It was an educational tasting. Tasting sheets were popular reads.

Event: The hard work paid off. Dennis has been working hard this summer getting a new room ready for parties and wine tastings. Today, they packed them in. Literally as more than 70 tasters showed up for their first wine tasting after a short hiatus. Good nibbles, live entertainment by Wayne Capps, some door prizes and 9 great wines kept everyone happy.

The Liberty School line was popular with many tasters with the Syrah and the Cab being the top picks mentioned. But one taster, Barry, said the Liberty School Cuvee “was to die for.” One taster said she really liked the B&G Vouvray saying it was “not to sweet, not too dry”. One taster, Pat, said he was reluctant to say he liked the Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages because he normally doesn’t care for French wines. Barry added that the Louis Jadot was fairly light for a red and enjoyable during the hot weather. Richard, who says he normally doesn’t like white wines, said he liked the Acrobat Pinot Gris.

Where: Malibu Jack’s Surf Grill in Furys Ferry Station, 231 Fury’s Ferry Road. (Bottom level of Fury’s Ferry Station-corner of Riverwatch and Fury’s Ferry Rd)

When: Thursday, July 29, 6-8pm. Reservations call 706-724-1442

Cost: $15 per person

Here is the Quick List of the wines presented (click on a wine to see more):

1. Zardetto Prosecco NV
2. Liberty School Chardonnay 2008
3. Liberty School Syrah 2008
4. Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon
5. Liberty School Cuvee
6. B&G Vouvray 2008
7. Acrobat Pinot Gris 2008
8. St. Francis Sonoma Merlot 2006
9. Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages

Here are the detailed wine notes:
Zardetto Prosecco NV
What: The color is a brilliant straw-yellow enlivened by its perlage (strands of tiny bubbles). It is characterized by richer aromas of citrus fruit and a freshness that remember the renetta apple with pleasant hints of bread crust showing through, coming together with an exquisite gustative energy. Its fine perlage ensures a persistent taste which is clean on the palate, making this the sparkling wine excellence for the table.–From their Website
From: Italy
Winery: Zardetto
Cost: $14.99
Goes with: It goes well with simple or elaborate fish and vegetable hors d’oeuvres, first courses of sea foods and
backed fish, or, as is the custom in its production zone, enjoyed the entire meal. And now try it with
sushi or sashimi, you will be surprised.
Comments: Presented by Empire Distributing

Liberty School Chardonnay 2008
What: The majority of Liberty School Chardonnay comes from one of the best stretches of Chardonnay country on the Central Coast—two growers in the cool-climate Santa Lucia Highlands, located on the west side of the Salinas Valley in Monterey County. Some of the most acclaimed Chardonnays in California come from that area, and Liberty School’s grapes get, as they should, first-class treatment all the way.

The grapes are picked when their flavors are ripe and before the essential acidity drops too far. Checking the vineyards means driving from Paso Robles up to Monterey at least once or twice a week as harvest nears. Some of the grapes are hand-harvested in the early morning, some by machine at night (which keeps them cooler); all are picked in small enough lots that they can make the 2-hour trip down to the winery and be processed immediately.

The fruit is whole-cluster pressed with a Champagne-style press cycle—low pressure, slow pressing—using custom-built equipment. The different press fractions (earlier and later in the cycle) are kept separate; all the wine is cold settled for 48 hours to let the solids fall out and emphasize the fruity characters in the wine. Two-thirds of the juice goes into barrels, one-third to tank; the road to fermentation starts at a chilly 35º, slow and gentle.

Liberty School Chardonnay is not inoculated to produce a malolactic fermentation, which could overwhelm the bright, crisp fruit. To minimize the possibility of an accidental, spontaneous malolactic fermentation, the Chardonnay is kept in a separate barrel room from the reds, and all the barrels are sanitized with ozone before filling to eliminate stray bacteria.

The Chardonnay matures in a 50/50 mix of French and American oak, 10% of it new, for seven to nine months. The final blend is put together and bottled in August, just before the next harvest. The result is a wine full of fruit, full of youth, and unmistakably Chardonnay.–From their Website
From: Paso Robles, California
Winery: Liberty School
Cost: $11.99
Year: 2008
Comments: Presented by Empire Distributing

Liberty School Syrah 2008
What: Liberty School’s Syrah comes from select vineyards on the east side of Paso Robles which tends to yield more upfront, berry-like Syrah with floral aromatics.

Multiple yeast strains are used to drive the fermentations, and some lots are allowed to start off fermentation on their own, with naturally-occurring yeasts from the vineyard and the winery. Each fermenter is carefully tracked and repeatedly tasted, making possible informed decisions about when and how often to pump the juice over the skins, when to press, and how to deal with any problems before they advance. Choosing when to press reflects the tasting judgment of the winemaking team about the developing tannin structure and potential mouthfeel of the wine.

After pressing, the free run and press wine go quickly to barrel, mainly French oak, 15%-20% of it new wood. Liberty School Syrah spends a little more time in barrel than the Cabernet Sauvignon, about 14 months on average, with the original harvest lots kept separate until the final blend is put together and bottled. A small amount of Viognier is added in order to lend additional aromatic complexity and enhance color stability.–From their Website
From: Paso Robles, California
Winery: Liberty School
Cost: $14.99
Year: 2008
Comments: Presented by Empire Distributing

Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon
What: Liberty School’s Cabernet Sauvignon comes primarily from the east side of Paso Robles, prime Cabernet country, with the added complexity of a few west side sources. Drawing on multiple vineyards—usually about a dozen each year—allows the winemaking team to take advantage of different soils, micro-climates, clones and rootstocks to create a harmonious, balanced, rounded final product.

Decisions about when to pick are made in the vineyard based on taste, on the retention of good acidity, and on potential tannin structure, not just on the level of sugar in the ripening grapes. After destemming and crushing, each lot of grapes goes to a separate fermenter, spending two days at about 60ºF before the onset of fermentation—a slow start to preserve fruit intensity.

Several different yeast strains are used each year, along with some fermentations kicked off by the yeasts that naturally come in from the vineyard, adding to the diversity of the wines down the road. Fermentations are warm, with the must getting up to between 80º and 90ºF to achieve full extraction of flavors and colors from the skins. Juice is pumped over the floating cap of grape skins to facilitate extraction; the timing and frequency of pump-overs is determined by tasting the wine, not by the time clock.

Choosing when to press the grapes depends mainly on how the tannin structure is developing; some lots might be pressed before the wine is entirely dry, some may wait through a period of extended maceration on the skins after the wine is fully dry. In every case, the approach is: taste first, then confirm with testing, then take action.

The free run wine and the wine from pressing are kept separate and after a brief time to settle, all the wine goes to barrel, where the secondary (or malolactic) fermentation is kicked off. The Liberty School Cabernet matures in a mix of French and American oak (and a mix of different cooperages), about 10% of it new oak, for about 12 months before blending and bottling.

The recipe is straightforward: start with an array of good fruit, handle it with basic, no-tricks winemaking—and pay attention every step of the way{WEB 1-}-From their Website
From: Paso Robles, California
Winery: Liberty School
Cost: $14.99
Comments: Presented by Empire Distributing

Liberty School Cuvee
What: The Central Coast of California is an ideal growing region for making world-class wines. As Paso Robles gains notoriety for its stellar blended wines, the Liberty School Cuvée offers itself as the latest example. With over thirty years of history making single varietal wines, Liberty School is proud to introduce its first red blend. Adding Liberty School Cuvée to the portfolio makes sense as the winemaking team oversees some of the best and most diverse vineyards in the Central Coast. A blend of Syrah, Petite Sirah, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Viognier, this cuvee harmoniously melds the best characteristics of each varietal to make a complex and unique blend.

