Wine of the Week, May 25, 2014

ESTANDON ROSE 2013
PROVENCE, FRANCE

By:  Ed "The Wine Guy"

Provence, France is the prime area for a certain style of Rose wines: light-bodied, crisp, dry (not sweet), with aromas and flavors of berries, usually strawberry, raspberry, or cranberry. Harney's best selling Rose wine of 2013 was Whispering Angel, also from Provence, which is now available in a new vintage, and, I feel, is even more satisfying than the previous one. Estandon is a blend of red grapes; the juice - all grape juice is initially white - remained in contact with the skins for only a few hours, accounting for its pink/salmon color. I recently had a tasting of Estandon in the store, and received only favorable reactions. If we ever get hot weather, this is the perfect out-on-the-deck wine, accompanied by, perhaps, a crisp, leafy salad, and a loaf of crunchy French bread.

Wines of the Week, May 18, 2014

TRURO VINEYARDS OF CAPE COD

By: Ed "The Wine Guy"

As we approach the tourist season here on Cape Cod, I would like to feature for both residents and tourists the Truro Vineyards located on 6A in Truro between Wellfleet and Provincetown. You can't miss it: the wine barrel atop a tower, clearly visible from Route 6, shows  the location. There are daily free tours in-season, and, for a nominal fee, you can taste several of their wines. The most memorable wines for me are the Chardonnay, the Cabernet Franc (initially a French blending grape), and the Zinfandel. Also, taste the Vignoles (both the name of the grape varietal as well as the wine), a fruity late-harvest style sweet white wine. I must confess that, in my meat-eating days, I have used their Cranberry Red (a wine in their Lighthouse Series) as a glaze for turkey; it may be used for duck and ham also. Bring the wine to a simmer, turn the heat to low, and let it develop into a syrup, then baste the meat. The color and flavor is extraordinary. Harney's has a limited number of Truro wines. I suggest going online for information about the vineyard's activities, and then spending a few delightful hours there.  

Wine of the Week, May 11, 2014

FOLIE A DEUX SONOMA COAST
PINOT NOIR 2011
CALIFORNIA

By: Ed "The Wine Guy" 

Of course, the quintessential Pinot Noir wine is produced in the Burgundy region of France, where many of the wines are made in very small quantities and can be very expensive, often reaching peak 15 or 20 years after the vintage. One of the great wines in the history of wine! The Pinot Noir grape is grown around the world, mostly in cooler regions (Burgundy, New Zealand, Oregon, California) which tends to bring out its best qualities. Thin-skinned and finicky, it is a difficult variety to cultivate and transform into wine, and many a vintner has abandoned the effort. The 2004 movie SIDEWAYS which features Pinot Noir wine brought about a rise in sales volume and price. Folie a Deux (translated as a passion shared by two) is medium-bodied, with aromas and flavors of plum, dark cherry, and raspberry, with a hint of cocoa; it has soft tannins, a long satisfying finish, and is very food-friendly.

Wine of the Week, May 04, 2014

ROSA REGALE SPARKLING RED 2012
PIEDMONT, ITALY

This very pleasant and elegant wine, which is made from the Brachetto grape, is produced in the Piedmont area of northwest Italy, bordering Switzerland and France. The area is famous for its Barolo and Barbaresco wines. Rosa Regale is cranberry in color, very aromatic, soft, sweet - but not excessively so, the acidity balances the sugar - with aromas and flavors of rose petals, raspberries, and strawberries. A perfect wine for celebrations. Enjoy it as an aperitif or a dessert wine paired with cheese and/or chocolate.