Wednesday Wine Flights 2011 Blue Danube
January 5
Passionate Wines for Valentines
February 2
Spain Again
March 2
An Italian Wedding
April 6
I Heart NY
May 4
Beyond Bordeaux
September 7
California’s Central Coast
October 5
Wines of Alsace
November 2
Holiday Wine & Cheese
December 7
2009 St. Antonius Kreuznacher Kronenberg Kabinett Riesling This wine has aromas of grapefruit, citrus, peach and passion fruit and the taste is dominated by minerals.
2007 Katarzyna Estate Halla Merlot With a dark garnet color, this wine is nice and fruity on the palate. It boasts plum and strawberry jam flavors up front, plus hints of eucalyptus and oak. It has moderate tannins and a short finish.
2006 Royal Tokaji Furmint With a lovely green apple, citrusy aroma with slight notes of bonfire oak, this wine is dry, yet smooth with medium acidity, good fruit flavors and long length with a tropical finish.
2005 Marc Aurel Saint Laurent
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Blue Danube A sampling of wines from Hungary, Germany, Bulgaria and Austria
This is a medium-bodied wine with an earthy core that accentuates the dark forest berry and black cherry flavors of the wine.
2006 Royal Tokaji Furmint
Wine Flight January 5, 2011
The Furmint white-wine grape is most renowned for its contribution to the delicious, sweet wines of Hungary's Tokay region. The combination of Furmint and Hárslevelü creates the rich sweet Tokay wines that rival - and sometimes surpass - the sweet wines from France's Sauternes region. Furmint grapes are used to make delicious dry wines as well.
2009 Saint Antonius Kreuznacher Kronenberg Kabinett Riesling Tasting Notes:
This wine has aromas of grapefruit, citrus, peach and passion fruit and the taste is dominated by minerals. It is a fruity wine, off-dry to slightly sweet, with a medium body.
2007 Katarzyna Halla Merlot
2005 Marc Aurel Saint Laurent
In the past socialists times, Halla was the secret name of the military check point at the South-East border of Bulgaria and Greece. Now it is part of the beautiful Katarzyna Estate vineyards -- where nature has been left undisturbed to follow its own way for more then 45 years.
Marc Aurel, one of the monarchs of the Roman Empire, lived from 121 – 180 AD, and was known as the “philosopher on the throne.” Forced to lead war against Germanic tribes on the Danubefrontier of the empire, he spent a lot of time in the province capital Carnuntum, where he wrote his philosophic opus magnum, the “meditations.” The Carnuntum region, inextricably linked with his name, is one of the most dynamic wine growing areas of this country.
Tasting Notes:
Tasting Notes:
With a dark garnet color and a fairly closed nose, this wine is nice and fruity on the palate. It boasts plenty of plum and strawberry jam flavors up front, plus hints of eucalyptus and oak. It has moderate tannins and a short finish.
The 2006 Furmint is a pale green straw color with a lovely clean, fresh, green apple, citrusy aroma with slight notes of bonfire oak. On the palate, the wine is dry, yet smooth with medium acidity, good fruit flavors and long length with a tropical finish.
Food Pairings:
Food Pairings: The acid allows this wine to handle hearty sauces, high-end meats and even lighter fare like appetizers and even off-set some of the tangy flavors of ginger and lime in Asian fare.
Blue Danube The Danube is Europe’s second longest river after the Volga. It originates in the Black Forest in Germany as the much smaller Brigach and Breg rivers which join at the German town of Donaueschingen. After that it is known as the Danube and flows southeastward for a distance of some 1,771 miles, passing through four central and eastern European capitals, before emptying into the Black Sea via the Danube Delta in Romania and the Ukraine.
Food Pairings:
This wine goes beautifully with fish dishes such as sesame seed seared Ahi tuna, pepper crusted swordfish, almond crusted tilapia or match it with something like miso glazed roasted black bass.
Try this wine with halibut sautéed in butter cream sauce, ginger soy glazed mahi mahi, roasted monkfish served with sautéed mushrooms, tomato and garlic, salmon carpaccio, sole sautéed in lemon or pan seared tuna.
PLCB 10939 @ $9.99
PLCB 501809 @ $9.99
Hints of mild oak and vanilla pair well with meals from the Bulgarian cuisine like kapama (stewed lamb with onions), meals made of minced meat, red meat, feathery game, and soft cheeses.
PLCB 27010 @ $14.99
Tasting Notes: A red grape most closely associated with Austria, yet from France, St. Laurent is a member of the Pinot Noir family. It produces a medium-bodied wine with an earthy core that accentuates the dark forest berry and black cherry flavors of the wine.
