Birichino Malvasia Bianca 2012

Just in case it's bothering the multitude of people who read this blog (aka: my parents), I am well aware that it seems like I rarely ever touch red wine. The reason I tend to favor whites is mainly due to the fact that I live in San Antonio, Texas where it’s hot as hell for at least eight months out of the year. I really do love red wines, but after moving back home four years ago I started leaning more towards whites simply because it was too damn hot for me to enjoy the bold, spicy reds I typically bought. Once it gets cooler the color in my glass will change and I will regale you with many tales of red wine, but for tonight I’m sticking with white: Birichino Malvasia Bianca 2012.

The Birichino winery was founded by Alex Krause and John Locke in 2008, but only showed up on my radar about six months ago when Kye (the Quarry Whole Foods wine specialist) took an interest in them. His passion for wine has led him to develop a knack for tracking down little-known and rather unique wines from all over the world. He wound up bringing in several of Birichino’s wines (Malvasia, Vin Gris, Pinot Noir, Grenache and Muscat Canelli to be exact) and not a single one disappointed.

The lovely white wine I’m discussing tonight is from Monterey in California. It is 100% Malvasia Bianca (a varietal of ancient origin, most likely Greek) and aged for five months in stainless steel. A beautiful pale gold color with greenish tinges displaying aromas of tangerine, wet limestone and floral notes on the nose. The palate is light-bodied and racy with flavors of lemon peel, lime zest and white nectarine followed by hints of jasmine, fresh ginger and bright minerality. Crisp acidity cuts through the floral and fruit to deliver a clean finish. Really enjoyable for this summer weather we’re still having in San Antonio... in the middle of October.

The Birichino Malvasia Bianca is a truly lovely, complex wine and a rather hard to find varietal (in Texas at least). I've no doubt that will be enjoyable even after the weather decides to cool down. In case I've managed to peak your interest I would suggest hightailing it to either of the Whole Foods Markets in San Antonio.

… Except of course for puppies, puppies are better than everything ever.

Abbazia di Novacella Kerner 2012

I got to try some absolutely stellar wines from Alto Adige today that inspired me to pick up Abbazia di Novacella Kerner after work. The last time I bought this wine I loved it and left about half the bottle at my parents’ so they could try something new and fun. I realized my mistake when I found out later that they’d thrown it into a batch of sangria which is a sure sign that they didn’t like it. I still haven’t let them live that down. Now every time I leave good wine with them I make them promise not to mix it in with sangria. Luckily for me they tend to only make sangria around Easter so most of the hand-me-down wines I give them have escaped that fate.

Just to give you a little background: Kerner is a cross of Schiava (also known as Trollinger or Vernatsch) and Riesling. It was bred in Germany in 1969 and named after the German poet, Justinus Kerner, whose works included songs and poetry about wine. In the 1990s it was, for a time, the third most planted grape in Germany, but plantings since then have fallen. In fact the few Kerners I’ve seen in store were all from Alto Adige in Italy. Alto Adige was part of Austria-Hungary before it was ceded to Italy after World War I which can explain the distinct German and Austrian influences on the wine industry in that region.

This wine exhibits a clear and light gold color with aromas of lemon zest, honeysuckle and grassy notes on the nose. Medium-bodied and spicy with zesty flavors of key lime, orange peel, pineapple, beeswax, cream fraiche and fresh jalapeno. Hints of wet slate combine with medium acidity that creeps up on you slowly to lead to a longish finish.

As my parents proved it’s not a wine that appeals to everybody, but it is definitely worth it if you want to try a cool, rather unique varietal. 

