Mont Marcal Brut Cava Gran Sarao Review Date - 9/1/2009 Score - 90 Tasting Note: For value in sparkling wine, most refreshing this time of year, look for a Cava, the correct term to use for Spanish sparkling wine. (Not Champagne.) This example shows a bright pale yellow straw color, and displays aromas of crisp apple with citrus notes, which carry through on the palate. Very tiny persistent bead (smaller than on most Cava) and a good mousse shape the experience, which is clean and refreshing, thanks to good acidity. Aged on the yeast Moderate alcohol: 11.5%. Grape types: Xarel.lo (40%); Macabeo (30%); Parellada (20%), Chardonnay (10%), which was approved for the D.O. in 1986. Vines average 30 years. Serve chilled, about 45ºF/7-8ºC in flutes. Excellent value. Foods: Chilled poached shellfish (especially scallops); cold, creamy soups; croquetas; creamy chicken liver mousse; watermelon salad; sliced, crispy pork belly; ceviche; medium-rare roast pork tenderloin; sashimi and sushi. Hemispheres $14.00 Burmester Vintage Port White Review Date - 9/1/2009 Score - 93 Tasting Note: White Port? Who ever heard of white Port? I’m still getting that question, but I’m also beginning to find it on shelves and in restaurants. Carpe Diem in Decatur pours one, for example. This one exhibits a deep golden color, and exudes exotic dried yellow fruit aromas. Its silky texture encases the palate in sensuousness, while the good acidity cleanses it. Dried yellow fruits jam the palate, and a pleasant warmth spreads after the last sip. Well balanced and luscious, it’s a great aperitif or final touch. Grape types: Malvasia; Codega; Donzelinho; Esgana Cão. High alcohol, about 20%, so pours should be small (about 2 ounces). As an aperitif, do as in Portugal: pour 2 ounces or so on the rocks, splash with tonic water or club soda, and squeeze a slice of lime or lemon. With this serve roasted almonds; assorted olives, cheese straws or coins, grilled shrimp, thinly sliced Serrano ham or prosciutto, unsalted or lightly salted potato chips, hummus and pita points. As a chilled (60ºF/15ºF in small tulip-shaped glasses) neat drink, serve with foie gras or liver mousse. As an after dinner, serve chilled with pound cake, blonde fruit cake, nuts and cheeses, New York-style cheesecake. Ultimate Distributors $19.00 Habersham Vineyards Signet Review Date - 9/1/2009 Score - 88 Tasting Note: Look around our own state for wines that make good patio sipping: A blend of Seyval (a French-American hybrid grown from Canada to North Georgia) and Chardonnay, this non-vintage, slightly off-dry (just .6 residual sugar) wine shows a bright, very pale straw color. Crisp, with clean, white fruit character, light on the palate, the wine shows the classic Seyval citrus mineral characters and a respectable finish. Illegal in the E.U. (except for England), Seyval can make anything from still to sparkling and from dry to sweet. The label sports a trout on the label, as if suggesting that as a pairing. Serve it moderately chilled, about 45-50ºF/8-10ºC. Good as a solo sipper, Signet does nicely with light foods: hummus with pita points; chilled poached shellfish with lemon vinaigrette; grilled trout stuffed with fresh herbs; fried catfish; pasta and potato salads; goat cheese; stuffed cocktail potatoes with sour cream and chives; unsalted potato chips with French onion dip. Prestige Wine Wholesale $12.00 Savida Sangria White Review Date - 9/1/2009 Score - 86 Tasting Note: When it comes to warm, breezy days on the patio, nothing beats sangria. Although it’s easy to make, and usually winds up tasting better than any bottled version, this brand is quite acceptable and works well either neat and chilled or on the rocks with a splash of tonic or seltzer water and a wedge of lime. Both red and white are available, and both are nice work. Savida Sangria describes itself as the first sangria in a bottle, a statement that is absolutely not accurate, but it sure is the first I would be willing to drink. Served chilled, the sweet white wine shows flavors of citrus and tropical fruits, juices of which are blended into the wine. Its base is Sauvignon Blanc (from Silverado Winery) blended with tangerine and peach. Good acidity acts as a palate cleanser, and the finish is clean and long. Foods: Chilled, neat, with curried shrimp or chicken salad; assertively flavored cheeses (Manchego, feta), paella, calamari with a spicy aïoli, cold sliced roast chicken with spicy mayonnaise. On the rocks: Marcona almonds; cheese straws or coins; green olives; cured meats; skewers of poached, chilled shellfish; seafood mousse. National Distributing $12.00 2008 Terra Antiga Vinho Verde Review Date - 9/1/2009 Score - 91 Tasting Note: Light, crisp, refreshing and slightly sprizty is the nature of Vinho Verde, produced in the largest wine-growing region of Portugal just south of the Minho River, its border with Galicia in northwestern Spain. Very pale straw, a refreshing citrus-rich aroma, and moderate alcohol (11%) are the hallmarks of this example. On the palate, lemon and lime characters are positively mouth puckering. Brisk acidity keeps the palate refreshed, and invigorates the long finish. Grapes: Alvarinho and Treixadura, the classic varieties of this region’s white wines. Serve chilled, 45-50ºF/7-10ºC. Excellent value. Foods: Bacalao (salt cod) fritters (available frozen at Portuguese grocery stores, such as Sabor Portugal on Roswell Rd. in Sandy Springs), simple grilled scallops, fish (halibut), shrimp; chicken quesadilla; chicken-filled empanadas; risotto fritters; unsalted almonds; creamy, rich light cheeses (try Serra d’Estrella) Ultimate Distributors $11.00 2006 Tenuta Merlassino Gavi Review Date - 9/1/2009 Score - 92 Tasting Note: Made from the Cortese grape, Gavi is one of the classic white wines of Italy, where its cultivation and vinification date to the 17th century. Although there are plantings outside of the Piedmont (Piemonte), most Cortese is grown in that part of northwestern Italy. This particular example comes from Novi Ligure, a small town just north of Genoa. Light and delicate, the wine is fermented for about 20 days at very cool temperatures and then goes directly to bottle. No oak. So the result is a fresh, crisp, dry white wine that makes a great summer sipper. This example showcases a lovely pale straw color, and with its moderate acidity and crisp citrus-kissed fruit flavors, is refreshing and uplifting on the palate. Elegance, refinement and delicacy are the watchwords. Serve about 50-55ºF/10-13ºC. Foods (do as the Genovese do): as an aperitif with light appetizers, such as seafood mousse, creamy fresh cheese blended with minced chives, raw or steamed oysters with lemon; seafood sausages with beurre blanc; onion foccacia; crisp calamari with garlic aïoli. With mains of seafood and fish, grilled scallops, shrimp or fish with classic rémoulade; vegetable tarts, poached chicken with homemade mayonnaise. Ultimate Distributors $17.00 2008 Amador Foothill Winery Rosato di Sangiovese Amador County Review Date - 9/1/2009 Score - 93 Tasting Note: The gorgeous deep, bright reddish pink color of this dry rosé, made entirely of Sangiovese, almost marks it as a light red. Planted on a Tuscan rootstock designed to control vigor, these vines produce grapes with intense red fruit aromas and flavors. The wine was vinified entirely in stainless steel, with 10% of the juice saignée (bled) off the fruit. The rest saw some skin contact. Only a touch of residual sugar (.32) graces this beautiful wine, but that smidgen lets it pair with some interesting foods. The fruits flavors it expresses embrace a wide range, from pink grapefruit to watermelon to strawberry. And was that a touch of rhubarb that seemed to emerge from time to time? Could be, for this is a complex and lively wine. Please do not overchill, keeping its serving temperature at cellar cool: 55ºF/13ºC. Foods: Cajun and Creole fare, such as étouffé, jambalaya, red beans and rice, shrimp sautéed with tasso ham. Also paella, red snapper with peppers and onions; grilled ham steak; barbecue; grilled wild-caught salmon (such as Copper River); Asian fare with lots of garlic and ginger, Korean or Chinese barbecue. Sommelier Direct $13.00 2008 J Lohr Winery Valdiguie Monterey Wildflower Review Date - 9/1/2009 Score - 88 Tasting Note: Known as Gros Auxxerois in the Languedoc-Roussillon, France, the grape we now call Valdiguié used to be known as Napa Gamay. But since 1999, that term has been banned from U.S. labels as DNA typing determined it was not Gamay, the grape of Beaujolais. Valdiguié is the last name of three men associated historically with its propagation, thus giving Americans another difficult-to-pronounce wine term (val-dee-ghee-ai). The grape produces light- to medium-bodied wines that, as in Beaujolais, are often produced using whole berry fermentation (also known as carbonic maceration), which enhances fruit characters. The lovely purple red color and forward dark and red berry aromas lead to flavors of sweet juicy dark fruits with a touch of blueberry and raspberry in the mix. Super soft tannins frame the fruit. Carbonic maceration is obvious in the ample fruitiness. Juicy and uncomplicated, it shares billing with Petit Verdot and White Riesling, which take up about 10% of the whole. Serve chilled (about 55ºF/13ºC), as Muss & Turner in Atlanta insists on doing correctly. Makes a fine aperitif: grilled chicken