Upon harvest, the grapes were de-stemmed, lightly crushed and placed in open top and closed stainless steel tanks, depending on the vineyard lot and varietal. A cold soak prior to fermentation allows for greater extraction of tannins. This practice allows extra time for the juice to interact with the grape skins and increases flavors. Steady pump-overs for 10 to 12 days after fermentation begins allows all the natural sugar to convert to alcohol until completely dry. Additional post-ferment aeration of the wine helped integrate tannins prior to going into barrel. Separated into lots by varietal, the wine is then placed in primarily neutral French oak barrels and aged approximately 14 months. Blending occurs after the first racking. The Cuvee is lightly filtered one time prior to bottling.

The Liberty School Cuvée displays bright red fruit flavors on the nose. With accents of smoke and pepper, the fruit-forward blend shows fine grain tannins which are reminiscent of wines from the southern Rhone Valley. The predominant grape, Syrah, shows off its jammy, strawberry and plum-like flavors. Petite Sirah adds deep ruby color and tannin structure. Smaller amounts of Grenache soften the wine and add needed balance. Mourvèdre brings an element of spice to the blend, while small amounts of Viognier add floral aromatics and color stabilization. Well balanced and full-bodied, this wine can be cellared for five to seven years.–From their Website
From: Paso Robles, California
Winery: Liberty School
Cost: $14.99
Comments: Presented by Empire Distributing

B&G Vouvray 2008
What: Pale straw with green highlights. Great nose of subtle white flowers mixed with white fruits A lovely and intense wine with floral notes, peach and pear flavours.–From their Website
Winery: Barton & Guestier
Cost: $11.99
Year: 2008
Goes with: Aperitif, cheese, light desserts. Serve well-chilled 10-12°C
Comments: Presented by National Distributors

Acrobat Pinot Gris 2008
What: Pale straw with golden highlights. The nose features Green apple, grapefruit, lime zest, and pear. Flavors include tangerine, lemon, kiwi, pineapple. The mouthfeel is crisp entry with nice balance between acidity and residual sugar, round and full mid-palate, clean refreshing finish.–From their Website
From: Oregon
Winery: King Estate
Cost: $13.99
Year: 2008
Goes with: A perfect accompaniment for poultry, shellfish and other seafood. This Pinot Gris would also pair beautifully with fruits, cheeses, and cured meats.
Comments: Presented by National Distributors

St. Francis Sonoma Merlot 2006
What: The 2006 Sonoma County Merlot is composed of hand picked grapes from vineyards through out Sonoma County; each vineyard possessing diverse micro-climates ranging from hillsides of the Mayacamas Mountain Range to the cooler SonomaValley floor. This mixture of valley and mountain grown grapes combine the richness of valley grown fruit with the solid structure of mountain grown
Cabernet, yielding a wine of noteworthy intensity. After hand harvesting at full ripeness, the grapes are crushed into stainless steel tanks for fermentation. After fermentation is complete the wine is aged in American and French oak barrels for a full twenty-three
months. Spicy herb and vanilla overtones give way to luscious plum and cherry flavors on the palate, with hints ofchocolate and generous tannins on the finish. AGING POTENTIAL 5 to 8 years–From their Website
From: Sonoma, California
Winery: St. Francis WInery and Vineyards
Cost: $21
Year: 2006
Comments: Presented by National Distributors

Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages
From: France
Winery: Louis Jadot
Cost: $12.99
Comments: Presented by National Distributors

Cost: $12-14

What: This wonderfully soft, smooth and fresh fruit wine is delightful on many levels. It’s full of rich, ripe fruit that we love with Zinfandel, but it’s not a high-alcohol fruit bomb that overpowers food.

It’s a well-balanced wine with layer after layer of flavor. It starts with aromas of red and black cherry, minerals and some spice. On the palate, it brings out the cherry flavor, with some strawberry, cocoa, red fruit and smooth tannins. The finish lingers pleasantly.

I had this at a wine-tasting retirement party for a dear friend, and it seemed to please many in the crowd. It is such an easy wine to drink. I thought it was one of a couple of wines that stood out from the seven wines we tasted.

Winery: This wine comes from 113-year-old grapes brought to Lodi, California, by Giacomo Peirano. He came to make his fortune in the Gold Rush, but quickly figured out he could do better opening a mercantile store.

He did well, went back to Italy and returned to California with a wife and 300 grape vines. Giacomo started one of the first vineyards in Lodi. All five of his sons worked in the vineyard, and today the winery is run by the fourth generation of the family.

The old vines yield fewer grapes than young vines, but they deliver an intense flavor that is hard to beat.

The winery also produces red and white blends, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Barbera, Tempranillo, Petite Sirah, Merlot and Malbec.

Goes with: We had a lot of finger food at the party, but I thought it paired particularly well with London broil in an Argentine marinade that was cooked to medium rare on a grill. The spices in the marinade brought out the spiciness of the Zinfandel. It also held up well with grilled ribs prepared with a Memphis dry rub. It’s also good with fruit and a variety of cheeses.

Susan Curtis presenting one of their Chardonnays at Bistro 491 Monday night

Event: At first glance it was a simple tasting of four wines but the contrast and styles between the two Chardonnays and Cabernet Sauvignons proved anything but simple. Susan Curtis, of Jocelyn Lonen Winery presented four of their current releases at Bistro 491 Monday night. Susan and her Daughter Brandi, who worked alongside her dad until his death, are owners of this outstanding winery. Brandi is the hands on leader, assuring the utmost in top quality wines.

The other non-so simple part was the excellent food that chef Warren and his staff presented.

Curtis presented four of their flagship wines, two Chardonnays and two Cabernet Sauvignons. One each from their two labels, Lonen and Jocelyn Lonen. The Lonen label is their second label introduced when the economy was starting to sputter. It is more a more economical label, primarily using excess juice and grapes from other vineyards. She joked that the Lonen Cabernet Sauvingon was their “economic stimulus red.”

Chef Warren and his staff had quite the selection of food for the tasters

After the responding laughs she said the Lonen Cab is “100% Napa Valley fruit. Predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon with a little bit of Syrah… [it spends] 12-18 months in the barrel. Just a fabulous wine for $20-23 a bottle. The Lonens are my everyday drinking wines. I won’t release anything I won’t drink myself. I’m a wine snob.” (The tasting notes on their website says it has 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Syrah with 80% American and 20% French oak, of which 30% is new).

Moving on to the last wine of the evening, she said the Jocelyn Lonen Napa Valley Cabernet “is really our mainstay. We make the most of this particular wine. Jim Lobby calls this one of the best values in California Cabernet Sauvignon. The blend is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Malbec. In the barrel for 20 months with 60% new oak.”

Someone asked how many cases they make a year of this flagship wine and she responded. ” Around 4-5,000 cases. We do between 8-10,000 cases annually. For us that’s where we want to be. We want to be family owned and operated and to go above that the infrastructure it takes to support the distribution network is more than we want to do. We want to focus on consistent quality wines across the board.”

When presenting the two cabs Curtis said that they often trim half of their grapes early to ensure that the grapes will ripen properly. “That gives us half the harvest but the vine can not ripen both clusters and if you don’t do that your entire harvest will be herbacious and vegital. That’s not the style of wines that we like to make. We drop a cluster and it ensures all the clusters that are left gonna be ripe. Then we let the grapes hang on the vine to get the sugars level get up to 27-28. Lot of wineries will harvest at 25-26 which means the skins and seeds are not totally ripe. The style of wine we make has that nice bold ripe fruit forwardness and nice soft tannins at the finish. Making sure the skins and seeds are ripe gives you that nice fruit forward boldness and soft tannin finish.”

