Desert Wines and Spirits

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Saturday, December 26, 2009

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

This Saturday we will be trying out some newly arrived white wines from France and some reds from California.  The three French whites are excellent examples from appellations along the long growing area of the Loire River.  The reds are a fine example of French varietals as grown in differing areas of California.  All are great value wines that compete against similar bottlings of higher price.  All are simply fun sipping wines to serve as an apéritif or with a meal.

2007 Chateau du Cleray Muscadet Sevre et Maine

List price 15.95; our price 11.99

Muscadet is also known as Melon de Bourgogne which is occasionally bottled by growers in California as Melon.  It is grown near the mouth of the Loire in the district of Nantes.  The short period of sur-lie aging results in a complex, soft and round wine that is bone-dry.  The flavors of citrus and melon rind are bright and lively, showing a taut freshness and clean, classically racy structure.  Wine and Spirits Magazine gave this wine a rating of 89/100.

2007 Sauvion Vouvray

List price 13.50; our price 9.99

Together with Muscadet, Vouvray is the most popular Loire wine in the USA. It is the perfect introduction to the Loire wines: easy to drink, fresh, soft, and “velvety”. It is grown in Touraine among the hundreds of romantic châteaux. Made from Chenin Blanc, this Vouvray is medium dry, complex, soft and round with honey and acacia on the nose.

2007 Sauvion Sancerre

List price 25.00; our price 19.95

This Sauvignon Blanc hails from the district of Centre, far inland where the Loire begins its southward journey.  Sancerre is situated on a hillside area across the Loire River from Pouilly-Fumé.  The wine is very aromatic with Jasmine and Acacia in evidence.  It is dry and full bodied with the usual herbaceous character one expects of the area.

2005 Pacific Oasis Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County

List price 14.95; our price 9.99

This wine was made by fine winemaker, Daniel Gehrs, who aged the Pinot sur lies for eight months prior to finishing and bottling.  The aromas are of black raspberry, black cherry, Oriental spices and smoky French oak.  Very light for a Santa Barbara County Pinot, it is made in the true Burgundian style: This is what a Pinot is supposed to be!  The taste consists of both sour black cherry and strawberry which is pronounced on the front to the mid of the palate.  The mid palate shows a hint of earthiness and cloves which continues to a long nice finish.

2004 Murphy-Goode Merlot, Alexander Valley

List price 14.95; our price 9.99

This wine is a classic, approachable Merlot, soft and juicy with expressive fruit.  Winemaker David Ready Jr. notes: “We use the Goode-Ready designation when working with younger vines in the Alexander Valley that produce exuberant, forward fruit flavors of Bing cherry and blackberry.”  This wine is luscious on the palate, with bright acidity balancing the plentiful, jammy fruit flavors and making this Merlot highly food friendly.  Oak barrel aging (40% new, 90% air-dried American) contributed toasty aromas of sweet smoke, toffee and cedar. The wine is enjoyable now and has the structure to improve with time.

2008 Rabbit Ridge Allure de Robles, Paso Robles

List price 8.99; our price 6.99

Allure de Robles is an estate grown wine that is produced in Cotes du Rhone style.  The clones of the grapes are predominantly from Tablas Creek Winery and Vineyard Nursery, meaning they are cuttings from both the Château Beaucastel in the famous Chateauneuf-du-Pape region of France and French Entav bud wood.  This wine is medium bodied with strawberry and cherry overtones from the Grenache, body from the Syrah and earthiness from the Mourvèdre.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

 

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

Our annual Champagne event last week was a big hit and we are following it up with a Prosecco party.  This Saturday we will be visited by Kirsten York from Italy’s Mionetto Winery. The Mionetto family has been producing Prosecco wine in the very heart of Valdobbiadene since 1887.  The Prosecco zone, located in the Veneto, is comprised of an area between the towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene.  This is the only place in the world where the Prosecco grape grows.  Mionetto makes a range of Prosecco styles, which would well accommodate year-end party needs at easy to manage pricing.  The best part is they are very festive, are under 12% alcohol and they taste really good.  Prosecco is an ideal accompaniment for a variety of cuisines and courses.  Whether served as an apèritif, or at the end of a meal, or any course in between, the natural acidity and fresh taste lightly compliments, but never over-powers, a meal.  Join us this Saturday to learn all about the famous grape that produces this wonderful wine, while sipping the lovely elixir.

