2nd Annual Beverly Hills Wine Festival ~ Honoring Vin Scully, the voice of the LA Dodgers and featuring over 100 wineries, breweries and spirits! What a way to spend a Winter Sunday!

Posted on March 13, 2011 by Wine Everyday

Another winter wine festival….Wine Festivals are one of the few events that make my East Coast winter weekends bearable! Which is why I went 3,000 miles, for back to back, coast to coast wine festivals this winter. This East Coast girl will travel for wine!!

Thankfully, this years wine festival featured the Nationally and Internationally award wining Pinot Noir from Pacific Coast Vineyards, so far, we are off to a great start!

Tackling this festival, table by table, we encountered some enthusiastic winemakers, but regretfully mediocre wines. Intermingled with wine tables were Sports Memorabilia for sale, spirits, Prairie Vodka, Brazilian something or other liquor, Tequila (!!), and some amazing Beer! So, there was something for everyone!

I was there solely for the wine… So begins my quest for the top three wines presenting that day. Did I mention we were in Beverly Hills? While the wine should have been top billing, the side shows were quite amazing!!! But, that’s for another blog…

I am always on the quest to discover a winery new to me, a winery with great wines, dedicated winemakers who want only to share their art with us. Last year, that vineyard was Pacific Coast Vineyard, a little talked about (at least on the East Coast), but greatly respected winery. I have had the pleasure of drinking their wines on several occasions, and was very excited to see how their wine presented next to other California wineries at this event. I am happy to say that their 2007 Pinot Noir, hands down, was the standout of the day. Having just a taste of this wine is a tease; you need to enjoy this glory with a full glass. I know I’m not presenting traditional ‘wine tasting notes’ (which I sometimes find boring), what I’m presenting to you is a feeling, wine, like art, is kind of like falling in love. With this wine, I am in love.

At these “Mega-Events” it is easy to figure out which wineries send in ‘temporary marketers’ and which ones attend the events themselves. When we approached Chatom Vineyards, it was clear these folks behind the table knew their wine, and were excited to share their story with us. Pouring that day was the wine maker Gay Callen, and her son Chatom.  They were pouring their 2009 Chardonnay (un-oaked!), 2006 Syrah and 2006 Zinfandel. Encountering a winery with a suite of wines, all spectacular, is a rarity. Located in Northern California, near Murphy’s California, Gay Callen has been making wine since the early 1980’s. Again, tasting notes won’t do justice here, their Syrah is heavenly, their Chardonnay is smooth and delightful, and their Zinfandel perfectly balanced.

I did say earlier I would discuss my top three picks of the day. Well, with respect to the others present there that day, Pacific Coast Vineyards and Chatom Vineyards are in a league amongst themselves, and there is no third. Will I go back for the 3rd Annual Beverly Hills Wine Festival? Well, depends on who’s pouring….

Cheers, my dears!

Posted in Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Zinfandel | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Quick Sips from the 12th Annual Washington DC International Wine & Food Festival

Posted on February 13, 2011 by Wine Everyday

With over 70 exhibitors and hundreds bottles of wine at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, DC, where does one start sipping? My strategy was Wine first, then Food. As it happens, the crowds dictated which tasting booths to visit. Luckily, I stumbled on to some very enjoyable wines. I’ll share my top three with you.

NEMEA, CORINTH

Greece
Aged 12 months in oak, this was my favorite tasting of the day.

A smooth and elegant red made from Agiorgitiko grapes and aged in oak for at least twelve months. Has deep red color, hints of spice, and well balanced tannins suggest reasons for its traditional name: “Hercules’ Blood”.

Retails at $13 (found on line for $9)


 

Piera Martellozzo
Perle di Piera Prosecco D.O.C. – Blue Pearl
Veneto, Italy

This is a delightful sparkling wine, not sweet, but fruitful in both nose and mouth. Essence of pear abounds! Of all the Piera Martellozzo sparklings presented, this one was the most enjoyable and elegant of the four. The marketing of these bubblies in frosted colored bottles, may make the wine appear to be a ‘novelty wine’, but take my word, the Blue Pearl should be taken seriously.

