2008 Cantina Peppucci Grechetto di Todi Montorsolo D.O.C. Review Date - 6/1/2009 Score - 94 Tasting Note: Talk about a wine the fairly breathes seafood, makes you feel an ocean breeze and takes you on a walk on the beach after a seafood supper. A sense of place is rarely this palpable in a bottle of wine, but this interpretation of the Grechetto grape does all that. A medium-bodied dry white wine with a greenish yellow straw color, the wine introduces the nose to a refined fruit aroma that promises lively fruit flavors. The palate comes alive with the evolved fruit flavors laced with a stony minerality and backed up by firm acidity. Freshness and a clean, long finish keep one coming back for more. Serve moderately cool as excessive cold will kill the fruit flavors, around 50-55ºF/10-13ºC, and use medium-sized tulip-shaped glasses. Foods: Did we say seafood? And more seafood. Oysters with lemon (not cocktail sauce); grilled head-on shrimp with garlic, olive oil, sea salt and a splash or two of the wine or lemon; mussels steamed with garlic, herbs and white wine or beer; scallop ceviche with tomato and fresh herbs; crab legs with drawn butter; sautéed soft-shell crabs; not bad either with a chicken breast roasted atop a bed of sliced onions and garlic. Bacco Fine Wine $15.00 2007 Skouras Moscofilero Peleponnese Review Date - 6/1/2009 Score - 91 Tasting Note: As we move into warm weather, light white wines are what we crave for light foods. Think about Greece for some of these wines, especially those based on the native Greek varieties, such as this one. Moscofilero (mow-skow-FEE-lair-oh), sometimes spelled Moscophilero, is one of those grapes that makes a refreshing, zingy summer sipper. This one shows a slight spritziness and a pale yellow color, and opens with a fresh pear/melon scent. On the palate, a fruit-sweet melon/pear flavor gets additional interest and complexity from an almost chalky minerality. Clean with sweet fruit but a dry finish, this is a terrific aperitif and seafood wine. Foods: taramosalata; stuffed grape leaves; spanikopita, stuffed cocktail-size potatoes; crab cakes; shrimp or chicken with Thai green curry cream; goat cheese; baked oysters with cream and lemon; grilled Vidalia onion pork bratwurst; pan-fried crumbed catfish with tartar sauce; crab-stuffed flounder; grilled or crumbed fried scallops; calamari with lemon aïoli; chicken or fish piccatta, with lemon and capers. United Distributors $17.00 2007 Roberto Anselmi Bianco San Vincenzo I.G.T. Review Date - 6/1/2009 Score - 90 Tasting Note: Known for his single-vineyard Soaves, Roberto Anselmi takes his Soave seriously and keeps yields limited so the wines are intensely aromatic and show great fruit. But for this wine, he blends the traditional Soave grape, Garganega (80%), with Chardonnay (15%) and Soave Trebbiano (5%). That’s why it’s labeled “Bianco” (white), and I.G.T. rather than D.O.C. so that Anselmi may step outside the box to blend grape types that aren’t D.O.C. for Soave. Medium-bodied with a medium golden straw color, this dry white wine suggests pear and white melon in the aromas, set off by a subtle nuttiness. Minerality joins the fruit flavors on the palate, which blends notes of pear, melon and citrus. The flavors linger, giving at least a full minute of finish. Very good value. Foods: all the shellfish and mild white fish, grilled red snapper; baked flounder stuffed with crabmeat; crab cakes; soft-shell crabs; mild curry in seafood or chicken salads; calamari with lemon or aïoli; slightly spicy shrimp/lobster dip; white pizza (try thinly sliced potato, Vidalia onion, mozzarella di bufala and arugula); guacamole; pasta salad with Parmesan cheese, garlic and smoked mozzarella cheese (Whole Foods); soft cheese and herb dip; Parmesan potato cakes; croquetas (chicken or fish); stuffed cocktail potatoes. Georgia Crown $15.00 2005 Georg Gustav Huff Riesling Spätlese Trocken Neirsteiner Hipping Rheinhessen Review Date - 6/1/2009 Score - 96 Tasting Note: The best of all possible worlds when it comes to German Riesling