|
Join The WineKnitter in exploring the world of Wine, Spirits, Food, Travel and much more! |
|
With all the holiday festivities, my son’s wedding and a few birthdays thrown into the mix as well, I have been remiss and rather sporadic with writing stories this past week or so. However, on the bright side, there have been a lot of corks popping around here! So, I will have many wine stories to share with you!  In the next week or two we will be traveling the world as I take you to Tasmania to taste sparkling wines and to Alentejo to sample some delicious wines! Along the way we'll stop in Chile, France and Italy!
In the meantime, I hope your holidays are filled with laughter, love and good spirits! Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at [email protected] Every now and then I rummage through my “spirits” cabinet for ideas when experimenting with a food recipe or cocktail. Yesterday, I discovered a beautiful Delft style bottle of Vandermint Liqueur that had been shoved all the way to the back of the cabinet.  It is a beautiful bottle made of milk glass with classic Delft images of sailboats and windmills. The lid is in the shape of a tulip.  Side of bottle  Front of bottle  Tulip shaped lid The seal is still intact and has probably been sitting on the shelf for at least two decades. Vandermint Liqueur was imported from Holland and made by Andros Distillery in Tilburg. However, try as I might, I found nothing on the Internet about the distillery or places that one could purchase the liqueur. In fact, I called two well-known wine and spirit stores in NYC. No one had ever heard of Vandermint! There were numerous sites on the Internet that were selling the bottle as a collector’s item.
Vandermint Liqueur was very popular in the 1970s and 1980s. Unfortunately, we’ll never know all of the ingredients that went into making the liqueur except for two; rich Dutch cocoa and fresh mint. I remember drizzling Vandermint over vanilla ice cream, adding it to coffee and dessert cocktails. It is 52 proof. So the question of the day is, do I open the bottle and enjoy its contents or do I sell it to a collector? Hmmm…. Have a great weekend! Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at [email protected] . The moment had arrived. I closed my eyes and inhaled the perfume emanating from my glass and I was instantly carried off to the magical island of Pantelleria.  Last spring I had the opportunity to visit with Donnafugata in Sicily. During my stay with them, we flew to Pantelleria Island for an amazing day of touring the Donnafugata vineyards where Zibibbo grapes are grown.  Although the Zibibbo vines barely had buds yet, it was an impressive tour that stretched throughout the whole island and covered many districts. You can read all about it at: Day 575 Donnafugata A 360 Degree Tour http://thewineknitter.com/1/post/2017/05/day-575-donnafugata-a-360-degree-tour.html The “pour” in my glass that had me swooning was a Ben Ryé 2015 Passito de Pantelleria DOC, a naturally sweet wine made with 100% Zibibbo grapes.  Since it was our first snowfall, I thought it would be fun to open this delicious dessert wine, inviting in a touch of the Mediterranean.  The color is an intense amber with stimulating aromas of apricots, figs, raisins, floral and honey. All the aromas segue onto the palate offering a beautifully balanced wine with mineral notes and a hint of herbs. The combination of gentle sweetness and savory is perfection! This wine drinks beautifully as an aperitif or pair with cheese and dessert! Alcohol: 14.5% SRP: $40 for a 375ml bottle If you’re running out of gift ideas, think no further! This is a fabulous wine to add to your holiday list! Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at [email protected]
 On the eve of the summer solstice in June, I wrote about Ferraton Père & Fils flavorful Samorëns Rosé 2016 and Samorëns Blanc 2016. And now that we are just fifteen days away from the winter solstice, I decided it was time to open a few reds from Ferraton Père & Fils.  Ferraton Père & Fils estate is located in Tain l’Hermitage in Southern France and was founded in 1946 by Jean Orëns Ferraton. His son Michel, inheriting the same passion as his father, introduced the first Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage and Saint-Joseph wines to the world. Michel Chapoutier, a highly regarded winemaker and close friend of the Ferratons’ introduced organic viticulture to the vineyards in 1998 and he eventually formed a partnership with the Ferratons. By the year 2000, all of the vineyards were converted to biodynamic farming and are now certified organic. What began in 1946 as a .3 hectare estate (some of these vines still produce fruit), Ferraton now has an annual production of about 350,000 bottles and is headed by oenologist Damien Brisset.   