A World of Wine

Bolgheri Super Tuscan wines part1

2009-02-25T08:51:00.000-08:00

This weekend I paid yet another visit to one of my favorite wine regions in Italy, if not Europe. The Bolgheri area famed for its muscular Super Tuscans that fetch prices of up to 700 Euro for a a bottle of this fabulous red wine made from the blending of Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah, and other grapes with Sangiovese, in the Bordeaux tradition, should be on everyone's list of wine-travel highlights.
We visited Guado al Tasso at Belvedere above, which is producing outstanding wines, aged in oak , that are shipped all over the globe. There is a visitors centre and a good shop on the estate, where the wines can be tasted. If you don't find it open, never fear, because there is the great and friendly Tognoni enoteca in the charming town of Bolgheri( pictured above with its tower) which I've written on before, where all the best can be tasted. A 10dl glass will set you back 7 euros and a mere taste from the dispenser on the bar, 3.50 euro. Good Tuscan food is served here too.
This time I'll pick out two SuperTuscan stars one much more affordable than the other.
Here I tasted Guado al Tasso 2005 and the blackberry notes, tannins and finish are really something. This is a wine to pair with a good chianina steak. Surrounded by walls of outstanding wines like Sassicaia, Solaia, Grattamacco and a whole stable of Antinori Super Tuscans in this cantina, most costing from E80 to E120, and having just visited the estate and seen the wine aging in oak barrels (above), I could really appreciate the care and attention to detail that went into the making of this very fine wine.
I realised I was living the dream of so many wine writers who want to experience this place apart.
We chose the enoteca/restaurant Ribotta(meaning hangover in Tuscan) in nearby Castagneto Carducci for our lunch of Tuscan crostini, papadelle cinghiale ( wild boar), and then cinghiale chops on the grill with salad.
Here we chose Michele Satta's Bolgheri Rosso 2007 to pair with the rich game meats. This affordable Tuscan from one of the premier winemakers in the area is worth every cent of the 20 euro we paid for a bottle of the 2007 Bolgheri Rosso (pictured above) a Blend of Cabernet 30%, Sangiovese 30%, Merlot 20%, Teroldego 105 and Syrah 10%. The wine is bottled unfiltered and left to age in the bottle, before being sold.
Ripe fruits, plum and berry flavours are enhanced by very muscular tannins, an exciting wine.
Then after lunch we explored the charming hilltop town and all it's enotecas. Name dropping is unavoidable here.
My tasting notes on all the fab wines I tasted here and more on this special region and its high quality wines and olive oil, will be coming up in parts two and three, so don't miss out.

Vergelegen- Far removed

2009-02-16T13:39:00.000-08:00

If you're thinking of visiting undoubtedly the most beautiful wine region in the world, the CapeWinelands of South Africa, then you must have a look at some of the Wine Estates in Stellenbosch, Somerset West and around Paarl/ Durbanville.
I've written on the wines and the fine Pinotage here more than once and also featured Beyerskloof where Beyers Truter works his magic. Now here's a site of an estate that I truly love, for you to explore VERGELEGEN the choice of none less than her majesty the Queen and Nelson Mandela, who both dined there. Known for it's extraordinarily beautiful setting at the foot of the
Hottentots Holland Mountains and it's award-winning wines - The Millrace Red is a standard-bearer and well priced and the Chardonnay, simply fabulous, you will never forget a visit there.
I'll leave you to dream about your next holiday there. All the Cape pictures will take you to a wine estate, enjoy the virtual tour.
The site South African Wine can help you with accommodation, maps, wine sales and anything else you may need to plan your wine trip of a lifetime.

Wine to go with simple Italian food - pasta and pizza

2009-02-01T10:29:00.000-08:00

Wine review of the Month

I've been reviewing wines from all around the world recently. So thought I would give you a taste of the "bel paese" and feature a wine from the heart of Tuscany in Castellina to pair with your Italian feast. There are those who love Chianti and those who are luke-warm about it. Which ever camp you are in, here's the perfect accompaniment to an Italian dinner. "Toscana" Sangiovese 2006 100% that comes to you from the Cecchi family, who make very drinkable wine,anything they touch turns to gold. Careful cultivation and maturation, produce wines to celebrate with.
This wine can compliment the spiciest sauces, salsiccia pizzas and pastas and any meat dishes including the famous bistecca Fiorentina.
Best news of all, it's available almost everywhere at an affordable price. It's a good stock cupboard wine to have on hand when friends drop round unexpectedly and you rustle up a pasta, or on those cold, dark winter nights when you order in a pizza.
The wine:
Colour: Intense ruby red wine made from 100% Sangiovese grapes (those beloved of all Tuscan winemakers).
Violet notes and an intense fruitiness.
This wine improves with keeping but is also good drunk young.
Combine it with any meats or meat/tomato based sauces for a good time! Indoors in winter or outdoors around the grill in summer.
Another store cupboard staple that will serve the same purpose is Terrale Nero D' Avola Sangiovese Sicilia Calatrasi 2007 from San Cipirello Sicily Italia. This wine is a deep red with a soft and spicy fruit flavour. Persistant and medium tannins.
Drink eat and enjoy the Taste of Italy.

