When summer heat comes slouching around, you’ll often hear talk of something called a “summer sipper.” These quaffable wines, as the name implies, offer cooling relief in something light and refreshing. It’s January now: Who’d like a winter sipper? I suggest Madeira Sercial.
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Blandy’s Aged 5 Years Sercial Dry Madeira is an attractive clear bronze color. Good pecan and walnut scents add a backdrop of juicy lemon. Brown sugar sweetness gives way to tart, lemony acidity, with subtle nuts and lemon in a long finish.
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Check prices and find vendors for Blandy’s Aged 5 Years Sercial Dry Madeira on Wine-Searcher.com.
You’ll find a detailed article about Blandy’s and its history on this Wine-Searcher link. Scroll down to browse the wines in Blandy’s portfolio and check vendors and prices.
Follow this Wine-Searcher link for more Maderia Sercial bottlings, with listings for dozens of other wines using this variety. Read article.
Inflation tapered off a bit last month as gasoline and grocery prices cooled. But how about wine? Quality wine, as I’ve lamented before, has largely become a luxury item.
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Clear, dark reddish-purple in color with a garnet edge, Santa Marina Toscana Rosso shows the typical character of a Tuscan Sangiovese-based red: Dark cherry and dried-cherry aromas and a fresh cherry-berry flavor make for a simple, rather rustic but pleasant and approachable wine and a very good value.
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Check prices and find vendors for Santa Marina Toscana Rosso on Wine-Searcher.com.
Follow this Wine-Searcher link to find listings for dozens of other Toscana IGT wine values. Read article.
Are you planning to uncork a bottle of sparkling wine to hail the arrival of 2023? If so, you won’t be alone. … An estimated 29% of all Americans will enjoy a glass or more to celebrate the New Year. And I’m pretty sure that quite a few of them will be a little nervous about popping that cork.
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Labeled “methode traditionnelle,” Mumm Napa Brut Prestige uses a typical French Champagne blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Pinot Meunier. Clear, light gold and full of lasting bubbles, it unveils delicious, subtle scents of pears and peaches. Its creamy, nearly dry mouthfeel shows white fruit consistent with the nose, with good, crisp acidity for balance.
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Check prices and find vendors for Mumm Napa Brut Prestige on Wine-Searcher.com.
Read more about Mumm Napa at this Wine-Searcher link and view listings for other wines from this producer. Read article.
Looking for a good gift for the wine enthusiast, wine geek, or wine nerd on your list? Other than putting a bow on a bottle of actual wine, it’s hard to go wrong with an interesting new wine book. This week I offer three gift-worthy items for your consideration.
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Made with organic indigenous Sicilian Frapatto grapes and billed as vegan friendly, Santa Tresa “Rina Russa” Frappato offers pleasant mixed-berry and cherry aromas and mouth-watering flavors shaped by crisp, fresh-fruit acidity. It’s a food-friendly table wine; chill it a little for a lovely aperitif. An appealing wine, a real treat with a relatively little-known grape from Sicily.
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Check prices and find vendors for Santa Tresa “Rina Russa” Frappato on Wine-Searcher.com.
Follow this Wine-Searcher link to find a fact sheet on the Frappato grape and listings for dozens of other wines made with it.
Learn more about Terre Siciliane, the new (2011) IGT title for wines made in the entire Sicilia region, comprising the main island of Sicily and its satellite islands. Read article.
“Complexity” is another wine word that you’ll often hear me use. It’s a characteristic that I prize, because when paired with its cousin “balance,” complexity may signal a well-made wine of good value. But what exactly does it mean?
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Certified organic, fermented with indigenous yeast, and fermented and aged in concrete vats with no oak exposure, La Petite Bellane opens up to delicious aromas of blackberries, plums, blackcurrant, and a distinct note of fresh-ground pepper in the background. Mixed black fruits on the palate are shaped by crisp acidity in an all-Syrah blend of appealing complexity.
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Check prices and find vendors for La Petite Bellane on Wine-Searcher.com.
Read more about the Côtes du Rhône Villages at this Wine-Searcher link, where you’ll find listings for dozens of wines of the region.
Follow this Wine-Searcher link to read about the Syrah grape and browse wines of this variety from around the world. Read article.
