It’s been hot. 90+ days all summer except for on the rare occasions when it rains. As much as HWG loves red wine he often finds he needs some white refreshment on a weekend afternoon. A recent tasting event netted a new discovery that has been worthy of a re-purchase and that is tangible evidence that we are talking good juice here.

Torrentes is a popular grape grown in Argentina and the wine makers usually churn out a lot of decent but modest wines. Kind of in the Sauvignon Blanc mode and selling for around $9. But this one is different and you notice it right away by the distinctive, perfume-y bouquet. This wine actually smells rich, reminiscent of when you walk by the perfume counter at an upscale store. It has a complexity to its taste, tart green apple and lemon-lime flavors that finishes dry, but not too dry, with some exotic nutty notes too. HWG is not positive what it means when a wine is described as “round” but I think this one fits the bill. This is a very pretty wine, smooth and silky and not a bit wimpy and a tad bit naughty. Think Charlize Theron and you got it. $15.00.

You can read all the books and magazines and reviews you want but the VERY best way to learn about wine is to taste it. Taste wine often. Taste a lot of wines. Trust the Happy Wine Guy (HWG) on this, it works.

Now I know not all of you can devote as much time to tasting as HWG can and does so he happily shares his stories with you… but still get out and taste some wine. Or stay in and invite friends over and have each one bring a bottle. (Yes, 1 bottle per person, not per couple, we need quantity here people!) Keep your eyes and ears open for wine tastings in your area and attend, they are a blast! HWG uses this website to keep up on where wine is being poured - http://www.kcrestaurantguide.com/calendar_news.htm, I bet there is a similar site in your city.

Last night HWG attended the Cool Whites Wine Tasting held at a local liquor store/wine bar. Seventy-seven wines were open and true to the instructions above HWG was out to taste as many as possible.

1. 2004 Calera Viognier, $29, supposedly made in the “French” style, this wine is dry with a long, tart finish. Just ok.
2. N.V. Piper Heidsick Brut, $35, bright and fresh Champagne with sweet and tart flavors nicely balance among the bubbles. This was a HWG purchase!
3. 2005 Cloudy Bay Chardonnay, $27, lots of green apple, this New Zealand wine is true to its roots. Nice long finish too.
4. 2005 Torino Torrontes, $17, big bouquet of peach and stone, nicely tart taste the gets tarter as it finishes. A real surprise! This was a HWG purchase!
5. 1996 Duval-Leroy Vintage Brut, $47, wow, this champagne has a huge bouquet, yeast-y and scents of candied nuts. Tastes old, kind of like a port in a way. But HWG didn’t dig it.
6. 2006 Ballantine Chenin Blanc, $14, smooth and crisp with just a hint of sweetness. Napa Valley juice! This was a HWG purchase!
7. 2004 Grich Chardonnay, $43, Wow! A show-stopper! Lots of acidity and fruit in great balance with a tart snap at the end and some oak way, way, way in the back. Only the price kept this from being a purchase.
8. 2004 Rubicon Estates Blancaneaux, $40, from Niebaum-Coppola, this is a blend of Roussane, Marsanne and Viognier, very nice, appealing dry finish but lacking in the French minerality. Nice but not at that price.
9. 2003 Tablas Creek Esprit Roussanne, $25, musty, earthy nose, you could tell that this wine had some age on it. Pretty nice.
10. Wolf Blass Gold Labe Riesling, $18, I missed what vintage this was, nice & tart but essence of smoke? Weird. Take a pass on this one.
11. 2001 Trimbach Gewurztraminer Ribeaupierre, $37, not fair to slip a sweeter wine in on HWG after the previous ten wines sampled. I could not evaluate this one at all, seemed like a dessert wine.

By this time HWG was forgetting to write down the vintages on what he was sampling. From here on out you may get the year, you may not. Just remember that we were tasting the current vintages of all these wines and they were all for sale that night.