Wine travels in Italian, French and Spanish

2009-01-24T12:10:00.000-08:00

Well, I've had the most interesting wine month in January and I thought I'd take you along with me through some of the wines of the "old world" this month.
I was on business in Switzerland so left Italy via the Gottardo and travelled to Luzern where I drank some very good Italian wines (yes I know the Swiss produce wine, that's coming later), from very far south, Sicily to be precise, at a great restaurant called the Rebstock. A four hundred year old, timbered building in the old part of the beautiful city of Luzern.
The evening went like this:
Arrived, lovely chatty ambiance.
Checked out the wine list, saw Sicilia-Tasca d' Almerita-Regaleali wines on the small wine list.
Ordered the food I saw arriving at someone elses table. (I do this often; choose my meal by the aromas coming from someone's arriving food).
The food: A delicious Pie with wild mushrooms, light mousse dumplings and veal cooked in Barolo, and surrounded by steamed assortment of crisp vegetables. The smell was divine.
The first wine: Regaleali Bianco 2005
This wine went so well with the creamy, meaty flavours of the meat pie and vegetables.
It's buttery but slightly acidic with gooseberry flavors and I loved it. So I thought I'd have the fabled Regaleali Nero d'avola to follow, which I finished off with dessert of the richest, fattest piece of homemade chocolate cake I've seen so far.
Visit the estate that re-defined Sicilian wines, innovative, brilliant. (disclaimer: visiting this site may bring on a strong desire to escape to that sun-drenched island with azure seas).
Both these wines are produced on sun-drenched estates in the province of Palermo Sicily, with perfect cooling sea breeze conditions for excellent Sauvignon blanc, Chardonnay, Malvasia and tanin-rich Cabernet Sauvignon, and they never disappoint. "The golden wine of volcanoes, and its flavour lingers on your tongue till evening" Guy de Maupassant .... just like the really fine Chardonnay/Grillo blend they produce further south in Sicily, great for lunch on a Sunday with roast chicken. I drank a glass of this with a friend in Lugano before departing on my trip.

The next day I had to rise early and get a train to French speaking Geneva, where two wine fanatics/experts Wink and Brett, had invited me for lunch. Since they both live in France and use Geneva airport as their local hub to London, we found that to be the best meeting-point.
They led me through the airport to a new restaurant tucked away upstairs. The elegant Altitude restaurant was an apt setting to meet, as the wine list and menu where both extensive and Elegantly French and the setting refined.
I put myself in the hands of area expertise, as Wink of Winetravelguides.com ordered a white wine beloved by her family, that I would never have stumbled across in ten life-times, Aigle les Murailles appellation d'origine controlle grand vin.
The courses that came to our table while we talked wine, were wonderfully presented and this clean, fresh wine, from which I got notes of asparagus and grass, complimented the food beautifully.
The wine label with a green newt on it, was charming and my hosts kindly had it removed to take away with me.
My choice: First, ravioli stuffed with wild mushrooms in a delicious light truffle froth which simply melted in the mouth.

Followed by lamb cutlets cooked to pink perfection as all French chefs insist is must be, with a little side dish of light-as-air mashed potatoes.
The finale was a fresh mango and passion fruit creation that was simply superb.

Both on a schedule, them to fly and me to ride, I travelled back to Zurich by train though the scenic route along the lake via Lausanne and then on to Bern, first class. Gazing out of the window in first-class silence, I was enjoying the lake area, for it's pretty sunny stone-terraced vineyards tumbling down to what the Swiss call a See.

The finale to the trip was in a little wine bar in Lugano back in the Italian speaking part of Switzerland where in summer we rent a lakehouse near to the border with Como our home.
A friend took me to a Spanish wine bar in Lugano for an after-work drink. The tiny winebar seating twelve at a squeeze, sells and serves only Spanish wines.
The charming proprieter choose two reds for me on the encouragement of my friend.

The first: Piedra Lazar Tempranillo from Ribera Del Duero, light and smooth and pleasant with the small tapas fish dishes served to us.
The second: higher in alcohol, complex and full of tannins Finca los Nevados Tempranillo/ Petit Verdot - la Mancha.
Both served with tapas of chick pea, fish and bread.
A fitting end to a weekend steeped in local culture, food and wine in the multi-lingual Europe in which I live.
Please leave any comments of appreciation or questions about the wines below.

Beautiful reds

2009-01-12T09:21:00.000-08:00

Wine review of the Month
Every now and then comes along a wine so superlative it defies description, but I'll do my best to do it justice.
The wine- Pinotage 98
The estate - Fleur du Cap Stellenbosh
The country- South Africa.
This wine had been in the bottle and laid down in my cellar for ten years, when I opened it to pair it with a dinner we were having.
Pinotage a South African varietal, which in my opinion when carefully grown, bottled and matured, produces outstanding results.
Beyers Truter who produces award winning Pinotage at Beyerskloof is president of the Pinotage growers group with set guidelines and has scooped red wine prizes from the French from where some of the rootstock on these farms originated in the Bordeaux tradition.
South Africa’s ‘indigenous’ red cultivar Pintotage, has gone on to great success. Another successful Cape blend is that of Sauvignon/Shiraz.
South African winemakers produce excellent Pinotage blends ranging from fruity, unwooded styles, through to serious oak-matured wines that require bottle maturation.