Food Pairings: Try this Pinot with alder-roasted Chinook salmon or cherry woodsmoked pork loin served with a peach chutney. It also pairs well with a salad of golden beets with hazelnuts, grilled ricotta, frisée lettuce, blueberries and oranges.
PLCB 67552 @ $17.99
2008 Wild Horse Viognier This wine has aromas of orange blossom, honeysuckle, and peach with flavors of citrus and tangerine.
2008 Barossa Valley E Minor Shiraz This medium bodied wine has a bouquet of plum and sweet licorice. On the palate, there is berry, cocoa, oak, and spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and pepper.
2008 Loios Vinho Regional Alentejano With a deep magenta color, this wine has rich aromas of dark plums and oak. The first notes boast bright plum, followed by sweet acids and very mild tannins and a plummy finish.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Passionate Wines for Valentines
NV Hardy’s Whiskers Blake Tawny Port This tawny is layered with caramel, walnut, coffee, almond and orange peel flavors. It has a warm mouth feel and a lingering salted caramel finish.
Wine Flight February 2, 2011
Passionate Wines for Valentines
2008 Wild Horse Viognier, Paso Robles, CA
2008 Barossa Valley E Minor Shiraz, Australia
Viognier is one of the great grapes of France's Rhône Valley. It is an extremely aromatic variety redolent of ripe peaches and wild flowers. Twenty years ago, there were a paltry 25 acres of Viognier vines in California, and those only because of a few early devotees who had tucked bud wood from the grape’s home in France’s Rhône Valley into their luggage ― "Samsonite cuttings," they’re called. Today, around 2,500 acres grow in the state (the Central Coast claims the bulk of them).
During the 1840s Germany, Lutherans suffered religious persecution, and escaped to South Australia in the Adelaide Hills. Barossa Valley is full of charming townships of German heritage buildings, where Shiraz is its most renowned grape.
2008 J Portugal Loios Vinho Regional Alentejano
Authentic Tawny Port is a dessert wine made from red grapes grown in Northern Portugal’s Douro Valley, fortified with brandy and aged in wood casks. In the early days of the wine trade, lengthy voyages turned wines to vinegar and adding brandy to the wines ensured a longer life.
Alentejano is a romantic wine region in southern Portugal (just north of the Algarve) where you’ll find soft rolling hills covered in vineyards, cork forests, whitewashed villages and Moorish castles. The Alentejano is wonderfully unspoiled and the medieval hamlets perched on hilltops crowned by Arab castles look fairly similar to what they looked like hundreds of years ago.
Tasting Notes:
Tasting Notes:
from 100 percent Viognier grapes and has aromas of orange blossom, honeysuckle, and peach with flavors of citrus and tangerine.
With a deep red hue, this medium bodied wine has a bouquet of plum fruit and sweet licorice. On the palate, there is rich berry, cocoa, oak, and the complex spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and pepper.
Food Pairings:
Food Pairings:
Food Pairings:
Tasting Notes: This wine is made
Viognier grapes, with their floral notes, seem to blend best with aged cow’s or goat’s milk cheeses.
PLCB 507254 @ $21.09
NV Hardy’s Whiskers Blake Tawny Port, Australia
The Man: Whiskers Blake was a roguish bloke who worked in Hardy’s Tintara vineyard around the turn of the century. His job was scaring birds from the grapes with an old 8 gauge shotgun.
Tasting Notes:
This tawny is layered with caramel, walnut, coffee, almond and orange peel flavors. It has a warm mouth feel and a lingering salted caramel finish.
With a deep magenta color, this wine shows deep and rich aromas of dark plums and oak. The first notes boast bright plum, followed by lightly sweet acids and very mild tannins and a plummy finish.
Try this Shiraz with barbeque ribs, lamb chops in a balsamic reduction or grilled steaks with lemon chive corn on the cob.
Pair this wine with grilled lamb rubbed with cumin and paprika or a tagine chicken with chickpeas and raisins.
PLCB 59507 @ $12.29
PLCB 10440 @ $9.99
Food Pairings: Serve tawny port with chocolate, caramel, dried fruit, nuts (like walnuts and almonds), and aged Cheddar.
PLCB 59432 @$18.49
2009 Ventana Gewurztraminer With intense aromas of green apples and bananas, this wine has balanced acidity and peach and berry flavors with a long finish.
2008 Hogue Genesis Viognier
2006 Château Barreyres Haut-MÊdoc
With a light yellow color, this wine has lemon and lime aromas that are complemented by pear and salty minerals on the palate. It finishes with a taste of smoky herbs and pineapple.
