A Cava, Lambrusco, Champagne & A Sparkling Wine To Ring In 2015

December 31, 2014December 31, 2014 | Cheap Wine Curious

A vintage French postcard depicting Baby New Year disgorging a bottle of Champagne with his gums – obviously his mère forgot the saber.

I’ve had the great pleasure of visiting Champagne, France this year and witnessing the Champagne growing, making and marketing practices first hand. I admire the history, heritage and innovation of Champagne as well as the vigilance the French have instituted to protect the appellation. Champagne is my passion and I adore it like no other libation (a masterful rye Manhattan with Luxardo Maraschino cherry comes in a respectable second place.) Alas alack, my Champagne taste have led me to a sparkling wine budget. I can only run from the law and my debtors for so long; I’m tired and thirsty. In an effort to reform my ways, I have compiled this list of stunning sparklers that won’t lead you astray in the coming year. Of course, if you happen to succumb to a bottle of Cristal or a vintage Pol Roger rosé, there is no reason to despair, unless your credit card is rejected at the register.

Shall we….

Dibon Cava Brut Reserve, Penesdes, Spain $7-$12

Rating: Caseworthy – the best Cava I have ever tasted.

Why Buy: For the value, this is a delightful wine and expresses itself as well if not better than wine twice the money. Guests love this wine and comment on it’s lovely fruit essence and crisp, clean dry finish. This traditional blend of Xarel-lo, Parellada and Macabeo varietals comes from the region of Penedès, and the cellars are located in Vilafranca del Penedes about 20 Km from Sant Sadurni the capital of the region. Run by three generations of wine makers, the vineyard is in the process of becoming 100% Organic and consists of 75 hectares of trellised vines 1000 feet above the Mediterranean Sea.

Notes: This wine is very effervescent with a lovely nose of apple and grapefruit. The first sip reflects the nose accordingly with fruit, citrus and a pleasant pastry yeast. The reason this wine is so special is the dry, clean finish that is surprisingly light, no bitter aftertaste like other Cavas and for this low, low, low price point, this wine is an amazing find!

Where To Buy: Total Wine, Oliver’s Market, K&L Wine Merchants and many other locations nationwide.

Cantina Cleto Chiarli Rose Brut NV, Italy $16-$18

Rating: Guestworthy – the perfect apertivo!

Why Buy: Founded in 1860, by Cleto Chiarli, it is the oldest wine company in the Modena region in Emilia-Romagna. The great grandson, Anselmo, represents the fourth generation of wine makers who continue to produce this delicate style of Lambrusco sparkling wine in a region best known for balsamic vinegar. The wine is composed of 85% Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro 15% Pinot Nero. If you come across a bottle I hope you enjoy it as much as I did with my father. We popped the bottle on Christmas day and sipped it from mom’s fine crystal.

Notes: Nose was floral, strawberry, bubbles lively, very effervescent and the first sip had a delightful fruity, yeast commencing with a dry finish that lingered nicely with a toasted almond essence.

Where To Buy: Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant in SF and hopefully everywhere else, but if not, plead your merchant to stock it maintenant!

nino-franco-rustico-prosecco

Nino Franco Prosecco Brut, Valdobbiadene, Italy $9-$15

Rating: Caseworthy – in case of emergency pop cork!

Why Buy: I would have this wine on hand for any occasion, big, small or disastrous. It comforted me through a wicked storm and if forced to remain indoors due to inclement weather, a case of this will entertain you for hours. Easy to drink, soft and accommodating to all kinds of guests and foods. Antonio Franco founded the “Cantine Franco” winery in Valdobbiadene in 1919. Valdobbiadene is located at the foot of the Prealps, in the Venetian region, and is famous for Prosecco. This winery is one of the oldest in Valdobbiadene, located in the town centre, not far from the vineyards. Antonio Franco founded it, Nino Franco expanded it and Primo Franco optimized the process throughout the years. Primo took the reigns in 1982 which was the turning point for the Nino Franco brand as he successfully began to export the wines throughout Europe, the Americas and Asia.

