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35th Edition
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Hyde Park Wine Experiences
And
Culinary Adventures
Finally the temperatures have warmed, winter is over and the spring rains have ended. Now it’s time for you to find some nice wines and enjoy the rest of the summer.
I have put together a few recommendations that will entice your tastes. In this issue, I have created a list of wines in the value range but still show nice quality and are very consumer friendly. These wines will be nice for home consumption or for your any of your guests. All of the wines I have listed are below are $20 a bottle or less.
I’ve had a few members ask me to put some drink receipts in this newsletter, as they want to try some new concoctions. Drinks are not a problem and I have a libation I found in Florida that is very tasty. Also in this issue, I will address a few member questions and recommend a higher end wine that you may want to put in your cellar at home.
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WINES UNDER TWENTY BUCKS A BOTTLE:
Times are a changing and wines that sell for over $60 a bottle are no longer in high demand. Value is in and high priced wines are sitting on the shelves in shops collecting dust.
Today, there are plenty of value wines around. As a matter of fact, with higher priced wine not selling, producers are cutting prices to get their products moving. The wine consumer can now collect some great wines at fantastic prices.
Here is a look at some value wines that you should consider. All prices are at Ohio Retail subject to change. (Wines with * are a good buy with good quality. Wines with ** are highly recommend.)
*Beringer, Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2008 $15.99
**St. Clement, Napa Valley Chardonnay 2007 $19.99
**Souverain, Alexander Valley Merlot 2007 $19.99
*Acrobat, Oregon Pinot Gris 2008 $13.99
**Taz, Napa Valley Chardonnay 2007 $15.99
**Chateau St. Jean, Petite Etolie Fume Blanc 2006 $19.99
**Campo De Borja, Spain Almira Grenache/Syrah 2006 $8.99
**Fontana Mesta, Spain Tempranillo 2008 $7.99
*Brampton, South Africa Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 $15.99
**Simonsig, South Africa Pinotage 2004 $15.99
**Oyster Bay, New Zealand Pinot Noir 2006 $19.99
*Kumeu River, New Zealand Chardonnay Villages 2006 $19.99
*Babich, New Zealand Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2007 $15.99
**Badia A Coltibuono, Italy Tuscany Chianti Classico Roberto Stucchi 2006 $16.99
**Abruzzo, Italy Moni Montepulciano de Abruzzo 2006 $19.99
**Friuli Ca Del Sarto, Italy Pinot Grigio 2008 $8.99
*Dr Loosen, Germany Riesling 2008 $12.99
**Pfalz J. L. Wolf, Germany Gewurztraminer 2007 $12.99
**Pierre Levee, French Bordeaux Castillon 2005 $15.99
** Castilla, Spain Tempranillo 2007 $9.99
*Bernardus Chardonnay Monterrey 2006 $18.99
**Eberly, Paso Robles Estate Chardonnay 2007 $17.99
** Flora Springs, Napa Merlot 2007 $19.99
*Lockwood, Monterey Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 $11.99
**Laetitia, Arroyo Grande Chardonnay 2007 $16.99
**Meeker, Lobster Cove Chardonnay 2005 $16.99
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VALUE AND MORE VALUE:
If you have been out to a restaurant, or even here to the club in recent months, the big push is on half-priced wines by the bottle. Restaurants across the country are selling fewer wines by the bottle when they mark them up three, or even four times the wholesale price. Consumers want to purchase wines by the bottle rather than by the glass, as it’s more cost effective. Today, most dining establishments are giving the consumer more bang for the buck on half price wines by the bottle.
In recent months, many restaurants were forced to change with the times and offer half priced wines by the bottle from their wine lists - this was unheard of just one year ago. This strategy has since become very popular. Even here at your club, we have been using this concept and selling a great deal of wine by the bottle every week. A prime example is Chateau Greysac Bordeaux 2005. This wine was discounted in October as there were only a few cases available. Chateau Greysac is regarded as decent Bordeaux by coinsures. The 2005 vintage is a great vintage in Bordeaux, but the price was too high.
My philosophy is to never make a quick decision when making a purchase. I waited a few months and inquired about this Bordeaux again. After a several minutes of back and forth conversation we stuck a deal and I purchased two cases for the club. The saving was well worth the wait and the deal the members received was deeply discounted. The result: we sold twenty four bottles in a month.
Bottom line, the club will continue to offer special prices on wine by the glass and by the bottle. The deal for the members is to purchase wines by the bottle as that’s where the savings are and the quality is delivered right to your table.
PROSECCO AND PEAR A COCKTAIL IN THE MAKING:
As the temperatures begin to climb, a nice light cocktail is in order. Prosecco continues to dominate the sparking wine category in this country and is perfect for all occasions. Not to be compared to Champagne or a traditional Méthode Sparking, Prosecco is lighter, yet dry and shows a slighter sweet fruit balance.
