Valentine's Wines

Valentine's Day Wine!

If you are home for Valentine's Day, we have some wines for you!

The Wines!

Sparkling Wines

Scagliola "Primo Bacio" Moscato D'Asti 2006 (Italy) $16.99 - I loved tasting this wine with Mario Scagliola, the winemaker and owner. This is just so nice! It's soft, rich and lush with nice bubbles....it just feels elegant! The aromas just leap from the bottle! It tastes great! The label on this pictures the Mario's brother's first girlfriend....and Primo Bacio means "First Kiss." This winery farms organically & biodynamically. Food Pairing - Pair this with desserts (fruit desserts, not chocolate), lighter pasta dishes or aged cheeses....this is a wonderful wine for a romantic evening!

Il Colle Prosecco Brut (Italy) $17.99 - Made from grapes of the Conegliano hills, this excellent Prosecco offers a straw-yellow color with a tantalizing perlage (bubbles), a characteristic nose backed by a pleasant fruitiness. Dry and elegant on the mouth, it is a perfect aperitif but also pairs excellently with food.

White Wines

Il Cuore "The Heart" Chardonnay Mendocino County 2008 (California) $13.99 - Wonderful California Chardonnay that's a little different! Aromas of green apples, pears, minerals and flowers. Flavors of both fruit (green apples and pears) and minerals along with nice floral notes. 91% Chardonnay & 9% Viognier (Viognier adds floral notes). Fermented in stainless steel & just a little oak (all neutral barrels, so it isn't oaky at all). Food pairing - fish, shellfish, crab cakes, poultry, lighter pasta dishes, spicy Asian food & many vegetarian dishes. Drinks nicely on its own. Heart on the label! The original art for IL CUORE was created by Dan Rizzie, whose bold cubistic paintings are in the permanent collections of both The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Shinas Estates "The Innocent" Viognier 2008 (Australia) $22.99 - WOW! What'd I say? Oh, yes, "WOW!" It's marvelous! It's relatively unknown. This and its red sibling, "The Guilty," make a great gift. Aromas that just go & go! Peaches, apricots, then dried versions of the same, roses, pepper, & baking spices. Big & soft in the mouth. Stone fruit & citrus flavors, especially subtle lemon & grapefruit. Single vineyard, hand-harvested grapes. Unoaked, concentrating the aromas & flavors. The result - one big, tasty, masterful wine! With layers of flavors & aromas! Food pairing - drink on its own or with shellfish and seafood!

Red Wines

Il Cuore Rosso Classico Mendocino County 2007 (California) $13.99 - Wonderful wine from Northern CA!! We love this! Medium-bodied, loaded with aromas and flavors of berries, plums and ripe cherries. Nice combination of spice and fruit! Well balanced tannins and acidity. Nice finish. Modest use of oak. 2,704 cases made. 67% Zinfandel, 14% Merlot, 8% Petite Sirah, 6% Syrah and 5% Carignane. Food pairing - spicy foods, lamb, grilled or roasted chicken, lasagna, garlicky foods or grilled or roasted salmon. Drinks well on its own! Heart on the label! The original art for IL CUORE was created by Dan Rizzie, whose bold cubistic paintings are in the permanent collections of both The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Shinas Estates "The Guilty" Shiraz 2006 (Australia) $22.99 - This is an EXCELLENT Shiraz! A great companion to "The Innocent" Viognier! Aromas of flowers, dark berries and plums and peppery spice. Loads of flavors - ripe dark fruit, cherries, strawberries, blackberries and more. Full-bodied. Well-balanced tannins. Long finish with lots of black cherries. Single vineyard old-vine grapes. Hand-harvested grapes. Aged 20 months in old French oak, concentrating the aromas & flavors. 2,500 cases made. Food pairing - steaks, grilled meats, lamb....drinks well on its own - I like big wines!

