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October is a beautiful time of year filled with fall festivals, hayrides, and dazzling mum displays. The trees are bursting with color, and the crisp smell of autumn is in the air. It is also Halloween month, a holiday that is enjoyed and celebrated by both young and old. There are pumpkins to carve, costumes to make, parties to plan, and of course, let’s not forget scary haunted houses, spooky trails, and ghost tours!  Photo credit: Cseungiu Lee Halloween is also a time for lots of fun creativity in the kitchen and making many delectable treats for children. Of course, adults enjoy holiday treats as well, especially beverages. If pumpkin lattes and hot apple cider aren’t your thing, there are more “spirited” Halloween-themed drinks such as Poison Apple Cocktail, Boozy Witch’s Brew. Black Devil Martini and Zombie Slime Shooters!  Photo credit: Tastemade.com But if you prefer sipping wine, please step into my "Hallowine" cellar, if you dare, and I’ll tell you a few tales!  Photo credit: Penny Weiss Casillero del Diablo Once there was a winemaker named Don Melchor Concha y Toro who founded the Concha y Toro winery in Chile in 1883. He started his winery with grape varieties that he brought back to Chile from the Bordeaux region of France, with which he made exquisite wines. Don Melchor reserved an exclusive batch of these wines for himself that he kept under lock and key. According to legend, these wines continually disappeared from the cellar. So to stop the theft of these wines, Don Melchor spread a rumor that the devil himself lived in the cellar guarding the wines. Everyone became terrified, and some people claimed that they had seen the devil. The rumor worked, the thefts stopped, and Don Melchor continued to enjoy his wines. To this day, the cellar is known as the “The Devil’s Cellar” and remains protected…forever!  The Devil’s Cellar Photo courtesy of Casillero del Diablo Casillero del Diablo, which means “devil’s locker” in Spanish, is a legendary brand that is part of Concha y Toro’s portfolio with the “devil” logo on every bottle. The cellar is located in Pirque, close to Santiago, and is open for tours. Here are two wines from Casillero del Diablo to add some devilish fun to your Halloween.  Photo credit: Penny Weiss Casillero del Diablo Reserva Red Blend DO 2018 The grapes for this red wine are a mysterious blend of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from Rapel Valley. The wine is shrouded in secrecy about its length of aging, but rumor has it that it spent about ten months in French oak. But there is no mystery as to this wine’s aromas and taste! Nose: Dark berries, black cherry, fig, spice, and vanilla Palate: Juicy plum, dark cherry, spice, dark chocolate, and soft tannins Alcohol: 13.5% SRP: $11.99 Pair with grilled meat, game, seared tuna, hearty stews, and pasta.  Photo credit: Penny Weiss Casillero del Diablo Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 The grapes for this wine are sourced from Central Valley D.O. Its aging remains a secret closely guarded by the devil in the cellar! Nose: Intense aromas of dark berries, cherries, plum, floral, and spice. Palate: Aromas spill onto the palate with a touch of anise. It is beautifully balanced with firm tannins and dark chocolate and plum lingering on a long finish. Alcohol: 13.5% SRP: $11.99 Pair with hearty or spicy cuisine, grilled meat, aged cheese, or stews. Flora Springs Flora Springs is a family-run winery located in Napa Valley, CA, founded in 1978 by Jerry and Flora Komes. Today, their son John and daughter Julie are the proprietors of the estate, and Julie’s husband, Pat Garvey, is the vineyard director and proprietor. The property is situated among vineyards planted in the late 1800s, now part of the estate vineyards. When the Komes bought the estate, it came with a “Ghost Winery.” originally constructed in 1885. “Ghost Winery” is a term used to describe any winery between 1860 and 1900 that was non-functional and in disrepair in the early 20th century due to the Great Depression, phylloxera, and Prohibition. According to Flora Springs, “Before 1919, when Prohibition began, there were an estimated 713 winery businesses in California. Following its repeal 14 years later, only 40 wineries were left. This resulted in a wave of abandoned wineries throughout the next several decades. Many wineries of the time disappeared forever; others were left in ruins.” After his parents bought the property, John completely renovated the old stone winery into a home and lives there with his wife, Carrie.  