Here is this week’s wine trivia question: Q. The term “Super Tuscans” is used to describe: a) IGT wines from the Tuscany region of Italy b) African elephants used to crush wine grapes c) The best, most expensive red wines from Tuscany d) Red blends containing at least 50% Sangiovese. The answer will be posted
While dining at Park Avenue Pub recently, we enjoyed a bottle of the 2008 Artesa Reserve Pinot Noir, Carneros Estate. 2008 was a challenging year for California winemakers, but the vintners at Artesa Vineyards and Winery know how to handle difficult growing conditions. 2008 brought a severe frost in the spring and a drought in the summer,
This week’s wine trivia question was: Q. Which one of the following red grape varieties is the least tolerant of hot climates? (a) Shiraz (b) Grenache (c) Pinot Noir (d) Cabernet Sauvignon A. The answer is (c) Pinot Noir, a red grape variety with thin skins which produces lighter bodied, lighter colored, fruity red wine
We also tried the 2009 Georges Duboeuf Morgon “Flower Label”, a Beaujolais Cru from one of a handful of villages in the Beaujolais-Villages region with its own appellation, in this case Morgon AC. These very best Beaujolais wines are made more like red Burgundies, with some barrel aging and, unlike most Beaujolais wines, they can
We wrote about Beaujolais Nouveau back in November, when the 2012 vintage was released on the Third Thursday, and also reviewed a higher end Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau. Now that all the hubbub over the 2012 Beaujolais Nouveau has died down, we are going to taste a couple of older vintage Beaujolais wines from Georges Duboeuf. Within the overall
We recently enjoyed a 2009 Domaine Henri Delagrange et Fils Pinot Noir from the Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune appellation in Burgundy, France. A bright, fruity pinot with flavors of strawberries, cherries and raspberries, it is very drinkable on its own or with a nice roast chicken or grilled salmon. This wine is produced from 100%
Here is this week’s wine trivia question: Q. Which one of the following red grape varieties is the least tolerant of hot climates? (a) Shiraz (b) Grenache (c) Pinot Noir (d) Cabernet Sauvignon The answer will be posted here next Friday, December 21, 2012.
This 2006 Alto Sol is an impressive blend of 75% Syrah and 25% Carménère from the Valle del Elqui area, a semi-arid desert in northern Chile. Carménère is a Bordeaux variety which is now Chile’s signature grape and thrives in the sunniest, warmest areas. It was abandoned in France after the phylloxera epidemic and likely
This week’s wine trivia question (see post on December 9, 2012) was: Q. Which of the following red grape varieties may not be included in a wine labeled as Châteauneuf-du-Pape? (a) Mourvèdre (b) Carignan (c) Syrah (d) Cinsault A. The answer is (b) Carignan. Châteauneuf-du-Pape AC, located on the east bank of the Rhone River,
The 2011 Cosentino “THE ZIN” is made from 100% Zinfandel grapes grown in the Lodi appellation, part of the Central Valley wine region of California, east of San Francisco Bay between the cities of Sacramento and Stockton. Although quite a distance from the Pacific Ocean, Lodi is blessed with a moderate, Mediterranean-style climate due to