Villa Wolf, Pfalz Pinot Gris (2017) $12
Founded in 1756, in the Pfalz region of Germany, the J.L. Wolf estate (now called Villa Wolf) was a successful and highly regarded winery for more than two centuries. It entered an especially glamorous era with the construction of its Italianate estate house and villa in 1843.
In the latter years of the 20th century, however, the estate languished, lacking a firm hand to guide its wine production. Ernst Loosen, of the Dr. Loosen estate, took over the vineyards in 1996, launching a dramatic turnaround in the estate’s quality and reputation.
Since 2011, the estate has been managed by a talented and dedicated young couple who met while working at Dr. Loosen. Patrick Moellendorf and Sumi Gebauer have brought renewed energy and focus to the viticulture and winemaking at Villa Wolf.
Zesty lemon and grapefruit aromas awaken the senses in this sunny, dry-style Pinot Gris. Plump and pleasantly clingy on the palate, it's balanced with crisp, tangerine acidity and a bite of astringency on the finish.
Georg Albrecht Schneider, Niersteiner Paterberg Riesling Kabinett (2016) $12
Farmers of first-class ranked vineyards in the village of Nierstein on the Rhein River, now in their seventh generation.
This wine has white peach, melon and basil notes. Off-dry (or a bit sweet). A perfect match for strong Indian and Asian spiced dishes. Also fantastic with a spiced duck leg, dishes with acidic sauces, roasted vegetables, and soft cheeses.
Indaba, Chenin Blanc (2017) $10
Grapes were sourced from select vineyard sites in Swartland, Paarl, Stellenbosch, Durbanville, Robertson and McGregor, characterized by soils of Table Mountain sandstone, decomposed Dolomite granite, shale and red Karoo clay. The vines range in age from 5 to 35+ years old, and more than half are low-yielding dry farmed bush vines.
2017 was an exceptional vintage. Chenin Blanc is South Africa’s most widely planted varietal and the Cape’s signature white. This fresh, easydrinking version offers vibrant flavors of honeyed pear, golden delicious apple and luscious tropical fruit.
De Wetshof Estate, Robertson Chardonnay Limestone Hill (2017) $14
The De Wet family history can be traced back to 1694 when the first De Wets landed on the Cape of South Africa. By the early 1800's, the De Wets owed vineyards in the Robertson area and in 1972, De Wetshof became the first registered estate winery in the valley. The estate is owned by winemaker Danie de Wet, a graduate of Geisenheim, the wine institute in Germany. While he was a student in Europe, the wines of Burgundy captured his imagination, especially Chardonnay. After returning home Danie did exhaustive tests before planting carefully selected Chardonnay clones and rootstocks, becoming one of the first wineries in South Africa to do so.
Here’s what wine critic R. Parker says: “This wine ever sees oak, and offers impeccably pure, refreshing apple, peach and lemon fruit, a lovely leesy richness of texture, and a nutty, chalky, fruit-filled finish of imposing length. Understated and less tropical than some of the better un-oaked Chardonnays, this wine possesses far better balance and sheer drinkability – not to mention more finesse – than 99% of the world’s Chardonnay I’ve experienced.”
LOLA Wines, Sonoma Coast Chardonnay (2016) $17
Winemaker Seth Cripe, taking the founding philosophy of LOLA to heart, has balanced the age-old techniques and finesse of winemaking with his straightforward and honest approach, to produce naturally elegant and affordable wines. Trained in the Napa Valley tradition he credits Clarke Swanson, Marco Cappelli and Chuck Wagner as his mentors in wine and Robert Mondavi as his inspiration to build LOLA into an international wine brand that represent the natural beauty of California wines at affordable prices. Seth has worked in all facets of winemaking, from farming to research, at some of the most renown wineries in the world before he set out to create his version of great Coastal wines in 2008 when he established LOLA .
LOLA Chardonnay is pale gold in color with aromas of tropical fruits, citrus and a hint of oak rounding out a balanced nose. Full of fruit but balanced with bright acidity and a touch of oak, it is a great wine to have with rich seafood.
LOLA Wines, North Coast Pinot Noir (2016) $17
LOLA North Coast Pinot Noir is a blend of unique vineyards from Mendocino, Russian River Valley and the Sonoma Coast. 2016 was a great vintage for North Coast Pinot Noir vineyards and the wine reflects that balance in nature itself throughout the year. The wine is medium, preserving the dark berry fruit, cola and redwood forest aromas of Northern California grown Pinot Noir while maintaining bright acidity, lower alcohol and a soft, supple, delicate tannin structure.
Bodegas Breca, Calatayud Garnacha De Fuego Old Vines (2016) $12
It wouldn’t be a great list if we didn’t have a red wine from Spain!
Calatayud is an arid and mountainous region three hours to the northeast of Madrid. Bodegas Breca is located on the outskirts of the town Munebrega, which for many centuries was a Celt-Iberian city that resisted Roman occupation for decades until the arrival of Scipio Africanus on the Iberian Peninsula. Viticulture flourished under the Romans, but in the 20th century, cooperatives dominated the winemaking scene in Calatayud. Jorge Ordóñez, founder of Bodegas Breca, was the first person to introduce D.O. Calatayud into the United States.