The carefully decanted 98 wine once given air, gave hints of cloves and spice on the nose.
The colour a deep intense ruby. The legs on this wine were long, it had after all, been maturing over a decade, once released from the oak casks it was matured in.
On the palate this wine is a triumph and I was loathe to share it with anyone who couldn't appreciate its fineness.
But share it I did, and this is what came out.
Hints of Vanilla and packed with blackberry flavour, cassis. The well rounded tannins, and long distinctive finish are superb. Smooth was a word that resounded around the room.
This wine was served with shanks of lamb stuffed with garlic and crusted with chestnut and rosemary and served on sweetpotato mash with a peppery sauce of cranberry. It stood up to and enhanced the strong flavors very well.
It would no doubt enhance strong flavours like mustard, horseradish and curries.

So, a bit about this wine, its terroir and where you can get it.

Climate, soil, altitude and slope orientation are selected to capture as much varietal character as possible. Climate is mild with south - and east facing slopes offering protection against late-afternoon sun. Cooling breezes from both Adlantic and Indian oceans, ensure rich slow growing crops. Soils are predominantly medium textured and well drained with good water holding capacity.
Vineyard sites are meticulously selected and maintained, Harvest is monitored daily. From the vineyard to Cellar Fleur du Cap wines are carefully crafted.

You may have to pay 60 plus dollars for a ten year old vintage but the 2007 is every bit worth the 10- 12 dollars you'll spend on it and will lay down well.

Visit the estate www.bergkelder.co.za
If you manage to find a bottle at your wineshop snap it up and lay it down.
The Beyerskloof estate is definately worth a visit. Its award winning Pintotage can be ordered online too.
Enjoy! please leave a comment if you have an opinion or more questions.

Fine Chianti Wine under 20 $

2009-01-02T08:13:00.000-08:00

Wine review of the Month

Today I'm going to talk about some Tuscan wines for a lunch under the grapevine pergola, or around the thanksgiving or winter fire. Everyone has heard about Chianti in Italy. It was famous for its straw-covered flasks of wine-(sadly not viable to produce anymore). But where exactly is Chianti, and what's so special about it?
The wine events calendar in Tuscany, will give you events to go to.
And if you are interested in the "Super Tuscans" in particular, then click on the image of the gallo nero-the black cockrel with the wine bucket, further down.
A virtual wine tour of Tuscany can be taken by going to the Italian wine link.
Wine review
But today were going to talk about one of my favorites from the area near Castellina in Chianti, a small village so typically Tuscan, that's really worth visiting.
The wines are from the vineyard of Castello di Fonterutoli near Castellina in Chianti (province of Siena)
Owned by the Mazzei family since 1435, Fonterutoli today still preserves its original, peaceful country character. The family Mazzei are famous for "Chianti Classico Riserva Castello di Fonterutoli", which was first produced in 1995. This is true Gallo Nero country. The company manages a total area of 470 hectares, of which 69 are specialist vineyards in four zones: Fonterutoli, Siepi, Badiola and Belvedere, at 230 to 500 meters above sea level, facing South and South-West. Average production is less than 40 hl per hectare.
The optimal exposure of the vineyards, hillside and micro-climatic conditions and vine density - progressively expanded to more than 6 thousand plants per hectare - ensure wines boasting complexity, elegance and power. In particular, Sangiovese developed through local breeding and clones finds in these four production areas the ideal environment for expressing its potential: major bouquet and elegance in the higher zones (Fonterutoli and Badiola), structure and power in the lower areas (Siepi and Belvedere).
All the main vineyard operations are performed manually, including the harvest, at different times specific to each site, to ensure that grapes of optimal ripening are delivered to the cellars.

So lets talk about two of these wines,

First: Siepi Igt Toscana 1999
The Grapes used: Sangiovese 50%, Merlot 50% the harvest is carried out by hand.
Maturation was carried out in small French oak barrels for 18 months. The wine was bottled in May 2001. This is a full-bodied wine with intense velvety tanins, that will be a perfect accompaniment to pappardelle con ragu, roast meats and game. I enjoyed it with a roast chicken and it was just right.
The attention to detail and careful maturation is evident in this wine with its long finish.

Second: A great "chianti classico" (The Reserva if you can get it, costs about 50Euro) but the Fonterutoli Chianti Classico DOCG 2001 is a wine I don't hestitate to suggest you taste, at between 12 to 14 Euro a bottle.
This Chianti made typically with the Sangiovese grape, has oak on the nose, warm, with ripe fruit. On the palate there is less fruit and more oak and cocoa. The dominant but smooth velvety tannins will improve even more with time. The finish has hints of ripe fruit.

visit Fonterutoli http://www.mazzei.it/eng_154/

Then still on a Sangiovese note anything from the Cecchi label is good. Especially their vino nobile DOCG
from Cecchi heres A Toscana Sangiovese 2006 Also from near Castellina. Deep ruby red with hints of violet and an elegant fruitiness.
Then on a similar note from Montepulciano Santa Venere Vino Nobile 2005 a DOCG wine 95 % Sangiovese and 5% colorino aged for 18 months in oak. Smooth and Special.
Send us your favourite, or tell us your opinion on these under comments.