This full bodied wine has ripe berry flavors and peppery notes. It is slightly dry with a succulent finish.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Spain A-Gain
2008 Mastroberardino Aglianico Campania This wine boasts ruby-red color and is scented with raspberry and cocoa powder. It is lush and creamy with red berry flavors and a supple texture.
Wine Flight March 2, 2011
Spain A-Gain Spain has four quality wine or regulated classifications, the most common terms being DO and DOC. Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOCa) is the most strict Spanish wine classification and so far, only designated regions of Rioja and Priorat have captured this top label honor to date. Denominación de Origen (DO) wines are sourced only from designated growing regions and have met specific criteria and quality standards. Vino de la Tierra is used for categorizing wines that are not in DO regions. The label designation “Vino de la Tierra” romantically translates to “wines of the land.” Finally, “Vino de Mesa” is for wines that don’t fall into the above categories and are relegated to table wine status.
2008 Rosell Mir Pla de la Creu Blanc Xarel lo Penedès
2009 Burgans Albariño Rias Baixas
2009 Celler Espelt Garnacha
Xarel-lo (pronounced hah-Rehl-lo) is native to the Catalonia region in the northeast of Spain. Most of the crop goes directly into Cava, but it is also the flagship grape of Penedès, a smaller area inside of Catalonia and a predominantly white wine region. The area is nestled between the coast and the plains making it mild and warm; benefiting from the Mediterranean sun and the coastal breezes.
Albariño is the primary grape used to make dry white wine in the Rias Baixes section of the Galicia region of Spain. Considered to be Spain's premier quality white wine, Albariño is also known in Portugal as Alvarinho and often used as a component of Vinho Verde.
Espelt is located in the Emporda region of Spain, an amphitheater overlooking the sea, encircled by mountains, which transforms with the seasons. The wine cellar, modern and technological, rises up next to the ancestral traditional farmhouse.
Tasting Notes: With a light yellow color, this wine has lemon and lime aromas that are complemented by melon, pear and salty minerals. It is juicy and focused, offering brisk citrus and orchard fruit flavors and a late note of smoky herbs. Gains sweetness with air and finishes with an appealing note of pineapple.
Tasting Notes:
With 100% Garnacha grapes, this full bodied wine has ripe berry flavors and pepper flavors. It is slightly dry with a succulent finish.
2007 Cellar de Capçanes Mas Donis Barrica Montsant The Mas Donis, a blend of 85% Garnacha and 15% Syrah, is a special bottling done for an American importer.
Tasting Notes: This wine boasts a ruby-red color and is scented with raspberry, blackberry, cocoa powder and smoky minerals. On the palate, it is lush and creamy with strong red berry flavors and supple texture. It finishes with lingering sweet notes of rose and red berries.
Food Pairings:
Pair this wine with oxtail stew, tortilla de Patata, broiled short ribs, veal stuffed piquillo peppers, truffled turkey with wild mushroom croquettes or steamed clams with chorizo, as below.
Tasting Notes: This wine has an
intense aroma of green apples and bananas. It has a wonderfully balanced acidity and intricate peach and berry flavors that gain intensity in the mouth leading to a fantastic long finish.
Food Pairings:
Try this wine with empanadas, paella, jamón serrano with fresh melon, crisp shrimp pancakes, or Pescado a la Sal, as above.
Try this white with paella, spinach, white leek and white bean soup, scallop and chorizo pasta, buttermilk battered calamari, or Manchego cheese triangles with quince preserves as pictured above.
PLCB 10900 @ $9.99
PLCB 15028 @ $14.99
Food Pairings:
Food Pairings: Try this wine with chicken Tandoori, lasagna, pâté, barbeque chicken wings, or paella, as above.
PLCB 14819 @ $11.99
PLCB 14794 @ $13.99
2009 Feudi Sanniti Taburno Falanghina This wine has a beautiful golden color, a pleasant floral nose, and a velvety mouth-feel. On the palate, it is acidic with flavors of apple and orange peel.
2009 Falesco Vitiano Bianco This wine is a crisp, floral white with balanced aromas of herbs, citrus lime, great minerality and a wonderful taste of ripe pears, peaches and honey.
2008 Capestrano Montepulciano d’Abruzzo This wine has pleasing aromas of black cherry, carob and violet. It tastes of cherry and spice with a ripe black cherry finish.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
2007 Vigneti Reale Rudiae Primitivo With colors of deep red and purples, this wood-aged wine is round and complex. It has intense aromas of berries and plum and has a dry cherry finish.