livers on a rosemary sprig; Chinese or Korean barbecue; rough-textured terrines; cured meats. With dinner: meatloaf; grilled, fried or roast chicken; roast duck; pork loin; barbecue. Empire Distributing (Atlanta); National Distributing (Savannah) $10.00 2008 Attems Pinot Grigio Collio Review Date - 9/1/2009 Score - 93 Tasting Note: Pinot Grigio is rapidly becoming an American favorite—almost a Chardonnay replacement. Much of what we see here comes from the Veneto, but I find many of them flabby, uncommonly dull and lacking character. Not so those from northern Italy, such as from this example. Aromas and flavors of pears and Asian pear apples with a characteristic almond note in both the aromas and the finish define this wine. The luscious texture—the result of very brief oak exposure--and good acidity make this not only a great solo sipper but also a fine food companion. Minimal handling pays off in the preservation of exquisite fruit. Serve moderately chilled, about 55ºF/13ºC. Foods: fried calamari with lemon aïoli; mussels or clams steamed in wine, garlic and cream; pasta with creamy sauces (such as cream, peas and ham); creamy pasta salads with garlic and smoked mozzarella; wood-roasted whole fish (not oily); creamy, mild cheeses United Distributors $20.00 2006 Bodegas del Rosario Las Reñas Rosado Bullas Review Date - 9/1/2009 Score - 90 Tasting Note: Part of Murcia, Bullas is a D.O. in eastern central Spain with high altitudes and Mediterranean climate and exposure. Although this is a 2006 rosado, it’s still showing lovely, lively fruit and a fine reddish pink color. This dry, medium-bodied rosé wine shows plenty of evolved red fruit and brown baking spices, with a broad and deep mid palate and clean finish. Intense red fruit characters, including cranberry and raspberry, shape the flavor profile from start to finish. Grape type: Monastrell, a/k/a Mourvèdre/also a/k/a Mataro. Serve moderately chilled, around 55ºF/13ºC. Foods: smoked wings; barbecue; barbecued chicken; grilled shrimp; grilled veggies with red peppers; cured meats; grilled chicken with red pepper pesto; escalivada (a dish of eggplant, tomatoes, garlic, peppers, served at room temperature); grilled ham steak; grilled shrimp. Liquid Brands $11.00 2008 Persimmon Creek Seyval Blanc Georgia Review Date - 9/1/2009 Score - 91 Tasting Note: Seyval is a grape produced in the 19th century, a hybrid. It is planted from Québec all the way south to North Georgia, and can produce light- to medium-bodied white wines that do best (in my view) in stainless steel, although Wagner in the Finger Lakes, NY, ferments it in barrel to interesting effect. Kept in stainless, the wine retains crispness and bright fruit. This off-dry example shows a lovely pale straw color, and captures clean, fresh citrus-kissed white fruit characters. Moderate alcohol, 11%. I like this edition so much better than 2007, which did get some oak while this one was vinified in stainless steel. Good acidity and low ph balance the residual sugar. Serve moderately chilled, about 50-55ºF/10-13ºC. Foods: Simple grilled fish, seafood, especially scallops and shrimp either grilled or poached or cooked in parchment paper—skip sauces; oysters; poached chicken with curry-accented (light!) homemade mayonnaise; goat cheese. Persimmon Creek Winery $23.00 2007 Brigaldara Valpolicella Review Date - 9/1/2009 Score - 94 Tasting Note: Valpolicella is a viticultural zone within the province of Verona, whose capital city was the site of Romeo’s wooing of Juliet. The eponymous wine gathers its fruit from Rondinella, Molinara, and Corvina Veronese. This example adds Sangiovese to the mix. The zone ranks right after Chianti in total Italian D.O.C. production. Classic Valpolicella, the wine, is light- to medium-bodied, with a bright ruby red color. This example hits that mark beautifully. Fragrant with hints of baking spices and fresh red fruits in the aromas, the wine literally sings with ripe juiciness punctuated by notes of bitter almond. Super soft tannins add silkiness to the mouthfeel. Stainless steel vinification and aging (6 months) and minimal handling preserve beautiful fruit characters. The wine gains grace at a cool temperature so be sure to serve around 60ºF/15ºC in medium-sized tulip-shaped glasses (such as the Riedel Zinfandel glass). Foods: cured meats (all kinds of salumi); grilled ham or pork steak, veal chop; grilled Cornish hen or chicken (roast, too); penne pasta with sun-dried tomato and black olives (can do as a cold salad, too), grilled sausages; bean dishes (including cold legume salads); grilled pink lamb with greens; intensely flavored cheeses (eg., Cascio di Roma), medium dark chocolate. Vinifera Distributing $17.00