Archive for the ‘New Zealand Wine’ Category
In a more perfect world I would have made some pointed and in-depth piece about what bottles of bubbles I was opening for the friends I was having over to my house on New Years Eve. We do not live in such a world. While I did come across tweets and pieces about people opening $100 bottles of sparkling wine and champagne, I just couldn’t justify that, in no small part because I knew exactly how the evening was going to descend (into a raucous good time).
I do, however, feel as though I owe it to the new year, and to the bottles that I opened, to show the bottles that I provided for the evening. Friends brought over others, but here’s a picture of the bottles that I provided for the festivities.
There are a lot of different wine sites out there giving suggestions on what you should be pouring during your Thanksgiving festivities. Since, however, it’s been fairly well established what varietals go well with the traditional Thanksgiving feast, I thought I would change it up and let you know what I’m pouring at dinner, or rather, what I’m taking up to my parents house to pour for the army-sized feast my mother will be cooking.
2009 Coastal Vines Pinot Noir – Sonoma, CA – $10
Well, the end of summer isn’t that far away, so when I was recently sent a mixed case of summer white wines, it seemed a shame to sit on them and try to go through them each individually as I would have quickly run out of summer by the time I was able to get to them all. With that in mind I invited some friends over, opened up all the wines, and tasted them all at once, because let’s be honest, that’s what summer’s really all about. Here’s what I thought.
The first one I tasted was the 2010 La Fiera Pinot Grigio (SRP $8). I got mostly apples on both the nose and the palate with a nice lingering finish with just the right amount of acid. There was a slight hint of sweetness to my palate, but for being the first one I tried, it was a good start and it’s a good value for these kinds of parties.
Next up were two from Tiamo. First was the Tiamo Prosecco (SRP $15) which had a hint of citrus on the nose with medium sized bubbles and a slight bit of yeast on the palate and a mix of crisp fruit. This was definitely not a super-dry Prosecco and it was quickly consumed by my friends.
Varietal: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Region: New Zealand
Cost: $11 (SRP)
Winemaker’s Notes: Complex aromas of fresh asparagus, zesty green pepper, and sunshine-warmed box hedge are contrasted by lighter, brighter top notes of honeydew melon and juicy lime citrus. Made to be enjoyed while young and fresh; we recommend drinking this wine over the next 12 months.
My Review: Wow, it almost feels like I haven’t done one of these in forever since I’ve been so busy with formal tastings and the 2011 North American Wine Bloggers Conference, which is a shame because these really are why I started this site. Anyways, I digress.
I’d received the 2010 Nine Walks Sauvignon Blanc as a sample last month and while it had been sitting in my fridge, reminding me that it’s hot as hell outside in Virginia in July and that it would do a great job of taking the edge off the heat, I just didn’t quite get around to it. Finally this week I did.
Varietal: Sauvigon Blanc
Region: New Zealand
Cost: $10 – $13
Pale green in color with aromas of citrus, tropical fruit, and herbs. Flavors of pineapple with a herbaceous and clean finish. Pairs well with shellfish, asparagus dishes, summer salads.
Recommendations: On Friday while shopping for groceries, my wife and I also picked up a bottle of the 2009 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc – we had been looking at it for a while when stopping in the store and we have a big lack of white wine in the house at the moment. On Sunday we opened it up to pair with a dinner of bacon wrapped scallops and butter noodles.
If I had to pick two words to describe this wine it would be “green” and “citrus”. On the nose the tropical fruits and citrus were prevalent, and in the mouth, pineapple, herbs, and a nice clean finish with a hint of acid made this a nice wine to sip on. The citrus and acid did a nice job of cutting through the rich flavors of the meal, but it was light enough to be enjoyed while the meal was cooking, especially on a warm day. Read the rest of this entry »
So last night I was fortunate enough to attend a tasting of the Octavin Home Wine Bars in Washington DC. While I have sampled a few of them before, I was able to taste the whole range of wines that they’re offering in this new packaging. The event was hosted by Cork’d and we were able to meet the wine maker of the Big House Red and White – Georgetta Dane.
The first wine I tasted was the Monthaven Chardonnay. I’d had this one before and it was exactly as I remembered – a touch of oakiness on the finish, but a fairly straight forward California Chardonnay that will pair well with chicken and pasta with cream sauce. Next up was the other white I had already sampled, the Silver Birch Sauvignon Blanc. It doesn’t feature as much grapefruit as a Sauvignon Blanc from Chile, but it’s still crisp and refreshing with good citrus flavors and is great for hot summer days.
Next up was the first wine I hadn’t tried before – the Big House White. A blend of Malvasia Bianca (51%), Muscat Canelli (14%), Viognier (13%), Gruner Veltliner (10%), Pinot Gris (5%), and Riesling (4%) the wine showed the Viognier on the nose with a very floral aroma. Tropical fruits on the palate made it a refreshing wine and one that would definitely pair well with seafood.
Moving over to the reds we started with the Big House Red (which I’m not going to list all the varietals in…there are just too many. You can check out my previous post on it here). A good table wine that would be perfect for a quick glass after a long day of work and for blending in with pasta sauces while cooking, none of the varietals really stand out, making it seem to have a single note, but it’s still a good table wine.
Next up was the one that I was probably looking forward to the most, the Seven. A blended Spanish wine of Cabernet Sauvignon (25%), Merlot (25%), Syrah (18%), Petit Verdot (8%), Tempranillo (8%), Grenache (8%), and Graciano (8%), there was a nice berry flavor with good tannins and a robustness that I found enjoyable and certainly made me want to pair it with some grilled red meat.
Finally was the Boho Old Vine Zinfandel. Jammy is the best way to describe this wine, and it lacked the usual spice and pepper that I associated with Zinfandel. That being said, this is a BBQ wine through and through. If you’re making ribs for a summer cook-out, this is a good go-to wine.
All in all I had a great evening, the wines were all enjoyable, the location was spectacular, and the staff was incredibly helpful. I want to thank Cork’d for hosting the event, and Lima Restaurant and Lounge for your amazing service.
