TIME TO SMELL THE ROSES

It should read Roses with an accent over the e. Roses have always got a bad rap when it comes to wine, generally being sneered at by most “wine connoisseurs”. Please read: ROSES ARE NOT WHITE ZINFANDEL! If you can get past that hurdle you are half way there. You may not realize it but there is a Rose Renaissance going on right now! There are a growing number of Roses made world-wide. Each wine is a little different from the next in a range from the faintest pink to a glowingly pink color. From the Spring to early Fall, it has become quite a phenomena. These wines are perfect for picnic and barbeque refreshment. Even though they may be filled with strawberry and cherry aromas, often times they can be surprisingly bone dry with a refreshing acidity. They also can at times be full-bodied, rich and spicy with an alcoholic kick. What a revelation!! What is great too, is that they are light on the pocketbook—all under $20

So you may ask how are these wines made? It is said that the Ancient Greeks would dilute Red wine by adding water to prevent drunkenness and quarrels. Seriously, though all Roses start out as Reds and finish as Whites. If we were to strip away the skins from all grapes, you would find that they all look alike. It is the Skin that imparts the color and in the case of Reds those crazy things call Tannins. There are three major ways to produce rose wines:

1. Skin Contact: The term Maceration refers to how long this contact lasts. It will vary from wine to wine and be as little as 4-6 hours to 24 hours to several days. Fermentation is avoided and the vinification, usually in stainless steel, continues as for white wines

2. Saignee (say-NAY) French for bleeding. In this process juice is “bled” off the top of the maceration tank of a red wine being produced and then processed like it was a white wine.

3. Blending: This technique, simply mixing red and white wine together has been banned from all wine producing countries. There is one exception in Champagne, France occasionally they will combine red and white wines to make Sparkling Roses

Two very important notes: ALWAYS BUY THE YOUNGEST VINTAGE AVAILABLE. ALWAYS CHILL THEM BEFORE SERVING. These wines are ready to drink and should not be cellared or opened past two years.

Roses can be very versatile with food. When a White is not enough and a Red is too much the answer most times is a Rose My advice to you is to not let this Spring and Summer pass by without smelling the Roses. Try one and I am sure you will be surprised!

Below I have included some wines to get you started. At the Fruit Center we carry nine different Roses:

1. Vintage: 2009 Mulderbosch Stellenbosch, South Africa
Grape Variety: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Alc.: 13.5%
$$$: 11.99

Notes: Refreshingly fruit-forward, this wine is very versatile with food especially summer salads and grilled Tuna; wine critic Steve Tanzer called this wine “a very sexy rose”

2. Vintage: 2009 A to Z AVA South Oregon, USA
Grape Variety: 100% Sangiovese (Grown Organically)
Alc: 13.5%
$$$: 11.99

Notes: This is a beautiful offering from Oregon’s fastest growing vineyard. Looking like Cherry flavored Cool aid that is where th similarity ends. Aromas of wild strawberries and watermelon lead to juicy fruit flavors followed by refreshing acid and a lingering crisp finish. Great with all summertime fare

3. Vintage: 2009 Cuvee des Olivers Massamier La Mignarde Languedoc, France
Grape Variety: 80% Cinsault, 10% Syrah, 10% Grenache
Alc: 14.6%
$$$: 9.99

Notes: This Domaine has been around since Roman times. Pale pink in color with floral notes. There are fresh fruit flavors with a bit of spiciness and a long persistent finish. Would match well with a nice Lemon Sole or Coquille St. Jacques

4. Vintage 2009 Chateau du Don Jon Minervois, France
Grape Variety: 40% Syrah, 40% Cinsault, 20% Grenache
Alc: 12.5%
$$$: 12.99

Notes: This is a firmly structured rose with sweet ripe raspberry flavors that just dare you to drink more. DO NOT open this by yourself because it is too easy to finish the bottle! “One of the great wine values under$25” Robert Parker. Don’t be fooled by the luscious fruit flavors because this wine will finish bone dry. Great with chicken, sausage or ham not to mention a fruit dessert!

5. Vintage: 2009 Ferraton Cotes du Rhone Rose Samorens. France
Grape Variety: 75% Grenache, 25% Syrah and Mouvedre combination
Alc: 13%
$$$: 9.99

Notes: Rose from a major red wine producing family; fresh lively fruit flavors with lots of minerality on the finish.

6. Vintage: 2009 Planeta Rose Ssicily, Italy
Grape variety: 100% Syrah
Alc: 12%
$$$: 16.99

Notes: Debuted in 2007 this rose is an intense luminous pink inviting pink color. It is a little more full bodied with aromas of rose petals, pomegranate and wild strawberry. Don’t let the fruitiness fool you because this is perfectly balanced with plenty of acidity and finishes with a silky crispness.

Great as an aperitif or with light pasta dishes some warm octopus and potato salad would be good too!

7. 2009 Cortijo Rose Rioja, Spain
Grape Variety: 50% Garnacha, 50% Tempranillo
Alc: 12.5%
$$$: 9.99

Notes: A deep enticing pink wine with a complex bouquet of fed berries, flowers and dried herbs gives way to a zesty refreshing tastewith nice texture on the finish. Great paired with grilled swordfish

8. 2009 Domaine Houchart Cotes de Provence , France
Grape Variety: Blend of Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault and Cabernet Sauvignon
Alc: 13%
$$$: 9.99

Notes: winemaking family since 1748; this is classic rose : delicate,soft and subtle but has a flinty minerality that gives the wine depth and complexity which leads you to keep pouring… black olives with a crusty baguette, please!!

9. Vintage 2009 Masciarelli Rosato Montepulciano, Italy
Grape Variety: 100% Montepulciano
Alc: 12.5%
$$$: 7.99

Notes: Intense red fruit aromas give way to cherry,raspberry and strawberry flavors; a nice shrimp risotto would be good now!
This list should give you a good start on sampling some of the great Rose’s for summertime drinking
Cheers
Alan

WINES AROUND THE WORLD WITH CHRIS & BILL

“Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance”
Ben Franklin

APERTIFS
Vintage: 2006 Sparkling Shiraz - Kilroy was Here - Mclaren Vale, Australia
Grape Variety: 100% Shiraz
Alcohol: 13%
$$$: 13.99

Notes: Only the Aussies would take a Sparking Shiraz seriously! This is NOT your “Cold Duck”, think cough syrup and boiled lollipops. It is made just like Champagne with a secondary fermentation in the bottle. There are hints of sweet fruit, oak and firm acid, but surprise it finishes very dry. Found exclusively in Australia. This is a great summer wine for the barbeque or just a great way to start things off!



