Wine Unwrapped Blog
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3/20/2016 0 Comments Rosé BubbliesAh, Spring! Although some are just starting to think of Rosés now, they are great all year long. And if they have bubbles, even better. We celebrated a friend's birthday last night with her favorite, sparkling Rosé. The first sparkler was a little known wine from Savoie in France. Bugey Cerdon is made with Gamay and other grapes such as Poulsard and is lightly sweet but quite refreshing. With colors that ranged from barely tinted like the Pommery to full on pink and with flavors that ranged from toasty and yeasty to fresh and fruity, these wines were a treat to taste. Many thanks to our hosts, Pam and Ric, and Happy Birthday Pam! Well, not all the wines were pink.
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On Monday, January 4, 2016 I attended another tasting organized by Vin Marottoli of Wine Lover's Tours. Vin brings back wines from his many trips and sets up one of a kind tastings with wines generally unavailable in the US. Tonight it was wines from the Jura region of France and Switzerland. The Jura is a small region east of Burgundy and just west of Switzerland. Although Arbois in Jura was the first AOC in France, wines from the Jura are relatively unknown in the US. The Jura now contains four AOCs, Arbois, created in 1936 along with the Chateau-Chalon AOC, L'Etoile AOC, and Cotes Du Jura AOC. There are also three product AOCs as well. 
Thanks to Bon Appetit for the great map.
The white grapes used in the Jura are Savagnin and Chardonnay. The modern wines from the Savagnin grape show a mix of citrus, peach and minerals. They are a nice change from the wines we usually see on wine shop shelves. The Varone Heida and Lornet Nature stood out and got rave reviews from the tasters. While the other whites were very good those two made a big impression. The Jura has a traditional style of wine made from the Savagnin grape that is quite different from the those mentioned above. Vin Jaune-Yellow Wine. Vin Juane is 100% Savagnin and after fermentation is aged in oak casks for 6 years and 3 months at a minimum. During this time a veil of yeast forms and protects the wine from oxidation. The result is a wine that remind some a a dry sherry. The finest come from the Chateau-Chalon AOC. 9/12/2015 0 Comments BYOB-- Bring your older bottle At the end of August a group of wine friends got together to share some of the wines in their cellars. We did not take notes, we just popped them open and enjoyed them. With vintages ranging from 1982 to 2001, and none of them corked, it was a case of good, better, best. Opinions were split on favorites as it should be. All the wines were mature of course but not past their peak. Good cellar conditions do make a difference. Read on for the complete list and pics
9/7/2015 0 Comments English Wine???
On August 24, 2015 I had the opportunity to taste a variety of wines from England. Most were sparkling wines made by the same methods used and with the same grapes as in Champagne. The quality of these wines was very impressive. Organized by Vin Marottoli of Wine Lovers Tours, this tasting took place at Bin 100 in Milford, CT. Vin makes a habit of bringing back case of interesting wines from each of the regions he tours. Since I do not see a trip to England in the very near future for me I was eager to try wines that I would not see here in the US. The wines did not disappoint. Showing much of the complexity and finesse of their rivals in France, the English wines were a joy to taste. So now I know that if I find myself in England I will have an alternative to Guinness. 6/5/2015 0 Comments A Connecticut Calҫotoda Calҫots are a variety of scallion from Cataluña, Spain that are harvested from November to April. They are grilled over an open fire till charred and then wrapped in newspaper to steam. When ready the charred exterior is peeled off and the tender, warm inside is dipped in a type of romesco sauce. When thoroughly covered it is lowered into the mouth and chewed. It must then be washed down with red wine. You follow that with sausage and lamb also cooked on an open fire. In Cataluña this party is called a calҫotada. It is tasty, messy and a great way to spend an afternoon. So how did this wildly popular Spanish tradition come to Connecticut? All due to my good friend Len, aka The Wine Tutor. Len is a lover of all things Spanish and he was able to put on his first calҫotoda at his home 2 years ago. He followed up with this one on May 17, 2015.
6/3/2015 0 Comments Chateau D'Esclans Rosé Dinner
I attended the May 19, 2015 Chateau D'Esclans wine dinner that was presented by Harrys Wine & Liquor Market and 55° Restaurant in Fairfield. This dinner featured a special guest, Sasha Lichine, owner of Chateau D'Esclans. Chateau D'Esclan is the producer of the very popular Whispering Angel rosé as well as Chateau D'Esclan rosé, now being branded as Rock Angel, Les Clan rosé and Garrus, the top of the line rosé that retails for $100 per bottle. 
5/18/2015 0 Comments Chianti Classico Gran Selezione On May 13, 2015 the Chianti Classico Consorzio presented a guided tasting followed by a walk around tasting of a new DOCG wine Chianti Classico Gran Selezione. The guided tasting was conducted by Antonio Galloni after an introduction by Sergio Zingarelli, head of the Consorzio. The Gran Selezione classification came into being in 2013. To qualify for this new category the wine must be produced from a single vineyard or a selection of an estate’s best grapes. The wine must receive a minimum of 30 months of aging including 3 months in the bottle. The wine must also have a minimum alcohol content of 13% and undergo strict chemical parameters and have outstanding organoleptic characteristics. 
4/18/2015 0 Comments La Rioja Alta TastingI attended a tasting of La Rioja Alta wines on April 2, 2015 at Ancona's Wine and Liquors in Ridgefield CT. La Rioja Alta has been producing wine since the late 1800's. They are among the elite producers in Rioja and make their wine in the traditional style. That is to say, wines that have been given time to develop slowly with longer aging than is done by more "modern" producers. Tasting these wines is a treat. They undergo barrel aging from more than 2 years to over 6 years for the Gran Reservas. Only a small fraction of the world's wines are given this care and attention.
3/14/2015 0 Comments Golden View Firenze RestaurantLast September I spent some time touring Tuscany. In Florence I visited the Tuscan Wine School as part of a wine tour. While there a restaurant, Golden View Firenze, was recommended for lunch. With a view of the Ponte Vecchio, wonderful food and a great wine list it was a perfect way to get to know this beautiful city. The menu mentioned that they had a second restaurant in Greenwich CT. Not long after the trip I discovered that the Golden View Firenze in Greenwich was doing wine dinners and lunches. My first event there was a lunch with Gaia Gaja presenting 3 Gaja wines. The food was excellent, service great and the wines were everything you expect from Gaja. Gaia was charming and very personable. I knew that I would be back for another event.  Gaia Gaja  Patrick Van Hoorebeek I met Patrick Van Hoorebeek at his Bar Vin on Monday, February 2. We stopped in for a glass of wine before heading out to dinner. He told me of his group, the Krewe of Cork, and their parade on Friday, February 6. Sadly it was at the same time as our flight back home. Fortunately the flight got pushed back and we had just enough time to catch the start of the parade. With wine for a theme it was quite an event! |
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