Bland Bubbly

$11-$20, 2 Corks, Prices, Ratings No Responses »
Apr 052010

Wednesday was a particularly quiet day, as many people decided to get an early start to the long weekend.  My inbox was slow, my phone was quiet, and I even had a chance to meet some former coworkers for lunch.  I left work at a normal hour, feeling like I’d accomplished a decent amount during the day, all without the being rushed.  The best part of the day was that I was home early enough to pop open some kosher bubbly and make matzah lasagna for dinner.

Bellenda Prosecco

The Bellenda Prosecco (winery, snooth) was a dark lemon color with good, big bubbles.  On the nose, there were pears, apricots, peaches, and grilled pineapples that smelled as if they were soaking in apple juice.  In the mouth, there were apples and pears on the attack, but the flavor fell off almost immediately, leaving a chalk dust and basil aftertaste behind.  The sparkler had medium acidity and a medium body.

Is this worth a glass after work? Eh…if you have a bottle on hand, drink it, but I wouldn’t go searching it out either. At $20, this Prosecco tasted more like sparkling apple cider than it did like sparkling wine.  While it’s hard to find a decent kosher sparkling wine, the kosher wine industry has made such drastic improvements in the quality of wine that is produced, it seems a shame to settle for a sparkler that just doesn’t live up the expectations.

Overall: 2 corks

Posted by Alleigh at 9:00 pm Tagged with: , , , ,

Bubbly & BBQ Bash...The Results

$10 and lower, $11-$20, $31-$40, 4 Corks, 4.5 Corks, 5 Corks, Prices, Ratings No Responses »
Dec 232009

Last Wednesday was my condo associations’ big holiday party—the Bubbly & BBQ Bash. For the last couple of weeks, I’ve written up several wines (here, here, and here) that I decided against having at the party for a variety of reasons. It should be no surprise that several readers have contacted me to ask if I planned on sharing what sparkling wines I finally decided to offer, and of course I plan to share! I wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity to share sparkling wines, particularly since they are my admitted weakness.

As the association’s social committee chairperson, it was my job to plan all aspects of the party, not just the wine. Last year, we had Red, Hot, & Blue BBQ, which was a huge success. Up until that time, it was our largest community party and there were hardly any leftovers. I decided that there was no reason to mess with a good thing, so Red, Hot, & Blue was on the menu again this year. The challenge came with finding the sparkling wine because, to be honest, bubbly isn’t exactly what comes to mine when you think about eating BBQ. However, it’s a surprisingly good pairing and all the residents were thrilled. We had more people at this year’s holiday party than ever before!

As I researched sparklers for the evening, I was looking for two types of wines—ones that would act as good palette cleansers and ones that would pair well with the food itself. I also wanted wines that were a variety of price ranges and were fairly easy to find. I wrote up festive tasting notes, with a picture of each bottle’s label in order to make it easier for anyone who wished to purchase the wines at any of our local wine stores. In the end, we offered 6 sparkling wines—2 Champagnes, 2 Cavas, 1 Prosecco, and 1 California sparkling wine. I rated all of the wines with 4 corks or above, and they are all bottles that I drink in my own house.

The 2 Champagnes were fairly traditional—Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut NV (5 corks) and Montaudon Extra-Dry (4.5 corks). The Veuve Clicquot was one of the favorites of the night, although the Montaudon was not far behind. The fresh, brightness of both helped awaken taste buds between the pulled pork and pulled chicken.

The 2 Cavas were Segura Viudas Brut Reserve (4 corks) and Mont-Ferrant Brut Rosé (4 corks). The Segura Viudas, which I’ve reviewed before, served as a palette cleanser and the Mont-Ferrant was a nice accompaniment with the BBQ. As a heavier sparkling wine, the Mont-Ferrant has enough body and complexity that it didn’t get lost in the strong flavors of the BBQ, but rather added a nice, almost fruity compliment. It was definitely the sparkling wine that caused the most discussion, as people either absolutely loved it or hated it. The people who loved it seemed to come back for more at the expense of drinking the other wines and the people who hated it dumped it out after a few sips.

The Prosecco—Canella Prosecco di Conegliano (4.5 corks)—is another wine that I’ve reviewed in the past. This sparkler has a beautiful fruitiness that, when combined with its crisp acidity, worked well as an apéritif.

Finally, the California sparkling wine—Korbel Brut Rosé—was a nice, light rosé that both complimented the BBQ or was enjoyable once finished eating.

It’s a slight departure from my usual presentation, but in the spirit of the holidays, here are images of the tasting notes we used.