12. St. Cosme Condrieu, $58, very different nose, hard to pinpoint. Kind of a sour/musty taste with a very nutty finish, Off-putting. HWG did not like this wine.
13. BV Carneros Chardonnay, $18, standard Napa Chard. Oak-y. Blah.
14. Far Niente Chardonnay, $54, I could smell Napa, very smooth, lots of oak, green apple and more oak. Ugh.
15. Franciscan Cuvee Sauvage, $35, compared to the two just tasted, much better. Better balance and LESS OAK!
16. 2003 Ladooucette Pouilly Fume, $35, nice nose, a 7-up lemon/lime thing going on, tight and tart but good.
17. 2004 Girardin Chassagne Montrachet closed la truffiere, $48, Killer! Bea-u-ti-ful nose, so smooth tasting, tart with green apple flavors balanced with subtle oak, knee-buckling good!
18. 2004 Girardin Meurasult les charmes dessus, $56, seems older and dryer than the wine above, nice wine.
19. 2003 Beaucastel CDP Blanc, $76, real ripe and extracted on the nose…like port or somethintg. A bit of sweetness and a long nutty finish.
20. 2004 Luna Pinot Grigio, $15, you don’t usually see a touch of oak on a P. Grigio but it gives this wine a little more body. A real crowd pleaser.
21. 2005 King Estate Domaine Pinot Gris, $24, simple but nice, a decent wine.
22. Ceretto Langhe Arneis Blange, $17, HWG had never run into the Arneis grape from Piedmont but he like-y! Crisp and clean, really delicious and refreshing. Zingy! A HWG purchase!
23.  Chateau St. Michele Eroica Reisling, $22, on the sweet side, decent wine.
24.  Chateau St. Michele Horse Heaven Sauvignon Blanc, $13, scent of grapefruit as you might expect, a nice sweet/sour balance.
25. 2005 Don Olegario Albarino, $20, lemon/lime, nothing special or unexpected.
26.  Bastianich Vespa Bianco, $26, strange wine, anise and caraway seed on the nose…in a white wine? Part Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and a little Picolit (whatever that is). This is a wine that will start conversation.
27. Lassarat Pouilly Fuisse, $24, an easy-drinking Chardonnay.
28. 2005 Nickel & Nickel Truchard Chardonnay, $43, great fruit and creaminess.
29. 2005 Nickel & Nickel Medina Chardonnay, $43, better than the Truchard.
30.  St. Cosme Cote du Rhone Blanc, $18, very nice, finishes with a little sweetness and nuttiness.

Big tastings like this one always supply you with a list of the wines being poured and a lot of tables will have additional flyers on their wines so you can get the inside scoop in case you miss the spiel from the person doling out the one ounce samples. You don’t have to take notes, just have fun and try some wines…it’s the best way to learn.

2004 Vinas Viejas from Tierra de Castilla, June 20, 2007

Once upon a time the best “deals” in high quality, affordable wines was the Shiraz coming out of Australia. For the most part, that day has passed. Happy Wine Guy has explored the offerings from South Africa, Chile and Argentina and if you look closely, and sip diligently you will find some real gems. But the easiest thing to do is to look to Spain. Let me correct myself, the EASIEST thing to do is to find a Spanish wine imported by Eric Solomon Selections. HWG has been pleased and even thrilled (by the Gramona from the Penedes region) with every wine from him and the Equis is no exception.

Real dark color but not inky dark. Plenty of fruit flavor but also with a nice dry finish that sets it apart from wines in its price range. Did I mention that this fine juice costs just $10! Okay, here’s the inside poop, it is made from 40% Bobal (no idea what this grape is) 20% Merlot, and 10% each Syrah, Granacha, Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo. This wine has the chops to make you notice it. I like it as a “middle-of-the-weeker” but it sure is tasty enough to serve to guests with dinner.

I have written before about the benefits of participating in wine tastings and I still think that it’s a very fun and potentially informative way to explore the vast vessel that is the wine universe. Now…why aren’t you attending tastings? Maybe you think that you are not skilled enough or worthy enough to mingle with others more experienced than you? Happy Wine Guy (HWG) is here to tell you that you know more than you think.

