Every summer, a wine question arises: Switch to chilled whites, perky rosés, or cold beer to cool off, or enjoy big reds in spite of the temperature?
Archives | Subscribe | Previous article: Rhône reminiscences, rising prices Read article.
Recently I reminisced about loving the most basic vin de pays when I first went to Paris. Today let’s celebrate what came next: Côtes du Rhône!
Archives | Subscribe | Previous article: The many faces of Chardonnay
Read article.
Balanced and appetizing, Kermit Lynch Selections Côtes du Rhône Villages is an organic, naturally produced Southern Rhône blend of 58% Grenache, 32% Syrah, 3% Carignan, 3% Cinsault, 2% Mourvèdre, and 2% Counoise from vineyards averaging 40 years old. Scents of raspberries, plums, and a hint of black olives lead into a textured flavor, dry and properly acidic, with soft tannins and subtle floral and stony mineral hints in a long finish.
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Check prices and find vendors for Kermit Lynch Selections Côtes du Rhône Villages on Wine-Searcher.com.
Read about the Côtes du Rhône Villages and browse many wines and vendors at this Wine-Searcher link.
This Wine-Searcher link offers details about typical Southern Rhône red varietal blends. Read article.
Hey gang! We have two questions for you today! What style of Chardonnay do you like best, and do you prefer it cool, at cellar temperature, or ice cold?
Archives | Subscribe | Previous article: Echoes of Paris: Vin de France! Read article.
I fondly remember falling in love with Paris long ago, grinning with delight as I sat at a classic sidewalk café, proudly using my fractured French to summon a little pitcher of cheap red wine.
Archives | Subscribe | Previous article: Resist … with a glass of wine Read article.
Le Garenne Pinot Noirbears the most basic French wine classification, “Vin de France.” It’s 100% Pinot Noir, though, and both its Pinot and Loire characteristics show in a tasty, affordable everyday red wine. Ruby red and faintly hazy, its appealing aromas blend ripe cranberries with pleasant notes of tomato skin, tobacco leaf, and brown spices. Good Pinot fruit is framed by food-friendly acidity and light tannic astringency that lingers with tart cranberry fruit in a long finish.
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Check prices and find vendors for Le Garenne Pinot Noir on Wine-Searcher.com.
Read about the wines of France’s Loire Valley at this Wine-Searcher link.
Click this link for Wine-Searcher’s info page on Pinot Noir. Read article.
In these troubled times, it feels awkward to celebrate Independence Day this year. As a tiny act of patriotic resistance, I’m opening a wine from Europe.
Archives | Subscribe | Previous article: Dried grapes, good wine Read article.
A blend of traditional Austrian grapes, Meinklang 2022 Burgenland red is biodynamically produced, made and aged in stainless steel, and bottled unfiltered and unfined with low added sulfur. It’s earthy and enjoyable, starting with tart plum and blackberry aromas alongside earthy but appealing red clay and leather, with leafy notes of mint in the background.
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Check prices and find vendors for Meinklang Burgenland red on Wine-Searcher.com.
Read about Austria’s Burgenland wine region at this Wine-Searcher link.
Head for this Wine-Searcher link to find vendors and prices for a range of Meinklang’s wines. Read article.
I sometimes wonder what inspired the first Veneto winemaker who mused, “Hmmm. What if we dried all these grapes before we make them into wine?”
Archives | Subscribe | Previous article: Warmer climate, warmer wine? Read article.
A blend of 60% Merlot and 40% of the local red Veneto grape Corvina, “Gran Passione” Veneto Rosso is made in the style of the Veneto’s iconic Amarone, but it builds intensity by leaving the grapes on the vines to air-dry before pressing. Then, as with the region’s Ripasso wines, they leave the pressed skins in the juice after fermentation to yield still more concentration.
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Check prices and find vendors for Gran Passione on Wine-Searcher.com.
Read about Northeastern Italy’s Veneto region at this Wine-Searcher link.
This Wine-Searcher link offers more information about Casa Vinicola Botter, producer of Gran Passione. Read article.