NV G.H. Mumm & Cie Champagne Carte Classique Extra Dry

When my sisters and I were born my grandparents bought each of us a bottle of Champagne that we were supposed to save and open at our weddings. Unfortunately my parents weren't too wine savvy at that time and lacked a decent place to store any of these bottles so they were left in the kitchen pantry, which didn't end too well. I know of at least two times when my parents were forced to secretly replace a ruined bottle, before finally deciding it wasn't really worth the hassle. My oldest sister, Alicia, and I somehow still had intact bottles, and luckily my middle sister, Teresa, grew up to be more of a beer drinker so it didn't seem to bother her. I don’t remember if Alicia opened hers at her wedding (open bar and I was still drinking liquor back then… it’s a rather hazy memory altogether), but mine is the only one left.

Since I’m rather ambivalent about marriage, not to mention way too young (or too old according to some of my relatives), I've decided waiting for a wedding that might never happen is just plain silly. So I've decided that my bottle of G.H. Mumm Carte Classique Extra Dry is getting opened tonight after work. Chances are it’s not even good, but even a terrible bottle of wine can be good material for a post. Hurrah for late-night experiments that probably won't end well! 

Later that night...

I opened the would-be wedding Champagne after getting home tonight and was pleasantly surprised to find it wasn't horribly spoiled. Had this been the original bottle my grandparents bought when I was born it probably would have been a much less pleasant experience. Of course you never know, maybe after being stored in a kitchen pantry for 27 years it would have had lovely notes of breakfast cereal, uncooked pasta and almost every cooking spice you can think of.

This bottle was perfect after a less than stellar week. It’s hard to tell from the picture, but it’s a really lovely deep golden color. On the nose it has baked peach and red apple with yeasty characteristics. Smooth and medium-bodied with flavors of baked pear, dried apricot and orange zest which are quickly taken over by hints of clove, toasted almond and honeysuckle. The honeysuckle notes lead flavors of rich honey that coats the mouth before being balanced out by crisp acidity.

I really didn't expect much from bottle, so actually enjoying it has been a pleasant surprise. Even so I doubt this family tradition will be carried on. I plan on starting a nice collection of birth year and age-worthy wines for my niece so she can be a classy drunk when she reaches the legal drinking age (20 years from now). I don’t think she’ll be missing out too much if I don’t include a NV champagne that’s been kept in rather questionable conditions for 20-plus years. 

Vigilance Petite Sirah 2011

Petite Sirah (aka: Durif) was one of the first red varietals I really and truly enjoyed. Michael David’s Petite Petit was probably the first wine that opened my eyes to Petite Sirah (and yes, I bought it because I thought the label was utterly adorable). It was definitely one of the better wines tucked away in the rather pathetic excuse for a wine room at the liquor store where I was working at the time. I wish I could say that after that I fell head over heels for the complexity, uniqueness and blah blah blah that this wine displayed, but sadly no (it would’ve been such a good excuse for what followed). I definitely enjoyed the majority of wines I had from that varietal afterwards, but my overall obsession with it didn’t start until after an adorable toy Australian Shepherd came into my life.

I’d originally wanted to name her Rogue after my favorite X-Men character, but Sarah Palin’s book (‘Going Rogue’) had just come out so after hastily scrambling to come up with a new name, I settled on Petite Sirah. At the time I had no idea that she was a toy so it wasn’t until later that I realized how fitting a name it was. She is the world to me and despite sometimes feeling like a pretentious (but clever!) bastard whenever I have to explain or pronounce her name for people, I still love it. I have a Petite Sirah who is literally petite… it is ridiculous how happy that makes me.

Vigilance is from the Red Hills AVA located at the base of Mount Konocti in California. It is 100% Petite Sirah with a vibrant ruby color and aromas of blackberry, vanilla and cedar. Medium-bodied and smooth on the palate with fruit flavors of dark cherry, blueberry and plum nicely balanced with notes of vanilla, clove and white pepper. Finishes with some slightly earthy notes and low tannins, definitely had more finesse than I’ve come to expect from California Petite Sirah.

PS is a grape that I enjoy rather immensely and love introducing to people for the first time. Vigilance is one of the more unique wines I've had of this varietal and it’s one I highly recommend. It is available at Whole Foods Market Vineyard in San Antonio.

