Another sign of summer. About 10 years ago a woman comes in the store and asks if I can get her a wine she had in a fancy eatery in NYC. They charged her $14 a glass and she was willing to spend up to $30 a bottle for it. It took a couple of weeks but I tracked the wine down and at the time it sold for $7.99 a bottle. Since then the wine has gone up to $9.99 a bottle, it is a staple in the store and we sell out every year right around Labor Day.
It just came in today.
Les Rials Loin de l'Oeil 2009 is a light crisp off-dry white wine that is just delightful. Need a bottle to go to someone's house? this works. Need a bottle for the back porch when it is just too hot? This works. Need a bottle with summer salads? This works.
It's somewhere from the south of France. It's cheap. It's delicious. Chill it up, open it up, and have some fun.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
April 23
Even though my brother was a contestant on Survivor, my favorite reality TV show is Project Runway. I am amazed what the designers can create in such a short amount of time. Those who know me have to be shocked, as my fashion sense runs from Hawaiian shirts in the summer to denim shirts in the winter. No joke, that's my idea of fashion. What does that have to do about wine? How about wine from the town that is half my wardrobe.
Yes, I have tried a pineapple wine from Hawaii, but it was not umm, well, umm, nothing to say.
Chateau Grande Cassagne 2008 from the town of Costieres de Nimes, is a tasty spicy earthy fruity red for $11.99 a bottle. Perfect with grilled burgers and dogs as well as cheese and crackers and any mid-week meal, make sure you are wearing denim when you serve the wine. Yes! Denim was invented in de Nimes. De Nimes is in the south for France not far from the Italian border. The material was worn by the Italian Navy in the 1800's and most of it was shipped out of the city of Genoa. Genoa, not only famous for its salami, but it is where the term, Blue Genes came from.
Did you know that the Genovese love green vegetables more than any other food?
Did you know that tonight was the grand finale of this season's Project Runway? That's why the de Nimes was picked. And I am wearing denim shirt and blue jeans as I blog this.
Yes, I have tried a pineapple wine from Hawaii, but it was not umm, well, umm, nothing to say.
Chateau Grande Cassagne 2008 from the town of Costieres de Nimes, is a tasty spicy earthy fruity red for $11.99 a bottle. Perfect with grilled burgers and dogs as well as cheese and crackers and any mid-week meal, make sure you are wearing denim when you serve the wine. Yes! Denim was invented in de Nimes. De Nimes is in the south for France not far from the Italian border. The material was worn by the Italian Navy in the 1800's and most of it was shipped out of the city of Genoa. Genoa, not only famous for its salami, but it is where the term, Blue Genes came from.
Did you know that the Genovese love green vegetables more than any other food?
Did you know that tonight was the grand finale of this season's Project Runway? That's why the de Nimes was picked. And I am wearing denim shirt and blue jeans as I blog this.
April 22
It's Wednesday. Pasta or Pizza night. Keep the price down night. The most popular inexpensive red wine in the store is I Rustici Nero d'Avola from Sicily for $6.99 a bottle.
Nero d'Avola is the name of the grape native to Sicily. It produces an easy drinking red wine that has just enough warm fruit flavors to compliment red sauce. What are warm fruit flavors? I don't know but it sounds like good wine geek speak. I do know that it is easy to enjoy with any southern Italian dish.
Did you know that mint is the herb of Sicily? Or that the eggplants of Sicily are white and shaped like an egg, hence the name eggplant? There are lots of other cool things about Sicily that I will share another time.
Ciao
Nero d'Avola is the name of the grape native to Sicily. It produces an easy drinking red wine that has just enough warm fruit flavors to compliment red sauce. What are warm fruit flavors? I don't know but it sounds like good wine geek speak. I do know that it is easy to enjoy with any southern Italian dish.
Did you know that mint is the herb of Sicily? Or that the eggplants of Sicily are white and shaped like an egg, hence the name eggplant? There are lots of other cool things about Sicily that I will share another time.