WHITES
Vintage: 2009 Twin Vines Vinho Verde DOC , Portugal
Grape Variety: 35% Loureiro, 23% Trajadura, 22% Pederwa, 20% Albarino
Alcohol: 10%
$$$:7.99

Notes: “Green Wine”, light, crisp with some spritzyness; refreshing citrus flavors; great with seafood and salads



Vintage: 2008 Durnberg Gruner Veltliner Falkenstien,Austria
Grape Variety: 100% Gruner Veltliner
Alcohol: 11.5%
$$$:11.99

Notes: wine produced since 12th century; zesty flavors of apple, melon and lemon; all the rage in Europe where it goes by the nick name of “GROOVY” but slow to catch on here; very food friendly and pairs well with asparagus and artichokes.



Vintage: 2004 Trimbach Gewurztraminer Reserve (say ga/ VERZ/tra/mee/ner)
Alsace,France
Grape Variety: 100% Gewurztraminer
Alcohol: 13.5%
$$$: 29.99

Notes: 400 years of wine-making since 1626; Gewurz German for Spicy;
One of the rarest and most exotic smelling wines that you will ever taste. Because it is a nightmare to grow, it is not planted everywhere. The smell of rose petals, fruit and spice makes it intoxicating on the nose. It is the perfect companion to “hot” Asian or Cajun dishes and good with Munster and Roquefort cheeses.



ROSES
Vintage: 2009 Mulderbosch Stellenbosch, South Africa
Grape Variety: 100% Cabernet Sauvignnon
Alcohol: 13.5%
$$$: 11.99

Notes: This is NOT WHITE ZINFANDEL. Refreshingly fruit-forward, this wine is very versatile with food especially summer salads and grilled Tuna; wine critic Steve Tanzer called this wine “a very sexy rose”



REDS
Vintage: 2008 Viu Manent Carmenere Colchagua Valley, Chile
Grape Variety: 100% Carmenere
Alcohol: 14.5%
$$$: 7.99

Notes: This is Chile’s signature grape with over 4,000 hectares under vine. This is a glass of cherry-fruit flavors and smoky spice. It reminds me of dark chocolate, tobacco and leather. Originally planted in Bordeaux, France, it has all but died there and Chile has made it her own. Dark crimson in color, hence its name is smooth with well rounded easy drinking tannins. Not meant for aging and should be drunk young and fresh. This grape is often confused with Merlot, but ripens three weeks after Merlot.


Vintage: 1996 Faustino I Tinto Gran Reserva DOC Rioja, Spain
Grape Variety: 90% Tempranillo, 10% Mazuello and Graciano
Alcohol: 13%
$$$:42.99

Notes: Faustino is the largest exporter of Gran Reserva wines in Spain. It is a far cry from their founder, whom in the 1860’s sold his wine from a barrel at the back of a horse drawn cart. The wine is aged in oak 2-3 years and then refined in bottle for 4 years before being released. This wine is delicate yet intense with a velvety finish.



Vintage: 2004 Joseph Drouhin Chorey-Les-Beaune Beaune, France
Grape Variety: 100% Pinot Noir
Alcohol: 13%
$$$:29.99

Notes: Established in 1880, the name Joseph Drouhin means great Burgundy! Their estate encompasses 182 acres. His wines marry a balance, harmony, finesse and character. There is a great purity of taste.”September makes the wine” and in 2004 it was a great season. The grapes were hand-harvested and the juice aged in oak for 12-15 months. This is an elegant and refined with tannic structure; a taste of blackberry jam on the palate and a long smooth finish. Some of his wines can be aged for up to 40 years. Pinot’s can be the most versatile of food wines and can be paired with swordfish to turkey.



*Vintage: 2007 Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir AVA Willamette Valley,
Oregon, U.S.
Grape Variety: 100% Pinot Noir
Alcohol: 13.9%
$$$:40.00

Notes: All the grapes are hand-picked with a long and careful fermentation. Custom made Burgundy Oak barrels are used for aging. “French soul, Oregon soil is their trademark. Veronique is the daughter of the world famous Burgundy producer Joseph Drouhin. They have been making wine since 1988 in Oregon and have always been on the viticultural cutting edge of the region. Much of their wine is restaurant allocated so this is a rare treat to have available. The wine always scores in the 90”s for those keeping track. Just think of yourself in a smoke and spice box of cherries and you have an idea of the wine’s flavor profile. There are racy red fruit flavors that are well balanced with a long persistent flavor which will leave you calling for a second glass. Can cellar up to 10 years

Vintage: 2001 Travaglini Gattinara Riserva DOCG Piedmonte,Italy
Grape Variety: 100% Nebbiolo
Alcohol: 13.5%
$$$:64.99

Notes: Scored a 92 in Wine Spectator; Lots of fruit and spice on the nose; this wine is a full-bodied gem that is highly structured with chewy tannins. The finish is long lasting and juicy. This is best with grilled meats and hearty stews. The term Riserva stands for additional aging, (3 years or more in oak)

Vintage: 2005 Le Cigare Volant Bonny Doon Vineyards AVA Santa Cruz, Ca. U.S.
Grape Variety: 50%Grenache, 24% Mouvedre, 22%Syrah, 3%Carignanne and 1%Cinsault (unfiltered)
Alcohol: 13.5%
$$$:34.99

Notes: Cigare Volant translates as “flying cigar”. In the famous Chateauneuf-du-Pape region of the Rhone River Valley in France there was great concern in1954 about flying saucers landing in their vineyards and doing damage so they passed an ordinance forbidding “alien landings” .It has been met with great success! This is the brain child of wine making genius Randell Graham owner of Bonny Doon. He is one of the original “Rhone Rangers”. These Ca. winemakers worshipped the Rhone style of winemaking and tried to duplicate here. Grenache is the driving force of this blend. There are vibrant flavors of red fruit, cocoa bean and sweet spice. This is a voluptuous wine balanced with moderate acid and crunchy tannins. The finish is long and savory and will last “light years”. It looks like grilled beef or lamb on the menu for this bottle!


*Vintage: 2005 Alter Ego AOC Margaux, Medoc Bordeaux, France
Grape Variety: 57% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol: 14%
$$$: 150.00

Notes: 92 Points from Wine Spectator. 2005 was one of the greatest vintages for Bordeaux so this wine may be veryyyyyy hard to find now! Many say that this is the best Alter Ego ever. It is Chateau Palmer’s 2nd wine. Ask me about this phenomenon. This is a powerful and complex wine; like one famous wine critic once said “an iron fist inside a velvet glove!!” There are abundant sweet berry flavors, unusually dense yet with soft tannins. It finishes like an elegant cathedral’s rose window, opulently long!!


