November Wine and Balsamic Vinegar Tasting

Pre-Thanksgiving Wine Tasting

Friday, 3:30-7:30

November 18^th, 2011

10% off on all wine tasting wines!

We usually have Ned Swain of Devenish Wines here for this tasting…..and we do again this year! Ned’s always fun and always brings us wines we just don’t see many other places……wines with heart and soul and a sense of place.

The focus is on wines that will pair well with a traditional Thanksgiving meal. We want balanced wines that will compliment the meal. We don’t want high alcohol blockbusters because those would do two things (at least) – (1) clobber the white meat and several other dishes; (2) bring on a nap way too soon. These wines will also work well with a host of other meals.

The Sparkling:

Alexandre Monmousseau Crémant de Loire (France) $16.99 – one of the beauties of Crémants is that they are made in the “méthode traditionnelle,” which used to called “methode champenoise,” but that term is now reserved for true Champagne. This makes the bubbles finer and longer lasting than wines made in the Charmant method. The difference is that the secondary fermentation takes place in the bottle with “méthode traditionnelle” versus in a stainless steel tank with the Charmant method. This is 50% Chenin Blanc, 30% Chardonnay and the rest is Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc. It is a white wine, so it’s not left in skin contact with the red grapes. This is lively, fresh, refreshing with nice fruit. It’s dry. It has a nice weight. Another nice thing about Crémants is that they aren’t as expensive as Champagne!

The Whites:

Illahe Gruner Veltliner 2009 (Oregon) $15.99 –Why not an Oregon Gruner? Another grape that is not commonly grown in Oregon. This has nice minerality. Wonderful fruit – pineapple, melon and just a hint of grapefruit. Hints of black pepper. Stainless steel fermentation. 0.3% residual sugar – so it is bone dry. LIVE-certified Salmon Safe vineyard. Wine Enthusiast, “Best Buy,” 90 points

Joseph Cattin Pinot Blanc 2010 (Alsace, France) $14.99 – Brand new to Maine. Thanksgiving Dinner is a meal with a lot going on on the table and in the room. There's a bit of chaos on the table and in the air. We have dark meat, white meat, stuffing, gravy, root veggies, cranberry sauce, green beans, maybe asparagus and more. Each family has its own traditions. Each person has their own combination of food on the plate. It can all get confusing when it comes to the wine. Pinot Blanc is food-friendly. It's "only" 12% alcohol, so it won't go to your head quickly. This has vibrant fruit, crisp acidity. It's simply delicious and great with a broad variety of foods.

Carlotta Cellars AD Blanc 2010 (California) $29.99 – Brand new to Maine. Ned says this is really cool. I haven’t had it, but I know that when Ned is all jazzed about a wine, it’s unique, tasty and has soul! This is a blend of Roussanne, Viognier and Marsanne. It’s definitely a California take on a Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc. All of the wine is fermented in neutral oak barrels where lots of lees contact occurs to promote a richer mouth feel and increased aromatics.. Some of the lots go through malolactic fermentation. 10% of their 2010 Reserve wine is added to the blend – this adds a touch of oak, as the Reserve wine is aged in 100% new French oak. Bottled unfiltered and unfined. This is a rich, hedonistic white wine. Aromas of honeysuckle, bacon, melons and minerals. Layers and layers of fruit and flavors. Mouthwatering. Long, lengthy, complex finish.

The Reds:

Domain Le Grand Rouvière Côtes de Provence Rouge 2009 (France) $13.99 - Great tasting, great value red! This is enjoyably earthy at the start and then it opens up into a very unpretentious table wine. The tannins aren’t aggressive, but it has a nice dry, earthy mid-palate and aromas of Provencal herbs behind its bright cherry fruit. Blend of 60% Syrah and 40% Grenache. Fifth generation winemaking family. Organic, sustainable farming. Food pairing – grilled steak, grilled pork chops or pork tenderloin, baby back ribs.

Domaine de Chevalerie Bourgueil Cuvée Venus (France) $16.99 – 100% Cabernet Franc. Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc are the parents of the better known Cabernet Sauvignon. In the Loire Valley, Cabernet Franc is one of the most widely planted and revered red grapes. The areas of Chinon and Saumur are certainly better known than Bourgueil – some of that is Bourgueil is just hard to pronounce. It’s close to “Ber-goy.” The Caslot family has only owned this estate since 1640. They are widely regarded as the best winemaking family in the Loire Valley, certainly the best Bourgueil producer. They are classic, traditional winemakers and this wine shows that. This is as pure an expression of the grape as you will find. Aromas and flavors of graphite, bell peppers, blackberries and minerals. This has vibrant acidity. Organic, sustainable farming. Food pairing – pork tenderloin, Thanksgiving Dinner, duck, poultry, salmon.

Domaine de Chevalerie Bourgueil Cuvée Venus (France) $16.99 – 100% Cabernet Franc. Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc are the parents of the better known Cabernet Sauvignon. In the Loire Valley, Cabernet Franc is one of the most widely planted and revered red grapes. The areas of Chinon and Saumur are certainly better known than Bourgueil – some of that is Bourgueil is just hard to pronounce. It’s close to “Ber-goy.” The Caslot family has only owned this estate since 1640. They are widely regarded as the best winemaking family in the Loire Valley, certainly the best Bourgueil producer. They are classic, traditional winemakers and this wine shows that. This is as pure an expression of the grape as you will find. Aromas and flavors of graphite, bell peppers, blackberries and minerals. This has vibrant acidity. Organic, sustainable farming. Food pairing – pork tenderloin, Thanksgiving Dinner, duck, poultry, salmon.

Atilio Avena Malbec Roble 2009 (Argentina) $15.99 – we just tasted this with our friend, Warren Frasor, the night of our recent Italian tasting. Warren is someone Ned and I have worked with for a number of years. He recently started his own importing company. It’s focused on wines from Italy. So, how did he end up with an Argentine Malbec? He worked with the owners in Italy. This is nice and juicy with great red fruit, a little spiciness and well-integrated tannins. It’s very balanced and just fun to drink!

These next two wines are brought to us by our friend Wayne Clark, who moved from Maine to Oregon a couple of years ago and fell in love with many of the tiny, family-owned wineries in the area and wanted his Maine friends to enjoy wines such as these.

Dewey Kelly Ribbon Ridge Pinot Noir 2007 (Oregon) $38.99 – Dewey and Robin Kelly bought this property in 1978 and dreamed of building a winery. In 2001, they planted their first vines. This wine is made from the best barrels each year. Ribbon Ridge is Dewey Kelly’s estate vineyard. 2007 was to put it mildly a challenging year. Some have called it a winemaker’s year, because it separated the men from the boys, so to speak. Late season rain had people guessing when to harvest. Those who waited were rewarded with riper fruit. Even the best 2007s didn’t really come into their own until they’d been in bottle about 6 months. With much longer than that, Dewey’s Pinot Noir is really good! Aromas of spicy red fruit. Flavors of ripe raspberries, cherries, earth and plums. It’s refreshing with nice zingy red fruit!. Brand new to Maine.

Angel Vine “The Hellion” Primitivo – Petite Sirah 2008 (Washington) $24.99 – We tasted a wonderful Zinfandel from this winery in April when Wayne was here. It was a HUGE hit at the tasting. Ed Fus made a very limited amount of this wine (9 barrels). Ed is devoted to making great Zinfandel and its cousin, Primitivo. This is a delicious tribute to the Italian field blends that have been popular in California since immigrants brought vines with them. It’s full, ripe and drinkable with spice and smoke under its dense fruit. Everything is balanced. Brand new to Maine.