Ben Marco Mendoza Malbec 2011

Date: Thu, Apr 18, 2013 Wine Business

World Malbec Day has come and gone for another year, but that does not mean I will quit enjoying this varietal until 2014. During the week, I tasted four Argentine and one Chile Malbec. Two of the wines tasted were very simple Malbecs. Nothing to fall in love over, but they were quite good and as most South American Malbecs they were very inexpensive. Three of the wines were simply outstanding. The first two were already reviewed; Trivento Malbec Reserve 2011 and a Trivento Amado Sur 2011. On the 17th of April (World Malbec Day) I opened a Malbec I purchased last week, a Ben Marco Malbec 2011 ($15)

After an afternoon trout fishing with Shirley, she cooked up a fast dinner of fried chicken with roasted potato and steamed spinach. Yes, it was supposed to be trout, but we left them in the lake for another day. This wasn't the best pairing for what was a very full bodied Malbec, but it did get a passing grade with dinner. Later that evening, the wine went very nicely with some chocolate wafers and especially with an Old Quebec Vintage Cheddar Cheese from a local cheese maker, Buttercup Cheese.

Aromas were like "in your face" tantalizing. Heavy blackberry and raspberry, currant and plum with some spice, anise and a little bit of menthol. I also got a hint of black olive with the first glass, but that aroma and the menthol disappeared after that. There was a lot of spice in the mouth, with black fruit and some leather and licorice. Very dry and very long finish with more black fruit. A very nice wine and a very nice way to end my toasting of World Malbec Day. Very Highly Recommended

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Trivento Malbec Reserve 2011

Date: Mon, Apr 15, 2013 Wine Business

Dinner tonight roasted pork done with Rosemary and Garlic served with mashed garlic potatoes and steamed asparagus. Usually served with a white wine or a Pinot Noir, but tonight it was Malbec. Another nice wine from Mendoza; a Trivento Malbec Reserve 2011 ($11).

Again like the Amado Sur, the color was a deep dark red. The aromas were more red fruit and berries on the nose with only a hint of vanilla and/or spice. Not as much fruit flavors as the Amado Sur, but plenty enough to make the wine very enjoyable. The finish was medium to long, some spice and pepper with a little raspberry and cherry. The pairing with the pork roast was excellent. Enjoy with roasted meats, barbeque, and full flavored foods.

This was my second Malbec this week and there is more to come by World Malbec Day on April 17. Suggested price for the Trivento Malbec Reserve is $11, but found in most locations under $10. More than reasonable for this quality of Argentina Malbec. Very Highly Recommended.

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Trivento Amado Sur Malbec 2011

Date: Sun, Apr 14, 2013 Wine Business

In the 1860's, Malbec was brought from France to Argentina where it found its ideal terroir and climate in the foothills of the Andes Mountains. Malbec requires constant sun and heat to achieve optimal ripeness and therefore thrives in the hot, dry weather and high elevations of Mendoza, Argentina. Malbec wines From Mendoza are typically ripe and lush, with smooth tannins - a style that has proven internationally popular, with Malbec dubbed the indisputable Iconic Grape of Argentina.

On April 17 the world will raise its collective glass and toast this beloved varietal and I am going to join in with a few of my favorites and a few new labels I recently purchased or received as samples. The first is a sample submitted for review - Trivento Amado Sur Malbec 2011, a blend of 78% Malbec, 12% Bonarda (watch for more of this grape) and 10% Syrah. The wine was served with chicken done in Shirley's herbes de Provence and roasted potatoes sprinkled with rosemary.

The wine was dark red in color with aromas of plum, cherries, a little raspberry and hints of strawberries and spicy vanilla and licorice. Nice smooth tannins with lots of red raspberry and cherry and a touch of pepper in the mouth led to a very long smooth, dry and delicious finish.