Posted by Alleigh at 9:29 pm Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A Little Birdie

$11-$20, 4.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings 1 Response »
Dec 222009

Last Monday was the beginning of a slower period at work, which, I admit, was a huge relief. I’m not entirely sure how I started a new job and immediately felt like I had fallen behind in my work, but that’s exactly what happened. Thankfully, with things slowing down a little, I finally had the time to start playing catch-up. By the time I left work on Monday night, I was feeling like I’d accomplished a lot and that I was ready to go home and put the finishing touches on my take-home final before lighting the Chanukkah candles, tasting the last bubbly to try before my condo association’s holiday Bubbly & BBQ Bash, and enjoying a nice dinner with Hubby.

The La Tordera Valdobbiadene Prosecco (winery, snooth) was almost clear, it was such a light, straw yellow. The bubbles in the glass were big, bountiful, and beautiful. On the nose, there were grapefruits, lemons, and yeast, followed by a touch of white peaches and white flowers. In the mouth, there were slightly under-ripe white peaches, lemons, white blossoms, and a hint of nectarines on the finish. The sparkler had a nice, crisp acidity and a light-to-medium body.

Is this worth a glass after work? Definitely! If you see this wine in the store, grab it; you won’t be disappointed. At $18, this Prosecco was surprisingly complex, fresh, and fruity. I enjoyed drinking it on its own, but when I paired it with flounder stuffed with spinach and feta, it was absolutely gorgeous. I admit that I didn’t end up using this sparkling wine for the Bubbly & BBQ Bash, but that was because it was a little harder to find than the Canella Prosecco di Conegliano, which I ended up using because I really wanted to provide sparklers that could be easily purchased. That said, if you see the La Tordera, don’t pass up the opportunity to taste it. It will be the perfect addition to any brunch, particularly mixed to make a Bellini/mimosa, or to a relaxing evening after a hard day of work. A special thanks to Schneider’s of Capitol Hill for recommending this great wine.

Overall: 4.5 Corks

Posted by Alleigh at 9:17 pm Tagged with: , , ,

No Bubbles, No Bubbly & BBQ Bash

$11-$20, 2 Corks, Prices, Ratings No Responses »
Dec 142009

This time of year is generally a period of craziness at work and at home. At work, there’s usually an end-of-the-year push to finish major projects before we enter a 4-week slow period. At the same time, there are also work-related holiday parties almost every night, so while work pulls in one direction, the social aspects of my job pull in another. None of that even begins to take into account the personal parties that Hubby and I are invited to, so with all of the work and festivities, life quickly gets complicated. Last week was a particularly busy one because my largest project since starting the new job was due Thursday. Fortunately, on Tuesday, I had a good, solid day of work and was able to make significant progress before heading home at a not-too-late hour. I used the evening to focus on planning my condo association’s holiday party—a Bubbly & BBQ Bash. Of course part of planning means tasting all of the sparkling wine before purchasing it in large quantities, and what better way to spend the later part of my evening than tasting Prosecco.

The Vignal Prosecco la Delizia (winery) ­­was a medium lemon color with surprisingly few bubbles that streamed up to the top of my glass in a slowly rising, single column. One the nose, there were apricots and peaches mixed with an artificial lemon scent. In the mouth, the sparkler was fizzy instead of bubbly and tasted like licking a lemon-scented handi-wipe, with the slightest hint of nectarines and peaches on the finish.

Is this worth a glass after work? Eh…if you have a bottle on hand, drink it, but I wouldn’t go searching it out either. At $12, this Prosecco wasn’t expensive, but it also wasn’t very good. I was really glad that I tasted this sparkler before the Bubbly & BBQ Bash, since there are other Proseccos at the same price point that I think would be more enjoyable and a better match with Red, Hot, and Blue’s traditional smokehouse Southern BBQ. Don’t get me wrong, I finished the bottle, but I prefer less handi-wipe flavors and more intense bubbles and fruit characteristics in my Prosecco.

Overall: 2 Corks

Posted by Alleigh at 9:25 pm Tagged with: , , ,

Shining Sunlight on Lunetta

$10 and lower, 3 Corks, Prices, Ratings No Responses »
Oct 062009

I’m finally emerging from 5 days of the Fall bug that decimated my office. My nose is still stuffy, so tasting wine is still on hold, but this break from opening new wines is giving me a chance to catch up on a few reviews that I haven’t had a chance to share. So, here is a bubbly to celebrate my being back to work and back to posting.

The Lunetta Prosecco (winery, snooth), which is part of the Cavit Collection,was a nice medium lemon with bubbles dancing all over the glass. On the nose, there were apple, lemon, and yellow grapefruit aromas, followed by the slightest hint of yeast. In the mouth, the Prosecco had a beautiful, citrusy freshness. The wine had a light body with a crisp acidity that lingered.

