Event: It’s First Friday again. As usual a great selection of 6 wines were presented. Word must be getting around about how much fun these tastings are because the shop was packed with happy, sipping folks.

The wines were terrific, and it turned out to be a special occasion. It was Sally and Dick Benjamin’s 49th wedding anniversary. And they celebrated by pouring wine for all the happy First Friday drinkers.

Where: Wine World, 133 Georgia Ave., North Augusta, SC
803-279-9522

When: Friday, Sept. 3, 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. Côté Est 2009
2. Burgans Albariño 2009
3. blüfeld Riesling 2009
4. Domaine Lalaurie Syrah Rosé 2009
5. Alto Almanzora Este 2008
6. Cannonball Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

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Burgans Albariño 2009
What: A clean, salt-water nose with a hint of lemon and lime. Crisp flavors of honeydew melon and white peach, medium body, silky texture. lingering finish. A real beauty. From Spain’s north Atlantic coast, Albariño is one of the world’s great fish wines! Very food friendly.
From: Rias Baixas, Spain
Winery: Bodegas Martín Códax
Year: 2009
Goes with: Broiled fish fillet. Chicken. Salads. Paella.

Blüfeld Riesling 2009
What: Bright and refreshing, Blüfeld has aromas of citrus and peach, with floral notes. Flinty fresh with juicy, slightly sweet mid-palate fruitiness, balanced acidity and a lingering finish. The blue slate soil in the Mosel valley adds an intriguing minerality to the wine.
From: Mosel Valley, Germany
Winery: Blüfeld
Year: 2009
Goes with: Aperitif, sushi, spicy oriental or German style dishes.

Domaine Lalaurie Syrah Rosé 2009
What: A lovely dry rosé, light sparkles when first opened. Bright strawberry aromas and flavors. Beautifully balanced. Medium body. Long finish. Terrific aperitif.
From: Vin de Pays d’Oc, France
Winery: Domaine Lalaurie
Year: 2009
Goes with: Try it with grilled rare tuna. Turkey (plan ahead)! Grilled eggplant with tapenade and salami. Pinenut-crusted scallops.

Alto Almanzora Este 2008
What: A rich, red blend of 47% Monastrell, 23% Tempranillo, 12% Syrah, 6% Garnacha, 6% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon from southern Spain. Aromas and flavors of slightly roasted earthy black cherry, blueberry and violet. Forward, with soft, friendly tannins.
From: Andalucia, Spain
Winery: Bodegas Alto Almanzora
Year: 2008
Goes with: Match with grilled sausages,
herbed thick pork chops, burgers with goat cheese and kalamata olives.

Cannonball Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
What: A remarkably nice “California” Cabernet Sauvignon blended with 12% Syrah and 3% Merlot. It has aromas and flavors of bright, fresh blackberries and blueberries with a hint of black pepper. Lots of pretty fruit, and the tannins are good and chewy. The finish is smooth and lingering. The winemaker recommends enjoying between now and 2011 to really get the most of the big fruit; let the wine really open up in your glass to experience all the layers and complexity.
From: California
Winery: Cannonball Wine Company.
Year: 2007
Goes with: Pair it with a piece of rare or medium rare beef, short ribs, or lamb.

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Austin Hope in his storage room.

Westside Red, The Troublemaker

Cost: $22

What: Westside Red, The Troublemaker, Paso Robles, California

The Troublemaker is a new blended wine just introduced by the fun people at Hope Family Wines. It’s a classic Rhone-style blend of Syrah, Mourvedre and Grenache that offers a rich, full taste.

It is a beautiful deep red color in the glass. Aromas of blackberry and black cherry lead to a wonderful, complex taste. You can pick up black fruit flavors with some spiciness and hints of cranberry. The finish is long and smooth.

The wine is called The Troublemaker because besides blending three grapes it blends three vintages. It doesn’t follow the usual style. Most California wines bottle a single vintage and put that year on the label. Mixing vintages gives the winemaker more latitude in creating the taste and style he wants.