Vintage: 2006 Planeta Santa Cecilia Sicily, Italy
Grape Variety: 100% Nero D’Avola (Sicily’s greatest red grape)
Alcohol: 14%
$$$: 44.99

Notes: Planeta is Sicily’s leading wine producing families, just established in 1985. There wineries are spread throughout the country. This is a smooth and opulent wine that will leave you panting for more. It is brazenly oaky spending 12 months on oak. Cinnamon spice and plumy fruit flavors linger on the tongue. Highly concentrated and intense, it has a long delicious finish too! Think beef tenderloin…
My Notes:


Vintage: 2004 Lang & Reed Cabernet Franc Premier Etage AVA Napa Valley, Ca.
Grape Variety: 97% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot
Alcohol: 14.5%
$$$: 32.99

Notes: This Family owned winery founded in just 1996 is based on the premise that Cabernet Franc, known as a blending grape, and distant cousin of Cabernet Sauvignon (especially in Bordeaux’s) can stand on its own. Premier Etage means first floor or one level up so this is a Cab Franc of deeper expression. This is the 8th release of this wine. They call Cab Franc the “Conservatively, Compassionate Grape”. The juice sees 25 months of ageing in French Oak before being bottled. Think chocolate cherries with this wine and the soft, round tannins assures a long satisfying finish. This wine can be cellared for up to 10 years. It is also known for its bell pepper aromas. Warm toasted walnuts with pear and blue cheese crumble would be ideal with a glass of this!




Vintage: 2005 Lolonis Orpheus Petite Sirah AVA Redwood Valley, Ca.
Grape Variety: 99% Petite Sirah, 1% Gamay
Alcohol: 14.9%
$$$: 40.00

Notes: This vineyard was founded in 1920 by 2 young Greek immigrants and has been a family enterprise ever since Lady Bugs love Lolonis and are used by the thousands to ward off pests. No pesticides or herbicides are used ever thus qualifying Lolonis ‘as an organic vineyard. The grapes are from vines planted ½ century ago. The Wine Enthusiast rated it a 93 and many believe it is their best Petite ever! Be warned, this wine is not for the faint-hearted!!! It is a thickly tannic offering with wild berry flavors that have cola, spice, cedar and tobacco accents. The wine arrives at an intensely longgggg finish. A great savory stew would do well with a glass or 2 or 3 or 4….
My Notes:


DESSERT
Vintage: 2008 Eos Tears of Dew AVA Paso Robles, Ca.
Grape Variety: 100% Muscat Canelli (late harvest) the oldest domesticated grape variety
Alcohol: 11%
$$$: 24.00

Notes: 91 Points from Wine Enthusiast; considered by many to be the most luscious and intense dessert wines in Ca; Eos is the largest winery in the Central Coast and is powered totally by solar energy. Aromas of apricot and peach continue onto the palate with a finish that is clean and not cloyingly sweet. This is great poured over ice cream or a fruit cobbler!



Cheers!!

Alan
howarth2@verizon.net
http://alanswinecellar.blogspot.com
617-877-2407

AGEING RIOJA WINES

Rioja is the greatest wine producing region of Spain. It is the countries version of France’s Bordeaux’s and like Bordeaux is a blend of 3 or more grapes with Tempranillo being the main one, but these wines have the delicacy of a fine Burgundy. On the whole Rioja wine is aged longer before release than any other wine in the world. Ten years is not uncommon! It is the only wine in Spain to carry a DOC status. What this means is that it MUST meet the highest standards in it winemaking and viticultural practices. You will see a label on every bottle.

Below is a thumbnail sketch of the age classifications:

CRIANZA: This is the youngest wine, easy drinking with vibrant flavors, these wines are the bread and butter of every Bodega. These wines MUST be aged for at least 2 years, one of which must be in oak barrels

RESERVA: Made from superior grapes in prime growing areas, these wines are more lush and concentrated in their flavors. They are made only in EXCEPTIONAL years. These wines must be aged for at least 3 years one of which must be in oak barrels

GRAND RESERVA: These wines are extremely rare, come only from the best vineyards and represent just 10% of the wines produced. These are the most elegant, refined and silky of all the Rioja’s. These wines must be aged for at least 5 years two of which must be in oak*.

It is a real treat to have the opportunity to be drinking a Grand Reserva at any tasting.

*The oak is traditionally American but there has been some use of French in recent history.

- Alan

WINE OF THE WEEK #2

Treana White 2007

When I first tasted Treana it was several years ago and being the “red wine snob” that I can be it was the vibrant and powerful red blend, a great wine in the $40 price range. When I learned that at the Fruit Center we were bringing in the white variety I was excited! The Hope family of Pasa Robles with Austin at the helm have been innovative winemakers. The Treana White is no exception. Some of the “Rhone Rangers” out in the Ca. we think of as only red wine devotees but this white wine is very unusual, in that, it brings two big Rhone white varietals together in the same bottle with delicious results. The Hope operation likes to refer to its wines as “HIGH IN DELICIOSITY”. This wine is a blend of 53% Viognier and 47% Marsanne.

This is extremely unusual for a California white wine. What is not so unusual is that more and more Ca. winemakers are using a combination of oak and stainless-steel in the fermentation process to help keep a lot of the fruit flavors intact. Here, Austin ferments 10% of the juice in steel. The balance sees 8 months in French oak aging and then is blended before bottling
The result is pure elegance with the possibility of cellaring over the next decade! The wine is intensely aromatic with stone fruit flavors. You just want to hold this liquid in your mouth. There is great structure and complexity to the wine. Of course I had to grill up a juicy swordfish steak with my bottle!
You are thinking, Alan what’s the price for this gem? While it lasts, we have it at the Fruit Center for a mere $15.99. After that we can order it for you at its normal price $23.99

News Flash

Two big dates coming up:

This Friday April 30 6:00-8:00 the Fruit Center Spring Collection featuring the unveiling of our great Rose’s for the season in addition to some light fare for the summer with Scott Weinstein of Baystate Wines

Thursday May 13 at 6pm Skinner’s Fine Wine Auction with Lower Falls Wine Co. If you have not attended a wine auction this is great fun! There are 484 different lots to be gaveled. For more info contact: www.skinnerinc.com You can actually view all the lots on line. There are some exceptional ones!