Assisting during the evening was Donna Thompson, of Ninth Street Wine Market and John Sholota, of Hemisphere Wines.

Where: Bistro 491, 491 Highland Avenue, Augusta, GA, 30909. 706-738-6491
Wine selection presented through Ninth Street Wine Market.
When: Monday, July 26th, 6:30 pm
Cost: $25 per person (includes tax and tip), reservations through Ninth St. Wine Market 706-724-1442

Here is the Quick List of the wines presented (click on a wine to see more):

1. Lonen Chardonnay 2009
2. Jocelyn Lonen Carneros Chardonnay
3. Lonen Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvingnon 2008
4. Jocelyn Lonen Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Here are the detailed wine notes:
Lonen Chardonnay 2009
What: Lovely citrus and melon on the front followed by peach and white ginger blossom. Graceful pear, melon and peach flavors, with a broad spicy midpalate and a clean tapering finish. Tropical notes, 80% American oak, 20% French with 30% of it being new oak.–From their website.

I liked this Chardonnay very much. Very fruit forward most likely because of the Viognier. Light mouthfeel with hint of oak.
Being a younger wine it has some higher acid but is tamed by the fruit.
Year: 2009
Grapes: 75% Chardonnay, 25% Viognier

Jocelyn Lonen Carneros Chardonnay
What: Perky lemon aroma up front followed by a rich apple and caramel pastry nose. Flavors include tasty lemon and apricot fruit, a rich but lively mid palate, and a clean polished finish. 100% French Oak, 50% new.–From their website

This wine was much more complex that the Lonen. Rounder, more creamy mouthfeel. Although some tasters said the Lonen had a bit more minerality I thought this one did.
Grapes: 100% Chardonnay

Lonen Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvingnon 2008
What: Dark color, rich texture, and flavors of black cherry, strawberry and sage. Very drinkable now but will continue to evolve and mature with age.–From their website
Year: 2008
Grapes: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Syrah

Jocelyn Lonen Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
What: Ripe and concentrated with dominant flavors of bing cherry, strawberry, and currant. Style is reminiscent of the highly acclaimed 2002 vintage. Wonderful balance between fruit and tannins. This wine is very drinkable now but will age nicely over the next 10-12 years. 100% French oak, of which 50% new..–From their website
From: Napa Valley, California
Year: 2006
Grapes: 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec

Event: It was hot outside, pushing 100. What better than to try a “Leinie”. Vineyard Wine Market added a line of brews from Leinenkugel’s on Saturday for their weekend tasting. Plus they were having a sale with everything 7% off. Except for the B2 Pinot Gris which was already on sale at a very reasonable price ($8.99). So, it was a great opportunity to try some white wines to see if they fit they make a nice summer refresher.
Where: Vineyard Wine Market (map), 4414 Evans to Lock Road, Evans, GA. (706) 922-9463

When: Friday, July 23rd, 2010, 4:30-6:30pm, Saturday, July 24th, 1-6pm
Cost: Price determined by flight selection.

Here is the Quick List of the wines presented (click on a wine to see more):

1. Latitud 34 Torrontes
2. Tamari Reserve Torrontes
3. The Jibe Sauvignon Blanc
4. Casas Del Bosque Chardonnay
5. Bridlewood Chardonnay
6. Gnarly Head Pinot Noir
7. Alberti 154 Cabernet Sauvignon
8. Baltasar Gracián Tempranillo
9. Früli Strawberry Beer
10. Leinenkugel’s Berry Wiess
11. Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy
12. Leinenkugel’s Amber
13. Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat

Here are the detailed wine notes:
Latitud 34 Torrontes
What: Produced with a careful selection of torrontes grape, sorted and hand harvested in 10 to 15 kgs. plastic baskets, grapes come from our own vineyard “La Libertad”, located at Rivadavia, Mendoza. This is the white emblematic grape from Argentina. Vinification follows traditional method together with modern enologist techniques and state of the art technology. Color: White wine with yellow tones and steel tinges. Aroma: White flowers perfume and tropical fruits that exalt the varietal expression. Mouth: Balanced acidity that gives fresh and floral character, giving the wine harmony. –From the G.Housen Website
From: Mendoza, Argentina
Winery: Latitud 34

Tamari Reserve Torrontes
What: “Bodega Tamari,” in the Huarpe language of the indigenous people of the Mendoza region, means to do everything with passion. Bodega Tamari is a wine that you can get passionate about. From the high-altitude, highly-regarded Tupungato vineyard comes Bodega TAMARI. Passion is, indeed, reflected in the science and craftsmanship of Bodega TAMARI’s winemaking process. Here, sun, soil, and water are combined with love and energy and their expression is Bodega TAMARI, a wine with flavor of the mountains and the sky. Bodega TAMARI combines the best of traditional and modern winemaking methods in order to capture the full potential of this winegrowing region.
Tamari Torrontés is a white wine that comes from the Fatima Valley in La Rioja, Argentina. Here, the climate is well balanced between warm daytime temperatures and cool nightime temperatures- bringing out the finest qualities of the Torrontés varietal. The vineyard is at an altitude of 1,000 meters and contains medium deepness, sandy soil with good drainage. Tamari 2009 Torrontés is an intense white wine with an aroma of roses, tangerines, and tropical fruit alond with notes of hazelnut, vanilla and cinnamon. Color: Vivid yellow with green reflections. Aroma: Very elegant and delicate varietal aromas. Taste: Notes of white grapefruit are highlighted, white flowers like jasmine, rose notes, damascus, and some hints of tropical fruits such as chirimoya.–From Terlato Wines International website

It highlights a very good acid-sugar-alcohol relationship. It is a wine with nerve and very balanced. Its mouth is fruity, floral, spicy and with an enjoyable final.
From: Mendoza, Argentina
Winery: Bodega Tamari
Goes with: Try this fruity and floral wine with semi ripe cheeses or seafood like trout, sea bass, swordfish, oysters, scallops or crab. Its also a great food match for meats like chicken, veal, partridge, turkey as well as cold meats like salami and ham. Anything made from corn with spices and herbs such as basil, curry and mustard will also be perfect for Tamari Torrontés.

The Jibe Sauvignon Blanc
From: Marlborough, New Zealand
Winery: The Jibe

Casas Del Bosque Chardonnay
What: This wine has two components; 75% was fermented in stainless steel tanks at low temperatures to preserve its fruit character, and the other 25% was fermented in oak barrels and kept on its lees for 9 months for additional body and complexity. Tasting notes : The blend of the two Chardonnays results in a pleasing wine with aromas of sub-tropical fruits such as papaya along with notes of peaches, all made complex by the barrel-aged component that lends creamy oak characteristics. A refreshing and pleasing wine made for drinking much more than a single glass.–From their website
Winery: Casas Del Bosque

Bridlewood Chardonnay
What: This aromatic Chardonnay displays ripe aromas and pure flavors of nectarine and golden apples; time in the bottle will allow tropical flavors to develop.–From their website
From: Central Coast, California
Winery: Bridlewood

Gnarly Head Pinot Noir
What: Our Gnarly Head Pinot Noir grapes were harvested at night so that they remained cool and were delivered immediately to the winery to be pressed off the skins and into fermenters. At the winery they were gently pressed immediately after harvesting. After 7-9 days of fermentation, the wine was racked to highlight the abundant fruit flavors and to add complexity. Gnarly Head Pinot Noir is beautifully balanced with bright cherry and raspberry fruit flavors followed by
hints of spice on the finish. Its bright fruit and gentle tannins score big with grilled salmon, glazed pork ribs, and BBQ chicken. Better yet, couple this Pinot Noir with pizza night and dining in will never be the same. –From their Website
From: California
Winery: Gnarly Head

Alberti 154 Cabernet Sauvignon
What: Bodega Elvira Calle is a small-lot, gravity-flow, red wine making studio, where Alberti 154 and Ca’ de Calle Gran Reserva are made, located in the prized viticultural area of Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina.