Is this worth a glass after work? Sure…you won’t be drinking anything out of the ordinary, but you’ll definitely have a decent, reliable glass of wine. At $9, this is a good sparkling wine that is perfect if you’re trying to watch your wallet or looking for “everyday” bubbles. The wine wasn’t very complex, but I don’t expect a lot of complexity from a Prosecco. That said, the flavors in the finish were disappointingly short, so if you’re willing to spend a little more money, you can get a sparkling wine that offers a little more than this one. Overall, though, you could definitely do worse. The Lunetta Prosecco was nice on its own and paired well with a citrus-and-ginger roasted chicken.

Overall: 3 Corks

Posted by Alleigh at 4:02 pm Tagged with: , ,

Move Over Manischewitz, There Are New Kosher Wines In Town (WBW #56)

$11-$20, $21-$30, $31-$40, 0.5 Cork, 2 Corks, 3 Corks, 4 Corks, Prices, Ratings No Responses »
Apr 152009

Between the mention of kosher and the mention of Passover, you may ready to click the “x” on your computer screen to close the window, but don’t!  I have some wine reviews that may surprise you…they definitely surprised me.  As I mentioned in my post last week, The Cork Dork picked fine kosher wines for the Wine Blogging Wednesday topic.  Since I liked the idea of finding good wines for this year’s holiday, I decided to taste “Kosher for Passover” wines—four, to be exact.


  • 2005 Domaine Saint Benoit Laureline Chateauneuf-du-Pape (Mevushal)
  • 2006 Bazelet HaGolan Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Bartenura Prosecco (Mevushal)
  • 2006 Baron Herzog Cabernet Sauvignon

For those new to kosher wines, it’s worth a quick look at what it means for a wine to be kosher, as there are two methods and the wines I tasted are a sampling of both. The first method for making kosher wine dictates how the wine is handled—throughout the entire wine making process, the materials can be handled only by an observant, orthodox Jew.  The other method dictates how the wine is prepared—it must go through boiling or flash pasteurization.  This method is necessary for strict kosher laws and the result is mevushal wine. Mevushal wine can be handled by anyone.  With either method, in order for a wine to be “kosher for Passover,” it not only must be made using one of these two processes, but also must not come into contact with chametz (bread, grains, or leavened products).  Once made, a rabbi must certify that the wine has been prepared in accordance with Jewish law (one of these two methods).

 

Now, onto the wines…


2005 Domaine Saint Benoit Laureline Chateauneuf-du-Pape (Mevushal)

When I saw that there was a kosher Chateauneuf-du-Pape, which is among my favorite wines, I could barely contain my excitement.  It’s also probably no surprise that it was the first wine I opened, both with the purpose of having a glass and making charoset—a traditional Passover dish made with apples, walnuts, cinnamon, honey, and, of course, wine. 

The 2005 Domaine Saint Benoit Laureline Chateauneuf-du-Pape was a blend of Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah, and Clairette grapes and was a mevushal wine.  It had a nice, deep ruby color.  Unfortunately, the great color did not match the rest of the wine.  I was hit in the face with pungent medicinal strawberry and blueberry aromas, a smell that I did not enjoy.  In the mouth, I was overwhelmed by a sour cherry flavor, which was followed by a hint of leather and a long finish of cherry cough syrup.  For as little as I enjoyed the smell, I thought the taste was far worse. 

Is this wine worth a glass after work? No…it’s not worth dirtying a perfectly clean wine glass.At almost $33, this wine is only a small step up from drinking Manischewitz and significantly more expensive. 

Overall:
½ cork
 


Needless to say, this first wine made me a bit apprehensive about the remaining three wines.

2006 Bazelet HaGolan Cabernet Sauvignon

As I couldn’t use the Domaine Saint Benoit for my charoset, I opened bottle number 2—the 2006 Bazelet HaGolan Cabernet Sauvignon.  This Israeli wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and is not a mevushal wine.

The Bazelet HaGolan had a deep ruby color, with hints of garnet showing on the rim.  The black fruit, particularly blackberry, aromas were delicious and were followed with a touch of toastiness.  In the mouth, the black fruit flavors were intense and balanced with a hint of vanilla and olives, and nice tannins. 

Is this wine worth a glass after work? Definitely!  Regardless of whether or not you’re looking for a kosher wine, if you see this wine in the store, grab it; you won’t be disappointed.  For $27, you might actually want to grab two bottles—one to enjoy now and one to let age a little, since I think this wine has some good development potential.

