More Vinho Verde!

Image is courtesy of snooth.com

  I haven't met a person yet who disliked a Vinho Verde.  It could happen, but it hasn't.  Vinho Verde is a Portugese wine from the Minho region which means, 'Green Wine' that is youthful and can appear to be slightly green around the edges.  Some of them can be either white or red, and if white, can have little to much effervescence.

  The one I'm trying today is white with subtle effervescence and it's perfect for today if you live in Seattle or pretty much anywhere else--clear skies!  However, imagine you're somewhere else--imagine you're on an island, on a private beach with only the sound of waves to keep you company and then someone hands you a glass of 2008--Terra Antiga Vinho Verde.  Are you there yet?  On the nose, you get balanced lemon and grapefruit notes which pair nicely with softer and sweeter melon notes.  Enjoy it--you may want to continue smelling this one before you move onto the palate.  Once you decide to move on to the palate, you notice more of that crisp grapefruit, melon, bright acidity and great mouthfeel in this light bodied wine.  Delicioso!  When you're ready for the finish, you get more of those crisp, clean and bright citrus notes which leave you wanting more!

  Vinho Verdes can pair with almost anything since they have enough acidity to hold up to any rich foods.  In this case, Terra Antiga would pair perfectly with any soft cheeses,  heirloom tomato salad and grilled tilapia.  Come check out this wine here at Seattle Wine Outlet and Greenlake Wines and visit myself and the rest of our lovely staff!

Ciao!
Erin

(I try to list all the images I use and if possible, the photographers who take these lovely photos.  If I have a photo of yours, please let me know and I will be happy to remove it from the blog.  Thank you).

Dry Mouth Merlot

 
  I find that when you ask people about Merlot they either cringe or they smile.  To the experienced taster, Merlot may seem second rate to Cab, but to the new comer, Merlot is very easy to fall in love with.  I think great Merlots can rival any Cab, but many have a tendency to be quite fruit driven and one note.  In other words, boring.

  So, I give you my review of my new favorite, 2008-Trout Trilogy Merlot.  For those who are unfamiliar with this name, it's a side project from Canoe Ridge Vineyard which makes great wines including a few reserve ones.  Dense dried figs and bright cherries pair nicely with balanced pepper notes on the nose.  You can tell just by smelling it, that this wine has much complexity.  On the palate, more of those dried figs and bright cherries marry well with great acidity giving you nice mouthfeel.  This is one of those Merlots that sucks the moisture right out of your mouth and I personally love that.  Earthy and herbaceous flavors lead to the finish which is built upon more layers of pepper and dried currants.  Once you've finished the small taste, you will most likely want hold up your glass for another pour!

  This wine would pair perfectly with duck confit, goat cheese and even dark chocolate truffles.  If you get a chance, please come visit myself and the rest of our lovely staff here at Seattle Wine Outlet (Sodo), where we are currently pouring this Merlot!


Ciao!
Erin

Pepper, Tobacco and Leather

Image is courtesy of rezin.com
 
  Often enough, I find myself looking for a new wine to blog about, but nothing jumps out at me as a memorable wine.  Then before I know it, it's right in front of me.  This wine I'm about to review hails from the Gaillac Appellation in France where they are known for a handful of varietals including Syrah.  What makes Syrahs from France so special is that they taste nothing like the often jammy, earthy, yet fruit driven ones we find here in the states.

  So here it is--2010 Causse Marines "Peyrouzelles."  Since they characterize their wines by region, Gaillac is the appellation, Causse Marines is the producer and Peyrouzelles is the vineyard.  It all sounds very confusing, but trust me, it's superb!  Pepper, tobacco and leather are prevalent on the nose making for a great conversation wine.  On the palate, bright cherries and toasted oak balance well with great acidity, solid tannins and more of that pepper, tobacco and leather.  Cigars are what come to mind by the time you reach the silky smooth finish which quite simply gives off even more pepper, tobacco and leather.  Now I know that this wine may seem overwhelmingly earthy and spicy, but I truly believe you will enjoy this one of a kind wine.  Also, give it time and in a year or two this wine will have even more layers and complexity.

  As for food, I would pair this wine with grilled lamb, roasted smashed potatoes and arugula salad.  Come try this wine here at Greenlake Wines and visit myself and the rest of our lovely staff before it's gone!

Ciao!
Erin

(I try to list all the images I use and if possible, the photographers who take these lovely photos.  If I have a photo of yours, please let me know and I will be happy to remove it from the blog.  Thank you).

You say you don't like sweet--we'll see

Image is courtesy of snooth.com
  In my experience working at wine bars, wineries and tasting rooms, people almost always say they don't like dessert wines.  They use, "It's too sweet" as an excuse to not try a wine.  What I've discovered, however, is that if you, as the employee say, "Just try it", they will!  Now if you truly don't like dessert wines, I am not going to convert you, but know this--you're missing out.

  Italy's famous Moscato D'Asti happens to be my favorite white dessert wine.  The reason I love this varietal so much is because there are so many flavor compounds packed into this grape and the good ones have an orange zest flavor that I cannot resist.  The one I am reviewing today is 2007 Moncalvina--Moscato D'Asti.  Right off the bat, there is that orange zest and lemon rind on the nose.  Along with all this citrus is sweet honeysuckle and fresh pear notes that you will definitely want to spend much time smelling.  Starfruit is the first flavor I get on the palate as well as more orange zest and honeysuckle.  The finish is bright lemon with great acidity and leaves you with the sweet taste of raw honey comb.

