An Evening With Elizabeth.....

It all started at my Christmas tree trimming party when I pulled out a 2009 Elizabeth Spencer Rose. I had been saving it to share with some friends who visited the winery in Napa with me a number of years ago. Since several of us were together that night I thought it the perfect time.

However, it wasn't chilled and we had long since moved past the rose' stage of the night. Instead, we planned for an Elizabeth Spencer tasting after the holidays, with the goal of gathering as many vintages as possible--a grand tasting of sorts.

We began the evening with some bubbly and then dived in to my bottle, the oldest and proof that most roses are meant to drink, not age. As soon as we opened it, I could tell it was past its prime as it smelled like a fortified wine, sweet, nutty but not the kind you really want.

Disappointment that I let that one sit too long, then excitement we had several more bottles to go.

Next up was a 2011 pinot noir rose that was quite pleasant, with good fruit and acidity, however, it lacked the freshness we were expecting. Good thing we saved it from the perils of sitting in the cellar much longer.

The idea was to keep the tasting as close to a vertical possible but since the 2012 was a grenache rose, instead of a pinot noir, we skipped over it briefly. When it finally made the round it was full of raspberry and reminded me of a Necco Wafer Candy.

The 2013 pinot rose was the vintage that really hit the spot with bright acidity and red fruit like strawberry.

Moving right along in the Elizabeth Spencer portfolio, a 2012 Chardonnay was pulled from the ice bucket. While it smelled a touch oaky, it was crisp and tropical, with flavors of pineapple; a favorite for sure.

Up next came the reds and a 2007 Zinfandel. For a zin it was quite mellow; another one that was on its way out. The fruit was still intact but we were gentle with it in the glass, afraid it would disappear with any spirited swirling.

The 2010 Mendocino Cabernet was a beautiful color and a lovely way to end. The wine was a bit chalky, again a bit of that Necco Wafer Candy, with juicy raspberries.

If you are like many of us at this tasting, and have set aside some wine for a special occasion or to share with a special group, do some spring cleaning in your cellar. You might be surprised at what has been tucked away, forgotten about and is now in need of being uncorked. Nothing is worse than having to dump a precious bottle that was soooooo delicious and had so much promise when you bought it--because you let it rest for too long. Cheers. 

Rose Everyday- Wine Wednesday

Tasting in the world's rose' capital: Tavel

While spending time in France this autumn, my friends and I adopted a fabulous mantra "Rose' Everyday." When I finally made it back to the states, the first lunch date I had was at a small kabob place that only served fountain drinks and bottled water. I got a little fidgety, like an addict I whimpered to my friends....."No rose'? We might have to go somewhere else."

I've always liked this beautiful, dry, pink wine but I learned to LOVE it in France. It was hard not to after drinking it in the rose' capital of the world, Tavel. In fact, the only wine produced in this small village is rose'.

One of our many stops in Tavel was at Domaine Lafond, the winery also had some delicious reds, grown in neighboring villages, but the rose's were on our radar. Lafond Domaine Tavel (made mostly from grenache grapes) was a rich wine, spicy yet floral and one that would stand up nicely to food. It is exported to the US and you can find it for under $20.

Another good rose' for Wine Wednesday is Notorious Pink, from the neighboring region of Provence. This one is 100% grenache, with a little more fruit, a nice blend of citrus, berries, gentle acidity and a crisp finish. A great sipper, also in the $20 range.

Are you afraid of pink wine? Still judging it as that sweet, white zinfandel? It's time to move on my lovelies! In France, the pink stuff is revered. It is standard operating procedure to have it for lunch, and in the Rhone Valley where it is done so well, it is even considered appropriate to buy it in a box. I won't tell you how many we went through....boxes or bottles.

Think about adding rose' to your Thanksgiving shopping list. Not only is it a good starter, it also plays well with turkey.

Befriending The Box

I've always been a fan of rose' and have loved exploring the subtleties of this beautiful, dry, pink wine, in the Southern Rhone. It is so important here that there is an entire region/village/town that only produces rose', no other wine; Tavel. It is awesome and it tends to be a bit more pricey than its neighboring region/village/town called Lirac. In Lirac is where I discovered rose'..... in a BOX. So good!

Find wines bottled as well as boxed in many Rhone tasting rooms

The beleaguered boxed wine (in the US) is a man's best friend in France, at least for everyday consumption. Boxed wine is meant to drink, not age, in packaging with a vacuum seal technology that prevents air from contacting the juice once opened. Air is the enemy of an opened bottle. The box is also a bargain, providing twice as much wine for the money.

Special containers allow regulars to get their wine to go

Not only did this fun tasting room in Lirac sell wine by the bottle and box, but also BYOC: bring your own container. Reduce your carbon footprint, save a few Euros and have your house wine close at hand. The box of rose' we bought has for sure been close at hand, so convenient; like getting water out of the tap. Too convenient as a sip here and a splash there adds up quickly.

