During uncertain times, there is one thing for certain – white wines pair well with summertime. In honor of National White Wine Day, here are six selections to enjoy on or off the rocks, as recommended.
#1 – In a nod to 1950s Paris, Le Goût d’Autrefois Blanc Limé, a Vignoble Ducourt Bordeaux refresher with lemon, lime grapefruit, sauvignon blanc, semillon and bubbles, is the only one of these wines where ice cubes are preferred. This slightly bubbled spritzer is the perfect gateway wine for newbies or for those who prefer a light wine with low alcohol (8%).
$17 for each impressively designed bottle with retro hinged closure.
#2 – Better known for its production of premier pinot noir, the Willamette Valley in Oregon offers an exotic cedar + salmon 2018 pinot gris to sip throughout summer and beyond. During peach harvest time, this wine’s stone fruit aromas call to the season. Like a ripe peach, each sip of this pinot gris is refreshing and rich with exotic fruit flavors that include kiwi and guava. Chill before serving with grilled white fish or roasted chicken and veggies, but please… leave out the ice cubes.
#3 – Vranken-Pommery recently launched a single vineyard Louis Pommery Carneros Chardonnay 2019, and you will definitely want to sip on this beyond summer – without adding ice. By all means, however, chill before sipping. You’ll notice an expressive palate of creamy honey, attributed to the slight malolactic fermentation, and cantaloupe, and maybe even a touch of almond paste. Best served with blue cheeses or any creamy cheeses, and dessert of crème brulee.
#4 – New Age Sweet Wine is a versatile wine to drink on its own, on the rocks – YES! – or mixed as a cocktail. I am typically not a fan of sweet wines – other than port – but I drank my glass on its own, sans ice – and it was quite pleasant on a warmer than usual day. Made with Argentinian grapes: 90% Torrontes and 10% Sauvignon Blanc, try on ice with a slice of lime or splash of gin and slice of grapefruit to change things up a bit. Pair with Indian, Thai, Chinese or Japanese dishes.
#5 – Georges Duboeuf Pouilly-Fuissé 2018 Chardonnay is a French wine that deserves the royal treatment – so please do not add ice! Serve chilled as an aperitif or with lobster, cured salmon toasts, or cheeses. Better yet, set the bottle aside as it ages well. In typical French style, expect notes of acacia flowers with balanced minerality and… a finish of chestnut! Oh yes. Quality counts.
#6 – Last, but certainly not least, is another Georges Duboeuf, but this time a brilliant pale gold Mâcon-Villages 2018 Chardonnay. The complexity in this wine offers loads of citrus… think lemony, and a nutty bouquet mixed with white flowers typical of France. This is a summer fresh white wine that is lovely when chilled, but please do not add ice.
With so many rosé wines on the market, and in demand especially throughout summertime, it’s important to note each rosé varies on a wide spectrum, from salmon-pink Provencal rosés to full-bodied rosé of cabernet sauvignon.
Most rosé wines are made using the process of short maceration – fermenting wine is drained from the skins after a short period of time – typically a few hours, and then moved to stainless steel tanks to continue fermentation in the process of white wine, temperature-speaking. Other winemakers blend red and white wines to create rosé, but this is not typical – or permitted in Europe.
As rosé wines go, it’s a personal preference, and my palate is undeniably Provencal style. But around the globe, if the terroir permits vineyards to grow Provencal grapes, I’m happy to taste. And I’m ready to report I’ve tasted 15 amazing bottles of rosé from all over the world and happy to share my thoughts with you.
My rosé roundup has been a labor of love for me throughout SiP days, where I’ve been “sip tripping in place” while sheltering in place.
2019 Malene Rosé, Central Coast, California $22 Sip Tripper rating: GOAT
Why? Because it encompasses all that I love in a rosé: 48% Grenache, 23% Mourvedre, 12% Rolle and 17% Cinsault.
Visually, this is a medium pink rosé offering a light bouquet and notes of peach, a tinge of white grapefruit and a favorite of mine: peony. On the palate, a perfect expression of a fresh-picked strawberry with a smidgen of nectarine leads to a crisp finish of clean, crisp acidity.
