Wine Tasting!

Friday, Dec. 18th

3:30-7:30pm

Dueling distributors - Doug and Cat from SOPO and Iain Cardus from Pine State.

We're tasting wines we feel are great for the holiday season - whether it's a gift or for a special meal or just unwinding at home!

We hope to see you on Friday!

The Wines:

Iain's Wines:

The Sparkling:

Carpene Prosecco (Italy) Reg. $17.99, Sale $14.99 - Aromas of pears and fresh bread. Flavors of pears, peaches, orange with nice acidity and crispness. Food pairing - great as a cocktail wine! Seafood.

The Whites:

1. Santa Rita Medalla Real Chardonnay 2007 (Chile) Reg. $18.99, Sale $16.99 - Aromas of fresh fruits, some citrus notes, dried fruits, and minerals. It is fresh yet weighty on the palate, with a creamy texture and a long, persistent finish. 20% of the wine is aged in new French oak barrels, with the rest in second, third or fourth use. Food pairing - Delicious with white meats and poultry, seafood, shellfish, and pastas prepared in seafood sauces.

2. Dry Creek Chenin Blanc 2008 (California) Reg. $14.99, Sale $11.99 - YUM! That’s what we have to say about this wine! Aromas of lemon, orange, pear & pineapple that carry through to the flavors. Clean, crisp, well-balanced and easy-to-drink. This is soft and smooth! Great wine for warm days and a picnic/party! Food pairing - Great choice for shellfish, seafood, pasta salad, chicken and drinking! Perfect with curry dishes. Awesome with oysters! Food & Wine, “Great Bargain – Terrific Wine Under $15;” Wine & Spirits, “Best Buy”

3. Milbrandt Riesling 2007 (Washington) $11.99 - This Riesling shows why Eastern Washington is becoming a hub for Riesling. It is ripe, fresh and highly aromatic. The nose combines peaches and apricots. The flavors are rich, lush and juicy. The finish is off dry and balanced. Food pairing - seafood, chicken, turkey and pork and a wide swath of cuisines from Cajun to Asian and Hispanic to German. Great as a cocktail wine!

The Reds:

1 - Robert Sinskey Cabernet Sauvignon "Vandal Vineyard" 2005 (California) Reg. $52.99, Sale $34.99 - DELICIOUS! Impressive. Organic. Biodynamic. Just off the rim, the color goes nearly opaque, almost black, but holds on to an intense, lustrous purple hue. Aromas recall black currant jam spiked with sweet herbs and vanilla. Flavors broaden and linger unhurriedly on a taut but supple canvas expertly knit by ripe, polished tannins. Food pairing - lamb, beef and more. Not an overblown Cab, so this is food friendly.

2 - Santa Rita Medalla Real Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 (Chile) Reg. $18.99, Sale $16.99 - Outstanding Cab that is a mouthful of wine! Flavors and aromas of dark and red berries, leather, baking spices, coffee, vanilla and toast. Tannins are soft and well-integrated. Long finish with lots going on, including mint and sage! 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged 12-14 months in French oak (1/3 new, 1/3 1 year-old, 1/3 2 year-old). Food pairing – drinks great without food. Steak, lamb, beef, rich pasta dishes. Wine Spectator, 91 points, “Smart Buy”

3 - Kenwood Pinot Noir 2007 (California) Reg. $17.99, Sale $14.99 - This is a really nice Pinot and an excellent value! Wonderful red berry (strawberry, cherry, plum) aromas and flavors. A touch of peppery spice. Silky, soft…lots of fruit. Food pairing - Goes well with roast chicken, duck, turkey, pork and lamb.

4 - High Note Malbec 2007 (Argentina) Reg. $14.99, Sale $12.99 - Great tasting and a huge value! Well-balanced wine – fruit, tannins and acidity are all well-integrated. This has a smooth mouthfeel – the tannins are round and soft. Aromas and flavors of black currants, cherries, blackberries, plums and baking spices. A little peppery spice. Soft, smooth finish. 83% Malbec, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Aged 6 month in 65% French and 35% American oak (only 24% is new oak), so this is not overly “oaky.” Food pairing – red meat, lamb, grilled chicken or vegetables, lasagna, pasta! Drinks well without food!

Doug and Cat's Wines

The Whites:

1 - Kono Sauvignon Blanc 2007 (New Zealand) $11.99 - The wine is pale with green hues and has scents of lemon and honeysuckle. Peach and a touch of lime zest come through on the palate opening out to include hints of gooseberry. Lip-smacking, full, dry finish. Maori-owned. Sustainable agriculture. Food pairing - great with steamed mussels, fishcakes or a chicken stirfry.

2 - Charles Smith Wines Eve Chardonnay 2007 (Washington) $12.99 - a slightly oaky (20% sees oak barrels) Chardonnay from impresario Charles Smith of K Vintners fame. A lighter style Chardonnay that's clean and fresh! Bright, fresh aromas and flavors of ripe apples! Charles was just named Food & Wine's winemaker of the year! Wine Spectator, 88 points

3 - Darting Durkheimer Nonnengarten Kabinett Riesling 2007 (Germany) $19.99 - it's a full liter bottle, so it's 1/3 more fun! Just a touch of sweetness! Nice stone fruit aromas and flavors with good acidity and crispness. Food pairing - ham, smoked fish, Sushi, Thai food.

The Reds:

1 - Mas Lavail Terre d'Ardoise Carignan 2007 (Languedoc, France) $11.99 - This is a country wine — uncomplicated in its appeal, fragrant with dust and smoke, and just a little bitter. The wine is concentrated by leaf pulling and discarding a portion of the unripe harvest. The vines are very old and stand upright in sparse soil of black slate. Such hardship could produce a wine of formidable acid and structure. The cousins are clever in their wine-making, however, and the result is surprisingly soft and open. Food pairing - This wine welcomes food, especially pork and bread.

2 - Harlaftis Estate Athanassiadi 2006 (Nemea, Greece) $10.99 - drinks like a smooth, velvety Merlot. Soft tannins. This has nice dried cherry and berry flavors and aromas. Nice length on the finish. Food pairing - lamb chops, chicken, dishes with rosemary.

3 - Descendientes Palacios Petalos del Bierzo 2007 (Spain) $22.99 - That's a mouthful of a name and this is a mouthful of wine! We call this "Petalos" for easier talking. The entry-level wine (what an entry!) for this winery is the 2007 Petalos del Bierzo, 100% Mencia from vineyards ranging in age from 40 to 90 years. It spends its first few weeks in new French barriques before transfer to seasoned oak for 6 to 10 months. Saturated purple in color, it offers up a super-fragrant bouquet of smoke, violets, mineral, wild blueberry, and black raspberry. Fruity yet complex on the palate, it has superb depth, grip, and balance. This sexy effort can be enjoyed over the next six years but only hedonists need apply. 91 points, Robert Parker, Wine Advocate

4 - Kilikanoon "The Lackey" Shiraz 2006 (Australia) $14.99 - “The Lackey” which was aged for 15 months in seasoned American oak and bottled without fining or filtration. It offers a stylish bouquet for its humble price featuring aromas of cedar, bacon, plum, and blueberry. This leads to a medium-bodied wine with good grip, intensity, and length. 89 points, Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, Best Buy

The Dessert:

1 - Niepoort Tawny Port (Portugal) $19.99 - Dirk Niepoort is THE MAN when it comes to Port these days!

I'm working on the wine descriptions and hope to have them up soon.

We hope to see you Friday!