GotWines.net

There’s an epidemic in this country. Beringer alone is making over eight million cases of White Zinfandel a year, and Americans are actually drinking this stuff. I mean people in Europe are eating chocolate covered bugs, but they won’t touch this completely unsophisticated, quintessential American interpretation of “wine”. The truth is there are a lot of options out there for all you White Zin drinkers that won’t have all of us wine geeks snickering at you from the next table. You want it fruity? No problem. You want it sweet? No problem. You even want it pink? We got that, too. So if you’re tired of looking the fool when you’re drinking wine with friends, or if you just can’t find anything to drink when you’re hanging at The Bridge, (that’s  my wine bar) well give these wines a whirl; you’ll thank me for it.

Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt, RK Riesling, 2005, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany      $18

White Zin is frequently described as being off-dry, or semi-sweet. If this is why you like it – because it reminds you more of grape juice than of wine – well than you should definitely spend some time exploring the world of Riesling. There are both dry and sweet examples, but if you’re a big White Zin fan, I’d recommend something like the RK Riesling from Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt, with subtle sugar and balanced acidity. German winemakers have been producing Riesling for centuries, and von Kesselstatt recently celebrated their 650^th anniversary, so I think it’s safe to say these guys have the experience to produce some pretty awesome stuff.

I prefer Riesling to White Zinfandel because of its superior complexity and brilliance. The sugar brings balance and substance to the wine, instead of disguising the wines true nature as in White Zin. The RK Riesling is fruit forward and citric, as Riesling should be, with delightful minerality throughout. Sweet but not sugary, and acidic but definitely not sour, this wine is nothing if not well-balanced. Pair with all your favorite spicy dishes and Asian cuisine.

Piazzo Comm. Armando, Moscato d’Asti, 2005, Piedmont, Italy      $15

So, Riesling isn’t fun enough for you? Maybe you’re a little attached to the excitement of drinking pink? Well when you want fun you can’t beat bubbles. Moscato d’Asti, from the southeastern corner of the Piedmont region in Italy, is an effervescent sparkler called frizante; which means it has about half the bubbles of a traditional sparkling wine. The mild sweetness is balanced by lively acidity and accented by a beautiful, fragrant nose.

This example of Moscato d’Asti displays a bright floral nose of honeysuckle and aromatic herbs. Sweet peaches and honey, coupled with the refreshing tingle of tiny bubbles and a clean finish, make for an exciting taste adventure. Drink this wine soon and often with all your fruity desserts, or even as an aperitif.  

Dominio del Plata, Crios de Susana Balbo, Rosé of Malbec, 2006, Mendoza, Argentina      $15  

Alright, if it absolutely has to be pink lets look into wines that actually say “rosé” on the label. Enter Susana Balbo: one of Argentina’s premier winemakers, and a woman working in a male dominated Argentinean industry. Producing a wider variety of wines than any other Argentinean producer, and being the first winemaker from Argentina to work as a consultant outside of her country has given Susana an unparalleled level of experience in South American winemaking.

Susana Balbo’s “Crios” line of wine is her second label. Meaning “offspring”, the Crios wines are inspired by her two children and meant to be consumed while they are still young and vibrant; two words which describe her 2006 Rosé of Malbec perfectly. The nose contains tons of strawberry fruit which is joined by cherries and licorice spice on the palate. The subtle sweetness is surprising from such a deep, brooding rosé; perfect for any White Zin enthusiast. Pair this wine with all sorts of food, especially when you have trouble deciding between red and white.     

Just a quick review on a wine you’ve gotta try next time you’re in the mood for something a little sweet. It’s Covey Run Gewurztraminer, and at first I didn’t expect much from this $10 bottle, but when I took that first wiff I knew why it’s been selling like hotcakes. The nose is full of sweet rose pettles and a mild ginny juniper, while the palate is of peach and candied golden raspberries. Drink this wine with all your favorite spicy foods to get that awesome contrast.

With a long and sordid history, the fortified wine known as port has endured for some four centuries. The wine originated in the Douro Valley in north eastern Portugal, and all true port still comes from this region, though many quality producers in other countries are making fine ‘port style’ wines. Basically this means that brandy is added to the fermenting grape juice when about half of the sugar is still unfermented. This provides a sweet wine with high alcohol content.

Personally, I can’t think of a better accompaniment for the rapidly approaching cold weather and holiday company than a nice glass of tawny port. Whether it’s a roaring fire or a rich chocolate dessert, nothing pairs quite like a bold, silky-sweet port. 

Taylor Fladgate 10 year Tawny - $45

An Iron Bridge staple, the Taylor Fladgate 10 year Tawny Port has been on our menu for years. It’s great with the bread pudding, and is a bottle everyone should have on their shelf at home. It’s a 750mL bottle, which can be large for dessert wines, and you only need a couple ounces, but it’ll taste fresh for months after being corked. Tawnys tend to be nutty in character when compared to their fruitier cousins, ruby ports. Taylor’s 10 year certainly has a vanilla walnut flavor on the palate, but it’s layered with dark fruit and orange peel. It’s mildly sweet and has a long finish. Taylor is one of the oldest and most well respected houses in Portugal, so you can trust them to do things right.
 
Fonseca 20 year Tawny - $54

Those 10 extra years provide a more subtle, elegant wine. The woody, nutty character found in tawny ports is still apparent, but the wine is overall more delicate than its 10 year old counterpart. The nose is reminiscent of plum and cinnamon, while the palate is full of dried fig and tea. The oak is clear in the bouquet and in the mouth. Personally, I’ve found that these 20 year old tawnys are generally the best bag for your buck ports available. Try this one with some lighter chocolate desserts this holiday season.

Yalumba Museum Reserve Antique Tawny, NV - $17

Ok, so it’s Australian, not Portuguese, but when you get your first taste of this ‘port style’ wine you’ll understand why I had to include it. The nose is of oak with spicy, dried fruit. Sweet cocoa and caramel are followed on the palate by a rich, nutty finish. Along with Californian, Australian producers are creating some of the finest ports available outside of Portugal. Don’t let the price tag fool you, this wine is delicious; an amazing value.

So this round I wanted to review something a little light and sweet for those hot summer days.  I also wanted to share a wine that wouldn’t break the bank, and that could be a great addition to a beach picnic or even poolside.  Lastly I wanted to comment on a wine that is most appealing to the better sex, as it can be tough to find a wine that non-wineo ladies enjoy.  All of these criteria have been met with Beccaris Moscato d’Asti…

An Italian classic, the wines production is fairly interesting.  In producing Moscato, the grapes are separated from the stalks immediately before pressing and the must obtained is vinified off the skins. The next step is to form the so-called “coperta” and to treat the must to clean and disinfect it. The first filtration is carried out and the process is repeated regularly so that the wine remains sweet. The product thus obtained is known as sweet filtrate. Natural Moscato can be consumed as it is or it can be turned into a sparkling wine.

I last had this wine on a trip to NYC with my girlfriend.  Being a novice wine drinker was no matter in this case, as she loved the extreme sweetness and light bubbles.  I had this wine with light hours devours, and assorted cheeses before going out on the town for the night.  I think this Moscato d’Asti would make an awesome accompaniment to any light spicy dish.  A word to the wise…. Try to find this wine ASAP, as there are rumors the producer will stop making this particular varietal.  Should be around $11-$15.