La Matinière Crozes-Hermitage 2015 is 100% Syrah. Crozes-Hermitage is the largest appellation in the Northern Rhône and is known for its exceptional Syrahs. The grapes for the La Matinière are sourced and blended from a mix of estate and neighboring vineyards in the Mercurol and Beaumont-Monteux districts of central and southern Crozes-Hermitage. The wine is the color of dark plum bordering on purple. It is very aromatic, filling the nose with cherry, dark berries, spice and earth. The palate offers a beautiful dance of dark cherry, red berries, pomegranate, pepper and cocoa. Smooth tannins with a long finish of cherry, plum and pepper add a nice kick to the finale. This is a versatile wine when it comes to pairing with food! Alcohol: 13% SRP: $23 Côtes-du-Rhône is in the Southern Rhône. The region enjoys a Mediterranean climate conducive to grape growing which also reflects in the characteristics of the wine.  Samorëns Côtes-du-Rhône Red 2015 is a blend of 85% Grenache, 10% Syrah and 5% Cinsault. The grapes are sourced from estate and smaller growers mostly located in the Northern Rhône. The color of the wine is dark ruby with aromas of lush red fruit, cherry, raspberry, floral and spice. The palate offers tart cherry, raspberry, fennel and pepper. It has a lovely mouthfeel with spice and pepper on a long finish. At $14 a bottle, this is a steal! Will pair well with pasta, meats and hearty fish. I popped a chocolate kiss in my mouth and took a sip of the wine. Wow! Alcohol: 14% SRP: $14 All of these wines, including Samorëns Rosé and Samorëns Blanc, will drink beautifully at any time of the year. Don’t limit your selection of wine based on what season it is. Be adventurous and have some fun with mixing it up a little. I have white and rosé wine chilling in the refrigerator all year long!
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at [email protected] When it comes to making and/or eating red sauce, the pasta itself tends to be an excuse for me to devour the sauce! In fact, whenever I eat pizza, I love a side of sauce so that I can spoon extra on my slice. I love tomato sauce in all its forms. Whether it’s arrabiata, basil, mushroom or plain tomato, I love it all! On a recent excursion to The Market at Pepper Place in Birmingham, AL, I happened across a booth selling marinara sauce. Of course, I had to stop and investigate!  Maw Maw’s Marinara is a beautiful blend of flavors sourced from the freshest and all natural ingredients available.  The company’s slogan which is written on the jar says it all. Big Italian taste from a small town in Alabam’.  Jamie Tolbert grew up eating a variety of meals made with his mom’s (aka “Maw Maw”) home canned tomatoes. She never actually made a marinara sauce with the tomatoes, but her creativity and passion for cooking inspired Jamie to take all he learned from his mom and developed his own recipes over the years. One of the recipes that Jamie created is an amazing marinara sauce that he has named Maw Maw’s as a tribute to his mom for inspiring him. Jamie and his wife Nancy sell the sauce to retail stores throughout Alabama. However, I’m sure that they would be more than happy to take your order and ship some to you! https://www.mawmawsmarinara.com When my package of Maw Maw’s Marinara arrived, I immediately opened a jar and ate a few spoonfuls. The sauce is light, with just the right amount of spice added. I love the fact that it’s “chunky” as opposed to so many pureed sauces that one finds on the supermarket shelves. Although I could have easily eaten the entire contents of the jar spoonful by spoonful, I made spinach and cheese ravioli to go with the sauce. It was a perfect marriage!  And, what would a meal be without a nice bottle of wine? So, I opened Concha y Toro’s Gran Reserva Serie Riberas Carmenere 2015 to pair with the dinner.  Gran Reserva Serie Riberas Carmenere 2015 is produced at the Cachapoal winery in the Rapel Valley of Chile by head winemaker, Marcio Ramírez. The grapes are harvested from the Peumo Vineyard, which runs along the Cachapoal River and the Coastal Mountains.  The wine is a brilliant color of purple with heady aromas of berries, cherries, plum, spice and cocoa. The palate offers a silky mouthfeel filled with dark berries, pepper and a long finish of fruit and spice. The wine is medium-bodied that has structure and depth. It was a good choice to pair with the marinara! Alcohol: 14.5% SRP: $17 Although the ravioli was delicious, the marinara sauce and the wine were the stars of the evening!  If you celebrated Thanksgiving, I hope that it was wonderful. My table was graced with family, friends, too much food and some lovely wines. These were the most popular wines of the evening.  