October 19th, 2013 - TWITs Georgia Mountain Winery Bus Tour

October 19th, 2013 - TWITs Georgia Mountain Winery Bus Tour

The TWITs had an absolute blast tasting wines in the North Georgia Mountains.  Even though it was chilly and bit overcast, we embraced the Autumn weather and wined on!

Photo Gallery

Our first stop was Monteluce.  If you've never been to Monteluce, you are in for a treat.  The entire countryside reminds me of Tuscany. The views and buildings are just beautiful!  Our bartender was John Hammond, a very humorous, sassy, guy.  He had served us last year as well, and it was a pleasure to see him again. I did the Red Wine tasting for $16 and split it with a friend.
Overall, I think Monteluce's wines are an improvement this year over last year.  I also recommend they stop using the tiny tasting glasses, the wines taste TOTALLY different and BETTER in a larger wine glass.  Request one if you go there for a tasting.  All the Monteluce wines were between 12-13% alcohol.

1) 2011 Montaluce Risata  $5 glass/$19 bottle
(Blend of Monteluce grapes:  Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Seyval Blanc, Vidal Blanc, Merlot, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec)
Monteluce's tasting notes:  "This off-dry Rose is made from all 9 varietals we grow.  It is the perfect example of a Georgia Rose with its raspberry and cherry flavors along with a zesty, spicy undertone of citrus, melon, and white pepper.  Pair with Idiazabal Cheese or our Garden Beets."
TWITs tasting notes:  Risata means "Laughter" in Italian. could not gather a nose for this one, no aromas to me, light simple rose.

2) 2012 Monteluce Super Georgian $7 glass/$27 bottle
26% Merlot, 20% Sangiovese, 18% Cabernet Franc, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Malbec, and 8% Petit Verdot
Monteluce's tasting notes:  "Monteluce Estate grown red grapes co-fermented create this luscious wine with fresh red cherry and dark chocolate flavors.  Pair with Drunken Goat cheese or the Rabbit Duo."
TWITs tasting notes:  was able to gather some nose, but it was not very fragrant.  The palate is very very very fruit forward.  Almost too much for me.

3) 2009 Monteluce Baleno $5 glass/$12 bottle
100% Merlot,
Monteluce's tasting notes:  "Candied cherry on the nose, Medium bodied with a rustic finish.  This is a wine made for food.  Pair with Pimento Cheese "
TWITs tasting notes:  Baleno means "Lightning, glitter, sparkle, or glow" in Italian.  This wine had a funky nose, I felt it might benefit from aerating or decanting.  The palate was much more pleasant, but ended abruptly in a thin finish.  I would try this one again at a later date perhaps?

4) 2009 Monteluce Tramonto $6 glass/$17 bottle
Monteluce's tasting notes:  "A Bordeaux style blend named for the beautiful North Georgia Sunset.  Medium on the palate with flavors of red berries and faint smell of cigar box. Pair with Crater Lake Blue Cheese"
TWITs tasting notes:  Tramonto means "sunset" in Italian.  faint mushroom, cedar on the nose, more promising palate, very light red wine (to me), but MUCH better than the previous ones.

5) NV Monteluce La Stella $9 glass/$35 bottle
60% French grown & 40% Georgia grown (varietal specifics weren't listed)
Monteluce's tasting notes:  "The Georgia grown Merlot, was aged in oak barrels for 6 months before blending with French grown Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon.  This very balanced wine has earthy tones of dried mushrooms, black currant, cherry, and whiffs of old leather on the nose.  Pair with Painted hills Short Rib."
TWITs tasting notes:  Beautiful nose on this one, lots of leather and mushroom.  This was my favorite Red of the entire flight.  I considered buying a bottle but thought it was a bit overpriced for the quality.

