Wine Pick of the Week: June 28, 2016

Famiglia Pasqua Passione e Sentimento Bianco 2014 (Italy)

We are in the thick of summer, and Italian wine is HOT--Pinot Grigio, Verdicchio, Prosecco. Many are reasonably priced and hit the spot with a little bite and bright flavors. Like this one...

What a nice summer sipper. Think “hot day” and drink this to refresh. It’s Famiglia Pasqua Passione e Sentimento Bianco 2014.

The grape, Garganega, is one of Italy’s oldest—dating to 500 AD—versatile, and most popular varietals. It can produce dry wines or sweet if holding the grapes for a late harvest.

This Bianco has a tangy nose with honey right away. The honey is very apparent upon tasting, followed by citrus and a little grapefruit; it goes slightly dry, then with a faint hint of almonds, finishes with a little lingering citrus. The wine is tangy and not too light-bodied, but lighter than a traditional Chardonnay. This is a "crowd pleaser" that is sweet enough and dry enough to hold everyone's attention.

It has complexity to stand on its own and, served thoroughly chilled, would be welcome poolside, at a picnic or on a deck for a hot afternoon treat. With food, serve with grilled chicken and Dijon mustard; baked apple desserts; plain cheesecake with almonds or lemon; jack cheese or something mild like brie or mild cheddar. 

Wine Pick of the Week: February 11, 2016

Mionetto Prosecco DOC Treviso Brut(Italy)

Prosecco is Italy’s sparkling wine offering. Made from the Glera grape (formerly called Prosecco,) it’s light and fresh and lies somewhere in between bone dry Cava and Champagne and sugary sweet Asti Spumante. Speaking of which, prosecco has three different styles: spumante, bubbly; frizzante, light fizz; tranquilo, still or no bubbles at all.

Mionetto is kind of a mainstream, large producer but has been around since 1887.

This week’s pick is spumante and a beautiful pale straw color. Honey comes up through the nose, then I get a waft of vanilla, then caramel.

The beginning of the taste has a bit of pineapple to a green apple flavor, then transitions to that honey and vanilla, ending with caramel. This is not a dry wine, but isn’t terribly sweet. The finish lingers just a little, but it’s clean and refreshing. The price is reasonable (under $15,) and it’s actually quite nice for a large production bottle.

If serving with dessert, do almond cookies or butter cookies, cheesecake, plain cannoli. It would be nice with walnuts or almonds. A soufflé or an omelet would be a nice pairing, too, ham and cheese, fresh vegetables. It would be excellent with broiled or baked whitefish. Think fresh tastes with this wine. 

Wine Pick of the Week: December 23, 2015

Delmas Cuvee Berlene Brut 2007 Blanquette de Limoux (France)

This week’s sparkler is one for Champagne lovers. Historically, this region (Blanquette de Limoux AOC) in the Languedoc produced sparkling wine in what is known today as Methode Champenoise a century before Dom Perignon came on the scene.

The Delmas is silky, elegant, and every bit as good as Champagne, but costs under $20. A client of mine who had worked for Domaine Chandon (Napa) told me about it and purchased it from me regularly for her gallery. She also liked the fact—as do I—that this wine is made with certified organic grapes, and the winery has a sustainable practices certification.  

My bottle, a 2007, has held up well after a couple of household moves and is a pale gold color. It’s an 80/20 percent blend of Mauzac and Chardonnay. The nose has a slight toast scent, then some caramel apple. Served icy cold, you get crisp green apple and a bit of lemon/citrus. It transitions to a taste of Champagne-like fresh bread and finishes clean with a tingle.

Pair with a creamy brie with toasted walnuts or almonds, parmesan, or a very mild bleu cheese; crème brulee; vanilla, sugar or almond cookies. 

