Hey there fans, I have had a number of emails and calls lately wondering what happened to my newsletter and me! We I am alive and well and very busy doing my day job and some other wine things right now. My day job (NASA) has been keeping me traveling back and forth to Boulder Colorado a few times a month and that really keeps me from getting too involved with wineries and wine bars.. as right now the government job is the one that pays the bills (unless someone out there wants to hire a full time Sommelier??).
The wine events I have been doing are a side of my business that a few of you might not know about, at-home wine parties. All you need to do is invite 10 of your wine friends over to your home and have each couple bring a bottle of wine in a paper bag. I will take care of the rest!
This will be a fun and educational evening where you and your friends will learn wine-tasting techniques used by the pros as well as some fun wine facts along the way.
During this 2-hour event, Wine-Sommelier.Com will supply the wine glasses and all of the wine tasting materials. This tasting event is limited to 12 people. It is suggested that the host of the wine tasting event supply appetizers as well.
If this sounds like fun to you, drop me a note and we can work it out and have some fun tasting wines!
I have some things in the works at local wineries and locations and soon I will be back out there in the public eye doing more exciting wine events.
Memorial Day weekend…. It is going to be 85 degrees…. Sounds like Summertime Wine Time!
Sit back… relax… take a deep breath… my first choice for the Summertime is…
Rosé:
After gaining great momentum elsewhere (less so in the US), the oft-dissed pink wine has made the covers of recent Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast magazines. Ah, respect. Made from every grape imaginable, today’s rosés often have surprising complexity to go with summery crispness. (Try Fiddleheads, Pink Fiddle- this Pinot Noir, also very nice is Cantara’s Cellars Syrah Rosé
Vinho verde:
A bit of effervescence helps make this light-bodied Portuguese wine (usually white; the red version rarely gets here) a natural for patio sipping. The lower alcohol content and citrusy notes are especially nice on scorching midsummer afternoons. (Check out your local wine shop or BevMo and look at their selections, the nice thing as these wines are usually under $15 a bottle!)
Chenin Blanc:
U.S. renditions of this dry white used to be largely plonk but have improved markedly. There also is no shortage of nifty versions from France’s Loire and Languedoc regions, South Africa (where it’s called Steen) and Argentina (as pinot blanco). (Herzog Cellars has a very nice Chenin Blanc for only $8, I do suggest this wine to be added to your Summer Wine list!)
Torrontes: Speaking of Argentina, this native grape of the South American nation provides quality at several price points. Its floral, peachy qualities mask a wine of surprising depth that matches up well with most grilled dishes, especially spicy ones. (I had a 2009 Crios de Susana Balbo Torrontes from BevMo a few weeks ago, and it a very nice balance between fruit and acidity)
Pinot Noir:
Doing a mixed grill, especially surf-and-turf? Here’s your ideal wine for pairing with everything from salmon to steak to lamb chops. The more acidic versions from Oregon and Burgundy tend to be a bit more food-friendly than the California fruit bombs. (Anything from the Santa Rita Hills, or try something from the Williamette Valley in Oregon!)
More of my favorite sipping wines for summer are California Viognier, rich and ripe fruit similar to Torrontes with fresh exotic floral notes and the heady aroma of a richly blooming garden at night. Rieslings and of course the easy pick is Sauvignon Blanc(Check out Magnavino to try their new vintages of Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc, I had a bottle of the Sauvignon Blanc a few weeks ago, it was refreshing and delicious!)
