Wine & Cheese Tasting
September 15th & 17th
Thursday 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM, Saturday 12 PM – 5:00 PM
La Carraia Orvieto Classico 2009
Origin: Baschi-Orvieto, Umbria, Italy
Varietal: Grechetto 40%, Malvasia 30%, Procanico 30%grown in vineyards surrounding the historic hilltop town of Orvieto.
Tasting Notes: Orvieto Classico is one of the best known white wines from Central Italy. It boasts a long history that dates back to medieval times, when it was the favorite wine of the Papacy, and even reaches back to the time of the Etruscan, a population who inhabited the area thousands of years ago. Pale yellow in color with an elegant and intense perfume of Mediterranean flowers. Fresh on the palate with a full, rich taste of roasted almonds. Aged and fermented in stainless steel, this wine sees no oak.
Food Pairing: Recommended with a variety of seafood dishes but structured enough to accompany hot starters, cured meats, pasta, omelets and even delicately roasted white meats.
Clos LaChance Glittering-Throated Emerald Chardonnay (unoaked) 2009
Origin: Monterey County, California. Hummingbirds have been a part of Clos LaChance lore since the first vintage in 1992. Vintners Bill and Brenda Murphy (Windham, New Hampshire native) chose the hummingbird as the symbol for Clos LaChance Winery due to its territorial nature and ability to chase away the grape-eating birds from the vineyards.
Varietal: 100% Chardonnay. The grapes for this Chardonnay come from two spots in Monterey County: a vineyard east of Soledad and one in the San Lucas AVA. The wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks, so it doesn’t spend any time in oak. Nor does it go through malolactic fermentation.
Tasting Notes: Aromas open
with crisp green apples, pears, and bright citrus such as lemon and
pineapple. Notes of peach cobbler, honey and a subtle grassiness follow. A strong pallet weight with flavors of
fresh citrus and tropical fruits are upheld by a bright acid backbone.
Food Pairing: This refreshing, unoaked Chardonnay will pair well with fresh grilled fish and vegetable dishes, and can even stand up to spicy, blackened chicken
Vina Perillilo Arenal Carmenere 2009
Origin: Colchagua Valley, Chile. Vina Peralillo is located in the Colchagua Valley at 656 feet altitude, 155 miles from Santiago. Because they are on the coastal side of the valley, their estate benefits from a significant maritime influence, allowing daily temperature fluctuations of up to 70 degrees.
Varietal: 100% Carmenere
Tasting Notes: Intensely dark and violet in color with bold, sweet, floral aromas of blackberry and earthy plum which combine with peppery spiciness. In the mouth, it is ripe, structured, and surprisingly complex, with a terrific softness on the palate.
Food Pairing: Serve with roast meats, pasta with meat sauces, mushrooms, swordfish or tuna, gruyére and cheddar cheeses, aromatic curries and smoky tandooris, as well as barbecued sauced foods. It also drinks well on its own.
Michael David Petite Petit 2009
Origin: Lodi, California
Varietal: A blend of 85% Petite Sirah and 15% Petit Verdot.
Tasting Notes: Like elephants whose size is imposing, Petite Petit is large, offering a joyous explosion of color and fun. It is a substantial, dense, full-bodied, whopper style of wine loaded with pure black fruit and vanilla flavors that coat the palate. It reveals remarkable richness with a finish that is slightly dry and seems to linger. Aged 18 months in French Oak.
Food Pairing: Pair this wine with grilled and barbequed
foods, especially steak. It also plays
well with Poultry: Turkey, Game
Hens, Beef, Pork Chops and Sharp Cheddar Cheese. When coking with herbs try mint and thyme.
Cumulus Inkberry Mountain Estate Cabernet / Shiraz 2009
Origin: Central Ranges, Australia. Inkberry’s high elevation Mountain Estate is perched on the slopes of the Great Dividing Range and enjoys an unusual intensity of highland sunshine and UV light giving the small clusters of grapes a fantastic dark, inky color. The extremely low grape yields and 1800 feet of elevation combine to create wines of aromatic complexity with layers of deep, rich flavors.
Varietal: 60% Shiraz and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon
Tasting Notes: Aromas of rich, ripe blackberries and dark plums, underscored by a touch of spice. Juicy black currants and blackberries abound on the palate. The sweet fruit combines with bright, peppery savory characters to create a well- balanced, full-bodied and truly satisfying wine. Aged separately for 18 months in French and American oak and then blended for bottling.
Food Pairing: Great with barbecued steak, slow cooked lamb shanks, and a variety of other meat based dishes.
Sean Minor Napa Valley Red 2009
Origin: Napa Valley, California
Varietal: 30% Merlot, 23% Petit Verdot, 17% Zinfandel, 6% Petite Sirah, 10% Syrah and 4% Malbec
Tasting Notes: This wine was racked to a combination of French and American oak for aging of which 18% was new. During the aging process the wine lots were tasted throughout and blended back together just before bottling. This 2009 Napa Valley Red Wine is deep ruby in color and displays aromas of ripe blueberry, dark cherry, cassis and vanilla. On the palate, flavors of blueberries and dark cherry combined with hints of oak spices that coat the palate. The soft tannins and sweet oak balance lead to a long and lingering finish.
Food Pairing: Roast, Steak, Brisket, Meatloaf, Hamburgers,
Grilled chicken, Cornish hen, Duck, Goose, Turkey, Lamb, Pork, Veal, Rabbit,
Quail, Pheasant, Tuna, Salmon, Mackerel. Pasta with: meat, Bolognese, tomato,
carbonara. Cheese: Parmigiano, Romano, Cheddar. Soups: vegetable, chicken,
meat-based stews. As you can see from
the list above this is a very food friendly wine that is also smooth enough to
sip on its own.