Below are the March, 2008 Featured Wines for the Wines by Jennifer Wine Club.

 

White Wine 2006 Gordon Brothers Sauvignon Blanc Columbia Valley, Washington The 2006 vintage was yet another year of perfect grape growing weather in Washington State. After a wetter than normal spring, a long, hot summer blossomed, decreasing the quantity harvested, but increasing the quality. Autumn was ideal with dry and warm conditions, making harvest pleasant and flavors perfect. This Sauvignon Blanc was picked at the peak of flavor in order to maximize the varietal character. The wine was whole cluster pressed to tank and allowed to settle. A small portion of the juice was taken to neutral oak barrels for richness and body without new oak influence. The remainder of the juice was fermented in stainless steel to retain the crisp acidity and forward fruit flavors that are so abundant in the Gordon Brothers vineyard. Lush aromas of apricot and melon greet the nose. The palate is fresh and crisp with flavors of tropical pineapple and citrus. Lively acids leave your tongue tingling pleasantly. This wine will pair wonderfully with shellfish and your favorite appetizers. For a sensory delight, try this wine with a flavorful goat cheese. 90 Points and "Best Buy" - Wine Enthusiast

Red Wine 2005 Cantine Sant'Agata "Altea" Barbera d'Asti Superiore Piedmont, Italy As legend tells, it was the year 665 when Grimoaldo, King of the Lombards, freed the town of Asti which the transalpine Frankish troops had been besieging for several days. The triumphant soldiers celebrated by drinking a local red wine of intense color and clean and lingering fragrance, and Grimoaldo ordered that the wine the invading Barbarians had drunk should be called Barbera and that the royal table should never be left without it. The historical reference indicates that this vine has always been growing on these soils and that a pure and generous wine, equally appreciated when new or aged some years, has been made here since the ancient times. Ruby when new, it turns garnet red when aged. It is a wine with a clear scent of honey, bitter almonds, chocolate and cherries. Refining in small barrels of oak for 6 to 10 months enhances its dry, pleasingly bitter-tinged taste with a rich and harmonious flavor. Barbera goes well with rice and pasta and with any type of meat; it is perfect with ravioli stuffed with various fillings as custom and season dictate; but it is with stew, to which it contributes flavor already in cooking, that it is most praised.

Wines by Jennifer is also proud to announce our new "Cellar Club", featuring a new wine each month suitable for long-term aging. Call the shop and ask for Jennifer for all the details on this exciting new Club, or visit our Featured Cellar Club Wine page for details on this month's selection.