Fine Chile Reds

2008-11-03T07:13:00.000-08:00

Wine review of the Month
Ok so I've been promising Chile Reds and since winter is now definately upon us here in the northern hemisphere, here goes.
The most drinkable and yet very affordable at 10 dollars a bottle,
is a red Carmenere 2005 from Santacruz estate in the central valley of Chile. The grape, cousin of the cabernet franc that if it finds its way into the hands of a good winemaker can produce great results as it does in the Cape, does the same here.
Well rounded tanins, fine ruby colour with viscosity and aroma on the nose of dark chocolate and berry fruits. On the palate it's smooth with a long finish and pares well with spicy food or robust meat dishes and roasts. It would pair just as well with a good steak, and even dessert like pears and chocolate. mmmm.
So let's do a tour of that central valley, and the famed Colchagua valley two hrs south of Santiago which is certainly on my list of TO DO wine areas.

Autumn wine fest

2008-10-16T01:13:00.000-07:00

Yeah that's right, Autumn's here, at least it is in the northern hemisphere. We have started to feel that we need wood delivered for the wood-burner and it's time for those lovely reds to come out. I've been taking stock in the cellar of the ones I want to consume soon and those I can lay down longer. Then there are those so precious and hard-won I can't bear to open them yet. I have some beauties. Do you ever wonder if present company deserves the fabulous wine you sourced and laid down lovingly, only to open it and realise you may as well have given them plonk for all they can tell? Ouch! I'm into The smooth reds from the central valley Chile at the moment and will give you a review on one of those next.
Anyway its wine fever time all across Italy at the moment there is wine being shown and tasted, later the chestnuts will be roasted and cheese served with robust polenta and ragu, so here's an inspirationial visit to Florence to taste that Tuscan wine. Enjoy!
Ok, later has arrived, last night we roasted chestnuts on the fire and drank a Cinsault red from Robertson in the Cape 2004. Cheap at six euro bought in CH. A deep ruby colour with good tanins and enough body to make it good with game, stews and cheese. This is good value. Look around the blog at other great reds featured.
Chile Next!

Barco reale

2008-09-05T01:51:00.000-07:00

Wine review of the Month.
Quite often I stumble across a really good wine just because the restaurant has it featured as the wine of the week. This is the case here with this great wine from the famed area of Carmignano Tuscany. We were served this wine with a huge pot of fish stew filled with mussels, langostine, clams and a lovely rich tomato sauce with spaghetti, called "padellacchio" It was a great marriage and just proves that fish doesn't always have to come out with white wine.
CAPEZZANA is the young version of Carmignano, made with the same grapes (Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon) and the addition of Canaiolo.
It is named after the historic Medici Royal property known as the Barco reale, enclosed by a boundary wall which was over 30 miles in length.

VILLA DI CAPEZZANA

This is the estate's historic wine and is highly representative of the qualities of Carmignano. D.O.C. status was re-obtained in 1975 and D.O.C.G. in the 1990's.
It is produced from Sangiovese (80%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (20%).
D.O.C.G. wines are matured for over one year in the barrel and then laid down for a further twelve months in bottles.
TAKE THE TOUR to this lovely area of Tuscany .
Please leave comments below.

August wine Vigne di Ca nova

2008-08-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

Wine review of the Month
Well, last month it was Marlborough NZ, and then I went out to lunch on a lovely sunny day overlooking the water in a romantic Italian village and we had arguably one of the best seabass and seafood dishes I've had.
The chef was Calabrian and he insisted on this wine to go with our fish.
It's from the Langhe in Piemonte and so I went with his choice, it didn't disappoint.

I have said that many Italian whites fail to excite me, with a few exceptions that I've written on here, Sicily, Piedmont, Lucca, and small estates in the Veneto.
Here's one that proves that the wines of Piemonte are exceptional. This was a 2007 Roddino Chardonnay from the Langhe Piemonte. Now if you've been reading this site, you know I'm fussy about Chardonnay, I come from a region the Cape that produces stunning Chardonnay affordably.
This wine is equal to the task at 12 euro.
Fresh notes of herb and fruit on the nose, not to grassy.
In the mouth this is a lovely full fruity Chardonnay with notes of vanilla, not as buttery as some but smooth and with a good finish.

vignedicanova.com

Take the tour to this lovely region of Italy click on the name link above.
Ca Nova is local dialect for Casa Nuova or New House
Comments below.
Do you have a wine you'd like reviewed, or a wine you'd like to suggest? We welcome your suggestions,leave a comment by clicking on comments.