Martian Ranch Grenache Blanc 2012

I really enjoy living vicariously through my friends, especially when they vacation in California wine country, a trip I simply cannot afford to make right now. One of my friends, Kye, managed to make it out to Santa Barbara a couple of months ago and since he absolutely adores me (and I laid a major guilt trip on him), he brought me back some rather awesome souvenirs. I’m sure it’s no surprise that ‘Sideways’ is a film that’s very near and dear to both our hearts, so my favorite present was the napkin he snagged after eating at The Hitching Post:

Of course the wines Kye brought back were fantastic as well, especially the Martian Ranch Grenache Blanc:

Martian Ranch is located in Los Alamos California, owned and run by Nan Helgeland, who is dedicated to making Rhone varietal wines with little manipulation. She is also the wife of writer/producer Brian Helgeland (‘L.A. Confidential’ is right up there with ‘Sideways’ for both of us) and while that association may have been why Kye chose to stop at Martian, Nan and her wines are the reasons he fell head over heels for it. After tasting a few of the wines brought back from there I can totally understand why. If I’d gotten to try them while surrounded by the beautiful scenery in which they were created, I’d be enthralled too.

I’d been listening to Kye rave about Martian Ranch for at least a week so when their Grenache Blanc was one of the three wines he brought me back it wasn’t too hard to decide what to open first. I’ve never found this varietal to be overly complex, but this wine created elegance out of simplicity. Tropical fruits, citrus and almonds on the nose, with bright pineapple, lemon peel, passion fruit and lemongrass flavors coming through on the palate. Crisp acidity and subtle minerality led to a refreshing, yet short finish that made me wish I had more than one bottle of it.

Endless Crush Rosé 2013

Finally got my act back together (meaning I stopped being lazy and procrastinating) and am ready to introduce you to the wonders of rosé!

Earlier this year I had the good fortune to meet Kathleen Inman, the owner and winemaker of Inman Family Wines in Russian River Valley, while she was in San Antonio. Getting to meet and chat with friendly, passionate winemakers is one of the things I love most about my job. So combining those invariably interesting conversations with really great wines makes me a very happy little girl. I had heard that Inman’s natural and environmentally responsible winemaking style produced well-balanced, terroir-driven wines so it was awesome getting to taste that for myself. We sampled the Russian River Valley Chardonnay, Endless Crush Rosé, Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, Olivet Lane Vineyard Pinot Noir and Thorn Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir. They were excellent: the Chardonnay was crisp and bright, the Pinot Noirs were simply elegant with subtle, unique differences in each, but it was the Endless Crush Rosé that I fell head over heels for.

This exceptional wine is made predominately from organically grown Pinot Noir from their Olivet Grange Vineyard in Russian River Valley. An “intentional” rosé (rather than one made with the run-off juices from red wines, the saignée method), first made in ‘04 to celebrate her and her husband’s 20^th anniversary.  It is a delicious dry wine with red cherry, strawberry and floral notes on the nose, followed by refreshing strawberry, orange zest and watermelon flavors balanced by crisp acidity, hints of honeysuckle and spice that linger pleasantly on the finish.

Endless Crush is one of the most elegant and unique rosés I’ve ever tasted, I am thrilled that we finally have it in our wine set. It’s especially perfect for these ridiculously hot days we’ve had in Texas lately. Plus it has a pretty label! That way if you wind up not liking the wine (which is highly unlikely), you’ll have a pretty empty bottle… so no matter what you win! That is, assuming I’m not the only weirdo who keeps empty wine bottles to use as home decorations. Anyways! You should start walking at a very brisk pace to find this wine at Whole Foods Quarry in San Antonio.

Wine Five #1

About a month ago John and I randomly decided that making a video series where we drink and talk about wine (but mostly drink) would be ridiculous amounts of fun. That is how the first (and hopefully not last!) Wine Five came into creation. 

For the record we made this around 2am after several glasses of wine. The original cut was much longer and a ton more ridiculous.