Ciao
April 21
A common request in the store is for a wine that is not too expensive now but will be fabulous in a couple of years or more. Not too expensive is a relative term in the wine trade, but rarely can I find a wine under $20 a bottle that will dramatically improve with a few years of time. $30 a bottle is a good place to start and picking a region or grape variety not well known gives the best bang for the buck.
The Domaine le Sang des Cailloux Cuvee Floureto 2007 at $29.99 a bottle is HUGE bang for the buck. When I tasted it, I tried to buy ten cases, but they would only let me have 4, an unusual number. This is a Rhone Valley wine from the town of Vacqueras. Most Vacqueras are $10-20 a bottle, but this is not most Vacqueras. If rob the cradle and taste it now, you will love-hate it, or hate-love it. When the bottle is first opened, it tastes like a California fruit bomb with gobs of lush ripe fruit flavors. Sometime later, between a half hour to a full hour, the wine closes all the fruit down and you are left with tannic, barnyard and peppery flavors. Over time these two separate sensations will meld into one terrific wine. My guess right now is to wait until 2015 for a wine extravaganza. I would serve it on a cold winter's night with a leg of lamb or roast of beef.
Venison would be awesome too.
The Domaine le Sang des Cailloux Cuvee Floureto 2007 at $29.99 a bottle is HUGE bang for the buck. When I tasted it, I tried to buy ten cases, but they would only let me have 4, an unusual number. This is a Rhone Valley wine from the town of Vacqueras. Most Vacqueras are $10-20 a bottle, but this is not most Vacqueras. If rob the cradle and taste it now, you will love-hate it, or hate-love it. When the bottle is first opened, it tastes like a California fruit bomb with gobs of lush ripe fruit flavors. Sometime later, between a half hour to a full hour, the wine closes all the fruit down and you are left with tannic, barnyard and peppery flavors. Over time these two separate sensations will meld into one terrific wine. My guess right now is to wait until 2015 for a wine extravaganza. I would serve it on a cold winter's night with a leg of lamb or roast of beef.
Venison would be awesome too.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
April 20th
Manic-depressive, bi-polar, love-hate.
Viognier is a white grape native to the Rhone Valley of France. For the last 20 years or so, the wine press has been pushing this grape as the next "hot" white wine. It hasn't happened. This is good.
I hate the grape. I have a hard time finding a food for it. My first experience with it was in France about 20 years ago when it was first being touted. I wanted to be on the cutting edge. One night in the Rhone I went to a very fancy restaurant and asked the sommelier about Viognier. He told me it needed to be drunk young and was wonderful with well-seasoned seafood. I spent the money, I didn't get the wine. Next night I went to another very fancy restaurant and asked that sommelier about Viognier. He told me it needed to be drunk after it was ten years old and was wonderful with garlicky poultry dishes. I spent more money, I didn't get it.
I love the Pierano Estate 2007 Viognier from Lodi, California for $12.99 a bottle. It has fascinating aromas of pineapple and tropical flowers in a rich dry white wine. I still don't know what food works with it, but this one is so delicious, I don't need food to enjoy it. Chill it up and serve it to friends in the back yard. After you mowed the lawn
Viognier is a white grape native to the Rhone Valley of France. For the last 20 years or so, the wine press has been pushing this grape as the next "hot" white wine. It hasn't happened. This is good.
I hate the grape. I have a hard time finding a food for it. My first experience with it was in France about 20 years ago when it was first being touted. I wanted to be on the cutting edge. One night in the Rhone I went to a very fancy restaurant and asked the sommelier about Viognier. He told me it needed to be drunk young and was wonderful with well-seasoned seafood. I spent the money, I didn't get the wine. Next night I went to another very fancy restaurant and asked that sommelier about Viognier. He told me it needed to be drunk after it was ten years old and was wonderful with garlicky poultry dishes. I spent more money, I didn't get it.