Before and after photos of the Ghost Winery courtesy of Flora Springs In honor of Flora Springs history, every year around Halloween time, they bottle a small amount of estate-grown Malbec from the vines in front of the old winery as a tribute to the estate’s “ghostly history.” The label is a hand-drawn etching of the historic stone cellar. Ghost Winery Malbec 2019 This wine is 100% Malbec and aged 18 months in French (75%) and American (25%) oak barrels. Nose: Plum, cherry, berries, baking spice, and figs Palate: Lush dark berries, black plum, cocoa, fig, spice, silky tannins, and a long finish. Flora Springs says, “It’s hauntingly delicious.” Alcohol: 14.2% SRP: $60 Pair with stews, hearty soups, grilled meat, seared tuna, or aged cheese.  Photo credit: Penny Weiss In addition to the Ghost Winery Malbec, Flora Springs produces a one-of-a-kind Halloween-themed label and limited edition wine. Every year since 2008, consumers look forward to these whimsical Halloween wine bottles. This year, General manager and third-generation Nat Komes collaborated with New York-based artist Marc Sasso to create the All Hallows’ Eve Cabernet Franc label. The result is an image of witches dancing in the moonlight while brewing a special potion. Hmm, I wonder what that could be! All Hallows’ Eve Cabernet Franc 2019 The grapes for this 100% Cabernet Franc are sourced from a small block of the family’s estate vineyard in Rutherford. It is aged 18 months in French (80%) and American (20%) oak barrels. Nose: Red fruit, baking spice, cherry, and a hint of floral. Palate: Juicy notes of black raspberry, dark cherry, chocolate, spice, and a touch of sour cherry on a long finish. It is a balanced and well-structured wine. Alcohol: 14.2% SRP: $60 Pair with grilled meat, fowl, seared tuna, or a Halloween chocolate treat! And what would Halloween be without adding a little “magical” sparkle to the festivities? Bottega SpA Bottega SpA is headquartered in Bibano, Treviso, in the Veneto region of northern Italy. It is here that the company produces Prosecco DOC and grappa. In addition, they have another winery in Conegliano for the production of Prosecco DOCG. Bottega also manages wineries in Valpolicella and Montalcino. Bottega’s motto is “Fatto A Mano,” which means ‘handmade.” Its mission is to work and achieve the highest levels of quality, design, and sustainability. All of the bottles are beautifully designed and made of hand-blown Venetian glass in Bottega’s glass factory. Academia Prosecco Rainbow Collection is a brand that celebrates the art of Venetian glassmaking and the city’s festive carnival atmosphere. Each colorful bottle of this collection contains Prosecco DOC. There are many colors to choose from, and the bottles can be combined to “create a rainbow of emotions.” In addition, one can mix and match the colors to celebrate specific holidays or events. Bottega SpA has no ghost stories to tell, but they have certainly gotten into the “spirit” of Halloween with their orange and black Halloween pack of Prosecco DOC.  Photo credit: Penny Weiss Prosecco Spumante DOC Brut
Made with 100% Glera, these grapes are hand-harvested from manually maintained and sustainable vineyards in Treviso Plains. This wine is produced using the Martinotti (Charmat tank) method. Nose: Floral, apples, citrus Palate: Apple, pear, pink grapefruit, and a hint of floral with a creamy mouthfeel, fine bubbles, and apples lingering on the finish. This is a fresh and lively sparkling wine. Alcohol: 11% SRP: $42 (Halloween pack of two) Pair with a charcuterie board, light salads, fish, risotto, or enjoy as an aperitif. Although Halloween is a great time to let one’s imagination run wild and tap into one’s creative spirit, all of these wines need no special occasion to open and enjoy! Whatever you choose to sip on Halloween, I hope you have some juicy ghost stories to pair with it! Happy Hallowine! Cheers! Penina This article was originally published on Santé Magazine. To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com It’s that time of year again when children and adults are busy carving pumpkins, searching for the perfect Halloween costume to wear, planning parties and making lots of treats. Halloween is a great time to let one’s imagination run wild and tap into that creative spirit!  