Summer lunch with Marlborough

2008-07-16T07:06:00.000-07:00

Wine review of the Month
Today a friend came to lunch and brought along a New Zealand wine, she herself is from the land of mountains and kiwis. So I put aside the wine I had in the fridge and opened this wine instead, which arrived thoughtfully chilled.
So here it is, a Marlborough 2007 Sauvignon Blanc - for those of you who don't know where Marlborough - (pronounced mal boar ah) is, it's famous for its wines ok, so look it up on wikipedia.
So the label says Matua valley Sauvignon Blanc 2007, and it's in the affordable range of wines.
On the label it says; A vibrant and aromatic Marlborough SB showing lifted gooseberry and pear characters.
Short and sweet, and I agree completely. Which I don't always do with the write ups wines give themselves.
So here's my verdict.
On the nose the fruit really comes though straight away, clean and grassy.
Then on the the palate, this wine develops lovely fruity, fresh, clean peary and wild flower aromatic hints and a nice clean finish, but not too dry or tart. It's a summerwine.
Sunita and I pared it with smoked trout served with sliced grapes, pepperdew and a salad that included: baby beet leaves, cos lettuce, fennel, carrot, cherry tomatoes, cress, and bell peppers. It was a good marriage and I suspect, this is a wine that, once you try it you'll rely on it for summer entertaining.
This Sauvignon Blanc was apparently the first produced in the area of Marlborough, specifically Waimauku.
Enjoy! P.S. it comes in a screwtop, so in the unlikely event that there's some left over for dinner you can pop it in the fridge.
Visit the site at http://www.matua.co.nz/
Care to comment? we like to hear from you on your best, so write in.

Friuli whites

2008-07-08T00:49:00.000-07:00

Wine review of the Month.
We've been talking about Italian whites and you may have noticed I lean toward Sicily and Sardinia to avoid the watery Trebbiano varieties often produced on the mainland. However, along with Monte Carlo in Lucca reveiwed last week villa il poggio, and the whites from around Asti, Canelli, Piemonte, the Friuli area produces good whites and among these, are those from the Schiopetto family.

http://www.schiopetto.it/index1024.html
take the virtual tour
The wine Tocai Friuliano has been produced on their estate at Collio in Capriva since 1968. The 2003 from this estate is Light straw coloured/green with hints of pear, slightly herby/ floral. Dry and delicately aromatic with an elegant background of bitter almond.
Full bodied and persistant.
Serve with asparagus, cured ham, eggs benedict,

Another excellent Friuli estate, Ronco del Gelso growing tocai friuliano, and which also produces chardonnay, pinot grigio and sauvignon is http://www.roncodelgelso.com/inglese/home.html

LUCCA montecarlo wine route

2008-07-01T04:20:00.000-07:00

I prefer talk about the reds of Tuscany and recently wrote on the Fonterutoli fine reds in Chianti Tuscany. The whites of Montecarlo( LUCCA) were always believed to be some of the best in Tuscany and avoided the usually inspid variations on the Trebbiano grape, that grown carelessly, gives white wines in Italy a bad name.Of course Vernaccia di San Gimignano
Famed as the first wine in Italy to be granted D.O.C status, Vernaccia di San Gimignano ( made with the vernaccia grape.)was once hailed as Italy's finest white wine. A crisp and dry white with delicate fruit. Not a great wine, I find it's reputation to be overstated.

In the wine area called MonteCarlo, near the ancient town of Lucca Tuscany, the French grape varieties are cultivated. So when they are good they can be very delicately floral with a hint of spiciness. Here along with the fine Sicilian chardonays/ grillo and Asti wines, the name of Italian whites are improved.

So a visit to Montecarlo region and the wineproducers can be worth a weekend Fattoria Villa Maionchini is one worth visiting as is the villa il poggio.

The wines are reliable in this small area and can be fine drunk young and vibrant as vino casa in a trattoria.
Spending a weekend in an agritourismo here and following the wine route, can be a great way to experience the wines and very fine olive oil produced here.

Summer Wines

2008-06-20T04:29:00.000-07:00

Wine review of the Month
Well just weeks ago I reviewed an extraordinary Chardonnay here http://wineloversworld.blogspot.com/2008/06/extraordinary-wine.htm l
Today I'll do the same for the Chenin Blancs.
Chenin blanc used to be the poor neglected cousin of more popular whites, no so anymore. Now, along with it's more famous cousin Savignon blanc, it is asked for more often, than the oaked chardonnays, fruity Gewürztraminer and late harvests. Yes, green, acidic chenin is in. The versatile grape from France’s Loire Valley (called Vouvray), is also grown with much success in South Africa (where it is known as Steen), and California. Chenin can range from off dry to dry to very sweet depending on the time of harvest. Here we find apple, melon, lime and pear aromas. The best Chenin Blanc has high acidity with honey hints and viscosity ( syrupyness)– leaving a oil-like feel in the mouth.

This is a good summer wine to serve with Smoked Salmon, Salads, curry - both green and red. sushi, oysters, seafood and roast chicken.

So which to choose.
I like the Stellenbosch Chenins from South Africa. Both KWV (The good value Khumala), Mulderbosch, and Ken Forrester Petit Chenin 2006 at 17 dollars: Along with the Teddy Hall Chenins: both the affordable, and then the more pricey Rudera Chenin Blanc 2005 at 30 dollars. Are all highly rated as fabulous lunch wines.The Stellenbosch bunch are priced from 10-17 dollars for top award-wining chenins. They are winners.