An Italian Wedding “Wine to me is passion. It’s family and friends. It’s warmth of heart and generosity of spirit. Wine is art. It’s cultural. It’s the essence of civilization and the art of living.” – Robert Mondavi
2009 Falesco Vitiano Bianco, Montecchio
The Falanghina grape is believed to be related to Falerno, one of the most celebrated and acclaimed wines of ancient Rome. Falanghina produces white wines rich in spicy floral aromas contrasting with the wine's crisp pineapple and green apple flavors.
Wine Flight April 6, 2011
An Italian Wedding
2009 Feudi Sanniti Taburno Falanghina, Campania
Tasting Notes:
Founded in 1979 by brothers Riccardo and Renzo Cotarella, Falesco is located in the municipality of Montecchio near the border of Lazio in the southwestern corner of Umbria. Flanked by the Tyrrhenian Sea on the west and Italy's mountainous center to the east, the dry, volcanic terroir of the region imparts a bold quality to this bottling.
This wine has a beautiful golden color, a pleasant floral nose, and a velvety mouth-feel. On the palate, it is acidic with flavors of apple and orange peel.
2008 Capestrano Montepulciano, d’Abruzzo
2007 Vigneti Reale Rudiae Primitivo, Puglia
The most popular red grape grown in d’Abruzzo is the Montepulciano although many other grapes are grown here, most notably Sangiovese. This wine is made from 100percent Montepulciano grapes.
Primitivo is a clone of the Zinfandel grape of California and both are offspring of Croatia's Crljenak Kastelanski that is most commonly planted in Italy's Puglia region,
Tasting Notes:
With colors of deep red and purples, this wood-aged wine is round and complex. It has intense aromas of ripe berries and plum and has a dry cherry finish.
With deep ruby color, this wine has pleasing aromas of black cherry, blueberry, plum, carob and violet. On the palate, there are cherry and spice notes and earthy hints round out the ripe black cherry finish.
Tasting Notes:
Food Pairings:
This wine is bold enough to pair well with jambalaya, roasted quail stuffed with pate and served in pastry, or braised beef al primitivo.
PLCB 20822 @ $15.49
Tasting Notes: This wine is an attractive blend of Vermentino and Verdicchio. It is a crisp, floral white with balanced aromas of herbs, citrus lime, great minerality and a wonderful taste of ripe pears, peaches and honey.
Food Pairings:
The bright, lingering acidity of this wine's finish make it appealing with a myriad of foods; it is the perfect accompaniment to pasta with shellfish, summer casseroles and garden salads.
PLCB 10981 @ $10.99
Food Pairings: The wine pairs well with crostini with artichoke paste, fresh mozzarella and roasted tomatoes, spinach and prosciutto stuffed pizza rustica and garlic laced escarole.
PLCB 12926 @ $11.99
Food Pairings:
It pairs well with a variety of d’Abruzzo local dishes such as guitar pasta with lamb in pecorino egg sauce, polenta topped with sausage in a spicy tomato sauce, scamorza ravioli in saffron olive oil sauce or tuna filled artichokes.
PLCB 3468 @ $11.99
Might we suggest a bubbly finish to a blissful evening with Mionetto Prosecco, which has flavors of peaches and pears with a bright acidity and light body.
PLCB 9592 @ $14.99
2009 Millbrook Winery Estate Chardonnay Aromas of pear and coconut pair with a hint of citrus. Pear and honeydew tastes give way to hints of butter, tangerine and lime zest.
2008 Ravines Wine Cellars Dry Pinot Noir RosĂŠ
2008 WĂślffer Estate La Ferme Martin Merlot
With a bouquet of fresh strawberries, cherries and cranberry on the nose, this wine has herbal notes with cranberry and dried cherry flavors.
With a brick red color and aromas of cherry, prunes and cedar, this wine boasts flavors of red fruit such as plums and figs and smooth tannins with hints of oak.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
I Love New York
2008 Ravines Wine Cellars Cabernet Franc On the nose, this wine has pomegranate, cherry and a little spice. On the palate, is cherry, pomegranate, currant and a hint of pepper with a long finish.
2008 Ravines Wine Cellars Dry Pinot Noir Rosé Hammondsport, Finger Lakes
Wine Flight May 4, 2011
Finger Lakes Wine Country, New York is home to almost 100 wineries centered around the three main Finger Lakes: Keuka, Seneca, and Cayuga Lakes. Traditionally known for Riesling and Gerwurtztraminer, it has recently had great success with Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir.
