NOVEMBER MINUTES -- O--BA--MA!!

We had an absolutely AWESOME meeting on November 8. Between the wines, the friends, and the celebrations, it was a meeting not to miss. Luckily for those of you who did miss it, we have the blog, so I will give you the details here.

First off, we have a new member! Psyche brought along her friend Lucius, who said that after hearing Psyche go on and on about our great club, he had to check it out. That was really wonderful to hear, and I do believe we managed to show Lucius a good time while helping him to begin developing his wine knowledge. Let's just say we have a new recruit in our Port Lovers Division! So welcome, Lucius, and we hope to see you at future meetings!

Our theme this month was Your New Favorites, and we asked everyone to bring along the wines you've been drinking outside of our meetings and share them with the club. Many of us did just that, while others brought new wines to try in hopes of finding a new favorite. So we had a large and varied selection of wines to taste. The craziest thing was that our tasting notes seemed to revert to the early days, so that instead of getting detailed responses on smells and tastes, we got "liked it," "did not like it," "hated it," and "blecch!" Anyway, on to the wines.

THE WINNER

Bogle Petite Syrah 2006 http://www.boglewinery.com/factsht.htm -- Mom recently became a petite syrah convert and we knew it was just the kind of wine the club would embrace, because we do love our reds. Petite syrah is not the same as syrah or shiraz; they are actually different grapes. However, much of the characteristics are the same: big, fruity dark berries and a hint of licorice or chocolate. The Bogle has a rich berry flavor and is slightly sweet.

SECOND PLACE

Hogue Chenin Blanc 2005 http://www.hoguecellars.com/hogue.php -- Another new grape for the club, the chenin blanc was fruity and perfumy on the nose, and the taste was semi-dry and light. I found it very much like riesling; perhaps slightly drier than a German kabinett.

THIRD PLACE

Choya Japanese Plum wine http://www.choya.com/product/products.html -- Because it is sweet, we tased this wine late in the meeting, so keep in mind that we'd gone through seven other wines by the time we got to this one. At that point we were a little overwhelmed, but the Choya brought the group back to life. This dessert wine comes in a really neat package -- a tall, column-shaped bottle with a plastic flip cap and a bunch of Japanese plums floating at the bottom. Robin doled out plums to members while we sipped this sweet, plummy wine that was very good and only slightly syrupy. Some suggestions: this wine can be mixed with a semi-dry sparkling wine for a lighter, spritzy cocktail, and Psyche says it also pairs well with spicy foods.

THE REST -- A MIXED BAG

Foris Pinot Gris 2006 http://www.northwest-wine.com/foris-vineyards-pinot-gris.html -- This was one of the wines we tasted at the Halloween tasting at The Village Wine Cellar (see "A New Wine Shop" posting below). Pinot Gris is a slightly heavier white than Pinot Grigio, but it was too light for the club, both on the nose and palate. Reactions ranged from neutral to did not like. Arthur paired it with the cheese, and did not see any improvement. We passed on this one.

Far Niente Chardonnay 2006 http://www.farniente.com/WinesVineyards/chardonnay.html -- I brought this favorite, really looking forward to getting our club members hooked on it, but they hated it, particularly Psyche and Angie. Donna did pick up the oaky, buttery flavor with a nice acidity up front, but by and large, the club was not impressed. This wine is a little pricey at around $50, so the rule holds true -- price does not guarantee you'll love the wine.

Rosenblum Cellars Petite Syrah 2006 https://www.rosenblumcellars.com/gateway.jsp;jsessionid=21CAFE68F8C39F1158425DFB1FEFCAA0-- I brought along this wine to compare t0 the Bogle. Angie drained her glass, then pronounced it not bad. This wine has hints of rubber on the nose, along with dark berries and plums. The wine got a thumbs up all around, but it lacks something next to the Bogle.

Lan Rioja 2005 http://www.nomerlot.com/reviews/red-wine/2005/10/17/lan_rioja_crianza_1999 -- Back to Spain! This wine smells exactly like a leather jacket and reminded me of the petite syrah, but with firmer tannins, which I liked. Mom found it oaky (interesting!) and Arthur said "Eh!" but others liked it very much.

Rosemount Shiraz (SE Australia) http://www.rosemountestate.com/index.asp -- The club hadn't had shiraz in a while and we forgot how much we liked it. This one was slightly sweet and syrupy with a soft finish, but it also had a bit of a kick to it. Robin compared it to his favorite Sandeman port, but not as sweet. He liked it. A LOT!!

