Wine Tasting, Dec. 11th, 12-7:00pm

Wine Tasting

Saturday, 12 – 7:00pm

Dec. 11th, 2010

10% off on all wine tasting wines!

We’ll have Phil McCormack from Mariner Beverages here for the tasting! These are a bunch of great wines for the holidays…..for presents, parties or yourself!

The Sparkling:

Santome Prosecco (Italy) $14.99 - This Prosecco is drier than most. It has nice minerality, fruit and a great price! Aromas and flavors of lemons, green apples, a hint of fresh bread and minerals. Food pairings - Great with smoked fish, a fruit tart and more!

The Whites:

Marchetti Verdicchio Dei Castelli di Jesi Classico 2009 (Marche, Italy) $13.99 - This is one of the best Mediterranean whites under $15 I've ever tasted! Wonderful citrus & mineral flavors & aromas. This also has notes of green apples & tropical fruits. Vibrant acidity and loads of minerality throughout the wine. Has a little nuttiness (almonds?) on the finish. Long, crisp finish! Maurizio Marchetti, the winemaker, only uses the best grapes (most years he gets no more than 1/2 a bottle from a single vine). 900 cases made. Organic Farming. Food pairing - seafood, shellfish, swordfish, etc. Great with poultry.

Barrel 27 “High on the Hog” White 2009 (California) $17.99 – This is a weightier, more robust white than most…..Aromas and flavors of honey, smoke, tropical fruits, melon, bacon, almonds, minerals and more. Crisp acidity to balance the fruit and weight. Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne blend from Paso Robles. Russell From of Herman Story is one of the winemakers for this wine. Food pairing – poultry, salmon, duck, pork tenderloin.

The Reds:

Fattoria Capannacce Rosso della Maremma Toscana Super Tuscan 2006 (Italy) Reg. $21.99, Sale $14.99 – New vintage of an old favorite! Fabulous, big & bold Super Tuscan! Aromas and flavors of cherries, blackberries, cedar, toasted baking spices, mocha and licorice. This is rich and lush. Long finish. This area of Tuscany is considered its "Wild West." It is rugged, arid, lightly populated and its people have an independent spirit. 80% Sangiovese, 10% Syrah, 5% Canaiolo & 5% Grenache. The entire estate only makes 4,000 cases. Food pairing - grilled meats of any kind, roasted lamb or beef, rich mushroom dishes. I like this by itself, but I like really big wines without food!

Folk Machine Pinot Noir 2009 (California) $21.99 – This is a balanced Pinot that I like a lot. It has great red fruit (strawberries and cherries) and a nice earthiness. It sees time in oak, but the oak adds interest and touches without burying the fruit in a pile of lumber. Central Coast Pinot Noir from the same winemaker as “The Hobo Wine Co.” Zinfandel. 95% of the fruit is from 3 Monterey County vineyards and 5% from the Vecino Vineyard in Potter Valley. 80% of the grapes are the Pommard Clone. Food pairing – roasted chicken, roast duck, mushroom dishes, grilled salmon.

Castillo Rocio Reserva 2004 (Spain) $13.99 – This is a tasty, rich wine from a lesser-known part of Spain and that helps hold the price down! This has red berry fruit (raspberries, red currants, red cherries) and a touch of vanilla to it. It’s pretty rich. The finish is tangy with touches of red fruit that linger nicely. 50% Tempranillo and 50% Bobal. Aged 12 months in American oak and bottled unfiltered. Aged another 2 years in the bottle before release. The wine is wrapped in metal mesh. This practice dates back hundreds of years and was a means of making sure the bottles were not opened during shipping. This area is the Utiel-Requena and it is in Valencia in eastern Spain. Bobal is the dominant grape in this area. Bobal is the 3rd most planted grape in Spain Food pairing – roasted or grilled meats, grilled veggies, aged cheeses such as Manchego.

Novy Family Wines Syrah 2008 (California) $21.99 - This is a BIG, dark, powerful Syrah! Aromas and flavors of black currants, blueberries, blackberries and a pleasing earthiness. Full-bodied and flamboyant. 100% Syrah. Food pairing – steak, lamb, roasted or grilled meats. Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, 90 points

The Hobo Wine Company Zinfandel “Treborce Vineyard” Dry Creek Valley 2008 (California) $32.99 – This is a big, dark, powerful Zin. Loads of dark fruit, licorice and black pepper. Long, long finish. A mouthful of wine! 100% Zinfandel from a single vineyard, Treborce. This is a picture-perfect vineyard on the upper East Bench of the Dry Creek Valley. This area is above the fog line and soil is rockier than most. The Littells own this vineyard and they put their heart-and-soul into it. The result is a wine that has that rich Dry Creek fruit and a structure that is more complex than most Zins! If you are familiar with Zinfandels from the Rockpile Vineyard, you’ll see some similarities! The grapes are destemmed except for 10% are crush as whole clusters/ Aged in 40% new French oak.