Desert Wines

In the last 25 years or so Australia has made incredible strides in winemaking; Beyond delicious!

By in Australian Wine, Desert Wines, Keep an Eye out for these Wines, Notable Wine Regions, Uncategorized, Wine and Food Pairings

grapes-3550733_1920

In the last 25 years or so Australia has made incredible strides in winemaking. But to be completely clear here, commercial viticulture began as early as the 1820s and has developed uninterrupted ever since.

So, don’t let anyone tell you Australia is a new thing. That’s simply not true. Sure some of their wine labels are irreverent! That’s fun and shows Aussie personality. Due to the fact that new technologies and the focus on modern techniques makes Australia listed as a New World wine. It’s history goes way back.

The majority of the great wine regions are in the southeastern area of the continent, including Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, McLaren Vale, and Coonawarra in South Australia; Yarra Yarra Valley and Pyrenees in Victoria; and the Upper and Lower Hunter Valleys in New South Wales. The Hunter Valley produces excellent Semillon that reminds you of first-rate French Sauternes.

Many of the wines from Southeastern Australia are based on Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon and numerous blends including Grenache and Mourvedre.

I’ll say in these areas one of France’s noblest black grape varieties, Syrah with its intense and distinctive perfume suggestive of briar fruit, tar, baked spice and black pepper plus its firm structure is grown with excellent character and also the Grenache is such a burly beast in in these parts and it must be tasted. These wines are comparable at times to the Northern Rhône, particularly Hermitage

In Western Australia, along the Margaret River, great steps are being made with Pinot Noir as well as Bordeaux-styled reds and again Grenache. The Pinot Noir is nice and fresh.

There are also many world-class releases of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc from the land Down Under, where Riesling also enjoys worldwide acclaim. It can age for years. While many equate Aussie wines with “value,” there are more than a few tremendously rare and high-priced options, which never fail to earn the highest ratings from wine journals and critics throughout the world; like the famed Penfolds Grange.

But as with everything quality levels in Australia hinge greatly on yields and geography and that is what has been getting better and better. It’s time to give Australia’s wine a serious look because it’s delicious and can be a great value.

Try something from regions I’ve mentioned.

Cheers!

Contemplating Muscat, Muscadelle, and Muscadet Wine… What’s the difference?

By in Australian Wine, California Wine, Desert Wines, Foodies, German Wines, Keep an Eye out for these Wines, Notable Wine Regions, Uncategorized

moscato

I am writing this not only because it is a fun subject, but many people ask me what’s the difference between Muscat, Muscadelle, and Muscadet and some other similar wines. What follows is some good info; so the next time you go into your favorite wine shop you have it all straight….

Let’s talk about Muscat first. There are many pseudonyms for this grape. For example Moscato (in Italy ), Muskadel (in South Africa ), Muskateller (in Germany ) and Moscatel (in both Spain and Portugal ). Phew!!! Why can’t everybody just agree on one freakin’ name, right? Life would be too easy.

To make it even more confusing, Muscat can have various names attached to it, such as “ Alexandria ”, “Ottonel”, and the rather drawn-out phrase “Blanc à Petits Grains”. But don’t focus on these add-on phrases – they’re just different varieties of the same grape, and all will be extremely sweet-scented, aromatic and grapey. So, just note that Dry or Sweet; Still, Sparkling, or Fortified: Muscat has a discrete aroma and flavor that is absolutely beautifully delicious.

The next one is Muscadelle, which is not related to Muscat at all. Just to be clear….

Muscadelle, is one of the three grapes allowed for white French Bordeaux, the other two more notable grapes being Sauvignon blanc and Sémillon. Muscadelle is commonly used to add a tangy and tasty, youthfulness to white Bordeaux blends. It hardly ever gets top billing because it lacks the characteristics necessary to make a single varietal wine you’d call yummy. But it’s a matter of taste. If you see one, pick it up and try it.

Wait! hold your horses!

There is one exception to this Muscadelle rule and it is in Australia, where Muscadelle is used on its own to produce lusciously sweet fortified wines. The grape is called “Tokay” over there. Don’t ask why. But it is incredible! By the way, there is Tojaji from Hungary which Peter the Great used to drink calling it the “Wine of Kings” …but that’s another story.