The next stop was Wolf Mountain Vineyards.  Wolf Mountain seems to be higher up and has another spectacular view of the countryside.  Their tasting room and restaurant are built into the mountain, so you have amazing panoramic views on 3 different levels of decks/balconies.
Our bartender at Wolf Mountain was Blake Stevens.  He was super sweet and even poured a little "heavier" for us, since we split our tastings again. We got the Reserve Tasting Flight for $20 (shared with a friend).
Blake informed us the red grapes are grown at Wolf Mountain, but the white grapes are from Frogtown.

1) Blanc de Blancs Brut - $10 glass/ $25.95 bottle / 200 cases produced
Chardonnay
Wolf Mountain tasting notes:  "A light bread flavor was imparted by aging en tirage (on the yeast) for almost a year.  This combined with hints of citrus, spice notes, and crisp acidity makes this our signature style sparkling wine."
TWITs notes:  I liked this wine, it was light, crisp, dry, I would say a good "breakfast" wine.

2) Vintner's Reserve Brut Rose - $10 glass/ $27.95 bottle / 100 cases produced
Blend of Chardonnay & Claret grapes (Malbec, Tannat)
Wolf Mountain tasting notes:  "Made by adding a small amount of our Reserve Claret to the dosage in order to produce a beautiful light salmon color. This adds more complexity and red berry flavors, without overwhelming the delicate citrus flavors and crisp acidity."
TWITs notes:  Lovely Rose, nice and crisp, dry, just how I like it.

3) Blanc de Syrah Brut - $10 glass/ $29.95 bottle / 200 cases produced
Syrah
Wolf Mountain tasting notes:  "A one of a kind in North America, our Blanc de Syrah Brut is made from Estate grown and whole cluster pressed Syrah.  It offers complex raspberry and strawberry flavors building to a dry crisp finish. "
TWITs notes:  I felt this one tasted a bit sweeter than the others, and seemed "off" somehow.  not thrilled.

4) Sparkling Demi-Sec- $10 glass/ $25.95 bottle / 100 cases produced
Chardonnay
Wolf Mountain tasting notes:  "A medium-dry sparkling wine designed to bring out the delicate fruit flavors of the Chardonnay grapes.  The addition of sweetness softens the acidity and smooths out the finish. "
TWITs notes:  Much better than the last wine, a good compromise if you like a slightly sweeter sparkling wine.

5) Plentitude- $8 glass/ $21.95 bottle / 650 cases produced
Chardonnay & Viognier
Wolf Mountain tasting notes:  "French for "All the best" Plentitude is a blend of Chardonnay and Viognier.  Aged in stainless steel to preserve its acidity, it expresses beautiful citrus and grapefruit notes with a crisp refreshing finish. "
TWITs notes:  It smells like fresh picked green grapes, and while it's not unpleasant, I feel it needs a food pairing to be fully appreciated.

6) Chanteloup- $8 glass/ $25.95 bottle / 375 cases produced
Chardonnay & Viognier
Wolf Mountain tasting notes:  "French for "Song of the Wolf", Chanteloup is a full-bodied Oak aged blend of Chardonnay and Viognier.  Chanteloup offers notes of melon and apricots with a softer finish "
TWITs notes:  Better than Plentitude, definitely get the melon and apricots on the nose, the oak is Kentucky oak, I think the TWITs quote of the day was "Their heart is in the right place" - Jackie

7) Private Reserve Chardonnay- $10 glass/ $32.95 bottle / 100 cases produced
Chardonnay
Wolf Mountain tasting notes:  "We broke tradition blending varietals to bottle this small lot of Chardonnay. Barrel fermented and aged 11 months in New American Oak, this wine exhibits rich melon and banana notes with a buttery oak finish"
TWITs notes:  Reminds me of a California Chardonnay, it is good, but I'm not a Chardonnay fan in general.

8) Howling Wolf Red - $10 glass/ $27.95 bottle / 470 cases produced
70% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon
Wolf Mountain tasting notes:  " A non-vintage blend of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, these varieties are aged for 18-20 months in New American Oak barrels, offering notes of raspberry and strawberry jam with richer oak tannins on the finish."
TWITs notes:  There we go, finally a good decent red!  Nice nose, nice palate, love the finish.  Good, I love it, I really really wish they had more than ONE Red wine on their tasting sheet, but they said they ran out of the other red wines, unless you were in their wine club.  