Case in point…last Sunday’s tasting at the home of a local liquor store manager. Gathered around were 5 store employees, plus 4 supposedly educated servers from a fine dining establishment and the HWG. Sure, you could be intimidated by the collective wine experience assembled but this was a “blind” tasting and that is your great equalizer! “Blind” tastings are those where the bottles are wrapped in brown paper bags to disguise what’s inside. In our case it was actually a “double-blind” tasting because we were not given a list of the wines which is totally acceptable way to conduct a “blind” tasting.

If it sounds difficult…it is, but again, although you may not believe it, this can play into your favor! Kind of like trying to do the N.Y. Times crossword puzzle verses one in the back of an airline magazine. Hardly anyone can get it right, so if you can get close with your guesses (and I bet you can, some of the time) you will be right there with the other tasters, whether they are professionals or not.

Here’s how our night went…we were to bring a single varietal red wine (like a 100% Zinfandel for example) to eliminate some of the difficulty. If everyone was bringing a complicated blend it wouldn’t serve any purpose and our host is trying to study for his sommelier exam and since it is his house, it’s his rules. The bottles were all covered up and in random order. (Note: HWG rarely travels with just one bottle so suffice it to say that some of us arrive early and consumed some bubbly, a Gewurztraminer and a Pinot Noir…just to set a baseline of course.)

The impressive sized crowd of 12 sippers (2 spouses were included) each brought a bottle and the host arranged for two white wines so that we weren’t overwhelmed with reds. Now this is not a silent competition between the attendees, rather more of a keep quiet for a moment so you can formulate an idea, talk it out with those around you and try and make an independent decision if you can. HWG’s notes, results and remarks follow.

1^st white wine – dry, nutty. Figure it is kind of a trick or a snobby attempt by a know-it-all to bring a French wine. HWG guess = White Burgundy. (Note: Dick the confirmed and convicted Francophile sat to my right and influenced many picks. He was adamant this was Chardonnay and he is a rat bastard) Correct call = 2002 Chenin Blanc. Not very close but give yourself ½ point if you picked Old World.

2^nd white wine – very dry, long finish. HWG guess = Viognier but I was confused. Correct call = 2004 Marsanne by Qupe. Since it is made with 25% Roussanne HWG does not see how this is a single varietal. Very tricky, so no points lost here.

Okay, let’s get going with some red wines…HWG was revved up and ready to hold his own or mock the know-it-alls until they fell off their game. (for no reason at all the reds were labeled with letters, you can do it any way you want…HWG is going to use the Greek alphabet next time just to mess with people.)