2009 Millbrook Winery Estate Chardonnay
Dutchess County, Hudson River Region
This wine is 100% Chardonnay from the three primary growing regions in New York State: the Hudson Valley, Long Island and the Finger Lakes.
Tasting Notes:
2008 Wölffer Estate* La Ferme Martin Merlot
2008 Ravines Wine Cellars Cabernet Franc
Tasting Notes:
Tasting Notes:
Sagaponack, Long Island
With a brick red color and aromas of cherry, prunes and cedar, this wine boasts flavors of red fruit such as plums and figs and smooth tannins with hints of oak. Its long finish offers cherry and toasted oak flavors.
Aromas of pear and coconut pair with a hint of citrus. On the palate, there is pear and honeydew melon giving way to hints of butter, tangerine and lime zest. The finish is a soft minerally lime.
“I Love New York” … and New York wineries love dogs!
Pair this Cabernet Franc with a simple grilled ham and cheese sandwich, flatbread pizza with fresh Mozzarella, crimini mushrooms and fresh herbs or an appetizer of cured and spiced Kalamata olives with feta and sun dried tomatoes.
Food Pairings:
(Bam Bam, Knapp Winery & Vineyard Restaurant, New York. Beware: cats rule at the vineyard.)
(Panda, Shinn Estate Vineyards, New York.)
Tasting Notes:
All of the featured wineries, plus countless more across New York state welcome you and your dogs to their vineyards!
Food Pairings:
This wine is refreshing, with a bouquet of fresh strawberries, cherries and cranberry on the nose. On the palate, there are subtle herbal notes with cranberry and dried cherry flavors. It is medium bodied with great acidity and balance.
You can pair this Merlot with roasted beef of any kind. Also great with spring lamb with cherry glaze, pepper crusted salmon steaks or hearty vegetable lasagna.
PLCB 510653 @ $14.99
Food Pairings: Just in time for the warmer weather, pair this rosé with salad Niçoise, buttermilk grilled chicken breasts, or a Tuscan tomato bread BLT.
PLCB 42132 @ $13.99
On the nose, this wine has pomegranate with some cherry and a little spice. On the palate, it is fruit forward with cherry, pomegranate, currant and a hint of pepper with a long, smooth finish.
Food Pairings:
Try this wine with baked chicken with marjoram, fresh corn soufflé with bacon and Gruyère or lobster with chive butter.
(Chancellor and Rosie, Bully Hill Vineyards, New York.)
Hammondsport, Finger Lakes
(Uve, Herman J. Wiemer Vineyard, New York.)
PLCB 500389 @ $13.99
*The Wölffer Estate offers apple cider tasting in the fall and also owns and operates the Wölffer Stables for training and boarding horses.
(Moose, Bedell Cellars, New York. This pet-friendly winery welcomes canine visitors and holds dog-friendly wine-tasting events that benefit local animal shelters.)
PLCB 61678 @ $19.99 All photographs available in the book “Winery Dogs of New York” @ www.winerydogs.com
2010 Château Saint Martin de la Garrigue Picpoul de Pinet
The region’s hills protect it from the extremes of the Mediterranean and Atlantic climates, and it enjoys a micro-climate particularly suitable for making wine.
Wine Flight September 7, 2011
Beyond Bordeaux (Wines of Languedoc and Cahors)
2010 Château de Lascaux Coteaux du Languedoc Rosé
Tasting Notes: With lemon zest on
the nose, this wine starts with a bright crisp acidity and opens into a mint-andverbena-scented, powerfully lemony wine. It is said to have a delicious fatness.
Food Pairings: Try this white with salmon over fusilli and rapini, chicken Piccata, or linguini with asparagus and fresh lemon herb vinaigrette, or fresh oysters.
PLCB 513007 @ $15.99
Cahors is a wine region in southwestern France which specializes in producing intense, dark-colored red wines from the Malbec grape variety. AOC Cahors is the appellation under which most of these wines are sold.
Tasting Notes:
With an inky dark red color, this wine has a rich nose of dark red fruits and a bit of licorice and toffee. It is full of tannins and blackberry fruit with a dry finish. This wine benefits from decanting.
Stretching along the Thau lagoon to the west of the Mediterranean’s Golfe de Lyon is the largest white wine producing area in the Languedoc: the Picpoul de Pinet terroir. It consists of a triangle whose boundaries are Agde, Pézenas and Sète. This Picpoul de Pinet is achieved with green harvesting and, it is said, that a good Picpoul should convey the sea.