Alberti 154 is the street address for this little, off the beaten path, well-kept secret. Ca’ de Calle means House of Calle, named in honor of the founder, Ms. Elvira Calle, a famous business woman, owner of the most important paper in Mendoza and a dedicated philanthropist.

The winery concentrates on varietal wines and premium red blends that come from where the varietal in question grows best. Perdriel, Agrelo, and Barrancas Cabernet Sauvignon, Luján and Altamira Malbec, Tupungato Merlot, Altamira Tempranillo and Barrancas Syrah.

All wines are made with the use of gravity and are never pumped to deliver the grapes to the fermentation tank. Resulting wines are notably softer and less bitter than other crushing methods used at other wineries. Hand harvested grapes, aged 8 months in French oak studded concrete tanks. Made using gravity flow!
Winemaker: Luis Barraud

Tasting Notes: Ripe plums, chocolate, honey, and faint nutmeg make this a very interesting Cabernet. Full bodied and persistent in mouth. –From the Importer’s Website
From: Argentina
Winery: Bodega Elvira Calle

Baltasar Gracián Tempranillo
What: The wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks for 15 to 20 days at a temperature of 24ºC-28ºC. It is then malolactic fermented, prior to storage in barrels, where it is aged for 10 in American and French oak barrels. Intense red colour with violet hues. Good aromatic intensity. Vanilla toasted tones are appreciatted perfectly combined with the aroma and taste of mature red fruits. Its full bodied and concentration together with the mature tannis makes the wine elegant and complex. Balanced and persistent aftertaste.–From their website
From: Calatayud, Spain
Winery: Bodegas San Alejandro
Goes with: Roasted or grilled red meats, meat stews, turkey. Stewed legumes, mushrooms and cheeses

Früli Strawberry Beer
What: Fruli is a high quality Belgian fruit beer, produced at a craft brewery near Ghent, Belgium. It is a unique blend of white beer and strawberry juice. The juice complements the zestiness of the wheat beer and the result is a balanced and refreshing beer that is packed with strawberry fruit flavour. It is simply delicious.–From their website
From: Belgium
Brewery: Früli
Comments: Saturday only

Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat
What: A “Soothing Belgian Witbier”. Uses a blend of Wheat and Pale malts and Cluster hops. Has natural coriander flavor and naturally cloudy. Available year round.
Brewery: Leinenkugel’s. Leinenkugel’s is the nation’s 7th oldest operating brewery. It has a rich history, which began when brewer Matthias Leinenkugel brought his family over to the U.S. from Germany in the 1840s. The family continued to travel west and finally settled in Sauk City, Wisconsin. Matthias taught his sons the art of brewing. It was his third son, Jacob, who traveled north to Chippewa Falls. Jacob felt sure the thirsty lumberjacks and lumber-booming economy of Northwestern Wisconsin made Chippewa the ideal location to begin his own brewery. In 1867 Jacob began brewing. For 140 years and five-generations, the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company has survived and continues to prosper through commitment to their founders ideals of brewing and operating with excellence. Having survived prohibition, the economic demands of World War II, and fierce competition, Leinenkugel’s has become the leading craft brewer in the Upper Midwest. In addition to our year-round offerings—Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat, Honey Weiss, Berry Weiss, Red Lager, Creamy Dark, Original, and Light, we also offer seasonal beers—Oktoberfest, Fireside Nut Brown and 1888 Bock.–From their website
Comments: Saturday only

Leinenkugel’s Berry Wiess
What: Uses a blend of Pale malts and Wheat. Uses Cluster hops. Brewed with a flavor blend of real Logan, Elder and blackberries. IBU of 13.5. Available year round.
Brewery: Leinenkugel’s
Comments: Saturday only

Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy
What: This is a Summer seasonal available from April thru August. Blend of Wheat and Pale malts. Uses Cluster hops.
Brewery: Leinenkugel’s
Comments: Saturday only

Leinenkugel’s Amber
What: They call this a 100% All-Malt Masterpiece. Uses Pale and Carmel 60 malts. But it says it has Cluster, Cascade, Mt. Hood and Hallertau hops. Has an IBU of 21. Available year round.
Brewery: Leinenkugel’s
Comments: Saturday only

Don’t be a wine snob. Don’t laugh. Bring along a box of wine. The wine industry has come a long way from the days when boxes contained nothing but cheap, nondescript wine. Now you can get good wine to pair with good food, and you don’t have to pay a lot for it.

This isn’t the kind of wine you want to stick in your cellar to age. You buy it, you drink it right away. But you will be amazed at the variety and quality of wine available in boxes. Box wines have always been available in supermarkets, but now fine wine shops are even stocking them.

Box wines have a lot of advantages. They’re cheaper. They weigh less than the same amount of wine in glass bottles. The wine stays fresh longer because no air gets into the wine. The inner plastic bladder collapses as the wine is drawn out. (Some claim it will be good for six weeks. I’ve managed to keep a box for five weeks, and the wine still tastes good.)

The packaging is easier on the environment, reducing packaging waste by at least 85 percent and carbon emissions by 55 percent. You don’t have to worry about the cork going bad. Oh, did I mention they were cheaper? These are wines my Cheap Bastard pal Dan should positively drool over. He probably lies awake dreaming about wines like these.

Most boxes of wine contain three liters, or the equivalent of four standard bottles of wine. Most of them sell for less than $20 a box, or the equivalent of under $5 a bottle. I’ve tested several wines, and I have not been disappointed. These probably are not wines I would serve at a fancy dinner. But who knows? I might slip one in and see if anyone notices. Some of them have a complexity that’s surprising at this price.

I spent the Fourth of July weekend with my wife’s brother and his family in Nashville. We had 34 people in the house, and though many of them were beer drinkers, I thought it would be a perfect test for boxed wine. We served the Bota Box Cabernet Sauvignon ($18.99) and it was a hit.

I had it with hamburgers and steak, and it matched the food just fine. It’s a full-bodied wine, a typical Cabernet with blackberry and plum aromas with smooth tastes of cherry, blackberry and vanilla, with a hint of spice on the finish. The tannins weren’t overbearing, and it had a pleasant, lingering finish. We drank it for several days, and it was good every time.

I also tried the Bota Box Pinot Grigio, and it was representative of the Pinot Grigio grape. It has a pleasant bouquet of flowers and apples, with flavors of apple and honeysuckle. It’s a medium-bodied wine with a perky finish. It’s great for sipping on the porch after a tough day, or with a light dinner.

The folks who make Bota Box like to point out that their square cardboard container with a plastic bladder inside is completely recyclable. They recommend it for hikers, campers and beach goers who are concerned about the environment. Those of you old enough to remember the bota bags full of wine we used to carry on hikes or skiing in the ‘60s will understand the name. Makes we want to tune in my Pandora Radio oldies station, lie under a tree and dream big dreams while sipping from my Bota Box.

Bota Box also makes Chardonnay, Merlot, Shiraz and Old Vine Zinfandel.

