Domaine Carneros Cuvee de la Pompadour Brut Rose Review Date - 3/1/2009 Score - 92 Tasting Note: French Champagne producers have been active in California—and elsewhere (Gruet, New Mexico)—in the United States producing sparkling wine in the traditional manner since the 1970s. That’s when the Champagne Taittanger house began looking for land in California for the purpose of making an American sparkling wine. The winery was established in 1987. This lovely example of what traditional methods can do with California fruit shows aromas of wild strawberry, rose petal and a touch of the scent of honey. On the palate you’ll find crisp, clean, lively red fruit flavors. The deep red salmon color appeals to the eye, as does the generous mousse, which lasts a good while in the glass and is followed by threads of persistent small bead. Alc. 12%. Brut denotes sparkling wines of less than 15 g/l of residual sugar. Grapes: Pinot Noir (58%) and Chardonnay (42%). Serve at 50ºF/10ºC in tulip-shaped flutes. Foods: creamy seafood bisque; pasta salad with poached shrimp and a lemon-juice/mild oil dressing (scant); roast chicken; even steak; mild triple cream cheeses Georgia Distributor: National Distributing Co. $36.00 2007 Schloss Saarstein Riesling Qualitätswein Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Review Date - 3/1/2009 Score - 90 Tasting Note: An ideal aperitif wine, Riesling can nonetheless go from the beginning of the meal through to its conclusion. This example is an off-dry white wine that offers a delicate pale yellow color and aromas that present fine yellow fruit characters, from melon to pineapple, and just a hint of caraway. On the palate, myriad taste sensations range from peach and melon to ripe Fuji apple. Lovely acidity adds balance and prolongs the clean, crisp finish. Delicious. Potential keeper for near-term enjoyment, over say the next four or five years if well cellared. Serve moderately chilled, about 55ºF/13ºC, in small tulip-shaped glasses. Foods: Crab cakes, shrimp salad with creamy lemongrass dressing; green papaya salad with grilled shrimp; dim sum; anything Asian with seafood or chicken, roast turkey, parchment-cooked seafood with Asian seasonings, teriyaki. Actually, any excuse to drink this wine will do. Georgia Distributor: Atlanta Wholesale Wine/NDC $14.00 Lolonis Winery Ladybug White Medocino Old Vines Cuvee III Review Date - 3/1/2009 Score - 87 Tasting Note: Celebrate Greek Easter with a wine from one of America’s Greek heritage wineries, such as Lolonis, which also is dedicated to organic farming methods. The ladybug, which it uses to control pests, is its symbol. This white wine with just a notch of residual sugar blends several grape types: French Colombard; Chenin Blanc; Sémillon and Chardonnay. Tilting to floral, the delicate, aromatic aromas show citrus peel notes. Fresh, clean, apple/pear/citrus fruit informs the palate, which finishes with a pleasing crispness. It’s a good crowd pleaser for beginning a meal. Co-fermented in stainless steel, so all the fruit is kept fresh and unmuddled. This is a simple, easy quaffing wine that should appeal to a wide range of palates. Don’t let it get too cold, or you’ll kill the delicate flavors: 55-60ºF/13-15ºC. Use medium-sized tulip-shaped glasses. Foods: baked fish dishes; calamari with lemon aïoli; lemon chicken; deep-fried chicken tenders with honey mustard; skordalia (garlic/potato purée) with deep-fried cod fish (very traditional); assorted savory phyllo pastries Georgia Distributor: National Distributing Co. $13.00 2007 Casa Nuestra Chenin Blanc Napa Valley Dry Review Date - 3/1/2009 Score - 91 Tasting Note: The voluptuous fruit and aromatic character of Chenin Blanc makes this misunderstood grape a perfect aperitif and dinner wine. Originating in the Loire Valley, one of the most romantic and history-rich spots on the planet, Chenin Blanc is gifted with high natural acidity. If over-cropped or if the vine’s natural vigor isn’t controlled, the resulting wines can be very boring, a condition that has given the grape a bad rap. But when it’s good, it’s a delight, and that’s the case