Cheers
Alan

More Than Just Nouveau

More than Just Nouveau

One of my favorite topics of discussion is Beaujolais, the wine that so many people seem to love to hate. Of course they are thinking about that Nouveau juice that comes out every third week in November in pretty flowered bottles with usually Georges Duboeuf’s name on the label. It is light and fruity and goes well with turkey. Not meant for ageing, it should be consumed over the holidays. I have enjoyed bottles of this over time and it is always a fun seasonal kind of wine. BUT… Nouveau is not where Beaujolais ends. Far from it!! It extends far from the classic bistro wine of Paris that is served in pint glass bottles known as pot.

The Gamay grape, which the Duke of Burgundy, Philippe the Bold outlawed in 1395 calling it “a very bad and disloyal plant” produces more wine than the rest of Burgundy combined. There are more than 96 villages producing wine in the region. This translates to over75 million bottles produced a year!!
My focus here, is Cru Beaujolais, the highest classification of wines in the region. There are ten different villages that produce quite different wines even though, they are using the same Gamay grape. Unlike their Nouveau cousin that makes use of carbonic maceration so that fermentation can take place in as little as four days, these wines have a longer fermentation time which equals more tannins and a fuller body. You also have a range of soil types and vineyard altitudes with upper slopes having schist and granite based soils with a touch of limestone and the lower slopes having soils made up of clay and stone. This in part, accounts for the different flavors imparted from each village wine.

I have divided the villages into three sections: light bodied, medium bodied and full bodied. The wines from this first section are meant to be drunk with three years of the vintage. They are Brouilly, Regnie and Chiroubles. Brouilly is the largest of all the Crus . Regnie is believed by locals the first vineyards planted by the Romans. The wines here are a little more full-bodied . Chiroubles wines are known for delicate wines with aromas of violets.
The next group are medium-bodied and can use a year of ageing in the bottle and then can be drunk within four years of the vintage. Cote de Brouilly, Fleurie and Saint Amour make up this group. The wines of the Cote, (slope), are less earthy and much more concentrated then their neighboring Brouilly. Fleurie is widely distributed in the U.S. so may sound familiar to some of you. These wines are among my favorites and have a velvety smoothness to them. They also can last up to 16 years! Saint –Amour wines are a little more spicy and can have pleasing peach aromas. These wines can have a cellar life of up to 12 years.

The last group is made up of the villages of Chenas, Julienas, Morgon and Moulin-a-Vent. The wines in this group can develop such structure and complexity that they can rival other Burgundian reds. Who would have thought that Beaujolais could produce wines like these when critics have often used the word JELLO to describe the regions flavors!! Chenas is the smallest of the Crus and sticking your nose into a glass of this and you can smell wild roses. These wines can last up to 15 years. Julienas is named after Julius Caesar a big wine drinker during his time who spent time here during his conquest of Gaul. There are deep rich and spicy flavors in these wines. Morgon is my all time favorite Beaujolais and is very dark in color and has a lingering silky finish. I also love their apricot and peachy nose. Moulin-a-Vent comes in a close second and you have to look twice at the label to believe that it is a Beaujolais. These wines are the longest lasting and most structured of the group. These wines can go up to20 years in the bottle. These wines see more oak ageing and may often have futs de chene, (oak casks), on the label.

My challenge to you is go out and find and try some of these “other” Beaujolais. I am sure that you will agree with my friend, N.Y. Times wine critic Eric Asimov, that these wines are “seductive” with surprising complexity. They are more than just Nouveau.

Cheers
Alan

Wine Of The Week!

WINE OF THE WEEK

Sorry to have been away for a while… personal matters…  I have decided to debut a wine of the week piece featuring a great value wine for under $20.  There are plenty of them out there!

This week’s wine is Guardian Peak Frontier 2007.this is a blend from South Africa.  It is part of a project of the South African golfer Ernie Els and his friend wine maker Louis Stydom.    The blend is 38% Cabernet, 35% Shiraz, and 27% Merlot.  The three grapes were vinified separately for eight months and 10 months in French and American Oak. The juice then went thru two months of blending before arriving in the bottle.

This wine weighs in at 14.9% alc so it has some power behind it  It is ripe and smoky with black cherry fruit flavors.  As usual, any blend can bring so much complexity to a wine and this Frontier is no exception!  This is a wonderful drinking experience.    It should also mature and soften over the next five years

As an interesting aside, Ernie Els has an autistic child so is very committed to educating the public about Autism.  You will be interested to know that a portion of  the sale of this wine will go to the organization Autism Speaks.  There are a number of wines out there these days that are tied to important causes. Not only can you enjoy a nice glass of wine but also know that you are helping!  By the way we sell this wine for a mere $8.99 at the Fruit Center.  Come in and try a bottle

Cheers

A

Wine and Dine

                              WINE AND DINE

     One of the perks to being in this business is that you get invited to a lot of wine dinners and this past week I was lucky to attend not one but two!

The first was a private affair held by wine connoisseurs John and Cheryl Connery.

They featured three outstanding wines:  a 2007 G.D. Vajra  Langhe Nebbiolo,  a 2000 Guigal Cote-Rotie  Brune et Blonde and a 2006 Secco Bertani Valpolicella Valpentena Ripasso.  Each one distinctly different from the other.

     Some people would call a Nebbiolo coming from Langhe  in the southern corner of Piedmont a “poor man’s  Barolo,” but this wine was young and fresh with an easier drinking character and lighter in the mouth.  It complemented the first course of ravioli with red sauce quite nicely.  It was a great lead-in for the second wine, a mouth filling black cherry spice bomb from Guigal.  This wine was full-bodied with great acidity.  The wine is 96% Syrah and 4% Viogner.  I know that some people are surprised when they realize that Viogner is a rare aromatic white grape blended in with the Syrah but it is a knock out combination .  24 months in oak also adds to the flavor profile and this matched very well with the main beef entrée.

     

      The final wine, the Secco-Bertani we had with an apricot filled cake.  This was quite a combination.  This was no ordinary Valpoliicello but a Ripasso one.  What this means is the simple combination of 70% Corvina 25% Rondinella and 5% Molinara , the usual grapes that make up any Valpolicello  have the added benefit of “resting” on the lees (read skins) of Amarone wine. This imparts great character and flavor not to mention boosting the alcohol count.  There is a Black Cherry minerality that carries over from the nose to the palate.  Great acid and tannins combine with a long dry finish to conclude this package.  The fruit of the cake combined nicely with the nutty spiciness of the wine!

