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Through the gracious invitation of Assovini Sicilia, I and over one hundred other journalists from all over the world traveled to Sicily last week to partake in the fourteenth addition of the annual Sicilia En Primeur 17. We had the opportunity to taste the wines of the 2016 vintage and attend Masterclasses in the beautiful setting of Radicepura, a multifunctional park between Etna and the Ionian Sea.  In addition to the two-day event, I spent several days prior to that as Assovini’s guest in an organized and impressive tour of the island and five wineries. Assovini Sicilia was founded in 1998 with the objective of giving voice to wine producers, promoting the region, ethics, sustainability and making a more pronounced impression in the marketplace. Part of their statement is “Assovini Sicilia: expression of the wineries in Sicily”. There are presently seventy-six members of Assovini Sicilia of which forty-nine major wine producers participated in Sicilia EP17. Francesco Ferreri, president of Assovini Sicilia said at the conference “The safeguarding of the environment and the care and attention given to the territory have always been fundamental themes for viticulture and, in particular, for the producers grouped together in the Assovini Sicilia association, united in the putting into practice, day after day, of working methods aimed at the safeguarding of the environment. “ Sicily is the largest Mediterranean island surrounded by the Ionian, Tyrrhenian and the Mediterranean seas. It is an island rich in culture and history. Human activity dates back to around 12,000 BC. Original inhabitants were Sicani and then the Elymians. Today, there are roughly five million people living in Sicily, making it the fourth most populated region in Italy. Sicily is considered a melting pot of ethnicities that include North Africa, Middle East, Greeks, Romans and Spaniards to name a few.  I had the opportunity to see an amazing array of landscapes from the westernmost part of the island to the easternmost part of the island as I made my way from Palermo to Mazara del Vallo to Menfi, then Cammarata to Catania and then all the way back towards Palermo and Marsala again. The diversity of the land and soil, the proximity to the ocean and of course the wind, all play a big part in the growth of the grapes and flavor of the wine. Volcanic eruptions over the years and the surrounding seas have contributed to mineral rich and fertile soil. In addition to Sicily being the third largest wine producer in Italy, they grow olive trees, wheat, citrons, capers, figs, lemons, oranges and pistachios. See slide show below. My focus today is an overview of Sicily. Over the next few weeks, I will go into detail about the wines I tasted at Sicilia EP 17, the wineries I visited and how location, geography and climate play a role in the vineyards. The same grape can have many different expressions, depending on where it is grown on the island. I will also focus on Sicily’s indigenous grapes and cuisine. My first day in Sicily, our little group of seven visited an historical site, the Temple of Segesta, set high on a hill outside of Palermo. This Doric Temple is quite impressive with 36 Doric columns, built by the Elymians between 430 and 420 BC. They never completed building it, as there is no roof. It is thought that there might have been an attack on the settlement of Segesta. However, the temple is still standing and it is quite amazing.   Further up, on a nearby hill called Monte Barbaro is a semicircular theater that was built at the same time as the temple. It sits 400m above sea level and the theatre can seat 4000. It is used during the summer months as a venue for concerts and Greek plays. I must admit it was quite a hike to reach both places, but well worth it! The views are stunning! One of the photos shows how far down the temple is from the theater. And so begins my love affair with Sicily! I have so much to tell you. A visit to a few wineries is our next stop in my series on Sicily.  The spring flowers are popping up everywhere and the trees are blossoming in bursts of pink, white and yellow. I love this time of year! Spring renewal! It is a time of rebirth, making positive changes and everything seems possible! “It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want—oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!” ― Mark Twain  Photo courtesy of jomalatehkotah.blogfa  With my press trip to Sicily rapidly approaching, I’m looking forward to visiting many vineyards where the grape vines will be going through their rebirth and I will observe first hand the new growth of grapes of the soon to be 2017 vintages of wine. So, in keeping with the Sicilian theme, I have a bottle of 2015 Cusumano Nero D’Avola that I will be opening later this evening. Cusumano has seven vineyards spread throughout Sicily with all wines produced at the Partinico based family winery. Cusumano has been in existence for over 60 years and at the helm are brothers Diego and Alberto Cusumano, second-generation winemakers. Their Nero D’Avola vineyards are in the San Giacomo region, located in the center of Sicily. More in-depth coverage to follow over the next few weeks.  I am looking forward to tasting all the 2016 vintages of Cusumano at the Sicilia en Primeur. And I can’t wait to open their 2015 100% Nero D’Avola tonight!
