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With summer coming to an end soon, many wine stores are having sales on white and rosé wines. It’s a great time to stock up on these wines, especially if you’re like me and enjoy drinking them in celebration of every season!  As I’ve said many times before, there is no hard and fast rule as to when to serve a wine or what food it should be paired with. As long as the wine complements the food, anything goes!  In addition to sparkling wines, I find rosés to be quite festive to serve at holiday time. They are great to serve as an aperitif or with cheese and fruit. Rosé also pairs well with turkey and other game. I was going to review a rosé that I recently tasted, but I am cutting this post short. With Hurricane Irma barreling towards the United States, and in particular, Miami, Florida, I have many phone calls to make to insure that family and friends are safe. And just in case someone needs a place to stay, I am preparing my home and also making a large pot of soup to soothe the soul. It’s my “go to” comfort food.  I will return on Tuesday with a very interesting story…  Be safe out there!
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com  All it took was opening a bottle of wine to transport me back to the enchanting island of Pantelleria that I visited this past April with my gracious host, Donnafugata. The 2016 Donnafugata Lighea Zibibbo Sicilia is 100% Zibibbo (Muscat of Alexandria) and is produced on the Sicilian island of Pantelleria.  Zibibbo is an aromatic grape originally from Egypt that ancient Arab settlers brought to the island. “Zibibbo” comes from the Arabic word “zabib” which means “raisins”. In addition to the zibibbo wines, Moscato and Passito di Pantelleria are made from this sweet grape.  An ancient Zbibbo vine on Pantelleria Island. Lighea is a dry version of Zibibbo. Although the aromas would lead one to believe that they are about to drink a sweet wine, you are in for a pleasant surprise. Donnafugata has created a beautiful balance of mildly sweet and dry wine. The color of Lighea is light yellow with exotic aromas of tropical fruit, oranges, stone fruit, honey and hints of white flowers. The palate is layered with apricots, citrus fruit and salty mineral notes. Lemon zest and apricots linger on a very long finish! Yummy!! This wine drinks well as an aperitif or serve it with fish, pasta and appetizers. Alcohol: 12.38% SRP $20  As always, there is a story behind Donnafugata labels. “From the disheveled tresses the color of the sun, seawater flowed over the green, wide-open eyes.” Thus Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa describes Lighea, the bewitching siren and principal figure in his novel. She has inspired the creation of a complex and innovative wine and an equally original label. “It was not easy to print this label”, Gabriella (founder of Donnafugata, with her husband Giacomo) recalled, “and preserve the thousand shadings of colors of Pantelleria Island, painted in the original drawing.” As I inhale the aromas of Pantelleria Island and sip this lovely wine, my thoughts return to a magical day. Pure bliss!  To learn more about Donnafugata and Pantelleria island, please read my story: Day 575 Donnafugata A 360 Degree Tour - The WineKnitter http://thewineknitter.com/1/post/2017/05/day-575-donnafugata-a-360-degree-tour.html
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com If you didn’t read my last post “Day 592 Susana Balbo”, please scroll down the page and do so now. It will give you insight into this amazing Argentinian winemaker, her wines and dynamic commitment to oenology. The story also includes a review of two whites and one rosé wine from Susana’s CRIOS collection.  So now that you’re hopefully up to speed with Susana Balbo, I’ll continue my exploration of a few reds from Susana’s CRIOS collection. One thing that I didn’t mention in my previous story is that CRIOS in Spanish means “offspring”. The CRIOS brand was created by Susana as a tribute to her son and daughter, who are now an integral part of the family business.  As I did in my last post, I have included the back label of each wine that shares Susana’s personal story about the wine. The 2015 CRIOS Red Blend is made with 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Malbec, 20% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Tannat. The grapes were hand-harvested from the Uco Valley. The wine was aged for eight months in French oak. The color is dark crimson bordering on purple. Lush aromas of dark and red berries, plum and spice spill onto the palate with cherry, fennel, pepper and hints of oak. This is an earthy wine with mild tannins and is beautifully balanced. It will complement a wide range of food. Alcohol: 14.5% SRP: $15 The 2015 CRIOS Cabernet Sauvignon is 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. The grapes were hand-harvested from the Luján de Cuyo region. The wine was aged for nine months in 100% French oak. The color is deep red with lovely aromas of cherry, dark berries and spice. This full-bodied earthy wine fills the palate with dark cherry, blackberries, licorice, herbs and spice. Pepper and vanilla linger on the palate for a long finish. Soft to medium tannins make this an excellent wine to accompany hearty meals as well as cheese and fruit. Impressive! Alcohol: 14.5% SRP: $15 The 2015 CRIOS Malbec is made with 95% Malbec and 5% Bonarda. The grapes were hand-harvested from the Uco valley region. The wine was aged for nine months in 100% French oak. The color of this wine is deep red bordering on purple with aromas of berries, cherry, pepper and floral notes. The palate offers layers of juicy red fruit including plum and cherry. The layers continue with blackberry, herbs and spice. Medium bodied, fresh and balanced. Simply lovely! Use your imagination when pairing with food! Alcohol: 14.5% SRP $15 I can’t wait to taste Susana’s other wine collections.