Notes: The nose was very light if almost non existent, but the first sip was incredibly pleasing. Classic stone fruit, peach, some pear with a light floral aroma. This dry Prosecco finished very clean and although it was very soft, not very complex, there was enough body to keep it interesting.

Where To Buy: Total Wine, Oliver’s Market and many other locations nationwide.

Veuve de Vernay, Brut Rose, France $4-$12

Rating: Buy Again – great presentation and perfect served very chilled.

Why Buy: This French sparkling wine from the Loire Valley is a blend of Cinsaut, Grenache and Syrah. This brand was created by Mr.Jean Eugène Charmat, the French scientist, who in 1907 invented the cuve close (“sealed vats”) method of producing fine sparkling wine which has since been adopted worldwide. Most sparkling wines are produced in one of two ways: Method Traditionelle wherein secondary fermentation happens in bottle, or vat fermentation which is eponymously named the Charmat method.

Notes: Color is a gorgeous salmon pink. The nose was fruity, candy apple. First sip I tasted strawberries, florals and it had a nice balanced acid and flavorful intensity. Even though it was fruit forward, it was not sweet and the finish was long and dry. Mousse was moderate but still rich. As the wine warmed, the flavors nicely became more intense but I also noticed a nutty bitterness that leaves me to recommend serving this very chilled to experience this wine at its best.

Where To Buy: Find a bottle near you on WineSearcher.com

Charles De Marques Brut, Champagne, FR $19.99

Rating: Buy Again, and again, and again, and again…

Why Buy: This is quite possibly the least expensive good Champagne available in the US. It’s a brut that is light dry and very smooth. It is a classic blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. I love this wine because it epitomizes the French methode traditionelle beautifully at the right price and with a delight that makes any occasion special. It holds up to Champagnes two or three times the price and sometimes there are no substitutes for the real thing.

Notes: The classic French Champagne profile is reflected in the nose of fruit, florals and brioche. The fist sip is crisp with notes of apricot, stone fruits and a good balance of acid and yeast. The wine finishes dry with a delicate nuttiness and minerality evident of a pleasant level of cave aged yeast.

Where To Buy: Trader Joe’s

Happy New Years to all of you – here’s to more great wine finds in 2015!

Stay curious,

Weathering The Storm With Bottles O’Bubbly

December 28, 2014December 28, 2014 | Cheap Wine Curious

This is the 3rd post in a series of sparkling wine reviews I ambitiously planned to write weekly until New Year’s Eve 2015. It was easier keeping my word to drink a bottle (or two) every week than it was to write a weekly review. However, I plan to post an aggregation of my sparkling wine reviews just in time to grab a few bottles before the clock strikes midnight….or with a few hours to spare before the stores close for the night.{Clink!}

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Here in Sonoma County, as with the rest of California, we have been suffering from a terrible drought. There has been no end to our suffering, until now. Although I have not lived in Northern California for the past 15+ years, I grew up here and remember weeks of drenching rain during the winter. The Russian River would flood, the roads submersed and mudslides imminent. We would get a “rain day” from school as God forbid little children risk being swept away by the torrent.

I believe the last time I enjoyed a rain day was in 1984 or 1985. The next time I had this pleasure was last Thursday, December 11, 2014. All the main arteries in and out of town were closed due to flooding. I felt pleasantly confined within the lovely township of Sonoma with the perfect excuse to cancel all engagements, nurture a cozy fire, stay in PJs and call a neighbor to come over and start drinking.

Baking cookies, darning socks and churning butter, psshaw! There are better remedies for ennui, and in this instance it was a Prosecco. I selected a neighbor who bore children the same age as mine. Once the brood arrived, we banished the kids to a playroom to build forts, play Hungry Hippos and stick a sow’s head on a stick as an offering to their Barbies. Aside from the squealing, power struggles and general ruckus, the kids were having a glorious time to themselves, so we proceeded to taste the first bottle of Prosecco before the call to restore order beckoned.