1. Dark color, deep garnet, lots and lots of smoke on nose, spicy with some age. Good body. Kind of a stumper right out of the gate, maybe throwing me because it is Old World? HWG guess = Syrah, and for giggles, let’s say 2000. Correct call = 1996 Montiano by Falesco which is a 100% Merlot from Italy. At this time HWG is having too much fun to get really peeved over getting a screwball from the lead-off wine. Let’s just try and learn something and move on. And, it was a pretty damn fine wine!
2. Even darker color, some discreet sweetness, luscious fruit but pretty dry. The impression is of a well-made wine. The color and tannins lead me to HWG guess = Cabernet Sauvignon, maybe from Chile, like a 2001 Don Melchor. Correct call = Sangiovese from Montesodi, Chianti Rufina. Crap! Oh for two and wondering if everyone brought Old World wines that are going to baffle HWG all night.
3. Interesting nose, like pretty shoe polish, light body. Gotta be French. Would someone bring Bordeaux? Yep, Dick would. I’ve seen this aspect before, you are trying to decide what is in your glass and you look around the table trying to guess what each person brought and then deduce the rest. It helps if you drink often with these people and know what is in their collections. HWG guess = Bordeaux. Correct call = 1990 Chateau Simard, St. Emillion which is definitely Bordeaux. But still a bit tricksy because it is 70/30 Cab/Merlot. Did I mention that Dick is a rat bastard? (Note: K-Hod wrote on his sheet – Bordeaux, right bank, St. Emillion. He nailed it) But HWG also gets a point and things are turning around.
4. Regular red color, black cherry koolade, ripe. A little hot, ripe fruit. HWG brought a Zinfandel and he is leaning that this might be his wine. HWG guess = Zin. Correct call = 1996 Old Vine Granache from Clarendon Hills. Now ½ the table said that it shouldn’t count if you get your own wine right but that is nonsense! With 9 reds to distinguish from the odds are not that great you are going to pick your own out and anyway…HWG is into higher scores, not lower. You gotta give yourself some credit any way you can because this is not easy. But it is fun. Man, that Granache rocks!
5. Nice regular color. This has got to be the Zin I brought. Dick calls out to all “Mr. Plum!” Apparently he thinks plum is the distinguisher for Zin. HWG guess = Zin. Correct call = 2000 Zinfandel Reserve from Storybook. Yeah, HWG got his own wine right! That’s 2 ½ points and counting.
6. Very dark color. Plenty of body, a bit dry but with sweet notes. New World. HWG guess = Syrah from California, 2003. Correct call = Monastrell from Juan Gil which is a Spanish producer. Muy malo! I’ve had this wine before, maybe a month ago and when I re-read my notes that is exactly what I like about this wine. Did I mention that this can be tough? Close but no toasted barrel!
7. Slightly brownish tinge, a little alcohol on the nose. Notes of chocolate. Probably Spanish but I am totally guessing and the table is decidedly undecided. HWG guess = Carignan just to be different but maybe a Mouvedre which is a lot more common. Correct call = 2000 Mouvedre from Domaine Gros Nore in Bandol which is in Provence, France. Ah, for the love of Bacchus! I had it but out-smarted myself. I’m taking a ½ point for being close. I later come to find it is 80% Mouvedre and 10% Carignan and 10% Cinsault. I am now taking 1½ points for calling both grapes and it is quite certain HWG is dominating the table…or at least besting Dick…who is a rat bastard. After closely examining the label Dick declares “it’s like they have their own language”. HWG thinks maybe Dick is getting sloshed.
8. Dark, dark color. Not sure why I wrote that twice but this is approximately my 13^th wine of the night. Good thing I didn’t start early. Ruby color. Thinner body but still dry. Dick describes is as “essence of cat’s carcass” and not to be outdone I clarify it further as “essence of a lactating tabby cat’s carcass”. Hmm…maybe these tasting are competitive? HWG guess = Petit Syrah. No real idea why I guessed that but if you feel clueless sometimes it is good to take a flyer on a less common grape. I have seen it work before. Correct call = 2005 Mencia from Petalos. Okay now, WTF? Mencia? That is a grape? Yep. I don’t know who the smarty-pants was that brought that freakin’ obscure offering but I hope they find a cat’s carcass in their bed.
9. Hurrah! The last wine and then we get to go back and re-try some wines to see if we can zero in on some guesses that need improving. Lighter in color, nice sweet nose with some heat, semi-sweet, some oak at the end. Pretty but young. HWG guess = Pinot Noir maybe from Oregon or Washington, let’s say 2005. Correct guess = Pinot Noir from somewhere in New York. I am taking a full point for that one. I am a bit suspicious of the tricky New York region but quickly let it go since I nailed the varietal. Actually I think most people got this one too.

The wines were in random order but due to the luck of the draw we started out with a couple of harder than usual wines, for HWG at least. I called for a vote for the wine of the night and the congenial crowd all admitted that there were too many good wines to pick just one. So we voted for the top 2 or 3. Our #1 was the first wine, the Italian Merlot, not sure if there is a correlation or not but I voted for it because it was very interesting. Our #2 wine was a tie between the Zin I brought (glad that many liked my contribution) and the impossible to identify Mencia.