9) there was an option to try the Delicieux (Delightful) - their port-style dessert wine, but I don't care for Port so I re-tasted the Howling Wolf Red.

Then we went to Frogtown Cellars.  Frogtown has a bit more casual atmosphere than the first two wineries we visited, but their wines are definitely a force to be reckoned with.  Hands DOWN Frogtown has the best red wines we tasted!  Frogtown was packed, as it was still harvest for them.  I had visited before, but this was by far the busiest I have ever seen them.  I didn't even have a chance to get the name of our bartender, it was too hectic.  They have bowls of Goldfish crackers that you can nibble while tasting. Yum!  Also, for some odd reason the entire lobby was humming with fruit flies.  We were constantly waving the flies away.  I believe we made a joke that "where's the frogs? they should be eating these flies like crazy" This is not the norm for Frogtown.  They told me it was just this way due to the harvest.  It was better if we got our tasting glass and some wine, then we went out on their back deck to admire the view.  Much fewer flies outside. Then we had to go inside to get a pour of the next wine, and so on.  However, it was a very nice day and we had fun looking out on the vineyards.  I did the All Red Wine Tasting for $15.

1) 2010 Frogtown Sangiovese - $8.50/glass, $20.99/bottle
12.5% alcohol.  90% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet
TWITs notes:  earthy, tart, lovely nose, rich palate, big and bold, spicy as it opens up.

2) 2009 Frogtown Reserve Sangiovese - $12/glass, $28.99/bottle
TWITs notes: funky, dirty, I LOVE it!

3) Frogtown Applause FSO (First Standing Ovation, means their first time making it) - $8.50/glass, $21.99/bottle
TWITs notes: this one was okay, but not as wonderful as the first 2 wines.

4) 2008 Frogtown Cabernet Franc - $10.00/glass, $29.99/bottle

TWITs notes: absolutely delicious

5) 2009 Frogtown Propaganda - $12.00/glass, $33.99/bottle

TWITs notes: even better

6) 2009 Frogtown Personality - $8.00/glass, $19.99/bottle

TWITs notes: yummy!

7) 2008 Frogtown Norton - $12.00/glass, $28.00/bottle

TWITs notes: WOW AMAZING, we bought 2 bottles of this.

Last we had very brief stop at Cavender Creek.

Our driver was the lovely Nevolia from Georgia Wine Tours.

We had 7 attendees and we rode in a large comfy van for this trip.  After the tour, we had dinner at Season's 52.  Yummy!

Sept 19, 2013 - Holiday Dinner Wine Pairings - hosted by Ms Kim and Mr.Alan

Sept 19, 2013 - Holiday Dinner Wine Pairings - hosted by Ms. Kim and Mr. Alan

Theme:  Holiday Dinner Wine Pairings
Our hosts are from That Computer Chick, Wines and food pairings selected by Scott B. of Baked in East Cobb.  Hilarious stories and entertainment from Miss Kim.  Ask her about the time she fixed someone's iPad with ketchup.

TWITs Tasting Notes:
1) 2011 Picket Fence Chardonnay $12.95 @ Baked
Russian River Valley, 13.5% alcohol
Food Pairing: Shrimp and Grits - with Andouille sausage and pan gravy
the oaky-ness of the chardonnay balances out the flavor of the shrimp and grits.
TWITs said:  buttery, balanced oak, not too oaky.  light, not too heavy.  just right.  perfect for "grimps and shits"

2) 2010 The Dreaming Tree Crush (red blend, Central Coast CA) $12.95 @ Baked
Geyserville, CA 13.5% alcohol, Red blend by Steve Reeder, Dave Matthews
78% Merlot, 13% Syrah, 6% Zinfandel, 2% Petite Sirah, 1% Malbec, 1% Cabernet Sauvignon
Food Pairing: Lemon & Garlic baked chicken with smoky green beans
TWITs said:  I had not heard very good things about Dreaming Tree wines, but now that I have tried this, I am impressed and I like it!  spice, cinnamon, smoky berry, like a pinotage!