100% Prosecco, 11% alcohol, Pricing unavailable.


Bellingham 2005 Dragon’s Liar Red Blend

South Africa

Luscious and fruitful, with hints of cigar box. It was sexy and spicy, with a long finish. This was a very enjoyable taste. Retails $19

Sadly, I didn’t get to much of the food, but did try some Mary’s Gone Crackers Organic crackers and double chocolate cookies. The chocolate cookies paired wonderfully with the Nemea Corinth.

Celebrity chef Carla Hall made an appearance on the wine tasting floor for a bit, thankfully drawing the crowds away from the wine tables for a bit. Thank you Carla!

A nice way to spend a cold Washington Saturday!

Cheers!

Posted in Agiorgitiko, Prosecco, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 1 Comment

2009 Charity Case Sauvignon Blanc ~ A powerful white wine from a group of compassionate winemakers

Posted on February 5, 2011 by Wine Everyday

 

First the wine….

Wow! That was the first impression upon opening this wine; the color and the fragrance demanded our attention. This is not your ordinary Sauvignon Blanc. Sharp and aggressive on the nose with pleasant melon scents, complex fruit fullness in the mouth with creamy, lush banana, coconut and grapefruit. The finish was very refreshing with some suggesting a slight pepper tingle.

We set this wine out with an array of cheeses, grapes and crackers. After a lack luster relationship with the brie and triple crème, we switched it up and brought out manchego and lightly salted almonds. The nutty flavors of the manchego rind and the almonds balanced the hearty fruit and provided for a lovely finish.

Now the winemakers….

 

Before even opening a wine to drink I read the labels, front and back. Labels provide a lot of information, not only about the wine, but the region, the vineyard, etc.  When I got my hands on this bottle, what struck me the most is what is missing… the names of the winemakers. This wine is made from a group of dedicated Napa Valley winemakers who believe in purpose, to give back to the community, and who are doing it without personal promotion.  100% of the net proceeds from the sale of Charity Case wines are donated to charities in and around Napa County California.

2009 Charity Case Sauvignon Blanc

$11.99 *

14.1% alcohol

Available in Napa Valley wine retailers and on line at http://www.VintagePointCellars.com

* This wine was provided as a sample.

Posted in Sauvignon Blanc | Tagged | Comments Off on 2009 Charity Case Sauvignon Blanc ~ A powerful white wine from a group of compassionate winemakers

2008 Charity Case Rosé ~ What you get when big hearts join together to make great wine

Posted on January 30, 2011 by Wine Everyday

First the wine….

Upon opening the wine, there was an exciting hint of a mineral flint sensation on the nose, reminding me of a fine French Chablis. The refreshing variety of melons; watermelon and cantaloupe; along with green apple, provide a light fruit flavor. The delicate tannin provides just the right amount tingle sensation for a clean finish.

We enjoyed this wine with a spicy chicken wing dish, and were glad the wine provided cooling relief while retaining its structure. I anticipate this would go well with summer barbecues and Chesapeake style crab feasts, to cool down the kick of ‘Old Bay Seasoning”

I encourage you to consider serving this wine for your summer events; Bridal Showers, Graduation parties, Weddings, Sunday Brunches. Think of serving this as an alternative to Champagne, it is that beautiful in the glass!

Now the winemakers….

 

Before even opening a wine to drink I read the labels, front and back. Labels provide a lot of information, not only about the wine, but the region, the vineyard, etc.  When I got my hands on this bottle, what struck me the most is what is missing… the names of the winemakers. This wine is made from a group of dedicated Napa Valley winemakers who believe in purpose, to give back to the community, and who are doing it without personal promotion.

100% of the net proceeds from the sale of Charity Case wines are donated to charities in and around Napa County California.

2008 Charity Case Rose

$11.99 *

14.1% alcohol

Available in Napa Valley wine retailers and on line at http://www.VintagePointCellars.com

* This wine was provided as a sample.