Grenache, the black grape variety, needs a warm climate to ripen well, and its red-fruit flavors attribute to the summertime sip’s success. The growing region in the Central Coast of California is as close to the terroir of Provence as one can get, which is why this rosé is a favorite of mine! www.MaleneWines.com
2019 Herdade de São Miguel Colheita Seleccionada Rosé $14.99 Sip Tripper rating: AWESOME
Why? Because this salmony-pink blend wow’d my palate. It’s in a class unto itself due to the use of a few grapes specific to the terroir of Alentejano in Portugal: 50% Touriga Nacional, 30% Syrah and 20% Aragonez.
By the way, this wine has a cork stopper, regardless of its value pricing – hey, it hails from the land of cork forests! Why not? I do, however, recommend that once you open a bottle, plan to consume in one sitting with a friend, as it loses its complexity by next day. Best enjoyed with sushi, fresh fish, seafood and salads. www.quintessentialwines.com
2019 Tablas Creek Vineyard, Dianthus, Paso Robles, California $30 Sip Tripper Rating: Success is Southern Rhône cuttings grown in California
Full-on power on the palate, with strawberry and guava and a touch of rose petal. www.VineyardBrands.com
2018 Rosé, The Wolftrap, South Africa $14 Sip Tripper Rating: Great Value Quintessential Rosé
The trap was set once I read the label for this blend of cinsault (69%), syrah (21%) and grenache (10%). Immediately, I unscrewed the cap and poured half the bottle into an ice cube tray so I could make frozé to share with my neighbor on a hot day in late spring. I threw in about 4 chunks of frozen pineapple, about one cup of sliced strawberries that sat overnight in the fridge in some water, and added the frozé cubes, aa half tray of plain ice cubes and a quarter bottle of The Wolftrap.
The end result was a refreshing version of a slushie in all its rosé perfection. The next day, I poured the remaining bottle to enjoy without the slush effect. There’s a softness on the palate that I enjoy from South Africa wines, and I would declare this bottle to be well-crafted and a best value summer sip! www.vineyardbrands.com
2018 Marqués de Cáceres excellens, Rioja $11 Sip Tripper Rating: Amazing Value — top of my list for rosés
Wine varietals of Rioja have always held a special place in my palate, so when I discovered this Spanish blend of 60% Garnacha tinta and 40% Tempranillo, I was pleased as pink. And this pink is pleasing, believe me. If you could taste what the lightest pink would be, excellens is it. It’s a lovely expression of Spanish grapes softened with bright acidity and freshness.
Crafted with 100% pinot noir grown on French terroir of Domaine Delaporte, this rosé leaves a lasting impression of the palate — a pristine expression of the Domaine’s 15-year-old grapevines and its limestone soil.
The grapes are 100% hand-picked and pressed straight away without any maceration (skin soaking time), which accounts for the feather light pink color, and following six months aging on lees.
A young Sancerre rosé typically offers raspberry and wild peach aromas, and this is no exception. The full palate of raspberries and crisp cool acidity and finish of citrus almost calls for a dollop of whipped cream. Drink within two years of bottling and enjoy on hot summer nights. www.VineyardBrands.com
2018 Studio by Miraval $14.99 Sip Tripper Rating: Lightest rosé ever tasted
It’s irrelevant that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie own the chateau and vineyard. They may be divorced, but they parented a new label with their brand, Miraval. Studio by Miraval, like the estate rosé, has been made in partnership with the Perrin family of Château de Beaucastel. And it’s good. Really good.
This rosé from southeast of France carries the appellation “Les Vins de Méditerranée Indication Géographique Protégée”. Its blend of Cinsault, Grenache, Rolle, and Tibouren grapes grown on soil influenced by the sea sprays and the proximity of the Mediterranean Sea attributes to the Frenchness of this very pale rosé. On first inspection, the watered down pink wine indicates barely a flavor, but wow, it packs a bright red fruit punch infused with white flowers and a squeeze of citrus. www.VineyardBrands.com
Louis Pommery Rosé Brut Sparkling Wine, California $26.99 Sip Tripper Rating: Vivacious, Elegant Sparkling Rosé
The coolness of the Pacific Ocean and the heat of the hinterland of the California vineyards are met with French tradition and exceptional wine-making to create this masterpiece of elegance. Well balanced, this brut rosé features a bouquet of delicate red berries with a hint of citrus, all wrapped in pastry.