Stand-in post

Last summer was when I was very much obsessed with rosés, that was pretty much all I drank. This was before they were cool too, so go me for being ahead of the curve for once (I know, I'm such a hipster). This summer I've been more interested in random, hard-to-find-in-San-Antonio varietals (like Roussanne and Grenache Blanc) and don't honestly think I've bought more than two or three bottles of rosé. So I find it slightly interesting that two of the hands down, most outstanding wines I've had in the past six months have both been rosés. 

I plan on doing posts on both wines in the very near future, this is really just a stand-in to make up for the fact that I've been too lazy to write anything of substance lately. Plus my partner-in-crime finally got one of these gorgeous wines in our store this week (Inman Family's Endless Crush Rosé, $23.99 at Whole Foods Quarry in San Antonio, TX!) so I'm incredibly excited about that. I promise something better post-wise in the very near future!

Kurt Darting Dürkheimer Spielberg Scheurebe Spätlese 2010

My parents are amazing and I know that I am damn lucky to have them. My father is awesome, I got both my dry sense of humor and cynicism (though he’s not too thrilled about that) from him and I am beyond grateful for both those traits. My mother is the kindest, most wonderful woman, who always wants to see the best in everyone. They balance each other out so perfectly and also drive each other crazy at times. I have never doubted that they love each other and my sisters and I (and all the dogs I might have kinda guilted them into getting) very much. If it weren't for them I might have never discovered how utterly fascinating and beautiful wine is.

For my 21^st birthday they had gotten me a bottle of Now and Zen Wasabi White (mainly because my mother loved the label... another habit I picked up from her), but forgot to bring it with them when they drove up to Dallas to see me, so my mother insisted on visiting several different liquor/wine stores in an attempt to find another bottle of it. We didn't find it and I honestly couldn't tell you what they wound up getting me instead to make up for it, but I remember being really amazed by how much they knew about wine, since it was something they'd only started getting into after I left home. What really sealed the deal though was a weekend visit I made probably a few months after that. They’d recently gotten really into New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and one of the last nights I was there we thought it'd be fun to do a blind-tasting of sorts with three different bottles of that varietal. Basically we put all three in paper bags then tasted each one and scored them somehow (the details are a bit fuzzy), not perfect, but still a lot of fun. The wines were Kim Crawford, Drylands (which I'm pretty sure was the winner overall) and a third I can’t recall. The details aren't really all that important... the point is that after that weekend I started to fall madly in love with wine all thanks to my parents.

Since then I've become way more of a wine geek than either of them and I’m sure that my slightly ridiculous passion for wine perplexes them at times, but they have been nothing but supportive anyways. Of course it pays off for them as well since I've introduced them to some rather awesome wines. Of those one of their favorites so far was Kurt Darting Dürkheimer Spielberg Scheurebe Spätlese from Pfalz, Germany.

I have Kye (my friend and fellow wine buyer at Whole Foods), to thank for introducing me to this wine (and for the picture above) and he has Terry Theise to thank for introducing him to Scheurebe. I’m really glad that he stumbled upon this beautiful wine after reading Theise’s book “Reading Between the Vines” and I’m really lucky that he was awesome enough to share that experience with me. Just to give a brief background on this little known varietal: Scheurebe (or Sämling 88) is a crossing of Riesling and an unknown grape (originally thought to be Sylvaner, but DNA analysis ruled that out in the ‘90s). Primarily grown in Austria and Germany it is highly aromatic and, like Riesling, the wines made from it can range from very sweet to bone dry.

The Darting Scheurebe was beyond gorgeous, I still list in as one of the top ten white wines I've ever had. After that first bottle I kept gushing about it to my parents and wound up buying another bottle of it to drink with them so they could experience it as well ($19.99 at Twin Liquors, though I don't believe they carry it anymore). Normally I’d do my best to describe Scheurebe, and I could go into detail about the pink grapefruit, orange zest and honeysuckle flavors but I just feel like Terry Theise does such a better job of explaining this varietal than I could ever do, so I’ll just leave you with his words:

“I don’t drink Riesling all the time, though I’d hardly mind doing so. Still, there are occasions when something more pagan is called for, and that’s when I summon my guiltiest of wine pleasures: Scheurebe.