Sayuri Creamy Sake http://www.novusvinum.com/sake/sayuri.html -- Psyche said she was told she had to try this sake, which was actually infused with cream to give it a milky appearance. I had never had sake before so I was looking forward to it, but it looks like I am not a sake person. The sake smelled like cantaloupe, which was pleasant, but the taste was odd to me, and hard to describe. The more knowledgeable members tell me this was exactly what sake tastes like, and it was suggested that we heat it. Personally I don't think it would help, but if anyone does give it a whirl, please let us know what you think. The upside: Dorean had another pretty bottle to take home, which I know she really appreciates. Perhaps we'll revisit sake at a future meeting!

So we had lots of wine, and good thing, because we had lots to celebrate. We made numerous toasts -- to our newest member, to Dorean's and my birthdays, to Mom's retirement, and to our new President-Elect! We even toasted our club, which is almost two years old and still growing, and we pledged to keep it going as long as humanly possible. The food, the mood, and the friends made this a meeting to remember.

Holiday party is next month; the date is December 13. Stay tuned for the list of the year's favorites to choose from, or search the blog for the faves in each posting. I'll also email the favorites to everyone. Please bring one of the year's favorites and a dish. Can't wait!

Obama, everyone!!

A NEW WINE SHOP!

Thanks to our member Robin we have a new shop to frequent, and I'm very excited about it for three reasons: 1)it's in the neighborhood; 2)they have some excellent wine tastings and events; and 3)their prices are extremely reasonable. The store is The Village Wine Cellar, and it's located at 249-70 Jericho Tpke. in Bellerose Village. That's roughly a mile or so from the Cross Island Parkway, a mere stone's throw from DiVine Wine Co. headquarters.

Mom and I attended a tasting there last Friday night and were very impressed. The tasting was free, and they asked only that you buy two bottles of anything in the store. Not a problem! We tasted 7 wines: a Spanish albarino (you may recall that we chose an albarino as our favorite in the last meeting), a pinot gris, a riesling (yay! said Mom), a temparanillo, a syrah/grenache blend, a zinfandel, and a port. Very nice selection. The store even provided plenty of snacks including cheeses, crackers, sausage slices, breads, pita, and hummus. And let me tell you, the people were pouring in. The store has lots of regulars so many of the customers actually knew each other, and the atmosphere was super friendly, not stuffy and stodgy like in some of the shops in Manhattan. It did get pretty crowded, and you had to get your glass and move away from the tasting bar right away so others could get theirs. Then when you were ready, you elbowed your way back to the bar for the next taste. Mom really liked the pinot gris -- if you haven't tried it and you like white wines we recommend it. It was creamy and buttery on the nose and had a fresh, fruity taste with body and a long finish. She actually bought a bottle along with a viognier that the manager recommended, while I came away with what was promised to be a bold petite syrah and a rich chardonnay. We shall see! All four wines were under $20 each.

The store has a website: www.villagewinecellar.com, and it includes a mailing list that you can join to get alerts for upcoming events. Next time you're in Queens or Nassau County, I recommend that you check it out.

Arrocal Ribiera del Duero 2006 (Spain) - Followup

Thinking that the debate was going to be another WWE-style diss fest, I figured it would be more interesting observing it a little buzzed (very little, considering i have to be up at 3AM!). After being christened four days earlier, I opened & let it breathe approx 15 minutes (about the first time I said, "Say Wha?" to something McCain said). Was not as leathery on the nose this time around, which is usually something that I have to get past first on reds before I can smell the fruits of the wine. The drop off on the back end was a little stronger, like someone storming out of a room slamming a door, however disappeared altogether with the aid of cheese. As for the buzz affect, I was in complete rowdy mode when Schafer asked the mud-slinging question, thinking we were about to get a Nas vs. Jay-Z type showdown. Nevertheless, it didn't disappoint.

--AGP.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER DIVINE WINE CLUB MEETING -- WE LOVE SPAIN!

Hey, everyone! We were finally able to have our Spain/Argentina/Portugal/Chile meeting this month, and man, was it ever worth the wait! We had fun with these wines, mainly because we were able to sample grapes that were new for us like tempranillo and garnacha, and to revisit an old favorite, malbec. Plus, after not meeting for 8 weeks, we had serious club withdrawal! It was very nice to get together again.

