A Rosé from Basque Country

Always a fan of Txakoli, I was delighted to find a number of bottles at T. Edwards Wines‘ Portfolio Tasting, Italy & De Maison.  But then, when tasting Ameztoi Rubentis 2010,  I was suddenly IN the light, and the angels were singing. A blend of 50% hondarribi beltza, a native black grape, and 50% hondarribi zuri, a local white, this rosé from Ameztoi-Getaria is so  incredibly drinkable and light.  From one of Spain’s smallest D.O. regions, D.O. Getariako Txakolina, the Rubentis is an elegant dance of acidity and fruit. (Around $23 at Astor Wines.)

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Wine Club Revived with Bottles of Grüner

It’s been some time since our last wine club meet, and so for the sake of sustainability we had a bit of a membership drive last night. With 14 in attendance, including new friends and old, we had a lot of catching up and socializing to do…oh yeah, and we drank a few bottles of Grüner Veltliner, though you wouldn’t know it from the looks of my notes, which contain more scribblings of summer plans (camping at Cedar Point on the South Fork!) than reflections on the bottles we drank.

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Wines of Romania

In 2006, when Ellen and I were in Romania, this is how we bought wine.  Sec or Demi-Sec.  Those were the options at the co-op in Suceava, and I remember thinking that the wine wasn’t bad.  It was certainly better than what we’d been drinking in bottles, and it was fresh.  But, unlike Bulgaria–where Ellen and I had just visited, after spending time there in ’96, years before we met–Romania was still producing wines that didn’t seem qualified for export.  Bulgaria’s wine industry had exploded in the past ten years; we couldn’t believe the variety and quality of wines we could get.  In Romania–blame Ceausescu–if such a market was in existence, we hadn’t been able to find it.  And so, five years later, I was delighted to attend the “Select Wines of Romania,” a tasting downtown featuring six Romanian Wineries.

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Wine Media Guild & California’s Centenary Wineries

The other week, the Wine Media Guild of New York hosted a luncheon to showcase a number of California’s Centenary Wineries.  Schramsberg, Wente, Buena Vista, Charles Krug, Beaulieu, Simi, and Gundlach Bundschu–all the players were there.  And with a number of older vintages on hand, this was an awesome opportunity to taste the state of west coast wines before they fell victim [in]to the vat of jam.

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Union des Grands Crus de Chablis-Wine in Stories

Last week, I spent a delightful afternoon at The Modern, at the tasting of the Union des Grands Crus de Chablis, a non-profit organization of 14 producers of wines from the seven Chablis Grand Cru vineyards. Including Blanchots, Bougros, Les Clos, Grenouilles, Preuses, Valmur, and Vaudésir, all seven climats were represented, as was Clos des Hospices by Domaine Louis Moreau.  With great emphasis on 2009, there were a few older vintages, allowing one a peek through the porthole of what might become.

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Jenny & François Tasting at Astor Center

Unable to attend the trade’s portfolio tasting on Monday, I swung by Astor Center on Saturday, with David and Ellen, to taste a few new releases from Jenny & François Selections.  And though there were a number of wines with light acidity thrown into the mix, I give Jenny & François great credit–for two of my most favorite producers on that day were from California, and I cannot remember the last time I left a tasting (other than their 2010 fall portfolio event) screaming the praises of wines from the West Coast.

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Vertical Bordeaux-Graphite & Violets

The other week, the Wine Media Guild hosted a Vertical Tasting of three chateaux from Bordeaux–a luncheon at Felidia‘s that began with a one-hour self-pour tasting of twelve wines, before everyone sat for lunch.  For the first portion of the tasting, we sampled Chateau Angelus 2005-2008, Chateau Figeac 2001-2003 and 2006, and La Conseillante 2000, 2001, 2004, and 2005.  With lunch, we drank Angelus-1990, 1995, 1998, and 2001; Figeac–1995 & 1998; and La Conseillante–1995 & 1998.  And while there were plenty of beauties on the catwalk, there were a few that stood elegantly poised and stiletto’d above the rest.

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La Soirée des Grands Cru

On a frigid night following one of the gazillion God forsaken snowstorms that we’ve had thus far, I headed downtown for La Soirée des Grands Cru–a lux goods sponsored fine wine event.  At 82 Mercer, wearers of gold bands (including early access ticket holders and press) arrived early to peruse the spacious warehouse floor, dark and slightly underground, and lined with tables showcasing 17 young chateau owners from Bordeaux.

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Terry Theise at City Winery

Last week, I attended the Terry Theise (and Mark de Grazia) Spring Tasting, presented by Michael Skurnik Wines at City Winery. It was a Tuesday afternoon, cold and wet, and I was coming from the South Bronx, so of course I got there late.  But what a event…the house was packed with bodies and wine…I wish I’d had more time, for Terry Theise is a seeker whose wines you can trust.  Like I’d written earlier about Jenny & François–if you’re ever unsure of what wine(s) you should buy, make your selections based on the importer and you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

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The Reds of Jura-Imbibe NY Wine Club

On this night, we drank red wines from Jura.  Poulsard, Trousseau, and Pinot Noir.  Three of the bottles (pictured above) came from Jacques Puffeney, “the Pope of Abrois”, who grows 7.5 hectares of grapes, only three of which are red.  Unfiltered and not fined, these wines are light, but not delicate, rustic, and complex, with an acidity that soars like a finger lifting a skirt.

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