"Scheurebe (shoy-ray-beh), often shortened to ‘Scheu,’ is Riesling just after it read the Kama Sutra. Put another way, Scheu is what Riesling would be if Riesling were a transvestite. If Riesling expresses all that is Noble and Good, Scheu offers all that is Dirty and Fun. It is Riesling’s evil, horny twin.”

-Terry Theise, "Reading Between the Vines"

Menguante Garnacha Blanca 2009

I don’t have a whole ton of friends, but the ones I do have are as close (if not closer than) family to me. I have no problem with that, I prefer having few close friends, who I can count on no matter what, to having several fair-weather ones I can’t rely on. Of course most of these friends are spread out all over this state (and Louisiana) at the moment, not surprising considering how badly we all wanted out of this city after High School... I'm just the only one so far to return. That just means I appreciate the times they get suckered into coming back to SA all the more and the last time it happened I celebrated by picking up Menguante Garnacha Blanca 2009 from Specs (totally blanking on the price, but will fix that shortly).

I’m not really sure why Grenache Blanc intrigues me so much (in blends or as 100% varietals), but I’m not complaining, it usually works out well for me. So far Spain and South Africa have impressed me the most with their wines made with Grenache Blanc, but a lot of that is due to the fact that you don’t see this varietal so often elsewhere.

This one was ripe with flavors of baked pear, orange peel, dried apricot and lemon zest. There was a bit of oiliness that reminded of the one (and only) Condrieu I’ve ever had. This was balanced out with crisp acidity and bright floral notes that led to a creamy, honey-butterish finish. Really glad I took a chance with this wine and even happier that I got to share it with good people (especially since those seem hard to find these days).

Barranc dels Closos Blanc 2010

I hope most people have experienced the thrill of glancing at their phone and seeing a call/text from a certain person that just makes them grin like an idiot. It’s a nice feeling, one that makes you feel warm and fuzzy (and sometimes just a slight bit apprehensive since you’re not sure what it will bring), but no matter what, just seeing that call (or text) always makes you smile. That is the same feeling I get whenever I’m adventurous in my wine buying and it pays off. At least that is the best way to describe the feeling that envelopes me when I take that first sip and find utter beauty.

Of course that doesn't happen all the time, I have regretted taking on new wines before... which is probably why I cherish the ones that don’t let me down so very much. Tonight’s wine is one of them: Mas Igneus Barranc dels Closos Blanc 2010, a white wine from Priorat, Spain. (Found at Specs, but since they were discontinuing it and I bought the last couple bottles on the shelf, I honestly could not tell you where to find it anymore in SA… but if you do stumble upon it please let me know!)

The 2010 vintage is a blend of 50% Garnatxa Blanca, 30% Macabeu, 17% Pedro Ximenez and 3% Muscat. The muted intensity and dried fruit aromas masked a very complex and lovely palate. Lemon zest, orange peel, white peach and a hint of coconut were in the forefront, followed by notes of toasted almonds, beeswax, honey and wet limestone. It was reminiscent of sherry with the nutty, floral flavors but it didn’t have the same intensity. I loved it, thought it was super gorgeous. Definitely a wine I’d be happy to see on my call log anytime.

Dashe Les Enfants Terribles Zinfandel 2011, Heart Arrow Ranch

I hate reality TV, it is awful and I think that it’s a shining example of how awful this world can be. I actually avoid my parents' place on certain nights because I know I’ll be subjected to that sort of crap if I’m there. The times that I can’t avoid it though I bring wine and Dashe Les Enfants Terribles Zinfandel is what I had this past Monday when I knew the Bachelorette was unavoidable and it was perfect for the occasion. I hadn’t had a Zinfandel in quite some time and this one made me regret that. It also made me rethink my meh-ness towards wine from California.