has to be Spätlese Trocken. The ripe fruit character combined with the dry finish makes for one of the most satisfying combinations in a bottle of wine. Taste one of these, and all memory of liquefied lollipops masquerading as Riesling will be banished from your brain. This is a classic example, showing a lovely golden color and a tangerine/kumquat aroma, with just a hint of the diesel character that Rieslings often acquire with time. Complexity defines the palate, which shows volumes of exotic fruit, minerality and acidity, all stitched together in a fine balancing act. The vineyard’s red slate soil is credited with imparting to the wine its substantial mineraltiy. Mouthwatering, compelling, delicious, and nearly impossible to stop sipping. Great value. Foods: cold Asian noodles, with peanut sauce and sesame seeds; spicy tangerine chicken, almost any not too spicy Asian pork or seafood dish; although Asian style lamb and beef dishes would be good, too, if prepared with ginger and mild spice; roast pork; sautéed pork steaks or chicken breasts with whole-grain mustard cream sauce; grilled sausages and caramelized onions; sauerbraten; venison with dark gingersnap sauce. Bacco Fine Wine $18.00 2007 JM Fonseca Twin Vines Vinho Verde Review Date - 6/1/2009 Score - 88 Tasting Note: Fresh, zingy, slightly spritzy and showing lively fruit, this classic Portuguese white wine takes its name from the country’s largest winegrowing region. Lying just south of the Minho River, the region shares with its neighbor to the north, Galicia, the cultivation of the white grape albariño/alvarinho, one of the components of the white wines of Vinho Verde. The specific composition of this example is 35% Loureiro, 23% Trajadura, 22% Pedernã, 20% Alvarinho, all traditional Portuguese grape types. Light-bodied and showing a pale greenish straw color, this example reveals aromas of fresh summer fruits, including white melon, citrus and crisp apple. On the palate these fruit flavors and a definite spritziness that is characteristic of the genre make for the ideal aperitif and summer wine. Gentle alcohol: 10%. The 2008 vintage should be on the shelf soon, but the 2007 is still drinking nicely. These are not keepers, so do no cellar. The 2008 vintage should be shipped shortly, but the 2007 is still drinking well. Foods: seafood mousse; non-oily sashimi (i.e., NOT mackerel, salmon, etc.); goat cheese; bacalão (salted cod) fritters; stuffed cocktail-sized potatoes; shellfish; delicate fin fish (sole, flounder, perch). National Distributing Co. $18.00 2007 Sella & Mosca La Cala Vermentino Sardinia Review Date - 6/1/2009 Score - 91 Tasting Note: A Mediterranean varietal also known as Rolle in France, Vermentino even grows in North Carolina (see Raffaldini, in the Swan Creek Valley). It makes the perfect seafood wine, but it has other uses as well. Vermentino is the icon white wine grape of Sardinia (Sardegna in Italian), an island between France and Italy. This medium-bodied dry white wine shows a pale straw with greenish glints and presents floral aromas with hints of lime blossom. On the palate, fruit and minerality march in lockstep crafting a mouthwatering mid palate and leading to a long, satisfying, crisp finish. And glass after glass, the palate never tires thanks to the wine’s fresh vibrancy. Superb value. Very flexible with food: Calamari with lemon aïoli; beef carpaccio (no kiddin’); seafood mousses and salads; crumbed, fried seafood from scallops to shrimp to catfish; fish ‘n’ chips; mussels; Greek-style pizza; mild creamy cheeses; grilled snapper or fresh anchovies. Georgia Crown $13.00 2007 Argyros Santorini Review Date - 6/1/2009 Score - 92 Tasting Note: The remains of a monstrous volcanic explosion that consumed an earlier small island, Santorini is an archipelago of volcanic soil that sits in the southern Aegean Sea, about 120 miles southeast of the Greek mainland. Viewed from a satellite, the archipelago lies in a circular formation. The volcanic soil contributes extraordinary minerality to the wines that its grapes