with this example, made from grapes grown on nearly 50-year-old vines. Full-bodied with a bright medium-gold color, this dry white wine displays intense aromas and flavors of melon and golden apple with exotic spice notes. The texture is voluptuous, creamy and silky. Good acidity refreshes the -palate, and makes the wine not only good with food but likely to endure. The winery’s estimate of 20 years is not without the realm of possibility, as good Chenin Blanc from the Loire will cellar well. Vinfied 30% briefly (5 months) in French oak; 70% in stainless steel. Serve cool, about 55ºF/13ºC, in tulip-shaped white-wine glasses; over-chilling will dim these lovely aromas and flavors. Foods: Dishes with aromatic Asian seasoning; tandoori chicken or chicken with gremolata (minced garlic, lemon zest and parsley); Caesar or chopped salad; composed salads with poultry or seafood and fruit; sauced poultry or seafood dishes; pastas with creamy sauces. Georgia Distributor: From the winery; Georgia license #327 $24.00 2007 Dominio de Eguren Vino de la Tierra de Castilla Rosado Protocolo Review Date - 3/1/2009 Score - 88 Tasting Note: Dry rosé takes us from one dish to another with grace and sophistication. It’s especially useful for buffets as it pairs well with myriad dishes, making it especially useful for Easter brunches. I drink rosé all year long, so I may indulge outhern hemisphere examples while they’re still fresh as they come into the market ahead of the European and American ones. This one, from Spain, shows a lovely deep pink color. Medium-bodied, it offers aromas and flavors of pomegranate, red currant, and strawberry, with a touch of spice coming into the picture as the wine finishes. Grape type: tempranillo. A superb value, as is the entire line. Serve moderately cool, about 60ºF/15ºC, in medium-sized tulip-shaped wine glasses. Foods: exotically seasoned (but not mouth-searing hot) foods; crawfish salad; shrimp and grits with tasso ham or prosciutto; paella; barbecued chicken; chicken breast Italiano (crumbs and Parmesan cheese); Indonesian chicken or fish; grilled lamb sausages; roast pork loin; baked ham. Georgia Distributor: Prestige Wine Wholesale $8.00 2007 Tait The Wild Ride Shiraz Southern Finders Review Date - 3/1/2009 Score - 90 Tasting Note: Here’s one that needs decanting for several hours before dinner. I’ve kept watch over it now for several days, and it only gets better and better. In fact, I wasn’t sure I liked it at all when I first opened it because I thought the effect of American oak was too obvious, with that talcum powder character it sometimes acquires. But as the days wore on, this full-bodied dark ruby red dry wine integrated the oak and fruit, until the wood characters finally yielded to the fruit. Finally, some white pepper emerged in the aromas, surging ahead of the oak. Dark fruit runs all over this wine, from boysenberry to black raspberry. While the coconut notes are still there in the mid-palate and in the finish, the balance between these two is quite lovely. Serves this wine at cool room temperature, about 60-65ºF/15-17ºC. Tait Wines is located at the southern end of the Barossa Valley, in Lyndoch, South Australia. The Tait family patriarch, Giovanni Tait, emigrated to Australia from Italy in 1957. Having learned cooperage from his father and grandfather before migrating to Australia, he went to work for B. Seppelt & Sons, then established his winery. Foods: smoked meats; pork steak with mustard sauce; legume-based dishes; prime rib; roast duck brushed with a dark jam glaze; grilled Argentine-style short ribs with sautéed mushrooms, leg of lamb, roasted fresh ham, mild cheeses, dark chocolate (ohmy!) Georgia Distributor: Atlanta Wholesale Wine/NDC $33.00 2006 Galil Mountain Winery Chardonnay Galilee Review Date - 3/1/2009 Score - 88 Tasting Note: As a result of the Yom Kippur War of 1973, Israel obtained governance of the Golan Heights in the north, abutting Syria. That’s where you’ll find altitudes sufficient to yield a cool climate and volcanic soils conducive to grape growing, and where Chardonnay does well. This