The Wine Seller: September 2020 Wine Club

How to Survive Home School

Also, how to celebrate not having to survive home school.

WINE CLUB: SEPTEMBER 2020

GRAPESBY THECRATE.COM

September 2020 This month we're exploring wines that are perfect pairings for those of you who are about to become home school teachers and perfect pairings for those of you who are celebrating the fact you are not about to become home school teachers. Did I also mention these are perfect pairings for those of you who are teachers trying to figure out how to teach in the world of Canvas and Zoom and email and Microsoft Teams.

And I am serious about this, I specifically picked these wines because they are meant for the everyday celebration, the mid-week pick me up, and the "I-just-need-this-to-survive" nights.

I'm a firm believer in wine for the moment - that bottle that may not change your life, but will definitely change your weekend. As much as I love to talk about wine and enjoy something incredibly complex, I am just as big a fan of something that I don't have to think about, but can simply enjoy.

Those kind of wines are the ones that we need right now. We are rolling into uncharted territory. We're nearly six months into the world where Covid-19 exists, and we're still building new processes for our day-to-day. I hope that you're all taking time to rest, time to relax, time to check in with yourselves. It's easy to get swirled into all of the heartache, fear, and chaos of the world. Don't forget to stop and smell the wine in your glass. To take a moment in the present and simply enjoy a little pleasure.

This month's book is not quite as a long as you've become accustomed. I hope you'll forgive me this time around. We are in the process of packing up our house here in Williamsburg to move up to Richmond in the next couple of weeks. I promise that the wine is going to be transported by me and not the movers! I also promise that I'm taking my own advice and will stop to enjoy this month's wines as well.

Here's to all of you, to your daily small victories, to overcoming daily challenges, and to simply enjoying the wine in your glass!

Cheers, Amber PS - If you're wondering what kind of wine pairs best with moving, it's gin.

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Things to Make You Laugh While You Drink Wine



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WHITE WINES white wines

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Ken Forrester Petit Chenin Blanc In 1993, as a young family man, Ken Forrester set his sights on Scholtzenhof, a historic vineyard and estate founded in 1689 in Stellenbosch. The property had a rich history and had been a vineyard since 1694. Ken and his wife, Teresa, purchased the property at auction and were suddenly owners of one of the most derelict estates on record.

By 1994, things had changed. Teresa had spearheaded an overhaul to the home on the property, while Ken made sense of the vineyards on site, some of which were discovered to be over 30 years old. He released his first wine that year under his name and ended up unexpectedly spearheading the resurgence of Chenin Blanc in South Africa.

Not only is Ken Forrester leading the way with grapes like Chenin Blanc and Pinotage in South Africa, but he shows others how to be a part of the community through his company's own example. Their vision is simple: improve the lives of employees by growing the business and thereby providing maximum job opportunities in a market that is desperate for support. The rest of their statement is just as refreshing: "We go a step further, we farm sustainably with no herbicides or pesticides, we till by hand, hugely labor intensive, but very satisfying, we prune, thin bunches and leaves all by hand and finally we harvest by hand. This additional employment we hope goes some way to improving the quality of life in our community and we know that if every community looked after their own, no-one would go wanting. This is our proposal, and consequently each bottle is a victory and represents a small change – for the better – in someone’s life."

This Chenin Blanc is grown in duplex soils, a combination of decomposed granite and fine sandy loam on a clay base. It is hand harvested, fermented cool, and aged for a brief period in stainless steel to preserve the fruit character of the grape.

Tasting Notes Perfect everyday drinking wine. A youthful fresh wine with quince and pear drop flavors. Earlier picked freshness shows on palate with crunchy green apple and grapefruit flavors.

Try It With Serve with all flavorsome, light al fresco late summer meals.

Should last half an hour with the cap off and reach for the next bottle! Pairs best with trying to understand common core math.

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Broadbent Dão White The Broadbent name has been synonymous with fine wine for more than six decades, beginning with the renowned career of British wine writer, auctioneer and Master of Wine, Michael Broadbent, and continuing with his son, the importer Bartholomew Broadbent. Bartholomew’s deep roots in Portugal inspired him to create his own range of Ports, Madeiras and table wines.

Bartholomew’s love for Portuguese wines stems from their eminent drinkability, restrained alcohol levels and the balance which makes them versatile enough to pair with all kinds of everyday dining. Bartholomew worked on building the market for at least 10 major Port brands, so it was only natural that his next step would be to develop his own. He was looking to make wines which were friendly on the palate, yet with enough quality to please the discriminating connoisseur, at an affordable price.

