cherry

The 2015 vintage of Grand Passione is a delightful alternative to the much revered Amarone. As stated about previous vintages, this wine impresses with its elegantly embossed bottle and simple yet classic hand written look on the label. The name seems to fit the region itself which is steeped in history and romance. Thus is an impressive present for a loved one.

A delicious blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Corvina, this Rosso is produced in the Veneto region in the same appassimento-style as many Amarones. The Corvina grapes are sun dried before processing creating a raisin-like quality to the wine.  It is full bodied with a deep, nearly black color and rich and bold. There is a strong flavor of dark cherry, black currant, prune, raisin, and allspice with soft tannins and a long, smooth finish. This is a terrific bottle for under $15.00.  It works very well with stews and roasts, but give it a try with hard cheeses, crostini and liver pate.

This holiday season I have opted to repeat my blog from last year because the films obviously remain classics and the pairings still apply.

It is the busy season at Premier, so I am just doing one large blog for the Holidays. I have listed 10 of my favorite Christmas movies with one bonus film many of you probably have never seen or heard of, but should take a look at. For each movie I have suggested a wine or spirit to go along with your viewing pleasure.

1. A Christmas Carol (1951): My favorite all-time Christmas movie with the incomparable Alistair Sim. It’s full of dark, brooding, Victorian London along with cheery snowy street scenes and lovely carols. A figgy and nutty Tawny Port like Niepoort Ten Year is just the thing to sip along with a slice of Christmas cake or pudding as you view this ideal Christmas movie.

2. A Christmas Carol (1984): My second favorite version of Dickens’ classic with wonderful set

Here is my list of some favorite wines for Thanksgiving. Most of these are old favorites, and all are interesting and worth your time. With a couple of exceptions, these wines will fall under $15.00 a bottle.

1. Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2016 / 750 ml.: A good vintage with a deep, dark, plum color and juicy, ripe flavors with a smooth finish. This light refreshing red should be served slightly chilled and works nicely the day after Thanksgiving when you build that monster of a turkey sandwich.

2. The Borell-Diehl 2014 Gewurztraminer Kabinett Pfalz: This wine should be of particular interest to you if you like some sweet with your spice. This wine is very aromatic, with rose, grapefruit, lychee, coriander. With ginger, citrus and golden apple notes on the mouth, this wine will be a winner for complex Thanksgiving flavors.

3. Domaine L’Enclos Moelleux 2015: This is a lovely, bargain-priced French white

This Sunday is the last day for our Double Up for a Buck.  So now is the time to stock up for your Halloween party.  New to our sale are two very well made French wines: Les Argelieres Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  Both of these wines will run you $8.00 per bottle with our sale which is a great deal for good French wine.

The Chardonnay is well balanced with notes of apple, pear, a hint of pineapple and creamy vanilla pudding.  There is just enough oak to give it heft for enjoying with cream laden dishes such as corn and potato chowder.  The Pinot Noir is a bit heavier and darker than many of the traditional French Burgundies, but make no mistake, this is not a jammy fruit bomb either. This Pinot has very good balance with plenty of lively raspberry, cherry fruit with slight birch beer and wet earth notes.  Try this with sweet and spicy Sloppy Joes for a solid Halloween pairing.

Get here soon to take advantage of this sale because it ends on Sunday.

It’s October and fall is in full swing with changing leaves, less daylight and somewhat cooler temperatures.  This is a good time to enjoy some of the wines you’ve been meaning to try but felt the warm temperatures made them seem less enticing.

Such a wine would be the Stoller 2014 Pinot Noir from the Dundee Hills region located in the Willamette Valley AVA in Oregon. Made from estate grown grapes, this Pinot Noir is sophisticated yet approachable. On the nose there are wonderful notes of dark cherry, raspberry, clove, cinnamon and licorice. On the palate there are lingering flavors of cherry, vanilla, more spice and pepper. At around twenty-five dollars, this wine over delivers and will stand out as a Sunday dinner favorite.  Pair with grilled salmon, roasted chicken, mushroom tart appetizers and assorted hard cheeses.

In keeping with the fall season and the state of Oregon, there are a few movies that were entirely or partially filmed in the picturesque state tha

This weekend with temperatures climbing towards ninety, we will taste a variety of refreshing whites and roses that will satisfy several customers.  But for those who still want a hearty red to pair with their steak, beef kabobs or burgers on the grill, we will be sampling a new Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington State.

From a region famous for well made wines going back several decades, Keuka Springs Vineyards has been making great wines for thirty years. Under the direction of the Wiltberger family, Keuka Springs is producing outstanding from a wide variety of grapes. 

Arrowhead Spring is another excellent winery that opted to journey down “the road not taken” that so many New York wineries have feared to venture.  Arrowhead has successfully created wines that for many years were not associated with New York, like Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, and even Syrah.  As with other wineries that have dared to follow this route, Arrowhead Spring has low yields which help to increase the flavor intensity of their wines.

In a couple of days the weather is going to turn wet and cold. Sad to say after a day like Thursday which reached the high seventies, we must endure another meteorologically challenged weekend. Unfortunately for us wine lovers, the words cool and refreshing may not be what you are considering when drinking wine this weekend.  You might want to forgo the crisp whites or thirst quenching Roses for something a bit more bold and substantial.  How about an old vine Zinfandel that could warm you up a bit?

The 2013 Perseverance Old Vine Zinfandel is a slightly lighter bodied Zinfandel that still retains the deep, rich purple color of the classic California wine.  Dark plum and cherry fruit and spice with a mocha finish help deliver a perfect wine for this weekend.  So whether you are cooking sausages, burgers, or hot dogs on the grill (and possibly dodging raindrops) or enjoying burritos inside while binge watching your favorite show, this wine is going to satisfy. 

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