Thursday, September 20, 2018

WHAT WINES ARE HOT FOR FALL?




It is that time of year again. The leaves are turning yellow, football season has begun (unless you live in Cleveland), and the Pumpkin Spice Latte is back on the Starbucks menu. As your menu changes to reflect fall flavors, your wine list should, too. It might be warm enough for shorts and a T-shirt during the day, at night there's a chill in the air and you might need a sweater or jacket. Which wines work best when the air is starting to get crisp yet it's not truly cold yet?

Well, you can hold off on the heavy reds and the mulled spice wines for now, but you might want to switch up from your summer Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc to some cooler weather wines.

Alsatian Riesling
Many people stereotype Riesling as sweet, but Alsatian Rieslings are fermented to dryness. They have fuller body and higher alcohol than their German counterparts due to the “rain-shadow effect” created by the Vosges Mountains. It is one of France’s driest and sunniest wine regions with a semi-continental climate that allows the grapes to ripen to higher sugar levels while retaining their naturally high acidity. Typical aromas include apricot, peach, ginger, honey, diesel, and slate.



Hugel et Fils Gentil Alsace PRODUCT CODE: 000005259
Food pairing: scallops, turkey, veal, curried butternut squash soup

Burgundy Pinot Noir
Wine production in Burgundy dates to 200 A.D. and brings some of the highest prices at auction internationally. For example, in June 2011 during an auction at Christie's Geneva, a private American buyer bid $123,889 for a 750 ml bottle of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 1945. Pinot Noir is a thin-skin varietal, making it a prima donna demanding perfect conditions. The quality is heavily dependent on producer, vineyard and vintage, creating the allure for the perfect Burgundy. Typical aromas for Pinot Noir include cherries, strawberries, and cranberries, violets, cured meats and black tea.

Domaine Arnoux Chorey Les Beaune Les Beaumonts 2013 PRODUCT CODE: 000078137
Food pairing: chicken, turkey, duck, truffles, risotto

Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Châteauneuf-du-Pape, meaning new castle of the Pope, is in the Southern Rhone Valley. Bottles that are embossed with a papal crest on the shoulder are 100 percent estate-bottled. The region has a Mediterranean climate and is known for the pudding stones, or galets. The galets store the day’s heat, keeping the vines warm at night. Although 13 varietals are permitted in the final blend, the main grapes used are Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. Typical aromas include strawberry, raspberry, black cherry, raisins, powdered sugar, black pepper, and olives. It's slightly sweet and oxidative, which makes it pair well with spicy or hearty cuisine.

Chateau Mont Redon Chateauneuf du Pape PRODUCT CODE: 000007278
Food pairing: cassoulet, duck, short ribs, lamb

Piedmont Nebbiolo 
Nebbiolo, named after the morning fog, nebbia, is a thin-skinned grape varietal that thrives in the Piedmont region of Italy. The Alps provide a rain-shadow effect. Although the region has more Denominazione di Origine Controllata, or DOC, zones than any other region in Italy with 16 DOCGs and over 40 DOCs. Typical aromas include dried cherry, tar, red licorice, fennel bulb, truffle, clay, and cinnamon. It has high tannins, high acidity, with medium to high alcohol. All of which make it ideal for pairing with food, especially rich protein to tone down the tannins.







Pio Cesare Il Nebbio Langhe 2015 PRODUCT CODE: 000073929
Food pairing: black truffles, risotto, stew, rich meat and game


Spanish Tempranillo

Rioja, located in North-Central Spain, is the most known region for Tempranillo. The wine can be blended with Garnacha (Grenache), Mazuelo (Carignan) and Graciano. Rioja is traditionally aged in American oak barriques due to the history of transatlantic colonial trade, which gives it the distinct aromas of vanilla, dill and coconut. Other aromas include strawberry, raspberry, Twizzlers, sun-dried tomato, bay leaf, and tobacco. It has medium acidity and ranges between medium and medium-plus alcohol.


El Coto Rioja Crianza PRODUCT CODE: 000005634
Food pairing: grilled octopus, poultry, barbecued meats, steak

After a long day of trick or treating when you're raiding (oops! I mean "checking" your children's Halloween candy) you have some options to drink while finishing the chore.
Hey, the little ghosts and goblins need to go to bed sometime, right?

Check the blog often for more tips, tasting notes, and chapter news!


Monday, September 17, 2018

Tasting Notes




American Wine Society – Pittsburgh Chapter
National Tasting Project
The Wines of Portugal

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

ü  Beyra Reserva Vinho Branco        Range=10-18     Avg.=14.37 
o   [89 points Wine Spectator] $13.49

ü  Dona Maria Amantis Reserva Viognier   Range=11-17.5     Avg.=14.88
o   [89 points Wine Enthusiast] $21.99

ü  Beyra Reserva Tinto            Range=10-19     Avg.=15.28
o   [90 points 'Best Buy' Wine Enthusiast] $13.49

ü  Dona Maria Amantis Reserva Alentejo    Range=12.5-19     Avg.=16.56
o   [91 points Wine Enthusiast] $23.99

ü  Castello D'Alba Vinhas Velhas Douro Red         Range=10-19    Avg.=16.44 
o   [92 points Wine Enthusiast] $23.99

ü  Vale Dona Maria White Port $13.99          Range=13-20     Avg.=15.44 





We’d like to thank our hosts for the evening for providing the wonderful food to accompany these wines.  We enjoyed Portuguese kale and sausage soup, chorizo sausage, Sao Jorge cheese, Manchego cheese, Portuguese white anchovies, and a selection of Portuguese breads.  Thank you, Kevin, Ellen, Terry and Santina for volunteering!