Friday, June 26, 2009

#134 Vidal


And wrapping up the reunion series of new wines is this Jackson-Triggs Vidal Ice Wine. Made from 100% Vidal grapes this wine was the biggest hit of them all. Unfortunately I only had one small bottle to offer and it was gone in a minute.

Ice wine is made from harvesting the grapes AFTER they have frozen on the vine. Most of the priciest and best come from the Niagara area. It is said that one grape yields only one drop of wine.

Intensely sweet and flavorful this wine easily stands in place of dessert. Its sweetness would overpower even the richest of desserts. That said, it was a huge hit and I would certainly be interested in buying more when the cold winds begin to push the memories of summer into the recesses of my mind..

#133 Black Muscat

I stumbled across this Black Muscat in a grocery store in Egg Harbor WI. At first I figured it was likely just another name for an already tested grape. However it does appear to be its own varietal. While it will not help me achieve subquest #1 (completing the official checklist) it does get me one closer to completion of quest #2 (200 varietals).

This wine was well received despite the searing outdoor temperatures and its 19% abv. Served with fresh pie and ice cream this bottle hit the spot although it would certainly be fine on its own preferably on a cold winters night. There is the obvious sweetness yet there is enough acidity to keep it from being cloying. At $20 it is a relatively good value for a dessert wine.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

#132 Saperavi

"From the Kindzmarauli microzone of the Kvareli in the Kakheti Region, republic of Georgia".

Here we have the neatest wine bottle I have ever seen. This is a bottle I received from friends at a recent and enjoyable wine tasting (Bring the funniest label). It is 100% Saperavi which is a grape that can make wines that cellar for 50 years or more.

This was a big surprise. I was expecting the worst but as is the nature of this quest I am thrown out of the comfort zone and "forced" to try increasingly far reaching wines. This one is semi-sweet with a soft peppery backbone and is smooth from start to finish. It reminded some of a rose' despite its darker color. My aunt (the host of the reunion... thank you thank you thank you) thought that it would pair nicely with an Athenian lamb stew. I would like to give that a try.

Perhaps it was the company, but I really did find this to be an enjoyable wine.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

#129 #130 #131 Bual Sercial Malvasia

Sure the picture may be a little blurry and a bit off center but hey you would be too if you decided to tick off 3 varietals (in their fortified state) in an evening. These were opened during a wonderful family reunion in Door County WI. Temperatures were high for the season so breaking open a high octane fortified wine wasn't on the top of the "good idea" list but in the name of the quest we struggled on....

Madeira is a fortified wine made in the Portuguese Madeira Islands. (Check that link for some really fascinating detail). There are four major types of Madeira three of which you see above. There are 5 age classifications stretching from 5 years to 20+. We tried the youngest and least expensive.

These wines spanned from dry to sweet and light to dark. Each had their own specific character while still having an underlying similarity. The sercial was dry and lighter, the bual was sweeter with a deeper tone and the malmsey (malvasia) the darkest and richest.

I found these wines to be compelling and fascinating and am very interested in trying some of the best of the best in this category. Perhaps while studying its long history and its impact on the formation of the United States.