In addition to adorning my house with “spooky” décor and making a variety of delicious Halloween themed treats, I always look forward to my seasonal delivery of Casillero del Diablo Reserva wines from Chile which add a special touch to the festivities. Don Melchor Concha y Toro founded Concha y Toro in 1883. He began his winery with grape varieties that he brought back to Chile from the Bordeaux region of France. However, the “legend” is a much more fitting story for Halloween. Legend has it that more than 130 years ago a ship set sail from Bordeaux carrying a cargo of precious vines. The ship landed in Chile where the grapes were turned into a mysterious wine. Although the wines were locked up for safekeeping, they continually disappeared from the cellar. So in order to stop the theft of the wine, Don Melchor spread a rumor that the devil lived in the cellar. Everyone became terrified and some people claimed to have seen the devil. The rumor worked, the thefts stopped and Don Melchor continued to enjoy his wines. To this day, it is known as the “devil's cellar”. Casillero del Diablo means “devil's locker” in Spanish. The cellar is located in Pirque, close to Santiago. The “devil” logo is on every bottle.  The Devil's Cellar Photo credit: Richard F. Ebert My “treats” from Casillero del Diablo this year are Casillero del Diablo Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 and Casillero del Diablo Reserva Red Blend 2017. The vineyards for these wines are located in Central Valley.  Casillero del Diablo Reserva Red Blend 2017 is 70% Syrah and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. The color is dark purple with sweet aromas of dark cherries, dark berries, spice and a touch of vanilla. The palate offers juicy dark plum and dark cherry, spice, hints of cocoa and hints of sour cherry and pepper on the finish. This is a smooth and balanced wine with soft tannins. Try serving with grilled meats, seared tuna and hearty stews. Alcohol: 13.5% SRP: $12  Casillero del Diablo Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 is 89.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Syrah, 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot and 0.5% Petit Syrah. The color is dark purple with aromas of dark cherries, berries, plum and spice. This is a rich and full-bodied wine layered with dark plum, blackcurrant, dark cherries, licorice and spice. Hints of coffee beans and dark chocolate linger on the finish. This is a well-structured wine with firm tannins and a smooth mouth-feel. This wine will stand up to a multitude of spicy and hearty dishes. Alcohol: 13.5% SRP: $12  However you choose to celebrate Halloween this year, be a little daring and try adding a “devilish” wine to warm things up!  Until next time…
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com It was a Sauvignon Blanc kind of weekend. The weather was warm, company was on hand and I had a few bottles of wine chilling from different parts of the world.  Having tasted and enjoyed Casillero del Diablo Reserva Sauvignon Blanc 2016 over a year ago, I was looking forward to opening the 2017 vintage. I am a big fan of Chilean wines as you may have guessed by now. And, the brands of Concha y Toro keep producing very drinkable wines. Since I have told the story many times of Don Melchor de Concha y Toro and the mysterious Devil’s Cellar, I will skip the tale this time. If curious, select Casillero del Diablo on the menu at right and read the story!  Casillero del Diablo Reserva 2017 Sauvignon Blanc grapes are grown in the Casablanca Valley region of Chile. The region experiences a cooler climate and a longer ripening period for the grapes. The vines grow in sandy clay soil.   The Casillero del Diablo Reserva is 100% Sauvignon Blanc. The color is pale straw with green hues. Aromas of floral, citrus and tropical fruit segue onto the palate along with pear and tart apples. This wine is refreshing and accompanied by lively acidity and a zesty finish. It drinks beautifully as an aperitif or served with seafood, salad and light pasta dishes. It’s a great wine to pack in a picnic basket! Alcohol: 13% SRP: $12 The other Sauvignon Blanc that we opened this weekend hails from New Zealand. Mount Riley winery is in Marlborough, an established winemaking region located at the northeastern tip of the South Island.  