From the back label:

“Our Les Enfants Terribles (“the Wild Children”) series of wines are made from vineyards that we feel can make distinctive, terrior-driven wines. Fermented on native yeasts, with minimal oak influence and low levels of sulfites, these wines show beautiful fruit undisturbed by unnecessary processing. The essence of the vineyard shines through the resulting wine. This rebel has a cause – we hope you’ll like it.”

It was a really subtle wine for its type, just 13.5% which is pretty restrained for a Californian Zinfandel. I haven’t had many old world Zins, but this wine reminded me more of the few that I’ve had than any of the Californian ones. I’m not trying to bash California here, I do enjoy many wines from there (and all over North America), I just don’t think that they exhibit the same balance and finesse that old world wines do (I could really go off on a tangent there, but I’m going to stop myself because that’s not what this post is about).  There was a distinct earthiness along with the wild strawberry, baked raspberry and dried lavender notes. A hint of spice and round tannins led to a long-ish finish, overall it was really gorgeous.

Frank Cornelissen Contadino 10

A year ago I really didn’t care for Italian wines... a year ago I was also a complete idiot. I’m still an idiot, but at least now I’m an idiot who’s learned to appreciate and (mostly) love the wines of Italy. That was mainly thanks to an amazing friend who made it next to impossible to drink with him without being able to appreciate Italy. Kye opened my eyes to a world of possibilities that I’d never considered and without him I would have never gotten to try some of the most unique wines I’ve ever had the good fortune to come across. Some of the best wines I had in the last year were with him and most of those were Italian, Sicilian more often than not. One Sicilian wine in particular I feel like I’ve been waiting forever to try was Frank Cornelissen’s Contadino 10, a bottle he picked up in Austin ($30) a while back.

The main reason I love Kye is he is one of the only people I’ve ever met who finds wine to be as cool as I do (“Did he say ‘Cool’?”... chances are only my dad will laugh at that reference). Wine is awesome, in so many ridiculous ways and cool really is the best way I can describe it sometimes, it’s got liquor and beer beat as far as I’m concerned. I’d just assumed I was a crazy person, ridiculously obsessed with wine in a way that no one else understood, but he made me realize that it wasn’t just me, there were others, just as utterly insane as I was.

Anyways! Frank Cornelissen’s wines go a long way in embodying that “coolness” that I love about wine. If I poured the Contadino 10 for my parents or friends they’d probably make polite noises and then find a reason to open something else and there is nothing wrong with that. His wines are not for everyone, they are for people who are looking to experience every dusty, dirty nook and cranny of winemaking.

 

From the website: “Our farming philosophy is based on our acceptance of the fact that man will never be able to understand nature's full complexity and interactions. We therefore choose to concentrate on observing and learning the movements of Mother Earth in her various energetic and cosmic passages and prefer to follow her indications as to what to do, instead of deciding ourselves. Consequently this has taken us to avoiding all possible interventions on the land we cultivate, including any treatments, whether chemical, organic, or biodynamic, as these are all a mere reflection of the inability of man to accept nature as she is and will be. “

The wine was cloudy to put it mildy, cloudier than anything else I’d ever had. It was beautiful though, tasted of red fruit, rocks and earth. Such earth! This is what I imagined the ancient Greeks drank, wines imbued with the very essence of the world they inhabited. This was a living wine, that is the BEST way I can describe it and I’m sorry I can do no better than that but that is what it was. I was blown away, it was in no way pretty, I would not suggest it for the faint of heart or amateur wine-lovers, it was made to be appreciated by those who really, truly love wine and I was beyond happy to get to try it. Truly wonderful.