3) 2008 Gnaughty Vines Zinfandel - Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma-  $13.95 @ Baked
Manteca, CA (near Hillsburg, which is also near Kokomo Wines (which we love)) 15% alcohol
Food Pairing: Roasted Beef Brisket with Polenta
TWITs said:  Peppery nose, spice, dark deep fruits, cassis-bomb

4) Castello Del Poggio Moscato D’Asti – Italy – $10.95 @ Baked
Provincia de Pavia, IGT, 7% alcohol
Food Pairing: Salty Spicy Pork with portabella mushrooms and asparagus
TWITs said:  wine is sweet, light, cool, refreshing, sugary legs

5) 2012 Cigar Box Reserve Malbec – $10~12
Mendoza, Argentina 14.1% alcohol
Food Pairing: Kim own recipe of shredded chicken and tomato bowtie pasta
TWITs guessed several of the recipe ingredients, Kim says it has tomato, porcini mushrooms (soaked in gran marnier), zucchini, sundried tomato, a bit of jalapeno, coriander, cumin, shredded chicken, etc.
Kim says the secret to a great tomato sauce is to include a piece of chicken w/skin and bone in the sauce. We can attest it was delicious!!!

And because it's "Talk Like A Pirate Day"...

September 2013 - Museum of Design Exhibit: Barrique: Wine, Design, and Social Change

Barrique: Wine, Design, and Social Change

Sunday, September 15, 2013 - Sunday, October 13, 2013

This exhibition spotlights a wine barrel (barrique) recycling project taking place at Europe’s largest residential treatment center for young men and women recovering from drug addiction and social exclusion. Located in San Patrignano, Italy, the 1,300 residents of this treatment center learn professional skills – including viticulture, wine making, and woodworking – and produce more than 450,000 liters of wine each year, aging it all in 230 liter French oak barrels.
The fact that these barrels can be used for only three years led the community of San Patrignano to develop an innovative design project for the recycling of old wine barrels. They reached out to thirty well-known designers and architects — including Marc Sadler, Karim Rashid, Angela Missoni, and Alessandro Mendini — asking each of them to design a piece of furniture using wood reclaimed from wine barrels. Then, the residents of San Patrignano crafted the pieces of furniture out of old barrels, effectively demonstrating how design innovation can be used to achieve social good.
The furniture crafted in this project was displayed to great critical acclaim at the Salone del Mobile in 2012 and will be on display at MODA in 2013 as part of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ “Year of Italian Culture” in the United States.

August 22nd, 2013 - Wines of Argentina - Hosted by Ms. Abbie & Mr. Matt

August 22nd, 2013 - Wines of Argentina - Hosted by Ms. Abbie & Mr. Matt

Theme: Wines of Argentina - we will taste these blind per our usual format.
Argentina is the 5th largest wine producer in the world.  Some Argentine Varietals are:  Bonarda, Torrontes, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Chardonnay, Malbec, etc.

Bring:  TWITs should bring 1 bottle of Argentine Wine to the tasting

TWITs Tasting Notes:
Well the joke was on us. We tasted these blind, and we had THREE duplicate wines.  The funny part was that some of the identical bottles tasted very differently!  Read on.

Welcome Wine:  2004 Cavas de Weinert Mendoza - $32 @ Le Caveau
14% alcohol, 40% Malbec, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot
sweet palate and then tart, and then slightly briny/olive notes.  evaporates quickly.  has a lovely barnyard/oaky nose.

