cooked a thin crust Margherita pizza on the grill on day 1, and the wine paired very well with it. On Day 2 we tried it with garlic, paprika, and Himalayan sea salt seasoned chicken from the grill, also a good pairing. A red sauce pizza with meat, the steak tips in a Gorgonzola sauce from Lui-Lui's also comes to mind. A classic Porterhouse steak with either Melted Gorgonzola or garlic herb butter, and the peppercorn Sirloin steak at Jesse's would bring out some elements of this wine also.
Available at the Lebanon, West Lebanon, and some other NH outlet stores for $7.99 per bottle in the powerbuy section, online retailers have it for between $12 and $15. On top of the great price at the NH outlets, this month there is also a 15% discount on 12 bottles or more of powerbuy section wines.... that would make this wine $6.80 per bottle.... you won't find many other values like this one every day, the normal retail price was 15.99 per bottle. Still worth it at that price.
I hope you can try a bottle of this, I think most of you would enjoy it....
Cheers!
Ed
After taking a week of vacation off from work to relax and regroup, I stopped by the West Lebanon Liquor outlet to have look in the Italian wine section for Rosé wines. I also spent a few minutes in the the powerbuy section and saw this wine there, and after reading the back label decided to try it based on the blend of grapes used to make it.
The winery was founded in 1979 by two brothers Riccardo and Renzo Cotarella, two of Italy's most respected winemakers. The vineyard was planted in 1992, and the first wines were released in 1995. They have a white, a Rosé, and the red blend Rosso. Their focus is on using local varieties and the popular internationally known vinifera grapes.
There are almost equal parts Merlot, Cabernet, and Sangiovese used to make this vintage, the wine was treated to a short period of oak barrel aging, and it tastes like there was careful selection of fruit at harvest time.
The wine opens initially with notes of blackberries, plums, black cherries in the nose. After 20 minutes or so there is a just right note of tobacco leaf as well. There is a nice blance of the fruits from the nose on the palate, almost a sweet first impression, with a slightly thick mouthfeel, juicy, then it finishes dry with perfect acidity.
This is a very well made wine that has great versatility with a multitude of foods. We drank it over two nights to guage if if would improve, and it did develop some added flavors on day 2.
We cooked a thin crust Margherita pizza on the grill on day 1, and the wine paired very well with it. On Day 2 we tried it with garlic, paprika, and Himalayan sea salt seasoned chicken from the grill, also a good pairing. A red sauce pizza with meat, the steak tips in a Gorgonzola sauce from Lui-Lui's also comes to mind. A classic Porterhouse steak with either Melted Gorgonzola or garlic herb butter, and the peppercorn Sirloin steak at Jesse's would bring out some elements of this wine also.
Available at the Lebanon, West Lebanon, and some other NH outlet stores for $7.99 per bottle in the powerbuy section, online retailers have it for between $12 and $15. On top of the great price at the NH outlets, this month there is also a 15% discount on 12 bottles or more of powerbuy section wines.... that would make this wine $6.80 per bottle.... you won't find many other values like this one every day, the normal retail price was 15.99 per bottle. Still worth it at that price.
I hope you can try a bottle of this, I think most of you would enjoy it....
Cheers!
Ed
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