Processo is very versatile sparking wine and can be added to use in making some delicious cocktails. While I was in Venice, Florida this winter, I stopped at Sharkey’s after a round of golf with my friends. One of the guys I was playing golf with had a specialty drink called “The Eclipse.” I was drinking my normal Diet Coke and I happened to check with my buddy after he complimented his drink. I said, “What’s in it?” “What,” he said, “I thought you were a bartender?” “Yes,” I said, “one that doesn’t drink much. So what is in it?” He told me Prosecco and Pear Vodka - I tired it and man, was it tasty. So after his second one, I had to find out what was in this drink.
I got up and went to the bar to ask the bartender how he made his specialty drink. Bartenders can sometime be a little apprehensive about sharing drink recipes but he was proud of his concoction and gladly gave me the ingredients.
The Eclipse
3 ounces of Prosecco
½ ounce of Absolut Pear Vodka
2 ounces of fresh pear juice
A hint of Apple Pucker
Garnish with a lemon twist
Served in a Champagne Glass
Truly awesome!
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LIGHT WINES FOR THE SUMMER:
Lighter is always better for the dog days of summer. This is the norm when it comes to food or drink. Chef Paul likes to add salads on the menu for the summer months. The best offering is lighter wines that will blend nicely with resilience and balance. Here are some of my delightful recommendations:
Bogle, California Sauvignon Blanc 2008
Mouthwatering and intense showing green papaya flavors light grapefruit and lemon lime flavors. $9.99
Hogue, Columbia Valley Chardonnay 2008
Bright in flavor and a silky texture with creamy pear and apricot flavors $12.99
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Valley Washington State Chardonnay 2008
We have this wine at the club and it does very well. Recently rated 90 points by the Wine Spectator. Bright and jazzy with pretty pineapple, grapefruit, elderflower and spicy flavors that linger on the finish. $14.99
Sileni, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc 2009
Light and zesty with pink grapefruit, pear, and peach flavors. $14.99
Viña Doña Paula Torrontés Argentina Cafayate Valley 2009
Ripe and juicy , with extra oomph to the tangerine, clementine and peach flavors that linger on the finish. $15.99
Lamadrid Malbec Argentina Mendoza 2008
Nicely detailed with fig and boysenberry, mulled spices and fruitcake notes. $12.99
Chateau France Cabezac Minervois La Tradition 2005
This is a nice light red blend from France with dried cherries, red plum flavors and hints of black licorice. The blend is made up of Syrah, Carignan and Grenache. Great price at $7.99. If you can find this wine pick up a few bottles. You will be amazed.
SAUVIGNON BLANC THE OTHER WHITE WINE:
Les, my husband and I went out to dinner for our anniversary a few weeks back and we had a nice bottle of Far Niente Chardonnay. The server opened the bottle at the table and poured a little in my husband’s wine glass so he could approve. The wine was out of this world. I was wondering the chardonnay was really cold and the server put the wine in an ice bucket. I thought the wine was served too cold and storing the wine in the wine bucket only added to the chill. Would the wine taste better if it was a little warmer?
I must say you selected a very special bottle of Chardonnay, yet this bottle should not be served very chilled. When white wines are served very cold, you, the consumer, do not get to taste what the wine is all about. The alcohol in the wine is the first thing you taste and that sometimes overpowers the fruit, especially when the wine is too cold. Indeed, the wine should have been not stored in a wine bucket but instead should have been placed right on the table.
The proper serving temperature for white wines should be around 60 degrees or slightly above. When white wines are served at a warmed temperature, the consumer is able to taste the fruit in the wine, maybe the French oak, and vanilla. When wine is served too cold, one loses the full tasting experience. In a bottle of Far Niente, there is plenty going on inside. The noise is truly exceptional, the fruit flavors become very noticeable on every sip and, finally, you are able to pick up the vanilla and oak on the finish. All of this is lost when a bottle of wine is served too cold.
Les, we were in Napa a few months ago and had a bottle of Unoaked Chardonnay. We never had one before, it is was great!
Unoaked Chardonnays are becoming a hot item. A lot of consumers are getting tired of Chardonnay that are overly oaked and many wine producers are now staying away from barrel ageing and using the stainless steel ferminataiton process. These Unoaked Chardonnays are easier to drink yet still have the taste profile everyone enjoys.
ONE MORE WINE WORTH TAKING A LOOK AT:
Before I end this newsletter, let me recommend one more wine. Benziger Signaterra Pinot Noir 2007 from the Bella Luna Vineyard in the Russian River Valley is really tasting well at the present time. I had it recently downtown and it was delicious.
This wine is described as follows: Fresh fruit flavors of ripe cherries, raspberries, enhanced with smoky oak and wrapped into a silky texture. The terrior shows in the balancing acidity and elegant mouth feel. This Pinot Noir is tasting nicely now but could sit for a few more years. The Benziger Signaterra was recently rated 90 points by Wine Enthusiast the December 09 issue. Ohio retail on this wine is around $49.99.
Until August have a happy and safe summer,
Les Hemingway
Bar Manager
Note: Some of the information for this newsletter was sourced from the following wine publications.
The Wine Enthusiast
Market Watch
Cheers
Top Shelf
Restaurant News
Ohio Beverage Journal
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