When I visited the winery recently there were hints that maybe the wine was named after the head of the winery and the winemaker, Austin Hope. He is a bit of a rogue and renegade, but he relishes that role and plays it well. He likes to shake things up and encourages his staff to try new things. I can’t wait for his $50 box wine.

Austin Hope checks the grapes.

The wine has juice from 2007 and 2008 along with fresh juice from 2009. The 2007 portion was aged for 20 months, the 2008 for 12 months and the 2009 for four months, all in French oak barrels, 65 percent of them new.

The mix is 53 percent Syrah, 37 percent Mourvedre and 10 percent Grenache. The grapes all come from the family vineyard on the west side of Paso Robles. Instead of a vintage date the label says Blend 1.

It is a powerful, complex wine that delivers much more than you would expect at this price. Blending the vintages allows the winemaker to bring just the right elements together. It tastes like it will age well for several years.

Winery: When the Hope family moved to Paso Robles in 1978 to grow grapes, they made farming quality fruit a top priority. They became one of a handful of pioneering families who helped shape the region that has gained widespread recognition for quality.

At first their fruit was bought mainly by wineries outside the region. Then in the early 1990’s, the family began producing estate wines under the Hope Family Farms label. They focused their farming efforts to better suit the Paso Robles terroir and eliminated their white grape plantings entirely. They decided that Paso Robles was better suited to produce bold red wines that can compete on an international level.

They also produce a blockbuster white Rhone blend of Viognier and Marsanne, with grapes from the Santa Lucia Highlands of Monterey County.

Austin Hope in his new tasting room.

Their other high quality labels are Liberty School, Austin Hope, Treana and Candor. The Westside Red brand brings back a label the winery stopped used several years ago, but with an all-new blend.

The winery has a healthy sense of humor, and you can experience it by going to this fun YouTube video about The Troublemaker:

The troublemaker

Austin Hope looks out over the rolling hills of Paso Robles.

Goes with: Grilled meat, hamburgers, pasta in a tomato sauce, and all kinds of hard cheese. I had it with steak at Artisan, a great Paso Robles restaurant, and the wine was a perfect match.

WOW members show their sense of humor.

What: WOW (Women Only Wine) discovered several good wines at an Italian wine tasting Wednesday night.

They laughed and joked their way through seven different wines, six of which were from Italy and one of which was made in California using an Italian grape.

The food followed an Italian theme as well, highlighted by a wonderful seafood lasagna. The group meets monthly, moving the tastings among members’ homes.

Here are the wines tasted:
Di Paolo Prosecco Colli Trevigiana. This was a beautiful example of the classic Italian sparkling wine, made entirely of Prosecco grapes from the hills of Treviso. It was well-rounded, with good citrus flavors. The wine was cold fermented in stainless steel to preserve the freshness of the grapes. This was a delightful way to start the evening.

Villa Pozzi Pinot Grigio. One of the most popular grapes in the world, Pinot Grigio also is known as Pinot Gris or Rulander. It can be produced in a range of styles from slightly sweet to dry. This Pinot Grigio was light straw in color with some aromas of flowers and honeysuckle. It had a soft fruit flavor, but with enough acid to make it interesting.

Woodbridge Pinot Grigio. I brought this from my cellar to contrast with the Italian Pinot Grigio. The Woodbridge was a little more popular with the group, showing lime and lemon flavors with a little more structure to it. And at $8 a bottle it’s a bargain.

Collegiata Multepulciano. This is a wine meant to be drunk young. It’s light and fruity with lots of ripe fruit flavor. Full of soft tannins, it is not meant to be aged, but to be drunk on release. It’s a great food wine, perfect for pizza or pasta.