I also tried several varieties of a new packaging system called Octavin, and those wines were terrific. Octavin has taken several name brand wines and boxed them in an eight-sided box containing a plastic bladder. Many of these also sell for less than $20, or less than $5 a bottle. If you buy these wines by the bottle you’ll spend $10 or more.

I tried the Silver Birch Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and found it to be just what you would look for in a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc: tart citrus flavors of lime and grapefruit, with a sharp finish. So now when I need a glass of white wine to sip while I’m cooking dinner, I just reach in the refrigerator and draw a glass of refreshing Sauvignon Blanc without having to open a whole bottle that I wouldn’t finish.

Octavin touts their packaging as a home wine bar, and that’s a good description. You can have several varieties of wine open at one time and not feel pressed to finish them any time soon. You just take a glass of whatever you feel like and then try a different variety after that if you want to change.

Octavin also offers Big House Red and Big House White. I’ve long been a fan of Big House wines because they deliver pleasant, easy-to-drink wine made from Mediterranean varietals at a good price. Now in the Octavin package they are a steal.

Big House White starts with a pleasant, fruity aroma that leads to a nice peach and tropical fruit flavor. It’s made of several white varieties that are fermented separately and then blended.

Big House Red is a fruit bomb, showing fruit aromas followed by raspberry flavors mixed with a little pepper. It’s a smooth, easy-drinking wine of medium body, good to sip by itself, but also a good match to red meat and tomato sauces.

I also tried Octavin’s Monthaven Chardonnay, a full-bodied wine from Monterrey. It’s full of tropical fruit flavors with some apple, pear and citrus. The wine is barrel-aged, but the oak flavors are kept nicely mellow. It sells for $23.99 a box, or the equivalent of $6 a bottle. Monthaven also sells Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Octavin package.

Octavin offers several other wines: Pinot Evil Pinot Noir and Pinot Grigio, Boho Vineyards Old Vine Zinfandel and Seven, a blend of seven Spanish red wines, led by Tempranillo.

Whatever your favorite variety, you likely will find it in a box if you look for it. There are several other brands of box wine available, but these are among the best. So the next time you plan a picnic don’t forget to pack the wine box. You won’t regret it.

Lynn Hofacket stands on his new deck made from planks that look like wood but are made from recycled milk cartons. His vineyard is behind him.

One of the truths of winemaking is that the best wines come from vines that struggle. I think the same is true of winemakers.

A perfect example of that is Hidden Ridge Vineyard, owned by Casidy Ward and Lynn Hofacket. They produce a fantastic Cabernet Sauvignon on property that looks far better suited for mountain goats than grapevines. It’s on the Sonoma County side of Spring Mountain in the Mayacamas Mountains, and you can only reach it with a four-wheel-drive vehicle, a helicopter or on foot.

Casidy and Lynn took a small group of wine writers there this week in a trip that could have been part of a Disney World thrill ride. We bounced and jostled and shook our way up and down hills on a narrow dirt road, but no one complained. The breath-taking views of the vineyard and surrounding mountains were worth a little bouncing around.

What we saw was 165 acres in a rugged mountain landscape, inside of which sits 55 acres of vines. It would be hard to find a prettier (or steeper) vineyard this side of the Mosel River in Germany. You’re not likely to see another one like this in California any time soon because all the environmental regulations would make it difficult to win approval.

You might wonder what Cassidy and Lynn saw when they first viewed the property that used to house a hunting club. The Oklahoma transplants were living in Santa Rosa in 1989. They renovated a house in the area and were looking for other property to develop when they found the Hidden Ridge property.

They fell in love with the land and thought it would be a great place to build a dream home for someone who wanted to escape city life. But they discovered building costs would have been prohibitively high.

Then they thought about a hunting club or a you-pick orchard or a wildlife ranch. Eventually they decided it was the ideal place to grow Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.

Casidy Ward holds a smooth rock from what she called an uplifted river bed found in her vineyard.

“It’s simply the highest and best use of the property,” said Ward.

Clearly, the couple had a vision. But turning that vision into a great Cabernet takes more than dreaming. In this case it took a lot of sweat equity.

Ward and Hofacket did a lot of studying, taking classes at Santa Rosa Junior College, reading about the area’s history and geology and contacting every mountain vineyard owner they could find.

“We’re unlikely people to be in the wine business,” said Ward. “We had to learn about it all. I didn’t know in college you could get a degree in drinking.”

After all the studying, Hofacket started clearing the land in 1995. He bought the heavy equipment and hired two people to help him. He spent 12 hours a day, six days a week, taking out the trees and carving the terraces, even building a retention pond.

He planted the vines and had to fight a fungal infestation called “black goo” that made it difficult to find good rootstock. After a year he found a nursery that had healthy plant material and he field grafted the roots to Cabernet Sauvignon in 2000.

Because of the steepness of the slopes (up to 55%) and the contours of the land, you couldn’t just draw straight lines and plop in grapevines. They had to think about erosion and where the sun would hit the grapes and hundreds of other factors.

“It was all common sense,” said Hofacket in his typically understated fashion. Common sense also tells him there won’t be any more vines planted on the property because the rest of the land is too steep.

“We would just send the tractor down to clear the land, and when the slope got too steep for the tractor to move, we’d hook a chain to it and drag it back up. When it was too steep for the tractor we knew we couldn’t plant grapes there.”

After clearing trees and moving rocks, Hofacket followed the contours of the hilly land to lay out the rows of vines. He planted double rows to try to hold the soil in better. He also has a small ditch in the middle of each terrace to catch runoff and keep it from sliding down the hill.

“He built a little city for plants,” said Ward with a laugh.

He planted on slopes facing just about every direction except west, because the afternoon sun on west-facing slopes is too intense. He planted in what’s called a modified sprawl to get the dappled sun the grapes need.

“Intermittent sunlight is what you want,” said winemaker Tim Milos. “The grapes only need about one to one-and-a-half hours of direct sunlight every day.”

Winemaker Tim Milos talks about the Hidden Ridge grapes.

The vineyard, which ranges from 900 to 1,700 feet in elevation, is planted only in Cabernet Sauvignon and one acre of Petit Verdot (to add color to the wine), but Lynn said there is a lot of diversity within the Cabernet. He planted clones 337, 4, 7 and 169.

“Some are fruit forward and some give the wine some spine,” said Hofacket.”

“You can see the complexity of the vineyard,” said Milos. “We pick several blocks together, we cross pick and we cross clones. How do you know when each block is ripe? You taste it.”

Ward, Hofacket, Milos and a handful of other workers taste the grapes and pick when they taste right. They don’t believe in picking according to sugar levels or other technical methods. They like to do everything by hand.

They test whether the grapes are getting enough water by grabbing the leaves. Milos explained that if the leaf is cooler than the air or the same temperature, late in the day, it is getting enough water. You can buy an expensive piece of equipment to measure the same thing, but the Hidden Ridge folks believe in the hands-on approach to everything, including picking the grapes.

The slopes are too steep for mechanical pickers and they don’t pick everything at the same time. They wait until each group of grapes tastes ripe. Then they pick and load the grapes into a truck converted into a grape hauler.  Then Hofacket drives the 4-wheel-drive grape truck down the mountain.

I’m not sure if he doesn’t trust anyone to do it, or if he just can’t find anyone else crazy enough to do it.

“We think we have the only 4-wheel-drive grape truck in Napa Valley,” Hofacket said.

Lynn Hofacket and Casidy Ward in front of the steep slope of their vineyard.