If this wasn’t enough, two days later I attended a celebration of Oregon Wines at Abby Park. (www.abbypark.com)    If you haven’t been to this gem of a restaurant in Milton, you must check it out.

     

     Oregon is known for its Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir and the wines showed well with the courses offered.  We kicked things off with a great A to Z Riesling.  This winery has filled in the gap for pricing Oregon wines at less than $20.

What excited me most about this dinner was the fact that several wines from one of my favorite Oregon wineries, Abacela in the Umpaqua Valley were being featured. (www.abacela.com)

     I also learned that they have been named one of the Hot Small Brands in the wine industry.  While travelling out west several years ago I had the good fortune to make the acquaintance of Earl and Hilda Jones.  Back in the 60’s Earl and Hilda had fallen in love with Spanish wines especially Tempranillo.  There one dream—start their own winery and produce their own Tempranillo. Having a son who had studied climatology helped and a tiny spot in Oregon called Roseburg was selected as having the ideal climate for growing these grapes.  Quite ironically if you drew lines of latitude  across the globe they would coincide with Rioja, Spain the homeland of Tempranillo.  In 1997 they were rewarded with their first vintage and it became  the first commercial Tempranillo  in the pacific northwest.  We got to taste the 2006 with a delicious 4^th course of venison ossobuco.   This was just one of the highlights of the wine dinner.  Their  2008 Albarino, yet another Spanish varietal was paired with Taylor Bay Scallops  in a blood orange vinegar. I also can not leave out the beautiful Duxbury Oysters with a crisp “07” Bethel Heights Pinot Gris and dueling Pinot Noir’s from Rex Hill and Bethel heights matched to wild Copper River Salmon.  Is your mouth watering yet?  We finished off with a special treat of Abacela Port made with the traditional Portuguese varietals Touriga National and Tinto Ruiz.

     The Abacela winery is worth exploring if you have the opportunity to go out west.  The good news if even if Ma. Won’t let them ship to you, we can do the work for you at the Fruit Center.  They have some great varietals: Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, (already sold out this year), Dolcetto  just to name a few.

They believe in a total harmony between the grape variety and its terroir.  To further that end they also believe in a minimal handling idea and let the grapes do the talking .  Here you see the of Gravity Flow over the traditional method of crush and pump in the fermentation process.  What do I mean by this?  Simply, the winery makes use of multiple levels to move the wine very gently without pumping over.  Just imagine the grapes arriving on the top floor for sorting and de=stemming and falling into stainless steel fermenters on a level below and finally to aging barrels below that.  Neither the grapes nor the wine are ever moved by pumps.  The results really show!!!  Thank you Isaac Newton.

     There you have it!  There is another wine dinner coming up on Tues March 16^th ; 6:30 at Upstairs 0n the Square, (http://www.upstairsonthe square.com/happenings)   tkts are $68, very reasonable compared to lets say the Boston Harbor Hotel dinners…

The wines are from a great little Ca. Hirsch Vineyards,(info@hirschvineyards.com)   If you enjoy intense Pinot Noir’s made in small batches, you will love these wines. I am going, so why not join me?  See you there!

Cheers

Alan

WINE CLASS: Fritz Winery Tasting and Pairing with Clayton Fritz

Thursday, March 25

6:00p.m. to 8:00p.m.

Fee: $40 (includes a $10 Fruit Center gift card)

Clayton Fritz, proprietor of Fritz Winery, and the Fruit Center's Tim Paulus, will be joining together for an amazing night of wine and food. Located in Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma, Fritz is one of California's top-tier wineries. Clayton Fritz, in Boston for only two days, will join us to discuss and sample eight wines from his portfolio, including two reserve wines and a dessert wine. Not only will Clayton share his winemaking knowledge and philosophies, but he'll also sign bottles after the event. Tim Paulus, the Fruit Center's wine buyer, will display his culinary skills (Tim is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America) and create four dishes to pair with some of the wines. Join us for this unique, one-night-only event. 

Save this date and join me for a great evening with Clayton and Tim

Cheers

Alan

A NEW GRAPE HERO

        Just when you thought you knew all the grape varieties, here comes a new grape hero:  Nero D’Avola, (NAY-roh-DAH-voh-lah).  Actually the grape has been around for quite some time but only as a minor player being used to fortify weaker French and Northern Italian reds.  Now  via some great viticultural and wine making techniques it has arrived at center stage.  Named for the little town in southern Sicily, Avola, where it has grown for several hundred years, it has spread throughout the island and become Sicily’s leading red grape.  Yes, we can add another indigenous grape to Italy’s collection.  Because of its singular climate, Sicily is fortunate to have a consistent growing season from year to year and Nero D’Avola just thrives in the warm sunshine.

Nero has often been compared to Syrah because it is a big red with ageing potential.  Several weeks ago I was introduced to the Planeta wine portfolio where I discovered this Nero D’Avola gem called Santa Ceceilia (2006).  I suggested that they put a warning on the label: may cause an explosion in your mouth!

           The Planeta family can stake a claim to being Sicily’s leading wine producer.  In a short time they have built an empire on the island with four vineyards and five wineries.  They are quite the innovative wine makers with great care for the environment and in Buonivini where Nero grows they have an ulta-modern facility called Cantina Invisible which means that  everything is underground to safeguard the beauty of the surrounding countryside

           They first bottled Nero D’Avola in 1997 and are now producing 105,000 bottles annually.  The wine spends 12 months in old French Oak barrels before iit is bottled. The “06” vintage was considered a luminous year and it shows withRobert Parker rating it a 90. Although Sicily may be known for its organized crime, it also now produces 12% of Italy’s total wine production.  Now may be a time to pay a little more attention to this little volcanic island.

           Loving this silky and full-bodied red I included it in my recent private wine tasting.  I was keen on seeing what reaction I would get and to confirm that I wasn’t the only one who thought that this was great stuff.  It was sandwiched between a beautiful Banfi Brunello and a Travaglini Gattinara Riiserva.  I know that sounds so unfair and I thought that my guests would easily fall for the Gattinara but to my delight Saint Cecilia won out!!  This wine is mouth filling with a smoky concentration of fruit flavors. There are subtle hints of tobacco and licorice.  There is also plenty of acid matched by elegantly tight tannins and a powerhouse finish.  I am getting thirsty just from talking about this.  The wine sells for $39.99, a steal at that price and is available at the Wine Shop in the Fruit Center Marketplace in Milton

Cheers

A

Private Wine Tastings

I am available for private wine tastings.  You name the time and place and i will be there.  I can tailor a tasting to any group big or small in any budget using wines that you pick or wines that i pick.  My fees are $200 for me.  You pay only for the wines.  If you want to build the tasting around food that is all up to you.  I will come with a few types of cheese and crackers for an additonal $50.  If you need glassware you can go thru me or i can put you in touch with a rental company.

