Hello again!
For some of us, the end of summer cannot come soon enough. For others, we don't want the beautiful sunny days we get to spend outdoors to end.
Either way, I have some great wines for you to enjoy.
Let's get things started this week with a delicious, mouthwatering Chardonnay from Dahlia.
This is a true "summertime" Chardonnay. On the nose, bright crisp notes of pineapple and lemon citrus jump out of your glass. The initial sip makes your mouth water. It is bursting with a refreshing acidity. Notes of juicy pineapple, lemon and kiwi explode across your palate. It is a fresh, clean tasting wine, with just a kiss of oaky vanilla on the finish. Truly a Chardonnay to pair with summer picnics at the beach.
Enjoy it with light sandwiches, pasta or fruit salads, and definitely fish dishes.
Price range: $14-$17
What would a summer picnic or barbecue be without a good Pinot Noir? This is a new offering from the Edna Valley region called Arius.
As one would expect with a wine coming from this warm climate, there are big fruit notes coming off of this wine. Big, bright red cherry, black raspberry, and a touch of vanilla bean. The palate confirms these aromas. Mouth-filling flavors of juicy cherry, a hit of tart raspberry and a smooth finish with an ever-so-slight taste of sweet vanilla.
Try pairing this wine with roast beef sandwiches, tuna-on-rye and pastrami sandwiches. The fruit notes and flavors of this wine will pair perfectly with any of these crowd pleasing foods at your next get together.
Now for a curve ball. I always like to push my clients out of their comfort zones and get them to try different wines. Tossals, from the Montsant DO,(Pronounced: mun•san), is one of those wines.
Now, my French wine drinkers will be familiar with the Rhone blends and the dominant grapes of Grenache and Syrah. The lesser varietals that find their way into Rhone blends are Carignan, Cinsault, Mourvèdre, Carménère and a few other others like Petite Sirah and even Petit Verdot.
This wine is a product of Spain. The varietals are all grown in Spain and blended together to produce a Spanish-styled Rhone blend of Grenache, Carignan and Syrah. On the nose are aromas of cherry, raspberry, raisin and worn leather.
On the palate, this wine is slightly tannic, with a soft grippiness. Rustic flavors of raisinated cherry and tart raspberry fill your mouth. The finish is smooth and medium to medium long, with lingering notes of raisin. Pair this with any of your barbecued favorites. I prefer it with marinated flap steak, Spanish rice and sweet corn.
Our last wine for this week's line up is a Sonoma county blend, and one of my favorite creative labels, Cryptic Red Blend.
Decant this wine for at least two hours so that you can get the full effect of its deep dark and spicy aromas of blackberry, raisin, black cherry, tobacco, clove and cinnamon. The palate is bursting with dark, brooding fruit notes of blackberry preserves, black plum, raisin and baking spices. Pair this with grilled meats of all kinds: seasoned pork loin, beef short ribs, Tri-tip, grilled turkey leg .. you name it!
Well, that does it for this week. I hope you will stop by and pick up some of these wines and share them at your next outing. Until next week, drink interesting wines ... and Cheers!