Texas Roussanne

While wandering indecisively up and down the aisles at Spec’s on Monday, I wound up in front of the Texas wines and was reminded of an article my dad had recently sent, Battle of the Texas Roussannes, about a blind tasting of Texas Roussanes, pretty interesting read definitely worth checking out. I really hadn’t paid much attention to Texas wine in recent years (I’d had no idea that Roussanne was even being grown here) and decided that needed to change so I picked up a McPherson 2012 Roussanne and a Brennan Vineyards 2012 Lily Blend. I hadn’t had much experience with Roussanne before trying these wines, so I can’t honestly say if they were a true expression of the varietal or not, but I can say is that they were both very pretty in different ways.

McPherson Roussanne 2012: medium-bodied with notes of dried apricot, baked peach, candied lemon, honey and white flowers. Well-balanced complexity and medium acidity lead to a rich, short finish. I was actually really disappointed with this one when it was first opened, muted flavors and altogether kind of boring, but by the next day it had opened up beautifully and wound up being my favorite of the two.

Brennan Vineyards Lily 2012: a blend of 59% Roussanne, 23% Viognier and 18% Grenache. Medium-bodied with notes of apricot, roasted pineapple, canned peaches, butterscotch, ginger and caramel. Medium complexity and acidity that creeps up on you before being flattened by the creamy finish. It was very nice when first opened, but by the next day the butterscotch and caramel had started to overpower everything else. It was still drinkable, but not quite as enjoyable as before.

Just so I can end this on a completely random note: My dogs are more wine savvy than your dog.

Casa Silva Sauvignon Gris 2012

 Chilean wines will always have a special place in my heart simply because they remind me of my grandmother (Chilean)  who was a huge part of my life until her death almost 13 years ago. To me she was an extremely graceful woman, cultured and sophisticated, not a single hair out of place. She drilled my sisters and me on proper etiquette and manners until she was satisfied we were perfect (for the record I don't think I ever managed that perfection). It was a bit ridiculous and not very useful in the world outside of her home, but she was determined that her granddaughters not be ill-mannered hooligans. I’m probably making her sound like a ridiculous tyrant, but really she wasn’t, she just had standards for everyone, especially her family, and she made damn sure that we met them. To me she was elegance incarnate and I find most Chilean wines to be that same way.

The Silva family pioneered grape growing in the Colchagua Valley in 1892 and have the oldest cellar in the valley. The Sauvignon Gris is unique in that you almost never find that varietal anywhere since almost going extinct following the phylloxera epidemic. Not much has been planted since it was rediscovered in the 1980s in the Loire Valley. The Casa Silva Sauvignon Gris 2012 is medium-bodied and with crisp citrus flavors of lime zest, orange peel and pink grapefruit.  Fresh floral notes, spice and medium acidity lead into a rich, vibrant finish. It is elegant and complex, a wine I’m sure my grandmother would have loved and not just because her maiden name was Silva.

The Wolftrap White 2012

Last summer I became quite enamored with South African blends. I think it all started when I picked up a bottle of Goats Do Roam White from work mainly because I thought the name was very clever and it was under $10.  After that I started looking for other wines from South Africa and found that most of the white blends I tried were quite lovely, but the absolute best was Wolftrap White.

The 2012 is a blend of 60% Viognier, 21% Chenin Blanc, and 19% Grenache Blanc. Refreshing, medium-bodied bursting with floral notes of honeysuckle and orange blossom coupled with flavors of green apple, lime zest and melon. Crisp minerality and bright acidity are balanced by a hint creaminess which leads to a rich, lingering finish.

The Wolftrap Red is also worth trying, though it’s a bit too heavy for me during hot weather. It’s mostly Syrah and Mouvedre with a tiny amount of Viognier (2%) added to soften the wine a bit. I’m Still hoping to track down their Rosé one of these days, but so far no luck with that.

Chambourcin and Petit Manseng from Virginia

This past weekend I was in Alexandria, VA for my sister’s wedding. It was a happy, but very busy affair and I very much wish I had stayed a few days longer. Thanks to my sister I did manage half a day to explore a few close-by wineries: Narmada, Grey Ghost and Pearmund. Mostly I was interested in the unique varietals being grown in Virginia (namely Chambourcin and Petit Manseng) and I managed to bring back a couple of bottles in my luggage without any unfortunate accidents.

