Cheers, baby

It's been a long day so tonight I'm treating myself to this 2009 Coudelet de Beaucastel (just a glass!).  The Coudelet vineyard lies just east of the iconic Beaucastel vineyard, across the A7 autoroute.  Although there is nothing 'little' about it, this wine is often referred to as "Baby Beaucastel" because of it's similarities to true Beaucastel (not surprising since the soil composition at Coudelet is very similar).  I'll have to pick up another bottle to age for a bit.  Yum!!

Beaucastel was one of the vineyards my friend Monika and I were supposed to visit earlier this year while I was in France but our crazy travel schedule wouldn't allow it...hopefully next time!!

Reminiscing: Domaine Weinbach

Over Thanksgiving a friend and I enjoyed this Domaine Weinbach Pinot Gris, which I had gotten while visiting France in September.  Not only was the wine perfection (dry and minerally), it reminded me of the visit I made to the Domaine while in France this September with my lovely friend Monika.

Before being acquired by the Faller brothers in 1898, Weinbach had been run by Capuchin monks since 1612.  The domaine (located in Alsace, northeast France near the border of Germany) was passed down to Theo Faller and now resides in the hands of Theo's wife, Colette, and her two daughters.  Monika and I were lucky enough to sit down with one of the daughters, Catherine, for a few hours.  It was quite a visit! (you can read all the Weinbach visit and our other exploits here.) 

Catherine and I

That hillside is the "Schlossberg" area (where the best grapes come from!)

If you're into Riesling, Pinot Gris and the like, I highly suggest seeking out some Domaine Weinbach (or Alsacean wines in general).  It's not the cheapest stuff out there but it's quite heavenly.  Generally the wine is going to be drier than the German Rieslings that you may be used to.  So maybe save it for some seafood rather than slamming it next Saturday night ;-) 

Wine Musings: Tablas Creek

Back in November we had a Rhone Valley wine tasting with some of our best customers (and the lovely Danny Haas from Vineyards Brands, who is truly a wealth of knowledge).  In addition to a plethora of Rhones, we also tasted through selections from California winery Tablas Creek.    

The (important) backstory: Tablas Creek is the the result of a partnership between the Perrin family of Château de Beaucastel and Robert Haas, founder of Vineyard Brands.   The families partnered in the 80’s and purchased a 120-acre property in the hilly Las Tablas district of west Paso Robles (which had similarities to Châteauneuf du Pape - limestone soils, a favorable climate, and rugged terrain).  The vineyard grows grape varieties traditionally grown in Rhone, including Mourvèdre, Grenache Noir, Syrah, and Counoise for reds, and Roussanne, Viognier, Marsanne, and Grenache Blanc for whites.





In a nutshell, I LOVE the wines coming from Tablas Creek.  My store is currently carrying two of their whites:  TABLAS CREEK VINEYARD PATELIN DE TABLAS BLANC 2010 and TABLAS CREEK ESPRIT DE BEAUCASTEL BLANC 2009.  These are both Rhone-style whites that are to die for – crisp, floral, and citrusey with lovely minerality.  And the under-$50 price tage definitely beats what you’ll pay for a true Beaucastel.

I definitely recommend anything from Tablas Creek if you are looking for a unique wine for the holidays.  If you can't make it out to Gaithersburg, a little birdy told me that you may be able to find it at Calvert Woodley in DC as well.

photo courtesy of tablascreek.com

C'est la fête! A few of my favorite party wines

I know a thing or two about parties.  I also know a thing or two about wine.  So here are my top 4 party selections.  All of these will cost you between $10 and $20 (so you won’t feel tooooo bad when the drunk girl at the party spills her glass down the front of her dress).  Obviously all of these are available at the store that I work at:  finewine.com of Gaithersburg.   Or at the next party you see me at.

Beaulieu Picpoule de Pinet 2010, France:  From a cooperative in the Languedoc region of France, this white is super fresh  and easy to quaff.  It’s citrusy and refreshing and not super high in alcohol (which believe me,  can be a good thing at holiday parties).   For around $10 bucks for bottle, you cannot beat this.  Plus the elegant green bottle looks très fancy (think: hostess gift).

 

Blind Dog, Midnight Run Cuvee (Non-Vintage), California:  This is my go-to party red.  It’s also the red I keep around my house when I’m kicking back.  It’s a “kitchen sink” blend from Paso Robles and it is absolutely delicious.  Bring to your next party because it is awesome by itself as well as with a variety of foods. 

Paringa Sparking Shiraz 2009, Australia:  I’m covering both your red wine and sparkling wine bases here.  Essentially this is a rich, dark fruity Shiraz that has a bit of sparkle to it.  It’s a tad sweet but won’t turn off those party-goers who roll their eyes at anything off-dry.   Plus, who else would think to bring a sparkling red wine to the party?

 

Adami Prosecco Bosco di Gica (Non-Vintage), Italy:  Proseccos are crowd-pleasers, hands down.  This one isn’t too sweet, but it’s got that heavenly, frothy texture.  It’s delicious and all the ladies will love it.  Done.

(top photo credit: studiotwentyeightdesign.blogspot.com)

Pass the bubbly, s'il vous plaît

One of the perks of my job is tasting vast amounts of delicious wines .  Tonight  at the finewine.com store we held our annual Champagne Tasting class.   We poured eight high end champagnes , all of which were lovely.  The highlight of the night  was tasting a bottle of Salon (vintage 1999), an ultra-exclusive champagne in which only 36 vintages have been produced since its founding in 1905.  We popped the magnum, which retails for $600 a bottle.  And yes, it tasted like heaven.  (A more budget-friendly option is Salon's baby sister, Delamotte).

My favorite was actually the Jean Vesselle Oeil de Perdrix (translates to “Eye of the Partridge”).  It’s a Pinot Noir-based Champagne that has a very unique, vivacious red-fruit flavor.  My co-worker Dorian and I are bringing it to bring to our NYE soiree (also because we can’t afford the Salon…a girl can dream).