Tag wine

Vina Equia Rioja 2008

wpawinepirate 4 Comments
Vina Equia Rioja 2008

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.

Related articles

Christian W. Klay Winery

wpawinepirate 5 Comments
Christian W. Klay Winery Photo Courtesy: Christian W. Klay Winery

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

Harvest Wine Weekends

wpawinepirate 1 Comment
Glass of wine

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.

Standing Stone Vineyards Riesling Release

wpawinepirate Leave a comment
Ripe grapes of Riesling.

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. 

Related articles

California Dreaming!!!! Chalk Hill Estate Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley 2010

wpawinepirate 2 Comments

     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

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.  

McWilliam’s Jack”s Blend 2011

wpawinepirate 2 Comments
Snarky Puppy Preforms at SummerSounds

Snarky Puppy Performs at SummerSounds

     McWilliam’s Hanwood Estate Jack’s Blend South Eastern Australia 2011 is a Red Wine Blend that has a solid character and the good taste that are usually only found in a more expensive wine.  Jack’s Blend exhibits a light oak aroma with a medium body and a long smooth finish full of mild tannins.  This offering would pair well with grilled meat or even pizza.  I had the pleasure of drinking this red while sitting with friends under a starry night sky in St Clair Park , Greensburg Pa as the band Snarky Puppy performed at SummerSounds.  When you need to grab a bottle or two of red wine for a gathering of friends this wine will give you good quality at a great price.  Jack’s Blend can be found at P.L.C.B. stores for only $5.99 or online for under $10.

Garlic Festival at Fox Run Vineyards

wpawinepirate 2 Comments
Photo: Fox Run Vineyards

Photo: Fox Run Vineyards

Fox Run Vineyards will be holding their 21st Annual Garlic Festival on August 3rd & 4th from 11 a.m. till 5 p.m. each day.  Free parking and free admission will be provided for all guests at the winery on 670 State Rte 14 Penn Yan, NY.  Thursday August 1st will feature a free concert by the West Coast Celtic rock band Town Pants that will start around 6 p.m..  Please bring your lawn chairs but leave your coolers at home because food, drinks and of course wine will be available for purchase starting at 5 p.m..  More information can be found at foxrunvineyards.com or by calling 800-636-9786.

Related articles

Achaval-Ferrer Malbec Mendozza Argentina 2011

wpawinepirate 4 Comments
A glass of Malbec wine from Argentina

A glass of Malbec wine from Argentina (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

    This wine is an excellent example of a well made Malbec, it displays good body along with both red and black fruit flavors at a reasonable price.  A glass of this Malbec can be equally enjoyed and savored with food or alone.  I will be taking the advice of Dave De Simone, author and restaurateur, who suggests using your emotional reaction to a wine to describe its character and unique personality.  My descriptive feelings about Achaval-Ferrer Malbec 2011 would be agreeable, pleasing, appetizing, rich and vigorous. Wine Spectator gave it a rating of 92 points in 2012 and it is available in P.L.C.B. stores for $29.99 but can be found online for under $25.  This is a solid Malbec and worth the price. 

Related articles

LED Lighted Wine Glasses

wpawinepirate 2 Comments

LED Wine Glass     Have you ever had to serve wine at a party or at a casual gathering and couldn’t use glass stemware?  If you said yes, then this product maybe the answer to your problem.  This isn’t your ordinary plastic wine glass by any stretch of the imagination.  This lighted wine glass has 3 LED’s that combine to make 7 different colors plus a continuous sequence mode that displays every color.  But wait there’s more, the bowl and base are removable for cleaning and the best feature of all is that “Batteries are included”.  I have found that people are amused by changing the stem color with the press of a button located under the base and the different color choices replace the need for wine charms to identify a guest’s personal glass.  These glasses are relatively inexpensive allowing guests to take them home with them thus eliminating the need to wash glasses at the end of the event.  They can be found online at several suppliers in small quantities or in bulk.  

Shipwreck Wine

wpawinepirate 4 Comments
Charleston Harbor, near the jetties

Charleston Harbor, near the jetties (Photo credit: hdes.copeland)

     The Mira Winery of St Helena, California is involved in an experiment were they are testing the effects of aging their wines by submerging them in the ocean.  The first phase was completed recently when the four cages that were sunk 60 feet deep into Charleston Harbor, South Carolina last February were recovered.  It has long been known that wine recovered from sunken ships displayed a unique flavor but the question has always been what caused the change.  Wines have been aged in the ocean before around Europe and the West Coast but Mira wants to do a scientific study to determine the effects of this process including what makes it different from land aging.  The next step will be to put wine that has no terrestrial aging at the bottom of Charleston Harbor for twice as long as the initial test.  I wish them the best and hope to someday get to taste a wine just like the Pirates of the Caribbean drank in their day.

Related articles