Passion Has Red Lips By Some Young Punks Cabernet Sauvignon - Shiraz 2007 (Australia) $19.99 - Fabulous wine made by 3 young winemakers! The young woman in the team was in our store on May 31st Aussie blends are GREAT VALUES! Aromas of raspberries, strawberries, flowers, and blueberries. Flavors of blueberries, red cherries, mint, anise & tropical spices, . Full-flavored. Juicy. Soft tannins at the finish. Soft, lingering finish. 51% Cabernet Sauvignon & 49% Shiraz. 400 cases made. The label is an old "pulp fiction" book cover (one of the winemakers collect them). Food pairing - Excellent choice for grilled meats, roasts and just drinking!

Robert Sinskey Cabernet Sauvignon "Vandal Vineyard" 2005 (California) Reg. $52.99, Sale $34.99 - DELICIOUS! Seamless wine. Impressive. Runaway hit at a December tasting! 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. This wine just unfolds in the mouth. The longer and longer you linger over this, the more flavors open up in the wine! Currants, black cherries,mocha, dark chocolate, vanilla, baking spices and more! Ripe, polished tannins. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged 20 months in oak barrels (1/3 new). Food pairing - lamb, beef and more. Not an overblown Cab, so this is food friendly.

Star Lane Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Ynez 2005 (CA) $54.99, Sale $39.99 - Aromas of blackberry laced with brambly notes of sage brush and chaparral that have become the hallmark of this vineyard precede tiers of currant, wild blackberry and savory herbs. The wine shows a sophistication of structure that emphasizes both lushness and grip that will reward both the hedonist and the collector alike. Enjoy!

Dessert

Quady Elysium 2007 (California) $15.99 - One of the California's great dessert wines! Aromas of strawberries, roses and lychee..... Heart on the label! Flavors of cherries, rose petals, red cherries and lychee. This is smooth and viscous. This is made from Muscat Hamburg, one of the few black-skinned muscats. Elysium means heaven in Greek - the name comes from the rose garden aroma - which is heavenly! Food pairing - a great companion with dessert or as dessert! Pair this with blue cheeses, dark chocolate, strawberries, raspberries, vanilla-based desserts, ice cream and/or candlelight! Make cocktails - 50/50 tonic water and Elysium with ice and a slice of lemon! California State Fair, Double Gold Medal

Trentadue Alexander Valley "Chocolate Amore" Port (California) $26.99 - If you are looking for a wonderful dessert wine for Valentine's or any night, try this! This is like drinking a dark chocolate-covered cherry! This is a well-balanced wine....it's not syrupy (nice acidity balancing the sweetness). 100% Geyserville grapes. Merlot-based, Port-styled dessert wine with natural chocolate. Food pairing - drinks great on its own! Pour it over vanilla ice cream! Makes a killer martini (equal parts Chocolate Amore & Vodka, 1/2 a jigger of fresh orange juice & Cointreau)!

Chocovine $13.99 - MONSTROUS hit at our last wine tasting! Dutch Chocolate with Cabernet Sauvignon! If you like Bailey's Irish Cream, give this a shot! Tastes like rich chocolate with a kick! Rich, dark chocolate from Holland blended with good Cabernet Sauvignon from France. Rich and chocolaty with subtle red wine flavors. Drink over ice or use it to make a chocolate martini! Or, come up with your own drink!

Tobin James Liquid Love Late Harvest Zinfandel 2007 (California) $21.99 - Dark chocolate, orange and dark berry fruit in a glass! This is smooth and rich and delicious! A different side of Zinfandel than you usually see! Food pairing - dark chocolate truffles, a rich chocolate torte.

Coppo Passione Brachetto d' Acqui (Piedmont, Italy) $17.99 - Made from 100% Brachetto grapes from the area that surrounds the town of Acqui in Piedmont, this is one of the few Italian sweet wines to earn DOCG status. Bright red cherry in color, this Brachetto has a lively, zingy tease of bubbles, with fresh aromas of raspberries and strawberries. Food pairing - Brachetto d'Acqui can commence a great evening as an aperitif, or even better, it is one of the most romantic pairings with chocolate at the end of the meal. Serve lightly chilled.