Jane's Weekly Wines 
from the Atlanta Wine School

PRINT AND GO VERSION
September 7th, 2006
Wine and Cheese
	
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Champagne Pannier Brut "Selection" NV
Champagne, France

Medium-bodied dry white sparkling wine; pale straw. Reasonably small bead. 
Slightly yeasty--think freshly baked brioche or croissant--fresh fruit aromas, 
suggestion of red fruits; flavors focus on yeastiness, with crisp white fruits 
and a hint of red cherry, and a crisp finish, with good acidity, substantial 
length.  Yeasty character lasts all the way through. Elegant, balanced, good 
fruit-acid relationship, clean, crisp, delicious. Each sips wants another. 
Grapes: Chardonnay; Pniot Meunier; Pinot Noir. Quite good value. 
Serve moderately chilled, about 50 degrees, in tall tulip-shaped flutes. 

Salty, tangy cheeses: Aged Gouda, Dutch Parrano, Roquefort, unpasteurized 
Emmenthaler, Wensleydale. Dishes with cheese: Reblochonnade, very traditional 
in French Savoie, or Swiss Raclette, made with either Reblochon or Raclette.  
(An easily made version I've had in Champagne is simply sautéed potatoes and 
onions layered with cheese and baked--superb with this Champagne.)
 
Grapefields
$30
91

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Jekel Gewürztraminer 2005
Monterey, CA

Medium-bodied off-dry white wine; bright medium straw. Subtle, delicate and 
classic for the variety aromas of lichee nut, tangerine peel, exotic flowers, 
juicy flavors borrow from lichee nut, tangerine, pear and quince. Balanced, 
with exotic characters typical of the variety in check. Good acidity. 
An elegant style, with lots of food pairing ability. Excellent value. Serve 
moderately cool, about 55 degrees, in tulip-shaped white-wine glasses.

Not-too-ripe washed rind cheeses, French Muenster, Boursin; creamy blues such 
as German Cambozola, Danish Saga or Castello.  Other uses: mild curried 
chicken or shrimp salad; mild Indian or Thai curries; poached chicken on 
greens with a tracing of curried mayonnaise, South African fare with chicken or fish

Empire Distributing
$14
90

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Peirano Estate "The Other" Red 2004
Lodi, CA (California!)

Full-bodied dry red wine; deep dark purple red. Initial aromas heavy with 
American oak, but quickly emerges good fruit-character, with emphasis on plum and 
black curran. American oak(coconut) notes introduce dark fruit (dark plum/black 
currant) flavors. . Silky tannins.Grapes: Syrah (70%); Petite Sirah( (20%); Cabernet 
Sauvignon (10%). If you enjoy the effect of America oak (not a personal favorite), 
you'll take to this one. Very good value. Cool room temperature, about 60 degrees.

Good with all sorts of cheeses: fresh goat cheese; Emmentaler; Manchego; 
Cheddar; Wensleydale--firm, aged cheeses especially good. Other uses: lasagna; 
ricotta-stuffed pastas in tomato sauce; layered meat-cheese casseroles

Continental Beverage
86
$13 

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Leonard Kreusch Riesling 2005
Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany

Medium-bodied off-dry white wine; medium greenish gold. Aromatic but shy pear/pear 
apple scent, flavors are complex, offering delicious juicy fruit (pear/quince) 
with a clean, crisp finish, backed up by good acidity. Very tasty work.  
This is Riesling as Riesling ought to be, with a touch of minerality from the 
grape. Delicious, and likely to be still worthy and generous in several years 
if properly cellared. And what a value!!! Serve moderately chilled, about 
55 degrees, in tall tulip-shaped glasses.

German Butterkäse (mild with no rind or sharp flavors; semi-creamy texture); 
Wensleydale; sweet, nutty Emmentaler, Cheshire. Other stuff: Salad of 
spaghetti squash, with crumbled aged ricotta and toasted walnuts, oil, 
on arugula.

Empire Distributing
$8
88

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Lavradores de Feitoria Vinho Tinto 2004
Duoro, Portugal

Medium-bodied dry red wine; transluscent dark purple red. Cherry and red 
currant aromas, with oak notes, introduce flavors that toy with dark fruits, 
but end up with some red  raspberry and red currant notes. A little shallow in 
the mid-palate, but the soft tannins won't hurt cheeses. Spice notes throughout. 
Will develop with time if well cellared. The Duoro has been allowed to produce 
red table wines from the same grapes as those used to make Porto since 1986. 
So the same grapes that you'll find in Porto are found here: Tinta Roriz (25%); 
Tinta Barroca (20%); Touriga Franca (30%); Touriga Nacional (20%); others (5%). 
Serve moderately cool, about 60 degrees, in large-bowled glasses

Salty, tangy, bracing cheese with good acidity, such as aged Gouda, Pointe 
Reyes Blue or other sharp blues; cave aged Gruyère; nutty Emmentaler; 
Manchego or Cheddar. Other stuff: cheese-filled ravioli with tomato sauce; 
potato-cheese-onion casserole

Quality Wine & Spirits
$10
86

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Bodegas Dios Baco Oloroso (NV)
Jerez de la Frontera, Spain

Full-bodied sweet fortified wine; medium amber brown. Aromas of toffee, 
nut candy, toasted nuts, flavors aim at dried fruits (fig), toffee, 
toasted nuts. High alcohol (18%), but finish quite smooth. Very fine 
example of the type. Grape type: Palomino Fino. Excellent value. 
Serve short pours, 2-3 ounces, cool, about 55 degrees, in tulip-shaped short glasses. 

Aged Manchego cheese with fig paste or fig cake; almonds; Drunken Goat 
Cheese (queso de cabra al vino); any aged, firm, salty-tangy cheese with 
walnuts, toasted hazelnuts or almonds. Also not bad with salty, tangy bleu 
cheese, such as queso cabrera 

Empire Distributing
$20
89