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com Susana Balbo is the founder and owner of Susana Balbo Wines in Argentina. Susana is not only the most well-known Argentinian female winemaker globally, but she is also the first female enologist in Argentina! With over thirty years experience in the wine industry, Susana has built an impressive career and produces some outstanding wines.  Susan Balbo From an early age, Susana strayed from wanting a traditional “female” education by electing to study nuclear physics in Bariloche. However, her parents would not let her leave Mendoza to pursue this path. So, Susana made a decision to follow the family’s wine business and in 1981, she graduated from Don Bosco University with a degree in oenology, becoming the first female enologist in Argentina and challenging the male-dominated wine industry in Mendoza. Susana’s career began at Michel Torino winery in the Salta province where she made her first wine, which was the first vintage of Torrontés from Salta in 1983. She then continued on to work at many other well-regarded wineries and also worked as a consultant winemaker for national and worldwide wineries before “birthing” Susana Balbo Wines in 1999. Her first vintage was released in 2002.  Susana Balbo Wines is located in Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza in western Argentina close to the Andes Mountains. Due to the close proximity of the Andes, the vineyards are subject to a hot, dry climate during the day and cool alpine winds in the evenings, thus allowing the grapes to develop and ripen slowly while reaching full tannic ripeness and maintaining their acidity. In addition to Susana’s two children, José, winemaker and Ana, Marketing Manager who joined the team in 2011 and 2012, esteemed winemaker and viticulturist, Edy del Popolo is also on board.  Susana with her children. With state of the art technology and a nonstop commitment to seeking innovative ways to enhance her winemaking, Susana continues to produce fresh, light and elegant wines. In addition to being renowned throughout the world for her wine-making talents and single vineyard wines, Susana is also a global ambassador for Argentina. In 2014 she was elected to serve a third term as President of Wines of Argentina. Susana produces four brands of wine that include CRIOS, Susana Balbo, Nosotros and Benmarco. I recently received five bottles of CRIOS wines that include three reds, a white Torrontés and a Rosé of Malbec. CRIOS is “the cutting edge” brand by Susana Balbo and wines are priced at $15. Although this brand was created for the Millennials and Gen X generations, these wines will appeal to a broad range of age groups. CRIOS is harvested from specific areas of Mendoza and Salta.  I’m going to start with my thoughts on the Torrontés and Rosé of Malbec. My next post will focus on the reds.  The 2016 CRIOS Torrontés Argentina is 100% Torrontés. The grapes are hand-harvested from the Cafayate (Salta) and Uco Valley (Mendoza) regions. The color is pale yellow with green highlights. The nose offers floral notes, pear, citrus and hints of vanilla. The palate has a beautiful texture with pear, green apple and lemon zest on the finish. This wine is perfectly balanced, crisp and fresh. It is the #1 selling Torrontés in the US! Alcohol: 13% The 2017 CRIOS Rosé of Malbec is 100% Malbec. The grapes are hand-harvested from the Uco Valley region. The color is deep pink bordering on cherry. The nose offers lush berries, especially strawberry and a hint of caramel cream that segues onto the palate with a hint of spice. Sour cherry and candied apple bring home the finish. A nicely balanced, dry Rosé …wonderful! Alcohol: 12% I’m looking forward to opening the CRIOS reds and I’ll share my thoughts with you in my next post.
Until then… Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com  With the dog days of summer upon us, one might not be so inclined to reach for a red wine to drink as an aperitif. Most of us would probably opt for a chilled rosé or white wine. However, I decided to open a red wine to toast a few friends and the onset of evening. My selection was the perfect choice!  Donnafugata’s Sedàra 2015 is a delicious Sicilian red blend made with Nero d’Avola (the primary grape), Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and a small percentage of other grapes from Sicily. The color is dark crimson with an inviting bouquet of dark berries, cherry, plum and spice. The palate offers layers of dark juicy fruit, pepper and soft tannins. This is a medium bodied wine with the aging potential of 4 to 5 years. Sedàra is an easy wine to drink. And in addition to drinking well as an aperitif, it will pair beautifully with meats, pastas, fish, cheese and fruit. Alcohol: 13.43% SRP: $16  Donnafugata produces enticing wines and I am a big fan of their whimsical labels. I'm especially captivated by their stories called “Dialogue with Art”. This is what Donnafugata say about Sedàra. “This wine carries in its heart the concreteness and sweetness of Angelica Sedara, the charming Claudia Cardinale, protagonist of the film “The Leopard” directed by Luchino Visconti. The label, which refers to the cellars at Contessa Entellina and the land in which the roots of this wine are deeply planted: in the foreground the green of the vineyard, on a white background, communicates the freshness and pleasantness of this wine and its most recent evolution.”  To read more about Donnafugata wines and the indigenous grapes of Sicily, check out my stories from this past May.