Finally, there’s Muscadet. A popular LIGHT and DRY wine produced in the western part of France’s Loire region. Distinct from most other wines in France, the name of the wine is not taken from a town or geographic area, but rather from a grape known locally called Muscadet, even though its proper name is Melon de Bourgogne. Although it can be a bit neutral in flavor, Muscadet has a lot of energy. It is dry with a crisp zippy acidity, making it a great match for shellfish. You might see the term “sur lie” on the label. If you do, make sure to buy that one because it has been aged on the lees (with all the wine sediment), and this lends a delicious richness to the wine.

I hope this helps clarify Muscat, Muscadelle, and Muscadet; because it’s really great stuff and if you love wine you should be having a lot of these three.

Wines of France – COMING SOON! JANUARY 30, 2020 THURSDAY 6:30 PM-9:30 PM – Beaune’s Wine Bar – Ybor City (Tampa)

By in 2019 Top Wines, Desert Wines, Foodies, French Wine, Restaurant, Tampa Bay Wine Pairing, Wine and Food Pairings, Wine Chatter and Blather, Wine Scores and Reviews

qtq80-XbUH8C

Wines of France

…A night with wines from arguably the world’s most important wine-producing country

Wine and Charcuterie – $40-50 Thursday January 30, 2020 6:30 -9:30 (a supercharged assembly of charcuterie plus any surprises) this will be an assortment of cured meats and veggies paired with different accompaniments, such as toast, fruit, cheeses, and sauces. It’s going to be great! Good wine good education and food pairing! Along with French wine from different regions.

Beaune’s Wine Bar/West Palm Wines

located at:

2009 N 22nd St.

Tampa, Fl 33605

You will have access to their wine cave/cellar with some incredible wines. (Seriously folks…)

There will be discounts on wine purchases too!

Beaune’s (pronounced Bone’s) is the wine capital of Burgundy in the Bourgogne region of France. It’s known as “a wine lovers paradise.” Beaune’s Wine Bar bears the same name and reputation.

*In regards to Beaune’s Wine Bar …. Very few establishments in the Tampa Bay area have been granted Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence. Nine, to be precise, Bern’s, Bob Heilman’s, Forlini’s, Island Way Grill, Tio Pepe, Charley’s, Columbia, SideBern’s and Beaune’s.

Get ready for French Wine paired with a variety of fromages and other culinary musings.

Franciacorta! The Champagne of Italy!

By in Desert Wines, Italian Wine, Sparkling Wine, Tampa Bay Wine Pairing, Wine and Food Pairings, Wine Chatter and Blather

qtq80-83SbL6

Franciacorta! Ever heard of it? Franciacorta is a sparkling wine from the Province of Brescia (Lombardy) with DOCG status, located on the hills located between the southern shore of Lake Iseo and the city of Brescia.
Where’s that? Italy. The top of the boot in the center; in between Piedmont and The Tre Venezie.
If you’re drinking a bubbly from Italy, there is a very strong chance that bubbly is Prosecco, but did you know that there’s another bubbly called Franciacorta, and has more like Champagne than Prosecco?
Honest! And it’s growing in popularity.
The still wines from Franciacorta have ancient traditions and documented in Brescia City council books as “Franzacurta” as far back as in 1277. The Middle Ages! But the sparkling wines are new and only been made since 1961. Prosecco as we know has been around for hundreds.
The difference between Prosecco and Franciacorta is the way each of the wines is made.
In the case of Prosecco, is made using what is known as the Charmat method. It’s a faster and cheaper way to create quality sparkling wine. In this method, the wine is transferred from its first fermentation vat to a large sealed pressurized tank where it undergoes secondary fermentation to create the carbonation. Then the carbonated wine is bottled and shipped to market. The result is a wine that is bubbly with delicious hints of fruit and freshness.
Franciacorta, on the other hand, is made the exact same way winemakers in France make Champagne.
The Method Champenoise or the Traditional Method, Franciacorta receives its bubbles by allowing a secondary fermentation to occur in the bottle. During this fermentation the CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) that’s created is absorbed into the wine, it does not escape and creates the bubbles we’ve come to love in Champagne. This process also usually means the wine is drier with a yeastier and less fruity character than Prosecco. This process of “sur lie” aging is what many say makes wines made in this method more complex.
Furthermore, there is another major distinct difference between Prosecco and Franciacorta. It’s the grapes used to make each of the wines. In Prosecco the grape is Glera, a white grape that has been grown in the Veneto and Friuli regions for hundreds of years. It’s a grape with high acidity, which makes it perfect for bubbly.
Franciacorta uses Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc, which are the grapes also used to make Champagne. Just like Champagne… Franciacorta — it’s the name of the wine and the name of the region where it’s made Just like Champagne… it’s a warmer region than the chilly Champagne region, so the grapes are riper and fuller, which results in a wine that is not as racy and/or have the minerality that the Champagne region does. It’s a rounder profile but with the the designations for dosage exactly like those in Champagne.
Do the differences really matter? Only if you try them and enjoy how one, or both, taste.
Seek it out.