The wine is a classic pairing with a juicy steak, lamb and cheeses. It wasn't bad with the chicken either. Suggested price is $15, but can be found for $10 to $12 in many wine shops and on-line. Very Highly Recommended.

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Ferrari Sparkling Rosé Wine NV

Date: Wed, Apr 3, 2013 Wine Business

This past Easter Sunday did not go as planned. Because of a persistent head cold, we stayed home, but did enjoy our traditional dinner of baked ham, baked yam and veggies. What we did differently, though, was open a Sparkling Rosé wine with the meal. I do bubblies on New Year's Eve, occasionally, and sometimes at wedding receptions. I do have a few in my wine fridge and they have been in that fridge longer than any other wine has ever lasted in there. But, I received some samples for review earlier in the week and both Shirley and I agreed to give them a try.
I received three samples of Ferrari Metodo Classico wines. The Ferrari Brut NV is 100% Chardonnay, (SRP $25), Ferrari Rosé NV is 60% Pinot Nero and 40% Chardonnay (SRP $37) and the Ferrari Perlé 2004 also 100% Chardonnay with SRP of $35.
Ferrari Metodo Classico wines are produced at the foothills of the Alps in Trento D.O.C., not far from Lago di Garda in the Trentino region. Trento D.O.C is an official D.O.C appellation in the Trentino-Alto Adige region of northern Italy.The region is very mountainous, and Ferrari wines benefit from higher elevation to produce crisp, sparkling wines that are also attractively priced.
Metodo Classico, indicates they have been made using the classic technique of Champagne, which involves a second fermentation in the bottle and extended aging on the so-called "lees," or dead yeast cells.
The top Metodo Classico bubblies of Italy are produced in the north, in Franciacorta and Trento. These wines, along with a handful of California bubblies, are the only sparkling wines in the world that come close to Champagne in terms of quality and prestige.
Founder Guilio Ferrari introduced the Champagne technique to Italy around 1900, after studying the process in Epernay, France.
For dinner, we both chose the Rosé Brut and promptly cleaned our seldom used Champagne flutes. It was easy to see that we don't do the sparkling wines that often, after over pouring the first glass. A little too fast on the pour gave us a little chuckle and a little bit of bubbly on the the table cloth.
Color was a very nice light coral or cherry blossom pink. Lots of strawberry and floral aromas with a very little hint of bread on the nose. The bubbles give it a little tingle in the mouth with red berry flavors and some citrus with a very long, dry and tasty finish.
It becomes difficult to compare when one does not frequently taste comparable wines, but I have tasted a few Champagnes and Sparkling Wines over the years and cannot think of one that was more delightful than the Ferrari Sparkling Rosé, including the Champagne that we have toasted the New Year with for the past 12 years at more than twice the price. Looks like that tradition will change. The Ferrari Sparkling Rosé NV, Very Highly Recommended

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Garcia Carrion Antaño Rioja Reserva 2007

Date: Mon, Mar 25, 2013 Wine Business

Sometimes when I am shopping for wine, I bring Shirley along to choose a wine or two that she may like. That usually or always means a Chianti or sometimes another Tuscan wine. There have been times that she surprises me by picking out a non-Italian bottle and that is usually because she likes the label. What amazes me is that she never picks a bad wine. Last week, we stopped into one of the many small Wine & Spirits stores while mall walking and Shirley added a Spanish Rioja from Garcia Carrion to our small cart of wines. It was their Antaño Rioja Reserva 2007($12).
I opened the blend of 80% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano, 5% Mazuelo and 5% Garnacha for dinner that evening. Shirley made a quick meal of pasta with her red sauce. I never use to add cheese to my pasta until lately. Now I like to add some Pecorino Romano. Nothing fancy, except for maybe this inexpensive Rioja.
The color was a very nice dark red with aromas of dark fruit, black cherry, plum, currant and blackberry with some leather and a hint of toasty oak. The mouthfeel was nice and rich with flavors of blackberry, cherries with just a little spice leading to a long finish filled with plum and currants and some vanilla. After dinner I enjoyed the remaining wine while nibbling on dark chocolate wafers.
The Antaño Rioja Reserva would pair nicely with lamb chops or pork tenderloin and as I discovered, an excellent match for Italian red sauce.
An excellent value and Very Highly Recommended.

