Wine Picks August 2009

Written by Kevin Powell, Vinilandia

July 30, 2009

What’s Cookin' Wine Picks are coming to you this month from Kevin Powell of Vinilandia NH Wine Distributors, a distributor/broker of quality wines from all around the globe. As he says, “These ‘Recession Selections’ are what I feel summer is all about! These wines work really well with crisp, lively acidity and fresh fruit flavors to pair with the BBQ, the beach, or just a fun night out on the town with friends. Enjoy and have a great rest of the summer!”

Villa Alfieri Pinot Grigio 2007
Antonella Cantarutti is part of a movement to showcase indigenous grapes from Italy. Her commitment to a wide variety of grapes, including pinot grigio, the heirloom ribolla gialla and tocai along with refosco, schioppettino and pignolo demonstrate her pride in the region where she was born. Her fervor is also found in the wines, which exude wonderful flavor and balance showing off the true characteristics of these varietals. Her entry level Pinot Gringo is no exception, showing off nice copper colors along with floral & citrus aromas. The wine is fairly rich with pleasant apple, pear and citrus flavors balanced with elegant acidity and a nice, fresh finish. An incredible value for around $10! (Find this at The Red Ginger and Agave Mexican Bistro in Portsmouth, New Hampshire)

Belpoggio Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC Classico 2008
The name is quite a mouthful and so is this wine from the lesser-known region of Marche, just east of Tuscany. In this part of the wine region they say, “The wine is made in the vineyard and in the winery all you can do is ‘teach’ it to present itself as well as possible.” The Belpoggio Estates have made this their motto and maintain this philosophy with eco-compatible agriculture, paying very close attention to respecting the natural habitat. This wine has classic Verdicchio aromas and flavors, including green apple and kiwi. The wine has some notes of mineral acidity giving the wine good structure & some complexity. This great summer white finishes clean & fresh with a few lingering flavors of apples and almonds. (Find this at the Wellington Room and Cornucopia Wine & Cheese Market)

Croney Estates Three Ton Sauvignon Blanc 2008
This famous wine region, located in the northern part of the southern island produces world-famous Sauvignon Blanc known for its classic aromas of grapefruit, lemon grass and tropical fruit. Typical yield of grapes per acre is approximately 4.3 tons in the region of Marlborough, New Zealand however, Greg Crone, owner and wine maker prunes back his vineyards yielding less than 3 tons per acres, hence the name! This gives the wine heightened aromas, greater richness in the palate and more intensity throughout the finish. This is a fantastic example of NZ Sauvignon Blanc and combined with a great price, it’s almost a no-brainer! (Find this at Jumpin’ Jay’s Fish Café and Attrezzi in Portsmouth, NH)

Nicolis Valpolicella Classico 2007
Nicolis is the third largest grower of valpolicella grapes in the region, typically selling off a portion of their grapes to a few big name wineries in the area. They keep the best grapes, producing excellent quality wines with wonderful finesse and structure. This updated, more modern version of an old classic still retains its drier style, yet has a greater richness to it with dark cherry and pleasant earthy flavors. Made up of three grapes corvina, rondinella and molinara this Valpolicella Classico is easy drinking with soft tannins and a fresh, clean finish. This is a great summer red for about $16! (Find this at Rudi’s Portsmouth)

Old Plains Raw Power Shiraz 2006
This is a rock and roll wine from the get go! Aussie punk-rocker-turned-vintner, Rawley Power's, 'Raw Power Show' took hold over the garage crowds whipping them into the original mosh. Now, his Raw Power Shiraz is reflecting the commitment and authenticity of garage winemaking, unpolished and raw with plenty of power, the Adelaide Plains way. This wine is big and it doesn’t hide it, with sizeable alcohol and delivers a punch of rich blackberry fruit, mouthwatering acidity and a long, distinct finish. An excellent wine with BBQ, marinated meats and grilled steaks, it’s no wonder this wine is quickly becoming a summer grilling favorite at around $13! (Find this at the various The Meat House locations in the area.)

Scagliola Dolcesvago Moscato 2008
These two brothers, from outside Alba in Piedmont, create beautiful wines starting with their attention to detail in the vineyard and continuing in the winery with years of experience producing award-winning wines. A large portion of their production is moscato, so they get good practice creating this delicious treat! Moscato is usually not considered for summer consumption, but I think it is a perfect fit. Soft and aromatic this wine with notes of flowers and fresh summer herbs on the nose and delicious apple and pear flavors. What makes this a great summer wine is the lower alcohol and nice effervescence. There is some sweetness to the wine, but the lovely acidity balances out the palate and makes it such a fun wine to drink! (Find this at Philbrick’s Fresh Market in Portsmouth, NH and Dover Wine Company in Dover, NH)

Cocktail of the Month
St-Germain is making a big splash! St-Germain Liqueur is made from the sweetly scented elderflower, a historic Northern European base for wines and cordial. St. Germain’s result, after painstaking refinements to every subtlety of the recipe, is a clean floral nose with hints of pear, peach and grapefruit zest.

Radici Restaurant in Portsmouth, New Hampshire has taken this liqueur to a whole new level! Aptly named The St-Germain, this refreshing cocktail adds soda water and a clever splash of Prosecco finished off with a twist of lemon. Combine this with great ambiance and a few friends and it makes for a memorable summer night!