produce, yielding wines of amazing freshness when young but that have some aging potential as well. While there are examples of barrel-fermented white Santorini wines, those done in stainless steel seem to be the most satisfying, but then they’re not the long-term keepers the barrel-fermented ones may be. This example is composed of traditional grapes: Assyrtico (90%); Aidani (5%) and Athiri (5%). Its very pale straw color, citrusy aromas with some aromatic spice introduce a generous palate of acid-threaded pear-citrus fruit. The long, clean, crisp finish respects the palate, preparing it for another sip. Mouthwatering and inviting, it’s the ideal introduction to Greek white wines. Foods: Greek appetizers, including stuffed grape leaves; taramosalata on unsalted potato chips; spinach pie (spanikopita); Greek potatoes with tzaziki sauce; calamari with lemon or a lemon aïoli; hummus and pita bread; cubes of feta cheese with olive oil and herbs; saganaki; Santorini pizza (with artichokes, olives, peppers, spinach and feta—at Athens Pizza); roast chicken with lemon; all manner of mild fish (try with red snapper brushed with olive oil, herbs and grilled over charcoal). United Distributors $17.00 2007 Zapadorado Verdejo Rueda Review Date - 6/1/2009 Score - 90 Tasting Note: Sitting just north of Madrid about an hour’s drive, Rueda, which extends over both Segovia and Valladolid provinces, is all about white wine, although there are some reds from the region as well. Interestingly, when I visited the region back on the mid 90s, I asked about reds and was told at the Consejo that they were not of interest. Rubbish. But Verdejo is the major white wine grape of Rueda, along with Sauvignon Blanc. Some Palomino Fino (the same grape that makes Sherry) also is grown. Verdejo (pronounced vair-DAY-ho) rocks. In general, the wines exhibit serious fruit intensity, often suggesting grapefruit (especially if there’s some Sauvignon Blanc blended in). Landlocked Rueda is about as dry as it gets, with rocky, stony soil on land that gets no higher than rolling. This example is 100% Verdejo, a full-bodied dry white wine with an intriguing aniseed-accented yellow-stone fruit aroma. Forget the grapefruit. Gold-straw in color, the wine offers a fruit-rich palate that suggests a wide range of yellow fruits, including pineapple. A long, crisp finish and well-integrated fruit-acidity craft a “compleat” wine. As the wine opens, it becomes increasingly complex, with a solid core of minerality. I adore that slightly bitter/chalky edge that surfaces in the finish. As the wine unfolds, a bit of grapefruit peel emerges. Foods: Mildly seasoned white foods, no matter what they are. So, simple grilled, baked, roasted or poached white fish; (halibut with garlic, salt and pepper—period); grilled crab-stuffed shrimp wrapped in prosciutto; Parmesan potato cakes; simple paella made with saffron, seafood, chicken; roast chicken; roasted breast of veal; grilled Vidalia onion bratwurst; grilled trout stuffed with bacon and fresh herbs Quality Wine & Spirits $15.00 2007 Martínez Serrantes Alba Rosa Albariño Rías Baixes Review Date - 6/1/2009 Score - 89 Tasting Note: The Val do Salnés in the heart of Rías Baixas is said to be the ancestral home of the grape albariño. Early spring rains affected flowering followed by an attack of mildew reduced the yield for the 2007 vintage by about half. The remaining harvest yielded intense, aromatic, fruit-driven wines. This example shows a pale greenish straw color, with aromas of white and yellow stone fruits. There’s a citrus note as well. The good acid on the palate supports a fine fruit profile, adding strength to the long, fruit-filled finish. The term “albariño” could mean “little white” one or “white from the Rhine,” as some have thought it may have come from Germany with the monastic movement going to Santiago de Comostela in Galicia. Others insist the grape is native to Galicia. Either way, it seems obvious the grape and scallops were created with each other in mind. My view is this grape should never