| MAY
2004 SELECTIONS
"Who
took the cork out of my lunch?"
~ W.C. Fields |
 |
Blending is the key to a winemaker's ability
to create complexity and style in a wine. Traditionally, in Bordeaux,
reds are made from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc
and Merlot grapes. The two Cabernets provide the backbone, character
and longevity to the blend, while Merlot offers intense, lush fruit
and its own trademark softness and suppleness. When these wines
are made in Bordeaux, of course, it is easy to label them by their
place of origin. When these wines are made in the New World, without
such robust labeling laws, they are often called Meritage - a proprietary
name that describes these non-French bordeaux-style blends.
Each of these wines represents the pinnacle
(clearly so in the case of Standing Stone!) of each winemakers'
art - their crowning achievement. They are wines meant to last -
but will also provide great enjoyment in case you don't have the
willpower to cellar them.
Every bit a bang-up Long Island blend. Made by
Galluccio Family Vineyards, who also produce Gristina wines, this
blend is 70% Merlot and displays dark fruits of raspberry and currant
surrounding the cinnamon-stick finish.
Primarily based on Cabernet Sauvignon, this delicious wine is earthy, spicy, and smooth with dark cherry and blackberry totally integrated with great ripeness and wonderful complexity.
From one of the oldest Finger Lakes vineyards, this wine is a complex masterpiece. Ripe, supple and spicy, with blackberry, plum and currant flavors it has firm tannins and a good dose of oak.
The Finger Lakes region is getting so famous for Riesling that the winemakers in the area have taken to wearing Leiderhosen to their weekly meetings. Ok, that's not true, but the fame for being a truly World-Class Riesling growing location is true - so much so that the favorite local pastime has gone from counting drain-tiles to yodeling. Ok that's not true either but these three wines are proof positive that Finger Lakes Riesling is a force to be reckoned with:
Bold, mouth filling flavors of crisp green apples,
juicy peach and subtle tropical fruits. THIS
WINE WENT ON TO BE THE GOVERNOR'S CUP WINNER
AS NEW YORK's BEST WINE AT THE 2004 New York Wine & Food Classic!
Tart and strongly aromatic with a floral nose and delicate citrus and peach flavors.
This aromatic, crisp wine is a perfect complement to chicken and seafood dishes. Classic varietal character with a pleasant richness and roundness in the mouth.
Grapes are fruit - so are strawberries, peaches,
plums, apples, raspberries, cherries and blueberries. And all can,
and are, fermented into wine! This month, we celebrate the wines
from fruits OTHER than grapes, with a large selection
of these delicious and alternative wines in our stores. Here is
a tantalizing sampling...
sweet and intense strawberries - it takes 10
pounds to make a bottle
a dessert wine with the sweet/tart essence of raspberries
a great combination from a tiny producer...
|