Posted in Rose | Tagged | 3 Comments

Exploring wines from “Down Under” An evening of blind tasting of Australian Wines

Posted on January 28, 2011 by Wine Everyday

Adding even more competition to NFL Championship games this past Sunday, we amassed an assembly of wines from “Down Under”. The competition was a blind tasting of four wines from Southern Australia. The wine line up included wines readily available from our local wine shops, and are listed in order of appearance in the photos below.

  • 2007 Epicurean Grenache, McLaren Vale
  • 2008 Woolundry Road Cabernet, Loomwine, South Australia
  • 2003 Five Geese Shiraz Hillgrove Wines, McLaren Vale
  • 2008 The Footbolt Shiraz d’Arenberg McLaren Vale

The fun part of a blind tasting was not only comparing tasting notes, but trying to guess the varietal. We didn’t hold it against anyone if they guessed it wrong.

The outcome was very interesting, two tied for 1st place, and two tied for 2nd, with an even split between the men and women.

Tied for 1st place was ’08 The Footbolt Shiraz, this wine is brilliantly hued with a good acid/sugar balance. Light wood and berries on the nose with a strong alcohol presence. Strong chewy tannins; 100% Shiraz $18 with 14.5% alcohol. The men picked this as their favorite.

The women voted the ’07 Epicurean Grenache as their favorite. The wine was light on color, with strong cherry flavors lasting long on the finish, but with mild tannins: 100% Grenache $16 with 14.5% alcohol.

Tied for 2nd place the women voted ’08 Woolundry Rd Cabernet Sauvignon, Loomwine, this wine had a simple fruit nose, and surprised us with a powerful mouthful of tannins with an earthy finish. This was the surprise wine, as many couldn’t believe it was a Cabernet Sauvignon:  100% Cab Sauv $13 with 14% alcohol.

2003 Five Geese Shiraz presented a very dark color with little nose and a brief impression on the mouth, with only a bit of fruit and some tannin on the finish.  Toward the end of the evening, this wine really opened up, we determined this would pair well with a hearty meat dish, given plenty of decanting time! 100% Shiraz $18 with 14.5% alcohol. The men selected this as their #2.

All in all these wines were a fine sampling of what Australia has to offer.  Each one was well enjoyed as noted by 4 empty bottles by the end of the event! The blind tasting made us really concentrate on the wine as we didn’t have bottle labels to sway our opinions.

I encourage you to try a blind event next time you have a group over, there is no right or wrong answer in expressing what you like about a wine, just keep sipping and expressing!

Cheers!

Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Shiraz | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Exploring wines from “Down Under” An evening of blind tasting of Australian Wines

2006 Chateau Paveil De Luze Margaux

Posted on January 22, 2011 by Wine Everyday

2006 Chateau Paveil De Luze Margaux

I first had the pleasure of this wine last summer while dining at Auberge de la Reine Blance in Paris. I don’t speak (or read) French very well, so I wasn’t a hundred percent sure what I had ordered for dinner, but I knew that at least I could order a bottle of wine. After all, French wine reads the same where ever you are!  I ordered the 2007 Paveil De Luze, and fell in love on first sip!

This wine has a gorgeous garnet color almost gem like. The soft essence of dried strawberries and a hint of clove are in perfect harmony with the mild tannins and provide an elegant finish for this lovely wine.

Upon returning from Paris, I set out to find this wine here in the US, and can happily report that the 2006 vintage is available! For 150 years the heirs of Baron Alfred de Luze have been making elegant Margaux wines. If you are looking for a sophisticated wine with refined structure to accompany your dinning table, seek this wine out. Cheers!

$29

Cabernet Sauvignon 65% ~ Merlot 30% ~ Cabernet Franc 5%

Alcohol 13%

Paviel

Posted in Bordeaux, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaux, Merlot | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Winter Whites ~ 2009 Salneval Albarino

Posted on December 31, 2010 by Wine Everyday

Winter is generally the time for spicy Zin’s and hearty Cab’s, but when your menu is calling for WHITE, reach for this Albarino from Rias Baixas, Spain. Tonight it’s Shrimp Scampi on our menu, and this wine will be the perfect addition to the dish as well as in our glass.