Many stories to tell when I return! Have a great Wine Wednesday! Cheers! Penina Spring has finally arrived! Warm weather and wearing sandals are always conducive to making me happy!  And, it’s time to dust off the grill and move the party outside. I’ll be popping open more white and rosé wine now. However, as you might know, I never abandon red wine just because of warm weather!  So, in honor of the pink full moon last night and the 75-degree temps, I opened my last bottle of 2014 Mockingbird Hill Chardonnay from Napa Valley. I reviewed this vintage in May 2016. This is a delightful wine with enticing aromas of citrus, melon, pear and hints of floral. As I reported last time “the palate revealed lush layers of honeysuckle, pineapple, and honey crisp apples with hints of oak and vanilla. The finish was long with a touch of creamsicle lingering. Nice acidity and very clean.” This is a wonderful wine to drink as an aperitif. It’s also good with cheese, fish and grilled veggies. http://www.mockingbirdhillwine.com   Over the next two weeks I will be posting infrequently due to a tight schedule and an upcoming press trip to Sicily! I will be back on my blog full-time at the beginning of May with lots of stories! In the meantime, you can follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to view daily photos and updates of my trip. The links are below: Twitter @peninablogger
Instagram @thewineknitter Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TheWineKnitter-1313377698713518/?ref=bookmarks Have a great Tuesday! Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at [email protected] I’ve been busy packing up my “wine cellar” to move it to a new location. In the process, I stumbled upon a 1967 Château Léoville-Las Cases ‘Grand Vin de Leoville’ from Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France. This fine bottle of red Bordeaux blend is classified as one of fifteen Second Growths in the original Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. I have no idea how I came by this!   Château Léoville-Las Cases is located in Saint Julien-Beychevelle next door to Château Latour. It is one of the oldest Médoc estates that once upon a time belonged to some of the most influential and wealthiest noble French families, prior to being purchased by the Las Cases family. As a result of the French Revolution, the estate was split up at some point between 1826 and 1840 creating Château Léoville-Las Cases. The estate is considered to be large according to Bordeaux standards enveloping 240 acres of vineyards. Saint-Julien is the smallest of the four main Médoc appellations with 2,175 acres of vineyards on the left bank of Gironde. The vineyards are planted with 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot.  I have much more to tell you about the family history, terroir, and current management of Château Léoville-Las Cases, but my story stops here for now. When the appropriate time comes, I will uncork this bottle and share the rest of the story along with my tasting notes. The wine is long past peak, but I’ve had a few vintage Bordeaux lately that have pleasantly surprised me! What’s in your wine glass this Wednesday?
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at [email protected] I recently received a gift from friends that visited Mexico. Knowing how much I like to sample wines and spirits, they brought back a bottle of Balurate Tequila Reposado Reserva Especial for me to try.  “Baluarte means fortress. A baluarte is a stronghold that protects all that is valuable. It protects treasures.” Guillermon - Co founder And this is a treasure!  Balurate tequila is made with 100% Tequilana Weber Azul. These blue agaves are grown at Los Altos de Jalisco. Only organic fertilizer is used along with environmentally friendly farming techniques. Once harvested, the agaves are baked in brick ovens for 24 hours. During the sugar extraction in the milling area, only treated water is used. Reposado means “rested” and this tequila is aged in American Oak for a minimum of two months, but usually up to nine months. The tequila is produced in very small batches and then personally numbered and hand tagged.  