The 2013 Laetitia Estate Pinot Noir is from the Arroyo Grande Valley, Central Coast, CA. Laetitia Vineyard & Winery is located in Southern San Luis Obispo County and is comprised of over 600 acres of vines. The first grape plantings were established in 1982 by French viticulturists from Epernay, France. In 1998, Selim Zilkha, owner of a wind power development company, bought the Laetitia property. With the expertise of Head Winemaker Eric Hickey and Vice President of Vineyard Operations, Lino Bozzano, they produce high quality wines with an emphasis on sustainability. Although the estate is widely known for their Méthode Champenoise sparkling wines, the Pinot Noir is an attention getter.   The Laetitia Estate Pinot Noir is impressive. The color is cherry red with delicious aromas of raspberry, cherry, floral and spice. The palate is layered with soft fruit, cherry, pomegranate, spice, cocoa and hints of oak. It paired well with the turkey and a variety of side dishes. In fact, I enjoyed sipping it with a decadent ganache filled chocolate cake. This wine was truly good to the last drop! Alcohol: 13.9% SRP: $25 Hands down, Donnafugata’s 2016 SurSur won the hearts of the white wine drinkers. SurSur is made with 100% Grillo grapes, an ancient indigenous variety from Sicily. These grapes were harvested from Donnafugata’s Contessa Entellina Estate Vineyard located in the Southwestern part of Sicily. I have tasted and reviewed the 2014 and 2015 SurSur vintages. By clicking “Donnafugata” on the menu found on the right side of this page, you will find many stories, history and wine reviews for Donnafugata.   The 2016 SurSur is pale yellow with playful aromas of citrus, pineapple, floral and tropical fruit. The palate offers a nice balance between citrus and light stone fruit and moderate acidity with a nice dose of minerality. This is a bright and refreshing wine with just the right amount of dryness on the finish that made it compatible to our Thanksgiving feast! Alcohol: 12.5% SRP: $20 Both wines are available in the USA and abroad. Until next time…   Thanksgiving is just days away and I’m taking a short break from writing so that I can focus on family and friends. My home is already filled with delicious aromas of pumpkin and banana muffins baking in the oven. Sparkling wines are chilling in the refrigerator and I’ve just put the finishing touches on the menu. I will be back at the beginning of the week with stories to share. Until then, have a beautiful holiday!  Cheers!
Penina Thanksgiving is fast approaching and for those who are hosting family and friends, it is a busy time of finalizing menus, shopping and perhaps selecting wines to pair with a variety of dishes. Since sparkling wines, roses, whites and many reds pair well with turkey and traditional side dishes, the possibilities of what to select might seem daunting. It all boils down to personal preference. However, a good rule of thumb in choosing a red is to look for mild tannins and moderate acidity. The trick is to enhance the meal…not overpower it.  I recently tasted Bila–Haut’s 2016 “Les Vignes” Rouge and “Les Vignes” Blanc, both great wines to open at Thanksgiving. I have written about Domaine Bila-Haut and winemaker, Michel Chapoutier in previous stories.   To recapitulate: Domaine Bila-Haut is located in the region of Côtes de Roussillon, Languedoc, a wine region known for making top quality wines. It is in Southwest France, and very close to Spain. Michel Chapoutier is a fourth-generation oenologist and head of Maison M. Chapoutier. He is world-renowned and one of Rhône’s most famous wine producers of Hermitage, Chateauneuf du Pape and Côte Rôtie to name just a few. Chapoutier purchased the 190-acre Domaine Bila-Haut in 1999. It was a neglected property but showed promise with the land being a mix of schist, gneiss and clay. With Chapoutier’s knowledge, expertise and passion along with the climate of the Mediterranean, he turned the land into a perfect growing environment for Syrah, Grenache and Carignan. Bila-Haut wines reflect all of this. Les Vignes de Bila-Haut Rouge is exquisite. This Syrah-dominated wine is blended with Grenache and Carignan. The color is royal purple with concentrated aromas of dark berries, spice, herbs and a pleasant earthiness. The palate is layered with dark cherries, plum, blackberry, spice, pepper and chocolate. The wine is medium-bodied with mild tannins and a long finish of berries and spice dancing on the palate. This is a wine that can be savored right through dessert. Alcohol: 14.5% SRP: $15  Les Vignes de Bila-Haut Blanc is a blend of Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, Vermentino and Macabeo. Michel Chapoutier has truly captured the essence of these varietals. The wine is very aromatic with saline notes, citrus, floral and green apples. The palate offers soft citrus and herbs. The wine is crisp, beautifully balanced and the finish offers a taste of lemon zest and the sea. Alcohol: 13.5% SRP: $15  To quote Chapoutier “I’m focused more on length and aftertaste than on the nose because the wine is meant to be married with food”. And I can assure you; these wines will complement a wide range of food! Have a great day!