This wine presents a crispy clear pear color with a vibrant green apple on the nose. A light zest on the finish makes you wanting to go back for more!

With a price of $11 and 12.5% alcohol what’s not to like!

Cheers!

Posted in Albarino | Tagged | 2 Comments

Virtual wine tasting trip to Paso Robles

Posted on December 21, 2010 by Wine Everyday

Ever wish you could jet away to wonderful wine country; tour wineries and participate in tastings; but time and budget are always against you? Here is a great way to escape to a region and explore the wonderful wines that are made there for only the cost of the wine! 

Sunday we escaped to Paso Robles California and no frequent flyer miles were needed! We scoured the wine cellar for a few bottles of wine made in Paso Robles and came up with a selection that even included a mini-vertical tasting of Pinot Noir, what a bonus! 

Paso Robles is the home of almost 200 wineries, many family run boutique wineries; most with limited production, small batch offerings.  Many of the wines can be had thru private wine clubs. The wines we had on hand were 2007 & 2008 Pacific Coast Vineyard Pinot Noir; 2008 Turley Paso Robles Zinfandel Presenti Vineyard and the 2005 Paso Robles Syrah.

 The mini-vertical tasting of the Pinot Noir’s was quite exciting as the wine, only one vintage apart, were completely different in taste and complexity. The 2007 was a velvety creamy vanilla, completely balanced wine that would hold up well with a meal or perfect to sip alone (or with a friend!) This is a wine you could curl up in front of the fireplace with and sip all night.  The 2008 Pinot was a much more traditional Pinot experience, fruity, fragrant with pleasant mild tannins on the finish; a good example of a fine Pinot Noir.

 We moved on to the bolder wines, the’08 Zinfandel and the’05 Syrah. First the 2005 Syrah; this wine was spicy and peppery with medium tannins. The Syrah fans in the group voted it a hit. The ’08 Turley was last to be tasted, and true to Turley form, this Zinfandel was bold but smooth and perfectly well balanced and had a long lasting finish.

 The group cast their ballots by rearranging the bottles in order of their favorites. While some could not decide which one they like the least, most had chosen the 2007 Pacific Coast Pinot Noir as their favorite with the one dissenting vote for the ’08 Turley Zinfandel as their number one.

 It was a fun virtual visit to Paso Robles!  It was so much fun we planned our next escape, Australia!  Stay tuned for the tasting ‘Down Under”

Cheers!

Posted in Pinot Noir, Syrah, Zinfandel | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Think Albarino as an alternative to Chardonnay..

Posted on December 11, 2010 by Wine Everyday

Last night we enjoyed a bottle of 2009 Laxas Albarino, Rias Baixas, Spain.  Albarino, which literally translates as ‘grape’, is thought to be a Riesling clone and fits somewhere in between a Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling.

This wonderfully balanced Albarino had lovely aromas of floral perfume. Fresh and crisp on the palate with hints of melon and apricot. Smooth and lush on the finish with no bitterness.  We paired the ’09 Laxas with Salmon with smokey chipolte sauce and Spanakopita last night at Paul’s Homewood Cafe in Annapolis.

If you are looking for an alternative to Chardonnay, seek out some Albarinos from Spain. Look for the ’09 Laxas and it won’t disappoint or break the bank at $19 a bottle ($30 on the wine list at Paul’s, a reasonable markup). Cheers!

Posted in Albarino | Tagged | 1 Comment

’08 Pacific Coast Vineyards Pinot Noir – worth seeking out!

Posted on December 4, 2010 by Wine Everyday

This California Pinot Noir exudes lovely essence of vanilla and eucalyptus with soft tannins. Paired lovely with specialty dessert chocolates.  Pacific Coast Vineyards is a boutique vineyard in Paso Robles, California.  Do yourself a favor and get your hands on some of this wine.

Post update January 10, 2012

2008 Pacific Coast Vineyards Pinot Noir wins Gold Medal in the prestigious 2012 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition 

Posted in Pinot Noir, Pinot Noir, Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on ’08 Pacific Coast Vineyards Pinot Noir – worth seeking out!