Franco’s NV Prosecco Brut Rustico, Non-Vintage, Italy

After gently coaxing off the cork from the bottle {pop} the wine poured with light effervescence. The nose was very light if almost non existent, but the first sip was incredibly pleasing. Classic stone fruit, peach, some pear with a light floral aroma. This dry Prosecco finished very clean and although it had a very light body, not very complex, my guest expressed that this was the perfect bubbly for those who don’t usually drink or like bubbly (do those people even exist?) Priced perfectly for anytime or for an event that requires fiscal restraint. I can imagine this wine pairing perfectly well with a white wedding cake as it is light, effervescent and easily appreciated by a wide swath of imbibers.

After the squall, the children safe, home shambolic, neighbor with pleasant glow, I reflected on what we learned from this experience. Be careful what you wish for? When it rains it pours? In case of emergency pop cork? Aside from finding a delicious new wine for under $10, I discovered a new favorite aphorism; “wet is the new normal.” The weather personalities on the evening news keep saying this over, and over, and over, and over and I applaud them for the catchy adage as an expression of their job security. For California’s sake, let’s hope these meteorologist realize their talents for prophetic acuity.

Franco’s NV Prosecco Brut Rustico is a case worthy wine that you can rely upon during any fair weather occasion or natural disaster. To that I raise a glass of this Prosecco to the California storm of the century and the rising water table.

Stay curious!

Tales From Sonoma: Anthill Farms Winery and What if?

December 8, 2014December 8, 2014 | Cheap Wine Curious

It is like Christmas in the blogosphere! Every where I turn, I’m abundant with content, content, content. I posted my #MWWC13 “Serendipity” entry, my weekly sparkling wine review “Pretty in Pink..We Think.” and now this; a reblog of my dear friend and taster in crime The Drunken Cyclist “Adventures in Sonoma” part deux. I was merely a mention, but felt inclined to express my delight sipping, spitting and nerding out with DC in DCV (Dry Creek Valley.) Our visit with Ant Hill was eye opening. I was truly impressed with the passion and resolve the partners had in making their vintner dreams come to life and ultimately thrive. I love a good success story that inspires and I also learned that I like eating the crushed grapes out of the vats of primary fermentation. Who knew? Sadly, another missed opportunity to ride tandem on bicycletta as I rode shotgun in rental car. But Jeff did refrain from yelling vehement profanities at other drivers who were either disabled, elderly or loosely affiliated with a food kitchen or animal rescue organization. Let the good times roll….just not through a stop sign.
Stay curious!
Loie

the drunken cyclist

This is my entry in the Monthly Wine Writing Challenge (#MWWC13).

I guess like many a wine blogger, back in the recesses of my tormented mind, there is a desire to become a winemaker. After spending the majority of my adult life drinking wine just about every night and spending most vacations in or near wine regions, I can’t help but think “what if?”

What if, when I had lived in California (and was still relatively young) I had quit my job and moved just a few miles north to wine country and found a job in the wine industry?

What if instead of moving back East to be with my now wife, I had convinced her to move back to the West Coast?

Then I start thinking about it more and I realize (or rationalize) that I am an East Coaster at heart—I love the grit, the attitude, the…

View original post 1,078 more words

Pretty In Pink…We Think.

December 8, 2014December 8, 2014 | Cheap Wine Curious

Veuve du Vernay Brut Rosé 750ml

French Sparkling Wine, $3.99 – $11.99

Find a bottle near you on WineSearcher.com

It was a dark, wet Thursday evening and I was Rushing Through the SF Ferry Building as my ship had come in to take me home. As I passed the Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant (motto: “We spit so you don’t have to”) I realized I owed the world a sparkling wine review every week until New Year’s Eve 2015. Last week was a home run (Dibon Brut Reserva Cava Penedes, Spain $9.99) so I was brimming with ambition for my next selection.

The Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant is one of the anchors in the renown SF Ferry Building. If you visit SF, this stop on the tour is worth the aggravation of parking drama or extra cab fare. The Ferry Building is best known for the amazing farmer’s markets on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Widely acclaimed for the high quality farm fresh produce and artisanal foods, it is renown as one of the top farmers markets to visit in the country. Saturday mornings especially, you will very likely see some of San Francisco’s best known chefs fondling the watercress, nosing a Chanterelle or ogling the Romanesco. Nearly 25,000 shoppers visit the farmers market each week, but everyday the plaza is home to many highly regarded foodie merchants/innovators including; The Slanted Door, Cowgirl Creamery, Heath Ceramics, Blue Bottle Coffee, Sur La Table, Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant and more, more, more.

Inside the SF Ferry Building – Check out La Mia Vita Blog for a great pictorial of the foodie extravaganza!

The Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant has a loyal wine membership that begets their robust calendar of events, tastings and pairings. Their mission is to find the most interesting and delicious wines from smaller producers around the world – I’m on board with that. They also have a store located in the über foodie fabulous Oxbow Market in Napa. One of their founders/buyers was honored as “Sommelier of the Year” from the James Beard Foundation and all the partners have impressive bios as wine industry professionals. As I write this, I’m pressure texting a friend to join me for their 6th Annual Champagne and Oyster Fête this Wednesday. Ahoy there!

The Cowgirl Creamery cheese counter at the SF Ferry Building. My quest for the best in cheap wines is to off-set my costly habit for cheese and shoes. #trueconfession

As I ran past all the stalls to catch my ferry, I saw the display of sparkling wines under $20 front and center. How long could this take? Bad judgement? Well, I do tend to push the edges of timeliness and if there is a plane, train or ferry to catch, subconsciously it becomes a game of chicken. My race against the clock felt necessary in this instance. I had wine to drink and a post to write.

Ferry Building and Bay, San Francisco CA, c.1910

I was in luck, no lines and the wine merchant was at the ready to provide guidance. I explained that I wanted a sparkling wine under $10. What did he recommend? At first he was puzzled, and expressed that my request was a tough one, could I spend a few more dollars? Sure, why not? Better to take his recommendation than miss my ferry and swim to Alcatraz. I had to abruptly explain that my ferry was leaving in less than ten minutes and the only requirement is that “It can’t be crap.” He handed me a wine, briefly explained the notes and origin, I gave him my credit card, signed, grabbed the receipt, the wine and booked off to my pier. Two minutes to spare, the booze cruise was still there! Hurrah. I got on board, went straight to the bar, ordered dinner which consisted of a Captain Morgan and Diet Coke with a side of Ranch Flavored Cornnuts. My compliments to the chef.

Those cornnuts are not levitating, they are just happy to see me.

Oh, so now where were we? Yes, yes, I was reviewing a wine.

After a leisurely 50 minutes on the ferry, I was home. I chilled the bottle in the fridge (45° F.) Before serving, I placed the bottle in the freezer for ten more minutes. I admit, I was concerned that this wine might ruin my night, so I wanted it to be ice cold. Who needs another cranky post. When I finally had the courage to pop the cork, I was happy to see a lovely salmon pink sparkling come to life. The nose was fruity, candy apple. First sip I tasted strawberries, florals and it had a nice balanced acid and flavorful intensity. Even though it was fruit forward, it was not sweet and the finish was long and dry. Mousse was moderate but still rich. As the wine warmed, the flavors nicely became more intense but I also noticed a nutty bitterness, which made me reconsider whether or not I loved this wine. However, the packaging was very pretty. The chocolate brown foil with pink and gold accents was very tasteful and felt luxurious when serving this wine to guests. Billecart-Salmon it was not, but it was very enjoyable cold and exhibited quality beyond other sparkling value wines at its price point. I would buy this again and I would be comfortable bringing this to an event.

Surprise and delight! The pink underside of the brown foil impressed me. It does not take much.