1) 2009 Siesta Malbec - En El Tahuantinsuyo - $35 @ Sherlocks/Cooks Warehouse
Ernesto Cantena - winemaker.  13.8% alcohol
significant punt on this heavy glass bottle. 
nose: caramel, butterfinger, butterscotch, "Jamie's Perfume", vanilla, sweet potato casserole,
palate: caramelly, butter, green/black fruit, light spice, maybe nutmeg? plum preserve, "walking along a privet drive"

2) 2010 Luca Malbec Ugo Mendoza - $33 @ Sherlocks/Cooks Warehouse
14% alcohol, berry color
nose: metallic, paint, tobacco, mint, eucalyptus, lemongrass,
palate: smooth, velvety, buttery, milk chocolate, cran-smooth, like a creamy fruit sauce or the smoothness of a yogurt berry drink.

3) 2004 Cavas de Weinert Mendoza - $32 @ Le Caveau
14% alcohol, 40% Malbec, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot
nose: toasted meringue, tapioca, ambrosia, scrub brush, mint, minty barnyard
palate: smooth, creamy, peaches, spice on finish, drier and more tart, complicated wine, tarragon, slight stinky cheese at the end

4) 2010 Luca Malbec Ugo Mendoza - $33 @ Toco Giant
14% alcohol, berry color
nose:  perm solution, ammonia, minerality
palate: tomato sauce, tart, acidic, "this is lovely", a little "must" on your tongue

5) 2009 Siesta Malbec - En El Tahuantinsuyo - $35 @ Sherlocks/Cooks Warehouse
Ernesto Cantena - winemaker. 13.8% alcohol
nose: sour, over-ripe fruit, mussels in a can, musty old wine cellar, musty sweet port smell, fermented peaches.  bruised peach, jammy toes
palate:  slightly effervescent, acidic, bright

6) 2011 Hermanos Dominga Moline (Malbec Tannat) - $14.99 @ Toco Giant
Valle de Cafayate/Salta 13.9% alcohol
nose:  toasted meringue, butter cookies, band-aid, latex, balloons, sweaty socks
palate: tart, delicious

Bonus fun:
they speak Spanish in Argentina.  So we gave everyone Spanish names for fun:
Matt was Mateo, Rheinallt was Rheinallto, Jamie was pronounced HI-MEE, Alexis was Alejandro, Josh was Jeshua, Jaffet is already Spanish, Kathy was Katarina, Valerie was Val-Air-ree, Karin was Karina, Abbie was Adelina, and Deb was Deb-OR-rah.  LOL

Quote:  "We're not just TWITs, we're brainiacs!"

July 18, 2013 - Le Caveau Blind Tasting of Natural Wines - hosted by MrLes & Ms Melissa

July 18, 2013 - Le Caveau - Blind Tasting of Natural Wines - hosted by Mr Les & Ms Melissa

Theme:  Natural wines - We tasted these wines blind.
Clues we were given:  They could be from anywhere.  They will not be weird wines, but unadulterated.   This tasting will be really interesting, especially, blind because it will challenge what many think about certain varietal characteristics based on wines that have been 'doctored'. 

Eric, of Le Caveau, has been reading a lot about the subject as of late, and gave us a presentation about natural wines during the tasting.  We discussed how additives are allowed in the wines (98 known additives allowed in US wines, 77 in EU, 89 in Australia, and 69 in New Zealand).  We also saw photos side-by-side of vineyards maintained with organic fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and fungides, versus regular vineyard maintenance.  We learned about Biodynamic viticulture, and one of the more interesting methods they use involving a cow horn filled with fermented manure. Yeast is also something to consider.  Some vintners use native yeasts and/or natural yeasts versus commercial yeasts.  Read more about Natural Wines here.