I did my first private tasting last night for an intimate group of 6.  This is what we sampled.  In addition i provided three cheeses:  a soft Goat Brie with warm Dalmation Fig Spread, A Grafton Vt. extra sharp white Cheddar and from Oregon a Rogue River Blue made once a year and wrapped in Pinot Noir Grape leaves that have been macerated in Pear William (a pear liquior).

Cheers

Alan

THE MURPHY’S ULTIMATE WINE TASTING PARTY

“Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance”    Ben Franklin

APERITIFS

Vintage:  NV, Emeri Sparkling Shiraz;  Southeastern Australia

Grape Variety:  100% Shiraz

Alcohol:  13.5%

$$$:11.99

Notes:  The DeBortoli family is a 3^rd generation winemaking family.  Sparkling  Shiraz is unique to Australia and has been made since the 1860’s   Although appearing to be sweet with aromas of raspberry, it finishes very dry. Winery motto: “Let the wine make itself.”

WHITE WINES

Vintage:  2006 Trimbach Gewurztraminer;  Alsace,France

Grape Variety:  100% Gewurztraminer  say: ga VERZ tra mee ner

Alcohol:  13%

$$$:25.99

Notes:  One of the rarest and exotic smelling wines that you will ever taste.  Because it is a nightmare to grow, it is not planted everywhere.  The smell of rose petals,fruit and spice makes it intoxicating on the nose. It is the perfect companion to “hot” Asian or Cajun dishes and good with Munster cheese.

ROSE WINES

Vintage: 2009 Mulderbosch; Stellenbosch, South Africa

Grape Variety:  100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Alcohol:  13.5%

$$$:11.99

Notes:  This is NOT WHITE ZINFANDEL.  Refreshingly fruit-forward, this wine is very versatile with food especially summer salads and grilled Tuna

REDS

Vintage:2008 Viu Manent Carmenere; Colchagua Valley, Chile

Grape Variety:  100% Carmenere

Alcohol:  14.5%

$$$:8.99

Notes: This is Chile’s signature grape with over 4,000 hectares under vine.  This is a glass of cherryfruit flavors and smoky spice.  It reminds me of dark chocolate, tobacco and leather.  Originally planted in Bordeaux,France, it has all but died there and Chile has made it her own.  Dark crimson in color hence its name,is smooth with well rounded easy drinking tannins Not meant for aging and should be drunk young and fresh. This grape is often confused with Merlot but ripens three weeks after merlot.

Vintage:  2008 Menage a Trois;  Napa County, California

Grape Variety:  Blend of equal amounts of : Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel

Alcohol:  13.5%

$$$:11.99

Notes:  This is a fun wine! It is like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich without the peanut butter, like cotton candy melting in your mouth. Each variety was fermented separately and then blended together.  The Cab forms the bottom layer with its backbone and complex character; the Zin is in the middle with all its Jammy sweetness and fruit and the Merlot is on the top with its well rounded fruit.

Great with grilled meats and chicken. This is the great experiment of putting three young grapes together in one action packed bottle!

Vintage:  2007 Moulin a Vent  Domaine Diochon Beaujolais, France

Grape Variety:  100% Gamay

Alcohol:  13%

$$$:24.99

Notes:   this is NOT Beaujolais Nouveau but one of the 10 villages in Beajolais.  It is considered the KING of them all .  In 1695 the Duke of Burgundy banned the grape as “a very bad and disloyal plant.”  This village produces one of the longest lasting and powerful wines in the region.  It can be cellared for up to ten years.  This wine is like pure silk and has the power of an iron glove over a velvet fist!

Vintage:  2007 Domaine Drouhin, Pinot Noir; Willamette Valley, Oregon

Grape Variety: 100% Pinot Noir

Alcohol:  13.9%

$$$:40.00

Notes:  All the grapes are hand-picked with a long and careful fermentation.  Custom made Burgundy Oak barrels are used for aging.   “French soul, Oregon  soil is their trademark.  Veronique is the daughter of the world famous Burgundy producer Joseph Drouhin.  They have been making wine since 1988 in Oregon and have always been on the viticultural cutting edge of the region.  Much of their wine is restaurant allocated so this is a rare treat to have available. The wine always scores in the 90”s for those keeping track.   Just think of yourself in a smoke and spice box of cherries and you have an idea of the wine’s flavor profile.  There are racy red fruit flavors that are well balanced with a long persistent flavor which will leave you calling for a second glass.  Can cellar up to 10 years

Vintage:  2003 Chateau Clerc Milon; AOC  Pauillac, Bordeaux, France **

Grape Variety:   this wine is a blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34%Merlot, 14%Cabernet Franc, 3%Petit Verdot, 1%Carmenere

Alcohol:  13%

$$$:75.00-100.00   Note: maybe hard to find in case supply

Notes: This is Rothchild’s 2^nd wine.  Approx. 14,000 cases made annually.  This is a powerful, rich, dense wine.   The wine is aged in oak for 18 months of which 30% is new.  With the blend you get layers of flavors.  The tannins are well defined with notes of smoke, coffee, and vanilla flavors  There is also a hint of  nuttiness. The firm structure on the palate leads to a lingering finish.  Can cellar for up to 20 years.  The wine scored in the 90’s for both Wine Spectator and the Wine Enthusiast   The Dancing Clowns on the label are precious stones made by a German goldsmith in the 1690’s and in Rothchild’s Wine and Art Museum

Vintage:  2004 Brunello di Montalcino; Castello Banfi DOCG Montalcino,Italy

Grape Variety:  100% Sangiovese

Alcohol:  13.5%

$$$:75.00

Notes:  This is a great Italian Estate located in the Brunello region of Tuscany that dates back to the Renaissance.  You can actually stay on the property. The winery has won numerous International  and Italian  Awards not to mention in the Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines.  This is a powerhouse of a wine.  It lives for 2 years in oak followed by 2 more years in bottle It is full-bodied with well integrated tannins.  There are fabulous aromas of Black fruit, think blueberry Pie. 2004 is a big time vintage.  It has great structure and finishes very long and dry.  It will definitely rip your face off if you are not careful!!