This is the very first vintage for this lovely Dão White. It is produced by Beatriz Cabral de Almeida at her estate in the Dão region. The area sits on three plateaus and is surrounded by mountains, which protect the vineyards from any outside influences. The days are hot and the nights are cool with significant diurnal shifts.

The soils are granite, schist and quartz.

This white blend is produced from native grapes Encruzado, Malvasia Fina, Bical, and Gouveio. After harvest the grapes were destemmed and went through a very gentle crush. The varieties were fermented and aged separately in stainless steel tanks. A brief period of aging in stainless on the lees occurred before final blending.

Tasting Notes The wine has aromas of fresh lemon, lime, orange zest, green apple, fresh white peach, a lemon verbena and tarragon herbal note, along with orange oil, white spring blossoms, and hay. On the palate the wine is dry and medium-bodied with refreshing acidity, and a mouthwatering citrus-driven finish.

Try It With Enjoy this fresh grilled seafood like scallops or Chilean Sea Bass or head in the opposite direction and partner it with a very simple pasta dish with fresh vegetables, olive oil, and lemon juice.

This is also best enjoyed when you're certain the camera is off and no one's teacher is going to see you casually opening a wine at 1 o'clock in the afternoon because the morning was spent yet again trying to log into a canvas or a blackboard or a zoom.

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Tarima Mediterraneo Tarima is one of the labels that falls under the Bodgeas Volver family of lables. Volver is a larger collection of wineries, operating under one central leadership team, that produces wines in Alicante, La Mancha, Jumilla, Rueda, and Valencia. The group has a commitment to working with indigenous varieties while highlighting often overlooked regions in Spain. The three fundamental pillars of Bodegas Volver are based on culture, tradition, and passion. They see themselves as stewards responsible for sharing the life of Spain with the world through wine.

Headed by chief winemaker Rafael CaĂąizares, Bodegas Volver was founded in 2004. Rafael is a fourth generation winemaker, bound to the vine. He started the company in order to recover old indigenous vineyards that had been lost due to low production or a lack of generational succession. The most prized asset is the collection of heritage vineyards that have been purchased throughout Spain. These are all vines that are between 30 and 90 years old that have been tended with minimal intervention and are planted to grapes like Moscatel.

The Tarima Mediterraneo is produced from 100% Moscatel coming from vineyards situated between the Sierra de Salinas, Sierra de Umbria, and Sierra de la Sima at altitudees of 1,800 to 2,100 feet above sea level. These Moscatel vineyards were all planted between 1960 and 1970 and grown in natural, dry farmed conditions. The soil is calcareous, having a high concentration of calcium from both ancient sea beds and limestone, and it naturally reduces grape production.

Mediterraneo was produced in stainless steel at a cooler temperature to preserve the fruit characteristics of the grape, yielding a much more aromatic wine.

Tasting Notes Pale yellow color with steely reflections. Floral aromas from the Mediterranean. On the nose, you can detect white flowers and stone fruit. In the mouth, it is expressive and balanced.

Try It With Perfect alone or with seafood, fish, pasta or salad. Ideal with Asian cuisine and spicy food due to the touch of sweetness. It also pairs very well with science-y things, like learning what punnett squares are again and how they work.

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RED WINES 12

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Broadbent Douro Red We were so excited about the Broadbent DĂŁo, that we had to include the red as well in this month's selections. As mentioned previously, this is a wine that has been selected by Bartholomew Broadbent and bears their company's (and family's) name. This is the first year this wine has been produced.

Our relationship with Broadbent Selections runs deep, and we have been huge supporters and fans of the Richmond based company for years. Even prior to Bartholomew taking over the family business from his father, we knew that the Broadbent name was synonymous with quality and value. Additionally, the wineries from around the world that they represent are among the crown jewels in the areas from which the come.

But back to Douro... This wine is produced by Luis Sottomayor at his estate in the Douro. While Douro is most known for its production of ports, the red wines that originate here are unbelievable, often yielding incredible texture and complexity for a mid-tier price.

When describing the Douro Valley, Dirk Niepoort proclaims it the “hardest, most impressive, intense and expressive wine region in the world. It is more complicated than any other wine area I know, usually southern exposure is the best, but in the Douro we have about 45,000 hectares under vine, with vineyards ranging from 80 to 800 meters." The soils here are mostly schist, but there are variations within the schist, as well as granitic soils. What is most incredible is the steepness and angles at which the vineyards slope down toward the Douro river.