They take the grapes to a facility in Napa that small producers like Hidden Ridge use to make their wine. At first, Ward and Hofacket didn’t think about making wine.

“We didn’t see ourselves in the wine business,” said Ward. “We wanted to grow great grapes, and sell them to someone else.”

They struggled getting all their grapes sold, so they decided to begin making their own wine with an experimental batch in 2001 designed to enhance the vineyard’s reputation. Eventually, they decided to keep all the fruit for their own wine, and now they produce 3,600 cases.

Because of the variety of ripening times, they’re usually crushing grapes up to Christmas, and sometimes into the new year. When they buy barrels they get them from different coopers so they don’t overwhelm the wine with any one flavor.

Because of its remoteness the vineyard doesn’t fit neatly into any AVA. It’s part of Sonoma County, but it is not like anything grown on the valley floor. It’s a distinct Spring Mountain terroir, but because it is in Sonoma, it can’t be part of any Napa AVA.

“This is nothing like valley-floor viticulture,” said Ward. “Not only are the soils and microclimates distinctly different, the air itself is profoundly different–of the rarified sort that one finds only in the mountains.”

When we visited the vineyard the grapes were about a month behind normal development because of cold, wet weather in the spring. There finally has been some hot weather and the grapes are experiencing what Milos calls “the grand growth.” Tiny grapes were popping out all over the vineyard. It’s when the vines send out more shoots and leaves.

Now the winery team has to start cutting back some of that growth to allow the grapes to get the intermittent sunshine they need to ripen. They will cut back some runners and fold others back into the main plant so the people can walk between the rows.

And what is the result of all this hard work? The best $40 cab you can find.

After touring the vineyard we bounced down the mountain to have a fantastic dinner at Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen in St. Helena. Cindy Pawlcyn also owns the iconic Mustard Grill and Go Fish, a sushi restaurant.

Paired with the three-course meal we had the Hidden Ridge 2004, 2005 and 2006 vintages. Each was outstanding and each was different from the others. For appetizers we had mouth-watering stuffed piquillo peppers, small red peppers stuffed with cumin braised ground beef and charred tomato salsa.

The next course was wild mushroom risotto. Even though I’m not a big mushroom fan, this was terrific, aromatic, flavorful and unique.

Dinner at Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen

The entree offered us a choice of wood oven duck, filet of beef or grilled quail. I chose the duck, which was made with picholine olives, pearl onions, sherry-lemon sauce and potato croquettes. Wow! I loved the subtle mix of flavors. Duck is always hard to pick off the bones, but with this dish the meat nearly fell off. The flavors were sublime.

We had the 2004 with the appetizers and I was amazed at how well the wine matched the food. Milos said it was an early, hot vintage with the wine developing nicely now.

The 2005 was paired with the risotto and it also was a great pairing. The 2005 is a lighter style and it didn’t overwhelm the risotto.

I thought the trickiest pairing would be the 2006 with the entree, but everyone reported they liked the wine with their food. It’s a highly tannic, dense wine that cut through the grease of the duck and handled the beef while not overwhelming the quail.

“In the long run the 2006 will probably be my favorite,” said Milos. “But the 2004 has been drinking well for a while.”

Milos and Hofacket say their wines are made with minimal intervention. They prefer to let the soil and the climate define the wines. Let’s hope they keep staying out of the way and don’t fall off the mountain.

This is a terrific wine that anyone can afford. It’s good to drink by itself, but it’s even better with good food.

(I will be writing about wineries visited on this trip for the next week or so. There have been some incredible vineyards we visited, and you will want to know about them.)

Roger pours the Domaine du Deffends Rosé d'une Nuits

Event: Weekend Forecast was for “Wine Pouring Light to Heavy!” And it was. Plus there was another treat, Scott from New York Butcher Shoppe stopped by Saturday with several items he stocks at his store to sell at The Vineyard. Apple Brandy Duck Sausage, NY Stripe Steaks, Dips and other cuts and types of meat. Finally someone served a non-dry Riesling. Lately most tasting have been featuring only dry rosés and dry rieslings (not that there’s anything wrong with that) but it was nice to have something that was slightly sweet. The Pine & Post fit the bill nicely. But alas, there was plenty of dry whites to try. The Premonition fit was nice and dry but crisp. The Veramonte Pinot had a earthy aroma that rose a few eyebrows but they arched the other way after tasting. (The smell, which one taster described as “my grandmother’s perm,” wasn’t that bad and loosened up after airing). But the Spann Classic Four and the Lander Jenkins “Spirit Hawk” Cab were the “big fat reds” that Roger had promised this week. Not bad for a $5 lineup
Where: Vineyard Wine Market (map), 4414 Evans to Lock Road, Evans, GA. (706) 922-9463

When: Friday, July 16th, 2010, 4:30-6:30pm, Saturday, July 17th, 1-6pm
Cost: $5 line-up this week

Here is the Quick List of the wines presented (click on a wine to see more):

1. Pine & Post Riesling 2008
2. Castellarin Pinot Grigio 2008
3. Premonition MSP Sauvignon Blanc 2007
4. La Vielle Ferme Cotes du Ventoux 2009
5. Domaine du Deffends Rosé d’une Nuits 2009
6. Kupelwieser Alto Adige Pinot Nero 2005
7. Veramonte Reserva Pinot Noir
8. Spann Vineyard The Classic Four 2007
9. Lander Jenkins “Spirit Hawk” Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

Here are the detailed wine notes:
Pine & Post Riesling 2008
What: Aromatic notes of honeysuckle, jasmine and lychee welcome you. This Washington Riesling is filled with wonderful poached pears and apple blossom flavors. Crisp fruit is balanced with bright acidity leading to a clean finish.
From: Washington State
Winery: Pine & Post
Cost: $8.99
Year: 2008
Grapes: 85% Riesling, 15% Chenin Blanc

Castellarin Pinot Grigio 2008
From: Italy
Winery: Castellarin
Cost: $7.99
Year: 2008

Premonition MSP Sauvignon Blanc 2007
What: From grapes grown in Sonoma County, California This wine was cold fermented and received no oak aging. This allows the true flavors of the Sauvignon Grape to emerge. There are aromas of citrus and ripe melon. The flavors show the crisp finish of tart apple and lemon-lime zest.
From: California
Winery: Premonition
Cost: $14.99
Year: 2007

La Vielle Ferme Cotes du Ventoux 2009
From: France
Winery: La Vielle Ferme
Cost: $8.99
Year: 2009

Domaine du Deffends Rose d’une Nuits 2009
From: Provence, France
Winery: Domaine du Deffends
Cost: $23.99
Year: 2009

Kupelwieser Alto Adige Pinot Nero 2005
What: This Pinot Nero flourishes in the vineyards around Mazon. These hills, with particular conglomerate soils of loam, chalk, and porphyry and the very well-suited climate, form the ideal conditions for producing a Pinot Nero of international stature. A totally harmonious style, velvety, elegant with a clearly fruity character. Color: ruby red to garnet red. Bouquet: typically of berries and sour cherries, mature and seductive. Flavor: harmonious, soft, full-bodied with rich fruit.
From: Italy
Winery: Kupelwieser Alto Adige
Cost: $11.99
Year: 2005
Grapes: 100 % Pinot NeroGoes with: Red meats, lamb, fowl, and game

Veramonte Reserva Pinot Noir
From: Sasablanca Valley, Chile
Winery: Veramonte
Cost: $15.99