  When thinking about what to pair this with, my mouth is watering.  My favorite TV food personality, Giada De Laurentiis has some delicious recipes for nutella biscotti, salted caramel chocoates and raspberry loaf cakes that would all be perfect pairings for this sweet wine.  Come visit myself and the rest of our lovely staff here at Greenlake Wines to try this on the glass menu or take a bottle home for only ten dollars!

 
Ciao!
Erin

(I try to list all the images I use and if possible, the photographers who take these lovely photos.  If I have a photo of yours, please let me know and I will be happy to remove it from the blog.  Thank you).

Sparkling Shiraz for All!

Image is courtesy of wine.com
 
  This may or may not be an acquired taste.  Shiraz is Australia's love child and what most people only know as Syrah.  When I think of Shiraz/Syrah, I think full-bodied dark fruit, earthy and sometimes gamey notes.  You get that deep dark earthy Shiraz and you make it bubbly while leaving a bit of residual sugar and you get "The Chook", one of Australia's most unique wines.

  Okay, you most likely think I'm crazy at this point, but this wine is awesome because it is everything you love about a Shiraz and everything you love about a sparkling wine.  Deep dark cherry notes pair beautifully with chocolate nibs and toasted oak on the nose.  The palate is full-bodied with present effervescence, subtle sweetness and a solid tannin structure.  That dark chocoate cherry flavor continues on the palate and may make you think fondly of Ben and Jerry's famous, Cherry Garcia ice cream.  The finish is more of that dark chocolate, creamy oak and ripe plums which linger on your palate for quite some time.  Yum!

  This wine is truly unique and memorable--I can only imagine how difficult it would be to produce with such beauty.  I think this wine could pair with anything from a filet mignon to a chocolate torte.  Come visit myself and the rest of our lovely staff here at Greenlake Wines where it is currently on the glass menu.  It is also available at Seattle Wine Outlet.

Ciao!
Erin

(I try to list all the images I use and if possible, the photographers who take these lovely photos.  If I have a photo of yours, please let me know and I will be happy to remove it from the blog.  Thank you).

Light White for your Never Ending Summer!

Image is courtesy of vinolist.com
  If you live in Seattle like me, it's raining today.  No really, it is.  Even though we are moving into fall, we don't have to give up whites quite yet, because I found one that may inspire you to forget all about fall.  In my mind, there are mainly two types of white wine drinkers--the person who loves Sauvignon Blanc and the person who loves Chardonnay.  I am the latter, but don't get me wrong, I don't discriminate against varietals if they are made well.  The thing many people don't realize is that white blends tend to be pleasing to all, because they have all the characteristics we love from each varietal, but in smaller percentages and when you blend different varietals together, you get a more complex wine.

  Straight from Western Australia is a winery called Ironberry.  They make a 2008 Chardonnay-Viognier blend that is delicious to say the least.  This blend is made up of 75% Chardonnay and 25% Viognier.  What people usually dislike about Chardonnay is when it is over oaked.  On the other hand, what people usually dislike about Viognier is how floral it can be.  This blend makes each varietal shine and leaves you wanting more.  Pear, honeysuckle and lime notes stand out on the nose making this a very approachable white.  When you get to the palate, you notice subtle balanced oak, white peaches, vanilla and an overall lovely mouthfeel.  The finish is clean with bright acidity and more of those lime notes you got on the nose.  What really makes this wine stand out is that it is a fruit driven light white that you don't need to think too deeply about and right now it is only ten dollars here at Greenlake Wines/Seattle Wine Outlet!

  A couple ideas for food pairing include soft cheeses, grilled tuna and a mixed green salad with mango.  If this wine sounds as good to you, please feel free to stop by Greenlake Wines/Seattle Wine Outlet to visit myself and the rest of our lovely staff and try it for yourself!

Ciao!
Erin


(I try to list all the images I use and if possible, the photographers who take these lovely photos.  If I have a photo of yours, please let me know and I will be happy to remove it from the blog.  Thank you).

Finca Domingo, More of that Malbec!

  Today has been like any other day at Greenlake Wines, deliveries, customers and reps.  The only thing about today that is different is that I met the distributor for Vinos Argentinos, John who imports wines for Finca Domingo as well as Domingo Molina which are only two of four labels represented by this winery.  After pouring me a large splash of 2010 Finca Domingo Malbec, John said to me, "Your co-workers are going to be very jealous of you."

  Now, before I write about the nose, palate and finish, you should know that the vineyards the grapes are sourced from a remote small region called Salta in Argentina.  The various vineyards that are represented through out all the wines range from 6,000-over 7,000 feet above sea level which makes this region highly regarded for its' soil and micro climate--a truly special wine.

  Alright, now let's talk about the wine!  This particular Malbec is produced from the Yacochuya vineyards which sit about 6,400 feet above sea level.  Deep dark cherries, dried dates and pepper on the nose make for a fun thrill for the senses.  The color is of black raspberries and there is no seeing through this one, full bodied and robust.  The palate is full of ripe plums, vanilla bean, pepper and silky smooth tannins--a complex wine with out being one you have to think about too deeply.  Loads of peppercorns co-mingle nicely with more vanilla bean and plum flavors on the finish and then John says to me, "Wait about 30 minutes and try it again."  What?!  There's more?  So in 30 minutes, I pick up my glass, swirl it about and I smell dark chocolate nibs and dried herbs!  This wine has evolved into something amazing--more chocolate nibs on the palate with the ever present dark plum notes, vanilla bean and pepper.  Then, the finish is smokey with even more nibs, dried herbs and black peppercorns that linger.

  This wine isn't even in the shop yet, but I truly hope it comes soon--it's delicious!  Come visit myself and the rest of our lovely staff here at Seattle Wine Outlet and Greenlake Wines!


  Ciao!
  Erin