First Friday Tasting-Wine World-Mar. 5

Posted by Bottle Report on Mar 5th, 2010 in Event Coverage, Featured Articles, Review | 0 comments

Kev, Catherine, Andres, Peter and Jacques

Event: It’s First Friday again, and six great wines were presented, all at great prices. You could tell the weather is warming up, as a big crowd stopped by to taste the latest great finds at Wine World.

Every First Friday tasting is special, but this month’s seemed especially strong, from the unusual Italian wine to the great Argentine Malbec to the luscious Valdiguie. It was difficult to pick a favorite.
Where: Wine World, 133 Georgia Ave., North Augusta, SC
803-279-9522

When: Friday, March 5th, 5 to 8 pm
Cost: $4, with rebate on the purchase of 1 bottle of the featured wines.

Here are the wines presented:

Mandra Rosso Fiano 2008
What: Wine World’s March White Wine of the Month–A vivacious, exciting white. Ripe tropical fruit and citrus notes with full flavors and a nice mineral aspect. Medium body. Dry with a fine balance between the fruit and the acidity. One of our favorite whites. Originating in southern Italy, the grape Fiano has been grown for over two thousand years. Fiano is a wonderful and versatile food wine as well as a delightful aperitif.–From Wine World’s tasting notes.

This wine had a great, fresh taste. My first sip made me wonder how good it would be. But it turned out to be wonderful. The hint of minerality nicely balanced the fruit. This would be good with shellfish and with dishes served with a cream sauce, such as fettucini alfredo.
From: Sicily
Winery: Mandra Rosso
Year: 2008
Goes with: Its fresh acidity makes it a fine partner to rich food; seafood, chicken, pork dishes, creamy sauces, rich cheeses.

Acrobat Pinot Gris from King Estate 2008
What: Here’s a marvelous Pinot Gris at an easy-on-your-budget price. This beauty is made from their estate organically grown grapes by the premier Oregon Pinot Gris producer, King Estates. Taste it and you’ll see why it has garnered awards and high accolades. Lively aromas and flavors of pears and citrus, a nice note of honeydew melon with just a hint of spice. –From Wine World’s tasting notes

This fabulous wine was Wine Spectator’s wine of the week in December. There’s a lot to like here, with a very smooth finish on lively wine. Acrobat is a second label for the acclaimed King Estate .
From: Oregon
Winery: King Estate
Year: 2008
Goes with: Herb roast chicken. Creamy cheeses. Mustard & coriander crusted salmon. Aperitif.

J Lohr Estates Wildflower Valdiguie 2008
What: Wildflower is a vibrant, red-purple in color with bright aromas and flavors of boysenberry, Bing cherry and raspberry. Its luscious fruit and balancing acidity make Wildflower a delightful aperitif and also a very good food wine. Grilled salmon, sausages. This wonderfully appealing light-bodied red is made from the Valdiguie grape, a grape originally of the southwest of France. Now it is grown very few places besides Jerry Lohr’s cool Arroyo Seco Monterey vineyards.–From Wine World’s tasting notes

This is a longtime favorite. This is a red wine for folks who think they don’t really like red wine. Very fruity, without overpowering your taste buds. Light, fresh taste. Good for sipping on the porch. From: California
Winery: J Lohr
Year: 2008

Diseno Malbec 2007
What: A very appealing Malbec with blackberry aromas with spice notes and a slight floral aspect. Generous flavors of dark fruit and blackberry with and a hint of cocoa and a nice mid-palate flavor lift. Lingering finish.–From Wine World’s tasting notes

Malbec continues to grow in popularity, and when you taste this one you’ll know why. Very smooth, well-rounded taste. No harsh edges here. Lots of fruit, but good structure. Good wine for grilling. From: Mendoza, Argentina
Winery: Diseno
Year: 2007
Goes with: Steaks or burgers with Argentine chimichurri sauce. Grilled eggplant and red peppers with Manchego cheese.

Borsao Tres Picos Garnacha
What: Wine World’s March Red wine of the Month- A perenniel favorite this Garnacha (Grenache). Vintage after vintage Tres Picos is superb. A dense and complex full-flavor wine from 30-40 year old vines, hand-harvested, low-yield. Intense flavors of ripe blackberries, raspberries and dark cherries. Hints of black tea and spice. Silky texture and a lovely, lingering finish. Age-worthy, 3-4 years. At this special sale price, while supplies last. –From Wine World’s tasting notes
Another longtime favorite, with lots of dark fruit. Smooth finish. From: Campo de Borja, Spain
: Bodegas Borsao
Goes with: Perfect for your rich dishes, for beef, game, lamb. Full-flavored cheeses.

ChocoVine

ChocoVine
What: “The great taste of Dutch chocolate and fine Cabernet wine”–from the website.
Wine World has had many requests for this; many customers love it; many who were skeptical have liked it very much. . . so, why not? Here is your opportunity to taste this award-winning novelty wine-beverage. Quality dark Dutch chocolate, cream and French Cabernet wine are blended carefully to produce a rich, luscious, creamy, sensational taste. Think Bailey’s Irish Cream, but much lower alcohol and much, much, much lower price. Very long, very lingering finish.–From Wine World’s tasting notes
: Dekuyper