medium-bodied, medium-gold dry white wine shows an oak-affected aroma that is not so strong it doesn’t admit the fruit characters, with a slight hint of butterscotch, all suggesting ripe yellow fruits, from papaya to mango, with hints of golden raisins. On the palate, fruit and oak are decently integrated, with notes of crème caramel. If you’re at all averse to obvious oak, this might be too much for you. On the other hand, if you like oak-influenced wine, you’re in business. While I’m not partial to the latter, I can still drink this one. Decant for 30 minutes or so to let the wine become more graceful. (Yes, I know it’s a white wine, but you can—and often should—decant those, too.) Serve moderately cool, about 55°F/13°C, in tulip-shaped white-wine glasses. Kosher and Kosher for Passover, but not Mevushal. Foods: Robust fish and chicken dishes with distinctive seasonings, such as saffron and cumin. Chicken gremolata (with garlic, lemon zest, and parsley), grilled chicken/apple sausage; lemon-pepper roast chicken; veal stew. Georgia Distributor: National Distributing Co. $17.00 2007 Pio Cesare Dolcetto d'Alba Review Date - 3/1/2009 Score - 92 Tasting Note: Few red grape types yield more generally useful wines than does Dolcetto, a grape type grown primarily in Italy’s Piedmont region (northwest). This supple medium-bodied dry red wine sees no oak, and minimal handling all around allows its beautiful ruby-tinged purple color to set the stage for ample blueberry and red fruit aromas. Aged in stainless steel, the wine showcases a tasty palate of juicy fruits with no oak interference. Tannins are a study in silk, and the delicious, long finish provides worthy payoff. Alcohol is moderate: 13.5%. Serve this at cool room temperatures, 65°F/17°C, in tall tulip-shaped glasses for red wine. Foods: Appetizers of aged Parmesan cheese cubes drizzled with olive oil; grilled eggplant; cured meats and salamis; meat-stuffed mushrooms; lamb lollipops. Main dishes: pasta with substantial meat sauces, such as papardelle with oxtail meat or braised beef cheek meat; or with tiny lamb meatballs and reduced lamb stock; grilled veal chop; veal scaloppini with tomato and wild mushrooms; aged firm cheeses; very dark chocolate. Georgia Distributor: Empire Distributing $35.00 2007 Backsberg Estate Pinotage Paarl Review Date - 3/1/2009 Score - 88 Tasting Note: Jews in South Africa date to at least the 1820s, with its first congregation established in 1 841 in Cape Town. Today, a museum of Jewish culture in Cape Town chronicles their history in the country over the course of the following two centuries. The Backs arrived in the early 20th century from Lithuania as political and religious refugees, and have flourished in South Africa. Four generations later, and after shedding other agricultural-related enterprises to focus on wines, the winery produces a wide range of wines, including organic, fortified and kosher. The winery indicates both kosher and mevushal for their wines. This wine is made from South Africa’s icon red grape: Pinotage. The wine is a medium-bodied red wine showing a medium-deep red color. Aromas focus on fresh dark berries, which continue into the palate. The fresh fruit flavors are lively and clean. Tannins are soft and well integrated. A fruit-sweetness enrobes the fruit toward the end. Grape type: Pinotage, a crossing of Pinot Noir and Cinsault. A Chardonnay ($15) also is available. Serve cool, about 60ºF/15ºC in large tulip-shaped glasses. Kosher and Mevushal, but not Kosher for Passover. Foods: Smoked liverwurst; braised lamb shank; veal or chicken scaloppini with tomato-wild mushroom sauce (very good); turkey or veal meatballs in a mushroom demi-glace; smoked brisket; roast chicken or duck; grilled or roasted eggplant; dark chocolate. Georgia Distributor: Grapefields $17.00 2006 Beckett's Flat Five Stones Shiraz Margaret River Review Date - 3/1/2009 Score - 89 Tasting Note: This outfit puts out some of the finest Kosher wine I’ve ever tasted, but beyond that, the wines are absolutely excellent wines, and not only are they Kosher and Kosher for Passover, they’re Mevushal. I