Mionetto IL Prosecco, Veneto

List price 11.95; our price 9.99

This is a straw-colored wine with brilliant reflections. The aroma is fruity, reminiscent of pear and citrus with a slightly floral bouquet. The wine is fresh and crisp with apparent apple and peach flavors. This lightly sparkling (frizzante) wine typifies the traditional wine-maker’s Prosecco.

Mionetto Prosecco di Valdobbiadene

List price 18.00; our price 14.99

The Valdobbiadene winemaker’s art is full of long-standing traditions which the Mionetto Company has preserved, including the ancient custom of using string-tied corks, a rustic characteristic of the Valdobbiadene wines of the past lovingly maintained by Mionetto to this day.  The wine is slightly fruity and dry, with the perfume of golden apples.

Mionetto Prosecco Brut

List price 15.95; our price 11.99

This fully-sparkling wine is pale gold with greenish tints and a full and consistent perlage. Refined, light and delicate, it has a long-lasting aroma and fruity, crisp taste that recalls the freshness of golden apples.

Mionetto Sergio Spumante, Extra Dry

List price 24.00; our price 21.95

The blend in this sparkling wine is 70% Prosecco di Valdobbiadene DOC and the other 30% is a blend of Verdiso, Bianchetta and Chardonnay.  It honors the traditions of the Veneto winemaking region and the long history of the Mionetto family.  Contemporary master vintner Sergio Mionetto produces this wine based on a formula handed down by Francesco Mionetto, who founded the winery.  A touch of two old grape varieties, unique to the region, are blended with the area’s finest Prosecco grapes; the result is a superbly dry, slightly fruity wine with just a hint of acidic crispness.  Wine Enthusiast gave the wine a 92 point-rating.

Mionetto IL Rosato del Veneto

List price 11.95; our price 9.99

This well-balanced and fruity wine has lively notes of cherries with a long and dry finish. Its pleasing aroma recalls the elegant mix of roses, raspberries and peaches.  This wine is lovely on its own, as an apèritif or paired with cured meats, mild cheeses or shellfish.  It particularly comes alive as a complement to fresh water fish such as rainbow trout and carp.

Mionetto Sergio Rosé

List price 24.00; our price 21.95

This is a brilliant, raspberry colored Italian sparkler with pretty and well-defined aromas of cranberry juice, almonds and roses.  Interesting mineral nuances that recall chalk or white stone add a patina of elegance and femininity to a fun and informal wine otherwise characterized by red berry fruit, white cherry and flower petal.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

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

It wouldn’t be a proper December without our annual Champagne event.  Lisa Wherry will be back discussing and pouring a selection of Champagne and other sparkling wines that should cover most celebratory needs.  So, if you have not begun your year-end celebrations, let us help you kick off the December bacchanal.  The following week, December the 19th, we will be visited by Kirsten York from Italy’s Mionetto Winery.  Mionetto is all about Prosecco, which functions well for year-end partying without breaking the budget.

Villa Sandi Prosecco, Veneto, Italy

List Price 12.95; our price 9.99

Villa Sandi is an exquisite Palladian-style villa dating back to 1622, located at the foot of the Marca Trevigiana hills, in the Veneto region and represents the combination of art and agriculture which has characterized the Venetian landscape for centuries.  This Prosecco is an ideal accompaniment for a variety of cuisines and courses.  Whether served as an apèritif, or at the end of a meal, or any course in between, the natural acidity and fresh taste lightly compliments, but never over-powers, a meal.  This elegant sparkler achieves a nice balance between sweet, fruit flavors and lively crispness.  Look for peach, pear, jasmine, grapefruit and stone that characterize the fruit with a bit of almond bitterness at the finish.