Winemaker Thierry Gasco, former Champagne Pommery cellar master for 25 years, crafted this sparkling wine with 76% Chardonnay grapes and 24% Pinot Noir — via methode champenoise, with fermentation in the bottle and aging on the lees.
2019 Lucas & Lewellen Rosé of Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara, California $19.99 Sip Tripper Rating: Pleasant
Why? While I’m not a fan of rosé made with pinot noir… unless it’s sparkling, this light pink, light-bodied semi-dry wine is made by a family winery and was pleasant. My palate didn’t embrace this wine fully – perhaps due to the fact that there’s a small percentage of viognier – my least favorite varietal. This rosé paired well with my Japanese vegetable fritters served over white rice and edamame. The bouquet of blossoms was especially pleasing, as is the acidity. www.quintessentialwines.com
2017 The Clambake limited edition Rosé of Mendocino, California $19 Sip Tripper Rating: Philanthropically delicious!
First, let me say that with every case of wine you order, Clambake will send two complimentary bottles of wine to your healthcare worker of choice to thank them for their service.
I opened my bottle of old-vine carignan rosé as a self-described “not a huge fan of carignan,” but the deep color alone bedazzled my senses to open my mind. Dry-farmed and head-trained at Zaina-Sargentini Family Vineyard, these grapes produced a wine with notes of ripened cherries, limestone and candied grapefruit that paired well with my special treat of mail-ordered lobster tails. www.ripelifewines.com
2019 Bricoleur, Flying by the Seat of our Pants $27 Sip Tripper Rating: Pleasant/Acceptable
I tasted and played with the bottle app, dragged the tip of my phone over the label’s target and received all the info I wanted to learn about this light, fresh, acidic rosé of grenache from grapes harvested in the Fountaingrove District in Sonoma County.
Admittedly, this wine really doesn’t taste like a Provence rosé, but it has much of the same light, fresh, acidic qualities, and the color is barely a tint of the lightest pink rose petal. I taste more peach on the palate than watermelon or strawberry, but every taster has his/her opinion. https://russianrivervalley.org/vineyards/bricoleur-vineyards
2019 Bricoleur, Rosé of Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley $32 Sip Tripper Rating: Splendid/Elegant
Typically, I’m not a fan of rosé made of pinot noir unless it has bubbles. But anything from the Russian River of Sonoma County dispels set notions. Is this the greatest California growing region? Perhaps. A light raspberry with tint of orange and perfection in acidity. This is a winner and worth the price per bottle. https://russianrivervalley.org/vineyards/bricoleur-vineyards
2019 Reserve Côtes du Rhône, Famille Perrin, France $14.99 Sip Tripper Rating: Elegant / What is expected of a rosé
The quintessential rosé blend of cinsault, grenache, mourvede and syrah, this ballet-pink summer sip offers a fresh strawberry bouquet and crisp palate of light red berries and grapefruit finish. Background of interest: The Perrin Family has owned Chateau de Beaucastel since 1909 with five generations involved in the Southern Rhône Valley vineyard. www.vineyardbrands.com
2018 Goose Bay Pinot Noir Rosé, New Zealand $28 Sip Tripper Rating: Atypical and potent
This is an in-your-face burst of strawberries rosé. If you are not a fan of the ballet-pink version of rosé and want more of a fruit candy flavored wine, this is the one for you.
With grapes grown on New Zealand’s South Island on Goose Bay, I would expect nothing more than a vastly different taste. It’s worth noting that this is a vegan wine, and is Kosher for Passover. And if you’re curious about life on a kibbutz winery, novices and oenophiles alike can explore all this and more with Kosherwine.com’s free Live-Streamed Wine Events, presented in partnership with the Israeli Wine Producers Association (IWPA), now through July 5.