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Clos LaChance Monterey County Chardonnay 2011

Date: Wed, Mar 20, 2013 Wine Business

I was reminded early last week that I may not be the only wine blogger that has some problems with Chardonnay. Over the last few years, I did come to terms with the fact that I do not like a heavily oaked Chards, but found a likeness for some of the nice lightly oaked labels. That creamy, buttery, butterscotch and toast that seems to be the accepted aroma and taste of Chardonnay is not my choice when drinking any white wine, but when I find just hints of these flavors in a Chard, I seem to accept the wine more easily. Actually, I have come to look forward to that little bit of the oak. To me, the heavy oak masks the fruit aromas and flavors. So now, it's time I discover 'unoaked' Chardonnay. Yep, after all these years with a passion for wine, I never tasted an unoaked Chardonnay, at least since I started this blog and became more aware and accepting of any white wines.
This is a sample wine submitted for review, a Clos LaChance Monterey County Chardonnay 2011. Suggested retail is $11.
Suggested pairing is with salads and spicy Indian food. I opened with a teriyaki chicken stir fry and found a perfect match.
Aromas were filled with pineapple, a little lemon zest, some tropical fruits and a hint of grapefruit. In the mouth I got more grapefruit with mango and pineapple and some apple. On it's own the wine was very nice, but I found that I missed that little bit of vanilla and toast I get in the lightly oaked Chardonnay. Still, this is a very nice white wine and a great value at $11. Highly Recommended.

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Concannon Conservancy Crimson and Clover 2010

Date: Mon, Mar 11, 2013 Wine Business

There have been many times I received tasting samples and put them aside for a few weeks or even a few months before opening. That is not the case when I receive wines from Concannon Vineyard. Concannon's entire portfolio of wines have never disappointed. This goes especially with the Glen Ellen and Conservancy group. This week I received a bottle of Concannon Conservancy Crimson and Clover 2010, a blend consisting of 50% Petite Sirah, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah, and 10% Zinfandel. This wine is a tribute to the "Father of America's First Petite Sirah," Jim Concannon, from his son John. The name Crimson & Clover reflects pride in their Irish heritage; the clover is the traditional Irish symbol for prosperity and crimson pays homage to the strong, bright, deep red color of the blend.

When first opened, I seriously had doubts about this blend. Aroma's were minty with lots of menthol. Also a little like cheap plastic or lighter fluid. Thankfully, that did not last long until aroma's of red cherries, plum and blackberry started coming through with some spice and a hint of leather. As I waited for Shirley's stuffed peppers to be ready for dinner, the fruit aroma's became more pronounced. A few tastes before dinner were full of blackberry with some vanilla, strawberry and plum and lots of spice. After about 90 minutes, dinner was served and the wine took on a little smokey taste, which was very nice. Both Shirley and I were totally surprised by the excellent pairing with the stuffed peppers. Very silky but a little short on the finish with dinner. A glass later that evening was a little more spicey than I like, but softened out nicely with a few bites of cheddar cheese and with a few chocolate wafers.

The suggested retail price on the Crimson and Clover is $15, but can be easily found for a few dollars less. If looking for a picnic or patio wine with juicy burgers or a nicely grilled steak, or serving up some stuffed bell peppers, you cannot go wrong with Concannon Coservancy Crimson and Clover. Very Highly Recommended

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Long Point Winery Dry Riesling 2011

Date: Mon, Mar 4, 2013 Wine Business

I found out this past month that the worst part of having the flu is the loss of the sense of smell and taste. The first night that I felt like the flu had passed I opened what I thought was a very aromatic wine only to find that it had no aromas at all and that, of course, affected the taste. A few days later, though, everything was back to normal. That evening for dinner we had a light meal of chicken salad, (i.e. a salad with diced chicken added, not the sandwich spread). Most of the time, I'll have a creamy dressing with this, but on this night I used oil and vinegar. For a wine, I chose a Long Point Winery dry Riesling 2011($11). I think I would have picked a white wine no matter what the meal. I don't think I was ready for something red, yet.