Here France( the originals from the Loire) and California also shine, but you'll often pay more to get the same or less effect.
The best French is the pricey and very unique Clos du Château de Mosny at 25-30 dollars.

California along with SA which has more chenin grape planted than France, now produces The Sacremento/Clarksberg 2006 dry creek vyd at 14 dollars. this wine comes highly recommended as does the Erhardt Estates Chenin blanc, which is stunning at a mere 12 dollars
If you want to spend 10 -15 dollars or less and can't choose, go with one of the Stellenbosch or Clarksberg Chenins. Check out the sites here for sales, they always have an agent in your country.
Happy summer?
We're going to Tuscany again next.... for .Wine review of the Month

an extraordinary wine

2008-06-05T01:25:00.001-07:00

Wine review of the Month
We 've spent some time in Tuscany in May and will feature more wines from the region in coming weeks. But today I want to talk about a Chardonnay. Yes, I know Chardonnay got a bad name because it became common, just like Chenin blanc is now and Sauvignon blanc will be in the future. Every now and then, I'm lucky enough to find an affordable wine so superb that it almost defies discription. Today this wine is KWV Chardonnay 2005 from the award-winning, famed golden triangle Stellenbosch in the Cape South Africa.
Now there's a story here, because living as I do in Italy where these wines are completely unavailable, and where indeed you will struggle to find anything non-Italian, I delight in some variety. So it was I found myself in a rather ordinary small supermarket in Ticino Switzerland just across the border from where I live, and found a case of this, which I snatched up.
The first bottle could not have been opened on a finer setting. We had set out early in the morning for a trip to the alps and stopped along the way at a waterfall to have our picnic. The wine which had been cooling on ice in a wine-cooler, was uncorked in the empty peaceful countryside with the snow covered mountains towering above a dirt road winding by, with us perched on a rock with our picnic to the soundtrack of the splashing leaping white water.
The wine - lightly-straw-coloured with good lees when swirled, on the nose is citrusy, gooseberry and rain on soil.
Then the fruit comes though in layers on the tongue with hints of pear, nut, vanilla and a long minerally finish. This wine is buttery.
This wine combines well with seafood, trout, chicken curry, cold platters, salads, mild cheeses, and really, any summer fare.
Then of course I do my home work, and find out that yes, there's a string of awards for this Chardonnay and the other label it produces under Cathedral Cellar which has a string of awards thoughout Europe, France and USA, with the label Golden Kaan.

KWV -->Kwv Chardonnay Cathedral Cellar 750ml 2004
2006 Veritas Awards2005 KWV Reserve - KWV Reserve Chardonnay Silver Medal
2006 Michelangelo Awards, SA 2005 KWV Reserve - KWV Reserve Chardonnay Silver Medal
2006 International Wine&Spirits Competition2004 Cathedral Cellar - Cathedral Cellar Chardonnay Silver Medal
2006 Veritas Awards2006 Laborie - Laborie Chardonnay Bronze Medal
2006 Decanter World Wine Awards 2003 Golden Kaan - Golden Kaan Winemaker's Reserve Chardonnay Bronze Medal
2006 Monde Selection, BelgiumGolden Kaan - Golden Kaan Winemaker's Reserve Chardonnay Silver Medal
2006 Chardonnay du Monde, France Golden Kaan - Golden Kaan Winemaker's Reserve Chardonnay Gold Medal
2006 Premium Select Wine Challenge, German Wine magazine “Selection” Golden Kaan - Golden Kaan Winemaker's Reserve Chardonnay Silver Medal
2006 South African Airways First Class, South Africa Golden Kaan - Golden Kaan Winemaker's Reserve Chardonnay Served on board
2006 AWC Vienna Wine Challenge Golden Kaan - Golden Kaan Winemaker's Reserve Chardonnay 84,1 Points
2006 International Wine&Spirits CompetitionGolden Kaan - Golden Kaan Winemaker's Reserve Chardonnay Silver
2006 Wine Enthusiast Magazine, USA 2005 Golden Kaan - Golden Kaan Classic Chardonnay Rated with 84 points in the Buying Guide

2005 Decanter World Wine Awards2003 Cathedral Cellar - Cathedral Cellar Chardonnay 2004 Chardonnay-du-Monde competition, France2003 KWV Reserve - KWV Reserve Chardonnay Gold Medal
2003 Wine Spectator Awards, USA2002 KWV Lifestyle - KWV Chardonnay Score 84

So I get possesive and decide its unlikely I'll share those bottles with anyone but those who can appreciate its specialness. I rarely drink European chardonnay, and have yet to find a Chardonnay that shines in Italy with the exception of those produced in Sicily, which even the Italians will tell you, is more Africa than Europe. There in southern Sicily, the wonderful Duca Castelmonte Chardonnay blended with a little Grillo grape is always fine, among others.

Heres a price guide for KWV and you won't find better chardonnay in this price bracket I assure you

Country: SOUTH AFRICARegion: COASTAL REGIONSub-Region: PAARLGrape Varietal: CHARDONNAY Type: Still wine

Reg. 18.89 On Sale $13.79

31% discount on 12 bottles for $155.88
http://www.winechateau.com/vsku1325044.html
Your local wine merchant can get this for you.
Happy summer !