The Baluarte Reposado Reserva Especial has a very pale yellow color with fruit, spice and vanilla aromas. This tequila is quite different from any other that I have yet to taste. The palate explodes with layers of tropical fruit, pepper and spice. It is beautifully balanced with a long finish that ends with more pepper and hints of herbs and caramel. I can’t imagine drinking this tequila any other way than “neat”. The flavors are so unique, it would be a shame to use it in a mixed drink. Proof: 80 Alcohol: 40%  More wine reviews coming up this week! Have a peaceful Sunday! Cheers! Penina  Today is Wine Wednesday which is acknowledged and celebrated every Wednesday around the globe. Social media goes wild with #WW and #winewednesday and #HappyWineWednesday. I tried to research its origins, but came up a little short. According to what I read, the Wine Wednesday concept began from data that was released around 2013 by Cobevco, a wine bottler in Australia. According to their “research” and I use that term loosely, Wednesday marks the half-way point of the week when people tend to relax more and want to “kick back”. In fact Cobevco is quoted as saying “Most people are opening their bottle of “Wednesday Wine” at 6:35PM.” The study also suggests that people prefer to enjoy their wine when they get home as opposed to stopping at a bar. And of course, Cobevco’s research showed that Wednesday was the most popular time to drink wine. Just how many people they surveyed is a mystery. Personally, neither my friends nor I have ever consulted a calendar when it comes to enjoying a glass of wine! In fact, I think that #HappyWineDay is a great hash tag to start using on a daily basis!  So, whether Wine Wednesday is just an excuse for some people to open a bottle of wine or if it is indeed scientifically proven that wine is most enjoyed on a Wednesday, it certainly sounds like a win-win to me!   Happy Wine Wednesday! Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at [email protected]
 It was a flurry of activity this past weekend, catching meals on the run and quick get-togethers with family and friends. However, I did manage to find a little time to taste a delicious 2014 Vidal Riesling from Marlborough, New Zealand. Although Riesling originated in Germany, the grape is grown worldwide and has become the fourth most popular white varietal planted in New Zealand. 85% of Riesling grown in New Zealand is in the South Island wine regions of Nelson, Marlborough, Waipara Valley and Central Otago. The grapes for the Vidal Riesling were sourced from the Awatere, central Wairau Valley and Wairau finger valley of Waihopai.   This 100% Riesling is dry with seductive aromas of tropical fruit, floral and apple. Juicy flavors of citrus, lime and floral continue onto the palate. This is a lively and crisp wine that is beautifully balanced. The food pairings are endless! Alcohol: 11.5% I don’t think that Vidal Riesling is available in the USA. My friend picked up a few bottles while in NZ. I will certainly give you an update if I do find it!
As I still have much to do before Monday, this is a short post today. Happy Sunday! Cheers! Penina  When one thinks of the tango, Argentina immediately comes to mind. And that can be said for Malbec as well. Mendoza is considered the “heart of wine growing” in this country. Over 70% of all Argentine wine is produced in Mendoza. Of that amount, 85% of it is Malbec. I recently received a few bottles of Trivento Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina that were amazing. So let’s start with a little background information before I share my tasting thoughts with you.   Bodega Trivento is located in Mendoza, Argentina against the backdrop of the Andes. In the mid-1990s Concha y Toro, Chile’s leading wine producer, purchased this collection of eight vineyards spreading across the Maipu, Tupungato, Uco Valley, Luján de Cuyo, San Martin and Rivadavia districts, making it one of the largest wine estates in Mendoza with 3,185 acres.  The name Trivento means “three winds”, referring to the Polar, Zonda and Sudestada winds that blow across the sun drenched and arid land of Mendoza. These winds are an integral part in the growth and unique character of the grapes. The frigid Polar winds of winter forces the sap deep into the vines. Next, the Zonda winds hurtle down from the Andes out of the West, awakening dormant sap to generate new spring growth. And finally, in the summer months, the Sudestada winds drawing from the East provides a cool breeze from the scorching sun, giving the grapes relief and aid in ripening. Trivento’s high-altitude and huge swings in day and night temperatures help influence and enhance the wines’ aromatic quality. In addition, rainfall averages only 8 inches a year. However, Mother Nature lends a hand by irrigating the vineyards with the spring snowmelt that cascades from the mountains nearby. All eight vineyards of Trivento are equipped with state of the art technology, drip irrigation systems and a dedicated team of winemakers and technicians. The Trivento Reserve Collection wines are made by Maximiliano Ortiz, a native of Mendoza, who apprenticed with internationally renowned Italian consulting enologist, Alberto Antonini, who still consults for Trivento. The grapes for the Reserve line are harvested by hand and aged for about six months in French oak barrels, followed by six months in bottle.  