This blend was produced using traditional red varieties like Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Touriga Nacional, and Touriga Franca.

It was fermented in stainless steel and aged briefly in oak barrel.

Tasting Notes The wine is dark purple in color with an electric pink rim. On the nose the wine has aromas of fresh blackberry, dark cherry, black plum and blueberry, with secondary notes of violets, purple lilacs, cracked pepper and dried herbs. On the palate the wine is medium in body with pleasant acidity, fresh dark fruit, medium tannin, and a fruit driven finish. The perfect everyday red.

Try It With Fire up the grill and make an epic burger. Don't feel like cooking outside? Make a meatloaf and send me an email to thank me when you're done. Pairs best with grammar and mechanics.

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Complices de Loire Gamay This little guy might look slightly familiar. The previous vintage has been featured in wine club before. Hopefully, it's a testament to how awesome a wine really is when you see it show up in my picks multiple times!

Franรงois-Xavier Barc founded Complices de Loire in 2010 as a way to feature various AOCs from the Loire Valley. He doesn't actually own his vineyards, but he has surrounded himself with quality winegrowers who share his philosophy and his passion for wine to create his portfolio of wines.

The Loire Valley is located in the middle stretch of the Loire River in central France. It is often referred to as the Garden of France because of the abundance of agricultural pursuits found along the river. The wine region stretches from the Muscadet region on the Atlantic coast to the regions of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume just southeast of the city of Orleans. Loire wines have a tendency to exude fruitiness and fresh, crisp flavors.

The valley is broken into three distinct winemaking areas: the Upper Loire, the Middle Loire, and the Lower Loire. Each region has a grape that they are most known for. In Upper Loire, you'll find Sancerre - home to the world's most reknowned Sauvignon Blanc.

In Middle Loire is Vouvray - the capital of Chenin Blanc growth in the world. In Lower Loire are the famed Muscadets, which are so exquisite with seafood.

Touraine, where this Gamay is from, is located in Middle Loire.

This particular area has some of the most diverse plantings in the Loire Valley, so it's no surprise that Gamay pops up here. This fruit is from a vineyard of sand and clay that sits over a bed of limestone. The grapes are harvested a bit early, and fermented and aged in neutral oak to preserve the grape's natural acidity.

Tasting Notes This wine is deliciously fragrant with bright red fruit tones and soft hints of crushed violet. It is fresh, fruit, has awesome acid, and leaves you wanting more. The wine is balanced and smooth on the palate with slight tannins and a lingering finish.

Try It With Ideal with charcuterie, pizza, and the high pitched squealing of a little person saying they've been kicked out of their virtual classroom again and will you reload it and can I have a snack and what do you mean I can't make the cat sit with me in my video?!

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Riebeek Cellars Merlot Riebeek Cellars is located in the picturesque Riebeek Valley, in the heart of the Swartland wine region of South Africa. Established in 1941 by a group of nine local farmers, they are guided

by Dutch & French traditions dating back 350 years.

It was Dutch explorer Pieter Cruythoff who stumbled upon the Riebeek Valley in 1661. Impressed by the single standing mountain, he called it Kasteelberg (“Castle Mountain”) commemorating the Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town, the fortress of Commander Jan van Riebeeck. The twin towns, Riebeek Kasteel and Riebeek West, established at the foot of Kasteelberg, are therefore also suitably named after Van Riebeek. 27 years later, the French Huguenots arrived at the Cape, after fleeing persecution. They deemed the terroir more than suitable for the continuation of their esteemed winemaking legacy.

It is this unique terroir that distinguishes the wines of Riebeek Cellars. Rainfall occurs during winter months with enough cold units to ensure a proper rest phase for the vines before bud-break in early September. The summers are sunny and warm with cooling westerly winds that are ideal conditions for producing fine white and red wines.

A wide array of grapes thrive in the Riebeek Valley, with Shiraz, Chardonnay, and Chenin Blanc especially shining through thanks to the gravel and shale soil’s moderate growth and yields.

The excellent terroir is complemented by modern viticulture techniques to ensure the grapes can ripen to their full potential.

One of the most popular wines in the Riebeek range, the Merlot offers up one of the easiest drinking wines to come out of South Africa's Swartland. The grapes are hand harvested and fermented cool in stainless steel. A brief aging period in neutral oak follows the fermentation.

Tasting Notes Beautifully ripe aromas of red berries, violets and a touch of earthy spice. Full-flavored and velvety smooth, with sweet fruit and a long toasty finish.