Fruity and easy to drink, yet it has some good power and will stand up to hearty dishes.
Venica & Venica, Collio Merlot (2015) $15
This grape arrived in Friuli with the French noble Teodoro de La Tour in 1869 and become suddenly one the most popular and common red grape. How many times have you heard folks say, in Italy they pour you house wine and it’s fantastic (just like in the USA, right?) When you ask in old Osteria a glass of white indeed you receive a Tocai Friulano and when you ask for a red you drink Merlot. It is also very common that Friuli older people think that Merlot is an indigenous grape and the typical pronunciation includes the final T.
Gotta love that! We are big fans of this Merlot, mostly because it’s nothing like the stuff made by the factories in the USA. If you blind taste this wine, no way you’d guess Merlot.
This is a perfect example of Collio Merlot, plummy and fruity, yet distinctly Italian, with spice and herbs on the nose. Soft, yet plush, with juicy fruit and hints of cocoa on the finish. If you are like many others with a preconceived notion about what Merlot tastes like, this is a must try.
Duorum, Tons de Duorum (2015) $12
There are a couple of reds from the Douro Valley of Portugal that defy logic, and offer incredible quality for $15 and under. If you haven't been to the Douro, get yourself there. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and home to some of the most stunningly beautiful and treacherous vineyards known to man. Red field blends are the norm in the Douro Valley, and Tons de Duorum is a blend of 50% Touriga Franca, 30% Touriga Nacional and 20% Tinto Roriz all planted in the classic schist soil of the region. The 2015 Tons de Duorum Tinto doesn't disappoint. Lots of brambly black and red fruit, wild spice notes, and a long juicy finish keep you coming back for another glass. Maybe the weather will cooperate and you can get back on that grill and pair with some grilled lamb chops coated in garlic and rosemary.
Trentadue Winery, La Storia Alexander Valley Petite Sirah (2015) $24
We are going to print a bit more than we usually do right here, because we spend a lot of time in Sonoma County, and we are big fans of this winery’s offerings.
The Trentadue family arrived in Sonoma County long before the region gained a reputation as the Wine Country. Life-long, hands-on agriculturists, Evelyn and Leo Trentadue contributed significantly to the advancement of their region over the years. In 1959, the Trentadues decided to flee the developers encroaching on their apricot and cherry orchards in Sunnyvale, the area known today around the world as Silicon Valley. To preserve their way of life, these hard-working Italian ranchers purchased 208 acres of land in Sonoma County's then remote Alexander Valley.
There was little market for the region's dry-farmed apples, prunes, pears, and grapes in the late 1950s, so land was cheap and plentiful. Scores of ranches were for sale but, because it was blessed with an excellent combination of climate, soil, and water, Leo settled on a special piece of property in the heart of the Alexander Valley. Little did he know what this ranch had once been, much less what it was to become.
The piece of land, which is now home to Trentadue Winery, has a remarkable history. In 1868, a French botanist named Andrew Bouton established Heart's Desire Nursery on this excellent site east of the railroad tracks. With a passion for breeding new and improved strains of fruit trees, Bouton devoted himself to plant propagation, becoming a major supplier of young tree stock to orchardists throughout the western United States. His reputation attracted the attention of a young man named Luther Burbank who visited Bouton frequently. Influenced by Bouton, Burbank conducted his own work in nearby Sebastopol and Santa Rosa.
This winery's story cannot be told without mention of the Trentadues' remarkable long-term relationship with Paul Draper of Ridge Vineyards. Their personal history began in 1952 when the Trentadues became Paul's neighbor in Santa Clara, after buying an old abandoned wine estate at the end of Montebello Road. Paul began buying fruit from their ancient vines, striking up a friendship which continues to this day.
Both Draper and the Trentadues know a good thing when they see it. Draper was quick to benefit from the Trentadues' aptitude for viticulture. The Trentadues have similarly benefited from Draper's wine business savvy. Indeed, it is Draper who encouraged the family to take advantage of their location and establish an estate winery.
The list of mutual benefits derived from the Trentadue and Ridge association is extensive: Fruit from the Trentadues' Geyserville estate has been sold to Ridge Vineyards every vintage since 1967. In 1974, Ridge Vineyard acquired the Trentadues' mountaintop winery and vineyard today known as Montebello. Victor Trentadue manages not only 99 plus acres of his family's estate-owned fruit contracted to Ridge, but is also entrusted to manage 188 additional acres of Dry Creek Valley grapes under contract nearby to Draper.
The 2015 Petite Sirah has a very dark, opaque color, beautiful nose of concentrated blue berries and blackberries that leads to a full body mouth feel with engagingly soft tannins. After short aeration the nose opens up with the addition of cocoa, slight earthiness followed by brown sugar and a touch of vanilla-contribution of the new oak barrels. Overall the romas are of fresh dark fruit and very attractive. This wine will definitely age well and if stored properly it will give you the most enjoyment in 5-8 years.
Blend: 90% Petite Sirah, 6% Syrah, 4% Zinfandel
