Sanguineto is a tiny, but spectacular winery in the sleepy town of Montepulciano in Tuscany. Do not confuse it with the grape Montepulciano, none is grown in this town, and do not confuse it with the more famous town of Montalcino, also in Tuscany. Don't worry, this is the single most confusing thing in Italian red wine, everyone gets it wrong.
Sanguineto is run by two women sharing a singular passion to make great wine in tiny amounts and keep the price reasonable. Just arrived at the store are the Rosso di Montepulciano 2008, the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2007 and the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva 2003. Prices are $19.99, 34.99 and $49.99 respectively.
The main variety of grape for these yummy steak enhancing reds is Prugnolo Gentile, a strain of Sangiovese. Treat them like a Chianti and you will do fine. Open a half hour before serving with beef or lamb or game. One of the owners is a huntress. So I really know this goes with game, especially boar. The wine is not boring, wonderful complexity with a hint of sour cherry make for a classic Tuscan, just like white beans.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
It's over!
July 28th is the climatalogical hottest day of the year. It starts getting cooler for the next six months. Historically August is the month of vacation in France. Therefore now is the time to blog about the summer sidewalk cafe' wine of Paris.
Muscadet is the wine of summer in Paris. It should be inexpensive, light, fresh, dry, fruity and minerally. I like good Muscadet....I am persnickety about it though.
For the first time in about 10 years I have bought a Muscadet. For $11.99 you can get great Muscadet. Michel Delhommeau 2009 Muscadet Sevre et Maine, Sur Lie, St. Vincent pleases persnickety people. Go grab your favorite ice bucket, plop a bottle in the bucket, fill the bucket with ice, go shuck some oysters and set up your own backyard Parisian cafe. Put some scratchy Edith Piaf records on the turntable and lament the DeGaulle years.
Oh, if you can't find my Muscadet, it's important to find as much similar info on the label as I have previously printed. Muscadet is the grape, Sevre et Maine is the best region, and Sur Lie means the wine was aged on the lees, sediment, for months, to give it extra flavor. St. Vincent in this case will be hard to find. I believe it is the vineyard site, but I am not sure. Yes, 2009 is the most important info on the label.
Muscadet is the wine of summer in Paris. It should be inexpensive, light, fresh, dry, fruity and minerally. I like good Muscadet....I am persnickety about it though.
For the first time in about 10 years I have bought a Muscadet. For $11.99 you can get great Muscadet. Michel Delhommeau 2009 Muscadet Sevre et Maine, Sur Lie, St. Vincent pleases persnickety people. Go grab your favorite ice bucket, plop a bottle in the bucket, fill the bucket with ice, go shuck some oysters and set up your own backyard Parisian cafe. Put some scratchy Edith Piaf records on the turntable and lament the DeGaulle years.
Oh, if you can't find my Muscadet, it's important to find as much similar info on the label as I have previously printed. Muscadet is the grape, Sevre et Maine is the best region, and Sur Lie means the wine was aged on the lees, sediment, for months, to give it extra flavor. St. Vincent in this case will be hard to find. I believe it is the vineyard site, but I am not sure. Yes, 2009 is the most important info on the label.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Wine World Cup
It's Spain vs. Netherlands, but there is no wine from the Dutch, well I have never tasted one, but the Dutch did establish winemaking in South Africa, the home country for the World Cup so with all due respect to an ice-cold Heineken, I pick some wines.
If Spain wins, it's time to crack open a bottle of Artadi's top Rioja made from Tempranillo grape. It tastes like LaTache from France and it's only, gulp, $300 a bottle. No, not the most expensive wine from Spain, but I think it is the best. I will serve it with pan seared steak with sauteed wild mushrooms and a herb infused risotto. I only get one 6-pack of this wine and only in great years.
For a Netherlands victory, I will cross sports and serve Ernie Els top wine. Also not the most expensive wine from its country at $90 a bottle, this wine tastes like a cross-breed between top of the line Bordeaux and a California Meritage. The vegetables remain the same but I would serve grilled lamb chops, the meatier kidney ones not the rib chops. I have two six-packs of this wine.
Don't tell my brother about my plans, he would not be happy with me drinking all the profits.
If Spain wins, it's time to crack open a bottle of Artadi's top Rioja made from Tempranillo grape. It tastes like LaTache from France and it's only, gulp, $300 a bottle. No, not the most expensive wine from Spain, but I think it is the best. I will serve it with pan seared steak with sauteed wild mushrooms and a herb infused risotto. I only get one 6-pack of this wine and only in great years.
For a Netherlands victory, I will cross sports and serve Ernie Els top wine. Also not the most expensive wine from its country at $90 a bottle, this wine tastes like a cross-breed between top of the line Bordeaux and a California Meritage. The vegetables remain the same but I would serve grilled lamb chops, the meatier kidney ones not the rib chops. I have two six-packs of this wine.
Don't tell my brother about my plans, he would not be happy with me drinking all the profits.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Wicked Happy
The new batch of 2007 Juan Gil Monastrell from Jumilla Spain is in and it is spectacular again!