Try It With Match with grilled meat, stews, or roast lamb. This would also be an excellent match for roasted late-summer vegetables. Save this bottle for those homeschool fire drills when you just lock the kids in the backyard and tell them to stand n a line and be quiet while you make sure the drill was done properly.

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Additional Red Wines These are the additional red wines featured this month.

Mocali Fossetti Rosso, Italy The Mocali estate has been owned by the Ciacci family since the 1950’s, their gorgeous Tuscan vineyards are farmed sustainably to give us delicious, ripe and balanced wines. It’s a small estate sheltered by pine and oak forests that also houses two olive groves.

Fossetti is 80% Sangiovese, 20% Canaiolo grown in marly limestone soils. Medium-bodied and earthy with notes of red and black fruit.

Pair with pizza, a cheese board, or pasta.

Madame Bobalu Bobal, Spain Madame Bobalu is another product from Bodegas Volver. This one hails from Valencia, an area with a Mediterranean climate and traces of continental climate due to the altitude. The soils here are predominantly limestone, and the average age of the Bobal vines is 25 years.

Brilliant ruby color. In the nose crystallized fruit, sweet and subtly toasted spices thanks to the time spent in the barrel. Medium intensity in the mouth with a balanced tannin.

Perfect accompaniment to seafood, shellfish, fish, uncured cheeses, salad and rice Remhoogte Soaring Eagle, South Africa Remhoogte Wine Estate is run by Chris Bustred and his family in Simonsberg, South Africa. The family winery and vineyards are actually part of a wildlife preserve, and if you ever get to visit South Africa when the Covid is over, this property is a must see if only becuase you'll find Zebra and other African wildlife roaming free throughout their farm.

Soaring Eagle is a blend of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinotage. A concentrated and savory red, you'll find red raspberry, vanilla, and cedar spice flavors lead into an earthy yet supple finish.

Pair with sausages, roasted meats, and aged cheeses.

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Cellar Selection This month's cellar selection is Chateau de Rouanne Vinsobres.

Château de Rouanne is a historic estate with a 12th century medieval castle, situated on a classified Roman site located in the southern Rhône Valley. The name of the estate comes from "Rugius", which is said to be the name of the original Roman owner.

The estate totals 177 acres (72 hectares), including 153 acres (62 hectares) of vines. Château de Rouanne was purchased by Louis Barruol, owner and winemaker of Château de Saint Cosme, in May of 2019. (Chateau de Saint Cosme is one of the most well respected winemaking properties in Rhone Valley, France.) Barruol sees enormous potential in Château de Rouanne, having worked with the previous owners for years as a source for some of his négociant wines. “It reminds me a lot of Saint Cosme when I took it over in 1992. It’s an unknown sleeping beauty waiting for a vigneron to truly love it.”

Château de Rouanne is located in the appellation of Vinsobres, which was established in 2006. The appellation is situated in the northern part of the southern Rhône. Like Gigondas, it is a relatively cool-climate region thanks in part to the “Pontias”, a cold, nocturnal wind that blows down from the Alps into the valley through the town of Nyons and into Vinsobres. Vinsobres is particularly known for producing outstanding Syrah-based wines.

The vineyard of Château de Rouanne is a unique one-block monopole (single owner vineyard), planted entirely with 50+ year old vines, which are a selection of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. The ancient terroir is comprised of limestone and sandy marl soils dating back to the Pliocene epoch.

Barruol uses whole bunches during fermentation, as the stems absorb alcohol and help retain acidity and tannin. Indigenous yeasts are used to impart the character and the purity of the terroir into the wine. This wine is aged for 16 months in concrete vats and is bottled unfined and unfiltered in order to deliver a “straight to the ground” interpretation of this unique vineyard.

This wine is a blend of 50% Grenache, 40% Syrah, and 10% Mourvedre.

You'll find tones of raspberry, violet, licorice, peony, black pepper, and gingerbread on the nose and palate. It is greatly textured with prominent saltiness and length in the finish.

The Nitty Gritty Alcohol: 14.7 % Titratable Acidity: 3.5 g/L Vineyard Sources: single owner, estate vineyard with vines planted between 1950 and 1975 Fermentation: native yeast in cement vats Aging: 16 months in concrete How to Pair, Pour, and Store Pair: Tomato based dishes like ratatouille or roasted meats Pour: Could benefit from a half hour in a decanter or your glass Store: Enjoy over the next five to seven years. Drink by 2026.

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