Category Archives: Wine Reviews

2012 Quinta Do Boicão Reserva White and Arinto / Pedernã Grape

August 15,2014

Arinto/ Pedernã Grape Variety of Portugal

 

Lisboa Wine Region

Wine Region of Lisboa

The Arinto gape variety is grown throughout Portugal but is mostly found in the Bucelas subregion of Lisboa which is just north of Lisbon at latitude of 39°. In the Vinho Verde region this variety is known as Pedernã. Arinto is a late ripening grape variety with lively acidity and minerality. With this lively acidity this Arinto variety finds its way into the sparkling wines of Portugal. The lively acidity also makes it a great blending grape for wines in warmer climate which produce low acid growing grapes such as in the Alentejo and Ribatejo regions.

 

Arinto Grape Variety of PortugalFrom a glass of Arinto you will mostly find aromas and flavors of apples, lemons and limes with some salty minerals that have a crisp finish. Another great wine for those light seafood dishes.

Quinta Do Boicão

 

Quinta Do Boicão is located about 26 miles north of Lisbon.

The vineyards are planted on clay and limestone soils. The Arinta grape variety is planted on clay soils and is from 25 year old vines. The vineyards have an oceanic climate of warm and dry summers and cold winters.

2012 Quinta Do Boicão Reserva White2012 Quinta Do Boicão Reserva White Arinto Portuguese White Wine

The wine has a pale straw color with green tints. There are aromas of fresh pears, apples, peaches with some salty minerals. On the palate this is a medium bodied plus wine with some spiciness mixed with all the fresh fruit. On the mouth watering finish, citrus notes appear with the spiciness. With the grapes starting fermentation in stainless steel tanks and the last 15 days of fermentation being performed in new French oak barrels, you can feel and taste the wines delicate complexities.

 

 

2013 Domaine Boyar Quantum Rose Wine From Bulgaria

June 6,2014

Domaine Bayer was the first private wine company founded after the fall of the communist regime in Bulgaria and today Domaine Boyar has three wineries under its ownership.

Sinite Skali (Blue Ridge)– This winery was named after the blueish slopes of the Balkan Mountains.  Built in 1998, this is a modern facility and is located in the Thracian Valley near the town of Silven.

Korten Winery-This winery is located in the viticultural region of the Thracian Valley. This winery is noted for its “vin de garage” style of wines. The boutique wine line sold as Solitaire are produced from this winery using micro vinification methods.

Shumen Winery– This winery was founded in 1948 and became part of Domaine Boyar in 1996. As a result, the Shumen Winery received updated equipment and in 2010 they received new equipment to begin making sparkling wines. The winery is located in the northeastern part of Bulgaria close to the Black Sea. These vineyards benefit from the influences of the Black Sea creating a good growing environment for crisp white wines. Chardonnay, Traminer, Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc and the indigenous variety of Dimiat are cultivated here.

2013 Domane Boyar Quantum Rosé Wine ReviewDomaine Boyar Quantum Wines From Bulgaria

The wine is a blend of Pinot Noir and Syrah. The wine has a pale pink color. There are aromas of fresh strawberries and mulberry with some mineral softness. On the palate the wine is medium bodied with the refreshing soft fresh fruits. It has a medium length dry finish. Pleasant to drink with or without food but should be slightly chilled. SRP is $13

2012 Domaine Boyar Quantum Pinot Noir and Merlot Wine Review

The wine has a purplish red color. There are aromas of ripe black cherry and sour cherries. On the palate the wine has a medium body feel and is smooth with sweet tannins. The finish is long with good balance. Easy to drink.

2012 Domaine Boyar Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Review

The wine is a blend of 50% Syrah and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine has a dark purple red color. There are aromas of black cherry, expresso, and some mint. On the palate it is medium bodied with the fresh ripe fruit and soft tannins. The finish is long with sweet tannins. There is some youthfulness in this wine.

2012 Domaine Boyar Quantum Merlot Wine Review

The wine has a ruby red color. One third of the wine is aged in new American oak barrels for 3 months. There are aromas of fresh cherries with some chocolate pluminess and a touch of buttered toast. On the palate it is medium bodied with sweet tannins and high acidity. There is more cherry flavors present than the plummy chocolate in the aroma. The wine has a medium finish of the fresh fruit. Pleasant and easy to drink.

