Wines
Loosen Bros. “Dr.L” Riesling 2008
by NICHOLAS AMMATURO on July 24th, 2010
I have just recently been exploring German Rieslings and realize that they all aren’t just sweet, sugary syrups. I subscribe to a local wine stores email list and one of the writers for them, loves German wines. In one of his June letters, he mentions the Mosel region, which specializes in dry wine. Because of the northerly location of Mosel, the Riesling wines are often light, low in alcohol, crisp and high in acidity, and often exhibit "flowery" rather than "fruity" aromas.
Now, here I am a month later and we go to the wine store to find something that can be paired with Indian food, I am handed this Riesling, which just so happens to be from the Mosel region. Coincidence? Who knows, but the Chicken Tikka Masala went perfect with this wine and as I sit here and type, I want Indian NOW!
Dr. L comes exclusively from traditional vineyards with steep slopes and slate soil. The estate has been in the same family for over 200 years. When Ernst Loosen (pronounced loh-zen) assumed ownership in 1988, he realized that with ungrafted vines averaging 60 years old in some of Germany’s best-rated vineyards, he had the raw materials to create stunningly intense, world-class wines.
Average price for a bottle is $10.00, how could you go wrong?
St Michael-Eppan Pinot Grigio 2008
by NICHOLAS AMMATURO on July 24th, 2010
This Pinot Grigio comes from the St. Michael-Eppan winery, situated along the Wine Route and is considered one of the best wineries in Italy.
Since 1977, Hans Terzer, Master Winemaker of the Winery, has been regarded as one of the most respected connoisseurs of white wine in Italy. The “Gambero Rosso“, Italy’s prestigious wine guide, named him one of the “Best Ten Master Winemakers in the World.”
The Vineyards website describes it as: “Light green luster’s run through the straw color of this wine whose aroma is rich in fruits, the most striking of which are pears. An excellent acidity balance gives this wine strength and structure . It is dry and smooth on the palate, and leaves a long, pleasant aftertaste. The Pinot Grigio goes well with many dishes, especially lighter foods, to which it is an excellent accompaniment. It is served chilled and also bestows a fine taste following longer ageing.”
The average price per bottle is approx $16.00, which is extremely reasonable for such a great Pinot Grigio.
cariblanco, Sauvignon blanc, Chile 2007
By NICHOLAS AMMATURO on July 11th, 2010
Before I even mention anything about this wine, I need to mention the restaurant that I had it at. I attended an event with the winemaker himself at Plates Restaurant in Larchmont, NY. I plan on doing a full review of this restaurant in the future, but just as a teaser, the Chef/Owner at Plates is a genius. Chef Matthew Karp has collected a plate from each restaurant where he trained, worked, or was impressed. The walls of this quaint house converted restaurant are lined with the plates the Matt has collected over the years.
Now turning our attention to the Winemaker. Byron Kosuge is a California-based winemaker with more than 20 vintages of experience under his belt. He specializes in Syrah and Pinot Noir. In the off-seasons of California, he heads down to Chile to consult for the Kingston Family. This is where this incredible Sauvignon Blanc was born. It’s very citrusy and floral but with a 14.5% alcohol, it remains perfectly balanced. It is a perfect accompaniment to fish, grilled chicken and cheese. Sauvignon Blanc in general is one of the few wines that goes well with Sushi. I just had it with Sushi and didn’t want it to end. I wish I had more wine and tuna, but for now, I will just write.
This bottle goes for approx $18.00 a bottle and I am sure you can find out more information by contacting Byron on his website: http://www.bkosugewines.com/
I also ended up buying a few of his Pinot Noirs, that I will be writing about shortly. Byron has mastered Pinot Noirs and gathering grapes from the Hirsh vineyard have made his wine one of the best.
Roger Labbe’s Abymes, 2009
By NICHOLAS AMMATURO on July 11th, 2010
This is another perfect addition to your summer arsenal of exceptional wines. Dave the wine God recommended this to me and the story behind it is just as good, if not better than the wine itself. Here is the story from the distributors website:
“This wine domaine was founded by the fathers of Alexandra and Jérome in 1975. At the time, their parents were subsistence farmers (a little bit of everything: milk, cows, beef, hay, wheat and some table grapes and wine not worth drinking. To survive economically, one brother, a charcutier (pork butcher) and the other, a construction entrepreneur, worked on the vines on the weekends and in their spare time and planted AC grapes varieties.Two cousins, Alexandra and Jérome took over the domain from their fathers in 2004.”
So now that you know a little bit about the family running it, the region is even more influential to why this wine is so unique. The grape is a 100% Jacquère that grows especially well in this region of France.
“The Savoie region is an Alpine region in Eastern France neighboring Switzerland with many of its vineyards lying close to the Rhone River as it winds its way from Geneva southward. Very little of its wines are found outside of the region as they are mostly consumed locally, given the region’s popularity as both a winter and summer vacation destination. “ABYMES” comes from the French word “abimé” which means broken and refers to the broken stones in the avalanches from the mountains (Alps).”
Thanks to Dave and the folks over at Michael Skurnik wines for bringing us this exceptionally priced wine at approx $14.00 per bottle.
courtesy of Michael Skurnik Wines Website
Charles & Charles rose, 2009
by NICHOLAS AMMATURO on July 11th, 2010
This post has been sitting in my draft box since I had hosted the Garden Party at Stone Hedge Day Spa back in June. I wanted to make sure to get this posted at the peak of summer, so you can throw a couple of these bottles in your fridge and bring to the beach with you. Not only is this Rose crisp and refreshing, every time I see the label, I am reminded of the sitcom “Charles in Charge” and Scott Baio from the 80’s. The theme song is now playing in my head. Unfortunately, that show is no longer in charge, but this wine certainly is.
The grapes used are Syrah and the skins are only left on them for the first press, which gives it its pink color. They are only left on for a few days until the color is achieved and then they are removed, before fermentation. This is in fact a red wine, but is much lighter and fruitier than a typical Syrah. The minute you crack this bottle open, you will immediately catch the smell of strawberries and raspberries. At approx. $11.00 per bottle, you can’t go wrong.