The Trivento 2015 Malbec Reserve is 100% Malbec. It is dark red bordering on violet. Mouthwatering aromas of fresh berries, plum, spice and sweet cocoa, segue onto the palate with more dark fruit, spice, pepper and vanilla added in. Soft tannins and a long finish make this a very approachable price to value ratio. Alcohol: 13.5% SRP: $11 Trivento Golden Reserve Malbec grapes are grown in the higher altitudes of the Luján de Cuyo zone of Mendoza. The higher altitudes contribute to greater concentration of fruit, density and a higher ratio of natural acidity that promotes the wine’s ability to age. The Lujan de Cuyo vineyard was planted more than a century ago in 1912. The grapes are harvested by hand and go through further hand selection at the winery. The wine is vinified and aged at a separate winemaking facility under the watchful eye of winemaker Germán Di Césare. The wine is aged for about twelve months in French oak, followed by varying aging times in the bottle, but usually twelve months.  The 2014 Trivento Golden Reserve Malbec is 100% Malbec. The color is purple with enticing aromas of dark berries, plum, spice and pepper. The palate offers an explosion of berries in the mouth with plum, a hint of tobacco, spice, pepper and silky tannins. This is a beautifully balanced wine that is full of surprises.
Alcohol: 14.5% SRP: $21 These are affordable and very drinkable wines that will complement just about any type of food. I’m impressed! Have a great Wine Wednesday! Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at [email protected]  It’s Saint Patrick’s Day and what better way to celebrate than with a shot of Irish Whisky!  Irish whiskey is made in Ireland. The word “whiskey” is Gaelic/Irish and means “water of life”. It is one of the earliest distilled spirits in Europe and probably the world, dating all the way back to the 12th century. Irish whiskey is noted for being smooth and sweet. Most Irish whiskey is distilled three times and rarely dried over burning peat, unlike most Scotch which is distilled twice and the malt is usually peated. Due to its smoothness, Irish whiskey is perfect for shots. It also lends great flavor to mixed cocktails and dessert drinks such as Irish coffee.  If you’d like to read some interesting facts about St. Patrick’s Day, please check out my post from last year at: Day 439 - The WineKnitter http://thewineknitter.com/1/post/2016/03/day-439.html  May the luck of the Irish be with you!
Cheers! Penina  As I sit here waiting for “Blizzard Stella” to arrive, I’m reminded of another blizzard that took New York by “storm” in 1996 and dumped over 22 inches of snow. The Blizzard of 96’ has the distinction of being included in the list of the 10 biggest snowstorms in NYC history! Will “Stella” make this list? It certainly could according to the latest snowfall predictions! And speaking of lists, the 1996 Chateau Pavie Macquin, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru is included in the list of best vintages of this Chateau. And one can truly understand why. This is an amazing wine and I express gratitude to my friend who shared it with me.  Chateau Pavie Macquin is located in Saint-Émilion on the right bank of Bordeaux. Agricultural engineer Albert Macquin purchased the Chateau in 1887. Macquin is known for producing more than a million plants that were less susceptible to chlorosis and who is at the origin of using the grafted plant to help eradicate the phylloxera epidemic, saving his vineyard as well as the entire Bordeaux region! He also developed scientific vine plot monitoring. Albert’s three grandchildren and great grandchildren now own the chateau.  Albert Macquin Photo courtesy of Chateau Pavie Macquin This Bordeaux blend is Merlot dominant with 25% Cabernet Franc. We decanted the wine, but didn’t wait to start enjoying it. As a rule Bordeaux wines reach their peak 10 to 12 years following the vintage. After 21 years in the bottle, this wine drank beautifully! It still had a lot of character and intensity. Aromas of dark fruit, cherry and hints of spice were present. The palate offered rich black fruit, spice and silky tannins. The finish was long. Although the wine had lost some of its complexity, it was still an impressive pour. http://www.pavie-macquin.com  As I watch Blizzard Stella roar through here tomorrow, I’ll be reveling in the winter wonderland from my sofa with a snifter of cognac, a roaring fire and a good book!  Happy Monday!
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at [email protected] |
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