Wine Pick of the Week: December 17, 2015

Deaver Vineyards Almond Sparkling Wine NV (California)

Continuing with our toasts to festive bubblies this month, I present Deaver Vineyards Almond Sparkling Wine.  Made from a California sparkling (probably mostly Chardonnay grapes) and natural almond flavoring, the wine is definitely on the sweet side without being syrupy or sugary. When I sold a similar product in Oregon, I nicknamed it “Almond Crack.” Before finishing the first glass, everyone wanted more.

The nose on this is the almond flavor. A friend tasting this bottle with me noted a “tang” but the wine smoothens out to the finish. I picked up a little apple flavor at first, then definitely almond, which dissipates to a more honey finish.  While it’s a sparkling wine, it isn’t as crisp as other styles—i.e. Champagne, Prosecco, cava—and the bubbles don’t last quite as long.

This easy drinker is just fun, perfect for bridal showers and weddings and any festive get together. For the holidays, enjoy it with other yummy treats like nut breads and rolls, sugar cookies, almond cookies, anything vanilla, or start your celebrating earlier in the day as the Deaver Vineyards website suggests, and pair it with a bear claw. 

Wine Pick of the Week: December 10, 2015

Dr. Konstantin Frank Chateau Frank Celebre Riesling Cremant NV  (NY)

If you drink wine and live in New York state, Dr. Konstantin Frank is a fixture, an institution, a standard in the wine industry, especially when it comes to Rieslings. Consistently winning gold medals for the last two decades in competitions throughout the world, Dr. Frank’s wines are what got the international and US aficionados to take a closer look at the Finger Lakes. That said, I saw this on the shelf and had to try it.

The nose is definitely honey with a touch of fruit—apple or a bit of citrus. Pale color with lots of long-lasting bubbles. By the way, this is made in the traditional Methode Champenoise with 100 percent Finger Lakes Riesling grapes.

The tasting begins with fruit—apples, actually—a little tart at first and not really sweet Riesling. Flavors transition to honey with the slightest hint of vanilla. It’s crisp, then silky. The finish is off-dry with just a waft of fall spice possibly.

This is a crowd pleaser for holiday parties, and the $20 price isn’t outrageous for the smooth flavors and unique take on this traditional grape. I will be adding a few more bottles to my frig.  

Wine Pick of the Week: July 6, 2015

SakeOne "G" Sake/Genshu Unfiltered (Oregon)

While packing the other day, I ran across this bottle of “G” Sake. I’d visited SakeOne outside of Portland a few times for tastings. Visiting and tasting the variety of rice wines there, by the way, is a very interesting and informative way to spend an hour or two. I liked the wine, and I have to admit this is one instance where I did buy the bottle in part because of the graphic label with my initial. Their nicknaming the wine “Joy” cinched it, and here I am shaking the "Wine Pick of the Week" up a bit. 

The 18 percent alcohol does hit the nose, so it is more of a food wine, though that mellows a bit sitting in the glass. But at the start I picked up a hint of almond, water chestnuts and a slight smokiness, too. The light straw color is very pretty. Flavors include ginger, then toast, and, as it sits in the glass, a bit of a honey finish. It would be excellent with sushi, a seared tuna steak with sesame crust or a nice Asian-style salad.

Overall, I like it, but it’s a different experience--and a nice change--from grape wine. 

Wine Pick of the Week: May 17,2015

2006 Pouilly-Fume Domaine Masson-Blondelet Les Angelots (France)

I decided to get reacquainted with Pouilly-Fume this week. I’ve had this for awhile, and apparently stored it properly because it’s drinking very well.  The nose is flowers, flowers, and the characteristic hint of smoke/gun flint. There is a slight tartness, maybe a little lemon, nice full body. You can taste the flint, too.

It was like sunshine in a glass—or sunflowers in a glass. It’s 100 percent Sauvignon Blanc and was produced by the Romans 2000 years ago and Benedictine Monks in the Middle Ages.

Pair this with heavier fish like cod, grilled salmon, grilled tuna, roasted chicken, and goat cheese.  