Tangled up in Blue… Blue Cheeses, Roquefort, Stilton and Cambozola

By in Bistros Eateries & Cheese, California Wine, Cheese, Desert Wines, Foodies, Spain Wine, Tampa Bay Wine Pairing, Wine and Food Pairings, Wine Chatter and Blather

Tangled up in Blue – Blue Cheeses and other like Roquefort, Stilton and Cambozola sure give a variety to choose from. 
The family of blue cheeses — made from cow’s milk, goat’s milk, and sheep’s milk — is treated with molds to produce blue and green veins. Although blue cheeses stereotypically have strong flavors that intensify with age, there are also a few blue cheeses that can be defined as relatively mellow and very tasty. Their tastes can include a distinct sweetness that’s often combined with the salty, sharp, and tangy notes that you’d expect from a blue. That’s what truly special about blue cheeses; there truly is a profile for all kinds of cheese lovers.
Wine Recommendations for Blue Cheeses:
Dessert wines: These sweet wines have intense flavors that aren’t overpowered by strong blue cheeses. Try Fonesca Late Bottled Vintage, Taylor Fladgate Special Ruby Porto, or something like Château Rieussec Sauternes.
Also, Full-bodied and fruity California Zinfandels or Cabernets are also a great pairing option for the saltier blues. Try a Rosenblum Zinfandel, Ridge Zinfandel, Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon, or Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon
Roquefort Blue:
This blue cheese is made from sheep’s milk and aged for at least three months. Its creamy texture yields a slightly salty taste. It’s relatively soft with plenty of good blue.
Wine Recommendations for Roquefort:
Rhône Valley reds: Choose a red wine from this winemaking region in southeastern France. Try Crozes-Hermitage Paul Jaboulet; Mont-Redon Châteauneuf-du-Pape or a Marques de Caceres Rioja Gran Reserva
Sauternes is a great pairing for Roquefort; this sweet and delicious wine from the Bordeaux region of France. Try Coutet or Château Rieussec.
Stilton:
Whole cow’s milk is used for this pale yellow blue cheese. Rich and creamy in taste, it has a slightly crumbly texture with a subtle nutty flavor and tang that gets stronger with age, which makes it the perfect foil for sweeter wines. A Stilton chunk with Blue Cheese in it is fantastic. Sometimes it contains Cheddar, Cotswold or even cranberries. Sometimes when crumbles in a Cole Slaw or Cobb salad can be a revelation along with wine.
Wine Recommendation for Stilton:
Port: This sweet wine is made in the Douro region of northern Portugal. Asso Try Taylor Fladgate 40 year Tawny Port or Nieport Late Bottle Vintage. I enjoy Malmsey wine or rainwater Madeira as well
Cambozola:
Native to Germany and Austria, Cambozola is considered a cross between a Gorgonzola blue and Camembert. Cow’s milk is the main ingredient of this cheese, with added cream to give it a smooth, creamy, and spreadable texture. Mostly, flavors are mellow and mild with a bit of zip from the blue. Sometimes it can be spicy…especially the Italian versions of this style.
Wine Recommendation for Cambozola:
Merlot Wines: A soft, round red wine that has a very supple texture. For Cambozola, choose a Merlot from California. Try Mantanzas Creek Merlot or Shafer Merlot. A Piedmonte Nebbiolo Wine from Italy can be a very tasty combination

You’ll have to hurry if you want to scoop up any remaining 2013 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon…2012’s too 2012 if any left on the shelves

By in 2016 Top Wines, California Wine, Cigars, Desert Wines, French Wine, Wine and Food Pairings, Wine Chatter and Blather

By Ralph Del Rio, Wine Correspondent

As 2016 ends and 2017 begins; You’ll have to hurry if you want to scoop up any remaining 2013 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon certainly any 2012 left on the shelves. So I mean hurry!