I have no idea how I scored against the others other than the general looks on their faces when we revealed the wines. It seemed that very few people scored much if at all but we all had a blast. Plus I beat a rat bastard who will go unnamed here.

So quit holding back…get your butt and taste buds to a tasting. HWG knows you can figure out if it is red or white, lighter or heavier, sweeter or drier, and then take a guess. You know more than you think!

One night at my favorite wine bar I stumbled across a wine I hadn’t noticed before. I recognized the winemaker, Susanna Balbo, creator of the Crios family of wines. They are all very decent wine and above average values…specifically a Torrentes (a white wine) and an equally nice Rose de Malbec as well as your standard Malbec.  However, this wine is from her premier or “signature” line of wines. From my usual perch on a fairly sober Monday HWG decided that this wine might be her best effort.  

Plum and cassis on the nose with barely perceptible heat (13.5%) resulting in a smooth wine that still delivers big, big structured fruit and tannins. Some blackberry and something reminiscent of cola adds to the intrigue of this wine. Bottom line is this is a real kick-ass wine. Apparently Brioso means "tenacity or strength of spirit" but since my Spanish/Argentinean dialect is not what it should be I will just tell you that it means “lush Bordeaux blend from the dark side”. If you like Napa Cabs or blends you will appreciate this Argentinean wine. The back label says it is 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Malbec, 10% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc. With that mix you might think this would be an inky, brooding sledgehammer but it’s not. Think Sela Ward with an attitude. You will notice more than a hint of tannins and dryness but nothing super-evident, meaning this sips nicely and would pair pretty easily with whatever entrée you are having.  $67 on the restaurant list (HWG gets a discount of course)...I am not sure if this is sold at retail or not…it may be a low production wine, but if you find it, you probably will enjoy making its acquaintance.  

If you have any questions or need any help in finding these wines, just write to hwg@happywineguy.com (or click on the handy Ask HWG button) and he will provide a prompt answer.

