Great Wine Source Wine Blog

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Wine of the Day – Sagrantino di Montefalco

Jan 16

Posted by greatWineSource in Italy, Reds, Wine of the Day | Comments off

Wine of the Day for January 16, 2010

Sagrantino di Montefalco

Origin

Sagrantino di Montefalco is a red grape originating in Umbria, Italy.

Style

Today you will find this wine is dry and fully of tannins. For years, it was made into rich sweet wines called passito, which is produced using the method of drying the grapes on straw mats.

Sagrantino di Montefalco grape

Characteristics

I was turned on to it because of its deep color, full body and abundance of blackberry aromas, with hints of violet, spice, chocolate and earth. This combination emits a sense of luxury to me.

This wine has specific aging requirements. It must be aged for 30 months before release of which 12 months must be in Oak barrels (preferably French Oak).

In my research, I discovered that this grape is thought to contain the highest amount of cancer fighting polyphenols of all known grapes. Bonus for those of us who enjoy these full-bodied reds!

Pairing

As I mentioned in my Sauvignon Blanc post, this wine will pair well with your spicier Chilis, and will other excellent complements are asiago cheese, paella and roasted meats.

Leading producer

Arnaldo Caprai is a leading producer of this wine, and while not inexpensive (at $35 and up) is well worth the investment. (FYI, I consider inexpensive wines as less than $20.) If you can find it at a local wine store, let me know where and I will post for others’ benefit.

Cheers to full glasses all around!

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Wine of the Day – Malbec

Jan 14

Posted by greatWineSource in France, Reds, Wine of the Day | 1 Comment

Wine of the Day for January 14, 2010

Malbec

I was approached this morning by a member in my networking group who wanted to find a way to learn about wines and know what the right wines are to select with foods. Well, of course, I let her know that my wine tastings are a fabulous way to do that AND have fun at the same time – visit: www.greatWineSource.com\wine_tastings. I also recommended that she visit this blog daily. We are all so busy, but this is a quick way for the new wine enthusiast to learn a little bit about wines, aromas, flavors, and food pairings.

On to the Malbec …

Malbec When you think of Malbec, what region of the world do you think of? I think of Argentina. Well, did you know that it actually originated in Burgundy, France? This dark, inky wine was one of the six grapes blended into the red Bordeaux, and is still grown in France, but in the Cahors region in Southwest France.

I imagine Argentina when enjoying Malbec because Argentinean Malbecs have a certain romance surrounding them, producing such beautiful, robust wines, while remaining lovely and enjoyable for the newer wine enthusiast.

In Argentina, it is generally made in the style of Cabernet Sauvignon (and can be blended with). Malbec is more approachable when young, with somewhat softer tannins than Cabernet, but still retains structure and body.

You may enjoy your Malbec with aromas and flavors of leather, blackberry, chocolate, with subtle hints of flowers and herbs. Interesting foods to pair with this favorite are bread dipped in olive oil with garlic, chile peppers and cilantro (bringing in a bit of sassiness to match this sexy wine); casseroles, anti-pasta and grilled steaks (really steaks and most red wines are a delicious combination).

As a shout-out to Kelly, if you need to furnish your office, hotel, hospital, restaurant, see Kelly Nething, Lakeshore Business Interiors: www.lakeshorebi.com, 800-236-8497 (be sure to ask for Kelly and tell her Kathy Brewer sent you!)

Cheers to full glasses all around!

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Wine of the Day – Dolcetto

Jan 13

Posted by greatWineSource in Italy, Wine of the Day | 1 Comment

Wine of the Day for January 13, 2010

Dolcetto

DolcettoWe are coming out with a Dolcetto this month and so I wanted to give a bit of time to this fabulous grape and wine. I was introduced to Dolcetto a couple of years ago through my business and loved it!

