Our local liquor store is having a promotion called ‘Get to Know American Wines’ and they have bought in some new wines for us to try. I think the U.S.A. is putting out some mighty fine wines, California and Oregon are two of my favorite regions. Did you know the first grapes in Washington State were planted in 1825 by the Hudson Bay Company? And although all 50 States produce wine, but California accounts for 90% of all Wine production in the United States.
In addition to Pinot Noir, Oregon is putting out some great Riesling wine. I love Riesling, it is my favorite wine to pair with spicy food of any kind. This Firesteed originates from the Willamette Valley in Oregon, which is more known for its Pinot Noir. The Pacific Ocean really adds an interesting micro climate to the wines from this region, giving them complexity. They are not flat boring wines, and this Riesling is a prime example. You’ll love the flavors of pears and apples and the crisp acidity makes this wine perfect in so many ways.
One of the new wines bought in for this promotion is this wonderful Rosso Di Ca Momi. A great wine for under $20. If you look on any site, they will recommend ribs for this wine, and the minute you taste it, you’ll understand why. As soon as I had my first sniff, I detected Zinfandel and Merlot, which are two great choices for ribs. As it turns out, this is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Merlot and Petite Sirah and it’s priced under $20. It was a fantastic wine and since ribs are on the menu for me tonight, I am going to pick up another bottle. However, this wines pairs deliciously with any BBQ fare, steak ir pulled pork.
My wine of the week sent me to heaven
From the Robert Mondavi Private Selection comes this Cabernet Sauvignon that has been aged in bourbon barrels. This is one wine to sip and savour, it’s that good. And I want to give you a heads up that I wanted to buy a second bottle yesterday evening and my local store was all sold out. So if you see a bottle, grab it!
Aging bourbon in oak barrels is a very time-honored tradition, and Mondavi is buying the barrels from a well-known bourbon producer in Kentucky. This wine was fantastic. You can detect notes of the bourbon, and although I’m not a bourbon drinker out of the glass, I loved what it added to the wine. I am showing a picture of the wine in the glass, because it’s such a bold beautiful color. It will probably come as no surprise how rich this wine is, with distinct flavors of smoke, chocolate and a tinge of brown sugar. This was a treat. And it sells for about $22 so it’s an affordable treat.
That’s it for me for this week! Have a wonderful weekend everyone. Till next week, Cheers
Darlene
Wine-It’s Just My Opinion 