Bouvet Brut, Saumur, Loire Valley, France

List price 14.00; our price 11.95

This is a well-rounded, Champagne-like bubbly that makes a superb apéritif on its own before a meal and complements most meals as well.  It is a delicately fruity sparkling wine showing crisp citrus and white fruit flavors with a hint of toast refined by notes of Chardonnay ending in a fresh, lively finish.  Mostly Chenin, with 10% Chardonnay, this delicious bubbly mixes spicy yeast with clove and herb scents, inviting repeated sips.  Full-bodied fruit flavors follow, with a slightly candied appeal, and the finish wraps you in hints of vanilla and light toast.  88 Points Wine Enthusiast.

2006 Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs, Napa

List price 30.00; our price 26.95

Blanc de Blancs was the first wine Schramsberg produced in 1965 and was America’s first commercially produced Chardonnay-based sparkling wine.  Small lots of malolactic- and barrel-fermented wines are added for complexity.  The wine is aged on the yeast lees in the bottle for about two years prior to disgorgement.  It delivers aromas of key lime, freshly cut green apple and honeydew melon, followed by just a hint of pineapple upside-down cake. Upon entry, the palate is layered with flavors of citrus, ripe Anjou pear, dried pineapple and baked apple pie. With its vibrant, fruitful and crisp nature, this sparkling wine will maintain its freshness, structure and refined finish for many years, following release.

Taittinger Brut, Cuvée Prestige

List price 39.00; our price 32.50

Pale almond gold in color, this Champagne is punctuated by delicate strands of fine, persistent bubbles.  The full, aromatic Pinot fragrance of berries, toast and earth is allied to subtle notes of white Chardonnay fruit, both of which are confirmed on the generously full bodied palate.  In the mouth, the wine is marked by a smooth, round, creamy texture and elegant, toasty nuances of black Pinot grapes. The ample fruit dimension is offset by a clean, delicate acidity which carries into a warm, yeasty finish of exceptional refinement and breed.

2004 Iron Horse Russian Cuvée, Sonoma

List price 30.00; our price 27.00

This wonderfully rich and creamy wine is a classy blend of 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay, aged an average of four years on the yeast in the bottle.  It is finished with a rich dosage, which makes it more opulent, and slightly sweeter, heightening the fruit. This vintage was awarded 90 points by Wine & Spirits magazine. It was originally designed for the historic Reagan-Gorbachev Summit Meetings ending the Cold War.

Juve & Camps Brut Rosé Pinot Noir, Spain

List price 18.00; our price 14.99

Positively delicious; this juicy little number has a bright beam of ripe raspberries, vanilla and yeasty brioche right down the mid-palate.  Definitely balanced & fine, it appears to have been designed for heavier fish dishes where a crisp acidity is needed for balance.  It is produced from Pinot Noir grapes wherein the free run juice is allowed a brief maceration on the skins.  Long bottle aging has brought balance, length and weight while retaining freshness and vivacity; it has good legs!

Saturday, November 14, 2009

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

Thanksgiving Day is two weeks away, so it behooves us to be sampling wines that will partner well with a turkey dinner. This Saturday we will be pouring imported wines that are newly arrived or resupplied this past week. They are very forward and drinking well now. All are under $10.00 and would function well as party service. It’s nice to have alternate choices from the mainstream wines and still enjoy a great price-to-quality value ratio. There are richer and more complex wines available here to go with a turkey dinner, but for larger groups price becomes a consideration.Next week we will sample the wines of Robert Oatley Winery of Australia.

Villa Sandi Prosecco, Veneto, Italy

List price 12.95; our price 9.99

Villa Sandi is an exquisite Palladian-style villa dating back to 1622, located at the foot of the Marca Trevigiana hills, in the Veneto region and represents the combination of art and agriculture which has characterized the Venetian landscape for centuries. This Prosecco is an ideal accompaniment for a variety of cuisines and courses. Whether served as an apèritif, or at the end of a meal, or any course in between, the natural acidity and fresh taste lightly compliments, but never over-powers, a meal. This elegant sparkler achieves a nice balance between sweet, fruit flavors and lively crispness. Look for peach, pear, jasmine, grapefruit and stone that characterize the fruit with a bit of almond bitterness at the finish.

