Jane's Weekly Wines from the Atlanta Wine School PRINT AND GO VERSION May 18th, 2006 Off-beat Regions *************************************************************************************** RETAILERS WHO SUPPORT THIS COLUMN AND HAVE HAD THIS LIST OF WINES IN ADVANCE. Corner Wine & Art, 1402 N. Highland Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30306 -- 404-875-8810 Home Town Wine & Spirits, 4856 Hog Mountain Rd, Flowery Branch, GA --770-965-6058 The Colors of Wine, 2355 Cumberland Pkwy, Atlanta, GA 30339 -- 770-432-2828 Sigman Bottle Shop, 425 Sigman Road - Conyers, GA 30012 -- 770-929-8797 Shiraz, 675 Pulaski Street, Suite 400, Athens, GA 30601 -- 706-208-0010 Windward Beverage, 12915 Hwy 9, Alpharetta, GA 30004 -- 678-566-3301 IS YOUR WINE SHOP NOT LISTED HERE? HAVE THEM CALL 770-668-0435 *************************************************************************************** Nugan "Fresca's Lane Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2003 King Valley (Victoria), Australia Medium-bodied dry white wine; medium pale greenish straw. Lime-rich aromas, with flavors that focus on white fruit flavors, such as white melon, tropical white fruits such as cherimoya, hint of star fruit (carambola), suggestion of pineapple. Fruit very well integrated with neutral oak (not at all oaky), as just 20% has seen neutral oak. Wine is elegant, not at all that over-the-top gooseberry business we've come to expect from AU Sauvignon Blanc, and shows some minerality. Excellent value. King Valley lies outside Melbourne: Take the Hume Hwy. toward Rutherglen, then at Wangaratta, turn south along the King River. Italian-descended farmers there are turning from tobacco to wine growing, and the range of varieties planted, including Italian varieties, is huge. Serve moderately chilled, about 55 degrees, in tulip-shaped white-wine glasses. Shellfish and seafood: raw or fried oysters with lemon; grilled, baked or fried scallops; crab cakes and crab-stuffed flounder, shrimp or tilapia; clams Casino, grilled or baked mild grilled medium-bodied fish (red snapper, striped bass, tilapia, flounder), fried catfish. Also hummus; tabbouleh, cucumber/bell pepper salad with feta cheese vinaigrette, roast chicken breast with bread stuffing. Atlanta Wholesale Wine/NDC $14 90 ************************************************************************************* Molissimo Rosso I.G.T. 2003 Molise, Italy Full-bodied dry red wine; medium deep purple red. Slightly floral spicy dark fruit aromas, dark juicy fruit flavors, black currant and black plum, bolstered by spice and sweet, supple fruit tannins. Molise lies north of Apulia and south of Abruzzo on Italy's east coast. Not a new region, Molise has hosted wine growing since Roman times, but not much comes to the U.S. Grapes: Montepulciano and Aglianico. Excellent value. Cool room temperature, about 65 degrees, in large-bowl tulip-shaped glasses. Pronounced mole-EEE-see-moh, and the region mole-EEE-say. Wide food affinity, but doesn't like aggressive garlic. Black olives and tepanade; black-peppered chicken liver pâté; farfalle with wilted greens; grilled beef with chimichurri sauce; grilled lamb; roast duck or dark meat turkey; stews; veal, eggplant or chicken Parmesan; veal or chicken al Marsala; assorted cheeses (goat, aged Parmesan, bleu) Atlanta Wholesale Wine/NDC R10 88 ************************************************************************************* Recas Pinot Noir 2003 Recas, Romania Medium-bodied dry red wine; bright deep garnet red. Well-defined aromas of savory strawberry, more to wild strawberry, with flavors to match. A little touch of dried herb. Silky tannins. In line with the classic flavors of Pinot Noir, but its own style. Winemaker David Lockeley from Stellenbosch, South Africa, uses Romanian and Hungarian oak to great effect. Oak notes are very subtle and well-integrated. Decant about 30 minutes ahead of serving. Moderately cool, about 60 degrees, in balloon-shaped glasses. Peppered liver pate'; roasted chicken, duck or Cornish hen (with whole-wheat celery walnut stuffing or raisin bread stuffing); grilled chicken; roast or grilled bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin; anything with cooked tomato, such as rabbit or chicken chasseur; veal or chicken al Marsala, goat cheese Rhapsody Wines $15 88 ************************************************************************************* Descendientes de J. Palacios Pétalos del Bierzo 2004 Bierzo, Spain Full-bodied dry red wine; deep but translucent purple red color. Aromas of blueberry, fresh dark fruits, acquiring earthiness as wine opens; flavors that add a bit of black pepper and spice to the mix. Sweet fruit with just a hint of sweet cured tobacco. Solid fruit tannins, with just a little bitterness and a very slight green note to them (were grapes pressed gently?) . Concentrated. Grape: Mencía (men-SEE-ah). Hand-harvested grapes from vines 40-90 years old, grown on schist soils at 2500-3000 feet above sea level. A few weeks in new French barriques, followed by 10 months in second- and third-fill barrels. Unfined and unfiltered. Serve at cool room temperature, about 60- 65 degrees, in tall wide-bowled, tulip-shaped glasses. Rich, full-bodied foods: Peppercorn-covered chicken liver pâté; garlicky pasta dishes; grilled lamb, beef or ham steak, roast.duck; chicken or rabbit chasseur; rare hanger steak with chimichurri sauce; smoked meats, roasted bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin, game, firm aged cheeses Quality Wine & Spirits $18 89 ************************************************************************************* Familia Schroeder "Saurus" Patagonia Select Pinot Noir 2004 Patagonia, Argentina Medium-bodied dry red wine; deep intense purple red. Aromas of dark plums and vanilla (from oak); dark fruit (but not cherry) flavors, plum flavors do most of the work, with notes of chocolate and vanilla in support. Some American oak is rather obvious at first sniff and sip, but becomes more integrated as wine opens. Tannins are firm but not aggressive. Moderate acidity. Unfiltered. No earthiness, but not a fruit bombe either. Serve at cool room temperature, about 65 degrees, in large balloon-shaped glasses. Peppered liver pate; roasted Cornish hens, duck and other game fowl; roasted or grilled lamb; veal chops; smoked roast chicken; game; roast pork loin or fresh ham. Very cheese friendly: strong bleu; creamy goat cheese; firm aged mild cheeses (such as Parrano, at Whole Foods). Ok with dark chocolate. New World Wines $17 88 ************************************************************************************* Foley Syrah "Rancho Santa Rosa" 2002 Santa Rita Hills (Santa Barbara County), CA Full-bodied dry red wine; medium deep dark purple red. Complex aromas blend blueberry, dark cherry, black currant and white pepper--typical of Syrah--but supremely well knit. Flavors reflect what the aromas promise. Tannins are resolved and fruit sweet. Clean, sweet fruit-filled finish. A little heat in the finish, but rich foods handle this. Altogether delicious. Part of Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Rita Hills is an independent AVA. Known mostly for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay country. Micro-farmed, 460-acre Rancho Santa Rosa vineyard holds only eight acres planted to Syrah. Cool room temperature, in large tulip-shaped glasses. Meat wine: Argentine asado de tira (grilled short ribs); buffalo hangar steak; steak or all sorts, grilled lamb; rich, firm, aged cheeses (such as Parrano) and creamy blue cheeses; steak with a blue cheeses sauce; dark (but not too bitter) chocolate. Santa Maria barbecue, a unique California form of the genre, would be superb with this wine. National Distributing Company $30 88