Renwood Amador Barbera. Produced by the folks who make many outstanding Zinfandels, the Renwood Barbara is a warm, full wine. It had a pleasant, smooth taste, with a little bit of tannins. There was a slight tartness in the fresh fruit taste, and high acidity gives it good aging potential. It spent about 18 months in oak barrels.

Monte Antico Tuscana Red. This was an outstanding wine, probably my favorite of the tasting. In 2009 it ranks number 61 in Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines. At $12.99 a bottle it’s a steal. The complex flavors of berry, cherry and plum offer layers of changing flavor. The wine is 85% Sangiovese, 15% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. This is another wine that would be great with pizza and pasta.

Bolla Valpolicella, 2005. This wine came from my cellar, and I thought it was a dud. Some of the women thought it hadn’t quite passed it’s peak, but I wasn’t happy with it. It did open a little after a few minutes, but it never reached the rich, full flavor I expect from a Valpolicella. When young the Bolla Valpolicella is hard to beat.

Dishing up seafood lasagna.

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Why take the chance of buying and not liking it! Try all the Liberty School Wines this Saturday along with their other brands!

These are great wines to end the summer and start the fall! These are great for your labor Day cookout. And what better way to start the Labor Day weekend, The New York Butcher Shoppe will be there cooking burgers or hot dogs with a side dish and chips.Learn about the differences in the many wines produced around the world. Have an opportunity to taste high end wines without having to spend a lot of money first. See friends and enjoy some nibbles.
Where: Vineyard Wine Market (map), 4414 Evans to Lock Road, Evans, GA. (706) 922-9463

When: Friday, Sept. 3, 2010, 4:30-6:30pm, Saturday, Sept. 4, 2010 1-6pm
Cost: Price determined by flight selection.

Here are the wines to be presented:

Westside White
From: Paso Robles, California
Winery: Westside (Hope Family Wines)

Treana White
From: Paso Robles, California
Winery: Treana (Hope Family Wines)

Liberty School Chardonnay
From: Paso Robles, California
Winery: Liberty School(Hope Family Wines)

Liberty School Cuvee
From: Paso Robles, California
Winery: Liberty School(Hope Family Wines)

Westside Red
From: Paso Robles, California
Winery: Westside (Hope Family Wines)

Liberty School Syrah
From: Paso Robles, California
Winery: Liberty School(Hope Family Wines)

Candor Merlot
From: Paso Robles, California
Winery: Candor(Hope Family Wines)

Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon
From: Paso Robles, California
Winery: Liberty School(Hope Family Wines)

Candor Red Zinfandel
From: Paso Robles, California
Winery: Candor(Hope Family Wines)

Treana Red
From: Paso Robles, California
Winery: Treana (Hope Family Wines)

Chosen solely from small to medium-sized winemakers, all of their vintners still handpick grapes and produce concentrated, natural wines from low yield with minimum intervention.

This is a drop in style tasting; no reservations need. The Tasting will run from 6 to 7:30 PM. Come by and bring a friend!

Where: Vineyard Wine Market (map), 4414 Evans to Lock Road, Evans, GA. (706) 922-9463

When: Thursday, September 9th, 6 to 7:30 PM
Cost: No reservations Needed.

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

1. Provenza Lugana
2. Provenza Rosso
3. Demarie Langhe Arneis
4. Demarie Langhe Nebbiolo
5. Brancatelli Questo Dedicato Cabernet Blend
6. Demarie Birbet Brachetto d’Alba
7. Traverso Schioppettino
8. Boeri Pörlapà

Here are the detailed wine notes:
Provenza Lugana
What: This 100% Trebbiano di Lugana white wine displays a subtle straw color with green highlights. The delicate bouquet of almonds is enhanced by a slightly salty, semi-sweet, flavor of citrus and almond butter. It is best served chilled, with hors d’oeuvres and with dishes of fresh or salt-water fish. –From the Uva Website
From: Lombardy, Italy
Winery: Provenza
Grapes: 100% Trebbiano di LuganaGoes with: The perfect wine to be served chilled with shellfish starters, creamy pasta and risotto.