We had 7 members present at Saturday's meeting and sampled 7 wines. Two interesting things: 1) we actually had a white, a rose, and some reds, so our sampling ran the wine spectrum; and 2) even though Portugal was included and we did have a couple of Portuguese wines, no one brought a port, which is very interesting considering how much we love the stuff. Could it be that we're still on overload from January's chocolate pairing meeting? Hmmmm....

So, here go the results:

THE WINNER:
Don Olegario 2006 Albarino (Spain)
http://www.donolegario.com
This was a light, crisp Spanish white made from the albarino grape. Fruity on the nose with a hint of ale, this wine turned out to be pleasantly semi-sweet, much like a kabinett riesling. The wine was surprisingly smooth and citrusy, and many members chose it as a favorite.

SECOND PLACE:
Tinto da Anfora 2005 red (Portugal)
http://winelibrary.com/reviewwine.asp?DCMP=froogle&item=38288
This wine featured blackberry on the nose, with cocoa powder and tobacco. Intriguing! Yes, we actually picked up all this! On the palate, the wine proved to be lighter than anticipated despite some pretty tough tannins right up front. When tasting, the wine hits you right away, then mellows out nicely. Unfortunately it didn't have a long finish, which would have helped round this out.

THIRD PLACE:
Borsao Tres Picos Garnacha 2007 (Spain)http://www.bodegasborsao.com/pages/trespii.htm
Psyche gave the most interesting description of this wine: "Like a five-part harmony, but missing a note." I love that, and I loved this wine, despite the missing note. This was our first experience with the garnacha grape (which is apparently completely different from the grenache grape, contrary to what I'd thought) and the thing that struck me right away was the spiciness, both on the nose and in the taste. The berriness was immediately obvious, but there was a definite spiciness there, and the nose was a bit metallic as well. Mom said she tasted white pepper in this one. A very complex wine, with a nice finish. My personal favorite, and I've already bought myself another bottle!

THE REST:
Vega Sindoa rose 2007 (Spain) http://www.marketfinewine.com/155854?id=Haa9HinJ
This rose, a blend of 50% garnacha and 50% cabernet grapes, smelled very sweet, like cherry soda. But the taste was drier and very light. It was not tasteless like many roses. Not amazing, but pleasant.

Eagle Rock malbec 2006 (Argentina)
Although the wine had a pretty tight nose, we still were able to pick up a hint of mint and some meatiness. Mom said it reminded her of a steak cooked in butter (!). I found this wine too light, not at all robust like the malbecs I usually like. The wine tasted young, like it should be put away for a few years before drinking. I should revisit it, though; it may be helped if allowed to breathe for a while.

Arrocal Ribiera del Duero 2006 (Spain)
http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=420480
Made from the tempranillo grape, this wine was more leathery and bold on the nose; what I'd imagine the malbec would be if allowed to mature. It had big tannins and was fruitier than the malbec, but disappointingly, it disappeared on the back end. Nothing to hate here. Apparently, Arthur found this a good wine to drink while watching Wednesday's presidential debate! (Hey, AGP, care to give a follow-up review?)

Armador syrah 2005 (Chile)
http://www.stirlingfinewine.com/r/products/armador-syrah-2005
Wine Enthusiast describes this wine as "a bit funky at first." Boy, is that an understatement. This wine will forever be known in the club as "the cat pee." Eslin picked it up first, and right away...this wine had a serious litter box aroma on the nose. If you weren't at the meeting, you missed some serious ick faces on your fellow members! As for taste, it was complex: bitter at first, but then it was hard to get past the smell to appreciate the rest. Surprisingly, cheese helped it a lot; mellowed out the aroma and the bitterness, and a nice fruity red came through. In the end, Ishmael and Robin liked it, the ladies not so much, and Arthur has permanently sworn off Chilean wines. (See August meeting minutes!)

You'll notice I'm adding something new to our blog. Going forward I will try to include in the reviews links to websites where you can see, read about, and perhaps order the wines we tried. Hope you find this useful.

Next meeting, November 8, and if you read my email you know it is going to be an important one. Really hope you can make it. See you then!

