The wines of Le Marche have only recently begun to receive their just praise. On a picturesque hill overlooking the Adriatic Sea just to the south of the city of Ancona sits Moroder winery, with some excellent examples of Rosso Conero, one of the best wines of the region. Read article.
Wine touches our senses and affects our mood. So does music. Is it any surprise that wine and music go well together?
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Very dark reddish-purple, all but opaque, with glints of ruby against the light.. Luscious red cherries join more subtle brown spices on the nose, leading into a juicy, tart red-cherry and plum flavor framed by crisp acidity, with a touch of freshly ground black pepper joining in. A noticeable buzz of tannic astringency builds in on the side of your tongue as the wine crosses your palate, and a bit of zippy citrus joins cherries, plums and a tannic buzz in a long finish. Mostly Malbec with a small but undisclosed percentage of Syrah and Bonarda in the blend; 13.5% alcohol.
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Find vendors and check prices for Alamos Mendoza Malbec on Wine-Searcher.com. Read article.
A traditional Burgundy blend of 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Gamay, this is a pretty, light salmon color sparkling wine that foams up in the glass with a frothy mousse that quickly falls back to a prickly carbonation without a lot of obvious bubbles. Pleasant red-berry fruit on the nose and palate is backed by a subtle but distinctive hint of cocoa that often appears in Pinot-based sparklers. Crisp, tart acidity builds a firm body, with touches of rising bread and mouth-watering citrus in a long finish. 12% alcohol.
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This specific bottling at this price is available only from Trader Joe’s stores in the U.S.
If a TJ’s is not convenient to you, you can find vendors and compare prices for its sparkling white sibling, Bailly-Lapierre La Burgondie Crémant du Bourgogne Brut, on Wine-Searcher.com.
Click here for an extensive selection of other Crémant du Bourgogne offerings on Wine-Searcher.com. Read article.
Does wine taste better if it comes from a bottle stopped with a cork or closed with a metal screw cap? This is not an idle question.
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Clear, pale salmon color. A typical Rhône blend of 70 percent Grenache, 20 percent Cinsault, and 10 percent Syrah signals good pink Rhône aromas of red berries on the nose and palate, with touches of peach and mandarin adding complexity. Bright and fresh on the palate, ; 13.5 percent alcohol.
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Check prices and look for vendors for E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône Rosé on Wine-Searcher.com. Read article.
Clear, vibrant pink, with good aromas of strawberries and a hint of fresh green herbs. Red berries on the palate, too, plus a distinct touch of honeydew melon, framed with 13.4% alcohol and zippy, mouth-watering acidity that adds a touch of citrus as it lingers in a medium-long finish.
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Find vendors and compare prices for Willamette Valley Vineyards “Whole Cluster” Willamette Valley Rosé of Pinot Noir on Wine-Searcher.com.
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Today we’re taking on another of those topics that separates those of us who have a sense of humor about wine from those who don’t find wine a laughing matter.
Here’s the question: When summer clamps down on us like a hot, wet sponge – or even when it doesn’t – have you ever considered spritzing your wine with a shot of sparkling water, and maybe dropping a couple of ice cubes in?
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Pretty, clear light rosy pink color. Red berry and subtle wildflower scent, fresh, a touch of strawberries on the palate, perhaps the one clear signal of its Pinot Noir provenance. The winery claims a small amount of residual sugar, but it appears bone-dry and faintly prickly, with 12% alcohol; an intriguing hint of “rainwater” minerality in the background. Crisp and tart, red berries and subtle lemon-lime in a very long finish.
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Compare prices and fine vendors for Sokol-Blosser Dundee Hills Estate Cuvée Rosé of Pinot Noir on Wine-Searcher.com.
Dark ruby red with scarlet glints against the light. Red berries, a hint of plum and a whiff of fennel carry over intact on the palate in a full-bodied, red-berry flavor that’s ripe but bone-dry and tart, mouth-watering and palate-cleansing. Alcohol at 13.5% is sufficient to fill it out but not so high-octane as to bring the heat. Soft, palatable tannins in a nicely balanced Pinot Noir that’s distinctly California yet reaches across the Atlantic to bring in a touch of Burgundy. Excellent wine.
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE: Check prices and find vendors for Au Bon Climat Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir on Wine-Searcher.com.
You can also buy the 2016 vintage direct from the winery for $24 at this link. Read article.