2008 Indaba Chardonnay, South Africa

List price 9.95; our price 8.99

Indaba refers to the traditional Zulu forum for sharing ideas and, frankly, this Chard is a good idea. It is a medium-bodied wine with pear and pineapple aromas, yielding to hints of butterscotch, honey, orange peel and lemons. Its good acidity (no malolactic secondary fermentation took place) marries well with the oak component culminating in a long, clean finish.

2007 Chateau Saint-Florin Rosé, Bordeaux, France

List price 12.00; our price 9.99

The blend for this rosé is 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes were crushed and left in stainless steel tanks for 24 hours allowing the juice to continue to “steep” with the grapes before fermentation. This wonderful extract is given a slow fermentation of up to 3 weeks at cool temperatures to enhance flavor and aromatic qualities. After another 3 weeks of sitting on the lees with occasional stirring the wine transcends to strawberry and raspberry fruit that remains dry.

2006 Chateau Trocard Bordeaux Superieur, France

List price 14.00; our price 9.99

This winery near Lalande-de-Pomerol has been owned by the Trocard family since the 16th century. Jean- Louis Trocard took over from his father, Jean in 1991. The family’s holdings have gradually expanded to 220 acres which Jean-Louis runs with the help of his wife, Elisabeth. The blend is 70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, comprising a wine that is produced in the traditional method that remains so very French. The wine is soft and displays an excellent balance.

2008 Bodega Norton Cabernet Sauvignon, Argentina

List price 11.00; our price 8.99

This Mendoza area wine is produced in the traditional, 8-day fermentation period with native yeast, maceration for 20 days, and natural malolactic fermentation. It is aged for 12 months in French oak barrels to produce a round, concentrated wine with a sweet tannin texture and a long harmonious finish in the mouth. Look for red and black fruit, cherries, and spicy notes.

2005 Bodegas Aresan Librato, La Mancha Spain

List price 14.00; our price 9.99

In the 1980s, Don Aurelio Arenas and his wife, Maria Dolores Sanchez, bought 125 acres of vineyards in the La Mancha region. After some success with their first bottlings, they were encouraged in their efforts and began to buy more property which has grown today to 425 acres of vineyards, with 16 different varieties of grapes planted. Their son, Aurelio Arenas Sanchez, Jr., is the chief winemaker and his success is in the bottle. This wine has a vivid, cherry red color and a complex, aromatic nose full of ripe fruit compote, with hints of spice and minerals. Light notes of dark-roasted coffee appear that balance well with the fruit on the palate. Round tannins and toasted oak notes follow through to the lingering finish. It is a well-balanced, fresh and tasty Spanish blend.

Saturday, July 11, 2009
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

Whether you are out by the pool on a hot summer day or at a restaurant that evening there is nothing more satisfying than a bottle of chilled dry rosé.  This style of wine serves well as an apèritif, it can be poured as a cooler over ice perhaps with a splash of soda and it is amazingly versatile with various foods.  The Europeans consume an enormous amount of rosé during the summer, not to mention dry sparkling rosés.  I, for one, choose to drink it year round because it simply is delicious.  For those of you who have a negative reaction to the word “rosé” or honestly don’t know why I’m waxing poetic over this style of wine, drop in on Saturday and give yourself an opportunity to experience this most charming expression of the grape.

2007 Gran Feudo Rosé, Navarra, Spain
Regular price 9.99; our price 7.99
This rosé is an outstanding example of the “fruity” style, made solely from Garnacha grapes, the ideal variety for rosé wines.  Picking takes place when the grapes have the ideal balance between acidity and ripeness.  This wine is made by the saignée method.  After the skins have been left in contact with the must for a short time, the juice is drawn off by gravity, without any pressing taking place.  It shows excellent balance between fruit and acidity.  It is fresh, soft and long on the palate, fruity and clean, with floral reminiscences.