Reflection 2010 from Narmada, a dry Chambourcin. Lots of spice and red fruit with hints of eucalyptus and other herbaceous notes throughout. Soft tannins and some smokiness lead into a medium finish. I had this bottle open for a few days and found that it really opened up by day 3, I really hadn’t expected it to last that long. It’s always a pleasant surprise when a wine gets better after being opened more than 24 hours.

For those who have never heard of Chambourcin (no shame in that, I had no idea what the hell it was before a week ago), it is a French-American hybrid of uncertain parentage that has only been commercially available since 1963. Produces dry, aromatic red wines with deep-red coloring, used in both single-varietal wines and blends.

Late Harvest Petit Manseng 2010 from Pearmund Cellars. I tried both their dry Petit Manseng and the late harvest while I was there and preferred the dessert wine surprisingly enough. Stone fruit notes were present in both, tart and crisp in the dry while overripe and candied in the sweet. The other major similarity was the high acidity found in both. In the dry it was close to overpowering, you almost didn’t pick up on anything else, but in the late harvest it balanced perfectly with the sweetness. It’s incredibly rare that i find a dessert wine I enjoy (and that's not ridiculously expensive) and this late harvest Petit Manseng was definitely the favorite out of the four wines I brought back.

Celler Piñol Portal Blanco 2011 and 2012

I randomly decided to buy two different vintages (with two different varietal blends) of the same wine from Terra Alta in Catalunya's Tarragona province located in northeastern Spain. Mainly I was curious to see how the two differed, if at all, thought it would be a fun experiment.

2011: 70% Garnacha Blanca, 20% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Viognier and 5% Macabeo
-Stone fruit flavors (grapefruit, white peach and nectarine) and lemon zest with hints of wet limestone, jasmine, and chamomile. Medium acidity and a tinge of oiliness lead to a medium finish. Very crisp and refreshing, will be awesome for those miserable summer days that are coming our way.

2012: According to the label it’s 100% Garnacha Blanca, but their website has the blend as 85% Garnacha Blanca, 5% Sauv Blanc, 5% Viognier and 5% Macabeo, so we’re just going to assume that the website is right (and after tasting it I’m even more convinced that it’s not 100%)
 -Apricot, white peach, orange peel and lime followed by hints of fresh herbs, candied ginger, beeswax and wet grass. Medium-plus acidity leads into a crisp and slightly bitter finish. Definitely has more complexity than the ’11, but not quite as balanced.

In conclusion: both vintages were crisp and refreshing, perfect for summer. Between the two the ’11 was definitely more balanced, and though not quite as interesting as ’12, would probably be the more appealing palate-wise of the two. Really wish the ’12 had been 100% Garnacha Blanca, but that’s what I get for not researching these sorts of things before buying, oh well. 

Shaya Old Vine Verdejo 2011

When I was twelve years old my family spent a week in Spain over spring break, where I fell head over heels in love with the country. I simply couldn't imagine anywhere else in the world could be more beautiful and vibrant. So it only makes sense that nine years later I'd fall in love with Spanish wines. The bold, spicy reds and fresh, vivacious whites were just so much more alive and expressive than any other wine I'd experienced before. That first bottle of Spanish wine (a Rioja crianza) turned what had been a strictly platonic liking of wine into a full-blown infatuation and led me to where I am today. 

Since Spain is to blame for all of this I thought it only fitting to start this off with Shaya, an old vine Verdejo from Rueda and one of my favorite white wines of all time.

This medium-bodied white is 100% Verdejo with notes of mango, white peach, apricot and honey. Crisp minerality and vibrant acidity lead to a surprisingly creamy finish. It is an absolutely gorgeous wine, perfect for the miserably hot summer that's ahead!