AUGUST DIVINE WINE CLUB NEWS -- THE ROSE SEARCH

It's the "dog days" of summer, and a time when many of our members are off gallivanting in some exotic location (like France or, even more exotic, Atlanta) or dealing with various priorities. Luckily, a few of us were around to participate in our search for an acceptable rose wine. We tasted 4 rose wines at our meeting and I have to say right off the bat, I immediately noticed how our palates have grown. For one thing, we were able to better describe smells and tastes, and for another, we could be very clear about what we liked or didn't like, and why. It was a very interesting exercise. Here go the results, in the Olympic spirit (thanks for the suggestion, Arthur!):

THE GOLD:

Turkey Flats Vinyards 2007 Rose -- I picked this one because of its origin, Australia's Barossa Valley, and because it was made partly from shiraz grapes. I figured we couldn't go wrong with that combo, and my theory proved correct. This rose was a meritage of 62% grenache, 22.3% shiraz, 9.7% cabernet, and 6% dolcetto grapes. On the nose, we picked up a lot of raspberry, and it smelled rather hot. The alcohol content was 13% but it smelled and tasted like more. On the palate, more berrylike fruits and more alcohol, but most surprisingly, the mid-palate was actually citrusy, a theme that would continue throughout the tasting. This rose was full-bodied, which we appreciated, and we liked it more the more we tasted. Definitely the winner among the bunch.

THE SILVER:
Paul Jaboulet Aire Parallel 45 Cote du Rhone Rose 2007 -- A great choice made by Mom, since we'd established we do like the Cote reds. On the nose, perfume, and hints of peach and strawberry. The palate was fruity, though not quite as full-bodied as the Aussie rose (surprising for a French wine). Most interesting was the finish, which was very much like sucking a lemon peel. You know when you've eaten all the fruit and there's nothing left but the white part and the peel itself? It was like that. A very interesting rose.

THE BRONZE:
Vitiano 2006 Rosato Umbria -- This Italian rose was the first one we tasted and based on this we thought we were in for a disappointing meeting. The nose was pure strawberry, very pleasant. But the palate was a letdown: nice fruit up front, but no mid-palate at all and a sharp bitterness on the back end. It wasn't a pleasant bitterness, either, like the lemon peel in the Cote du Rhone rose, it was just a betterness that lingered. We found it drinkable, certainly, but we thought it was too watery and I did not like the bitterness.

THE AGONY:
Oveja Negra 2006 Rose, Central Valley, Chile -- I got this as a bonus, because we'd never tried a Chilean wine before and the region is said to produce some awesome wines. Right off the bat we noticed this rose featured a darker color than the others, almost ruby. The nose was shockingly...vegetal! I picked up green peppers right away, which I thought was fascinating. The nose was straight grassy. Mom's description, which was spot on: "It's like driving through upstate NY at night with foliage whizzing by the open car windows." Clearly she should be writing this blog! Anyway, the letdown was in the taste. I couldn't pick up anything but alcohol. It certainly wasn't berry-like, which is what we expected. I suspect the taste was vegetal as well, and since we are so not used to that we couldn't identify what we were tasting. I tried it again tonight hoping the taste would have benfited from being open so long before sealing the bottle last night, but I still can't ID the taste, except to say "alcoholy." Arthur has 2 suggestions: one was that we try more Chilean wines to figure out what's going on with them, and the other was to actually go to Chile and bomb the place in the interests of national tasting security. We settled on the first suggestion, so look for Chile to be added to the agenda for the next meeting.

That's it! So we do have a couple of go-to roses to enjoy for what's left of the summer. Time to look forward to fall, which features cooler temperatures, and the return of two things we love: red wine and football! Look for updates on the next meetings on our calendar, as I'm pretty certain that dates will have to change. Until then, happy sipping!

JULY WINE CLUB NEWS -- RIESLING BATTLE ROYAL!

The July meeting had two themes: hot and sweet! We met in Mom's backyard and BBQ'ed while we conducted our battle of the rieslings, pitting rieslings from different regions against each other to see which is our overall favorite. Now, it was about 90 degrees out that day, and there we were, huddled underneath a tent in the backyard (gracefully donated by the Williamses, Mom's neighbors), drinking wine, of all things, and it wasn't even Arbor Mist! So maybe we were a little crazy, but we sure enjoyed ourselves.

Nine rieslings were sampled that day, and they represented regions from Australia to Germany to Washington State. Here are the results of our battle (hope I get this right; it's been 2 weeks!).