Overall:
4 corks


Bartenura Prosecco (Mevushal)

Several days into the holiday, I opened my one kosher sparkling wine—a Bartenura Prosecco. This mevushal Italian sparkler had a clear, gold color with large bubbles, although there weren’t a lot of them.  On the nose, a pleasant medium-to-light yeasty smell was followed by a hint of fresh oranges.  In the mouth, the Prosecco was more fizzy than bubbly.  This sparkler was high in acid, which was exaggerated by the lime and grapefruit tastes.  It’s a fairly simple tasting sparkling wine, but well-balanced and refreshing. 

Is this wine worth a glass after work? Sure…you won’t be drinking anything out of the ordinary, but you’ll definitely have a decent, reliable glass of wine. For $14.50, this wine could be a good choice to accompany any tomato sauce-based dish.  On its own, it was just ok, the type of wine that I would recommend if you were looking for a kosher sparkler. However, when paired with the high acidity of my matzo lasagna, the wine showed its true, vibrant colors.  It was an enjoyable pairing that increased my opinion of the wine.

Overall:
3 corks


2006 Baron Herzog Cabernet Sauvignon

As Passover is coming to the end, I opened my last bottle of kosher wine last night—the 2006 Baron Herzog Cabernet Sauvignon.  This California Cabernet is not a mevushal wine. Appearance wise, it had a medium-to-light purplish-ruby color.  My bottle was slightly reduced, so the sulfur smells were unpleasant and overpowering.  Behind the sulfur, I had a hint of black cherry.  I tried decanting the wine, which helped a little, but not enough to make the wine anything other than just passable.  In the mouth, there were stronger black cherry flavors, which were accompanied by spice, tobacco, and cedar. 

Is this wine worth a glass after work? Eh…if you have a bottle on hand, drink it, but if not, I wouldn’t go searching it out.  The wine is only $14, so if you’re looking for an inexpensive kosher wine and your choices are limited, this probably could work.  However, if you can afford the upgrade, it’s worth paying a little extra for a wine like the Bazelet HaGolan.

Overall:
2 corks
 


**Special thanks to The Cork Dork for hosting Wine Blogging Wednesday!  Clearly, there are some enjoyable fine kosher wines out there for Jews and non-Jews alike.

Posted by Alleigh at 2:08 pm Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Bubbles, Bubbles Everywhere

$11-$20, 4.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings 1 Response »
Apr 092009

Sparkling wine is often seen as a purely celebratory drink, but why do you need something special to happen in order to open up some bubbly?  Sure, you might want to keep your $150 bottle of Dom Perignon for a nicer occasion, but there are some wonderful, everyday sparklers that won’t break your wallet and are worth exploring.  Granted, not everyone agrees with me. but they don’t know what they’re missing! 

There is something contagiously happy about having the bubbles dance in your mouth, which is why sparkling wine is my go-to choice both when I’ve had a rough day at work and need a pick-me-up, as well as when I’ve had one of those days where everything went right and want to have my own personal celebration.  The Canella Prosecco di Conegliano (snooth) is the perfect choice for either of these reasons.  This Italian sparkler has a clear, lemony-yellow color.  The bubbles are large, persistent, and inviting.  In the photo, you can see how clear the wine is, as that’s my countertop that you can be seen through the liquid.  You can also get a feeling for how fast the bubbles race to the top by the streaking lines inside the glass.

The Canella Prosecco has a clean smell that hints of yeast and dough.  These aromas are followed by strong, refreshing fruit smells—mostly lime, apple, and pear.  When tasting the wine, the crisp bubbles pop off the tongue.  The sparkler has a high acidity, which complements the lime and green apple flavors that fill the mouth.  Those two strong fruit flavors are followed closely with hints of grapefruit.    

Monday nights are hectic in my household, as I head to my wine class right after work.  Sometimes I can grab a quick bite of dinner beforehand, but most of the time, I don’t eat until 10pm while standing in my kitchen.  Admittedly, this past Monday night after class, I drank a glass (ok, maybe two) of this Prosecco while I was eating an American cheese sandwich.  It was a surprisingly good pairing.  The salt and creaminess of the cheese was complimented by the acidity, fruitiness, and bubbles in the wine.

Is this worth a glass after work?  It’s worth more than one!  What are you waiting for?  For $16, the Canella Prosecco di Conegliano is a crisp, refreshing sparkling wine that is enjoyable on its own or with food.  If you’re looking to eat something other than cheese (or a cheese sandwich) while drinking a glass of the Canella Prosecco, you can’t go wrong with a some seafood–maybe a pan-fried flounder or a shrimp scampi.  Either way, you should consider popping a cork, pouring a glass, and settling in for a delightful treat.

Overall: 4.5 corks

Posted by Alleigh at 12:35 pm Tagged with: , , ,
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