Happy Friday! Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com Living with food allergies is a challenge for many people. Scrutinizing food labels and informing others of your allergies when dining out is critical to staying safe and healthy.  I was diagnosed with a few life threatening food allergies about 18 years ago. To be on the safe side I had business sized cards printed out displaying all my allergies. When I travel to other countries, I have the cards printed out in the language of the country I’m visiting. Due to my vigilance I have never had any issues, until the other day.  I either misread a label or I now have yet another food that I’m allergic to! After seeing two doctors I have been put on Prednisone and Benadryl for the next 9 days. Once my system stabilizes, the allergist and I will investigate and find the culprit!   Sadly, due to the medications I’m taking, I will have to take a 7 day hiatus from sampling wine. However, I will be back in full swing with lots of stories by the end of next week. You can’t keep me down for long! Until then, enjoy the weekend!
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com For the past few weeks I’ve been slowly making my way through an assortment of wines that Fondo Antico winery sent to me from Sicily. As I wrote in an earlier post, Fondo Antico winery was established in 1995 and is owned by the Polizzotti-Scuderi family that is now in its sixth generation of winemaking. The estate is located in the village of Rilievo, between Trapani and Marsala, in western Sicily. They have 80 acres of vineyards planted with vines such as Grillo, Nero d’Avola, Catarratto, Perricone and Syrah in addition to olive and lemon trees. Fondo Antico loosely translated means “ancient background” and refers to the winery’s history and strong tradition of making wine. Their logo is a branch of Corallium rubrum, (red coral) a local species of the Mediterranean that was considered a symbol for averting evil influences or bad luck and was also a source of local livelihoods between the 14th and 15th century. The coral preserves marine biodiversity and Fondo Antico protects the Sicilian native species and its territory, using eco-friendly practices. Syrah is the only international red variety that Fondo Antico produces. And it is a winner!  The color of the Syrah 2015 wine is a rich dark purple. Holding the wine up to the light, one can see how purple it is. Also note the small amount of rim variation indicating that the wine is young.  The nose offers red fruit, cherry and hints of earth. The palate is layered with red fruit, lush berries, pepper and a touch of strawberry on the finish. This is a medium-bodied wine with medium tannins and will pair nicely with fish or meat. Alcohol: 14%  I chose to make a simple meal that paired beautifully with the wine. We grilled salmon with fresh basil, oregano and lemon and grilled corn on the cob. My homegrown tomatoes and avocado rounded out the dinner.   It was a beautiful evening to dine outside, but the yellow jackets were not willing to share the space on my deck. And since I’m not fond of these bees, we retreated to indoors with our food and wine! Have a great day!
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com After living in New York City for many years, one would assume that I have seen most of the island. I’ve certainly experienced living in various neighborhoods covering uptown, downtown, Eastside and Westside, including eight years in the landmarked series of Greek revival buildings originally built in the early 1830s called the Colonnade Row on Lafayette Street. One of the great joys about Manhattan is that no matter how long one lives here, there will always be something new and “old” to discover.  Colonnade Row So, it was with great delight when my travels took me to lower Manhattan the other day for a meeting and I ended up discovering yet another landmark building and unexplored “region”.  Bowling Green, which is at the tip of Manhattan, was the island’s first parade ground and park. When I emerged from the subway onto Bowling Green, a very imposing and impressive seven-story, 450,000 square foot building covering three blocks stood before me! It was the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House; a New York landmark building that is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated as a National Historic Landmark. The Custom House is a Beaux-Arts style masterwork designed by Case Gilbert and was built between 1902 and 1907. Its granite exterior, Corinthian columns, Four Continents sculptures of female figures representing America, Asia, Europe and Africa were simply breathtaking. I stood there trying to capture it all with my cell phone, ruing the fact that I didn’t have my good camera with me!    Vintage photo showing all four female sculptures. As I entered the building, I observed a beautiful two-story Great Hall with exquisite curved staircases at each end. The interior of the building has extensive marble throughout, domed ceilings and a three-story oval rotunda with a dramatic skylight and beautiful murals. I would love to have explored more of the building, but unfortunately my time was limited. My photos don’t capture the majestic interior, so I’m only posting a few. Slide show is below. In 1971 the Customs Service vacated the building and moved to the World Trade Center. And for the next twenty-three years, the building underwent significant renovation and restoration. In 1994 following the completion of restoration, the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, a branch of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian located in Washington, D.C., moved into the building. The U.S. Bankruptcy Courts and U.S. Department of Transportation offices are also in the building. With a little time to spare, I took a quick tour of the National Museum of the American Indian. In addition to the New York museum’s permanent exhibition called “Infinity of Nations: Art and History from the Collections of the National Museum of the American Indian” which showcases over 700 objects from Native North, Central and South America, there are also changing exhibitions. One of the exhibits that caught my eye was “Native Fashion Now”. This is an amazing array of 70 works by Native fashion designers and artists that span the last 50 years. Through creative expression and political nuance, they capture the essence and concepts that bind the identity and tradition of their culture. Below is a slide show of a few of the creations. As stated earlier, The “Infinity of Nations” exhibit has almost 700 works of art depicting history, geography and culture from Natives of North, Central and South America. I have put together a slide show of some of the displays. I wish that I could have spent more time at the museum, but I will definitely be returning soon! I love New York!
