Wine & Cheese Pairing/Tasting
October 27th & 29th
Thursday 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM, Saturday 12 PM – 5:00 PM
Wente Louis Mel Sauvignon Blanc 2010
Origin: Livermore Valley, San Francisco Bay, California
Varietal: 98% Sauvignon Blanc 2% Semillon. A French emigrant, Louis Mel traveled the western United States in the 1870’s seeking a place to make wines to rival the great French Crus. He found the ideal home in the Livermore Valley. Acquiring Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon cuttings from the Marquis de Lur-Saluces, owner of the famed Chateau Y’quem, he planted them in his vineyards. The Wente family acquired the Louis Mel estate in the 1930’s, where the descendants of these vines, live in gravel and loam soils similar to the terroir of their native Bordeaux.
Tasting Notes: This Sauvignon Blanc has a beautiful straw color and aromas of guava, melon, gooseberry, citrus and pineapple. With crisp acidity and flavors of honeydew melon and pineapple, this wine delivers a creamy, refreshing finish. Aged in stainless steel, this wine sees no oak.
Food Pairing: Sauvignon Blanc is crisp and fresh, and a
slam dunk pairing when it comes to most seafood. Anything from shellfish to meatier fish will work really well. Sauvignon Blanc
will also work really well with white meat like chicken or pork.
If you're having a dinner salad
with a vinaigrette or citrus dressing then look no further.
Cameron Hughes Meritage California Collection 2009
Origin: California
Varietal: 33% Merlot, 33% Cabernet, 33% Petit Verdot
Tasting Notes: “Our Meritage is deep ruby-red in the glass, with aromas of black currant and cassis. This seductive wine is lusciously textured with a myriad of black and purple fruit delivering a smooth, elegant finish.” Gold Medal: 2011 Winemaker Challenge; Gold Medal: 2011 Dallas Morning News
Food Pairing: Pairs well with meats
such as roast beef, steak, steak prepared with dark and hearty sauces or red
wine sauces, beef stew, short ribs, and Beef Wellington or hard nutty cheeses
like Parmeggiano Reggiano, Asiago, Manchego, Cheddar and Gouda.
Villa Montefiori Cabernet- Sangiovese 2008
Origin: Guadalupe Valley, Baja, Mexico. Villa Montefiori was founded in 1997 with the planting of 42 acres of land in the Valle de Guadalupe viticultural area of Northern Baja California, Mexico. Originally from Le Marche, Italy, the Paoloni family is dedicated to their traditions, and focus on both Italian and classic French grape varieties.
Varietal: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Sangiovese
Tasting Notes: Impressively balanced, this blend proves how far winemaking in Baja has progressed in the past five years. Fragrant nose of red cherry, cranberry, and crushed olives. Medium bodied on the palate, with layers of ripe berry notes. Finishes with cleansing acidity and plenty of grip. 14% Alcohol. Aged ten months in a combination of new and used French oak barrels. Only 300 cases produced.
Food Pairing: Well-matched for the
flavors of chicken, red meat, fish, lamb, pork, pastas, stews or well-aged
cheeses.
Newton Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
Origin: Napa County, California
Varietal: 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot and 6% Caberet Franc
Tasting Notes: This deep garnet-colored Cabernet Sauvignon offers luscious black cherry, spicy cedar and rich mocha aromas that follow through to the palate, accented by appealing earthiness and smooth tannins. Dense and intense yet bright and lively, this well-structured wine lingers on the palate with signature Newton balance. Aged in French oak. 14.5% Alcohol
Food Pairing: Enjoy this approachable Cabernet Sauvignon with any grilled meats. The ripe fruit character will complement Osso Bucco or Beef Bourguignon nicely.
Chateau Beauchene Premier
Terroir 2007
In 1938 the AOC of Chateauneuf du Pape was developed. They had just bought the property a few years earlier. They did not make the cut. The AOC laws don’t allow for a resubmission. This is as close as it gets to being a Chateauneuf du Pape.
Origin: Bordering the area of Châteauneuf-du-Pape's appellation, between the communes of Orange and Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France.
Varietal: Grenache 70%, Syrah 25%, Mourvèdre 5% . Syrah and Mourvèdre from 30 year old vines. Grenache from 40 to 95 year old vines.
Tasting Notes: Appearance : a deep red color of ruby or ripe cherry. Nose : bouquet of ripe red fruits and bilberries Palate : good tannic structure. The nose of ripe fruits is confirmed on the palate and develops to some hints of raspberries and blackcurrant. A well-balanced and harmonious wine which displays a great length. Drink now through 2016.
Food Pairing: This wine is well suited to all meat and game dishes, and is also the perfect accompaniment to all cheese .
Michel Torino Malbec Don David 2009
Origin: With over 1500 acres of vineyards standing at 5500-6600 feet above sea level, Michel Torino is the most important winery in the Cafayate Valley of Argentina.
Varietal: 100% Malbec
Tasting Notes: This wine shows plum, red fruits, spicy black cherries and cassis with toasted oak notes on the nose and palate. Ripe fruit and linear acidity balance strong but soft, ripe tannins. Aged 9 months in French and American oak. The Wine Advocate – "Deeply colored, spice box, plum, and black cherry aromas; layered and succulent, lengthy." – 90 points
Food Pairing: Enjoy it over the next 10-12 years with roast beef, grilled meats, venison, roasts, and BBQ ribs.