2012 Assenovgrad Winery Version Plaisir divin Mavrud from Bulgaria

June 4,2014

Assenovgrad Winery  is a wine producer located in the southern  part of the Thracian 2012 Asenovgrad Winery Plaisir divin MavrudLowlands in Assenovgrad Bulgaria.  Their vineyards in the Lowlands are at an altitude of only 450 feet and planted on fertile soils. In 1947 after the merger of of the Stanimashki Mavrud Viticulture Cooperative and smaller wineries the Asenovgrad Winery was born. In 2014 the winery has the capacity to produce 12 million bottles of wines and spirits. Their most famous wine is the Assenovgrad Mavrud and worth while seeking out.

Below are reviews of some of their wines:

2012 Version Plaisir divin Mavrud Wine Review

The wine has a medium dark black cherry color. There are aromas of fresh blackberry and soft plum with forest floor. On the palate the wine is light bodied and soft. There is some charred wood notes with semi sweet tannins and a minty spice. The finish is long and filled with the delicious fruit. SRP of $25

2012 Version Plaisir divin Cabernet Franc Wine ReviewAsenovgrad Winery Plaisir divin Cabernet Franc, Conception and Plaisir divin Syrah

The wine has  a dark ruby color. There are aromas of fresh deep black cherry with lots of earthiness. On the palate the wine is smooth with deep dried cherries and wet leaves covered forest floor. The finish has a medium length with light fresh fruit. SRP of $20

2009 Version Plaisir divin Syrah Wine Review

The wine has a medium dark ruby color. There are aromas of smokey cherries. On the palate there is some tar with the smokey cherry. The fruit is soft and ripe. The finish is long with all its components intact. SRP of $20

2009 Version Conception Wine Review

This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Mavrud and Syrah. The wine has a ruby red color. There are aromas of fresh blackberries with a little smokiness. On the palate some semi dry tannins appear adding to the full body feel. The wine has a medium finish with some remaining tannins. A delicious ripe fruit filled fresh and full bodied wine. SRP of $20

National Verdejo Day June 12,2014

May 30,2014

June 12,2014 is National Verdejo Day.Verdejo Day 2014 logo

Join in the celebration and have a glass of Verdejo wine from Rueda, Spain and let us know about your favorite Verdejo wine.

Verdejo is the main white grape variety of Rueda and is indigenous to Rueda. It is believed to date back to the 16th century. Rueda is situated high on a plateau providing warm days and cool nights allowing the late ripening Verdejo grape variety to develop to its true character.

For more detailed educational information follow our link to http://myfavoritewineis.com/rueda

La Nuit en Rosé June 13th and 14th 2014 in New York City

May 27,2014

Imagine being captive on a boat at sea with some of the finest rosé wines in the world for your tasting pleasure. On June13th and 14th, La Nuit en Rosé offers this tasting opportunity set on a luxurious exciting yacht.La Nuit en Rosé cover photo by Guillaume Gaudet

La Nuit en Rosé is a celebration of rosé wines aboard the Hornblower Hybrid luxury yacht on New York City’s Hudson River.

For more information and tickets go to http://nuitrose.com/event/attend

Some of our favorite rosé wines will be there such as Whispering Angel from Caves d’ Esclans. Tell us about your favorite rosé wines from this event at www.myfavoritewineis.com

The complete lineup of rosé wines from Provence will be:

Caves d’Esclans
Château La Gordonne
Château La Tour de l’Évêque
Estandon Vignerons
Maison Saint Aix
Château Coussin
Château de Berne
Château Les Valentines
Château Margüi
Domaine d’Eole
Domaine de Jacourette
Domaine du Grand Cros
Les Quatre Tours
Maison Saint Aix

 

 

2013 Framingham Sauvignon Blanc

May 14,2014

For the 2014 Sauvignon Blanc Day we are highlighting one of our favorite 2013 New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc wines.

Background2013 Framingham Sauvignon Blanc

The 2013 Framingham Souvignon Blanc is from Marlborough’s cool climate Wairau Valley at the top of the South Island of New Zealand. The winery is known for its small batch processing which gives their wines a greater depth of flavor.

The  2013 Framingham Souvignon Blanc is made from 16 base wines sourced from 11 different sites in the Wairau Valley. In producing this wine, there is a little barrel fermentation which gives the wines its texture. 93% of the blend is fermented in stainless steel at cool temperatures. The remaining 7% is fermented in barrel at a warmer temperature. After fermentation the wines are left on part of their lees for 3 months giving the wine some richness.

Wine Review

The wine shines in the glass with a pale straw color and green tints. There are fragrant aromas of gooseberry with grapefruit and sweet melon. On the palate it has a medium plus body feel with soft fruit flavors. The finish has floral notes of grapefruit and tropical fruits with some green grass. There is a strong level of acidity leaving a dry delicious finish.  SRP is $20

 

 

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.

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.”

 

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