I have had a wine revelation. I am not drinking enough Moscato. I didn’t even realize what I
had been missing! On a recent trip to Canada we made our usual trek to the Saq Depot to stock
up on vino for the weekend. For those who aren’t familiar with the Saq Depot it is very similar
to Buy Rite here in the States. It is set up like a warehouse and is packed full of wine at very
advantageous prices. I am like a kid in a candy store in these establishments. I love to have
so many options to choose from but I try to stick with a mix of familiar wines and add some newbies. One
of these new selections was McWilliam’s Hanwood Estate Moscato from Southeastern Australia. I
was familiar with the McWilliam’s brand but hadn’t had any of their whites. I was a little
apprehensive that this wouldn’t appeal to everyone since some Moscatos can be overly sweet. It
turns out my worries were unnecessary. In the glass it is light gold with a slight frizzante.
It’s a highly aromatic wine with predominately floral notes and the sweetness wasn’t overdone.
I perceived flavors of peach, citrus, and honey. Overall McWilliam’s Hanwood Estate was
extremely refreshing and was a huge hit! At only 6% alcohol it is the perfect wine to enjoy on
lazy summer afternoons. One side note: it seems this particular Moscato may be hard to come by
here in the States even though I see McWilliam’s just about everywhere. I am now a woman on a Moscato
mission!
McWilliam’s Hanwood Estate Moscato NV
Posted in Australia
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Argyros Atlantis White
One of the things I enjoy most about wine is that there is always something new to discover and you can never learn everything within the world of wine. Writing this blog and seeking more knowledge about this subject pushes me to step out of my comfort zone so that I am not drinking the same varietals or sticking to one specific region all of the time. A new experience for me was trying my first Greek wine. I had always thought that once I traveled there it would be all I would be drinking and didn’t give it another thought. I have never looked in my local wine stores to see their Greek wine selection nor have I ever looked to see if they were present on any wine lists. The fact that I never go to Greek restaurants also illustrates my zero experience with anything from this region. Recently I attended a wine tasting featuring wines that come from islands featuring the Mediterranean. Before the tasting began we were looking to see what the selections would be and my friend leaned over and said ” Greek wines aren’t good.” I hate to generalize like that and admit to having felt that way at one time about wines from South Africa. I soon figured out they weren’t all bad, I just didn’t particularly care for the specific ones I had tasted at that time.
The very first wine in the lineup was Argyros Atlantis White 2011 from Estate Argyros Winery located on Santorini. Based on what my friend had said none of us had high hopes and figured since we had nine more wines to go we wouldn’t even remember it as the tasting progressed. I am very happy to say that we were VERY wrong to make that assumption. Atlantis White is actually quite good. It is comprised of grapes native to Santorini: 90% Assyrtiko, 5% Aidani,and 5% Athiri which are grown in volcanic soil. In the glass it is a clear straw color with a light, slightly floral aroma. I got a lot of pineapple on the palate along with the usual citrus flavors classic to the majority of white wines. It is very acidic making it ideal to pair with food and is 12.5% alcohol. I liked this wine so much I ordered it at the tasting and we had it last weekend paired with an orzo, mint, and feta salad. Argyros Atlantis White is also an excellent value retailing for under $16 per bottle.
Estate Argyros Winery is family owned and was started in 1903. They have been granted many awards including the Top 100 Wineries in the World two years in a row in 2005 and 2006.
Posted in Greece
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Tasting My Way Through Rome and Sorrento
At the end of October 2012 I was thrilled to be able to make my dream trip to Rome and the Amalfi Coast a reality. Italy is the one place I have always dreamed of traveling to and now that I have had a taste of it I can’t wait to go back. There is so much more of this gorgeous country that I need to explore. I never thought that Rome would be my favorite city but the richness of the history and the delicious food don’t compare to any other city that I have been to. Of course being the wino that I am, a large part of our trip involved drinking Italian wine. We joke when people ask about our trip that our toughest decision at each meal was whether to get a half bottle or full bottle. Normally we would save the full bottles for dinner and just have a half at lunch. This was probably wise since I would have been sightseeing in a wine induced haze. Prior to our trip I didn’t normally gravitate toward Italian wines. An occasional Chianti, Nero D’ Avola, or Montepulciano d’ Abruzzo would be ordered if we were out at an Italian restaurant but it didn’t make a regular appearance at home. I had tasted some not so stellar versions in the past and had also read an article about how cork taint was affecting quite a large amount of their wines. I am happy to say now that we are back from our trip we have been drinking them more at home since we enjoyed the wines on our trip so much. We drank many of the restaurant’s house wines and several different bottles of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. The best part was that they were all extremely reasonable in price. Many were between 8 and 15 euros. We did splurge on our last night with a very nice Brunello from Banfi. Below are some of the highlights of our taste through Italy.
Famous tartufo and house wine at Tre Scalini in Piazza Navona.
Had a glass of Prosecco at Enoteca Barberini. Loved the wine decor on the walls and the live band added to the ambiance.
Hands down the best gelato in Rome is at Gelateria Valentino. We went here twice a day!
Delicious brick oven pizza and house wine at Piccolo Buco.
First time in the trip we didn’t get a house wine. Really good Montepulciano d’Abruzzo that we had with our pizza at a tourist trap restaurant in the Trastevere neighborhood. Pizza was just ok but the wine made up for it!