“Dolcetto” means “little sweet one”, but it is most often a drier wine. This black grape which originated in the Piedmont region of Northwest Italy, but which is grown in small quantities in California produces deeply-pigmented wines, with luscious fruit character, natural acidity, and firm tannins. It is a very pleasant, drinkable wine and a wonderful choice for the new wine enthusiast who wants to start with a more subdued red. Be careful though, some Dolcettos are replete with tannins, which can leave you feeling bitter about the ending (it’s a play on words – tannins create the bitterness in wines).

Common aromas and flavors you may find with this wine are plum, prune with slight hints of cherry. Dolcetto is wonderful with pastas, pizza, prosciutto, and bleu cheese.

When you take a sip of this wine, envision yourself in the mountains of Italy, gathered with family and friends, enjoying life’s simple pleasures and the beauty of life.
Italian Villa

Cheers to full glasses all around!

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Wine of the Day – Chardonnay

Jan 12

Posted by greatWineSource in California, France, Whites, Wine of the Day | 1 Comment

Wine of the Day for January 12, 2010

Chardonnay

The weather promises to warm up here this week, so I’ll wrap up today with a chilled white wine again and tomorrow perhaps I’ll move on to a luscious red. The great thing about this blog is I don’t know from day-to-day which wines I’m going to focus on, so it’s a new experience for me each day, and I hope an enjoyable one for you too.

Chardonnnay grape  

Chardonnay is grown all over the world, although it originated in Burgundy (and is the varietal found in the wine White Burgundy). It is also an important grape in Champagne (as I mentioned in an earlier post).

Chardonnay grapes are very hardy; a primary reason for its popularity and versatility. Chardonnay wines are always dry, so if you lean toward drier wines, this grape is a good choice. When aged in oak, it will give the wine complexity, depth, full body with a buttery finish, but should also involve a balance of oak. If you are drinking a wine and the oak and toast is all that you notice, it has likely been left in the barrel too long.

Select a wine aged in oak if you are a fan of buttery aromas and flavors. However, if you prefer your Chardonnays light crisp and unoaked (or if you are not a Chardonnnay fan right now, but want to grow into enjoying it) you will lean toward Chardonnnays that were partially aged in oak. Winemakers today are blending Chardonnay with other sweeter varietals such as Riesling or Muscat to add lighter fruit dimension and to satisfy the masses. The Chardonnays that we’ve had in our tastings that are blended with Riesling or Muscat are much more popular than the fully oaked Chardonnays. My feeling is if we are expanding one’s palette and helping them grow in appreciation of wines, fantastic!

Common aromas and flavors with Chardonnay are apple, butter, pineapple, vanilla, tropical fruit. (Mmmm, just writing those sounds delicious … I might have to open up a bottle of Chardonnnay later.) Pair this wine with fruits, grilled freshwater fish, buttery mashed potatoes, and I’ve had it with a fantastic recipe that I’ve added to my Recipes section for your culinary pleasure.

Cheers to full glasses all around!

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Wine of the Day – Muscat

Jan 10

Posted by greatWineSource in Greece, Whites, Wine of the Day | 1 Comment

Wine of the Day for January 10, 2010

Muscat

Whenever we bring back a Muscat or a Moscato wine, I know it will be incredibly popular. Wines made from Muscat grapes are generally sweeter wines, and this grape is a primary component of Moscato d’Asti.

Muscat grape  

Muscat is considered to be one of the oldest varietals, dating back to early Greek and Roman writings, and is sold in markets as table grapes or raisins. There is good news for those of you who prefer to stay away from red wines … the Muscat grape has been found to have high concentrations of antioxidant flavonoids, so you may receive the same benefits from Muscat as you would from red wines.

Common flavors and aromas of Muscat include peach, pear, floral and citrus. You can pair a Muscat with light salads, fruits, soft cheeses or even spicy food (the sweetness will counterbalance the spice). I’ve also paired it with cheesecake before and it is fantastic! This wine is so delicate and light though, that you can savor and enjoy all on its own.

Cheers to full glasses all around!

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