1) 2011 Agnes et Rene Mosse "Magic of JuJu" $24.99

100% Chenin Blanc, 13.5% alcohol

TWITs tasting notes:  light nose, golden color (honey all over), almost invisible legs, faint pickles smell, very light and herbacious palate, melon flavors, more floral nose as it opens up, palate of almond butter and/or Butterfinger Candy

2) 2010 Eric Texier L'indigene Sulfureux "Eluney" $ 21.99

100% Grenache, 12.5% alcohol

TWITs tasting notes: pepper, cherries, woody, tar, some smoke, dark candy sweet, fresh manure, peat, burnt ash, petroleum, light wet grass, smokier nose as it breathes, 

palate is a softer wine, peppery, nice finish, creamy, herb, berries, nuts, 

Val guessed a Syrah, Abbie thought it reminded her of a Sant'Elena Tato (Cab/Merlot blend).

3) 2011 Louis Claude Desvignes Morgon Cote du Py

100% Gamay, 13% alcohol

TWITs tasting notes:  grape jello, jammy, cumquat, small yeast, thin legs, cotton candy, butterscotch

softer palate, cantaloupe, viscous, lighter with a lingering finish, licorice, smells like halloween

4) 2009 Domaine Derain St. Aubin "Le Ban" - $23.99

100% Pinot Noir, 14% alcohol

TWITs tasting notes: perm solution, ammonia, 

palate is berry, soft, like a light pinot noir

5) 2009 Campi Nuovi Montecucco - $39.99
100% Sangiovese
TWITs tasting notes:  fruity nose, oaky, clove, funky, lovely nose of pine,
softer berry finish, like Christmas, cinnamon, nutmeg, very warm, dry
Guesses:  Marilyn says Bordeaux, Abbie says Cab Franc, Val says New World.

June 20th, 2013 - I Don't Always Drink White Wines, But When I Do, I Drink This One - hosted by Ms. Abbie & Mr. Matt

June 20th, 2013 - "I Don't Always Drink White Wines, But When I Do, I Drink This One" - hosted by Ms. Abbie & Mr. Matt

Theme: As we know, many of the TWITs members are red wine fans.  However, some folks like to drink white wine in the summertime.  We want to know what your favorites are.  Bring your favorite white wine, and come prepared to tell us WHY it's your favorite white wine.  (singles price point for a bottle $20 or less, couples price point $20-40/bottle)

Check out this fantastic white wine info graphic by Sean Seidell:  http://seidell.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/whitewineinfographic_web.png

TWITs Tasting Notes:
Welcome Wine:  2012 Laurent Miquel Chardonnay Pere et Fils -  $9.99 @ Le Caveau
From southern France.
This is Matt's fave white wine because it's an unoaked Chardonnay.  He did not like Chardonnay's much before tasting this one.  It's got crisp acidity, and a simple "Stelvin Enclosure" (fancy way to say screw cap), so if you are at the pool or beach, you don't need to worry about bringing a corkscrew.
Abbie likes this wine because it tastes refreshing, it's cheap, it's good, and the label speaks to her.  If you look at the label, it has a tree on it with roots, and under the roots are the names of the winemaker's ancestors.  Enjoy!

1) 2011 Acrobat Pinot Gris ~ $12-13 @ Vino Venue
From Eugene Oregon.
Marilyn likes this wine.  She first tasted it when she attended the Downton Abbey cooking class at Vino Venue, and it was paired with lump crab and roasted red pepper crostini.  It's good with food, softer than a Chardonnay, and smooth.  She can drink it on its own or with food.

2) 2011 Domaine de Gerbeaux Macon-Solutre Chardonnay - $20 @ Le Caveau
13% alcohol, French Burgundy
Les and Melissa like this wine because it is well-balanced, smooth and can pair with almost anything.  They are not Chardonnay fans, but this is a good one.  We paired it with goat cheese.  They like to enjoy drinking this wine out on the deck.

3) 2009 Domaine Alain Normand Macon La Roche Vineuse - $30 at PH Wine Merchant (but it can also be found at Sherlocks Wine Merchant in Brookhaven.
Valerie likes this white burgundy wine because it's a rare Chardonnay that has minerality and a teeny tiny kiss  of oak.  This particular region is known for its Chardonnay, and has limestone soil.  This wine had long fermentation on the lees.

