All right, everyone, let’s be honest: Don’t we get a little joy out of all the studies that seem to show a connection between moderate alcohol consumption and heart health, overall health, and outright longevity?
Not so fast!
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From the classic producers La Rioja Alta, this 100 percent Tempranillo Rioja is medium-dark ruby, with a clear edge. Fresh and ripe cherries emerge from the glass, framed by earthy oak, a whiff of black coffee, and a mineral scent of red clay. Bright acidity bursts on the palate with cherries and red cherry-berry fruit.
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Compare prices and find vendors for Viña Alberdi Rioja Reserva on Wine-Searcher.com.
To read more about Rioja and browse an extensive list of Rioja wines, prices and vendors, use this Wine-Searcher.com link. Read article.
I like wine, and I like bourbon. But I had to think for a while before embracing the idea of wine kept in bourbon barrels to impart a whiff of Kentucky’s corn-based nectar. Now, say hello to Beringer’s new line of Bourbon Barrel Aged wines.
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Bourbon isn’t obvious in the initial aroma of this bourbon-barrel aged wine, which offers black plums and blackberries, but there’s a pleasant sweet caramel note in the background that may come from a bourbon barrel but isn’t far from the scent of a traditional oak wine barrel. Sweet black fruit fills the palate, too, pleasant and sippable. Soft acidity is sufficient to provide structure, and a hint of tannins tickle at the edges of the palate. A hearty 14.5% alcohol, it’s a soft, smooth, slightly sweet wine, a crowd-pleaser.
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Locate vendors and check prices for Beringer Bros. California Bourbon Barrel Aged Red Wine Blend on Wine-Searcher.com. Read article.
Chianti is arguably the most popular Italian red wine in the U. S., says Neil Duarte. “Older wine drinkers like me remember the wicker-basket bottles of Chianti that were prominent 50 years ago in many small family-owned Italian restaurants.” But today’s selections are generally better than in the past, he writes. Read his notes on several Chiantis from Castello di Radda. Read article.
For at least a dozen years, an army of health and consumer advocacy groups in the U.S. and Europe has repeatedly called on government to require that wine bottles carry health and nutrition information.
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This 100 percent Nebbiolo from the Langhe is a medium garnet color shading to a clear edge. Its attractive scent of plums adds an earthy hint of red clay and a faint back note of wildflowers. Good, mouth-filling red fruit is framed by fresh acidity and soft tannins. Tart plums, earth, and bright acidity last in a very long finish.
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Wine-Searcher.com lists a limited roster of vendors for Cozzo Mario “Surì Mesdì” Langhe Nebbiolo on Wine-Searcher.com.
Tradizione Imports also lists several New York City shops on this information page. Read article.
A fair amount of wine got poured down the drain over here the other day, and a few tears flowed along with it. What caused this tragedy? Carelessness and forgetfulness, mostly. The victims were wines from dusty bottles that had lain on their sides for far too long …
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As discussed in the Feb. 15, 2019 30 Second Wine Advisor, these ageworthy wines survived about two decades of less than ideal storage yet survived and showed quite well. Don’t try this at home! Read article.
Simone Capecci, whose winery is in the province of Ascoli Piceno, ran an interesting experiment in 2013 using the almost-extinct Pecorino grape – and no yeast. What resulted? Neil Duarte tells the story of the two wines produced from this curious approach, and samples the winery’s other offerings. Read article.