Top wines from Tuscany

2008-05-23T05:01:00.000-07:00

Ok so I've been gathering together my Top 100 red wines and top 100 white wines for some time now. If you want to make a suggestion you can do that through the poll online, and then send a comment with the wine and its vintage. I'm open to suggestion but I'm not revealing it yet.
It's a closely guarded secret. I'm giving you another month to take up my offer of adding your favourites to the list and then it will be published! I get a lot of satisfaction sharing my experience with a good wine so others can enjoy it too. So don't delay! use your voice or forever languish in silence. Comments on your favourites please! The last wine I reviewed may be on this list (that's a clue).

Today I'm going to talk about some Tuscan wines for a summer lunch under the grapevine pergola. Everyone has heard about Chianti in Italy. It was famous for its straw-covered flasks of wine-sadly not viable to produce anymore. But where exactly is Chianti, and what's so special about it?
The wine events calender in Tuscany-on the right, will give you events to go to.
And if you are interested in the "Super Tuscans" in particular, then click on the image of the gallo nero-the black cockrel with the wine bucket, further down.
A virtual wine tour of Tuscany can be taken by going to the Italian wine link.
Wine review
But today were going to talk about one of my favorites from the area near Castellina in Chianti, a small village so typically Tuscan, that's really worth visiting.
The wines are from the vineyard of Castello di Fonterutoli near Castellina in Chianti (province of Siena)
Owned by the Mazzei family since 1435, Fonterutoli today still preserves its original, peaceful country character. The family Mazzei are famous for "Chianti Classico Riserva Castello di Fonterutoli", which was first produced in 1995. This is true Gallo Nero country. The company manages a total area of 470 hectares, of which 69 are specialist vineyards in four zones: Fonterutoli, Siepi, Badiola and Belvedere, at 230 to 500 meters above sea level, facing South and South-West. Average production is less than 40 hl per hectare.
The optimal exposure of the vineyards, hillside and micro-climatic conditions and vine density - progressively expanded to more than 6 thousand plants per hectare - ensure wines boasting complexity, elegance and power. In particular, Sangiovese developed through local breeding and clones finds in these four production areas the ideal environment for expressing its potential: major bouquet and elegance in the higher zones (Fonterutoli and Badiola), structure and power in the lower areas (Siepi and Belvedere).
All the main vineyard operations are performed manually, including the harvest, at different times specific to each site, to ensure that grapes of optimal ripening are delivered to the cellars.

So lets talk about two of these wines,

First: Siepi Igt Toscana 1999
The Grapes used: Sangiovese 50%, Merlot 50% the harvest is carried out by hand.
Maturation was carried out in small French oak barrels for 18 months. The wine was bottled in May 2001. This is a full-bodied wine with intense velvety tanins, that will be a perfect accompaniment to pappardelle con ragu, roast meats and game. I enjoyed it with a roast chicken and it was just right.
The attention to detail and careful maturation is evident in this wine with its long finish.

Second: A great "chianti classico" (The Reserva if you can get it, costs about 50Euro) but the Fonterutoli Chianti Classico DOCG 2001 is a wine I don't hestitate to suggest you taste, at between 12 to 14 Euro a bottle.
This Chianti made typically with the Sangiovese grape, has oak on the nose, warm, with ripe fruit. On the palate there is less fruit and more oak and cocoa. The dominant but smooth velvety tannins will improve even more with time. The finish has hints of ripe fruit.

visit Fonterutoli http://www.mazzei.it/eng_154/

Watch a video of the area in Castellina in Chianti click on the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njLFB12oAbw&feature=related

You may find these Fonterutoli wines hard to find, this is not mass-produced wine. Contact them here or on the website above if you have a problem :Castello di Fonterutoli
Loc. Fonterutoli, 53011 Castellina in Chianti (Si)
Tel: 39 0577.73571 . Fax: 39 0577.735757
Email: fonterutoli@fonterutoli.it

A wine for all seasons

2008-05-19T02:16:00.000-07:00

The Nederburg auction a premier annual event in the Cape, South Africa from on 19th-20th September 2008. Plan to be there!
Leading oenologist and technical consultant Duimpie Bayly, who serves on several key wine industry bodies and was one of the three panel leaders during the selection process, believes that the wines selected reflect excellent vineyard sites and cellar skills.
"I'm particularly impressed by the Cabernet Sauvignons and Pinotages, as well as the noble late harvest wines, and in my opinion the reds seem to be the result of an expression of good growing sites, appropriate clones and a greater sophistication in winemaking with a subtler hand in the cellar," comments Bayly. "Many of our winemakers have moved away from the desire to make big, bold, stand out wines and have sought finesse, elegance and refinement instead."
Joubert concludes, "The theme of this year's auction - South African Quality - will be reflected in all aspects of the two-day event, from the business focus on the Friday to the more leisurely pace that characterises the Saturday programme. We look forward to once again hosting an event that has become synonymous with quality, both from a wine and overall experience perspective."

