An off beat Italian white

Last night we had Indian food for dinner and I thought it was a good opportunity to try a new Italian white I had gotten off of Liquor Direct's closeout rack. Casata Monfort Taminer Aromatico (also know as Gewurztraminer) from Trentino. I had had Traminer before and assumed this would be off dry, based on previous experience and it was. The wine also had orange and lemon peal notes with slate and saw dust. It complemented the food, which was slightly spicy, perfectly. This wine from northern Italy was similar to Alsatian whites. This was a nice wine that LD is closing out for $9.99 or 3 for $25. Check it out while it lasts, it is 2006, thus has a number of years left.

Felicity cabernet from Sodaro estates

This was a great value Cabernet that I purchased from The Wine Spies last September. For some reason I only bought one bottle and I could kick myself now that I have tasted it. This 2003 has loads of round fruit left and silky tannins. We had it with steaks and Bearnaise and it went perfectly. If anyone has access to this small producer, do not hesitate to purchase this wine!

A Surprise

Last night my wife asked for a blend to go with our quickie hamburger helper dinner.
I selected a bottle I had passed over quite a few times, Jester from Peachy Canyon 2003. This is a blend of Cabernet Sauv., Syrah, Petite Sirah and a dash of Cabernet Franc. This is tooth stainer, deep and rich in color and loads of blue fruit. We got this through a wine club three years ago for around twenty dollars. Though the wine is very good and has a nice finish. I am surprised at the way the wine has held up, though it is not that expensive. This wine is a real fooler, more sophisticated than I would have expected.

Long on the tooth

Last night we shared a bottle of Sequoia Grove Cabernet 1991. This was still a vibrant wine with dried fruit notes of plum and dried raspberry. This wine was definitely ready to be drunk, but it had held up very well, particularly for a non reserve. I have a bottle of 1991 reserve and will review when we drink it.

An inexpensive old vines Zin

First the link to my article in Natural Awakenings does not work. My apologies, my technical abilities leave something to be desired. Just go to www.NaturalAwakeningscincinnati.com/directory/members/hawley, click on web site, click on read this months edition. My article is on page 19. Thanks for your patience. Back to good wine. Last night my wife and I went to Indigo in Hyde Park Square for dinner. We wanted wine, but did not want to spend a fortune. The wine list ranged from $30 to the upper 50s. I saw a producer that I was familiar with, Mandolin. We h ad tried their Pinot Noir and enjoyed it, so we decided to try the old vines Zin. This is a lighter style Zin, but it still packs a punch with loads of strawberry and black raspberry. There are hints of pencil lead and cedar. This is a wine that will stand up to wide range of foods. It should retail for less than $15. If you are looking for a robust yet restrained Zin, with a good finish give it a try.

I'm published!

I wrote an article on Bio dynamic and Organic wines for a publication called Natural Awakenings that is in the December issue on page 19. Here is a link to the article. http://publishing.yudu.com/Ax5to/DEC08/resources/index.htm?referrerUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.napublishers.com%2FMagazines.php I hope you all enjoy it.
David

A Refresher

The last couple of nights my wife and I had a bottle of Seghesio Old Vine Zinfandel 2005. This wine is the big brother to the Sonoma Zin from Seghesio which has been winning such praise from the Wine Spectator. This wine steps up the level of sophistication, with big red fruit packed with red raspberry and bright Bing cherry. This is a satisfying wine that will go well with roasted meets this time of year. It is a little more expensive than the Sonoma bottling, but is worth the extra every so often. Try it and see what you think.