Visit Kosherwine.com for a full schedule, to register, receive notices of every event, and catch up on past episodes. www.SpencerHillWine.comImported by Royal Wine Corp.
2018 The Daily August Rheingau Rosé, August Kesseler, Germany $35.99 Sip Tripper Rating: Unimpressed
Why? Because my first sip was a bit fizzy, and this isn’t a sparkling rosé of pinot noir. Wine Enthusiast gave this wine a 91-point rating and suggested to “drink now”. I agree with the vibrant flavors, but something was amiss and my bottle seems to have begun a secondary fermentation other wine reviewers interpret as “zesty” – but it’s a bottling flaw (carbon dioxide was trapped during bottling). www.vineyardbrands.com
Fat Tuesday means it’s nearing the time of Carnival celebration, or Mardi Gras, which begins on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany (Three Kings Day) and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday (known as Shrove Tuesday).
With Fat Tuesday approaching, it’s the perfect time to pop the cork on a green labeled bottle of Faire La Fête Brut — the only sparkling wine with historical roots in the world’s original Mardi Gras festival on February 25.
This crémant hails from a wine region in France – Limoux – that with a claim on the first production of Méthode Traditionnelle 150 years before the Champagne region patented the method. This sparkling wine celebrates its cultural origins as the official beverage of the annual January-March Carnaval de Limoux, which is the longest running Mardi Gras festival in the world, dating back to the 16th century (which actually makes it the oldest festival in the world!). The label’s green and purple theme is also a festive nod to that heritage.
The choice on how you want to toast to Mardi Gras is yours, but with pricing so low ($19 a bottle!), Faire La Fête, which translates to “have a party” in French, seems the way to go for a great value on a tasty sparkling wine. Made with a blend of 65% chardonnay, 25% chenin and 10% pinot, I can personally attest to the quality of this sparkling wine, admittedly opening the bottle before Fat Tuesday to confirm my endorsement of this vibrant golden, crisp, lemony crémant with the essence of baked apples on the palate.
If you enjoy dry sparkling wines, this is the one for you. A mere six grams per liter, Faire La Fête has 30 percent less residual sugar than the leading Champagne brands. Compare to Veuve Clicquot “Yellow Label” (9.5 g/L), Moët & Chandon “Impérial” Brut (8 g/L) …not to mention a certain “blue label” Prosecco (16 g/l).
Whether you’re in New Orleans, Italy, or in your own backyard, kick up your heels and toast to Fat Tuesday!
There are tastings that prompt you to remember where you’re tasting – an armchair travel of sorts, when you think of the terroir within a wine region. Although Sicily has a perfect wine-making climate and a history of wine dating back to 4,000 B.C., I found my latest tasting of six bottles of Tenuta di Fessina to be challenging, to say the least. The whites, a 2017 Etna Bianco ($25) made with 90% Carricante, 10% Catarratto and Minella, and a 2017 A’Puddara ($65) made with 100% Carricante proved interesting to sip. The Carricante grape is late harvested, which would explain the intense minerality and candied notes.
I’ve never been to Sicily, so I kept an open mind to these wines and the differences a terroir can make. This is a terroir of volcanic soil, so I was excited to try the wines, but once I tasted a few bottles, I became even more eager for a visit to explore this wine region as it relates to other wine regions of Italy. What I do know — Sicily is where the highest active volcano in Europe sits, and in the village of Roviteelo, on the northeastern side of Mount Etna, are where the vineyards of Tenuta di Fessina produce their grapes.
When I brought a few bottles over a friend’s house, three of us tried the 2017 Laeneo ($42) made with 100% Nerello Cappuccio grapes. We had the same reaction. “Sour cherries!” We were not fans. So, I opened a 2016 Erse Rosso ($25), made with only 8% of Nerello Cappuccio – 90% Nerello Mascalese and 2% Minnella & Carricante. This wine was a bit better, but those sour cherries still seemed to dominate our palates. Although these grapes are known for their sour cherry flavors, we were all disappointed and I had only wished I’d brought the bottle of 2012 Il Musmeci Rosso, made with 100% Nerello Mascalese, a burst of dried cherry fruit with a bit of tar, mint and nutmeg notes.