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com One of the joys of summer for me is creating and feasting on a variety of salads that include produce from my garden. With a friend stopping by for lunch today, I took inventory of what I had in my kitchen and then purchased fresh shrimp to add to the mix. I quickly made a marinade of olive oil, lemon zest, grated Romano cheese, oregano, chili and a pinch of salt. Then I gently coated the shrimp with the mixture and baked them on a cookie sheet for about 8 minutes.  After drizzling a little lemon juice over the shrimp, they were added to the salad which consisted of romaine, arugula, spinach, tomatoes, avocado, eggs, peppers, strawberries and blueberries. It was colorful and quite tasty.  To accompany the meal, I opened a bottle of Pasqua Prosecco Treviso.  Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine was founded in 1925 in Verona, Italy, when the first generation of Pasqua brothers established a wine trade business. Within a few years, they purchased vineyards in the Verona area and became a winery. In the 1960s, the second generation became involved and concentrated on exportation and improving wine-making techniques and quality. They also established a research center for vines, grafting techniques and vineyards. The third generation now leads the company and sells wines in over 50 countries around the world.  Pasqua Prosecco Treviso is a sparkling wine made with 100% Proscecco (also called Glera) grapes from the vineyards in the province of Treviso. The soil is predominantly clay and loam with a large quantity of minerals and microelements making it an ideal terrain for growing grapes for sparkling and semi-sparkling wines. This particular soil gives the wine its unique characteristics. The Charmat method is used to make this sparkling wine in which secondary fermentation takes place in steel autoclave tanks.  The wine is pale straw in color with subtle aromas of fruit such as pear and stone fruit. The palate offers apple, pear and lemon notes with a creamy texture. This is a fresh and nicely balanced wine that is easy to drink, making it an excellent choice for an aperitif. It paired beautifully with our lunch. Alcohol: 11%  In addition to Prosecco, Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine produces high quality Veneto and Italian wines. I look forward to tasting these wines soon!
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com The heat and humidity were relentless this weekend and mercilessly attached itself to every fiber of my being. As the sun finally made its way slowly over the horizon on Saturday evening, my thoughts turned to opening a cool and refreshing bottle of wine. Thankfully, I always keep several bottles in the refrigerator and my choice on this sultry evening was easy. I opted for the ‘Nik Weis Selection’ Urban Riesling. Nik Weis, proprietor and winemaker, is the third generation to run Weingut St. Urbans-Hof, which was founded by his grandfather, Nicolaus Weis, in 1947. The estate is named after St. Urban, the patron saint of vineyard workers and winemakers. Located in the Mosel Valley, in an area called Leiwen, St. Urbans-Hof is considered one of Germany’s premier estates with 40 hectares of vineyards. Nik created ‘Urban’ a few years ago, using grapes sourced from nearby non-estate blue slate vineyards of excellent quality. The blue slate soil retains heat from the sun, protecting the vines in this cool climate region. And, the stony slate gives the Urban Rieslings a unique and delicate balance of acidity, minerality and juicy sweetness.  The 2016 Urban Riesling made me sit up and pay attention. This is a lively wine! It is the color of pale straw with inviting aromas of apple, lime, pear, pineapple and floral notes. The palate offers succulent flavors of peach, pear, lime and green apple with subtle hints of blue slate that blend beautifully, leaving a very pleasant and mid to long finish. The Urban Riesling is perfectly balanced, refreshing and graceful with just the right amount of sweetness. I served it as an aperitif, but needless to say, this wine is food friendly and can be paired with many types of cuisine. Alcohol: 10% SRP: $15   I need to stock up on more Urban Rieslings! Yummy!
Cheers! Penina |
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