Since we are in the midst of Rose season, I must bring you another Rose that is both moderately priced and tastes amazing. Introducing the Domaine de Figueiresse Gris de Gris. It’s predominantly Grenache [Granache peeps holla!] and part Cinsault, a red wine grape whose main purpose is for blending with other grapes. Cinsault [sin SO] is often blended with Grenache to give it a soft, fruity taste that’s also pleasantly aromatic. This wine is yummy and at around $10, it’s real yummy.
I was introduced to this Rosé at a tasting hosted by The Wine Company. There were so many Rosés that I was FORCED to narrow my choices. A good problem to have, but after a while, my pallet was on overload. I’m not ashamed to say that after 9 or 10 Rosé samples, I have a difficult time discerning one that is akin to “ripe strawberry” from one that is simply “strawberry-like”. I could be explaining one of a thousand different Rosés. I don’t want my head to hurt by _thinking_ about wine, dammit!
What I do know is if you are [still] hesitant to creep over to the pink side, this is one for you to test the waters. It is bright, full of fresh strawberry flavor; also, it’s dry, yet quenches that Summer thirst. Again, pink wine is NOT, I repeat NOT the White Zin from the 80s! It’s delicious and super drinkable alone, or even better, it pairs with just about everything.
Where buy now: Byerly’s Ridgedale, North Loop Wines & Spirits
Grapes: 80% Garganega, 20% Tebbiano di Soave
Region: Veneto, Italy
Vintage: 2010
Vicentini Agostine Soave
Maybe it’s because I’m buzzed as I write this, but I cannot stop saying “Soave” [SWAH-vay] like that douche bag one-hit wonder, Gerardo (you’re welcome). I know when I tell people to try a Soave, they start singing, “Rico Suave”. Perhaps that’s simply indicative of my friends. [*sigh*] Fortunately, the white of the week couldn’t be further from that level of d’baggery.
Regardless of any mixing of vinegar and water, you need to know more about this wine!
Soave is an Italian white wine that hails from the Veneto Region of Italy, near Verona. The East side of the top of the boot, close to the Adriatic Sea. Soave is made predominantly from a grape called Garganega [gar-GAH-nay-gah]. While not a well known white, it is universally pleasing.
I enjoy Soave in the Spring/Summer months, especially with grilled shrimp and other whitefish, like tilapia. Think about it: this wine hails from an area close to the Adriatic sea, so it pairs well with seafood. That is also a great rule-of-thumb, to pair wine with foods typical of that same region. Similar to the Gavi, I also enjoy this wine with pesto. In fact, I should probably do the “Pepsi Challenge” with both Gavi and Soave with my homemade pesto and pasta.
Truthfully, I think my favorite Soave is by Inama, Soave Classico. This wine now tends to hover around $20 and that is outside what I’m wanting to pay. So I asked my go-to guy Rodney for a Soave around $10, he pointed me toward this one by Vicentini Agostine [Vee-chen-TEE-nee aug-oh-STEE-nay]. This is a delicious Soave, especially for the price. I‘ll also note that I had one glass because my husband slurped it all, and he’s not a huge white wine guy. (Of course, that’s also due to the fact that I’d moved on to a bottle of red.)
What’s not to like? It’s light, crisp and refreshing. It is unoaked, has a bit of tartness and smells of dried citrus fruit with a hint of jasmine floral qualities to it. Drink this before your meal, along with some grilled or fried calamari or a light salad with tuna fish and arugula.
Come to think of it, “Rico” and “Suave” are actually pretty good adjectives for this wine. So I guess he isn’t a total ass clown. Oh wait, yes, yes he is.
Where buy now: Solo Vino, Zipp’s Liquors, Byerly’s Ridgedale, Pairings Wine & Food Market
Grapes: Syrah
Region: Gascony, France
Vintage: N/V
Domaine d’Arton YSL Patrick de Montal YSÉ
If you leave The Savvy Lush with anything this week, remember this name: Arton.
This week’s red and white wines are both from the same winery: Domaine d’Arton. You may have heard some buzz about Solo Vino’s 4th Annual Rosé Tent Tasting held last Sunday. http://www.decant-this.com/2012/05/21/he-belongs-to-that-wine-rose/ If you haven’t, let me enlighten you so you attend next year’s soirée.
Chuck, Rob & Co., from Solo Vino put together a collection of 144 different wines, mostly Rosé, but also a smattering of whites, Pinot Noirs, and Lambruscos to mix it up a bit. A mere $30 allowed you to sample ALL the wine you’d like, but it didn’t stop there. Wonderfully complimentary hor’s d’oeuvres were also liberally served. I was told 60 lbs of Kramarczuk’s sausage was involved. Two words, kids: lamb sausage (no pun intended?).
But I digress. With wine drinking buddies I’ve gotten to know on Twitter in tow, we had ourselves a real good time! The particular table that had us a-twitter (pun intended) was the table that brought us the Arton. What makes this “the Arton” so special?
Following the Rosé Tent Tasting, it should be no surprise that this week’s red is a Rosé hailing from Gascony: Domaine d’Arton Rosé. The Arton (ar-TONE) Rosé is made with Syrah and embodies smells and tastes of peach and mild raspberry with tinges of citrus rind. Nay, it’s like a peach raspberry tart that’s sat in the window of a cottage in Gascony as the soft winds drizzle it’s floral and herbal whispers on top. (Wow – that came right out of my ass. Sounded good though, huh?) Truly, it’s soft, fruity, light, flavorful with a hint of tartness, just to round it off. Perfect for those who both love Rosé and those who are unsure and are just about to start experimenting. Oh, how I envy you people! It is an incredible wine for the usual price of $11.99, right now you can buy it at Solo Vino for only $8.79- a small investment for a remarkable wine.
Now, let’s back this train up.
The more and more I write, the more and more I learn about wine. Not the drinking part- I have that down. I’m talking about where it comes from, who supplies it, how it’s purchased, yadda yadda. Here in lovely, scenic Minnesota, we don’t have the luxury of being out in the vineyard learning from the farmers themselves. Most often we are relegated to shelf-talkers, the interwebs or your local wine shop’s windbag. Now, there is nothing better than exploring and finding a wine all on your own, believe me (ahh, the Russian River Valley-*sigh*). I’d assert that the next best thing is to consider other ways to discover wine, or, in other words, help your wine find you. Rather than suffering the classic “wine elitist vs. poor plebian” dichotomy, it’s time we close the gap. I know that many of you care about where your food comes from, how it was made, and who was involved. Doesn’t it only make sense to know where your wine comes from?
This week, I introduce you to Ulf. Until about 10 years ago, Ulf was an engineer. Quite simply, passion and wine steered him on a new course, and now he’s a one-man show. Travelling to Europe a couple times of year, he frequents small vineyards and imports amazing wine. He seeks the stuff not many folks, and I mean folks anywhere, get exposed to. Since he’s doing the importing and distributing himself, these wines don’t suffer a crazy mark-up. We can thank Ulf for introducing us to “the Arton” and allowing it to be readily affordable. Righteous, Ulf. Score one for the vulgar proletariat.
Wine for Slobs, Snobs & Swells | The Savvy Lush welcomes the Twin Cities' Sippers & Swillers