There was very little on the label to tell me what this wine was about. It was rather mysterious. The Veuve du Vernay site specifies this wine as 11% alcohol and a blend of Cinsaut, Grenache and Syrah. This brand was created by Mr.Jean Eugène Charmat, the French scientist, who in 1907 invented the cuve close (“sealed vats”) method of producing fine sparkling wine which has since been adopted worldwide. Most sparkling wines are produced in one of two ways: Method Traditionelle wherein secondary fermentation happens in bottle, or vat fermentation which is eponymously named the Charmat method.

What’s with the “Veuve?” Monseiur Charmat had a high regard for a widow (veuve) in the village of Vernay who helped him to start his business. When Eugène Charmat’s son Robert created a new sparkling wine of high quality in the 1960s, he named it in honor of the lady whom his father esteemed so highly. Today Veuve du Vernay is an internationally known brand of value sparkling wines from France that are priced well as a result of Monseiur Charmat’s invention 108 years ago.

Let’s raise a glass in honor of the inventor and founder who made it possible for the world to enjoy quality inexpensive sparkling wine today. Down the hatch!

Stay curious,

Serendipity: My #MWWC13 Entry….

December 6, 2014December 6, 2014 | Cheap Wine Curious

This was a very early entry into the Monthly Wine Writing Challenge. As fate would dictate, I felt compelled to write my post when the theme, serendipity, presented itself.

The Ladies Who Lunch Love this Pinot Grigio $8.99 & Pinot Noir $6.99.

I have enjoyed visiting Palm Springs, California for years. It is a magical place where one can attend a dinner party and meet television personalities, billionaire philanthropists, famous authors, fashion designers, esteemed artists and scoundrels all in one sitting (like keep an eye on your Social Security number.) It does have a dark, subversive side beneath all the frivolity and the experience is best described as being in a Fellini movie. The eccentricities, dry heat and high season creates the perfect opportunity for unexpected fortune and sadly, misfortune. I am incredibly grateful for my friends who always amaze me with their kindness, extravagance and hilarity. Of course they are wine enthusiasts! Check out this private Champagne room I had the rare privilege to witness last NYE with my dear friend, social doyenne Michael Bonda. Ab-fab to the max!

Stay curious!

Sorry Shiraz, You’re Not On The List…

December 5, 2014December 5, 2014 | Cheap Wine Curious

2009 FoxBrook Shiraz, CA $5.99

I had every intention of liking this wine. Then I realized I was trying too hard to like it. It’s got no soul, it is booooring, it tastes cheap, it’s like fermented grape consommé. I wouldn’t even make sangria with it because a bad wine at the very least has bite, anger, offensiveness that needs to be tamed by sugar and Sprite and everything citrus. Not here, this wine needs to live quietly on the shelf at a desolate highway rest stop where it will pleasantly sit and gather dust next to the canned soup and stale crackers until a toddler wobbles by and topples it, shattering the glass leaving the entrails all over the floor for some unsuspecting young mother,well, very young looking for her years mother, who is also very charming and apologetic as she and l’enfant terrible ditch the scene – putting the unfortunate incident and a soiled nappy in the loo behind them. The station attendant will scorn this encounter until the end of his shift. At this point, you would expect me to end this dramatization with a dour employee initiating a clean-up, but honestly, I couldn’t even recommend this wine for a thirsty mop.

Not the grapes that went into this wine, but a dramatization of how those grapes may have been feeling prior to going into the consommé.

Stay curious!

Cava, Cava, Cava, Cava, Cava Chameleon…

December 1, 2014December 1, 2014 | Cheap Wine Curious

This is the first of my weekly reviews of sparkling wines under $10 up until the big twenty-fifteen NYE! If you have a recommendation, let me know in the comments and I’ll do my best to review it if I can find it in aisle. All wines tasted are selected, paid for and tasted by moi and my unsuspecting victims. All opinions are my own damn fault.

On with the show….

The Time: A crisp day in late November

The Place: The in-laws’ home in an unassuming nicely appointed suburban neighborhood rife with 2 car garages and golden retrievers.

The Reason: It is Thanksgiving, an American holiday where we express our gratitude for our family, friends and freedoms through fanciful forced feasting on fowl.