see oak. No way; no how. Its freshness and classic fruit flavors would be impaired if it were to see oak. Foods: raw or roasted oysters with lemon; seafood mousses; scallops dusted in seasoned flour and sautéed, tartar sauce or lemon wedges; mild white fish with salsa verde (that is olive oil and mixed minced fresh herbs); bacalao (salted cod) fritters; pan-fried catfish; flounder stuffed with crab meat United Distributors $18.00 2007 Borie de Noaillan Bordeaux Blanc Review Date - 6/1/2009 Score - 88 Tasting Note: Bordeaux produces more than some of the world’s foremost red wines. There are white wines, some produced by the renowned red wine houses. And, yes, there are dry rosés, too. As with all dry Bordeaux whites, this one is produced from the classic Bordeaux varieties: Sauvignon Blanc (33%); Semillon (33%); and Muscadelle (33%). Medium-bodied with a medium pale greenish straw color, the wine presents a fresh, clean scent, but not of primary fruit. On the palate, clean, fresh slightly minerally flavors craft a wine that works well as a solo sipper, never tiring the palate. Nothing grassy or overly herbaceous.This is a great value. Foods: Light appetizers, such as cocktail quiches; croquetas; goat cheese; crumbed, raw oysters with lemon; lightly fried shellfish (scallops, oysters, shrimp) or mild fish (catfish, flounder) with tartar sauce; seafood mousse; seafood salads; crab cakes; fried or sautéed soft-shell crab Bacco Fine Wine $14.00 2005 Daniel Reverdy Sancerre Review Date - 6/1/2009 Score - 91 Tasting Note: Put off by the aggressive grapefruit of some of the Down Under examples of Sauvignon Blanc? Don’t like the in-your-face grassiness of some American examples? Here’s your answer: The Sauvignon Blanc of the Loire Valley, produced in Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé and Menetou-Salon, captures the core minerality of the region and shows expressive fruit, but does so with elegance and restraint compared with other regions of the wine-growing world. Showing a pale straw color, this example is clearly Sauvignon Blanc, with a fresh slight white grapefruit fresh herb aroma. On the palate, the chalky minerality blends well with the white citrus fruit character. Finely tuned, the Sauvignon Blanc characters are clear but not obsessively aggressive. Elegance is the operating imperative. The 2005 vintage is one of Europe’s best in decades, but don’t cellar this wine. Foods: Seafood mousse; raw or roasted oysters with lemon; oysters Rockefeller; spinach quiche; goat brie (oooooh); garlic shrimp; simple baked white fish (flounder, sole, striped bass, trout); salmon cakes; Parmesan potato cake; grilled or roasted vegetables; oven-roasted potatoes with tzaziki sauce; slow-roasted chicken on a bed of onions with garlic cloves tucked under the skin, lemon splash. Peach State $23.00 2005 Kuehn Gewüztraminer Sonnerberg Vineyard Alsace Review Date - 6/1/2009 Score - 92 Tasting Note: Alsace is famous for its Germanic grape varieties, including Riesling and Gewürztraminer. The latter is a grape that most consumers have a difficult time with, as its exotic character can be challenging. From a family that is known for its dry wines produced from several vineyards, this example is classic in its exotic character, with aromas of litchi nuts and assorted blossoms The palate presents an elegance that makes the wine particularly food friendly, although not with the spicy Indian fare we often thing to use with it. Asian pear apple, litchi nut and ripe fruit characters shape the palate. The lingering dry finish, good acidity, and voluptuous mouthfeel make this a winner with a wide variety of foods that are more traditionally Alsace/German. Foods: Alsace onion tart (Café Alsace in Decatur); grilled veal sausages with caramelized onions and Dijon mustard; braised pork shoulder with sauerkraut (rinse it well before putting it on the meat for further cooking); Alsace choucroute garnie; roast pork loin with garlic mashed potatoes; slow-roasted breast of veal; goat brie; French Münster. Peach State $22.00