Jane's Weekly Wines from the Atlanta Wine School PRINT AND GO VERSION December 22nd, 2005 Issue Reception Wines **************************************************** Codorníu Pinot Noir Brut (NV) D. O. Cava, Spain Tasting Notes: Medium-bodied dry sparkling rosé wine with a bright medium cherry red color. Aromas of cherries with a hint of dried thyme, not uncommon in Pinot Noir. To sniff or to sip 'tis the question? Lovely. Lovely red fruit flavors, especially red cherry and raspberry. Tiny citrus not at the end. Good acidity for a clean, crisp finish. Just 6.8 grams of residual sugar per liter, and only 11.5% alcohol. Great value from a producer that has been absent from the Atlanta market far too long. Serve chilled to about 45-50 degrees in tulip-shaped glasses. You can get nice ones for reasonable money, such as the Luigi Bormioli line from Libby. Food Pairings: Happy with a wide variety of foods. Go Chinese: Chinese-style barbecued ribs; pork rolls; barbecued buns; mildly seasoned wings; moo shoo pork; steamed dumplings with ponzu dipping sauce. Go Mexican: fajitas; nachos; burritos; tacos; quesadaillas; tortas (Mexican sandwiches--see Puras Tortas!!). Go American: Fried chicken with a bit of spice; ribs; pizza; baked chicken breasts with crumbs and Parmesan cheese; grilled chicken breasts in sun-dried tomatoes and capers Wholesaler: Savannah Distributing Price: $14 Available at: Just about anywhere **************************************************** Churchill's White Porto "Dry Aperitif" (NV) Oporto, Portugal Tasting Notes: Medium-bodied medium dry white fortified wine; medium coppery amber color. Aromas of dried white and yellow fruit, with a slight toasted nuttiness, suggestion of warm wet hay; rich, complex dried yellow fruit flavors, toasted cashews. High alcohol, about 20%. Malvasia fina is grape type. Serve chilled, about 45 degrees, in small tulip-shaped glasses, or for a refreshing and unusual cocktail, on the rocks with tonic water and lime. A real palate wake-up that never fails to please. Food Pairings: Variety of snacks and noshes: nut-covered cheese balls or logs; cheese straws or coins; liver mousses or pâtés; very savory green olives; assorted nuts; tiny crab cakes; hard cheeses; cocktail potatoes stuffed with crème fraíche and chives Wholesaler: Grapefields Price: $18 Available at: Whole Foods (Briarcliff); DeKalb Farmers Market; Rathbun's, Wisteria **************************************************** Konstantin Frank "Salmon Run" Chardonnay 2003 New York Tasting Notes: Medium-bodied very slightly off-dry white wine; medium greenish gold. Clean, fresh scent of tropical fruits--pineapple especially--with a clean, bracing fruit-filled (pineapple and crisp apple) palate. Quite long finish. sweet fruit flavors. A notch of residual sugar with good acidity. Well-integrated fruit and oak (French barrels--about half the blend--the rest stainless steel). Gold medal 2004 Dallas Morning News competition. Moderately chilled, about 50 degrees, in tulip-shaped white wine glasses. Food Pairings: Well-seasoned white meat dishes: chicken pot pie; French onion dip and potato chips; garlic-accented white pizza; creamy garlicky dressings on pasta salads, cous cous salad with dates and chick peas; lightly curried chicken dishes, fried chicken tenders with honey mustard dipping sauce, cornmeal fried catfish with tartar sauce Wholesaler: Quality Wine & Spirits Price: $12 Available at: Beverage Super Store (Suwanee) Dixie Beverage (Woodstock), Parman's (Sandy Springs--2002 vintage--Abernathy Square); Sherlock's (East Cobb). **************************************************** Bodegas San Alejandro "Las Rocas" Rosado 2004 Calatayud, Spain Tasting Notes: Medium-bodied slightly off-dry rosé wine; very pretty medium red, slightly salmon edges. Very fruit-centered aromas of red cherry and light strawberry; flavors tilt toward strawberry and raspberry. Finish is dry and crisp. Quite long finish. Chewy sweet fruit. Grape type: Garnacha (Grenache). Serve moderately chilled, about 60 degrees in white wine glasses. Food Pairings: Chinese barbecued ribs; barbecued meatloaf, deli meats; wraps, tortas or other sandwiches; fajitas; wings; spicy fried chicken; cous cous; paella with chorizo and chicken, lamb braised with ginger and tomato (from Whole Foods, serve over rice), ham croquetas, grilled pork or lamb sausages, picadillo Wholesaler: Quality Wine & Spirits Price: $12 Available at: Jax (Sandy Springs), Toco Giant, Whole Foods (Buckhead); Athens: Five Points **************************************************** Quinta de Aveleda CasalGarcia Vinho Branco 2005 Vinho Verde, Portugal Tasting Notes: A medium-bodied dry white wine; medium pale straw color. Aromas suggest lime blossom, with flavors of lime and pear. Acidity crisp and palate-cleansing. Mouthwatering, with a very long finish. Slight pétillance. Grape types all traditional in Portugal: Trajadura, Loureiro, Pedernã and Azal. Crowd pleasure at recent class on Portuguese wines. Always drink vinho verde young, within two years of bottling. Serve well chilled, about 50 degrees. Food Pairings: A perfect apéritif wine: Asian fare, such as steamed dumplings and other assorted dim sum type dishes; shumai; etc., but skip the sweet, hot sauces and condiments. Also mild wings; stuffed cocktail potatoes; white pizza; pasta salads with garlicky creamy dressings; shellfish and mild fin fish. Wholesaler: Quality Wine & Spirits Price: $10 Available at: Duluth Package. Cumming: Jax; Gainesville: Vine & Cheese; Athens: Gosford Wines; Shiraz (Pulaski St.), Wine & Spirits Warehouse, Blue Ridge) Out of the Blue **************************************************** Clos Baudoin Aigle-d'Or 1993 Vouvray, France Tasting Notes: Full-bodied dry sparkling wine; medium gold. Aromas of honey, quince, ginger, backed up by fresh white fruit flavors made more interesting by notes of quince and ginger. A little touch of the taste of honey (not sweetness). Clean, crisp, long, palate-refreshing finish. Nice acidity. Clos Baudoin wines, including the still wines, age beautifully, and this is no exception. The 1993 is current release. Grape: Chenin Blanc. Serve chilled, about 50 degrees, in tall tulip-shaped glasses. Proprietor Prince Philippe Poniatowski fought in the Résistance and the French Free Forces in WWII. Both polished and down-to-earth in style, he gets the title as a great grand nephew of the last king of Poland. Food Pairings: Starter for an elegant meal: Seafood and fish pâtés and terrines; cocktail size quiche; Asian fare, such as dim sum and Japanese dumplings; grilled brochettes of bacon-wrapped scallops with honey mustard dipping sauce; chicken livers with country ham and Madeira sauce; crab cakes Wholesaler: Lynda Allison Cellar Selections (678-290-5552) Price: $25 Available at: Sherlock's Buckhead and Brookhaven.