2008 Clos La Coutale Cahors
2009 Ermitage du Pic Saint Loup Tour de Pierres Dominating the skyline here is Pic St Loup mountain, a dramatic peak that rises to 638 meters. The terroir consists of argilo-limestone and poor, stony soils. Wines here must contain at least 90% of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre, from vines at least six years old.
Food Pairings: Try this wine with chicken Tandoori, lasagna, pâté, barbeque chicken wings, or paella.
Tasting Notes:
This blend is a 40-30-30 blend of Cinsault, Syrah and Grenache. It has a pale rose color and a nose of raspberries and strawberries that carry over to the palate with a bit of citrus and a slightly dry finish.
Tasting Notes:
With a nose of spice and blackberry, this wine has a wonderful sweetness on the palate as well as great tannins and a long finish.
Food Pairings: Pair this with barbeque chicken wings, grilled prawns and a fresh fruit salad for a late summer affair.
PLCB 511548 @ $14.99
Food Pairings: PLCB 501777 @ $15.99
This wine goes well with lamb shepherd’s pie, herbed beef meatballs over pasta, or Cassoulet.
PLCB 513030 @ $16.99
2010 Château de Lascaux Coteaux du Languedoc Rosé
2010 Château Saint Martin de la Garrigue Picpoul de Pinet With lemon zest on the nose, this wine starts with a bright crisp acidity and opens into a mint-and-verbena-scented, powerfully lemony wine.
It has a pale rose color and a nose of raspberries and strawberries that carry over to the palate with a bit of citrus and a slightly dry finish.
2008 Clos La Coutale Cahors With an inky dark red color, this wine has a rich nose of dark red fruits and a bit of licorice and toffee. It is full of tannins and blackberry fruit with a dry finish.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Beyond Bordeaux With speakers Jacob Bacharach of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust & Milko Miladinov of Winebow
2009 Ermitage du Pic Saint Loup Tour de Pierres With a nose of spice and blackberry, this wine has a wonderful sweetness on the palate as well as great tannins and a long finish.
2009 Lockwood Pinot Noir, Block 7
2009 Château Julien Cabernet Sauvignon
With flavors of dried cranberry, black tea and toasted French oak, this wine offers a burst of red fruit and finishes with balanced tannins.
Blackberry, dark chocolate and cherry aromas are highlighted by a nice hint of vanilla and spice.
2010 Lockwood Sauvignon Blanc This wine opens with aromas of pomelo, green pear, and white peach. On the palate, it is crisp with flavors of melon, stone fruit and citrus, leading to a lingering mineral finish.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
California’s Central Coast Wines of Monterey
With speakers Jacob Bacharach of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust & Milko Miladinov of Winebow
2010 Château Julien Moscato This wine opens with aromas of white peaches, honeydew melon and ripe apricots, and a hint of citrusy lemon. This off-dry wine has bright, crisp finish.
2010 Lockwood Sauvignon Blanc
2010 Lockwood Pinot Noir, Block 7
2009 Château Julien Cabernet Sauvignon
2010 Château Julien Moscato
aromas of pomelo*, green pear, and white peach. On the palate, it is crisp with flavors of melon, stone fruit and citrus, leading to a lingering mineral finish.
Nestled at the base of the Carmel Valley Mountains east of the Monterey Peninsula, Chateau Julien Winery was named after and styled from an actual French chateau in the St. Julien district of Bordeaux.
Food Pairings:
Tasting Notes:
This white variety is known as Muscadel, Muscat, Moscato and Moscatel. Two of the official names for the grapes include Muscat Blanc and Muscat Canelli. It is the base white wine in Asti Spumati, the sweet bubbly sparkling wine from Italy. It can be sweet to off-dry.
Tasting Notes: This wine opens with
Wine Flight October 5, 2011 California’s Central Coast Wines of Monterey In Monterey County, there are now eight pictures — each extending 12 feet tall — to tell of the region’s winemaking and grape-growing legacy. Spanning 30 miles through the third-most agriculturally productive county in California, eight wooden murals have recently been installed under the auspices of the Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association to highlight the region’s wine culture and direct guests to the local tasting rooms.
Soft blackberry fruit, dark chocolate and cherry aromas are highlighted by a nice hint of vanilla and spice. This wine is well balanced with medium body and structure through a full, round finish.
Try this sauvignon with red snapper and spiced crab legs with a lime coriander broth, and shrimp and avocado salad.
Tasting Notes: This 2009 Pinot Noir has a nice balance of fruit and spice with aromas of clove and nutmeg accenting the strawberry and black cherry tones. As the wine unfolds, it offers flavors of dried cranberry, black tea and toasted French oak. A burst of red fruit complements the middle palate and the wine finishes with balanced tannins.