Spann Vineyard The Classic Four 2007
What: Our love affair with the wines of Bordeaux dates back to the 1970s and it is with these wines in mind that we crush the classic Bordeaux varietals Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Cabernet Sauvignon gives lovely red currant flavors, Merlot adds a red cherry aroma and taste along with velvety smoothness, Malbec adds dark cherries and richness on the palate while Petit Verdot gives it structure for all of these flavors to stand up in your mouth. 29 months of aging in 25% new and 75% older French oak barrels has added a nutmeg note to the aroma, nutmeg and cinnamon notes to the finish and seamless finesse to the overall taste. This wine is meant for near-term enjoyment but will also gain in complexity over the next 3 to 5 years with proper cellaring. –From their Website
From: California
Winery: Spann Vineyards
Cost: $19.99
Year: 2007
Grapes: 68% Cab, 28% Merlot, 2% Malbec, 2 % Petit Verdot:

Lander Jenkins “Spirit Hawk” Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
What: The inaugural vintage of our Lander-Jenkins Spirit Hawk Cabernet Sauvignon comes from vineyards in Paso Robles and
other select California sites that provide intensely flavored, jammy fruits with soft, approachable tannins. Wine Description: Aromas of Bing cherry, boysenberry pie and fresh mint. Flavors follow the nose with Bing cherry, black currant and spicy vanilla. This medium-bodied wine has firm tannins and well-integrated spiciness from oak. The structure carries over into the long, silky finish. Aging: 14 months, French oak barrels. The Jenkins family arrived in Lander County, Nevada in the 1880s, from Wales and eventually established agricultural roots in California. Today, their grandchildren and great grandchildren are passionately committed to ecologically sustainable winegrowing. “Years ago, while inspecting a newly planted vineyard, a hawk appeared overhead. It wasn’t a rare or unusual occurence, but it made a particularly strong impression on me..: this vineyard was his as well as ours. These are the insights that keep us committed to employing the most environmentally beneficial practices. And the land rewards us with the highest quality, most flavorful fruit for our wines.” Steve Rued, Winemaker–From their Website
From: California
Winery: Lander Jenkins (Rutherford Wine Company)
Cost: $14.99
Year: 2007
Grapes: 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Malbec, 2% Merlot, 2% Zinfandel, 1% Petite Verdot

Event:

When: Thursday, July 15th, 2010, 5 to 8 pm
Cost: $4, with rebate on the purchase of 1 bottle of the featured wines.

Here is the Quick List of the wines presented (click on a wine to see more):

1. Bottega Vinaia Pinot Grigio 2008
2. Charles de Fère Sparkling Dry Rosé Reserve
3. Washington Hills Late Harvest Riesling Summit Reserve 2008
4. Enanzo Tempranillo 2007
5. Bridlewood Syrah 2007
6. Montes Malbec Classic 2008

Here are the detailed wine notes:
Bottega Vinaia Pinot Grigio 2008
What: An especially lively and attractive Pinot Grigio, a good wine to begin an enjoyable evening with friends. Full, well-fruited, very pretty, flowery aromas. Crisp, smooth flavors with good acidity. Long finish. Fresh, dry and flavorful with a firm structure and along lush finish. A wonderful aperitif. Also would go well with shrimp and scallops
From: Trentino, Italy
Winery: Bottega Vinaia
Year: 2008
Goes with: Enjoy with shrimp or scallops; sea bass or tilapia with herbs & Parmesan on a bed of wilted spinach & shallots. Havarti with dill.

Price: $12.99

Charles de Fère Sparkling Dry Rosé Reserve
What: A Wine World favorite as an aperitif, with hos d’oeuvres, or especially with spicy Asian dishes. It has enough character and just enough light sweetness to do well with spicy foods. It’s made from a combination of Groslot, Cot (Malbec), and Cabernet Franc: all red grapes. Visually intense with a light-pink color. Fine delicate bubbles and wonderful forward aromas of fruit. Very elegant on the palate. Refreshing. Well-structured with a long-lasting finish. Not quite dry,
From: Loire Valley, France
Winery: Charles de Fère

Price: $12.99

Washington Hills Late Harvest Riesling Summit Reserve 2008
What: Modestly priced, beautifully done, late harvest, light-medium sweet Riesling. Very pretty aromas and flavors of pear with hints of apricot, peaches and honey. A well-made wine, and a terrific bargain. Fine balance of sweetness and acidity. A grand aperitif.

From: Washington
Winery: Washington Hills
Year: 2008
Goes with: Great match with apricot-glazed pork loin, or honey-glazed roast chicken. Add some heat with hot spices or peppers; this LH Riesling works well with hot & spicy. Great with peaches & almond biscotti. White Stilton with Mango & Ginger.

Price: $8.99

Enanzo Tempranillo 2007
What: A lively medium-full-bodied red. Generous dark berry, spicy aromas with juicy blackberry flavors and a lingering, easy finish with hints of pepper.
From: Navarra, Spain
Winery: Enanzo
Year: 2007
Goes with: Enjoy it with beef or venison cube steak and a Madeira sauce. Chorizo sausage & beef burgers with carmelized onions, red pepper ranch sauce and Manchego cheese.

Price: $9.99

Bridlewood Syrah 2007
What: A grand Syrah and a terrific bargain. Aromas of smoke, cedar, black cherry and blueberry fruit with a hint of chocolate. Rich flavors of blackberry, dark cherry and sweet brown spice with a hint of mocha. Soft, chewy tannins with a long clean finish.
From: Central Coast, California
Winery: Bridlewood
Year: 2007
Goes with: Moussaka. Grilled lamb. Portabello mushrooms stuffed with sausage & Monterey Jack (or with humus, red onions & Feta)

Price: $13.49

Montes Malbec Classic 2008
What: A rich and intense red from 100-year-old vines. Lovely dark ruby color. Rich black cherry aromas. Beautiful balance and flavors. Lots of full fruit. Elegant. Note that this is one of the few Malbecs from Chile. The winemaker, Aurelio Montes, is one of Chile’s great innovators and quality leaders.
From: Colchagua Valley, Chile
Winery: Montes
Year: 2008
Goes with: Have it with a rare standing rib roast, grilled steaks.

Price: $11.99

Xplorador Cahrdonnay 2009, Chile

Cost: $7-9

What: These refreshing wines are terrific values, offering crisp, clean flavors at less than $10 a bottle. They are perfect for this time of year, when we suffer through the oppressive summer heat. The Xplorador label comes from the respected Concha y Toro family of wines.

Buying these tasty wines has the added benefit of helping the wine industry in Chile, which was hit hard by the devastating earthquake in February. Bottle Report is committed to drawing attention to the Chilean wines whenever we can because they have so many good wines at great prices.

The Xplorador wine delivers at a level far beyond what you would expect at this price. Each wine is typical of its varietal, presenting the more pleasing aspects of the grape.

The Chardonnay is a vibrant yellow with aromas of tropical fruit. It’s a medium-bodied wine that doesn’t overpower you. The rich flavors are smooth tropical fruit with a crisp, pleasant finish. It’s a well-rounded wine with everything in balance. It is aged for two months in stainless steel tanks.

The Sauvignon Blanc is a sharper wine, green-yellow in color with citrus aromas. There is plenty of acid to balance the lemon and grapefruit flavors. It is a bit lighter in weight than the Chardonnay and works better as an appetizer wine. The wine undergoes a swift fermentation process for two months in stainless steel tanks.

Winery: Concha y Toro has a proud history, dating to 1883 when a local politician and businessman named Don Melchor Concha y Toro brought French grapevines from Bordeaux to the Maipo Valley in Chile. He brought in a French expert to make his first wines. The business flourished and became a successful public company, now one of the largest wine businesses in the world.