My conclusion is that when aged, these Sicilian wines are much more palatable. The 2012 Il Musmeci Rosso presented an expression of Sicily that should make Tenuta di Fessina and all Sicilians proud. I read that the Nerello Mascalese is reminiscent of pinot noir, and I would have to say yes, but only a little. I will say that this 2012 Il Musmeci Rosso was my favorite of the half dozen bottles. My next favorite bottle was a 2018 Erse Rosé ($25) made with that same Nerello Mascalese, but only 50%; the other half is Nerello Cappuccio, which clearly tastes better when blended as a rosé.
Charlene Peters is a wine writer living in Napa Valley. She can be reached by email: SipTripper@gmail.com
Napa Valley’s most famous winery we all know as Chateau Montelena was a chateau founded by Alfred Tubbs, who made his fortune selling rope during the Gold Rush. Today it’s a winery best known for its silver-screen moment in the film, “Bottleshock” — which tells the story (loosely adapted) of the “Judgment of Paris” in 1976. The story was based on an international wine competition that included Montelena’s chardonnay, which surprisingly bested its French counterpart in a blind tasting. At that time, the winery was owned by Jim Barrett, who opened the winery in 1972. Today, following Jim’s death in 2013, Chateau Montelena is run by his son, Bo, and it’s world-famous chardonnay is crafted by winemaker on-site, Matthew Crafton.
The quality of this chardonnay hasn’t skipped a beat when it comes to its elegance, not even since that tasting of ’76. Open a bottle of 2016 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay and you’ll be able to relate. This is a bottle that presents notes of fresh florals and a palate of crisp acidity that adds to the wine’s freshness. It’s a perfect wine to open at the onset of Thanksgiving dinner. While some chardonnays are “oaked out” and compete with the buttery mashed potatoes on the table, this chardonnay will complement with its ideal oak and fruit balance. You might not want to switch to reds during dinner.
In fact, once you’ve tasted this 2016 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, you may be tempted to order more. And why not? The exclusive privileges of wine club membership include access to enjoy picnics in the private Chinese pagodas on the elegant grounds surrounded by resident swans, fish, vineyards and some of the best wines in California.
Charlene Peters, a.k.a. SipTripper, is a WSET Level 2 Certified wine writer with extensive experience traveling the world to explore New and Old World wines and indigenous culinary creations to share with readers. She can be reached at siptripper@gmail.com
Unlike a book cover, judging a wine by its label is trendy and assumed. And when you see a chardonnay label with artwork of buttery yellow drips, it’s safe to assume the chardonnay will taste like a butter bomb.
Au Jus is a 2017 Monterey County Chardonnay ($25) showcasing a robust malolactic fermentation; its label doesn’t lie. This glass of liquid gold was crafted from grapes grown in the best conditions offered in a coastal climate. The aromas of this wine brought the label of dripping butter to life, and on my palate, this chardonnay reveled in the smooth, stone fruit flavors and buttery finish.
Los Angeles Street Artist, Saber, created the label on the Au Jus chardonnay, but all the labels on 1849 Wine products are a depiction of contemporary inspiration from the art movement of the 21st century. In fact, every handcrafted bottle of 1849 Wine reflects the artistic spirit and dedication to the art of wine making.
My next taste was a 2016 Pinot Noir of Sonoma Coast called iris ($30), with a kaleidoscope-colored graffiti label Saber titled “Tool of Dissent”. The philosophy of a prevailing idea is what dissent is all about, but I have to be honest here and admit that outside of the label, this is everything you’d expect a pinot noir grown on the Sonoma Coast to be: aromas of violets and a palate tinged with earthy elements but dominated with red licorice flavors of raspberry, which I personally love — but nothing beyond the typical.
It is worth noting that this pinot noir was barrel aged for 10 months in French and Hungarian Oak and has won several awards: a double gold medal at the 2018 Sonoma County Harvest Fair; a gold medal at the 2018 San Francisco International Wine Competition and at the 2018 Harvest Challenge and Sommelier Challenge, and a silver medal at the 2018 Millennial Awards and New Orleans International Wine Awards.
