White Wines

• The Vinho Verde wine region lies along Portugal's misty Costa Verde ("Green Coast"), north of the Port region and bordering Spain's Galicia on the coast of the Atlantic. Vinho Verde is not named for its color but its youth. This non-vintage wine is a blend of four indigenous grapes: Loureiro, Trajadura, Azal and Pedernã. Straw color, transparent and very pale, with glints of green. Simple, delicate white-fruit aromas focus on a hint of musky melon and the light carbonation adds a prickle to the crisp, dry flavor.
  
  
• Bereich is German for "region" and Johannisberg is a village in Germany surrounded by vineyards yielding the famous Johannisberger wine. This classic 2006 vintage Rheingau Riesling is elegant with crisp, green apple and pear flavors and a hint of minerals. Its off-dry finish matches well with broiled seafood or smoked ham.
  

Sparkling Wine

• The Spanish producer is one of the world’s oldest family winemaking enterprises, sustained by their passion for cava and winemaking. This non-vintage Penedes cava is made from the classic cava grapes - Parellada, Macabeo and Xarel•lo - the same blend of grapes used in the original cava from 1872. The addition of reserve wine adds depth and flavor to this crisp cava, which is great with soft cheeses, dried fruits and nuts. It also matches perfectly with Mediterranean dishes or at the end of a meal with your favorite desserts.
  

Red Wines

• In 1989, this producer began their foray into the wine industry by purchasing a Pinot Noir vineyard and since then has been planting Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Riesling grapes in the lush, fertile land of the Willamette Valley, Oregon's internationally renowned wine country. Made in a classic Burgundian style, this elegant medium-bodied 2005 vintage has an aroma of cherries, berries, plums and hints of pepper, cinnamon and rose petals.
  

• Although originally an Italian grape variety from Piedmont and the Oltrepo-Pavese region, the Bonarda grape has enjoyed much greater success in the rich soils and generous climate of Argentina, where it is one of the main grape varieties grown. This 2007 vintage is dense, inky, and purple, with a rustic, hearty juiciness, ripe acidity, and warm tannins, perfect for any meal and barbeques. The grapes come from the warmer regions of Rivadavia and East Mendoza.
  
  
• Spain's renowned winegrowing region of La Rioja is comprised of 50,000 hectares of vineyards, divided amongst La Rioja, Navarra and the Basque Country. It is nestled in the Ebro Valley, bordering the Toloño mountain range to the north and the Demanda and Cameros mountain ranges to the south; snaking through it are seven of the Ebro's effluents: Tirón, Oja, Najerilla, Iregua, Leza, Jubera and Cidacos. Average yearly wine production amounts to 190 million litres, 75% of which is in the form of red wine, with the rest being rosé and white wines. Visually, this 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon is dark purplish-red. On the nose, candy and wood berry aromas abound. On the palate, the wine is juicy, full and fruity, with a velvety, long aftertaste and a ripe fruit bouquet.
  
  

 

Appetizer of the Week

Italian Chicken Rollup - $8

 

For more specific information on these great wines, or to taste for yourself, stop by the Tasting Room at Wines by Jennifer this week. We look forward to seeing you!