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Tag: vineyard

  • We’ll Toast November with Raventós i Blanc de Blancs

    For all your small, safe celebrations this month, we suggest a budget-friendly sparkling wine from an outstanding producer Raventós i Blanc de Blancs. Like many of our favorite sparklers, this Spanish offering is a low 12% alcohol by volume, better for a small gathering, or even a solo diner in a time when we have to keep our heads clear.

    Raventós i Blanc de Nit Took Us to Spain for Our February 1st Toast this year.

    When shopping for last month's wine, we discovered another wine from this winemaker. Pepe Raventós represents the 21st generation of his family at a vineyard in operation since 1497.  

    Since this is our year of terroir, we added a couple of bottles to our delivery and look forward to tasting it today.

    While this Blanc de Blanc is new to us, we have a feeling we'll like it because two of our favorite wine mentors, Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli from Alcove and Michael Serpa from Select Oyster Bar, Grand Tour, and Atlantico are both fans of this winemaker and vineyard.

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    We'll let the folks at Raventos tell you about the terroir of their vineyard where this wine begins:

    "The Vinya del Llac is a vineyard that faces north. The clay soils release water slowly throughout the vegetative cycle and, deep beneath the surface, we find calcareous bedrock with incrusted pebbles, which limit the water reserve, giving the grapes in this flagship plot more structure. The influence of the lake in this symbolic vineyard moderates the climatic conditions, avoids heatwaves and favours long ripening. It is a Blanc de Blancs due to its three native white grape varieties: Macabeu, Xarel·lo and Parellada."

    We found tasting notes on the wine here:

    "The Blanc de Blancs 2016 of Raventos i Blanc shows off a bright straw yellow color in the glass with a stream of fine bubbles flowing continuously to the top. In the glass, this Spanish sparkling wine displays a complex blend of white fruits (peaches and apricots) with Mediterranean herbs, dried fruits and hints of citrus. On the palate, this wine reveals itself to be very powerful and full of flavor, with the carbonation expertly integrated and beautifully balanced."

    Trying wines from different places, made with different grapes, and produced by different methods adds spice to our monthly ritual. Since 2007 we have raised a glass of sparkling wine to greet each new month!

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    We purchase our bottle at Gordon's Wine for ~$23.00

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    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©2020 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

  • We Celebrate Oregon Terroir with the 2013 RMS Brut from Rollin Soles’ ROCO Winery

    This month's wine, selected for its specific terroir, is the 2013 RMS Brut from Rollin Soles' ROCO Winery. We have a long-running resolution to toast each new month with a glass of sparkling wine. In recent years we've tried to set a theme for each year and 2020 is our year of terroir.

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    We're still sheltering in place so we were happy that our wine rack contained another great example of a winemaker who knows and uses the terroir of a specific place to create a great wine.

    We've had the distinct pleasure of meeting Rollin Soles and years of pleasure drinking the wines he masterminds. (We borrowed this photo below from the ROCO Facebook page. We suggest you follow them to learn about their wine, their art gallery, and the many important causes they support)

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    When you go to the ROCO website and click on the vineyards tab, you'll find this at the top of the page:

    "Every vineyard has its own microclimate, soil composition, slope, and relationship with the sun. When people speak of “terroir,” these unique attributes are what they’re talking about—the essence of a place captured in wine. At ROCO, we are keen on delivering the pleasure of place through the prism of vineyard-designated wines."

    We first wrote about this wine last year. Click on the link below for more information and to read Rollin's winemakers notes.

    Our November Sparkler Is 2013 RMS Brut from Rollin Soles' ROCO Winery

    Trying wines from different places, made with different grapes, and produced by different methods adds spice to our monthly ritual. Since 2007 we have raised a glass of sparkling wine to greet each new month!

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    We purchase our bottle at Bauer Wine and Spirits for $29.99. If you want to keep track of what you paid for a bottle of wine and where you purchased it, we suggest writing on the bottle with these Sharpie Metallic Fine Point Permanent Markers. It works for us!

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    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©2020 Penny & Ed Cherubino

    The photo of Rollin Souls is courtesy of ROCO Vineyards.

  • Expand Your Wine Comfort Zone: Sampler Cases

    In February, we bought a sampler case of Kermit Lynch wines from Bauer Wine & Spirits. We are long-time fans of both the ledgendary importer and of our neighborhood wine shop where Howie Rubin has been pointing us to great wines for 20 years. 

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    Sampler cases are a good way to expand your wine comfort zone.

    When curated by an able wine merchant, sampler cases can be an education about a country, an importer, or a type of wine. If you shop stores that offer these attractive sets of wine, sign up for emails on their offerings. 

    Bauer offers samplers on a regular schedule. Their customers have explored the Iberian wines (Portugal & Spain), rosés, single vineyards like Montes in Chile, seasonal selections for warm and cold days, and holiday samplers that put the right wines in your rack for a variety of guests.

    These selections are often outstanding values because the store can purchase in greater quantity knowing that they will sell this group of wines quickly. The Kermit Lynch case, two bottles each of six wines, was offered at sale price plus an additional 15% discount. 

    We plan to feature other sampler opportunities in the weeks ahead. If you have a favorite wine shop sampler, let us know in the comments below or send us an email. Some shops do full cases, others offer 6-packs.

    And, we have an upcoming post scheduled about one of the wines in this sampler.

     

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    Check Out: Our wine List

    Want to learn more about wine? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site! Here's, The Food Lover's Guide to Wine the latest addition to our wine reference shelf. Here's a great interview and review of this book over on Taste of the Past.

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    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2012 Penny & Ed Cherubino  

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