Food Pairings: *Thought to be the ancestor of the grapefruit, pomelo is native to Malaysia, but it is also cultivated in California and Israel. A large pomelo is the largest of all citrus: growing to be as large as a foot in diameter and up to 25 pounds. The pomelo tastes like a sweet, mild grapefruit.
PLCB 515705 @ $11.99
This Pinot Noir pairs well with pork rib roast with fig and pistachio stuffing, fish tagine with tomatoes, capers and cinnamon, or chicken in red wine sauce with root vegetables and wilted greens.
PLCB 514278 @ $19.99
Food Pairings: Pair this bold wine with flank steak spirals with Porcini and red wine sauce and a mushroom, butternut squash and Gruyère tart.
PLCB 512352 @ $13.99 Tasting Notes:
This wine opens with aromas of white peaches, honeydew melon and ripe apricots, and a hint of citrusy lemon. This off-dry wine has a medium mouth feel and a bright, crisp finish.
Food Pairings: This wine is a wonderful aperitif, but you can also pair it with a selection of light cheeses or sorbet.
PLCB 514486 @ $13.99
2006 Domaine Catherine Auther Pinot Auxerrois
2006 Domaine Bott-Geyl Le Gentil d’Alsace Métiss This light yellow wine shows some exotic notes in the nose, with a touch of roses. It has a good mineral and acid backbone and a long, fruity finish.
Made with 100 percent Pinot Auxerrois grapes, this flinty, smoky wine has a slightly nutty aroma and green apple crispness on the palate.
2009 Pierre Sparr Riesling With lime green hues, this wine displays rose petal aromas and notes of grapefruit and green melon. It is medium-bodied with citrus, peach and honey on the palate.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Wines of Alsace French wine food pairings
with speakers Jacob Bacharach of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and Wade Fox of Majestic
Massenez Cerises a l’Eau-de-Vie This eau-de-vie (water of life) is clear, smells of dark cherries and possesses an intense taste. It is dry, smooth, and well rounded.
2006 Domaine Bott-Geyl Le Gentil d’Alsace Métiss
2006 Domaine Catherine Auther Pinot Auxerrois
Gentil d’Alsace Metiss is a white blend consisting of 40% Muscat, 10% Sylvaner, 30% Riesling, 10% Pinot Gris and 10% Pinot Blanc.
Tasting Notes:
Wine Flight November 2, 2011
Food Pairings:
Wines of Alsace French wine food pairings
Tasting Notes:
Neither wholly German nor wholly French -- but a combination of both -- the wines of Alsace when optimally realized are unique gems. Varietals tend towards the Germanic types, while the winemaking sense is much more French in nature, veering more to a dry style. Unlike most of France, however, Alsace producers usually place the varietal name clearly on the front of their bottles. You can also recognize the German influence in Alsatian cooking.
Other winemakers blend this obscure white grape into pinot blanc, but Domaine Catherine Auther, turns it into a flinty smoky wine with a slightly nutty aroma and green apple crispness on the palate.
This is very fruity and charming blend from Alsace. With a pleasant and perfumed nose, the mouth is sucker and offers straightforward pleasure. A sip calls another one. Final is clean and thirst quenching. This Gentil is a perfect everyday wine from Alsace. This light yellow, exuberant wine shows some exotic notes in the nose, with a touch of roses and minerals. It is fresh and straightforward with white fruit notes on the palate and a good mineral and acid backbone and a long,
Food Pairings: This is the perfect complement for raw oysters, such as Malpeque, Kumamoto or Belon, or pair with baked stuffed lobster, as above. Finally, you could make a Quiche Lorraine with Alsatian Muenster.
PLCB 40316 @ $14.99
Try this white with chilled poached salmon served atop panzanella as featured above or if you’ve been trout fishing, prepare fresh trout de bleu with spaetzle. Emulate the Alsatians further and serve tarte flambée, which is a thin crust pizza served with crème fraiche, grated nutmeg, garlic, bacon, onions and chives.
2009 Pierre Sparr Riesling Tasting Notes: With lime green hues, this wine displays rose petal aromas and notes of grapefruit and green melon. It is medium-bodied with citrus, peach and honey on the palate and refreshingly, no oak. It is spritzy and has zest, a good structure and a long finish. A juicy and powerful Riesling, this is full-on grapefruit pith and beeswax, unyielding and firm—a matrix of acidity and extract. It picks up spice with air, a peppering of anise and dried apple aromas that would complement rabbit rillettes."