HWG is onto his next wine exploration. You might guess at that he has found a new favorite region like Priorat, Spain (really good juice!) or a maybe he is enamored with a somewhat obscure varietal (Malbec is awesome)...but no, HWG is discovering the many wonders of half bottles.
“Great things comes in small packages” is usually the line you hear when you are about to open a really crappy gift…but when it comes to wine in half bottles it could be very appropriate. A half bottle (sometimes also called a split, especially in reference to Champagne or a “375” as in milliliters) offers you many intriguing reasons next time you order at a restaurant or stop by your local jar store of choice. 
For instance, some people don’t or can’t finish a whole bottle. Now, HWG doesn’t actually know any of these law abiding, reasonable folk but you may know some. What do you do with the leftover wine in that bottle? The concept of pouring it down the drain may cause emotional trauma. Having it languish in your fridge for days because you might get around to cooking with it is a joke. HWG hates the idea of “wasting” wine. A half bottle is the way to go! And what about when dining out? Could you actually leave a restaurant with wine still on the table, wine you paid good money for? In the words of Vizzini…INCONCEIVABLE! (HWG note: "Never go up against a Sicilian when death is on the line.") Next time check out the half bottles on the wine list.
Another good reason for half bottles on wine lists is when you’re out to dinner with one of those “I don’t like wine that is dry or red” types and you had your heart set on the Chateau Montelina Cabernet. Your choices are: duke it out, give in, or order from the by-the-glass menu. HWG does not recommend any of these solutions. With half bottles you can sip your red while watching your companion chomp her peppercorn steak and Reisling…by the end of the night you each have knocked back the equivalent of two generous glasses and without an altercation.  Even if your tastes are compatible, you might want to start the night off with bubbles and then segue into red. A half bottle of each cuts down on waste, expense and hangovers. Restaurants are reporting an increase in sales of half bottles of Veuve Cliquot, the trendy Champagne many couples order to toast the start of their evening. And if you know you are having different courses why not have a white with your oysters and a red with your lamb? It is more interesting having different wines than limiting yourself to just one.
If you are dining alone or only have time for a glass or two a half bottle is an excellent alternative to the dreaded Blackstone Merlot by the glass.
HWG and the Cork Soakers had a tasting the other night. (story to follow in the next posting) K-Hod brought a half bottle of 1990 Ridge Monte Bello to share. Not only is this wine rare it is super expensive. Sometimes you can’t find, afford or take the risk of a full bottle. Or in this case you wouldn’t want to share a full bottle of a prize like this so you go with the half. ;-)  HWG just purchased some 1997 Chateau Musar from Lebanon in half bottles, kind of rare, kind of pricey ($21.99) but worth having around.
One reason half bottles aren't more common in the U.S. is that not every winery produces them. But a growing number of quality producers are finding a market for them. A list of California heavyweights with half bottles includes Cakebread, Chalk Hill, Duckhorn, Opus One, Quintessa and Rombauer. Merryvale is bottling its entire Starmont line, but the winery's flagship wine, Profile, is also available in the smaller bottle. HWG has seen this exceptional red blend command nearly $100 for a 750-ml. bottle in stores and $160 in restaurants. If your bankroll is small but your tastes high, the half bottle could be the way to go.
Half-bottles, like large-format bottles, cost proportionally more than their 750-milliliter counterparts, owing to the increased cost of the bottles and the changes required in the bottling and labeling machines. So two half-bottles will often cost you slightly more than one whole, just as a magnum always costs more than two 750-milliliter bottles. Some serious collectors prefer to drink only large-format bottles of the best wines but half-bottles are for wine drinkers.
But this doesn't make half-bottles a bad deal. Half-bottles tend to get short shrift in retail stores (and they are buried at the back of many wine lists, too), so there are bargains to be found. Wines that have appreciated sharply in value may still hang around in half-bottles at the store, or linger on a restaurant's list, because of neglect by customers. Recently HWG was offered a deal on a case of 2000 Frazier Cabernet Sauvignon at $15 a piece. The full bottles sell for about $50 but the winery “found” these while doing inventory and wanted to move them out. HWG discovered that the 2000 vintage is drinking very nicely from these half bottles and I quickly ordered all of their remaining bottles. The reason this big Cali Cab was drinking so well is half bottles “age” wine faster than larger formats. Bigger bottles such as magnums and jeroboams have more liquid, and hence the wine in these large format bottles is affected more slowly by air due to the liquid to air ratio. Smaller bottles have less liquid, and therefore will age faster, making them more approachable for reviewers and drinkers alike. (Of course, this also means you can't hold them as long.)
The last reason to have a half bottle is that is the best way to keep any leftover wine. Take the remaining wine and transfer it to the half bottle, cork and refrigerate. This will reduce the aforementioned air to liquid ratio and help maintain the integrity of the wine for a few more days.  Again, this is for those of you I don’t know and actually have leftover wine. But if you sometimes open several bottles it is possible you may be able to apply this technique.

If you have any questions or need any help finding the wines in this article please send them to hwg@happywineguy.com (or click on the handy link above labeled Ask HWG.

1990 Lingenfelder Grosskarlbacher Burgweg Scheurebe Trockenbeerenauslese

It is a sad but true fact of life that HWG does not drink enough Dessert wine. The plight is similar to Champagne or Sparkling wine in that we often hold back for “a special occasion” or whatever we think the future is saving up for us. Trust the HWG, don’t let your days pass without drinking Champagne or Dessert wines EVERY chance you get.

HWG had the pleasure of an impromptu Cork Dork dinner at MelBee’s Restaurant and Ryan F. brought a fabulous Dessert wine that was outstanding. CDT (Cork Dork Todd) was in rapt attendance and put our collective thoughts into the paragraph below.