It has been over 2 months since we last had a bottle to sell of the best wine to have with a steak we have tasted in years. This powerful, yet elegant wine is flawless and only $19.99 a bottle. If you have not tried this wine and you like red wine run into the store and grab some.
How good is this wine? In March another Spanish winemaker was in the store. His wines were wicked good, but wicked expensive. As he was walking out of the store, he stopped pointed at the display of Juan Gil and begrudingly commented, "Great Wine"
This will sell fast, the wholesaler believes he has enough for the summer. Let's hope so.
It has been over 2 months since we last had a bottle to sell of the best wine to have with a steak we have tasted in years. This powerful, yet elegant wine is flawless and only $19.99 a bottle. If you have not tried this wine and you like red wine run into the store and grab some.
How good is this wine? In March another Spanish winemaker was in the store. His wines were wicked good, but wicked expensive. As he was walking out of the store, he stopped pointed at the display of Juan Gil and begrudingly commented, "Great Wine"
This will sell fast, the wholesaler believes he has enough for the summer. Let's hope so.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Wine Value
I put on a wine tasting for a local service group. Two whites and two reds were served that I picked for easy to taste differences and some great values.
The tasting started with the Indaba Chenin Blanc 2009. I have blogged about it before and it still the best tasting wine for summer for all foods for under $10.
Second in the tasting was the 2009 Sauvignon Blanc from Sole Beech of New Zealand. Also under $10 a bottle, the classic smell and flavor of grapefruit zest leapt out of the glass so easily that ever taster in the group recognized it. Great summer seafood wine.
The Cono Sur Carmenere was spectacular again. Previously blogged here, the taste of the chocolate, the smoothness and the sweet oak flavors combined in the wine to make just a juicy drink. I would like this with spicy hot jalapeno seasoned foods.
Back to South Africa for the final wine and Indaba again, but this time the red Shiraz was stunning for under $10 a bottle. Easy to find smells of smoke, bacon and spice should encourage you to serve this with your next barbque.
The tasting started with the Indaba Chenin Blanc 2009. I have blogged about it before and it still the best tasting wine for summer for all foods for under $10.
Second in the tasting was the 2009 Sauvignon Blanc from Sole Beech of New Zealand. Also under $10 a bottle, the classic smell and flavor of grapefruit zest leapt out of the glass so easily that ever taster in the group recognized it. Great summer seafood wine.
The Cono Sur Carmenere was spectacular again. Previously blogged here, the taste of the chocolate, the smoothness and the sweet oak flavors combined in the wine to make just a juicy drink. I would like this with spicy hot jalapeno seasoned foods.
Back to South Africa for the final wine and Indaba again, but this time the red Shiraz was stunning for under $10 a bottle. Easy to find smells of smoke, bacon and spice should encourage you to serve this with your next barbque.
From the cellar
I have a sweet tooth. I love well made sweet wines. I buy too many for the store and myself.
Tonight I met up with some friends for some quahogs done Portugese style, and pork tenderloin with mango salsa, ricotta polenta and garlic broccoli. I don't do dessert.
My friends, who were enjoying a delicious homemade cheesecake without any topping, went crazy over a half bottle of 1998 Kracher #4 Welschriesling Trockenbeerenauslese. It displayed the typical honey-apricot flavors but but but, it had amazing brown spice flavors, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, as well as drying acidity that made the wine taste not too sweet. It was a head slapper and a thigh banger. For those of you that don't know me and since this is on the internet so for the billions of you that don't know me, I have this habit of either slapping my head or banging on my thighs when I get excited about a great wine and/or a great wine and food pairing. This was a double.
Tonight I met up with some friends for some quahogs done Portugese style, and pork tenderloin with mango salsa, ricotta polenta and garlic broccoli. I don't do dessert.
My friends, who were enjoying a delicious homemade cheesecake without any topping, went crazy over a half bottle of 1998 Kracher #4 Welschriesling Trockenbeerenauslese. It displayed the typical honey-apricot flavors but but but, it had amazing brown spice flavors, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, as well as drying acidity that made the wine taste not too sweet. It was a head slapper and a thigh banger. For those of you that don't know me and since this is on the internet so for the billions of you that don't know me, I have this habit of either slapping my head or banging on my thighs when I get excited about a great wine and/or a great wine and food pairing. This was a double.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
New Vintage
A little over a month ago, I raved about a red wine from Navarra, Spain made with the Garnacha grape, the 2007 Artazuri. Once the staff and I tried it, we bought all we could find in Massachusetts, and it sold out of the store in weeks. This week the rep brought us in the 2008 to taste. It's good but different. It shows more fruit and less spice and weight. Still a good wine and probably even better with burgers and dogs than the 2007. The price is still $12.99 a bottle and you will get more than your moneys worth each time. Perhaps with another six months of time in the bottle, it will develop some more weight and spice. In the meantime, it's a fun wine to bring to someone's barbque.
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