Tasting, sipping, and talking are a few of my favorite things. I was recently accompanied to a wine tasting by a beautiful and intelligent friend, and while we sampled the new and interesting selections, we had the time to talk about important things. That’s what wine does. Sharing over a glass of wine, there’s some sense of communal ritual. Whether it’s to laugh, eat, cry, love, or as for this evening, to talk of important topics. There were no shallow depths in our wine glasses or our discussions. My friend, “Y”, said it best, “You Can’t Just Talk To Anyone!” I think that goes along in friendship and in wine. Some things are special and are meant to be treated that way. On this evening, we were all over the globe in our conversation and in our wine. There is not a tasting that I attend that I don’t learn something new about a region, a wine, or growers. I always try something for the first time, and encourage you to be bold and step out of your comfort zone all the time.
Our first tasting was Suavia Soave Classico, Italy. The Suavia was one of those “white wine in the middle of the summer for al fresco dining.” Their own website describes it as “It is a wine for flowered terraces and summer nights; a wine for bars with umbrellas and tables on the cobbles of an old illuminated square.” An easy drinking wine made from 100% Gargenega grapes, it’s crisp and tart, with that granny smith undertone. Would I drink it? Yes, absolutely can see drinking this with grilled fish or chicken, salads and a crudité, and some cheese and crunchy crackers. Not a complete stand out, but good. Retailing at $15.99, a decent bring along wine to the group party, to the bosses barbeque, or to your backyard.
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Next, Philippe Milan Bourgogne Blanc, Chardonnay. This is a family owned winery in the Burgundy region, passed through generations. 90% of their distribution is domestic France. A refreshing, buttery colored Chardonnay, another light and bright wine. As I was discussing with the distributor, she’d recommended a plate of clams in a white wine brine with linguini as the perfect accompaniment, and I could not agree more.
This is a wine to play it safe, it would fit in anywhere. Retailing for $24.99, this is not the best buy for a chardonnay.
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Country jumping and jumping into reds, we went back to Italy, and went organic! Giorgio and Gianni Angel Nero d’Avola is a Sicilian wine grown 100% organically. The nero d’Avolo grape is indigenous of Sicily and the grape itself is dark skinned and evokes a raisin finish, and a little spice. This would be a good wine for a steak or a pot roast. It’s dark, sultry, and smooth. liked it, didn’t love it.
Retailing at $12.99, put it on the table with a pot roast that’s been simmering in a crock pot all day, with cooked carrots and roasted red potatoes, or fix up a plate of a semi-firm, pungent cheese and bread, toasted and hot, drizzled with an infused olive oil or maybe some butter and chopped garlic under the broiler.
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We finished with a South American, Montes Twins Red, a Cabernet/Malbec blend, from the Colchagua Valley of Chile. The Montes Twins Red has this artsy, fun label and inside, the wine was just as lively. Big like a cab and smooth like a malbec, it was a beautiful color and bold to drink. Cabs have this leather/coffee/dark thing going and I felt more cab than malbec, even though it is 50/50. This was easy to drink and was a nice combination. Hungry too, I paired this with a flatbread with basil, mozzarella and roasted tomatoes. A great combination.
Retailing at $14.99, this was the winner of the wine tasting! A great value and can sit perfectly with a fancy flatbread or pizza delivery, or how about chili with your wine from Chile!
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t at my favorite wine bar, I advised the proprietress that I wanted to try something new. I’ve been in a routine of my usual Malbec mode lately…stuck on the same grape, my usual “go-to.” I was in a rut. She’d recommended a Cabernet Sauvignon named “Monogamy.” I found it quite perfect, and a little funny…considering I was not going to be monogamous to my Malbec. The tongue in cheek label expounding on “when you’ve found the love of your life, is there really a need to keep looking?” Well, yes! and no!, is my nebulous answer.
Wine Debutante 