On the West Coast in 2013, most winemakers reported a great year, a matching to the promising 2012. In many parts of France, though, it was another year of challenging conditions and lower yields. So the best Cabernet Sauvignon is definitely in the states.

By almost every account I looked into; it was one of the highest quality, most successful harvests in decades. Only a little smaller than the giving 2012 harvest, the 2013 harvest also saw just somewhat cooler temperatures heading into harvest, which led to a touch of higher acidity levels than 2012.

Hence, the only real debate about the quality of the 2012 and 2013 vintages in Napa Valley is which one might be better. Both are fantastic years. 2012 is a little more open, cheery and ready, and 2013 a bit more structured and intense. I prefer the 2013, but for Cab freaks they both present a wealth of great wines..

If you haven’t jumped in with both feet already; what does the best of 2013 Napa Cabernet taste like? In a nutshell… Magnificent. I love the cooler flavors and lower alcohols and for sure that the 2013 superior growing conditions across the board. The utmost fruitful wines have an unbelievable intensity thanks to super-juicy acidity, and their tannins are structured refined and smooth; with a very fresh character. Rich, ripe and fresh with structure.

It’s interesting that in the ones I’ve had; the tannin content of the 2013s was about the same as the top wines of 2012. But, the difference for me is the 2012s show much more fruit and delicacy than the 2013s. The 2013 Napa Valley Cabs are at tad heftier while The 2012s Cabs are delicious to drink right now and will be through their life. Both are really outstanding vintages so seek the remaining 2013s and 2012 if you are lucky – By the way the Zinfandels in Napa and Sonoma are very good as well.

I recommend these three…

2012 Mount Veeder Winery Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($40)

Lots of dark blackberry and cassis here, great acidity and with a light minty edge; an imposing mountain Napa Cabernet at a good price

2013 Turnbull Wine Cellars Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($50)

Nice and big with teeth gripping and tannin; great match to a medium rare Delmonico steak….and a nice cigar and port right after…

2013 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars CASK 23 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($250)

Massive level of complexity, blueberries and baked spice, rich and dense. Magnificent floral notes melded with the blueberry

Today the cigar movement is once again in major fashion so let’s talk Nicaragua Tobacco, which is truly becoming ‘the’ place.

By in Cigars, Desert Wines, Tampa Bay Wine Pairing, Travel, Wine Chatter and Blather

Today the cigar movement is once again in major fashion.  The 90’s saw the decade really pick up with a new generation of real cigar aficionados and why not. The millennial roared with  a new era for food and wine. Yet, tobacco amongst the most important crops in the history of the world; Honestly there is nothing like a great cigar. Just like wine and spirits, cigars are among the world’s greatest and necessary indulgences. Oh boy, do they go together well…
There will always be the controversy about cigars. It is an easy sin tax.  But there is no denying the pleasure of a fine cigar. Whether after dinner, while fishing, golfing, at the BBQ, Beach, or just relaxing at the house or favorite watering hole.
I will be writing in a series of articles some of the basics that come to mind regarding the types of tobacco. In no certain order I will cover 4 types of cigars in four articles this is the first.

 1)Nicaraguan Cigar tobacco

 2)Dominican Cigar tobacco

 3)Honduran Cigar tobacco

 4)Cuban Cigar tobacco

In this article we will talk some about Nicaraguan Tobacco, which is truly becoming ‘the’ place.

Nicaragua is one of the best Cigar tobacco producing countries in the world.

Nicaragua is located just south of Honduras and north of Costa Rica in Central America. Years ago the Nicaraguan cigar industry had seen many setbacks with uncooperative politics and catastrophic storms; the powers have their act together and Nicaragua is on a serious roll and hands down producing some of the world’s best cigars, period. The country has rich and fertile soils for growing tobacco and even has a volcanic island. It’s been known since the Cuban’s came over in the 1060’s.