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at [email protected]  When I got the invitation to attend a seminar and walk around tasting of Texas wines, the first things that came to mind were cowboys, boots, the Alamo and rodeos. Wine was definitely not on my radar. However, after participating in an educational seminar and tasting some delicious wines, I’ve got a whole new outlook on Texas!  Texas is the second largest U.S. state. To give you an idea of just how large it is, take a look at this map of Texas superimposed over an area of Europe. Texas is huge! However, only a small portion of the state is devoted to making wine. In fact, only about 1% of Texas land is suitable for growing grapes, but that area is larger than the total planted area of France!  Texas wine production dates back to the 1650s when Franciscan priests planted vines for making sacramental wines. After prohibition ended, Texas didn’t see a resurgence in the wine industry until the 1970s. It is only in the last decade that Texas wine growers are truly seeing the “fruits of their labor” with improvements in quality and also winning numerous national and international medals and awards. The numbers of visitors on the main Texas wine trail rank second as the most popular wine route in the U.S. The two major growing regions in Texas are Texas High Plains and Texas Hill Country.  Texas High Plains AVA (American Viticultural Area) is the second largest AVA in Texas and is located in the northwest region of the state where 75% of the state’s grapes are grown. There are approximately 5000 to 6000 acres currently under vine. Over forty varieties of grape are planted at 2,500 to 4000 ft. above sea level in soils of sandy loess over caliche (limestone). The climate is continental with low humidity. Texas Hill Country AVA is located mid-state and is the largest AVA in the state with over sixty producing wineries and is considered the center for Texas wine industry. Of the nine million acres in this area, approximately 800 acres are planted vineyards. The climate is humid and more subtropical during the growing season so fewer vineyards exist here. The soil is mostly limestone but there is lots of rocky soil as well. The Texas Wine Trail is here and tourism is growing in leaps and bounds. Grape varieties abound such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, Tempranillo, Sangiovese, Riesling, Picpoul, Viognier and Souzão. I tasted single-varietal and blended wines from fourteen wineries that were represented at the event. Speaking in generalities, the red wines from the High Plains have concentrated flavors with soft to medium tannins. The whites are quite aromatic with delicate flavors and low acidity. Reds from the Hill Country tend to be a bit more tannic, but I find they also have more depth. The whites are aromatic with nice minerality. The wines of Texas are impressive. All the owners and winemakers that I met transferred their enthusiasm to me when describing their wine. As I was told at the seminar, “making wine started as a ‘lifestyle’ for many, but now it is their ‘life’s passion”. And it truly shows! I look forward to visiting Texas Wine Country soon. Here are links to the 14 wineries. I encourage you to explore, read their stories and hopefully order a bottle or two or three of wine. At a later date, I’ll go into more depth on some of the wineries and review their wines as well. www.barzwines.com www.bendingbranchwinery.com www.edenhill.com www.fcv.com www.hilmywine.com www.lewiswines.com www.llanowine.com www.losdrawcellars.com www.messinahof.com www.pedernalescellars.com www.spicewoodvineyards.com www.weddingoakwinery.com www.westcavecellars.com www.williamchriswines.com So, the next time someone mentions Texas to me, I can assure you that ‘wine’ will be the first thing that comes to my mind!
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at [email protected]  The other evening I had a craving for pasta along with the desire to be back in Sicily. To satisfy my appetite, I made delicious spicy butternut squash pasta.  However, flying to Sicily was not negotiable. So I did the next best thing and opened a bottle of Sicilian wine!  The pour was a 2015 Fondo Antico Nero d’Avola. I have reviewed several varieties of wine from Fondo Antico which was established in 1995 and is owned by the Polizzotti-Scuderi family, now in its sixth generation of winemaking. Indigenous to Sicily, Nero d’Avola is the most important and widely planted red grape in Sicily. It is known for its high tannins, medium acidity and robust character. However, when grown at higher elevations with cooler temperatures, the result generally leads to a smoother wine. Fondo Antico grows Nero d’Avola 200 meters above sea level on fresh soil containing limestone and sand. The wine is refined in stainless steel tanks and then bottled. The result is a fresh and juicy wine. The color of the wine is dark ruby with aromas of fresh cherries, berries and spice. The palate offers red cherry, fresh red fruit, plum, spice and hints of chocolate and pepper on a lively finish. This is a full-bodied wine with smooth tannins and lots of versatility when it comes to pairing it with food. Needless to say, the wine was a perfect complement to the spicy pasta! Alcohol: 13.5% SRP: $12-$15  Now if I could just sneak off to Sicily for a bit!  |
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed