WINE ‘HANDBAGS’ GO ON SALE IN UK

7th June, 2013 by Lucy Shaw

Article Posted by:  The Drinks Business

Looking to build a Wine Cellar?  

In my most recent column with Artful Living Magazine, I share tips on how to store, show off and share your wine collection.  Amusée’s cellar building partner, Foxwood Cellars, and I come together to show you some fabulous examples of transitions from closet to cellar in this informative piece.

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A great article by my friend, Bill Ward of the Star Tribune as to the ‘Do Not Do’s’ at your Next Wine Tasting Event

A not-to-do list for wine tastings

• Article by: BILL WARD
• Star Tribune
• May 8, 2013 – 2:36 PM

Not to put too fine a point on it — or encourage excess — but by far the best way to learn about wine is to drink it. And to drink a lot of it.

But not all at one sitting, of course. On the other hand, you can sample a good bit of it at one “standing,” especially if you’re willing and able to spit as you go.

The Twin Cities area has several public tastings every year, and one of the largest unfolds Friday at the Depot in Minneapolis.

In addition, retail outlets seem to have ramped up the number of sampling tables, especially on Fridays and Saturdays, when a savvy consumer basically could use these stops for their happy-hour imbibing before going out to dinner.

But all too often at these pouring events, Minnesota Nice takes a vacation. So here’s a not-to-do-list for public tastings, especially the big ones:

• Don’t wear too much perfume or cologne — and preferably not any. Others will want to sniff the wines, and every glass will smell the same if there’s fragrance in the air.

• Don’t hit on the person pouring the wine. They’re working, and they’re more interested in selling you their wine(s) than in getting your phone number.

• Don’t hesitate to spit (preferably into the bucket). The intent should be to sample a little bit of a lot of wines, not a lot of a few wines. With that in mind:

• Be satisfied with however much is poured. It’s also much more interesting and often more enlightening to sniff a wine when there’s only a small amount in the glass. And don’t be afraid to stick your schnozz deep into the glass to check out the aroma.

• That said, don’t strive to come up with descriptors. Even if you think you’re getting pencil shavings on the nose or kaffir lime on the palate, that’s a parlor game. What’s more important is the texture, the balance, the focus — and most of all, the tastiness — of the wine.

• Don’t have your glass attached to something around your neck. Even George Clooney and Anne Hathaway would look dorky wearing one of those “necklaces.” Plus residue inevitably will slosh onto your shirt. (We klutzes try to remember to wear a red shirt to tastings.)

• Don’t get schnockered. Mix in some water and food early and often. This is not about getting your money’s worth of wine; the experience is part of what you’re paying for, too.

• Don’t finish a pour unless you’re enjoying the wine. If you don’t like the wine, or even sorta-kinda don’t like it, dump it. Ignore the price, no matter how alluring it might be. If you’re not sure if you like it, the wine is worth exactly $0 to you. This is where Minnesota Nice can rear its sweet head at the wrong time, although making a “yuck, what stinks?” face is not advised.

• Don’t just talk; listen. And not just to the pourer but to other attendees. No matter how much you know (or think you know) about malolactic fermentation or native yeasts, there’s plenty to be learned. We’re all on a journey here.

• Don’t automatically start with lighter wines and move up to the “bigger” stuff. Consider reversing that course, trying out some full-bodied stuff and then gravitating toward more sprightly wines that can enliven your palate. This also allows you the option of finishing with Champagne.

Take heed, please

That plays right into my strongest piece of advice, which I consider almost as important as all the previous ones put together:

Always, always, always be aware and considerate of the people around you. Don’t ever hold court or monopolize the pourer’s time when there are people all around you waiting to get some wine. (This is made easier if you’re working your way quickly around the room, a certain regional or varietal at a time.)

So please, pay attention. It the tasteful thing to do.

AGAINST THE ODDS, ELEVATED SET TO DEBUT IN STYLE
Saturday Party Culminates Grand Opening Week

Navigating a long road filled with some surprising obstacles, two local entrepreneurs are prepared to share their vision with South Minneapolis. Longtime friends Ryan Widuch and Tom Boland were determined to bring a craft beer specialty store that also provided a full selection of wine and spirits to their neighborhood. After over a year of hard work they will celebrate with a grand opening December 3rd through the 8th. The whole week will include many special guests, raffles, giveaways and special discounts

Saturday’s party will feature a full lineup reflecting the decisions made throughout the store: selection without pretense, emphasis on a comfortable atmosphere for all, and ongoing commitment to education.

The Tasting Room schedule will start the education in earnest, building to Saturday’s bill of Lucid Brewing, Leslee Miller of Amusée Wine and Kevin Welch of Boom Island Brewing. Free beer and wine pairings presented by SCRATCH Food Truck and live music DJ’s and performers round out the celebration.

Elevated Beer Wine & Spirits is South Minneapolis’ new craft beer and wine destination. Offering a full service liquor store with a focus on atmosphere, selection and expertise, Elevated Beer Wine & Spirits is taking the modern liquor store to the next level.

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On Saturday, December 8th @ 4pm – Come join Leslee Miller of Amusée for a fun BUBBLE BATH!  Taste a number of sparkling wines from around the globe, including a brief tutorial regarding  bubblies and the regions they come from.  Taste, explore and stock your cellar with a selection of interesting sparkly goodies from around the globe!

Tasting is FREE, why would you pass it up?

For more information, please contact Ryan Widuch, Tom Boland, or Katie Brennan at 612-208-0973 or email info@elevatedbws.com

After a long hiatus taken by the Girls & Grapes group, our gaggle of gals brought it back together this past week to review the Rhone and a few of its surrounding areas.

Attached is the much anticipated list of wine reviews with tasting notes, price-points, values, and pairings.  Catch ‘em while they’re hot and (as always) take our suggestions ALL at your own risk.  Salut!

Sud de France Picpoul de Pinet - Languedoc-Roussillon

Best Buck for Buck!

Crisp, green apple, fresh, lively – lovely!!  An excellent value for approx. $12 on the shelf.

Sud de France Reserve de la Saurine Rosé – Vin de Pays du Gard, France

Sour cherry, watermelon, basil.  We love this and it’s only $9 on the shelf!

Prima Donna Tavel Rosé – S Rhone

Alcohol, cherry chapstick, no bueno – we no likey.

Domaine des Remizières Crozes Hermitage (white) - N Rhone

Grapes: Marsanne, Roussanne

Lemon Curd, the toasted nut notes to this wine make it a lovely pairing to this pinenut cous cous we’re having (from Surdyks) – great food wine!

Domaine Durand Cornas (Syrah) – N Rhone

Big, massive -Tar, smoke, blkberry, blk pepper, dust, and tastes a bit charred.  We’re okay with it, but at the same time, it’s a bit massive and obtrusive.

La Domeliére Rasteau (Dry Grenache) – S Rhone

$20 We love, love, love!!  Supple, spicy, strawberry, pretty- amazing with Surdyk’s pickled beets!

Domaine de la Solitude Châteauneuf-du-Pape (2005)

- S Rhone

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

Christmas spice, clove, mace, all spice – violet.  We love this!!  This is the winner so far!!  On the shelf for approx. $60

Meaty, smokey, organic smelling, Big Red Cinnamon finish, tannin, sileage – big ass balls!!!  We could drink the H-E-Double Hockey Stick out of this!!!

We guessed Hermitage, Crozes Hermitage, Cote Rotie

A perfect pairing to our greek seasoned grilled lamb chops!!

Emmanuel Darnaud Crozes-Hermitage – N Rhone

White pepper, blkberry, boysenberry ihop syrup, pencil shavings – we think carbonic maceration (bubble gum)

Not expecting this!  100% Syrah  We do not likey this!!  Not worth the $30 on the shelf.

GJ Syrah , Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes (2010) - N Rhone

A Girls and Grapes Best Buy!

Smells like green and spicy and pokey!

‘What the hell is a nettle anyways?’  Lil Lindz.   This wine screams it!

White pepper, cranberry.  Barnyard and husky farmy but slightly muted.

Actual juice is a St Joseph Syrah “What?, It’s a Vin de Pays!”  $18 – We think this is a steal!!  Everyday drinking Syrah-This is an outstanding Bang for your Buck!!

Clos de L’Oratoire Châterauneuf-du-Pape (2007) – S Rhone

Stinky, smells a bit maderized – raspberry, cranberry- cooked – massive vintage

Peppery, cinnamon stick.  Wine feels clumsy.  Smells bourbon-y.

Oh boy, this is a story of Texas girls vs. Midwestern girls

WE (as Midwestern girls) are German Rieslings!!!  We are meant to go the distance.  This wine is NOT.

Of course this is a CDP!!!  Worst bang for our buck – $50

Pierre Amadieu Vacqueyras ‘La Grangeliere’ (Grenache/Cinsault) – S Rhone

Strawberry, rhubarb, scallion, minty – Allison says ‘Excellent structure!’

Feels grippy but the girls like it.  Leslee no likey.  Leslee says ‘Too green and abrasive for Grenache.’

We’re all indifferent about the wine.

Féraud – Brunel Rasteau - S Rhone

Barnyardy- ‘It’sparticularly funky in the mouth’ Macha says… ‘It’s horsey!’

Not alotta fruit there… we need more suppleness.  We think it’s very bret-y.

Grenache – We’re not sure we like it.   Not a good buy for $28

Auriola Châteauneuf-du-Pape - S Rhone

Tastes bacterial again.  Fruit is missing.  Raw Manure.  ‘Feels like an O in the middle?’  – Does this wine have life??

Fruit is high toned – yet, barnyard still.  Tart tart cherries.  Smoke.  Char.  Sour cherry.  Nope, we’re not a fan.

SOMM Documentary Trailer 1 from Forgotten Man Films on Vimeo.

Why You’ll Be Drinking Moscato This Year

Anyone who claims to be able to see into the future is often forecasting the past. (Isn’t that how history manages to repeat itself?) Since this holds true as much for wine journalists as anyone else, I’ll make my own backward-facing prediction: The hottest wine of 2012 will be Moscato. Just like it was in 2011. How could it be otherwise? Sales of Moscato grew by a mind-boggling 78% in 2011, according to a recent Nielsen survey, and major producers like Gallo and Trinchero (aka Sutter Home) are still searching the world for yet more Moscato to add to store shelves.

 Gerald Weisel, proprietor of Weimax Wines, a shop in Burlingame, Calif., recently told me he had it “on good authority” that Gallo, the wine behemoth, had purchased “all the available bulk Moscato” in Northern Italy. Stephanie Gallo, the company’s vice president of marketing, would neither confirm nor deny the assertion, though she did tell me that her family’s company had been “pretty aggressive” in its efforts to find enough supply to meet the Moscato demand, and that included sourcing fruit from Italy.

While the Moscato grape is grown all over the world (i.e., Chile, Argentina, Australia, California, Spain and Italy) and goes by a variety of names and clones (from the fine Moscato Bianco to the plebeian Muscat of Alexandria) the Piedmontese version, Moscato d’Asti—a sweet, soft, low-alcohol, lightly sparkling (frizzante) wine with delicate notes of peach and apricot—is probably the most famous. And yet, Italian Moscato is just a footnote to the much larger Moscato story that’s unfolding in the U.S.

The story began just a few years ago, when Gallo introduced its first Moscato under the Barefoot Cellars label in 2008. With residual sugar over 6% (dry table wine is well under 1%) and an alcohol level close to 9% (four or five percentage points lower than most wines), it was an instant hit—Barefoot is the largest Moscato brand in the U.S. today. Three other Gallo Moscatos soon followed, all priced between $5 and $9 a bottle. And according to Ms. Gallo, her family’s company would introduce even more Moscato if it could find enough fruit. Some Gallo Moscatos are blended with inexpensive grapes like French Colombard, presumably to keep production up and prices down.

“One analyst says he’s never seen anything like the Moscato craze in more than 10 years of analyzing wine trends.”

Smaller producers like California-based Cameron Hughes have also had difficulties getting Moscato. When Mr. Hughes received a request for Moscato from a big retailer two years ago, he searched all over the world for suitable fruit. As soon as he found something acceptable, “the price would shoot through the roof,” though the quality was often middling at best. Mr. Hughes finally bought finished wine from a small Moscato producer in Italy and, priced at $13 a bottle, it quickly sold out.

The producer of Yellow Tail, Casella Wines of Australia, waited until last year to introduce its Moscato, in part because it didn’t have enough quality fruit but also because it miscalculated the Moscato appeal, according to Tom Steffanci, president of W.J. Deutsch & Sons, Yellow Tail’s New York-based importer. “The humble answer is that we should have seen it sooner,” Mr. Steffanci said.

How much did he figure the delay had cost? “I’d say if you missed a year, you probably missed selling a million cases of Moscato,” said Mr. Steffanci. The company is clearly making up for lost time: It sold 330,000 cases of Yellow Tail Moscato in just eight months last year and expects to more than double that number in 2012.

Who’s buying all this Moscato? According to producers and retailers, the audience is diverse—from middle-age Midwesterners to rap stars like Drake, who penned a paean to Moscato in his song “Do It Now.”

The biggest audience for Moscato is the “Millennial” generation between 21 and 30 years of age, according to Ms. Gallo. These drinkers “found their own way” to the wine, she added, noting that while Gallo did extensive in-store sampling, there was no formal Moscato ad campaign—”but we have a Facebook page.”

Bob Torkelson, president and chief operating officer of Napa-based Trinchero Estates, where White Zinfandel first appeared under the Sutter Home label, doesn’t see Moscato as White Zin’s successor, though his company produces plenty of both (four million cases of White Zinfandel and about three million cases of Moscato, some sourced from Chile, he says). “The Moscato movement feels more like the wine-cooler movement to me,” said Mr. Torkelson.

That didn’t sound particularly auspicious. The wine-cooler era was short, and I have yet to hear anyone wax nostalgic over Bartles & Jaymes. I asked Danny Brager, a vice president on Nielsen’s alcohol research team, for his view of the phenomenon.

Mr. Brager said he’d never seen anything like the Moscato craze in more than 10 years of analyzing wine trends. Nothing else came close, he said, except perhaps the peak of the post-”Sideways” period (2005), when Pinot Noir grew 66%. But Pinot Noir’s percentage growth quickly fell to the low 20s, Mr. Brager added, and the growth in sales is only 11% now.

I drank plenty of Pinot Noir both pre- and post-”Sideways,” but I can’t say I’ve done much to move the Moscato numbers. I don’t drink much Moscato, save an occasional bottle from small Piedmontese producers like Saracco and La Spinetta, whose low-alcohol, lightly sparkling, peach-inflected wines are among my favorite ways to end a meal.

I decided to broaden my horizons and purchased some 25 Moscatos ranging in price from $5 to $30 a bottle. They included big names like Beringer, Mondavi, Yellow Tail and Gallo, as well as smaller labels like Michele Chiarlo and Elio Perrone. And I invited some friends from different demographics (including middle-age Midwesterners, millennials and one rap fan) to taste along.

We found a lot of unbearably sweet offerings—wines that would put a diabetic into immediate peril—and some wines that tasted like canned pineapple or worse (Teal Lake). But there were also some delightfully sweet and off-dry wines that were lovely dessert wines or aperitifs. They were also incredibly reasonably priced—only one cost more than $14 a bottle and one of our favorites, the lightly sweet 2010 Beringer Moscato, cost a mere $6. Well-chilled, it would be a great aperitif on a summer day, said one friend.

Our favorites, perhaps predictably, came from Italy and included frizzante wines from Perrone, Marcarini, Mosca and Cameron Hughes. They had the bright, lively acidity, creamy texture and aromas of flowers and peaches that make Moscato such a beguiling and seductive drink.

As to the future of Moscato, it seems pretty well assured, at least for the short term. Mr. Torkelson, despite his rather dour wine-cooler analogy, had an optimistic, if rather corporate, view: “Right now there are probably a million people sitting around conference tables trying to figure out how to get a piece of the Moscato market.”

Holiday gift guide 2011: For the oenophile

Vita.MN Article:  November 24, 2011

By Christy DeSmith, photo by Tom Sweeney

Forged in the crucibles of the West Coast wine industry, sommelier and event planner Leslee Miller recently returned to her native Midwest to launch Amusée, a wine consulting and events firm. Check out her plum wish list, filled with ideas for the foodies and winos on every shopping list.

1. GoVino Glassware 

Check it out — these good-looking glasses are shatterproof and reusable, plus they don’t mess with the taste of your wine (unlike the ubiquitous red Solo cup). Says Miller, “They’re great for on-the-go wine drinking!” (available at Byerly’s Wine Shops, www.lundsandbyerlys.com • $11.99)

2. “What to Drink With What You Eat” by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page

The definitive guide to pairing food with wine, beer, spirits and even coffee and tea, this 2006 book is the staple of any bon vivant’s library. “I give it a zillion times a year as a gift — people go crazy for it!” says Miller. (available at Cooks of Crocus Hill, www.cooksofcrocushill.com • $35)

3. Cheese Deluxe Basket

Miller adores the selection of foodstuffs at France 44, which emphasizes small-batch farmers and food producers from around the world. “This basket comes with a whole slew of cheeses, chocolates, biscuits, crackers, even a cheese board and cheese knife,” says Miller. (available at France 44, 4351 France Av. S., Mpls. • www.france44.com • $114.99)

4. The “Swirl” Decanter by Riedel

“Who doesn’t want a brand-new decanter for the holidays?” asks Leslee. This vaguely psychedelic, vaguely laboratory-inspired style is definitely cool. Considering it’s from luxury producer Riedel, the price isn’t bad, either. (www.riedel.com • $44.99)

5. Vinturi Wine Aerator

Give the gift that helps sippers enjoy better reds. “This gadget is great for decanting wine one glass at a time,” says Miller. (available at Pairings Wine Market, 6001 Shady Oak Rd., Minnetonka • www.pairingsfoodandwine.com • $30)

It’s not all that often that we hear anything beyond “who the winemaker” is anymore when tasting wines out of California.  I’m not saying that it never happens, but often I feel this ends up being the case when tasting some of the golden state’s more cult-styled wines.  After living almost 4 years in Oregon and spending half of that time traveling to and from the Napa region with Archery Summit’s sister winery, Pine Ridge, I learned to experience WINE more from the vineyard perspective – above and beyond just the persona of the winemaker.  Oregon to me was and still is more about the life of the ‘property’ vs. ‘the who made it’ mindset.  During those monthly work trips to Napa, I’d make time to taste the wines of the valley in my down time.  Tasting in Napa always ended up feeling like the selling points were more focused on the ‘celebretism’ of who made the wines, leaving the conversations few and far between when it came to the actual farming of the fruit.

Today, I honestly don’t feel that much different about the valley.  When visiting now, I remain loyal to the farmers and true land stewards I made friends with years ago and continue to visit their properties.  When I make appointments to visit outside the realm of my little wine families, I make sure I expend my energies with others who follow the same philosophies.  Why?  Because I’ve seen the silo winemaking teams and have experienced the cult-y snotty attitude that ends up leaving me completely bummed by my visit.

So when a recent Twin Cities wine rep asked me if I’d taste wines with cult-statused Winemaker David Long of David Arthur Vineyards, I grumbled.  I didn’t need another $300 Cabernet on the wine lists for whom I consulted.  I wanted the funky, unique, small batch farmers that were going to share their love for the land upon which they farmed.  Open wines with me that would not only impress my palate but share with me, a story.  Needless to say, when my appointment finally arrived- I was not as excited to meet Sir David as the rest of the ‘cult seething groupies’ that he had lined up to taste with earlier in his day.

With a huge smile upon his face and a style that reminded me of a Coloradoan city slicker, David greeted me with hands out stretched and an air of enthusiasm that I had not expected.  The rep reached out and poured our first glasses of Sauvignon Blanc.  And without even taking one sip of wine and most importantly, without contention, David, instead of launching straight into a full sales pitch – went right into ‘story telling’ mode.  Not the stories of flavors, point scores and attitude that I expected – yet, an initial story of his “tour bus” named Meritaggio.  Were these the first impressions of one of California’s most coveted winemakers?  Not really.  After all, this was a man who scored a whopping 99 points from the iconic 1997 vintage.  What was he doing with a hippie tour bus?  (Okay, it doesn’t exactly have the ‘dancing bears’ pasted all over it- so maybe not hippie-but I liked his FREE NATURED notion.)  A man whose property sat amongst the likes of Chappellet and Colgin and a man whose wines sold for more money than most pay for groceries in a week.  I started to think…were all my initial preconceived notions of this iconic Napa winemaker dead wrong?