THE WINNER
Donnhoff Norheiman Kirschbach Spatlese -- representing Germany, this wine came out on top for its sweetness without being syrupy. This wine was smooth and reminded us of our favorite Schmitt Sohn (more on that later), and tasted even better chilled. In fact, one member who shall remain nameless actually added ice to his glass. You know who you are!

2ND PLACE
Hogue 2006 Columbia Valley riesling -- representing Washington State, the Hogue featured a bright, lemony color and was fruity on the nose and palate. This was my personal favorite because it wasn't too sweet, though some members felt it was dry and a bit tannic.

3RD PLACE
Selbach-Oster Auslese -- hailing from Germany's Mosel region, known for riesling, this was a very sweet wine that Eslin actually described as like fruit juice only thicker and with a kick. Robin picked up honeydew on the palate. Loretta liked the long finish; she said the sweetness wouldn't go away. We nicknamed this wine the Cellblock, 'cause it just sounded cool, and 'cause we were probably suffering from inebriation and heat stroke by that point.

THE REST:

Jacob's Creek Reserve 2007 -- An Australian riesling that we found very minerally and fruity, dry but not very, with apple and melon on the nose.

Hugel Alsace riesling, 2004 -- A dry French riesling with faint hints of lemon on the nose and the palate. Laura described this as lemonade for adults and that was dead on. This wine really demonstrated that acidic quality that people love so much about riesling.

Dr Loosen 2007 -- We went back to Germany's Mosel region with the Dr. Loosen, a sweet riesling. We did try it behind two rather dry rieslings so that likely affected our palates, but you could tell how sweet this was just by the nose alone. If you're a fan of spatlese rieslings, this one's for you.

St. Urbans-Hof 2007 -- Another sweet Mosel riesling; this was actually too sweet for some of us. Strangely, Arthur did not find it sweet on the palate at all. Hmmm...

Schmitt Sohne Auslese -- An old favorite, and a smooth, pleasant German wine. The auslese is a sweet riesling, not as dry as the French or Australian wines we tried. If you like your rieslings drier, go for the spatlese or kabinett varieties.

Dr. Beckmann Auslese -- This is a pretty darn sweet auslese; Arthur found it way too sweet. By the time we got to this riesling we realized that yes, you can have too much sweet wine (without going over into port or sauterne territory).

Rieslings are known primarily for their fruitiness (typical notes are apple, peach, melon, and citrus fruits) and their acidity. The sweetness is something you can pick and choose according to your taste. Germany's Mosel region is the undisputed king in riesling grape production, so if you're looking to explore rieslings, you can start there and work your way around the rest of the globe. But be prepared, because rieslings can be just as varied in taste as any other wine. Remember, the point is to find one (or two, or three...) that works for YOU.

We tackle rose next, and the meeting is scheduled for Saturday August 16. Happy shopping!

MAY CLUB NEWS -- ITALY!

So here I am, posting our club minutes a full 2 weeks after the meeting; but rest assured it's been a very full two weeks! We spent Memorial Day Saturday celebrating a few things -- the unofficial start of summer; the start of summer hours for those who have them; an actual day of good weather; and the wines of Italy. I had a lot of fun getting ready for this meeting because there's so much to learn about Italian wines. Italy is the largest wine-producing country and it offers something for every wine-loving palate. We sampled 7 wines that Saturday, so sit back and follow along as we sample the wares of Northern Italy wine regions.

THE FAVORITES (We had a hard time choosing first, second, and third, so heck, I'm just listing 'em):

--Ca' De' Medici Emilia Lambrusco Bianco non-vintage -- This was a sweet, fizzy white with lots of fruit on the nose; in fact, I picked up applesauce. Arthur did not pick up the sweetness on the palate, which everyone else did...very interesting! The wine was quite smooth and soft, quite pleasant. A very nice start.

--Ca' De' Medici Reggiano Lambrusco - Rosso Dolce non-vintage -- The companion red Lambrusco, with hints of black cherry soda on the nose. The taste was pure 70s, like a cheap wine, but not! Psyche suggested it would make a great sangria. This was so cool and pleasant that the more we drank, the more we liked it. Kudos to Donna for bringing the red and white Lambruscos.