Provenza Rosso
What: A progressive and enlightened wine with a rich aroma of black fruits and spice. Medium body, with a touch of smokiness on the palate. This wine goes well with poultry, grilled red meat and Italian antipasti.–From the Uva Website
From: Lombardiy Italy
Winery: Provenza
Grapes: 40% Groppello, 20% Marzemino, 20% Sangiovese, 20% BarberaGoes with: The wine accompanies roasts, braised meats, game dishes perfectly.

Demarie Langhe Arneis
What: This everyday white table wine shows a pale straw yellow luster with a hint of green high-lights. A perfume of ripe fruit and abundant floral on the nose provoke your senses to recall flavors of peach, apricot, wild broom, and chamomile. Pleasantly dry on the palate with light white fruits and a nutty dried almond finish.–From the Uva Website
From: Italy
Winery: Demarie
Grapes: 100% Arneis

Demarie Langhe Nebbiolo
What: Delicate, but intense on the nose, this wine opens up slowly to release delightful impressions of wild violet and ripe morello cherry. Mellow tones of cherry, raspberry, and wild strawberry jam on the palate, with a bit of star anise on the finish.–From the Uva Website
From: Italy
Winery: Demarie
Grapes: 100% Nebbiolo

Brancatelli Questo Dedicato Cabernet Blend
What: Aromas of black currant, cinnamon, baking spices and tobacco give way to flavors of black fruits, especially black cherry, dried herbs, vanilla, and spice. A powerful wine that pairs well with most full flavored main courses.–From the Uva Website
From: Italy
Winery: Brancatelli
Grapes: 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, 25% Petit Verdot, 25% Syrah

Demarie Birbet Brachetto d’Alba
What: Soft bubbles tempt your tongue with this slightly frizzante wine. Peering through the glass you will find a cherry red hue with faint ruby nuances; fragrant and aromatic on the nose with floral undertones. The youthful, fresh palate is reminiscent of strawberries, raspberries and blackberries. The wine is sweet, yet has a unique character that sets it apart from dessert wines. Strong, pleasant hints of red fruit are amplified by the fine perlage (or effervescents). Birbèt pairs perfectly with dry pastries and hazelnut cake.–From the Uva Website
From: Italy
Winery: Demarie
Grapes: 100% Brachetto d’Alba

Traverso Schioppettino
What: Saturated ruby-red in color, tending towards purple, this wine is densly packed with scents of rich berries, in particular raspberry and blueberry. Intense fruit on the palate release to reveal a slightly forward acidity; a gorgeous integration of layered flavors. This wine pairs well with hard cheeses and game meats.–From the Uva Website
From: Italy
Winery: Traverso
Grapes: 100% Schioppettino

Boeri Pörlapà
What: Aromas of strawberry jam, tar, and deep dark fruits, On the palate it is juicy and spicy, bursting with red and black fruits, with much complexity from time spent in oak barrels, and a fabulous lingering finish. This wine drinks well upon release, but is very age-worthy. The acidity and tannins will age gracefully for several years, resulting in a charming wine full of complexity and elegance. It pairs particularly well with full-flavored main courses, especially beef.–From the Uva Website
From: Italy
Winery: Boeri
Grapes: 100% Barbera

When: Friday, Sept. 10, 2010, 4:30-6:30pm, Saturday, Sept. 11, 2010 1-6pm
Cost: Price determined by flight selection.

When: Thursday, Sept, 16th, 2010, 5 to 8 pm
Cost: $4, with rebate on the purchase of 1 bottle of the featured wines.

When: Friday, Sept. 17, 2010, 4:30-6:30pm, Saturday, Sept. 18, 2010 1-6pm
Cost: Price determined by flight selection.

When: Friday, Sept. 24, 2010, 4:30-6:30pm, Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010 1-6pm
Cost: Price determined by flight selection.