“This stuff was amazing. Golden apple, orange peel, sort of a mulled cidar quality, baking spices, toasted pine nuts and a hint of a blue cheese-like funk. Perfectly balanced with bright acidity. I would have never pegged this to be a 17 year old wine. The finish lasts for minutes and we were sniffing the glass long after the wine was gone. Probably the best dessert wine I have ever tasted.”

What if they let you run wild inside your favorite wine store and open anything you wanted? That’s exactly what happened at the Big Red Tasting Event at my local haunt.
101 premium reds, all open for tasting, with appetizers all for $40. ($20 refundable with a purchase over $100!) So many wines, so little time! (6:00-8:30) But in the interest of serving his readers the HWG gave it his best and managed to sample 41 wines before time ran out. Here are some of the wines I tasted:
2001 Dominus Estate, Christian Moueix – Fabulous bouquet, smooth and great. You definitely get the French influence. $107
2002 Grgich Hills CS – ripe and plumy, really good. $59
2003 Merryvale Reserve CS – rich. $38
2002 Spring Mountain Elivette – great! $78
2001 Ruffino Reserva Ducale Oro – Wow! Best Chianti in a long time. $32
The tasting notes did not list the vintage for any on the wines. HWG purchased those listed above and that is why you can see the vintages.
Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape – outstanding! $72
Cain Concept – nicely dry, long finish. $43
Caymus Special Select – rough and young. Strong and ripe. $121
Col Solare – very good, nearly a purchase. $59
B.V. Tapestry – very good, fruity in a French way. $47
B.V. De Latouor – smooth, like velvet. $86
Alexander Valley’s Cyrus – sweeter than most, polished. $45
Duckhorn Estate Merlot – beautiful. $76
Duckhorn Three Palms Merlot – even better. $70
Duckhorn CS – easy drinker. $81
Frogs Leap CS – too young. $35
Luna Canto – Sangiovese blend, wonderful. $31
Merryvale Profile – 2003 if I remember. Smooth. $92
Newton Puzzle CS – lots of bing cherries. $45
Opus One – 2003 if I remember. Smooth. $140
R. Mondavi Napa Reserve CS – too young and tight. $68
Silver Oak Napa CS – steely and smooth. $90
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Artemis CS – nice, will age. $43
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Fay CS – a bit sweet. $70
Staglin – melts in your mouth. Awesome. $122
Terrazas Cheval Andes – 60/40 Cab/Malbec. Very good. $59

If you have any questions or need any help in finding these wines, just write to hwg@happywineguy.com and he will provide a prompt answer.

If you like exploring new wines, (and who doesn’t) a wine and food pairing dinner is a great way to do it. Most of these dinners HWG attends are mid-week and they really break up the week and give you something to look forward to other than the weekend. The benefits are many – new wines to try, interesting food/wine pairings, country club quality food, potentially interesting table mates and usually a wine expert or two on hand. Oftentimes the actual wine maker or representative from the winery is present or sometimes the local distributor. These people are great resources for learning about wines and are generally good people to know. The hosts for this Italian Dinner were the owner/operators of a local liquor store chain and they had lots of great wine stories.

As is common, they had a reception 30 minutes prior to the dinner and everyone is usually presented with a glass of something light and on the sweet side to get the party started. Since we were in an Italian theme we began with a flute of what appeared to be Prosecco, the Italian equivalent to Champagne. Prosecco is the name of the actual grape varietal used in making this wine but this particular selection was called Casine 7 Asti, indicating that is was from the Asti region of Italy so it is possible HWG was drinking an Asti Spumante, which is commonly made from Muscat grapes. Now HWG thoroughly enjoys the tradition of beginning an evening with bubbles but this effort fell short. This wine seemed flat and nearly tasteless. Undaunted, we took our seats with great anticipation of the 5 courses of food and wine ahead of us.

Our first course was a beautiful dish of Monkfish Sous Vide with Orzo Soubise paired with a Villa Santoni Pinot Grigio, 2005. Monkfish is a light, white fish and the Chef had poached it which proved to be a very int