-- Falasco Valpolicelli Ripasso, 2004 -- This was a deep, dark, dry, way-in-back-of-the-basement red, with old fruit on the nose, very rich. It was actually buttery and smooth, and complemented our parmesan cheese and Mom's fettuccini dish quite nicely. This wine tasted much more expensive than it was.

THE RUNNER-UPS:
--Morando Babaresco 2004 -- A dry, leathery red with a pleasant nose, this wine was a little rough and seemed young, like it needed to be put away for a few years. We did leave it open for a few hours and revisited it later in the evening and it benefitted from that. It was dry, but drinkable.

--Banfi Chianti Classico 2005 -- I was pleasantly surprised by this chianti, as there was no mustiness at all, just dark berries on the nose and palate. It had nice tannins, which were heavier for some of us than others. We likened it to grape juice without the sugar.

WE WEREN'T CRAZY ABOUT:

--Frascati La Villetta Estate Bottled, 2006 -- A straw-colored white that was tart, minerally, and slightly dry. This was very light, which the club tends not to like, so it wasn't one of our favorites.

--Albeisa Barolo 2005 -- Oh, I was so let down by this wine. I was dying to try a Barolo, but we got nothing off this red, which was supposed to be big, robust, and high in tannins. I did get the tannins -- my tongue dried up immediately -- but I was the only one. I didn't even pick up a particularly grapey smell or taste, which really confused me. I may try others to compare, 'cause this made no sense at all!

I urge you all to try more Italian wines including those from my new favorite region, the Veneto. Really spectacular reds, well worth exploring. And I do look forward to trying more from the Southern regions, which we didn't get to focus on much.

I have a couple of recommendations for the group, which I mentioned at the meeting. If you can locate these, give 'em a try:

--Selbach-Oster, Kabinett Riesling, 2007, Mosel, Germany, $23
--Crios, Rose of Malbec, 2007, Mendoza, Argentina, $14
--Coppola Rosso, 2006, $9.99

And finally, if you haven't already, please, please, please check out this website. A young wine buyer from New Jersey posts podcasts of himself tasting wines five days a week, and the videos are really informative and pretty funny. The podcasts are downloadable, so you can view one a day if you like. http://tv.winelibrary.com/

I'm going to make some changes to our calendar to rearrange the summer meetings a bit, so I'll send that info in an email to you guys directly. As always, happy sipping!

A Handy Video

Hey, guys-- check out this handy video on different methods of opening bottles of wine.

http://www.inwinecountry.com/?cat=5970254&subcat=5038749#videoplayer

APRIL CLUB NEWS -- OUR "TRIP" TO FRANCE!

Hey, guys! In our April meeting we spent a little time sampling reds and whites from the French wine-producing regions. Our goal was to learn a bit about French wines and how to pick those that may fit our tastes. European wines can be difficult because of how they are labeled; most of the emphasis is placed on the producer rather than the type of wine. So knowing that you prefer a burgundy may not be enough; you may need to know more about who produced it or exactly where, or the terrior of that region, or which grapes or method that producer used. Too much for us, we just wanted to drink! In any case, we ended up not coming out with a clear favorite, which was a first. And it wasn't due to a lack of trying, because we sampled a lot of wine.

Here's the list:

1) Heritage du Chateau Sauvignon Blanc -- This was very light with a general fruitiness, but there was nothing distinctive about it. It was sweet on the nose, which led us to believe it would have a stronger flavor, but we were fooled. "Goes well with chicken!" declared Robin.

2) Faiveley Macon Prisse white burgundy -- This was so light it was practically nonexistent, probably the lightest wine we've tried. This had to pair with the blandest of foods -- one person suggested salad, and someone else said anything poached. This was very mellow; so laid back it almost wasn't there.

3) Roux Pere & Fils Puilly Fuisse -- This white was more enjoyable. It was slightly buttery with a stronger flavor, but smooth, not very acidic.

4) Domaine du Bouchot Puilly-Fume -- Deidre picked up tomato plants on the nose, but on the palate this was not herbaceous at all. I tasted guava, which was a pleasant surprise, especially since we had guava paste to pair with. A perfect combo.

5) Domaine Vincent Bouzereau chardonnay -- we liked this one; it was full in taste with a nice smooth finish.

6) Les Jamelles pinot noir -- With great relief we moved on to the reds, hoping we'd encounter some stronger flavors. This one was drier than we liked, though not overly so. The smell was more interesting than the taste. Most of us got a nice berriness, but Donna's smelled different. Never did figure out why.