Wine Pick of the Week: May 3, 2015

Bonterra Vineyards 2012 Chardonnay (California)

The beautiful weather this weekend put me in a summer frame of mind, and summer makes me think of Chardonnay.

This one from Mendocino County is made from organic grapes and has a nice, sunny, light gold color. There are flavors of apples, some citrus and a hint of pineapple with a touch of butter and oak as it develops in the mouth. The finish has just a bit of heat. After 3 or 4 sips, the apple lingers nicely.

Pair this with grilled chicken and grilled or roasted pork loin, white fish, halibut, and salmon with lemon. It would go well with Parmesan cheese, brie, brick or Muenster. For dessert, try an apple dumpling, tarte tatin, or a lightly flavored lemon cheesecake. 

Wine Pick of the Week: March 22, 2015

Espuela del Gaucho 2012 Torrontes (Argentina)

I tasted this wine a few weeks ago and sought it out this week. It was sold out at the first store (where I tasted it.) It’s a bargain at under $10.

The Torrontes grape is related to the Muscat, and this wine in particular is from Mendoza. It's a pale, pretty wine. The nose is somewhat floral with a little green apple. Overall, it’s smooth in the mouth with a bit of acid and a little earth/minerals. It begins with some honeysuckle-ish flavor going to tart green apple, finishes crisp with just a hint of peach flavor.  

Pair it with tuna, salmon, sea bass—or this: grilled, marinated chicken with grilled Granny Smith apples and a little Dijon mustard. 

Wine Pick of the Week: March 8, 2015

Loosen Bros. 2013 Dr. L Riesling (Germany)

Riesling is so versatile. Every palate can appreciate at least one (or many) variants from dry to sweet. This Dr. L Riesling is a little sweet, with floral notes and apple on the nose. Initially it’s a bit apple-tart and pineapple, after which a sweet vanilla gradually develops into a honey finish. There is the slightest dryness on the tongue.

I tasted this with Virginia honey ham, wild caught salmon lox and brie cheese. 

With the ham, the wine wasn’t as tart and went right to the pineapple (a good match) and a vanilla finish. This Riesling amplified the salmon taste and I got a bit of smoke or wood; the finish was drier than with the ham. The wine cut through the brie in the mouth and brought out minerals in the wine, so I think this particular Riesling would be better paired with blue cheese.  

Wine Pick of the Week: March 1, 2015

Zuccotti Frizecco D'Italia U.V. (Italy)

This is a very light, easy-drinker. The color is the palest gold, almost like white gold. It’s a sparkling wine, but a frizzante—light bubbles. It’s isn’t sugary sweet, but not dry either. It’s fizzy on the tongue, and that lingers. The wine is initially tart thanks to a slight grape flavor that develops into a lemony-citrus. This becomes more of a vanilla flavor and finally a caramel finish. The grapes aren’t listed, but my guess would be a combination of Moscato and Prosecco.

I first paired it with raw salmon sushi with avocado. The sushi brightened the wine, bringing out more lemon-lime. The finish was shorter, without the caramel. I then paired the Frizecco with a caramel toffee cupcake from Avenue Eats. The tartness was enhanced at first because the cupcake was so sweet, but immediately it smoothed out and was all caramel, without the citrus at all.

Other compatible foods might include almond (as lightly roasted nuts or almond cookies) and shrimp cocktail. Because of the tartness and lemon-citrus, this may also be a good wine for asparagus.  

Wine Pick of the Week: Feb. 1, 2015

2012 Estancia Moscato (California)

This would make a nice aperitif or dessert wine. It’s slightly effervescent and semi-sweet, a bit heady,  with a heavy floral and honey nose. The taste is refreshing and tropical. It would pair nicely with pineapple, citrus, vanilla, caramel and toffee, milk chocolate, cheesecake, white chocolate mousse, whipped cream and with blue cheese.