They say that women generally select wines by the label, and while I don’t personally use this method of selection, I totally understand the allure to visuals. My recommendation: Choose the Au Jus every time!
Charlene Peters, a.k.a. SipTripper, is a WSET Level 2 Certified wine writer with extensive experience traveling the world to explore New and Old World wines and indigenous culinary creations to share with readers. She can be reached at siptripper@gmail.com
Cameron Hughes is a négociant for Languedoc wines (formerly Coteaux de Languedoc), specifically in the town of Cesseras, a sleepy farm village of less than 200 in the Minervois appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC). What makes this place so beautiful is its geography, with endless acres of southern-facing delineated vineyards.
The Languedoc is an appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC), also known as the bucket region in the Southwest of France because of the high volume of mid-level quality wines produced. To add perspective, the Languedoc produces more wine than all New Zealand. One such wine is crafted from thick-skinned cabernet sauvignon grapes and is labelled “Lot 681”.
Upon first pour, the wine’s deep purple color was telltale of its youth (2017). A quick swirl later, my nose detected notes of black current, black cherry, and black plum with a slight note of thyme. A tasting revealed medium-high alcohol content (14%), and an earthy, short finish (time in the cellar would most likely improve the finish). The added petit verdot created more of a tannin structure and freshness to this cabernet sauvignon. At $13 a bottle, this is an “enjoy now” bottle — don’t expect a whole lot of complexity. This is a table wine, not a Bordeaux Supérieur.
Word in the wine world is the Languedoc region is making a comeback as the “New World of France”, yet this is an Old-World region if there ever was one. The history of this wine region began with the Greeks, who first planted grapevines there during 5th century BCE.
Interesting to note is that half of the wine produced is organic and is where Millesime Bio, the world’s largest organic wine fair is held. Also of interest, is that Cameron Hughes Wine,Lot 681 2017 Languedoc, is the négociant’s first French release in 5 years.
The Sip Tripper, a.k.a. Charlene Peters, is WSET Level 2 certified and has been reviewing and promoting wines for over a decade. She occasionally serves as a wine judge internationally and travels to wine destinations as often as possible. To reach Charlene, email: siptripper@gmail.com.
Autumn mornings in Sonoma, California are when the air feels crisp and cool before the afternoon sun warms temperatures up to near 90 degrees. A recent birthday brunch with a few favorite ladies could not have happened on a more perfect day.
We met at the River Vine Café in Santa Rosa, part of the Vintner’s Inn. The café closes at 1:30pm and serves breakfast/brunch items with indoor/outdoor seating. The inside was nearly empty on this Saturday morning, mainly because the outdoor seating was full. The view of the gardens captivated our attention, especially when we noticed white folding chairs were being set up for a wedding. It was a perfect day for a wedding, but I was happy with celebrating my friend’s birthday during this marvelous brunch.
The bottle of bubbles I brought to toast my friend’s birthday was much like the air that morning – before temperatures soared into the 80s. This luxury collection Mionetto Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG was as crisp as the first bite of an apple – extra dry, and it was as clear as water with bubbles bigger than bottle-fermented sparkling wines. Prosecco is a sparkling wine made from the Glera grape that grows in the northeast of Italy. The sparkling version is typically made using the tank method, and this bottle was no exception. It was lovely, dry, and fitting for fall with its apple notes. I enjoyed the pairing of this Prosecco with my order of Rancho Huevos.
We finished the bottle with ease, laughed and enjoyed the setting and each other’s company, and departed to continue our Saturday, but with a renewed vigor and stride in our step that could only be formed by bonding with your girlfriends during Saturday brunch.
This isn’t the first Mionetto Prosecco I’ve enjoyed. I shared a cocktail recipe previously, of which I’ll share again for those hosting their own brunch sometime soon. I recommend you pour this cocktail in a martini glass.
Italian Honey Suckle (courtesy of Mionetto Master Mixologist, Justin Noel)
Ingredients
– 1 jalapeño slice
– .5 oz fresh lime juice
– .5 oz honey syrup
– 1 oz blanco tequila
– 1 oz Mionetto Prestige Organic Prosecco DOC Extra Dry
– jalapeño slice for Garnish
Preparation
In a mixing glass, add jalapeño slice and lime juice.