Vintage:  2006  Planeta Santa Cecilia, Nero D’Avola  IGT Sicily

Grape Variety:  100% Nero D’Avola

Alcohol:  14%

$$$:30.00

Notes:  Planeta is Sicily’s leading wine producing families.  There wineries are spread throughout the country.  This is a smooth and opulent wine that will leave you panting for more. It is brazenly oaky spending 12 months on oak.  Cinnamon spice and plumy fruit flavors linger on the tongue.  Highly concentrated and intense, it has a long delicious finish too!  Think beef tenderloin…

Vintage:  2001 Travaglini Gattinara Riserva; DOCG Piedmont, Italy

Grape Variety:  100% Nebbiolo

Alcohol: 13.5%

$$$:80.00

Notes:  Scored a 92 in Wine Spectator; Lots of fruit and spice on the nose;this wine is a full-bodied gem that is highly structured with chewy tannins.  The finish is long lasting and juicy. Best with grilled meats and hearty stews.  The term Riserva stands for additional aging, (3 years or more in oak)

Vintage:  2002 Syrah, Vineyard of Pasterick;  Dry Creek Valley,Ca. **

Grape Variety:  97%Syrah, 3%Viogner

Alcohol:  14%

$$$:45.00  Note : this vintage is sold out but can get other ones; may have to be shipped so additional shipping charges may apply

Notes:  This wine is near and dear to my heart as I worked on this vintage.  It follows a classic “Cote Rotie” template It is a dark handcrafted, unfiltered and unfined richly aromatic wine.  The fruit is drawn from two distinct geological hills: one a hill of rich red clay, the other  millions of years old bedrock.  The grapes are co-fermented with Viogner.  The wine goesthrough a second malolactic fermentation to smooth out the tannins.  This is a very rich and elegant wine with a finish that will stay with you for a long time.

Vintage:  2008 Ridge California Sonoma County Three Valleys; Ca

Grape Variety:  74%Zinfandel, 11%Petite Sirah, 5%Carignane, 4%Matoro, 3%Syrah, 3%Grenache

Alcohol:  14.2%

$$$: 26.99

Notes:  As you can see this is a special Zin with everything but the kitchen sink thrown in. Paul Draper Ridge’s wine maker is a true “mad scientist” of a blender!  This is an elegantly structured wine that packs a big wallop;one of Ridge’s many Zins in their portfolio.

DESSERT WINES

Vintage:  NV Neige Cidre de Glace;  Quebec,Canada

Grape Variety:  actually a blend of Apples:80% McIntosh and 20% Spartan

Alcohol:  11%

$$$:29.99

Notes:  the first Apple Ice Wine; started production in 1994; uses Natural Cryoextration  to produce the wine; verycrisp and a perfect balance of aceid and sugar

CHEERS!!

** wines from my personal collection

2010 WINE EXPO ADVENTURES

     This year’s Expo was a sellout!  I was happy to attend both days again for the 14^th time.  I took advantage of the special 2 hour window for the trade to roam the aisles searching for new wines and tasting some of the old familiar ones.  People do not realize that this is the largest wine tasting in the U.S.  Yes California may have more of them but never so many wineries in one place.  Unfortunately in recent years there has been a marked absence of some of the elite wineries.  What has been happening more and more are wineries coming to the show looking for representation in Mass. I had a personal encounter this year with Sarah’s Vineyard.  I had a customer inquiry about Sarah’s Merlot several weeks ago at my store and learned that they had no distributor in Ma. They were coming to the Expo expressly to find representation. I had to go to their booth and sample their wines! What a discovery! Spectacular Pinot Noirs from the Santa Cruz  Mtns.  I hooked them up with Bay State Wines and hopefully in the next several months my customer will have her case of Merlot and more wines will be added to the Massachusetts portfolio.

     I also go to the Expo for their seminars and every year they come up with some great ones.  This year I attended a wine and cheese pairing class.  You can never learn enough about cheese. This class did not disappoint.  I was introduced to Wasik’s Cheese Shop of Wellesley, MA www.wasiks.com.  There were six wines paired with eight different cheeses.  Two stand out:  a Deloach Pinot Noir with Montgomery Cheddar from Somerset England and Neige Apple Ice Wine with a Rogue River Blue Cheese from Oregon.  What great combinations!!!  For Steve Wasik cheese is just God’s way of preserving milk.  Field trips to this shop are a must, but bring your pocketbook

So much about wine is in the marketing and this year there were some great examples of that: you could join the Vampire Wine Society or the Wine Sisterhood.    Trying to capitalize on all these vampire movies will prove a successful way to market these Ca. wines.  They are all easy drinking and fun.  My favorite was True Blood a Cabernet from Napa.

Sisterhood wines are quite a collection of wines that has already gotten a lot of press.  The Purple Cowboy was on the Today show last week.  Rachel Ray chose their Promiscuous Red as one of her favorites. The real marketing target though is Middle Sisters.  There are wines with names like Drama Queen Pinot Grigio, Rebel Red and Smarty Pants Chardonnay.  Anyone who is a middle sister or knows a middle sister will be lining up for these wines, all based on a label. The wine and the price(less than $15.00) are good too!

     For those of you who are fans of the Goats Do Roam wines of South Africa, they have changed the labels to new and flashy ones.  They have also introduced a new wine to their portfolio called Chakalaka, (an African spice).  This is a nice fruity spice bomb of a wine, YUM.

     I know that Spring is just around the corner and maybe you are starting to crave some of those great Rose’s  (NOT White Zin), well Alexander Valley Vineyards Rose of Sangiovese  had R.Parker gushing, “one of the finest dry Ca. rose’s I have tasted”  I had some and agree!  It will be available at the Fruit Center this spring

Another new wine to let your taste buds check out is Tina Marie a smoky cherry Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley and Fulcrum Wines.

     You know that your Sunday is going to start off right when you are greeted at the entrance to the show with decanters of Banfi wines.  I started the day off with a taste of their new Super Tuscan called Belnero, www.banfivintners.com

Mainly Sangiovese with bits of “Noble French Varietals, it was beautifully well balanced and delicious and there was also a taste of their famous SummuS too!!

     I hope that many of you took advantage of the weekend and participated, if not plan for next year and maybe I will see you there

Cheers

A  

A BORDEAUX PRIMER

I know that when people talk about Bordeaux wines they are filled with questions and confusion. After all, the region is  the largest vineyard in the world.  There are over 15,000 growers and dozens of famous estates.  With a bottle production of some 700 million, it seems a daunting task to make sense of it all.  Many people think of the “First Growths”, the Lafittes, the Latours, the Margauxs,  the Haut Brions and lump all Bordeauxs  into the too expensive category relegated to just the rich and famous. The reality is that these wines make up only a small percentage of the total wine production.  