Xplorador chief winemaker Hector “Tito” Urzua has spent 20 years searching for the best vineyard sites for his wines. He has studied vineyard practices in France and Australia as well as Chile and merges that traditional knowledge with modern practices to produce fruit-forward wines.

The coastal vineyards allow the grapes to ripen slowly as the ocean breezes meet the cool Andes Mountains air, moderating the hot, Chilean sun. Calcium-rich soils in the Sauvignon Blanc vineyards bring the refreshing mineral quality to the wine. The also winery also offers four reds under the Xplorador label: Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Carmenere and Merlot in the same price range. They are all good wines and outstanding values.

Goes with: I tried both of these wines with homemade fried shrimp and French fries, and they both worked well. The Chardonnay matched a little better, its buttery smoothness balancing the horseradish cocktail sauce I used with the shrimp. The next night I tried both with Sloppy Joes, and this time the Sauvignon Blanc was the better match, though both were good.

The Chardonnay should pair with all kinds of fresh shellfish, roast pork, pasta with a cream sauce and smooth cheese. The Sauvignon Blanc also will match fresh seafood and shellfish, roast chicken or pork, salads and spicy foods. I like both of them as sipping wines, perfect for relaxing on the porch after a hot, busy day.

Eric Norviel describes one of the wines.

Event: Eric Norviel once again presented an excellent selection of wines this month, featuring summer whites. Bee’s Knees supplied great tapas that matched the wines, and brought out the best in each wine.

The wines spanned the globe, from Austria to Oregon to California to Italy and Spain. The wines showed great variety, and some of the tasters said they had been afraid an all-white tasting would be boring. The evening was anything but boring. The wines were interesting and complex, and Eric provided a great deal of insight into the wines and the regions from which they came.
Where: Bee’s Knees Restaurant
211 Tenth St., Augusta, GA
706-828-3600

Sponsor: Ninth Street Wine Market, Augusta, GA 30901
706-724-1442

When: Wednesday, July 16, 2010, 6pm-8pm
Cost: $15 plus tax and tip. Reservations through Ninth Street Wine Market, 706-724-1442

Here is the Quick List of the wines presented (click on a wine to see more):

1. Freie Weingartner Gruner Veltliner
2. Ballentine Pocai VIneyards Chenin Blanc 2008
3. Anne Amie Muller Thurgau
4. Brassfield Serenity
5. Tenuta Sant’ Antonio Monte Cerani
6. Bodegas Valdesil Val de Sil

Here are the detailed wine notes:
Freie Weingartner Gruner Veltliner
What: 100% Gruner Veltliner, a small portion from terraced vineyards but the majority from select vineyards in plains areas adjacent to the Danube with gravel, clay and loess base soils. Destemmed and fermented with cultivate yeasts in stainless steel. This wine is aged a majority in stainless steel but a small portion in large wood casks.
From: Wachau, Austria
Winery: Domäne Freie Weingärtner Wachau

Tasting notes: This is a perfect summer sipping wine, one of the favorites of the night. It was light, refreshing, mellow but crisp. Drinks well by itself, without food.

Ballentine Pocai Vineyards Chenin Blanc 2008
What: The 2008 Chenin blanc was blessed by an immaculate growing season this year. The wine has very complex and classic Chenin blanc flavors of peaches, pears, citrus blossoms, honeysuckle, apple, lime and lemon. This Chenin is crisp, clean and fruit forward, and is very refreshing. The structure of the palate is full and silky with a crisp finish. The wine has a zesty citrus character on the palate with notes of peach, melon and floral blossoms. The wine has a silky texture that is accentuated by an extremely slight vanilla quality to the finish.
From: Napa, California
Winery: Ballentine
Year: 2008

Tasting notes: It had a strong mineral component. It was tart, more full-bodied than the Gruner Veltliner. It’s a wine that needs food to complement it.

Anne Amie Muller Thurgau
What: Our estate-grown Müller-Thurgau comes from vines first planted in 1979. Crisp, fresh, and dry, it is a charming example of the variety at its best. From chicken to shellfish, this wine is a versatile match for mildly spicy foods like Thai, Creole, or Mexican. The aroma has notes of musk melon, green apples, white flowers. The flavor tastes of star fruit, lemon drops, passion fruit and granny smith apple. The finish is minerality and dry.

From: Willamette Valley
Winery: Anne Amie Vineyards
Goes with: Oysters, mildly spicy foods like Thai, Creole, or Mexican

Tasting notes: The only Müller-Thurgau in the Willamette Valley, this was a beautiful wine, a perfect match for the spicy tuna we had. This was another wine that drank much better with food than without. It was slightly sweet, with mineral overtones. It had a strong pucker factor.

Brassfield Serenity
What: The home ranch on the western side of High Valley has been known as “High Serenity Ranch” for over one hundred years. Today, the original 1400 acre property is now home to Brassfield Estate Winery and the first 60 acres of vineyard planted in 2001. The vineyards that comprise “Serenity” are comprised of gravelly loams, and are some of the coolest growing conditions in High Valley. The 2007 Serenity shows a brilliant entry of honeydew melon aromas, and fresh minty qualities reminiscent of a Caribbean Mojita. Tropical fruit cocktail flavors are perfectly balanced with the palate-cleansing acidity that lingers to a wonderfully long, bright finish. The soft, round mouth-feel along with a touch of sweetness is perfectly balanced with the acidity to deliver a palate cleansing freshness to pan-Asian cuisine, spicy Thai, or as a cocktail aperitif.
From: Lake County, California
Winery: Brassfield

Tasting notes: Another popular wine, it had a lush, buttery taste. It had a smooth mouthfeel with tropical fruit flavors that perfectly matched the crab cakes that were served.

Tenuta Sant’ Antonio Monte Cerani
What: The wine is made with 100% Garganega, a grape indigenous to Italy. The yeasts used were native wild yeast and created a wine with soft, pale yellow colors with hints of citrus fruit, grapefruit, bitter almond and a soft creaminess. Accompaniments: starters and cold dishes, pasta and rice with vegetables and fish, creamed, vegetable or mushroom soups, main courses of fresh and salt water fish. This wine was produced by gentle nitrogen maceration and stainless steel fermentation.
From: Soave, Italy
Winery: Tenuta Sant’ Antonio

Tasting notes: Eric switched this wine to be the last one tasted, and it was a brilliant move. Many people don’t know that you can age some white wines, and this was one. Produced in 2004, the aging has produced a powerful, elegant wine that doesn’t overpower food or palate. It has a beautiful long, lingering aftertaste.

Bodegas Valdesil Val de Sil
What: An elegant expression of Godello (go-day-o) where lees ageing provides depth, character, and the potential for bottle ageing. Complex, with yeasty, mineral, citric notes, good weight and balancing acidity. Made from a selection of vineyards in Vilamartín de Valdeorras where adequate height and latitude allow the complete maturation of the variety. The vines are 20 years old. Elegant expression of the Godello variety that provides a fat white wine with great character and bottle ageing potential. The slate slopes of the Sil Valley give the mineral character of this wine released after six months of lees stirring in vat and several more in bottle.
From: Valdeorras, Spain
Winery: Bodegas Valdesil
Grapes: 100% godello

Tasting notes: This was another big hit of the evening. Nice aromas of ripe fruit with floral notes open up to a wine with a pleasant minerality. Good acidity give the wine nice structure. It’s a flinty but full-flavored wine that held up well to a spicy chicken-ginger stir fry served with pasta. Eric said Godello is the defining grape of the region, which also is known as the Valley of Gold. He said early Celts came there for gold, found it and then planted grapevines.