Wine & Spirits
PLCB 64029 @ $14.99
Massenez Cerises à l’Eaude-Vie (Sour Cherry Brandy) Kirschwasser, meaning cherry water in German, is a very delicate tasting brandy that is derived from Morello cherries. The brandy is completely void of color because it is aged in a barrel that is lined with a paraffin wax or in earthenware. It takes approximately 20 pounds of cherries to make one bottle of brandy.
Tasting Notes:
This eau-de-vie (water of life) is clear, smells of dark cherries and possesses an intense taste. It is dry, smooth, and well rounded. Practically all brandies are served in snifters to appreciate their distinct aroma and should be only slightly chilled.
Food Pairings:
Food Pairings: Try this wine with Ants Climbing A Tree, a mung bean noodle dish with minced pork, chili and soy sauce and rice vinegar, wrapped with bok choy, and topped with toasted sesame seeds, as shown below. Or you could make an Alsatian dish of coq au Riesling or choucroute garnie,
PLCB 506976 @ $12.99
Try this brandy with imported Muenster cheese blended with roasted garlic. Serve with any of the following accoutrements: homemade croutons, apple or pear slices, grapes and figs, candied walnuts, bretzels (Alsatian pretzels), and artisan bread. For additional dessert, make a homemade gingerbread!
PLCB 70557@ $30.49
2009 Ventana Gewürztraminer With flavors of lychee, orange blossoms, cinnamon, and nutmeg, this wine boasts a lively bouquet. It is medium bodied with a lingering crisp, and spicy finish.
2008 Hogue Genesis Viognier
2006 Château Barreyres Haut-Médoc
This wine has a flowery nose with a hint of citrus. With pear, apple and citrus flavors, this well bodied wine finishes with a bit of spice.
This wine has a nose of minerals and spice. On the palate, it has tastes of strawberries and black cherry with the fresh fruits balancing a subtle oakiness.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
[ÉÄ|wtç j|Çx 9 V{xxáx With speaker Jacob Bacharach & special guest Carol “Dear Heart” Pascuzzi
2008 Mastroberardino Aglianico Campania This wine is filled with ripe cherries, dried herbs and tobacco and its sweetness spreads out nicely on the lingering finish.
Wine Flight December 7, 2011
Holiday Wine and Cheese
2009 Ventana Gewürztraminer, Monterey, California
2008 Hogue Genesis Viognier, Columbia Valley, Washington
2006 Château Barreyres Haut-Médoc cru Bourgeois, France
2008 Mastroberardino Aglianico Campania, Italy
Gewürz means "spicy" in German and that is the main characteristic of Gewürztraminer. Traminer means "coming from Tramin," which is a small city where the grape is from. Alsatian versions are bone dry, with their spicy character accentuated by bracing acidity. German versions range from dry (kabinett) through off-dry (spätlese) to sweet (auslese), sweeter (beerenauslese) and sweetest (eiswein and trockenbeerenauslese).
Tasting Notes: This wine is a blend of 88% Viognier and 12% Chardonnay and is aged in oak for seven months. It boasts a flowery nose with a hint of citrus. With pear, apple and citrus flavors, this well bodied wine finishes with a bit of spice.
Tasting Notes: With a ruby red color and hints of purple, this wine has a nose of minerals and spice. On the palate, this wine tastes of strawberries and black cherry with the fresh fruits balancing a subtle oakiness.
Tasting Notes: With a deep red color, this juicy wine has a lovely sweetness. It is filled with ripe cherries, dried herbs and tobacco and its sweetness spreads out nicely on the lingering finish.
Tasting Notes: Ventana models its Gewürztraminer in the off-dry Alsatian Style. With flavor characteristics of lychee, orange blossoms, cinnamon and nutmeg spices, it exudes a lively bouquet. The wine is medium bodied with a lingering crisp, spicy finish with some lemon-lime on the end.
Food Pairings: A classic pairing is with French variety Munster cheese, Alpine Shepard, Ardrahan, Boursin, Chevre, Durrus, or Hirtenkäse. PLCB 32288 @ $9.99
Food Pairings: This wine can be paired with aged cheeses such as aged provolone or Parmigiano Reggiano.
Food Pairings: Try this with Emmentaler, Manchego or Ossau-Iraty (Pyrénénes sheep milk cheese).
PLCB 32272 @ $15.99
PLCB 32238 @ $8.99
Food Pairings: Serve with Beaufort, Roquefort, Ossau-Iraty or Saint Nectaire. Best served at 62.6F, after decanting. PLCB 32246 @ $12.99