Our first night in Sorrento we ate at La Lanterna across from our hotel. We enjoyed this rosé which was drier than what I am used to but I loved it.
Another great Montepulciano d’Abruzzo in Sorrento at Pizzeria Aurora.
The most entertaining dining experience we had was at Tavern Allegra. The food and service were outstanding and you sing along with the owner and a guitarist. They pass out tambourines at the end of the evening for the big finale. I believe this was their house wine.
No dinner in Italy would be complete without a night cap of Limoncello. Sorrento is known for it’s lemons and the local Limoncello is the best!
Our driver took us to La Zagara in Positano for some yummy pastries and cappuccino.
Didn’t want to wait in the long lines in Anacapri so we had a liquid lunch while people watching at Due Pini with a half bottle of their house wine.
A tasty bruschetta with prosciutto and artichoke hearts at Due Pini.
I can’t remember the name of this restaurant where we had lunch but we got our daily dose of caprese salad and pizza with a half bottle of their house wine.
Primavera was a daily stop for gelato and they had a TON of flavors!
We loved La Lanterna so much we went back for a second night. This time we sat outside and tried yet another Montepulciano d’Abruzzo.
Back in Rome for our last night in Italy we splurged on a Brunello di Montalcino from Banfi with which I had my last dish of the Roman favorite cacio e pepe.
I definitely ate my weight in creamy pastas, pizza, prosciutto, gelato, and caprese salad for ten days and I didn’t feel guilty about any of it! I am hoping to have my next Italian adventure in the next two years so I can eat my way through Tuscany. I hope I have made you very hungry (and thirsty) with this post. Buon Appetito!
Posted in Italy, Wine bars/Restaurants
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Be Your Own Wine Expert
For most people drinking wine is a pleasurable and relaxing experience however the process of selecting what wines to enjoy can be a very daunting task. Wine stores and restaurant wine lists can be intimidating and at times overwhelming for any wine novice. Instead of making blind decisions and worrying if your selection will be worthwhile, there are several ways that anyone can become their own wine expert.
WINE TASTINGS
The best advice I received in the wine world was at my very first wine tasting. The distributor guiding us through the tasting said that the best way for anyone to learn about wine is to educate your palate by trying as many different wines as you can from all varieties and regions. The more you do this the more you learn what you like and what you dislike. You may like heavier, full bodied reds or you may realize you prefer dry, crisp whites. The easiest way to do this is to attend wine tastings offered by local restaurants and wine shops. Whether these tastings are free or require a small admission fee they are a fun and educational way to try a broad selection in one sitting. These events also teach the proper technique for tasting a wine as well as background on the wineries and their production processes.
VISIT A WINERY NEAR YOU
If you have a day, a long weekend, or better yet can head to Napa for a week- take a trip to wine country and head to your nearest winery. For a low fee you can taste a sampling of what that particular winery has to offer. Some even provide behind the scenes tours to demonstrate the wine making process. My own visits to the North Fork of Long Island and Napa, CA provided me with what now are some of my favorite wines. Since some of these are only available locally had I not taken the trip out there they would have remained undiscovered to me.
MAKE YOUR OWN WINE TASTING
A great excuse to stay in on a Saturday night-have your own wine tasting party. My friend did this as an alternative to a traditional bachelorette party and it was a huge hit. Each guest brought a bottle of wine they wanted to try as well as an appetizer to share. Each wine was sampled and reviewed which encouraged discussion of the different wine styles. At the end of the night everyone voted on their favorites. This is another great way to try many different varietals without having to step out and buy something without trying it beforehand.
PUT YOUR NOSE IN A BOOK
After you have tasted your way to becoming an expert you can take your nose out of the glass for a bit and put it into a good wine book. There are many books now available at Barnes & Noble on this topic and they provide a more economical alternative to enrolling in formal wine classes. My wine bible is the Windows on the World Complete Course Book by Kevin Zraly 2010 edition. This book is full of valuable information and is written in a clear and understandable format. It also includes the wine selections that are used in the tasting portion of each of his actual classes.
The more you taste and learn about what you are drinking the easier it becomes to know without a doubt what wines you will enjoy most. Become your own wine expert because life is too short to drink bad wine!
Posted in Wine tastings/events
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Clos Du Val Ariadne 2010
With the temperature swinging drastically over the last couple of weeks my mind is conjuring images of summer and the upcoming boating trips we will be planning. Half the fun is choosing which wines we will bring aboard for our voyages and sip while enjoying warm breezes and breathtaking sunsets. If we love a white or rosé wine we always refer to it as a “good boating” wine. Clos Du Val Ariadne 2010 is definitely a good fit for our term. We had the pleasure of visiting Clos Du Val during our Napa trip and were so impressed with the quality and consistency of their wines that we joined their Joy wine club. Every quarter we receive two bottles and they all have been delicious!
I haven’t been drinking a lot of white as I tend to save them for warmer evenings but this Ariadne is the exception to my rule. This creamy white is a blend of 68% Sémillon and 32% Sauvignon Blanc grapes and is a pale straw color in the glass. I get a slightly floral aroma and citrus flavor with a hint of oakiness. It has great acid and is slightly sweet on the finish making it a good choice for food with bold flavors. We paired ours with snacks of blue cheese, summer sausage, and garlic stuffed olives. Clos Du Val Ariadne is 13.5% alcohol and can be purchased online via www.closduval.com for less than $20 per bottle.
Posted in California
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