Renacer Punto Final Malbec
Renacer Punto Final Malbec Mendoza Reserva 2010 $16.99 Wine Spectator 90 points. Ranacer Punto Final has the classic profile of a Malbec from Argentina but it is carried in a medium-bodied wine instead of the more robust full-bodied wine that you would expect. This Malbec may have a lighter body but it packs its taste palate with all the dark fruit and plum flavor that you would expect from a Mendoza winery. Pair it with beef, either roasted or grilled.
Urraca Malbec Mendoza Argentina Vineyards 2008
With the holidays fast approaching I thought it would be a good time to remind everyone, including myself, what the true belief of this blog is. The essence of what I want to relate is that many lasting memories are made when you share quality time with good friends and loving family over a glass of wine. This and the next two posts will highlight three Malbec that are highly rated and fairly priced. All three will pair well with grilled or roasted red meat or even a hamburger because it won’t only be turkey and stuffing for dinner until New Years Eve.
Urraca Malbec Mendoza Argentina Vineyards 2008 $17.99 Wine Spectator 90 points. This wine has all the traditional qualities that come to mind when you think of a Malbec from Argentina. Urraca Malbec 2008 is dark and full-bodied with intense flavors of concentrated blackberry and plum along with lots of oak to round out this classic Malbec. I would recommend using your wine aerator or swirling it in your glass to open it up.
Vina Equia Rioja 2008
The beat goes on from Bodegas Equía, in the village of Elcigo in the heart of Rioja Alavesa. Their Viña Equía Rioja 2008 is a good example of a well made Tempranillo at great sale price of $8.99 at P.L.C.B. stores. This Rioja has flavors of lush ripe red fruit and lightly toasted oak all contained in a rich medium-bodied wine that displays its’ silky tannins throughout the finish. Bodegas Equía produces this ruby-red colored Rioja by fermenting the Tempranillo grapes for 15 days in stainless steel vats while doing daily pumpovers to extract the greatest amount of color and flavor from the grapes. The wine then goes into stainless steel tanks for malolactic fermentation and then is racked twice before being aged 12 months in American oak. Wine Advocate rated this vintage at 91 points and Wine Spectator gave it an 87 rating, while not as highly rated as the 2007 vintage that I reviewed last April, this is an exceptional wine at a bargain price.
Christian W. Klay Winery Photo Courtesy: Christian W. Klay Winery
I had the pleasure to drink several Christian W. Klay wines at a friend’s wedding reception that was held very near the Klay winery’s home in Chalk Hill,Pa. I enjoyed their Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, both displayed good structure and a medium body that paired well with my steak dinner. The Chardonnay I tried didn’t impress me as much as the Cab and Merlot. When I asked my wife for her opinion on the White Zinfandel she gave me a favorable comment saying it was pleasing and easy to drink. The Christian W. Klay winery has been a mainstay of the wine industry in Western Pennsylvania since opening in Fayette county in 1997 and has always raised the quality of their wines with every vintage. These wines, as well as the wines of many other W.Pa. wineries, continue to improve every year and I look forward to the offerings that will come from the superb 2013 vintage. www.cwklaywinery.com
Glass of wine (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
As another great growing season draws to a close the 24 wineries in Lake Erie Wine Country are getting ready to celebrate Harvest Wine Weekends. The festivities will be held over two weekends with the first November 1-3 and the second on the following weekend November 8-10. This is a perfect time to visit all the wineries in Lake Erie Wine Country, which stretches between Harborcreek, Pa and Silver Creek, NY. Ticketholders will receive a set of wooden LEWC coasters as a gift as well as a wine glass, recipe booklet, extra tastings and a $5 voucher. When visiting the wineries you will be able to sample wines paired with “harvest inspired” foods. Tickets can only be purchased online at www.lakeeriewinecountry.org and range between $31-$35 with a designated driver ticket costing $20.
The Island Wine Festival was held October 5th & 6th, 2013 on the grounds of the Put-In-Bay Winery in Put-In-Bay, Ohio. Put-In-Bay is on South Bass Island in Lake Erie and is only a short ferry ride from Port Clinton. The festival was set up under several large tents where vendors and local wineries displayed more than 400 wines that were available for tasting and purchase. I was disappointed that more Ohio wineries were not represented because I wanted to taste a variety of their wines and see how the industry was progressing . I did taste a dry Traminette offered by Chateau Tebeau Winery from Helena Ohio, one of the few Ohio wineries in attendance. Chateau Tebeau grows a variety of grapes and owner Bob Tebeau told me this years harvest was excellent, with the Brix as high as 26. Chateau Tebeau didn’t suffer the frost that hit many of the vineyards in Western Pennsylvania this spring. It was the end of the season at Put-In-Bay but we all had a good time enjoying the party atmosphere that this destination is famous for, the only thing
Put-In-Bay Winery
The Miller Ferry arrives at Put-In-Bay from Port Clinton
missing were the in season crowds. When visiting Put-In-Bay I suggest stopping by the Put-In-Bay Winery and Heineman Winery to get a little taste of island wine. You can walk between the wineries or make the trip in a rented golf cart, the preferred mode of transportation of tourist on the island, but always remember you can be charged with D.U.I. even when driving a golf cart!