Most Bordeaux are neither famous nor expensive but are good everyday drinking wines.

Bordeaux translates as “along the waters” and the rivers of the region, the Gironde and its two tributaries, the Garonne and Dordogne help  to simplify matters by making a left bank and a right bank.  Bordeaux is a red wine driven region with over 80% of wine produced in the red category.  It should also be said that there is no “Bordeaux Grape.”  All wines are blends of two or more varietals. This makes for potentially very complex and elegant wines.  Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are the leading varieties and it is easy to remember that most left bank wines are Cabernet driven (60% or more) and most right bank wines are Merlot driven.

Not to be forgotten, are the white wines where Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon are the major players; in fact up until the 1970’s Bordeaux produced more white wine then red wine.

Let’s look more closely at what each grape brings to the table in forming these  blends: Cabernet  Sauvignon brings structure, intense and deep flavors and enormous tannins; Merlot can add character,roundness and suppleness to rein in out of control Cab at times; then there are the co-stars: Cabernet Franc which can add a little spiciness, Malbec a touch of softness and Petit Verdot  alcohol and backbone.

With the whites: Sauvignon Blanc brings its crisp, lively freshness; Semillon gives its weight and depth; Muscadelle gives its light floral character and Ugni Blanc its neutral blending.

The Medoc(including Haut Medoc) contain the four most prestigious regions : Margaux, St. Julien, Pauillac and St Estephe.  Along with Graves and Pessac-Leognan makes the Left Bank

The Right Bank features St. Emilion and Pomerol

Generally speaking the smaller the Appelation(read geographic area), the finer the wine.

Of course with all the Bordeaux’s around someone needed to classify them.  At the Paris Exposition of 1855 they came up with a list of 61 wines; all red wines that mainly focused on the Medoc and excluded both St.Emillion and Pommerol.

The wines were broken down into 5 categories:  there were 4 1^st growths, (Chateau Mouton-Rothchild was elevated to make 5 in 1973), 14 2^nd growths, 14 3^rd growths, 10 4^th. growths and 18 5^th  growths.  To add to the confusion there are also three classification levels:

1 Premier Grand Cru Classe

2 Grand Cru Classe

3 Grand Cru

All these rankings can be helpful as a guide but don’t waste your time memorizing them.  In the end all these ratings are fragile and temporary at best . The thing to do is TASTE!  There is no substitute for that.

There are three things I will leave you with that are important:

First, note  that in recent vintages there were three spectacular ones: 2000,2003 and 2005.  ANYONE with a brain and some land could make great wine during those years!!!  If you see them buy them.  The 2000’s are starting to drink well now and the others will follow.

Second, learn about Bordeaux “Second Wines”. When a Chateau makes its “First” wine it blends all the best lots together but what becomes of all that wine that is left over?

It goes toward a Chateau’s less promoted, sometimes secret 2^nd wine.  It is important to learn these wines because they sell for up to 50% less than their primary wines and based on the wines that I have tasted can be just as good if not better than their much publicized relations.  Below are a list of some of my favorite 2^nd wines:

PRIMARY                                                 SECOND

Mouton  Rothchild                                     Chateau Clerc Milon

Leoville-Las Cases                                      Clos du Marquis

Chateau Latour                                            Les Forts de Latour

Chateau Margaux                                        Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux

Chateau Palmer                                           Alter Ego

Chateau Cos d’Estournel                            De Marbuzet

Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou                       La Croix

Chateau Lynch-Bages                                Chateau Haut-Bages-Averous

Chateau Haut-Brion                                    Bahans Haut-Brion

Chateau L’Angelus                                    Carillon de L’Angelus

I have given you 10 for starters. There are many more and often times 2^nd wines extend beyond Bordeaux into other wines.  Every winery has a portfolio of wines that they make.  Be aggressive, find a wine guy in your favorite store and pick their brain and always be trying new things.  Sometimes you will be surprised atwhat you find in those 2 for $15 bins

Finally, in the Medoc, there is a collective name for some 200 chateaux. None of these wines are classified. These are called Crus Bourgeois.  Here is where you can find the true bargains.  This is where drinking and discovering these wines can be so much fun! I will give you three of my favorites: Chase –Spleen, Potensac and Maucaillou

This is just a primer on Bordeaux wines and I am just scratching the surface.  There is so much  for you to continue learning.  In 2000 I discovered the pleasures of a good Bordeaux and of course it was the year for one of the great vintages, but I did not have a lot of money.  I talked 2 of my close friends to pool funds with me and I bought  6 cases of wine from all different parts of the region as Futures.  It is like playing a wine Stock Market.  You just have to believe in Delayed Gratification.  Just based on what critics have to say about barrel samples you chose your wine and lock in a price.  The WAITING begins.  After two years the wine is bottled and shipped to the U.S. for delivery.  Once in your hands, you need to lay it down for three, five, maybe ten years before drinking! It is just good that there are so many other great wines to drink.  I found that the price I paid per bottle and the price on the shelf could be $20 or more but there are no guarantees

I formed the Howberlisi Wine group and we have continued to buy Bordeaux Futures. In 2003 I purchased 10 cases and in 2005 12.  Sthe group has also expanded to six people. There are lots of ways that you can get great wine at good value. Be Creative

Cheers

Wine Worthy!

Please save the date Jan 23-24 for the Boston Wine Expo.  Doors open at 1pm and you can sample quite a few Gewurztaminers!  If you want to join me, I will be there both days.  My email is alanswinecellar@gmail.com   Do check out the various seminars offered.  I learned so much from attending them over the years.  This year there is a spectacular Corton Charlemagne and Corton Grancey vertical tasting, there is a Rubicon terroir tasting and a Cristal champagne tasting too.  If you have to pick one day, Sunday is usually the less crowded.  Go on line and see what wineries will be represented and plan out your day ahead of time.  Also pack some crusty French Bread and cheese.  It will help soak up all the wine that you may taste.  REMEMBER to SPIT especially if you do not like something. Those are my Expo tips

Friday Jan 29 6pm-7:30pm

Our Fruit Center Wine class this month will feature Tim Paulus’s Excellent adventure in California’s Central Coast.  This is one of Ca.’s most underrated growing areas

Tkts are $25 which includes a $10 Fruit Center gift card.  Call 617 696-5274 for reservations

Hope to see you there!