7) Chateau la Clyde Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux -- Though we did not like it, this red was interesting. It combined four grapes: merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, and malbec. We wished it had more cab franc and malbec and less of the other two. It was very strong on the nose, like decomposing wood. If it were heavier and had more heat, it could pass for port of sherry, but instead, it seemed there was something missing.

8) Chateau Receba Medoc -- This red smelled like a white! And after tasting, Mom said it actually had a lemony finish. To me, it smelled exactly like the back of my grandmother's closet (if you ever crawled back there while playing as a kid, you know exactly what I mean). We found this very dry.

9) Chateau de Montfaucon Cote du Rhone -- no surprise that we liked this one; the DiVine Wine club does enjoy their Cote du Rhones. This was dense and dry but not overly so, with a great berry flavor and smooth finish.

10) Chateau Grand Rousseau Bordeaux -- This was spicy but less full, like Cote du Rhone lite. It has personality, but we like the Cote better.

So there you have it, no clear favorites. Our recommendations would be the Bouzereau (which was also a big hit with my book club) and the de Montfaucon Cote du Rhone. Keep trying those French wines, though. If anyone does try one they like, please, pass it along to the club, or even better, bring it to a meeting and put it to the real test!

So our next meeting is May 24, and the theme is wines from Italy. Let's see how many dry-as-dust chiantis we end up with! See you then!

MARCH CLUB NEWS -- THE SWIRL EVENT

Hello DiVine members! We sure started March off right with our 3/1 meeting. This month we had our special tasting event hosted by Anu Karwa, CEO of Swirl Events. Anu was kind enough to journey out to Queens and brought along 5 lovely wines plus a nice prosecco as a starter, three cheeses, crackers, chocolates, and a wealth of knowledge. She guided us through the tasting process and helped us to really appreciate what we were seeing, smelling, and tasting. She even guided us through her own version of rating the wines -- by comparing the qualities of the wine to the personalities of various celebrities. It was a lot of fun and we had a lovely time. Here are the wines we tasted:

Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc, 2007, Marlborough, New Zealand -- Anu says New Zealand wines are on the come up, and sauvignons from Marlboro are especially good. This one was a pleasant surprise for me since I usually find sauvignons to be light and somewhat tasteless. The Oyster Bay had many fruity layers to it, was almost candylike on the nose (it reminded me of Now & Laters) and not too dry, and had a good finish.

Thabani Merlot, 2002, Coastal Region, South Africa -- At my request, Anu provided a wine from an African-American distributor (yes, Anu takes requests!). This merlot from a South African winery was very bold and gave off hints of tobacco and spice on the nose. Anu says this one was made to age and could have gone another two years before opening, so if you liked it, purchase a bottle, hold on to it for a while, and see what happens!

Pure Love Wines Layer Cake Primitivo, 2006, Puglia, Italy -- Hooray for Layer Cake! Because Anu and I had discussed the Layer Cake shiraz, a previous DiVine club favorite, she brilliantly provided this primitivo by the same producer, and it did not disappoint. The primitivo is made from the zinfindel grape. It was very smooth and not too sweet, with berries on the nose and tongue; lighter and simpler than the shiraz but with enough classiness to please. A very nice drinking wine.

Galil Mountain Winery, Yiron, 2003, Galilee, Israel -- The club has tried an Israeli wine in the past and as with that one, this was not a fave. The taste was acceptable, but the wine rapidly disappeared on the tongue, leaving no lasting impression.

Kristof, Muscat Ottonel, 1997, Hungary -- I informed Anu that many of our members were fond of dessert wines and she brought this highly enjoyable muscat, which immediately became a favorite. Unlike muscats the club has tried before, the Kristof had no bubbles. Smooth, with a nice sunny color, the wine had just the right amount of sweet, not at all syrupy or cloying. This was a hit.

Anu has sent along an order form we can use to order any of the wines we tried through her (all except the muscat, which, true to her word, she is working on getting a contact for). If you did not receive the order form and would like to have it, just let me know and I can forward it to you.

If you'd like to know more about Swirl Events, you can go to their website: swirlevents.com. And Anu is our newest club member, with an open invitation to attend any of our future meetings. Welcome, Anu!