We found out just how quickly the random afternoon sips added up today, as suddenly we had to tilt our 5-liter box a bit to get a full glass. When the flow turned to drops things got serious. 'Someone' pulled the wine bag out of the box and began wringing the ends, almost like trying to get that last bit of toothpaste out of the tube.

By the photo, it is clear that we had more than enough Euro's on the table to go out and buy another box, or better yet, walk to the cooler and open a REAL bottle. But who wants to take the easy route? It was great sport to see how much we could milk from the vacuum sealed, vineyard utter.

The absurdity of our attempt and echoes of our laughter ended in sweet success, as each of us got enough crisp, cold wine to enjoy on the terrace with some local cheeses, fruits and sundried tomato tapenade; while contemplating the next bottle....or box. Cheers!

Wine Wednesday; Affordable French

Know what I love about French wine? Everything! I've been pleasing my palate with lots of it lately, getting ready for an upcoming 'European vacation.'

But just because the word France is on the label does not guarantee goodness, and definitely not value. So I was happy to try the latest bottlings from famed French winemaker Michel Chapoutier as they have both.

These wines come from vines that are on the border with Spain, grown on harsh terrain with hot summers and cool winters. The stress on the vines produces some great flavors.

Les Vignes de Bila-Haut Rose' d'Oc is a beautiful salmon color and it smells both floral and mineral. After my mother's first sip she said, "Wow, peppery." (She wanted to be quoted in my blog.) I too got some spice and lots of minerals with a bit of citrus on the finish. A lovely, affordable rose'.

I tried the Blanc Cotes du Roussillon with an Italian bean soup, some grilled vegetables and some citrus shrimp; it worked well with all. The interesting blend of grenache blanc, grenache gris, vermentino and macabeo produces a wine that has a bit of grapefruit and melon; a crisp wine perfect for Florida.

The Rouge Cotes du Roussillion Villages is a tasty red blend of syrah, grenache and carignan.  A good food wine, this is bold; full of menthol and blueberry, blackberry and juicy plums.

All three of these French wines come in around $13 a bottle. Now that's a bargain. Thank you Michel Chapoutier.

Great Gift

I don't understand why Rose' wines aren't wildly popular in Southwest Florida. It's a perfect warm weather wine and goes well with a wide variety of food. But so many people fear the "pink", perhaps relating it to that sweet, pink White Zin.

Over the weekend, I tried a bottle of Chateau D’Aqueria Tavel Rose’ with a salty cheese tray and some tuna tartare. It was beautiful; both in the glass and in my mouth. The wine had a vibrant salmon color, it smelled floral and a bit fruity; but it was bone dry and crisp, with flavors of raspberries and a hint of pepper.  

Tavel Rose’ is made mostly of Grenache grapes grown in the southern part of the Cotes-du-Rhone region of France. It’s a great food wine and the packaging is “tres cool”. If you're in need of a gift for a wine lover, a Francophile or someone who likes to try new things, this is a good one. And with a price tag under $20, it's affordable.  

If you’re in Southwest Florida, Bistro 41 has Tavel Rose’ by the bottle for around $60. In fact Bistro has four Rose's on their wine list now! Hurray for Rose'!!!

A "Duzer" of a Dinner

With tourist season over in Southwest Florida, it's much easier to get a seat in your favorite restaurants. Good for customers, not necessarily for the restaurants. Many, like Rumrunners in Cape Harbor, have events such as last week's Van Duzer wine dinner to keep the locals coming in for more.

I learned Van Duzer is not in Willam-ette valley it's Will-AM-it, Damnit! It's all in the pronunciation. I also learned that Van Duzer makes much more than just yummy Pinot Noirs. The whites were amazing!

We started the night with a sparkling wine that had an interesting, nutty flavor. It went well with the Foie Gras Pate and fig jam. But the smoked salmon with deviled quail egg was my favorite small bite.

First seated course was a Pistachio and Blue Cheesecake with orange roasted beets, served with the Van Duzer Pinot Noir Rose. The wine tasted of juicy strawberries and a little citrus rind with acidity that cut right through the rich cheese. Lovely combo!

The grilled Diver's Scallop in the next course was lightly wrapped in Chorizo, served with a creamy risotto and a decadent melted leek and Morel mushroom Fondue. I loved the garnish; a tomoato sliced super thin and roasted to a crisp chip. I wish I could've taken a bag home. The Estate Pinot Gris was bursting with apricot; a little melon and pear. It was crisp; once again cutting through the rich creamy dish as a delicious pairing.

Main course: Sous Vide Kurobuta Pork Tenderloin 'Saltimbocca' rubbed in Coriander, Fennel seed, sage and wrapped in a delicate slice of Prosciutto, with carrot mashed potato and Cherry-Port Glace. The Van Duzer Estate Pinot Noir had that typical, dirty Pinot nose. However, I could also smell some fennel and sage and immediately knew why Chef Todd used those herbs on the pork. The cherry really popped also (way too obvious joke set-up here).

Dessert was a chocolate mousse with hazelnut Anglaise and peanut butter and jelly chocolates from Norman Love with  Perplexity red dessert wine. Every course was spot on; perfect proportions and pairings.