I finally visited the Petaluma Gap, a premier vineyard spot and the newest American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Sonoma County linked by the Pacific Ocean and San Pablo Bay. A few weeks earlier, I tasted a 2017 Mirror Petaluma Gap Chardonnay ($48), so now I was able to connect the area where the grapes grow in a cool climate, thanks to the constant sea breeze. I enjoyed the top note of honey in this chardonnay, but my palate was still swooning over the 2018 Mirror Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($28).
I tasted these Mirror wines in Napa, inside the Kitchen Collective, where membership has its privileges of allocated spaces for tastings — great for a winery that doesn’t have a tasting room. Note: reservations required.
About that sauvignon blanc, though…Using 20 percent used French oak, this sauvignon blanc is a robust, full-bodied, but balanced gem of a wine made from grapes grown in a dry farming technique (no vines are irrigated after fruit set – when tiny grapes appear) for freshness and high acidity. It doesn’t hurt to use grapes grown in Rutherford dust and clay soil – and to pair these grapes with the winemaking style of Kirk Venge.
Mirror Wines began over a decade ago, when Notre Dame “Golden Boy” Rick Mirer, an Indiana native and well-known football player for the Seattle Sea Hawks, 49ers and Raiders, took his wife on a visit to Napa Valley. Once retired, he considered what his next project would be and came up with Mirror Wines. Today, Mirer resides with his family in San Diego, but he makes it a point to visit Napa Valley at least every month.
Mirror’s red wines reflect grapes sourced from Howell Mountain and Oak Knoll. I can attest that his approximate 240 case production of 2016 Mirror Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain “Pre-Release” ($110, to be released in October) scores a touchdown. This deep berry, black currant cabernet sauvignon with black licorice and tobacco notes offers a lovely tannin structure for aging.
Sauvignon blanc is an easy wine to make, drink, and enjoy. It doesn’t need to age so it’s an instant gratification wine. I had a bottle of Samuel Charles Sauvignon Blanc from grapes grown in the High Valley AVA in Lake County, California.
Priced at $24.99/bottle, it’s a bit higher than usual because the winemaker took the extra step and partially aged the wine sur lies for added richness on the palate and a complexity in its aromas. Aside from the typical floral and herbaceous notes, what caught my attention from the start was the scent of honeysuckle – one of my most favorite aromas. It was easy for me to enjoy this palatable silky, crisp wine, and the fruit characteristics lingered to my liking.
More information on this wine can be found by clicking HERE.
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Initially, I wasn’t a fan of Mionetto when I sipped it on its own, but when I made it in a cocktail, I became a fan. Since 1982, this Prosecco has been made in the Charmat method — with the secondary fermentation in autoclaves instead of individual bottles. That means bigger bubbles. I prefer small bubbles and the Champagne method. But when you pour half tequila and half Prosecco to make a cocktail named “Italian Honey Suckle” – of course, I would love it! I recommend you pour this cocktail in a martini glass.
Italian Honey Suckle (courtesy of Mionetto Master Mixologist, Justin Noel)
Ingredients
– 1 jalapeño slice
– .5 oz fresh lime juice
– .5 oz honey syrup
– 1 oz blanco tequila
– 1 oz Mionetto Prestige Organic Prosecco DOC Extra Dry
– jalapeño slice for Garnish
Preparation
In a mixing glass, add jalapeño slice and lime juice.
Muddle lightly.
Add honey syrup and tequila and shake.
Strain into a martini glass.
Top with Mionetto Prosecco.
Garnish with jalapeño slice.
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Another summer sip that excels when blended is a Bosio Tropical Mango Moscato from the Piedmont region of Italy. This is an 85% fermented Moscato with 15% natural Brazilian mango pulp – without any flavor enhancers or additives. As was the Mionetto Prosecco, this is a not-so-popular sip on its own, but a wonderful mixer on a hot summer evening as an aperitif when mixed with sparkling water. I enjoyed a glass with some cheese before a ladies’ dinner on the patio.
Sip Tripper 