In other club news, welcome also to new member Charleen Bruno, who attended for the first time and learned that she reeeeeally likes port! She also raved about the club at our meeting of the Chat and Chew Book Club the next day; so sweet of her! Glad to have you join the family, Charleen!

Oh, and we have a slogan! You may now refer to yourselves as the members of the DiVine Company Wine Club of Queens NY: Winos with Knowledge. We have no T-shirts yet, but who knows what the future may hold?

Our next meeting is Saturday, April 12, where we will sample wines of France. For this meeting please bring a French wine of your choice, information about that wine, and your $10 dues. See you then!

Happy sipping!

Latest Club News and January Meeting

Well, it has been a good while since I've posted here and there's so much to catch up on! Besides the wine news, hope everyone's holidays were great and that the new year is off to a positive start. Also, hope everyone plans on voting tomorrow, and how about those Giants!!

So here we are in February. The writer's strike is still on and the networks are running out of shows, so at least we still have wine! Since my last post we've had our holiday party, our January club meeting, and our wine tasting event at Novita, which I've actually just gotten home from attending. The holiday party was a smash, and we enjoyed revisiting wines from the past year. The food was amazing as well. There was lots of "When did we try that?" and "Did we like this one?" Guys, that's what the blog is for! When in doubt, go back and read the meeting notes. Also, it's a great resource for when you're trying to choose a wine for an occasion or for your own enjoyment.

The January meeting was a pairing with chocolate, and we bit off way more than we could chew, literally. By the end of the meeting we were drunk not on wine but on chocolate! We had 2 cakes, chocolate wafers, mini chocolate ganache cakes, chocolate chip cookies, a tin of assorted filled chocolates, and goodness knows what else. If your eyes were bigger than your stomach, you were in trouble!

Rather than picking the top three favorites, we simply decided which wines seemed to go best with with chocolates. Here are the results:

WINE: PAIRED WELL WITH

Farrari Carano 2004 Chardonnay: almond cookies

Bartenura Moscato (one of our past favorites): dark chocolate

Fiore D'Arancio Late-Harvest Orange Muscat: nearly everything, from milk to dark chocolate. With aromas reminiscent of Lady Grey tea, this was a favorite

Annabella 2005 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon: dark chocolate, as this was VERY dry


Of the wines we tried, these were the most successful pairings. We had a number of ports that we just couldn't get to, which was a shame since port is supposed to pair the best with chocolate. We also tried two or three truly vile "wines" that were flavored in an effort to make them complementary with chocolate. I won't bother to list their names here (since I didn't bother to write them down) but suffice to say we labeled one of them "Nyquil" and another "Robitussin." So our conclusion was that when pairing with chocolate, port may be best, but the DiVine recommendation is that you try a nice muscat.

For tonight's tasting event, four of us members visited Novita, a restaurant and wine bar in Garden City, LI. They hold a tasting on the first Monday of every month featuring wine from a chosen region. This month's wines hailed from the Veneto region in Italy. We were treated to a short but informative history lesson of Venetian winemaking, followed by a prosecco for starters (you'll recall that a prosecco is a fizzy white wine much like champagne), then two white and three red wines for tasting. To accompany the wines we were served assorted bruschetta (three different varieties); a platter of prosuitto, creamy ricotta, and thin breadsticks; a wonderful pizzetta with provolone, oven-dried tomato, and spicy sopresata, and finally a creamy risotto in saffron valencia broth. Forget it! We were done! The wines we tried:

WHITES

2006 Pieropan Soave Classico Superiore DOC

2006 Bertani Due Uve (a blend of Pinot Grigio and Suavignon Blanc)

REDS

2003 Bertani Villa Novare Valipolicella Classico

2003 Sartori di Verona Regolo "Ripasso" IGT

2002 Bertani Villa Arvedi Amarone della Valipolicella Valpantena DOC

The whites were very smooth, low on acidity, and light on the palate, though we found the Due Uve a little bolder than the Soave. The reds were fabulous, with hints of plum, fig, cherry, and raisin on the nose and palate. The valpolicella was lightest, dry and fruity, while the Amarone was rich, jammy, and dense. It was a great experience; I recommend that everyone try it. We are actually considering going to the March 3 tasting; the featured region is France.

Next meeting is Saturday, March 1, where we will have a professional tasting of our own, hosted by Swirl Events. Remember to let me know if you will attend. As usual, till then, happy sipping!