Wine after wine, the stories went on.  Stories of when he first met his childhood hero, a 1967 Olympic skier.  Years after making wine, he met the skier and actually had the opportunity to converse with the Olympian.  Most importantly, finding that not only was he a fan of this skier, but that the athlete was a fan of his wines.  Describing the moment as ‘humbling’.  Stories with heart and pure enthusiasm.  The funny part, it was I asking for the information when it came to tasting the wines.

Why the names, why the grapes, why the plot of land and why on earth Sangiovese in one of his most celebrated blends ‘The Meritaggio’?

The Meritaggio came, he said, after trying a wine in the late 70s, maybe early 80s (he said he couldn’t remember – as was the case, he said, of many things now in his age) made entirely of Sangiovese.  A grape, he said at that time, he’d never heard of.  Infatuated with the grape’s backbone, intensity and flavor – he decided to throw into his Bordeaux blend, using it to replace the grape that he really wasn’t the biggest fan of…Malbec.  And the name, thought up by his brother in Chicago and announced one day in a phone call that simply stated the word: Meritaggio – then hanging up after the word declared.  The funny part, he said, was that the blend initially started out having a 1-2% of the grape blended in – now up to 19% he loved it so much!

At the end of the day ~ the wines, in one word: Lovely.  Really lovely.  Wreaking of Pritchard Hill dark briary fruit and dusty baker’s cocoa – the smells were all too familiar to the palate if you’re a lover of this dusty hillside.  Gorgeous aromas of wild blackberry, baked cherries and dark chocolate.  And with a mouth-feel smooth enough to crawl out onto and take a nap on.  Luxurious.

My own bratty, ill-conceived notions of a fancy pants’d winemaker – who once graced the cover of Wine Spectator for his 99 point wine – was after all, a horrible way to introduce myself to a portfolio of luxurious fruit and very cool down to earth guy.  David, as I ended up calling him by the end of our tasting, was my newest ‘down to earth, hippie lovin’ winemaking friend’.  And now one added to my small portfolio of wine family peeps, and one that I will be happy to introduce my family to when we visit the Napa Valley in a few weeks.  Bravo David, Bravo.  I applaud you for making wines with grandeur, and for living a life that goes above and well, beyond just WINE.

Time is just flying by these summer months!  And as I would love for the August summer clock to tick a bit slower, I still found myself these past few weeks counting down the days to our Girls August Tasting Nite.  Blogs past recap our past events, yet none can seem to truly encapsulate the amount of passion, energy and enthusiasm that is felt and shared each time our group convenes.  Each time, I leave with a sense of fulfillment – smiling from ear to ear all the way home – recapping the combination of wine remarks, conversations and stories.  Yet, my favorite part is always the next day when I look back over the scribbled mess of wine notes I’d taken just the nite before.  The notes remind of the stories that came from each sip – listening to each girl’s account of what that ‘smell’ reminded them of in years past.  And with each account, a new story and a new memory shared between friends.

Our grandmother’s gardens, that strawberry candy we had as kids or the smell of a fresh fall September morning. 

All in all, a lovely reminiscent evening of story telling, sharing and laughter over a fabulous selection of great summer wines.  And one, I can barely wait for, as we set our date for the following month. 

And so, with a whopping 14 wines under our belts from the nite before, I transcribe  and share this lovely and unique list of summer wines for you to enjoy!

