Below are the March, 2009 Featured Wines for the Wines by Jennifer Wine Club.

 

White Wine 2007 Pierre Chainier Vouvray Loire Valley, France   Maison Pierre Chainier is a family of wine merchants practicing sustainable farming to produce wines from vineyards throughout the Loire Valley's Touraine region. Located in the heart of Touraine, Vouvray was formally granted A.O.C. status in 1936, making it one of France's oldest, but wine has actually been grown here since the 4th century. Vouvray's single grape variety grown on her clay and limestone soils is the Chenin Blanc, known locally as Pineau de la Loire. Vouvray is one of the most versatile wine areas in the world, producing both still and sparkling wines made in sweetness levels ranging from dry (sec) to medium-dry (demi-sec) to sweet (moelleux). It is well-known for its aging potential, and the 2007 Chainier will have no trouble lasting five years, even longer if stored in proper cellar conditions. Pale yellow in color, this dry Vouvray shows a nose characteristic of Chenin Blanc, with ripe fruit aromas (pear and quince) and a slight mineral note. Ideal for foie gras, ripe cheeses or desserts, it is also suitable as an aperitif.

Red Wine 2004 Kenneth Volk Negrette San Benito County, California   Proprietor Kenneth Volk has been making Santa Barbara and Central Coast wines for more than a quarter century. Perhaps best known as the founder of Wild Horse Winery, Ken has earned a reputation for crafting world-class wines, not only from the "noble" grapes such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but also from lesser known varieties such as this beautiful 2004 Negrette. Negrette is the principal grape in the Côtes du Fronton A.O.C. in southwestern France. It has a very distinct aroma and flavor profile, sharing some of the same characteristics as Pinot Noir and Syrah. This wine has aromas of cherry and bramble fruit, with spicy old-vine gaminess. Deeply pigmented, it shows relatively low tannin and a silky, smooth texture. So why does Ken bother with obscure varieties like the Negrette? Because he not only believes they can produce delicious wines with different flavor profiles than the mass-marketed chocolate, vanilla and strawberry standards, but also because he fears that continued lack of market attention could force some of these grapes into extinction. In that regard, you could almost describe him as a rare variety advocate, a position we at Wines by Jennifer consider very admirable.

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.