4) 2012 Tenuta la Marchese Gavi Marchesa - $15.99 @ Hintons
12% alcohol, Italian wine, varietal is Cortese
Susan likes this wine when she first tasted it 2 weeks ago at a networking conference event.  It's easy to drink, good out on the porch, and can be consumed with or without food.

5) 2012 Coteaux du Languedoc-Roussillon Pic-Poul de Pinet - $10 @ Sherlocks, but Le Caveau will be carrying this one in a few weeks.
12.5% alcohol.  Pic -Poul is the varietal, and Pic-Poul de Pinet is the region.
Rheinallt wanted to bring something edgy to the club that he discovered last year.  Pic-Poul is Catalan for stinging lip or "lip stinger".  It is a combination of full body and acidity and has good salinity (saltines).  It would pair very well with oysters or seafood.  Because it is a lesser known region and varietal, it is a cheaper wine.  Rheinallt likes to drink this one on weeknights.  It has great viscosity.

6) 1996 Michel Schlumberger Chardonnay - Dry Creek Valley Sonoma - $40.00 for a Magnum, but only available to the Vintner's wine club members (which Brian happens to be).  This is one of their Library Wines (aka older vintages)
13% alcohol - Benchland (the name of the estate)
"it's a Magnum, big hit with the ladies."  Brian likes this wine because it is an aged-Chardonnay (aged in French Oak barrels), it tastes good, has a golden honey hue, and notes of butterscotch.

7) 2011 Fritz Zimmer Bernkasteler-Kurfstenlay Riesling Spatlese, Mosel - $18.00 at Sherlocks, but once in a while Kroger has it for $9 if you have a Kroger Plus Card.
8% alcohol
Kim says she grew up with Italian parents who did not know good wine.  However, when she went to college, her German roommate introduced her to "German wines" and Rieslings, "the horse-piss of wines".  She says this wine is good with everything, and sometimes she likes to put a little piece of watermelon in her glass when drinking it.  It has faint petrol/gasoline on the nose, but refreshing palate.

*at this point we got side-tracked with a discussion of Riesling and Reefers (I think because the nose of this wine had a faint Marijuana smell?), anyhoo - the joke was that after Pot is legal in Georgia, we should start up a club called PHITS = "potheads in training"

8) 2011 Riesling St. Urbans-Hof - $16 @ Kroger
Janssen is normally a full-bodied red wine drinker (he wants flavor, character, oomph!) and doesn't like white wines.  However, last year he was on a Bachelor party cruise (Carnival cruise lines), and he joked he was only sober when he woke up each morning. BUT he remembered this wine (in the haze), and that is why he likes this particular white wine.

9) 2002 Chateau St Michelle Riesling - he paid about $15 for it in 2002, not sure what it would cost today.
Ken says this is his 2nd favorite white wine.  His first favorite is the Swan Valley Sandalford Sandalera fortified wine, but he can't seem to find anyone in the USA who can get it for him.
Anyhoo, back to Chateau St Michelle.
He has had this Riesling for several years.  He says the 2003 vintage is also very hard to get.  He loves this wine.
It has nose of hot asphalt, diesel (spilled on the road), and the palate reminds Valerie of teriyaki glaze and peaches.

May 14th, 2013 - Italian wines - hosted by Ms. Deb & Mr. Jaffett

May 14th, 2013 - Italian wines - hosted by Ms. Deb & Mr. Jaffett at Sherlocks Wine Merchant 

Theme:  Italian Wines, these wines were selected by Tyler himself, TWITs attendees just need to bring $20/person, and ensure they are RSVP'd so we can be certain to have enough wine for everyone. Also, this event starts at 6:30pm ET, not our usual 7pm, so please keep that in mind.