I love the Pierano Estate 2007 Viognier from Lodi, California for $12.99 a bottle. It has fascinating aromas of pineapple and tropical flowers in a rich dry white wine. I still don't know what food works with it, but this one is so delicious, I don't need food to enjoy it. Chill it up and serve it to friends in the back yard. After you mowed the lawn
April 19th
Patriots Day here in Massachusetts, the official original Marathon Day. The Day of Paul Revere's ride. The Brittish are coming, etc.
No better day to suggest a Massachusetts wine. And it's is delicious!
RJR Brut from Westport Rivers Winery is a world class bubbly. Made in the traditional Champagne method, it is classic bone dry brut style with nice bubbles and flavor. I have served it to visiting European winemakers and they are shocked and surprised to the quality of the wine. Serve chilled with fresh local seafood, lobsters, oysters, bay scallops, striped bass, but not bluefish. $22.99 a bottle is half the price of what you would pay for a similar quality French Champagne.
You can tour the winery in southeast Mass. town of Westport in the morning, go to Horseneck Beach in the afternoon, and have dinner at The Back Eddy for some scrumptious seafood served at the dock. Ask for Sal and tell him I sent you.
No better day to suggest a Massachusetts wine. And it's is delicious!
RJR Brut from Westport Rivers Winery is a world class bubbly. Made in the traditional Champagne method, it is classic bone dry brut style with nice bubbles and flavor. I have served it to visiting European winemakers and they are shocked and surprised to the quality of the wine. Serve chilled with fresh local seafood, lobsters, oysters, bay scallops, striped bass, but not bluefish. $22.99 a bottle is half the price of what you would pay for a similar quality French Champagne.
You can tour the winery in southeast Mass. town of Westport in the morning, go to Horseneck Beach in the afternoon, and have dinner at The Back Eddy for some scrumptious seafood served at the dock. Ask for Sal and tell him I sent you.
April 18th
Is there a blog equivalent to "Stop the Presses!?"
Ctrl, Alt, Delete?
I love the classics. Perfect Foie Gras, Creme Brulee, Hot dog with mustard and relish at Fenway.
Domaine Alain Normand 2008 Macon La Roche Vineuse at $19.99 is a classic.
100% Chardonnay from the town of La Roche Vineuse in the district of Macon in the department of Burgundy in the country of France, is a perfectly made dry white wine that rivals Cote d'Or white wines for a third the price. Stay away from this if you like oaky-buttery California Chardonnays, but if you want to learn and not be dissappointed with classic French style Chardonnay, this is the big big winner. Dry, crisp, fruity, balanced with oak not obliterated by it, this is a wonderful wine to drink all summer, nay, all year, well, as long as we have it. It will make seafood sing, chicken chirp and cheese chime. It is one of those wines that the bottle empties too fast and you will wish you had more.
Buy a single bottle first, then buy it by the case only if you love it. If you don't love it, fine by me, cuz more for me.
Ctrl, Alt, Delete?
I love the classics. Perfect Foie Gras, Creme Brulee, Hot dog with mustard and relish at Fenway.
Domaine Alain Normand 2008 Macon La Roche Vineuse at $19.99 is a classic.
100% Chardonnay from the town of La Roche Vineuse in the district of Macon in the department of Burgundy in the country of France, is a perfectly made dry white wine that rivals Cote d'Or white wines for a third the price. Stay away from this if you like oaky-buttery California Chardonnays, but if you want to learn and not be dissappointed with classic French style Chardonnay, this is the big big winner. Dry, crisp, fruity, balanced with oak not obliterated by it, this is a wonderful wine to drink all summer, nay, all year, well, as long as we have it. It will make seafood sing, chicken chirp and cheese chime. It is one of those wines that the bottle empties too fast and you will wish you had more.
Buy a single bottle first, then buy it by the case only if you love it. If you don't love it, fine by me, cuz more for me.
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