Wine Party: Summer Whites
Thursday, August 21st, 2008
Saturday, August 23, 2008
4 to 6 pm
$5.00 per person
Home of: ExecutiveGiftService.com
611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite #1, Palm Springs, 92264,
760-327-7701, 800-925-0030
Let’s sample some of the more popular white wine varietals this Saturday and reacquaint ourselves with the differing elements of each. No doubt you have had all these flavors, but can you describe that which makes them unique from each another? Our tasting parties provide that opportunity to inform while in the act of indulging. Not a bad thing, and an excellent way to kick off Saturday evening.
2007 Forest Glen Pinot Grigio, California
5.99
This wine is pleasingly crisp, fresh and delicately fruity with aromas of apricots and peaches, and with good body, crisp acidity, and a delicate wave of fruit flavors through to the finish. It represents great value for a wine that suggests aperitif service and partners well with seafood, chicken and veal dishes.
2006 Rock Rabbit Sauvignon Blanc, Central Coast
8.99
This Sauvignon Blanc receives no oak contact and reflects the fresh, crisp, ripe flavors of pure fruit. It is rather on a par with the previous wine in that it highlights the apricot and peach part of the bouquet and flavor spectrum. The citrus component veers toward lemon and supports the “crisp” characterization of the wine.
2007 Badger Mountain Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, Washington
9.99
Badger Mountain’s vineyard is certified organic; no chemical herbicides, insecticides, fungicides or synthetic fertilizers are used in their vineyard. This works well for those wine lovers who get a nasty reaction to sulfites. Absolutely none is allowed on the property, so the only sulfites in the wine are naturally occurring—hardly measurable. Pretty pear and Granny Smith apple fruit aromas and a hint of mineral compliment an intriguing floral character. The crisp, balanced mouth feel is filled with flavors of Granny Smith apple, green pear, baking spices, and a hint of minerals. The surprisingly long finish of apple, pears, and sweet oak is enhanced by the typical crisp acidity found in Washington State Chardonnay.
2005 Valley of the Moon Pinot Blanc, Sonoma County
9.99
Pinot Blanc is a genetic mutation of Pinot Grigio, which in turn is a mutation of Pinot Noir. Even Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier are members of this family. Pinot Blanc is similar to Chardonnay, but is more delicate in its flavor and bouquet profile and moves away from apples towards pears. This wine was fermented in stainless, but then received a few months of French oak. The fruit was sourced from Russian River Valley and southern Sonoma Valley. It has an aroma of juicy melon, banana, and limey citrus. It is light-bodied, and the tart citrus and fruit flavors are crisp and palate cleansing.
2006 Orchid Hill Viognier, Paso Robles
17.95
Orchid Hill is a 51 acre vineyard located on sloping limestone hills in the Templeton Gap area of the west side of Paso Robles Wine Country. The wine has a rich aromatic perfume of exotic scents. It is rich, but well balanced with acid, and offers up fresh flavors of peach, mango and fruit cocktail.
2006 Pierre Sparr Gewurztraminer, Reserve, Alsace, France
14.99
The vineyards of Alsace date back to the Roman Empire. During the middle age, the wines from this area were highly regarded and shipped all over Europe. Most of the vineyards stretch over the eastern foothills of the Vosges Mountains which rise out of the broad plain of the Rhine to form a natural barrier between Alsace and the rest of France. In recent centuries the area has ping-ponged back and forth between France and Germany, depending upon who won the last war. Inhaling this wine is like smelling a bouquet of roses along with exotic fruits. It is rich, fleshy and semi-dry and displays depth and persistence and a lasting finish. The grapes come from 28 year old vines and produce a wine that fares well with rich spicy dishes, duck & turkey, Asian food, strong cheeses and fruit tarts.