My Predicament: Due to family members honoring years of sobriety, diagnosed with fatty livers, participating in designated driverdom, not of legal age, and a general distrust of alcoholic libation, I am the solo drinker. And it is sooooo lonely. Argh. You can only drink so much Martinelli fizzy apple juice before you crash from the sugar high, so what should I do?

The Solution: Break out some bubbles and proclaim my vocational duty to conduct a random wine tasting that all (domesticated animals, toddlers and recipients of newly transferred livers excluded) must participate. I was not surprised when my demands were met with enthusiasm. Woot, woot let’s get this party started Gma! Put that gravy boat down. “Pop!” Let’s taste some sparkling wine!

The wine I selected came recommended by a wine department official at Oliver’s Market in Santa Rosa. I have been searching long and hard for sparkling wines under $10 that don’t cause a ripping headache. He kindly recommended a Cava. I grimaced. Apologies, but I will confess, bubbly is my passion and I am a Champagne snob. I am not a huge fan of Cavas. I find them to be rather tart with a bitter nutty finish that reminds me of walnut skins and nail varnish. I expressed this to my wine merchant and he assured me that I would love this wine. Well, love is a very strong word, but I let him know that I would be cautiously optimistic. And for $9.99 I was comfortable with the risk.

Dibon Brut Reserva Cava Penedes, Spain $9.99

This traditional blend of 45% Macabeo, 25% Xarel-lo, 30% Parellada grapes is made in the Methode Traditionelle (which in short means secondary fermentation and aging in bottle, remuage or riddling to agitate the wine until all the dead yeast cells are collected in the neck of the bottle, which is then frozen and disgorged, leaving the clear, effervescent liquid we know and love as sparkling wine.)

Dibon only uses natural yeasts for its Cava production and is in the process of becoming fully organic. It consists of 75 hectares of trellised vines 1000 feet above the Mediterranean Sea. The region of Penedes in Spain is considered the capital of Cava wines. Sant Sadurni d´Anoia is the primary municipality in the region and the home to many famous historical Cava makers. Dibon is located in Vilafranca del Penedes, aproximately 20 Km from Sant Sadurni. A must see next time I am in Barcelona, as the mecca of Cava is very close and could be visited in a day if necessary – but I aim to boondoggle much longer if given the chance!

A Google Map to illustrate my point about proximity and convenience to Cava-land.

As our painfully sober family gathered in the kitchen to see, sniff and sip – right after the first swig, we all agreed, this was a very good sparkling wine!

Nose was light, apricot, stone fruit. First sip was bright, apple, with an almond, nutty finish. I thought the wine was very balanced and had a medium mousse that pleasantly finished with some minerality – not much but enough that I noticed and enjoyed it. It has a body that is characteristic of a Cava but none of the bite I detest. I don’t mind a wine that has challenging characteristics, but I prefer to keep the enamel on my teeth. If participating in a blind taste test, I don’t think I would correctly identity this wine as a Cava, I might describe it as a California sparkling, like a Gloria Ferrer (which was founded in Sonoma by a Catalonian family in the 1980’s and now owned by Freixenet, one of the worlds largest Spanish producers of sparkling wines in the world.) This Cava was a Chameleon and in a very good way. Guest-worthy for sure.

A fantastic sparkling wine for the money, Dibon Brut Reseva was fab not only for the price but as a wine, yes, this wine has merit. Perfect as an aperitif, paired with a light starter like goat cheese and roasted beets, mâche salad dressed simply with toasted walnut oil and a dash of good sherry vinegar, or shell fish with mignonette. This is a delectable versatile wine that is both approachable and interesting. In my research I read several good reviews from the Wine Enthusiast, Wine & Spirits Magazine, and Wayward Wine Blog – after you read my review for yucks, read his for legit information – he has charts and stuff. Any resemblance to plagiarism is merely coincidence, but great minds do think alike.

How did this wine pair with Thanksgiving dinner? I don’t know, the bottle was empty before the potatoes were smashed, which was a good thing as I believe they were driving.

Stay curious!