Now, I don't think it was my 10 day abstinence from wine, but this was one of the best 2011 dry Rieslings I've tasted to date. Lots of peach and nectarine aromas with some melon and pineapple and a hint of lemon zest were just what I needed. Fantastic mouthfeel with taste of apricots, green apple and citrus completed my healing process. Nice dry finish that, as expected, paired very well with the salad. I believe that no matter how you like your white wines, dry or sweet, that Rieslings are the most versatile of them all and the Long Point Winery dry Riesling is one of the best. Very Highly Recommended.

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Storing Wine: What You Should Know

Date: Wed, Feb 20, 2013 Wine Business

Whether you buy 10 bottles or a thousand bottles of wine, if you don’t drink the wine within 6 months, you should be aware of the proper method for storing the bottles correctly. Storing wine incorrectly can lead to spoilage or premature aging of the wine.

Correct method to store wine can be said in one sentence:

Store wine bottles tilted downward on a vibration free shelf, (so the wine is in complete contact with the cork), in a cool, dark, damp area, surrounded with odorless air at a temperature varying no more than 10 degrees between 40F to 65F, with 70% humidity.

Here we will discuss how your storage environment can affect the quality of the stored wine. The first and probably the most important item is the cork in the neck of the bottle and how humidity and the quality of the air can affect that cork. Proper lighting, correct temperature range, and stability of the shelving that your bottles rest on will also determine if the wine you so carefully chose will last for years or easily become very undrinkable in a very short time.

WET CORKS

While corks seem to be made of solid material, they are actually made up of hundreds of air pockets which allow air to pass through. If not kept moist, cork will dry out, shrink and become brittle. Cork is compressed into the neck of the wine bottle to make as tight a seal as possible against the glass, allowing little air to penetrate into the wine. Allowed to dry out, the cork will shrink, air will enter the wine and turn the wine sour or into vinegar – quite undrinkable.

Best Solutions:

1) Bottle Angle DO NOT STORE WINE BOTTLES UPRIGHT! An easy (and cheap) way to keep the cork wet is to lay the wine bottle on its side horizontally and slightly tip the bottle neck downward enough to completely cover the bottom of the cork in the wine bottle neck. This will keep the cork moist and air away from the wine.

2) Moisture Easiest done in a small enclosed environment, use a humidifier to keep the ideal humidity of 70%. If you can’t get it exactly at 70%, try to keep the humidity between 50% and 80%. This will keep corks moist and air away from the wine.

Since wet corks are full of air pockets and will absorb surrounding odors, you must be concerned about the odors in the air around the corks.

AIR QUALITY: Keep the air clean and odorless to prevent the cork from absorbing any strong odors (such as fried onions or garlic from the kitchen) or musty smells (from a damp basement) and hence, tainting the wine.

Best Solution: Use a circulating fan.

MOVING WINE

Wine ages best when left undisturbed. This allows the sediment to settle to the bottom of the bottle and lets the wine develop a balanced taste. Correctly stored wine is lying horizontally, with the neck tilted slightly downward. If you need to read the label to decide which bottle you would like to open, keep the bottle horizontal as you remove it from the shelf. Read the label while the bottle is still horizontal. This way, if you don’t use that bottle, you can replace it on the shelf with very little shaking of the wine, and the sediment can continue to settle, aging the wine.

In some cabinet wine coolers, the starting and stopping of some motors used to run the lights, fans and humidifiers, can cause excessive shelf vibrations.

