Miguel Torres “Santa Digna” Gewurztraminer

Grape varieties: 100% Gewürztraminer
Classic honey-floral bouquet. A fine full-bodied wine, with tropical fruit and perfumed character balanced by a bite of acidity.

It is an ideal match for shellfish (particularly oysters) and most fish dishes. Fresh fruits and semi-soft cheese.

Boursin cheese
Boursin is a modern, creamery, fresh cheese of cylindrical shape without rind. It is made with garlic and herbs or even black pepper.

Stone crosses called “Santa Digna” separated these landscapes from arable land,
symbolizing fortune and prosperity.

Hey Mambo "Swanky White"

A Treasure of pleasure!
Blend of Viognier, Chenin Blanc, Muscat Canelli, and Sauvignon Blanc grapes.

Aromas reminiscent of summertime by the pool or in the garden with fragrant floral blossoms, rose petals, ripe apricots and backdrop of lemon-lime.
Taste is very juicy, honeyed with gooseberries from the presence of  Viognier and grassy tones from the Sauvignon Blanc. Fruity but not sweet! With Chenin Blanc giving crisp acidity. Finish is clean, dry finish of apples, peach and mineral.

More approachable than Conundrum; yet just as complex.





A fan of Jerk chicken, Kabob, pork loin and of course “as is!”

Maytag blue cheese
Bleu (blue) cheese is a white cheese with blue veins and sometimes crumbly interior. This cheese usually has tangy, piquant, spicy and peppery flavor. Interestingly the Maytag dairy is owned by the sons of the famous founder of Maytag appliances. The heritage of quality and integrity from their father's legacy is brought forth into the Maytag Dairy products. The cheese is a made from unpasturized cow's milk. The cheese curd is seeded with Penicilium roqueforti. Each 4-pound wheel is aged for six months.

Good Organic? YES!

Natura Cabernet Sauvignon, Central Valley, Chile

Organically grown grapes Grape Variety: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Carmenere, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Malbec.

The grapes are hand-picked in mid-April. After the crush, the must is transferred to temperature-controlled stainless steel fermentation tanks for a six-day cold soak before undergoing alcoholic fermentation with gentle low-volume pump-overs. The wine then undergoes malolactic fermentation. Nearly 40% of this wine is aged in oak barrels.

Bright ruby in color, with aromas of ripe fruit and oak, chocolate and vanilla. Lush and complex with a sweet
and attractive taste and good concentration. Powerful with good body and persistent finish.
Alcohol Content: 14%.

Verdejo Oro de Castilla < great summer white!

Night harvest (always below 59F), Cryomaceration, Juice cleared by gravity, Fermentation with own yeast at Tª< 14ºC; clarified before bottling and with only one filtering. In stainless steel tanks with their own lees for 4 months, with weekly stirring.

Yellow green straw color, with strong exotic fruits, Tasty grapefruit, lime ☺, white flowers and a hint
of herbs. Fresh, well balanced on the palate. Good acidity in the mouth finishing with a touch of apple.
A great next step after albarino!

Dashe Zinfandel Late Harvest, Dry Creek Valley

The 2007 vintage was a year tailor made for the creation of Late Harvest wines.
The long harvest season and moderate crop levels let us keep the grapes out on
the vine long into October, and the grapes were able to concentrate their fruit
evenly. When we finally picked the fruit, it was remarkably consistent—concentrated
and just slightly wrinkled, but not raisined.

This year’s wine is more reminiscent of our wildly popular 2005 vintage of
Late Harvest Zinfandel in its concentration and sweetness. The wine is extremely
aromatic with spicy black pepper, cassis, and black raspberry flavors. In the mouth,
the wine shows explosive raspberry and cherry flavors, a thick, viscose mouth feel,

Varietals:           100% Zinfandel
Appellation:       Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
Alcohol:            14.1% by vol.
Production:       949 cases, 375mL

Dessert wines are often misunderstood! This is a great introduction for the red wine drinker and adventurist alike. THIS is what you have with chocolate! Cabernet just does ot have what it takes, try it and see...

Vodka, shaken and disturbed

Vodka, the “purest” from of alcohol, has been adulterated more times then the whore-bags on “Lays of our lives!” By nature, vodka use to be judged by its absence of flavor and every form of alcohol begins their life as vodka. Bourbon, tequila, gin and many others all begin as vodka until other processes are applied. Things like oak aging, flavoring and my favorite…caramel coloring are added and then viola, they are something else. But vodka remains the purest form of alcohol.

So why do companies “flavor” vodka? Because we buy it! Advertising genius! In the past five years, 115 new flavored vodkas have been introduced, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS). Types like, espresso, blood orange, citron, raspberry, infused pepper, coconut and when reviewed one was described as being “reminiscent of scotch.” WLF, Scotch! What’s next, “Wasabi” infused Vodka? Oh, sorry they have already done that.

