Category Archives: News

A Four Star 2013 Vintage for Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

May 6,2014

The tasting committee of the Consorzio del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is responsible for determining the quality of each year’s vintage and the wines of 2013 have been declared a Four (4) star our of Five (5) star vintage.

Four stars meaning it is an Excellent vintage.The 2013 Rosso wine  will be available next year while the 2013 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano wine must age for two years with the starting date beginning January 1 of the year following the harvest. See you in 2016.

Below is a chart provided by the Consorzio del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano of the 2003-2012 vintage ratings.

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Vintage Chart 2003-2012

Quality Wine Producers From Bulgaria

April 21,2014

If you just hearing about wines from Bulgaria it may be the result of a group of seven Bulgarian wineries. These seven have joined together to promote their country’s wines under the name of The European Wine Treasures Campaign.Bulgarian Wine Logo

Stanimaka

Domaine Boyar International

Chateau Burgozone

Edoardo Miroglio Winery

Izba Karabunar Winery

Katarzyna Estate

Vinprom Yambol

The winemakers have recently been in the process of changing their focus of production quantity to production quality. These above seven wineries represent good quality wines.

Tasting notes from each of these wineries are to be posted soon.

Wally’s March 2014 Wine Auction

March 29,2014                                                                   Wally's Auctions                        

After their November 2013 debut dinner auction Wally’s held their second live auction on March 28, 2014 at Restaurant Daniel in New York City. Approximately 640 lots of fine wines and spirits filled this full day of bidding with wines from California to Hungary. The highest priced lot of the auction was a 2009 assorted 8 bottle case collection from Domaine de la Romanee Conti. The catalogue had a suggested range of $24,000 to $32,000. When the hammer fell, these 8 bottles sold for $26,000, before the buyer’s premium. Recent auctions sneak in some spirits and for good reason. Macallan Scotch had strong interest. Prices for Barolo’s were also going strong. Overall fine wine lovers are maintaining their interest in Fine Wine auctions.

With this second live auction Wally’s has demonstrated that they are a contender for quickly earning their share of  the market in this Fine Wine auction world.

PROVENCE FOOD and WINE The Art of Living: a book by Francois Millo and Viktorija Todorovska

March 14,2014

PROVENCE  FOOD AND WINE The Art of Living   is as much as a photo essay as it is a cookbook.Provence Food and Wine The Art of Living Book Cover The book brings onto paper the beautiful images of Provence that we all have in our minds. There is so much lavender in the book, I think I actually smell lavender as I flip each page. There are as many pictures of the scenery and the vineyards as there are images of the savory food accompanied by the recipes in this book. The authors have included 47 traditional Provencal recipes for our gastronomic delight. We are  introduced to Provence and its culture. A game of Pétanque anyone?

Part of this culture is the wine. We are taken through a tour of the Provence wine making regions and the wine making process. 

When it comes to the recipes, if the title of the recipe was not intriguing enough, the pictures get your full attention. Some good news is that Provencal food is part of the Mediterranean diet, focusing on fresh vegetables, extra virgin olive oil and fish.

One of the recipes that caught my attention was the recipe:  Crespeou de Provence (Layered Omelettes). How about a 6 layer omelette that serves 12-16. The authors recommend a lively Provence rosé as a pairing. While this recipe may not sound like it fits into the typical Mediterranean diet, there are plenty of fresh vegetables, herbs and olive oil included here.

Hope this whets your appetite for some Provencal food. I recommend that as you read through this book, have a glass of Provence dry rosé in the other hand. 

As the authors say:

“Tasting rosé is all about pleasure, part of the quintessential Provencal art of living. Immerse yourself in it.”

 

1997 Diebolt Vallois Fleur de Passion Champagne and Daylight Savings Time

March 9,20141997 Diebolt Vallois Fleur de Passion Champagne

Happy Daylight Savings Time Day (DST)!

Daylight savings time brightens our days just like a glass of champagne.

Today we have the 1997 Diebolt Vallois Fleur de Passion champagne to celebrate with. There are lots of happy streaming bubbles celebrating by forming a mousse necklace in celebration of DST Day. The champagne has a pales sunny gold color. Aromas of citrus and toasted nuts invite us to the bubble party on our palate. The champagne finishes with another filled glass.

2010 Tenuta Terre Nere Etna Rosso and the First Day of Lent

March 5,20142014 Lenten Sacrifice to Give Up Drinking Bad Wine

For those observing the Lenten season, highlighting a wine from a vineyard located on the volcanic soil of Mount Etna in Sicily Italy just seems the Ash thing to do. It is almost like from ashes to wine. Let’s have some pizza tonight with this tasty 2010 Tenuta Tere Nerre Etna Rosso. See review below.

But we first must decide what we are going to give up for Lent this year. So I have declared to give up drinking bad wines.

2010 Tenuta Terre Nere Etna Rosso

 

 

 

Vidal Blanc: A Grape from New York State

Vidal Blanc Grape VarietyMarch 4,2014

Looking for a new grape experience, start in upstate New York. The grape variety Vidal Blanc is grown in this cold region. The Vidal Blanc grape has a thick skin and is cold resistant (you have to be to live in the ground there). Wines from this grape are floral and fruity with mouth watering acidity. Sounds like another one of your favorite grapes?

 

2013 Provence Weather and Vintage

March 3,2014

Here we are in the beginning of March and the talk of spring is all around us.

Provence Harvest

Provence Harvest

Talk of the warmer weather and the new spring fashions are at the top of the list.

With the warmer weather, Rosé wines are going to start filling the wine store shelves again.

Coming soon will be the 2013 vintage.Good news is that 2013 will be a good vintage for these dry Rosé wines from Provence.

The weather, according to the Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins de Provence, had a spring and summer that were typical of Provence. The spring had warm days and cool nights with the rains lessened the water stress on the vines throughout the growing season. The summer also had warm days and cool nights. This combination will lead to properly matured grapes with high aromatics. The fall harvesting went with out incident. So we should expect our 2013 Rosé wines from Provence to be high quality, aromatic and delicious.

2012 Whispering Angel Rosé Wine is also a Snow Angel

February 27,20142012 D'Esclans Sacha Lichine Whispering Angel Snow Whispering Angel Rose Cotes de Provence

2012 D’Esclans                     Whispering Angel Rosé

Did you ever think of a Rosé wine frolicking in the snow? This one is a Whispering Angel  Rosé telling us all to come out and play. Put your coats on and bring out your wine glasses. Let’s make a snowman together. You can also bring that chilled 2012 Whispering Angel inside and enjoy that salmon colored wine of 73% Grenache, 9% Cinsault, 8.5% Syrah, and 5.5% Mourvedre. There are aromas of light red berries with soft mineral notes.On the palate there is mouth filling softness with gentle red fruits and the elegance of  Provence. It finishes clean and dry without needng to be mouth watering.

These angels are truely saying come play with me or is it come drink rosé wines with me.

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