Best Solution: Check manufacturer’s specs and get the lowest vibration motor possible for what you need and don’t move wine bottles more than necessary.

LIGHTING

Wine ages by fermentation. Fermentation needs a cool, dark and damp environment. If your storage area is always lit with strong light, or windows allow sunlight to touch the wine bottles, the wine may age faster than normal. The acid, tannins and sugars that define the characteristics of the wine, will not have enough time to fully balance.

Best solution: Store in a dark room or cabinet and use only dim light when necessary to view your selection of stored wine. If using a glass door, get the glass tinted dark.

TEMPERATURE

A slow change of 10 degrees per year will not adversely affect stored wine. A change of 10 degrees per day or week will cause the wine to age prematurely.

Best Solution: Keep the wine between the following temperatures:

Red Wine: 55⁰F to 65⁰F

White Wine: 50⁰F to 56⁰F

Rose Wine: 49⁰F to 51⁰F

Champagne: 53⁰F to 59⁰F

Sparkling Wine: around 40⁰F

If using one compartment for multiple types of wine: around 60⁰F

CONCLUSION

It’s a beautiful sight to see one hundred or more bottles of wine being stored properly. But, it does take a few dollars and some time and effort on your part, to do it right. For most of us, a collection of 5 to 10 bottles will suffice for all our needs. There are beautiful wine bottle stands, that sit on counters or floors that can keep your bottles safe until you use them. Obviously, if you use stands, you will not be concerned with what this article is about. The only suggestion we would make is that in the summer months, move the stand to the coolest place available and enjoy a great bottle of wine…SALUD!

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Sheldrake Point Dry Riesling 2011

Date: Fri, Feb 15, 2013 Wine Business

Seems that whenever I start opening my Finger Lakes white wines, it gets a little difficult to stop. I try to stick with red wines during the coldest time of the year, but lately, I've been putting my reds aside and finishing up my favorite white wines.
Tonight it was a multiple award winning Sheldrake Point dry Riesling 2011 ($16). I reviewed the 2009 vintage about two years ago. Also, this is one of the samples that was part of the Riesling launch celebration and virtual tasting this past September. Loved the wine on that evening, so I picked up a few more in December at the winery. Sheldrake Point Winery produces distinctive estate wines that showcase the quality of their Finger Lakes vineyard. Each of their estate wines is crafted to take advantage of the flavor and character of the grapes grown on their 44-acre site overlooking Cayuga Lake.

It is being served tonight with a simple chicken stir-fry over rice. I spice my portion up a little by adding some jalepeno slices. I use the peppers in order to avoid the sodium rich soy sauce that was a mainstay for my stir-fry at one time.
On the nose I found lots of floral like aromas with some peach and mango. A little lemon grass on the palate with some ripe delicious apple and a mix of passion fruit and mango. Finish was medium with a touch of slate and lemon zest. Pairing was nice. I think it would have paired better with the soy sauce. Suggested pairings would be with Asian food, chicken, salmon and tuna. I also enjoyed later with a few light cheese bites. Very Highly Recommended.

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Long Point Winery Vidal Blanc 2011

Date: Tue, Feb 12, 2013 Wine Business

I am starting to discover a fact that when one is away from a favorite wine, for whatever reason, cravings start to set in that need to be dealt with. The only way I know of dealing with these cravings is to grab one of those favorites and enjoy. That is what happened this week after month of denying myself a Finger Lakes white wine. So without even asking, "what's for dinner, Shirl?," I opened a Long Point Winery Vidal Blanc 2011($11) that I picked up at the winery in December.

Long Point Winery is located on the east side of Cayuga Lake on scenic Route 90 in Aurora, New York. The winery sits on 72 acres of land overlooking beautiful Cayuga Lake. Known for producing the finest dry red and white wines, Long Point Winery has collected numerous awards for wines such as, red Zinfandel, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Dry Riesling.
This Vidal Blanc was the gold medal winner at the 2010 New York State Fair and won gold(90 points) in the New York Wine & Food Classic.

