Wine Tasting, Wine World

Event: In Shop Tasting featuring 6 wines
Where: 133 Georgia Ave., North Augusta, SC

803-279-9522

When: Thursday, Apr 23, 5 to 8 pm
Cost: $4, with rebate on the purchase of 1 bottle of the featured wines.

Wine drinkers sampled six wines and as many cheeses at Wine World Thursday night. All the wines were outstanding.

One white that stood out was the Manu Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand, for $12.99. It’s well balanced, offering all the best of New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs without blasting your taste buds.

All three reds were popular, but the Chianti, for $9.99, and the Cotes du Ventoux, for $12.99, seemed especially good bargains.

Here are the wines tasted:

Manu Sauvignon Blanc
What: Terrific. Big citrusy, herbal, tomato-bush aromas. Pretty fruit with lots of herbal and lemony citrus notes. Crisp finish. With oysters or any shellfish. Manu is the Maori word for both bird and kite, and the Manu logo is an interpretation of a ‘Te Manu Tukutuku’, a beautifully crafted Maori kite. This kite represents the hallmarks of Manu wines: craftsmanship, elegance, and the pure nature of New Zealand.
From: Marlborough, New Zealand
Winery: Manu (Martinborough Vineyard)
Year: 2008
Goes with: Great with light cream sauce. Goat and sheep cheeses.

Prochaine Vin de Pay d’Oc Chardonnay
What: Crisp, pleasant, and lively. Aromas and flavors of yellow apples and pears with a hint of honey. Medium body with an attractive and lingering finish.
From: France
Winery: Prochaine
Year: 2007
Goes with: Appealing for sipping. Roast Chicken.

Bigi Orvieto Amabile Classico
What: A beautiful, lightly sweet version of the dry Orvieto white we know best. Fresh, wild-flower-perfumed aromas with almond. Full flavors of lemon and lime, soft and fresh with a long finish of ripe fruit. An appealing aperitif.
From: Umbria, Italy
Winery: Bigi
Year: 2007
Goes with: A perfect match to fois gras, seasoned cheese, appetizers and soups, fish. Fantastic at the end of a meal as a light sweet.

Villa di Campobello Chianti
What: A simple, delicious and inexpensive Chianti. Dark ruby with aromas of violets and strawberries. Happy flavors of black raspberries and strawberries. Great fruit and structure with a long, satisfying finish.
From: Tuscany, Italy
Winery: Villa di Campobello
Year: 2007
Goes with: An ideal match to pasta dishes with tomato-based sauces.

Domaine Fenouillet Côtes du Ventoux
What: A very lovely red from the southern Rhône. Generous dark berry wines and flavors. Medium full body, well balanced. Lingering finish.
From: Ventoux, France
Winery: Domaine Fenouillet
Year: 2007
Goes with: Grilled sausages, portabello mushrooms.

Crios Susana Balbo Cabernet Sauvignon
What: A stunning wine from one of the finest winemakers of South America. Enticing aromas of ripe plum and black currants with a hint of cedar. Full-bodied flavors of plums and currants with dark chocolate and vanilla. Tasty tannins provide structure and a long, lingering finish.
From: Mendoza, Argentina
Winery: Crios Susana Balbo
Year: 2007
Goes with: Grilled beef, game, sausages, or lamb.