used the Chardonnay in a class on Kosher wines last year, and it was the group favorite (92 pts.; $25). Mine, too, and, as readers know, I’m not a Chardonnay-a-holic. This medium-bodied Shiraz does show its American oak at the outset, but it’s fairly subtle. The aromas launch with good fruit and a touch of vanilla, but then a bit of toastiness emerges. Plum, dark cherry and oak inform the palate. Tannins are round and silky, and the long finish is fruit-focused. The wine ages in a combination of French and American oak, although in my view it would benefit by ditching the latter. Overall, though, this is one of the best Kosher red wines I’ve ever tasted. Serve in tall, tulip-shaped glasses at about 65ºF/17ºC. Foods: chicken liver pâté with black peppercorns; black olives; exotically spiced braised chicken or lamb; roast, braised or barbecued beef short ribs; turkey or veal meatballs with mushrooms; braised lamb shank or roast lamb; roast duck; barbecue seasoning-rubbed steak; dishes with mushrooms; rich, aged cheeses. Georgia Distributor: La Fayette Selections $25.00 2004 Recanati Barbera Galilee Review Date - 3/1/2009 Score - 88 Tasting Note: Yup, Barbera. And you thought such a grape type couldn’t be Kosher? But Italy produces all manner of Italian grape types as Kosher wines. This example is a medium-bodied dry red wine with a purple-red color; it offers aromas that suggest dried dark fruits with a hint of black pepper, followed by flavors that blend dried and fresh dark fruits—plums, cherries, black currants, dark Muscat raisins. Barbera’s characteristic tartness is softened in this example, and the tannins and acidity are well integrated with the fruit. Mid palate thins out a bit. The oak aging occurs in one- and two-year-old French oak barrels. Integration of fruit and oak is spot on. Kosher and Kosher for Passover, but not Mevushal. Serve cool, about 60-65°F/15-17°C, in large tulip-shaped red-wine glasses. The name Recanati comes from a small 12th-century hill town jn the Marche on the Adriatic coast that was home to poets and painters. Foods: Chicken or veal gremolata (osso buco), braised lamb shank, grilled lamb sausages, cured meats, grilled meats, picadillo, lasagna, pasta with well-seasoned meat sauces. Georgia Distributor: National Distributing Co. $18.00 2006 Yarden Galilee Mount Hermon Red Review Date - 3/1/2009 Score - 87 Tasting Note: More proof that Kosher wines are not by definition sweet: This dry red wine is a testament to what the Golan Heights, lying in northern Israel, can produce. It’s a f ull-bodied dry wine with a medium-deep ruby red color. Aromas convey the scent of sweet dark fruit, later delivered on the palate: Black currant, black raspberry, and plum open for similar dark fruit flavors that capture a bit of dried fig in the finish. Very easy tannins conduct the fruit flavors through the wine’s long finish. Best served at cool room temperatures, 55-60ºF/13-15ºC, in large, tulip-shaped glasses. Foods: Barbecued chicken; curried beef, braised lamb, grilled red meats; roast duck brushed with melted jam glaze; roast chicken; red meat casseroles. Georgia Distributor: National Distributing Co. $14.00 2007 Cantine Del Borgo Reale Pinot Grigio Veneto Review Date - 3/1/2009 Score - 86 Tasting Note: With a large gathering, you have many taste preferences to consider. This light-bodied slightly spritzy white wine is made from the Pinot Grigio grape. It shows a very pale straw color and aromas of fresh fruit with a slight bitter almond character, typical of the type. Fruit sweetness informs the palate with fairly simple white fruit flavors. As with most white wines from the Veneto, its acidity is only moderate. This is a clean but simple quaff that will have good general appeal. Serve it moderately chilled, as too much cold will kill its flavors: 50-55ºF/10-13ºC. Kosher, Kosher for Passover and Mevushal. Foods: appetizers; fish simply prepared with lemon; bacalao fritters; miniature knishes, fish-based seviche with olive oil, herbs and lemon juice; fried chicken strips with honey mustard sauce. Georgia Distributor: La Fayette Selections $18.00