Later I was informed by the boss that dinner would be turkey kielbasa with french fries, beans and sauerkraut. That use to be a beer night until last year when I found it went well with Gewurztraminer. This night I found that it was excellent with Vidal Blanc.

Aromas were loaded with honeysuckle, white peach with a little honeydew melon and tropical fruits. In the mouth there was tropical fruit, some lemon and a little honey like sweetness. Long lemony finish was perfect with the kielbasa and kraut. Finished this wine later in the evening and thoroughly enjoyed each sip. Excellent wine, nice price. Very Highly recommended.

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Hudson Chatham Empire Red Reserve 2010

Date: Sat, Feb 9, 2013 Wine Business

About a week ago I received a nice package from the Hudson-Chatham Winery in Ghent, NY. The Hudson-Chatham Winery is the dream of Carlo and Dominique DeVito, both publishing professionals who have long shared a love of wine. This exciting new winery, which specializes in small hand-made batches of wine, is dedicated to the richness of the Hudson River Valley, particularly its wine, agriculture, literature, art, history, and many other attractions that make it a rich and special region. The Hudson-Chatham Winery, located between the historic towns of Hudson and Chatham, is the first winery in Columbia County.

The package contained three Hudson-Chatham wines. A 2011 Old Vines Baco Noir, a 2011 Baco Noir Reserve and a 2010 Empire Reserve Red Table Wine.

About two years ago, I reviewed the 2009 Old Vines Baco Noir and I'm very excited about tasting Carlo's latest release, but I am going to hold my excitement until we return from Florida in early March. The Empire Red, though, is being opened before our trip with a dinner of chicken breast filets done in a sauce of cider, cinnamon, nutmeg, corn starch, bouillon and apple slices served with fresh green beans and black rice. The Empire Red is a blend of 33% Hudson Valley Baco Noir, 33% Finger Lakes Cabernet Franc and 33% Long Island Merlot.

Very fruit forward aromas of black cherry and currant with a little earthy like herbal and hints of vanilla added on the palate. Finish was mid range, smooth with dark fruit and herbs. A very nice wine to sip on it's own, but really showed off with dinner. Will do very well with grilled meats and Italian sauces or cheese filled manicotti.

Have no information on suggested price, but past vintages are in the $25 range and I would think that the 2010 will not be any different. Highly Recommended

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Teliani Valley Mukuzani Saperavi 2006

Date: Wed, Feb 6, 2013 Wine Business

After an enjoyable two week campaign of all California wines it's time to again get back into the tasting wines from around the world. First up is my first wine from the Republic of Georgia. A Teliani Valley Mukuzani 2006($15) which was purchased at Total Wine & More in Virginia Beach in October.

The appellation controlled red dry wine "Mukuzani" is made from the Saperavi grape variety grown in Mukazani specific viticulture district of Kakheti. An historical province in eastern Georgia, Kakheti is the country's most important wine region in quantitative, qualitative and even historic terms. Almost three-quarters of the country's wine grapes are grown here, on land that has been used for viticulture for thousands of years.
The Saperavi grapes are used predominately in the Republic of Georgia, but have spread to other regions of Eastern Europe more recently. Saperavi cultivars are also being grown in New World wine regions; notably in the Finger Lakes, New York area vineyards.
A dark ruby color with some mineral and spice and lots of black cherry on the nose. Spice, pepper, cherry and blackberry filled the mouth. The finish was long and very dry with some vanilla spice and a hint of smoke or toast. A very nice and pleasing wine. Very easy to find on-line, but may be difficult to locate in smaller cities, but worth the effort to locate. Highly Recommended

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Take Israeli Wine Out of the Liquor Store Ghetto

Date: Tue, Feb 5, 2013 Wine Business

Guest Post: "Take Israeli Wine Out of the Liquor Store Ghetto"

By: Juda Engelmayer