Rows of Cabernet Sauvignon in the Ripepi Vineyard
Cabernet Sauvignon grapes
When Rich Ripepi, owner and winemaker of Ripepi Winery and Vineyard in Monongahela, Pa invited us to take part in the harvest at his vineyard we gladly accepted. It was a beautiful early fall day as we walked from the winery to the rows of Cabernet Sauvignon vines in the adjacent vineyard. We picked up our clippers from the tool bucket, located a section of unharvested vines by the empty bins laid out beneath them and went to work. It wasn’t too long before Rich came by and his excitement about this years harvest was written all over his face. He talked in glowing terms about how well the grapes had ripened during the month of September because of the warm weather and plentiful sunshine from the nearly cloudless skies. I asked Rich how he determined when it was time to pick and he told me he uses all the traditional methods like Brix (these berries were 23), acidity and other factors but what it really all comes down to is if he tastes the grapes and they taste ripe to him then it is time to pick. After a very wet summer which called for a more robust spraying program and more cultivation than normal there was an amazing turn of events that lead to this being one of the best harvest ever. We took a break and walked with Rich to the winery where the pressing of the Traminette grapes which were picked earlier that day was nearing completion. After being destemed the grapes were mixed with rice husks to make it easier to press out the juice. Rich grabbed a glass and said “Do you want to taste it?” as he fills it with the freshly press juice that flows from the press, it was sweet and full of flavor. While walking back to the vineyard to finish picking, Rich relates the most interesting stories about his evolving journey as a winemaker which makes the time pass quickly as we strip the last vines of their fruit. We would like to say “Thank You” to Rich Ripepi for inviting us to share this experience with him and his family. More information about the Ripepi Winery and their award-winning wines can be found at www.Ripepiwine.com
Ripe grapes of Riesling. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I received a press release from the Standing Stone Winery that proudly announced the release of their Old West Block Riesling. This is a single yeast Riesling named after the oldest vineyard on their property that was planted in 1972 by Gold Seal Vineyards. Marti Macinski and her husband Tom take great pride in making the best Riesling and Gewürztraminer possible from the ground up in the Finger Lakes Region. In 2012 due to the increased production from the Old West Block vineyard they were able to harvest enough grapes to produce a truly artisanal single vineyard bottling. The grapes were picked at 22.5 Brix and the wine was bottled with a R.S. of 1.4%, 3.00pH and a total of 7.4 g/l. After reading the tasting notes I was left the with the impression that this Riesling has aromas of apricots and pears with a flavor palate of ripe fruit complemented by a hint of white peach, smoked tea and white pepper in the background. The finish is long and lingering but bright due to its lively acidity. Standing Stone Winery made only 129 cases of Riesling with the grapes harvested from the Old West Block and of the first 129 cases only 50 remain, that means it is in short supply and with single bottles priced at $18.99 it won’t last long.
It was picture perfect weather for the Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival Wine Weekend in West Newton, Pa. We decided to attend this event not only because of the wine tasting but to also enjoy the whimsical atmosphere that surrounds these gatherings. During our visit to the 16th century we saw kings, queens, red knights, black knights, fairy princesses, wenches, belly dancers, elves, trolls and court jesters just to name a few of my fellow festival goers alter egos that were on display. Christian W. Klay Winery and Glades Pike Winery offered free wine tasting and on site sales. The lines were long and the wines were well received. We tasted several selections at the Glades Pike Winery tent and purchased a bottle of Summer Breeze, a semi-sweet white table wine that I think will pair well with a fruit & cheese plate. I was happy to see the interest these two wineries were creating in the emerging Pennsylvania wine industry
Jousting at Renfest
C. W. Klay Winery at Renfest
by bringing their products to a potentially new segment of the market. More information is available at www.cwklaywinery.com, www.gladespikewinery.com and pittsburghrenfest.com.
While we were in California I tasted plenty of good Sauvignon Blanc and it reminded me that this wine was a favorite of mine for years but had been forgotten recently. I decided to remedy this oversight by doing some research to find not just a good
Chalk Hill Estate Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley 2010
Sauvignon Blanc but a very good one. The search led me back to Healdsburg, California with the discovery of Chalk Hill Estate 2010 Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc. This offering was bestowed a 90 point rating by both Wine Spectator and Wine Advocate. My impressions of this wine were spicy, floral, lemons, herbaceous, bright, energetic, crisp with an interesting balance. It can be found in P.L.C.B. stores or online at their website with the product code 46248 for $29.99.
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