Even so-called “Premium,” Grey Goose, Absolut and other vodkas when mixed into a Cosmo or my favorite “Dirty” are not at all distinguishable from a reasonably priced vodka. Don’t believe me? Order the two drinks side by side and find out for yourself, or ask your trusty bartender! Also, take the time to squeeze a lemon, lime or an orange into vodka and compare it to a flavored brand and see which one tastes better; answer will become obvious. Stories abound about unscrupulous bars, with huge basement factories, substituting “basic” vodka, brands like Smirnoff, for premium brands with no one the wiser.

If you need your vodka “flavored” as a means of enjoyment, maybe it is time to move onto something else. Maybe quit drinking “mock-tinis” and try a real one made with gin. If you want to try this in small steps then get some Hendricks gin, it is flavored with rose-pedals and cucumbers.

Also, ask yourself this, if vodka is judged by it neutral flavor and adding “flavorings” create other types of alcohol, than adding flavorings to vodka means that it is still vodka?

The PERFECT martini…
1.    Your favorite reasonably priced vodka, like Smirnoff
2.    Ice
3.    Shaker
4.    Glass
5.    Drink
Repeat steps 1-4 until you reach your individual goal

Rose, what a lady!

Rose...
I have spent a lot of time bashing my industry for making things difficult for the wine lover, but this time we are all to blame. In dark alleys, hidden private tables in posh restaurants, and the curtained-off back room of many liquor stores, people are drinking rose! She is a proud yet subtle lady, flowing and smooth, sometimes even a touch sweet. But she deserves respect! Although she might be feminine is style, she is not a “just lay there” like white zin, nor does she aspire to be her brooding, bold, knock‘em red cousins that she originates from. Rose deserves to be seen for her own values, even if it is thought by some to be a bit of a “butter-face.” People always wonder what we, the beverage professional, are drinking. We should be drinking rose!
White zinfandel is not rose, but a blush. Blush and a few roses are made by using the Saignée (France) method of bleeding off a portion of red wine after only a short period of contact with the grape skins. Because the color of red wine is from the skins, the juice of white zin is pink, not red. Champagne rosé may also be made by blending red and white wines; some of the better versions use the saignée method. This process is also used to improve the intensity of red wines because it changes the ratio of juice to skins. Roses that are an intense red in color are created by macerating (the steeping of grape skins and solids for color extraction, tannins and various aromas). This process, depending on the wine or the grapes, can vary from hours for roses or days for red wine. Then most, but not all, are made like white wine, seeing only stainless steel without the use of oak. With this process wines tend to be on the bolder side; if you like your ladies big, go with a Bandol. One caveat - roses tend to be “low acid,” therefore they do not age well, so enjoy them in their youth and you will be richly rewarded.

A few of my favorite ladies: 

Miguel Torres Santa Dinga Chile, Angove’s Rosé Nine Vines South Australia, Borsao Campo de Borja Rosado, Domaine Mejan-Taulier Tavel Canto, Perdrix Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé,  Chateau d’Aqueria Tavel, Domaine De Beaurenard Côtes du Rhône Rosé,  Domaine Fabre Côtes de Provence Rosé, Château de la Clapière

Rose and food

Rose is versatile and food pairing with rose can be quite fun. Good matches include smoked salmon, swordfish or tuna, shrimp, clams, scallops, ham, turkey/chicken, BBQ. Rose is one of the few pairings that work with artichokes; it even likes guacamole and enjoys most root vegetables. Roses are cheese lovers who enjoy good Brie, Fontina, Gouda, Saint André, or other goat cheeses. She is not a big fan of sweets, but Rose but will occasional enjoy the occasional sorbet.

Side note: Rose’s bubbly sister, sparkling!

WARNING!
Only try this when you want to go to that “special place.” Past all of those barriers and arriving... THERE. The place that only YOU can seem to get to although you entice, inspire, and instruct the people that are closest to you to go there with you...

Bisol Jeio Rosé NV: This is a blend of Merlot and Pinot Noir!
Swirling stony red fruits on the nose, and a bright palate, crisp with tight acidity. Chalky raspberry fruit, just a touch of earth. Very accessible, certainly with some savoury elements too. Nice summertime drinking

Great Wine!

La Ninota 2006

Region: Priorat, Spain

Grapes: garnacha [grenache], Mazuelo [Carignan], Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet
Sauvivnon

2006 La Ninota Tinto (Cal Grau, Bodega)

Bodega Cal Grau, "La Ninota" Tinto, Priorat, Spain 2006

Chocolate, raisin, dark red fruits! In using both Spanish and French
grapes, a touch of new oak, and great acidity gripping the finish with a
velvet glove, This is ripe and juicy, retaining a hint of

mineral at the edges, with a smidge of toasty wood and sweet spice
finish.

The perfect warm weather red and one of the few wines that has the fruit
and body to survive all sorts of spicy cusine. Personly tested it with a
very yummy hot-spicy pork golusah. Highly recommended with

Antico pizza pairing: "DiavaolA" spicy sopressata, pepperonata, bufala.