bordeaux wine

You wouldn’t know it by the temperature of late, but fall is approaching and summer will be just a memory.  It’s been great for Rose sales where several red wine diehards have found a chilled and refreshing alternative to their favorite room temperature “go to” for most of the year.

So do we say farewell to the roses until next May and focus strictly on the reds? If many of us drink white wine all year as well as red, then why not rose?  In fact, think about food pairings where rose could be the perfect choice.  Thanksgiving could be a whole new experience for some folks.  Rose and turkey is a winner combination.

There are several roses we have to choose from that come from various parts of the world. Often they are blends but I would like to mention two particular favorites that are single varietal wines. Chateau De La Deidiere is a rose from Provence and is made from 100% Grenache grapes. This wine comes in a lovely curvaceous

Some may think it is stereotypical to pick a Rose for a blog entry for Mother’s Day.  I beg to differ. The Roses that I’m writing about may be a variation of a shade of pink, but that does not mean these wines are syrupy and one dimensional. Guys, if you are listening. Not all women like Pink Moscato or White Zinfandel anymore than all men like Budweiser or Jack Daniels. These Roses are dry (often like Moms’sense of humor) but refreshing and full of flavor.

Our May Double Up for a Buck event just began and we have two new Roses on the sale

The lure of French value wines continues with a red Bordeaux because …well, how can it not?  How can a bargain hunting wine drinker turn down a Fall deal like this, especially a French wine with Vermont in the title?

For my third and final installment discussing Holiday wines and films, I have left my favorite Christmas film until last. It is the 1951 version of A Christmas Carol with the remarkable Alistair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge. I have watched nearly every version of this story ( the Mr. Magoo cartoon version that you Baby Boomers may remember) but nothing touches Alistair Sims version. He is the most convincing as a mean old miser, a vulnerable and fragile old man fearing for his life, and as the giddy, jubilant survivor on Christmas morning.

Last weekend I recommended the Rubus Cabernet Sauvignon to pair with filet mignon, hot dogs or hamburgers for your July 4^th picnic. For those of you who want something cooler, yet still dry and easy to pair with many summer foods; I recommend the Chateau Lamothe 2013 Bordeaux Rose.

At first look, this wine had me shaking my head in dismay. I found myself groaning over the fact that I’d be tasting another uninspiring, thin, ho-hum cheap Bordeaux. There is no shortage of such creatures; in fact I’ve had difficulty finding good Bordeaux for under $15.00 with the exception of those I had in France.

Your spouse called and said your in-laws are coming for a casual dinner and you need to bring home a bottle or two of wine. It seems simple enough, except the mother-in-law likes sophisticated wines that are usually French and the old man tends to like easy drinking reds on the dry side. So what do you do now?

A few weeks back, I tried a delicious Medoc that impressed me a great deal. The wine was beautifully balanced at a terrific price. It is rare that a Bordeaux of that quality comes in under twenty dollars.

This week I was pleasantly surprised once again by another terrific Bordeaux for $14.99. This one is a Graves that is a fifty-fifty blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a delicate nose but don’t let that fool you. This red has wonderful fruit. It has very concentrated black currant, blackberry and plum flavors. Underneath, there is a bit of licorice and a touch of vanilla and spice. The finish is smooth with soft tannins.

Often the word velvety is over used to describe the mouth feel of fine wines, but in this case, I believe the descriptor is quite accurate. Give this wine sufficient time to breathe in order to get the full effect of the fruit.
This wine will pair very easily with many assorted meat dishes including beef, pork, or turkey and chicken.