Mount Riley winery, established in 1992, is family owned with John Buchanan at the helm. His daughter Amy (general manager) and her husband Matt (chief winemaker) are the 6th generation of family in Marlborough.  John Buchanan and his daughter, Amy. Photo courtesy of Mount Riley winery. Marlborough is a dry and sunny region with cool temperatures and a long growing season. Mount Riley winery has seven vineyard sites throughout Marlborough with varying soils such as clay based, silt deposits, Rapaura, and loam. The region’s specialty is Sauvignon Blanc.  Photo courtesy of Mount Riley winery.  Mount Riley Sauvignon Blanc 2017 is 100% Sauvignon Blanc grapes that are a blend from multiple vineyard sites, including Awatere Valley and Wairau Valley. The color is pale straw and it is very aromatic with notes of tropical fruit, citrus, peach and floral. The palate offers white flowers, fresh stone fruit, lime and a dash of minerality. The finish is crisp and ends with lemon zest. This is another refreshing wine to drink as an aperitif but is also easy to pair with seafood, light pasta salads and cheese. Alcohol: 12.5% SRP: $12.95  With very hot weather predicted for the next few days, it’s important to stay hydrated with plenty of water…in between sipping your favorite wine!
Until next time… Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com Since my last post landed us in Argentina, I thought it would be fun to hop over to Chile, which is on the other side of the Andes. The Andes is among the world’s highest mountain range in the Western Hemisphere, running from north to south on the western side of South America separating Chile from Argentina. The Andes also borders on Bolivia, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela.  Our stop is in Central Valley, one of the largest wine regions in Chile, encompassing about 250 miles with varying climates and soil. A variety of grapes are grown here including Chile’s icon grape, Carmenere.  To refresh your memory or if you are reading my blog for the first time, here is an excerpt from a story I wrote a few months ago about Carmenere. “The Carmenere grape is a member of the Cabernet family and was originally planted in the Medoc region of Bordeaux, France. It is considered part of the original six grapes of Bordeaux. Carmenere was thought to be extinct after the European phylloxera outbreaks in the 19th century. However, the grape was rediscovered in Chile in the 1990s after having been imported there in the 19th century. Chile now has the largest area of planted Carmenere in the world. Today, Carmenere grows chiefly in the Colchagua Valley, Rapel Valley, and Maipo Province of Chile and produces the majority of Carmenere wines. The name Carmenere comes from the French word crimson. The grape is known for its deep red color, soft tannins and flavors of blackberry, cherry and spice.” Within Central Valley is a sub-region called Rapel Valley, a warm and dry region, producing about a quarter of all Chilean wine. It is sheltered from the cold by two mountain ranges, the Andes and the Coastal Range. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Carmenere are the most important grapes grown here. And this is where Concha y Toro harvests the Carmenere for their Casillero del Diablo Reserva. The soil in this area is riverbench and benchland associated. The summers are hot with mild winters and sweeping differences in day and night temperatures, all typical of the Mediterranean climate here. The growing season is long allowing the grapes to ripen slowly.  Casillero del Diablo Reserva Carmenere 2016 is 100% Carmenere. The color is red violet with aromas of pulpy dark fruit, cherry, sweet spice and vanilla. The palate offers a lovely blend of dark berries, plum, cherry and dark chocolate with vanilla and pepper on a long finish. This is an expressive wine with soft tannins and just the right amount of fruit intensity. It is a great wine to serve with cheese, hearty stews and game during the winter months, but it will drink beautifully with summer fare as well! Alcohol: 13.5% SRP: $12  In fact, it was the perfect choice to pair with the vegetarian spicy Sweet Potato Chili that I made for dinner!   For more information on Chile and Concha y Toro, please peruse my past stories I have written by choosing from the right-hand menu on this page.