Nicaraguan Cigar tobacco is very noticeable through its texture. The texture is pliable in nature. In that it  is very unique  in nature and quality. The Nicaraguan cigar tobacco has a weighty spice and it inot as sweet as cigar tobacco from Cameroon, Sumatra or Maduro of other countries.

In the Nicaraguan, there are 4 main regions which are growing the Cigar tobacco –  Esteli, Jalapa, Condega and Ometempe.
Esteli : Estelí is the capital city of Nicaragua’s. Esteli has a black and fertile soil. Esteli produces a heavy spice, full aroma, body and full-flavored Cigar tobacco leaf. Esteli grows strongest of all Nicaraguan Cigar tobacco.
Jalapa : Jalapa has heavy with red clay soil. Jalapa produces a very smooth, elegant, and rich Cigar tobacco. On the Honduran border and really hard to get to;  Jalapa produces beautiful wrappers also. The Jalapa Cigar tobacco is very flavorful, slightly sweeter and unique because of the rich and complex aromas. It is remindful of the rich tobacco from Cuba’s Vuelta Abajo.

 

Condega : Condega has rocky soil. Condega produces very oily and elastic Cigar tobacco leaves with rich colors that are excellent for wrappers. The area sees a lot of cloud cover and the tobacco is mostlt sun grown. The tobacco is not as strong as from Esteli; it produces the second strongest Cigar tobaccos in Nicaragua.

Ometempe : An Island off the coast of Nicaragua. Ometempe have natural minerals in soil, which make it unique because of the volcanoes and provide ideal conditions and atmosphere for Cigar tobacco plant growth. The Ometempe island cigar tobacco is described as producing a sweet and a distinctively earthy and spicy characteristic.

There is a diversity of cigar brands that come from Nicaragua and Nicaraguan cigars come in abundant shapes and sizes with a range of aromas flavors. They do well with Tawny Ports, Jerez Sherry, Madeira and Vin de Naturals not to mention a good Brandy or Scotch. Here are several to look Nicaraguan Cigars to look into…

•Don Pepin Garcia Cuban Classic

• Drew Estate

• Cupido  

• Olivia

• Padron

• Plasencia

• Vegas de Tabacalera Esteli

• My Father

 • Perdomo

Halloween Candy is a Great match for Wine… Check this Out!

By in Desert Wines, Wine and Food Pairings

Oh Yes Halloween!  Quickly becoming a holiday for adults. Yet another reason why America is so cool!

While the kids are trick-or-treating a lot of parents and folks take the time to throw wine gatherings; After all…that’s one of the best parts of being and adult. Another good thing is you can buy you can buy as much candy as you want. What can you say being an adult has its perks…

Believe it or not some of your favorite candies can match up pretty well with wines.

Yes you heard correctly and it’s mighty good too.

Let’s take a look at 3 of my favorites.

Sour Patch Kids and a Late Harvest Riesling from Washington State or a Canadian Ice Wine 

It’s the mouth-watering acidity of the Riesling with sweet and sour notes of granny smith apples, apricots and nectarine and honey flavors floating around make for an all-in-one match with the puckering Sour Patch Kids candy.

Hershey Krackel Fun Size Miniatures (in fact that whole bag has some merit) w/ Banyuls and Brachetto d’Acqui

…I started with just Krackel but I had to throw in the whole bag  🙂

I will bring both wines out for this and interchange them

First is a Banyuls with its perfect match up for chocolate. It’s a ‘chocolate love letter’. A grenache-based fortified wine with cherry flavors that goes great with dark chocolate and nutty candies

The second is the sweet, frothy red Brachetto d’Acqui to wash everything down with its aromatic slightly sparkling quality. All this goes so well with the crunchy goodness of these mini chocolate candy bars.

Butterfinger and a nice Madeira wine

Thomas Jefferson would probably approve. He had a sweet tooth. The Madeira’s sweet raisin, toffee, nutty and graham cracker flavors go with that crunchy chocolaty peanut butter wafer salt action and texture of the Butterfinger candy bar. A good Tawny Port from Australia would be really good too.

Now you can either take a look at your kids’ bag and pluck a tasty treat or just buy it up and have them handy. After all you are an adult… 😉

Now that you know this; there is no stopping you now!!!

There are some great wines that go with the theme. Here is a link to several good ones to try…