From June first-fifth, Rumrunners is saying thank you for a great "season" by offering dining incentives. For every $100 gift card you buy, you get an addition $50. Too good of an offer to pass up, so think business deals, stocking stuffers, etc.

Get Your Hands On This!

I was so fortunate last week to sit down with a group of five outstanding women in the wine industry to do an article for the next issue of CRUSH Magazine! I don't want to upstage the article now but will post the link and give more info when it is published.

I can tell you that one of the women was Amber Moshin of Moshin Vineyards. There will also be a feature on her and the vineyard in CRUSH. After our roundtable the men were allowed to crash the party, one of the them being Amber's husband Rick. His price of admittance, a bottle of Rose' that made us all squeal with delight.

What makes this Rose' so coveted is not only it's limited production but how it is produced. When the bins of Pinot Noir grapes are dumped onto the sorting table, there is a small amount of juice left behind. It was pressed from the grapes during transport from the vineyard, having very little contact with the skins. The juice is collected and fermented to make a lovely clean wine, with minimal tannins that critics, bloggers and fans rave about.

You may have to join the wine club to get it. You wont be disappointed, all of the Moshin Wines I tried were outstanding!

Gaga Vino

I know what you're thinking: "Lady Gaga is now producing wine?" The pop icon is many things and entrepreneur is certainly one, however, wine maker is not on her resume; at least not yet.

The California Rose' may look like Lady Gaga's blush but it's flavors are not near as flashy; quite simple actually. The first thing I got was a mouthful of raspberry followed by a little strawberry. Although full of fruit, the wine is dry. It went well with the salty cheeses on the tasting table at The Morgan House.

You should be able to find Gaga Rose' for under $15. It's a good value for sure. I know Lady Gaga likes red wine, I wonder what she has to say about Rose'.

(The Morgan House Restaurant, downtown Fort Myers FL, has wine and tapas tastings the third Tuesday of every month.)

Charles Creek

The Charles Creek Vineyard tasting room is on the plaza in downtown Sonoma and it's open late! I've had Charles Creek in the past but wasn't really that familiar with all the winery had to offer. Gracing the middle of the tasting room was Ms Moo-lot; a giant cow made of corks. Talk about a conversation piece!

We started with an '08 Rose that was a crazy blend Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon with some Syrah, Merlot, Petit Verdot, White Riesling and Grenache. It was raspberry and cherry and delicious! Don't be scared to drink pink!!

Everyone in our group was keen on the '08 Riesling, a dry wine from El Dorado County chalked full of exotic fruits! We had Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, an award winning Merlot and several others. The other big hit was the La Sonrisa del Tecolote Cabernet. It smelled like figs and tasted like plum and spice. I could also taste some dark chocolate and toasty oak. The name means "The Smile of the Owl" after the winemaker's Grandma! I love anything that pays homage to Grandma's!!!

The bomb was La Bomba Chocolate, a rich port wine of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, fortified with brandy and infused with flavors of dark chocolate. The infusion process is a highly guarded secret. It was chocolate cake in a glass. Someone else referred to it as drinking a Tootsie Roll. Forget the dessert just drink this!

Viva Spain

Last night my friends and I braved a raging thunderstorm to drink wine at Austin's Wine Cellar. It was time for Frank's monthly tasting and we just couldn't miss it no matter how fierce the lightening was. The wines were from TransAtlantic and Stacole and two of my favorite were from Spain.

We started with an '09 Shaya, Bodegas Vinedos Shaya. It was an Old Vines Verdejo that was so refreshing. The combination of minerals, fruit and a slightly spicy finish was right on target for summer consumption! One of my favorite red's of the night was an '08 Xiloca, Granacha (Ribera del Jiloca). It was juicy and good with food and for under $15 a great bargain!

So much goodness! You should also look for Syrose', Rose' de Syrah. It is a fabulous French Rose' made from Syrah of course. It has the nose of Champagne but no bubbles. It's crisp and dry and even the manly men said they would take the chance of being spotted with a glass of something pink in their hands, it was that good! A nice surprise for me was the '06 Women of the Vine Chardonnay from Napa. It was just slightly buttery (not heavy at all) with pineapple, melon and passion fruit. This wine has a great story! You may have seen the book "Women Of The Vine" about the inside world of women who make and taste wine. The author was so inspired that she gathered award winning female winemakers to create this label. That alone should make you buy a bottle or two!! I bought a bottle and can't think of a better way to drink it then while reading the book!

Chateau d'Esclans

I caused some heads to turn over the weekend while sitting outside at Bistro 41 with a wine glass full of something, well....pink! "YOU!!!??? PINK????" a friend exclaimed as he approached. Apparently appalled that I might be drinking the dreaded White Zinfandel or perhaps worried that I had been in the sun too long and was delirious. I grinned and said seductively "Come over here and try it!"

I couldn't wait to see the look of disgust fade into approval. I was drinking a delightful French Rose' called Whispering Angel! Good on it's own or with food. You have to check out this video from the winemaker. Makes me laugh everytime I think of an angel in my mouth!