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com  Halloween is a holiday that is enjoyed and celebrated by both young and old. It’s a fun holiday that gives the grownups an excuse to exercise their creative talents, whether it’s carving a pumpkin, dressing up in costume, planning spooky party themes or cooking up imaginative recipes. There are many Halloween cocktail recipes to choose from such as Poison Apple Cocktail, Black Devil Martini and Zombie Slime Shooters! However, if you’re more inclined to drink wine on Halloween, then you might want to pick up a bottle of Casillero del Diablo Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, a limited edition Halloween gift pack that comes from “The Devil’s Cellar” in Chile.  Around this time last year, I reviewed the 2015 vintage and told the story behind Concha y Toro’s flagship brand, Casillero del Diablo Devil’s collection. It is a story worth telling again and so fitting for this time of year! Don Melchor Concha y Tora founded the vineyard in 1883. Legend has it that more than 130 years ago a ship set sail from Bordeaux carrying a cargo of precious vines. The ship landed in Chile where the grapes were turned into a mysterious wine. The wines were locked up for safekeeping but continually disappeared from the cellar. So in order to stop the theft of the wine, a rumor was spread that the devil lived in the cellar. Everyone became terrified and some people claimed to have seen the devil. No one was ever able to solve the mystery and Don Melchor Concha y Toro continued to enjoy his wines. To this day, it is known as the “devils cellar”. Casillero del Diablo means “devils locker” in Spanish. The cellar is located in Pirque, close to Santiago. The “devil” logo is on every bottle. The 2016 vintage comes from the Central Valley region and is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. The color is dark red with beautiful aromas of blackberry, fennel, cherry and a hint of sweet spice. The palate offers dark cherries and berries subtly layered with spices and white chocolate. The finish is long and impressive! This is a medium-bodied wine with silky tannins that will pair well with stews, hearty soups, meats, bold cheeses and spicy dishes. Alcohol: 13.5% SRP: $12 http://www.conchaytoro.com http://www.casillerodeldiablo.com And now it’s time for me to start planning my costume for this year. I think this witch’s hat has seen its day. It is time for something new!  Cheers!
Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com In anticipation of attending a South American wine tasting this week, I recently opened a bottle of Chilean and Argentinian wine to whet my palate! Both wines are perfect to serve as aperitifs or as an accompaniment to a summer meal. These are very food friendly wines and the price to value ratio can’t be beat!  The Casillero del Diablo Rosé 2016 is from Chile’s Central Valley. The wine is mostly Shiraz grapes with a touch of Cinsault and Carmenere blended in. The color is pink salmon with lovely aromas of strawberry, cherry and melon. The palate offers juicy blackberry with hints of spice and vanilla. This is a dry and refreshing rosé with a touch of citrus zest on the finish. The bottle is pretty and festive. SRP $11 If you would like to learn more about Casillero del Diablo and the winemaker, please read my story at: Day 518 "The Devils Locker" http://thewineknitter.com/1/post/2016/09/day-518.html  Skipping over to the other side of the Andes, I opened a bottle of Trivento White Orchid Reserve Torrontés 2016 from Mendoza’s Uco Valley in Argentina. Torrontés is one of the country’s most widely planted white grape varieties. This is an interesting blend of 85% Torrontés and 15% Pinot Grigio. The color is pale straw. It is a slightly dry wine with a rich bouquet of flowers and tropical fruit. The palate is layered with pineapple, apple and subtle notes of citrus. The wine has a long finish and is crisp and refreshing. Alcohol: 12% SRP: $11 If you would like to learn more about Trivento wine and the winemaker, please read my story at: Day 564 http://thewineknitter.com/1/post/2017/03/day-564-triventos-malbec.html  I have many countries to visit this week and lots of wine to taste. I’ll be back soon to share my adventures. Happy Monday!
Cheers! Penina |
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