Still on a South African note, and just to squeeze one more red in there before we move on to summer, Tuscany and lighter fare; This weekend I had the pleasure of opening a bottle of Roodeberg 2003 from KWV The two of us shared it and it was a triumph in anyone's book, but particularly for a wine which cost a mere E 16 euro.

This is what the label says:
Roodeberg, the famous red blend from KWV, still enjoys global popularity today 50 years after it was first produced. The wine noted for its consistent style and quality, is a blend of selected varietals. The red hue of the Boland mountains at sunset inspired the name, Roddeberg, meaning "red mountain".
A meduim bodied wine ruby red, Fresh and vibrant, with layers of summer berry, hints of chocolate and vanilla oak.
Serve with pasta with meat sauce, game birds, grilled vegetables, Osso Bucco( This was for the European market)

This is what I say: This wine which was 5 years in the bottle when we drank it, is not too heavily oaked but rather rounded, and full of ripe berries, and dark chocolate.
We paired it with a carpaccio of beef, a sharp fresh salad and a lovely piece of real French creamy Roquefort cheese. It was a marriage in heaven.
Roodeberg is a deep ruby and has good legs and I coundn't stop raving about it. This is what happens when you become fanatic about good wines, you talk to yourself and also innocent bystanders about it. Later I went upstairs with the last half glass in the bottle and finished that with some dark hazelnut chocolate from the Piedmont and that too was a great match.
This wine will not dissapoint if you're having some friends over for a roast, a plate of pasta, a steak, or simply a salad or cheeseboard. I'm planning to serve it at our next BBQ and winetasting.
I'm busy trying to order more as we speak, the only question is can I bear to share it?

Wine of the Month Stellenzicht Syrah 2001

2008-05-10T11:29:00.000-07:00

I know that summers arriving fast and moving us on us from spring in the Northern hempisphere, but for the Southern hemisphere winter is approaching. Either way, here's a wine of true class for May !
Stellenzicht Syrah 2001, the multi award winning Shiraz produced on the slopes of Helderberg near Somerset West in the Cape, South Africa, has just earned its fourth international gold medal, it has six overall, at the 2008 Concours Mondial de Bruxelles in Bordeaux, France.
In 2007 the 2001 vintage of this amazing Syrah outclassed all other South African Shiraz producers with a top ten ranking and gold medal at the inaugural international 2007 Syrah du Monde Awards. This wine also won a gold medal at the prestigious International Wine and Spirit Competition in 2005 and a Grand Gold at Mundus Vini.
This Syrah has also done well at South African wine competitions too, with gold medals at Veritas and the Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show, made from a single vineyard in the unique "Golden Triangle" between Stellenbosch and Somerset west ( an area known for its "Classy" reds and some of the most celebrated wines, and shown on the photos to your right).
This Syrah 2001, made in the classic northern Rhone style by Cellarmaster Guy Webber from a twenty year old vineyard, and matured in French oak is worth every cent and more. I had the pleasure of enjoying it once again on my recent visit to Stellenbosch in the Cape. Stellenzicht produces vintage after vintage that are superlative, and among the best in the world.
OK. We're sold, tell us about the wine!
This full-bodied wine with soft tannins and perfectly balanced acidity calls to mind ripe plums, mocha and chocolate on the nose with spicy hints of cinnamon and cloves. The wine retails at around 16-20 pounds, or less than thirty us dollars, if you can find it. If not, visit the site and order a case to be shipped. This 2001 Syrah is a vintage that can be laid down and has already attracted many wine collectors. For more information call (002721) 880-1103 or visit http://www.stellenzicht.co.za/. also visit the link on South African wines on our links.

2008-05-09T05:49:00.000-07:00

What is it thats makes us fall in love with a particular wine? Is it the aroma, the feel in the mouth, the label, the bottle, the name, the vintage? Sometimes its all of these, but for some, rather like perfume, there are the associated memories, which we may not even recognise. When we un-cork a g0od wine we are stuck by its mystery, how did it mature when laid down? Just like essence perfume behaves differently on different people skins, so does wine under different conditions, heat humidity, transport. This is what makes it so mysterious, it's unpredictability. The same winegrower toils in the soil to bring the new harvest from the same vines, but yet each year can produce a very different wine, even from the same varietals, Why? humitiy, rain days, amount of sun at the ripening stage, harvesting, bottling in different moon phases. Many things, some of which can be controlled, and some of which can't. Just like honey made from different flowers tastes distinctly different, so do different vintages to trained tasters.
Over the next few weeks we will be talking about the reds and their versatility, and the particular popularity of regions.
"life's too short to drink plonk"

how do you become attached to wine

2008-05-06T08:53:00.000-07:00

This week I started thinking about wine and why it interested me so, and why I love to collect it, while we were hosting a wine-tasting in our cellar. A wine cellar that was build in a Merlot area hundreds of years ago, as a sort of cave cellar. Only now it has been tidied up and has a brick paved floor and vaulted ceiling. It is blissfully cool in summer , and a great place to have a party. The truth is I chose this as a summer house to use before we sold our other house because I fell in love with the idea of the cellar, and of wine tastings were I could explore my love of fine wine and perhaps even start trading in wine. Now there's a tale.