1. Rosa del Rosa Nebbiolo Rosé- IT- $17:  Dark Pink, sweet cherry & watermelon jolly ranchers in the nose.  Brite, herbal and weirdly abrasive.  Half said we liked it, other half said ‘nope’. 
2. Can Feixes Penedés Blanco- SP- $16:  Gun flint barrel and petrol in the nose, notes of sea salt and brine.  A bit flabby on the palate, but strangely alluring…because it was so unique!  We agreed to LIKE.  Perfect Pairing Idea:  Serve with a potato pancake, sour cream, chives and applesauce.    Retail:  Solo Vino
3. Valle Reale Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Rosé- IT – $20:  Dark cherry in color. Nice, strawberry, supple, juicy candy peel.  Reminds us of those shiny wrapped strawberry candies as kids – the ones with the chewy centers to them.  Really lovely wine.  We all LOVE!    Retail:  Solo Vino
4. Chateau Font Mars Picpoul de Pinet- FR – $15:  Fresh, crisp green apple.  Clean, floral, lemon curd melangé – soft and pineapply on the palate.  Delicious!  Retail:  France 44
5. Burgans Albarino – Rias Baixas, SP – $14:  Briny, creamy, white flowers and hints of kiwi fruit.  Nice.    Retail:  France 44
6. Vietti Roero Arneis- IT – $30:  Fresh oyster shell, lemon and lime scents w sweeping aromas of MN Honeycrisp apple.  A crisp September morning.  Palate is honied with drips of lite caramel.  Absolutely IN LOVE with this wine.                 Retail:  Haskell’s, Minnetonka
7. Chateau Brondelle Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon- Graves, FR – $15:  Smells exhausty, yet alluring with notes of green grass, cat pee and grapefruit.  We swear it is NZ Savi, it is so distinctively New World in the nose.  Really grapefruity as it opened up.  But were surprised once revealed!  We agree to be okay with it.    Retail:  Pairings Wine Market
8. Domaine A. Et P. De Villaine Aligoté- Bouzeron, FR – $20:  Wow!  Honey crystallized with bits of warm ginger, oily and sort of wet wool.  Had almost a creamy Creme Fraiche smell about it – nice.  I think it’s reminiscent of Chenin from the Loire – but was spoofed by this Burgundian beauty.  We like it.    Retail:  Solo Vino

9.  Aveleda Fonte Albarino- Vinho Verde, SP – $10:  Oily, crisp but hints of bar chalk.  Gr apple with a slite lime peel zest – sweet tart chalk – sort of candied.  Very easy drinking and a steal for the $$$!    Retail:  France 44

10.  Nikolaihof ‘aged’ Gruner Veltliner- Wachau, Austria:  You can smell the age.  ‘Smells Victorian, almost Baroque’ says Lindsay!  Like those little mini Cherobs flying around… What kind of tasting notes are these anyways?!  Yeasty and oily like your grandmother’s wallpaper – yet, we really like it!!

11.  Cade Sauvignon Blanc- Napa- $30:  Soapy, chalky and minerally on the nose.  Really abrasive on the palate and severely disjointed.  First wine of the nite we did not like and would not recommend.  Seriously, a bad way to spend your dollar and cents.    Retail:  Pairings Wine Market

1. 12.  Trimbach Riesling – Alsace, FR- $20:  Petrol, dry, crispy with hints of earth and spice.  Clean too.  We really like it.  A nice, clean cut DRY Riesling.  We might LOVE this one.  Oh and P.S., I love Hubert Trimbach!     Retail:  Byerlys
2. 13.  Innocent Bystander Moscato- Victoria, Auz- $14:  Yippeee!!!  A gorgeous pink bubbly.  Looks orangey, yet we are in the dark by now and have had a few, so it’s unclear what color it really is!  Notes of orange creamsicle, orangey zest, really LOVELY!  Smells like Lindsay’s grandmother’s rose garden.  Gosh, Lindz is on a roll here tonite.  This is really good, we’re pretty sure.  And, a great Buck-for-Buck Wine!    Retail:  Pairings Wine Market

14.  Quadrio Nebbiolo- IT- $20:  Earthly and mushroomy, smells like dried flower petals.  Also a bit sulfur-y.  Sulfur drops out and the palate is dry, and begs for risotto.  We are very happy to have this one red in our tasting!  We enjoy it immensely.    Retail:  Solo Vino

So there you have it.  A gorgeous array of fresh summer wines, intertwined and perfect paired to an amazing group of wine lovin’ ladies!