TWITs Tasting Notes:
Welcome Wine:  NV Borgo del Col Alto - Prosecco - $10.99
11% alcohol
light, nutty, beautifully viscous, almonds, clear/pale straw color

1) 2010 Mormoraia Vernaccia (San Gimagnano) - $12.99
12.5% alcohol - 100% Vernaccia
Mormoraia started making wine in the 1970s.  Stretches out over 90 hectares of land, 30 of which are cultivated as vineyards in the heart of Tuscany in San Gimagnano (San Jimmy-NA-no) in stainless steel.  Straw yellow in color, this vino offers intense fresh fruity aromas, with hints of hawthorn and apples.  On the palate it remains harmonious, balanced, and persistent with a pleasantly sour finish.

2) 2011 Pra Soave (Veneto) - $14.99
13% alcohol - 100% Garganega (Gar-ga-NAY-ga)
Pra has been making (biodynamic) wines since the early 1980s.  Sitting on white soils deriving from chalky rock, ancient clay, ,and marine sand.  La Morandina is located on rubble and schist that envelops the fine from the trunks to the roots as they burrow down in their search for water.  Water preserves the plant and gives it the essential minerals needed for making wines with elegance and complexity in their aromas.  100% Garganega, the wine is fermented and matured in stainless steel vats.  Aromas of hawthorn and jasmine are particularly prominent, as are exotic yellow and white fruits, such as peach and apricots.  On the palate, the wine is medium bodied and flavorsome, full of fruit, with clear mineral notes.

3) 2009 Barberani Orvieto (Umbria) - $13.99
13% alcohol - Varietals:  Trebbiano Procanico, Grechetto, Verdello, Malvasia, Drupeggio
The Barberani family started making wine in 1961.  This is the area of production of the wine also named Orvieto, one of the oldest and most prestigious wines, also called "Classic".  There are 100 hectares, 55 of which are made of vineyards.  the soil combination: volcanic, sedimentary, and limestone-argilaceous soils.  Produced by an accurate quality selection in our vineyards, it expresses all the potential of an area extremely suitable for grape production.  GRAPES:  Trebbiano Procanico, Grechetto, Verdello, Malvasia, Drupeggio brilliant.  Straw-yellow color, fruity, with an intense and complex bouquet mineral and persistent.  It has natural drinkability and structure.

4) 2008 Mormoraia Chianti (Tuscany, San Gimagnan) - $12.99
13.5% alcohol - 100% Sangiovese
Mormoria intense ruby color.  Aromas of ripe fruit, spices, plum, and tobacco.  Ample Sangiovese flavors with soft tannins and a persistent and satisfying finish.  Best with grilled meat, meat stews, soup, cold cuts, and aged cheeses.

5) 1998 Sant'Elena Ros di Rol (Fruili) - $21.99
13% alcohol - 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Merlot
Sant'Elena was founded in the late 19th century.  Dominic Nocerino purchased the estate in the 1980s.  The Sant'Elena estate has a surface of approximately 40 hectares in a single plot.  Our wines are made with tremendous care and a dedication to quality that starts in the vineyards with the cultivation and maintenance of the grapes.  Sant'Elena is situated at the intersection of the cold continental air flows from the east and the Sirocco (Mediterranean) winds from the south.  This climatic alteration proves positive in terms of thermal variation, while the Giulie Alps mountain range protects the vineyards from the icy winds of the north.  50% Cabernet Sauvignon 50% Merlot, done in French oak for 18 months.

6) 2003 Fattoria Paradiso Barbarossa (Emilia-Romagna) - $29.99
14% alcohol - 100% Barbarossa
The estate dates back to the 15th century.  The current family purchased the estate in the 1990s and changed the name.  There's a total of 80 hectares. all of which are vines.  The wine is 100% Barbarossa, only to be founded on the Fattoria Paradiso Estates.  Its aged 3 years in Slavonian oak, 6 months in barrique, 12 months in the bottle.  Intense and persistent, reminiscent of wilted rose and sweet violet.  Dry, frank, and generous, firm structure in a soft, velvet texture, full of character on the palatte. Discovered in 1955, the ancient vineyard had been out of production for 150 years.  The name honors the red-bearded German Emperor Frederick.