2005 Chateau Saint-Florin Rosé, Bordeaux, France
Regular price 9.99; our price 7.99
This rosé comes from 100% Merlot grown in the Entre-Deux-Mers region of Bordeaux.  Saint-Florin allows the crushed grapes to sit for 24 hours before running off the free run juice and beginning fermentation.  Fermentation takes place at a low temperature over a period of three weeks.  The resulting wine is bone dry, with excellent strawberry/raspberry fruit and a hint of black currents.

2008 Mulderbosch Rosé, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Regular price 12.99; our price 9.99
Vinified from Cabernet Sauvignon, this rosé is vibrant and ripe with layered aromas of strawberry, red cherry, and raspberry with a hint of rose petal.  The palate is similarly fruit-forward with flavors of strawberry, pomegranate, and passion fruit.  Enjoy with Thai food, crab cakes, fruit-glazed pork chops, and fresh fruit.

2008 Match Book Rosé, Dunnigan Hills, California
Regular price 13.50; our price 9.99
This rosé is 100% Tempranillo from vines grown in the Matchbook Vineyard in the Dunnigan Hills.  These vines are from cuttings imported from the Pesquera region of Spain and produce classic Tempranillo aromas of black cherries, boysenberries and raspberry with a touch of chocolate mocha, and leather.  The flavor is crisp and lively with lots of citrus and peach and just a touch of sweetness.  It was made by removing a portion of the juice from the Tempranillo lots after sitting on the skins for 24 hours.  The juice was cold fermented naturally and slowly over a three-month period.  Serve chilled and pair with fresh fruit and brie.

2008 Chateau Saint-Pierre Rosé, Provence France
Regular price 16.50; our price 13.95
There are only a few wines as versatile with food or as refreshing and affordable as this Chateau Saint-Pierre.  It is 60% Cinsault and 40% Grenache from Provence with salmon-pink highlights.  It has a lovely nose of strawberry, white peach and guava.  It is full-flavored in the mouth with great character and excellent aromatic length.  It is perfect on its own or paired with a wide variety of foods: goat cheese, sandwiches, Mediterranean pasta, salads, fish and seafood.

2007 Schnaitmann Rosé, “Evoe” Wurttemberg, Germany
Regular price 19.95; our price 17.50
Showing flavors of dark cherries, cinnamon and herbs, this wine carefully blended from Pinot and Trollinger grapes, is a full bodied, serious example of rosé wine.  It has a bright salmon color and a Pinot Noir nose with strawberries and underlying earthy minerality.  It is layered on the pallet, with lots of strawberries interlaced with minerals.  It has richness, along with finesse and finishes long while refreshing.

Saturday, July 4, 2009
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

This being Independence Day, the appropriate wines to accompany a barbeque should be light and able to take a chill, especially when the temperature is over a hundred degrees.  Drop in for a casual sampling of wines that are lean in their pricing and rich in their level of quality.  I would be pleased to join you with a glass of wine to celebrate this most meaningful holiday.

Rocar Sparkling Wine, Extra Dry, California
Regular price 6.99; our price 4.99
This is a pleasant sparkler produced in the Charmat method whereby the secondary fermentation takes place before bottling.  It is light and dry which makes it a good mixer with liqueurs.  Enjoy by the pool in the heat of the day or with your favorite fruit juice for a morning treat.

2006 Brampton Sauvignon Blanc, South Africa
Regular price 9.99; our price 7.99
This Sauvignon Blanc has a whole lot going on and tastes way better than most $10 pours.  Right upfront you get a blast of fresh cut grass and zesty citrus on the nose.  Then the lemon-lime zinger gives way to a rounder palate bursting with soft, juicy honeydew, passion fruit and lychee.  It is super refreshing but also substantial and constantly changing as you swirl it over your tongue.  This wine makes a great warm weather quaffer and is also well suited for light seafood dishes and salads.

2006 Seven Terraces Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand
Regular price 13.50; our price 7.99
This is an amazing value.  Very nice grassy aromas with lots of lemon curd on the palate.  Additionally, this medium straw colored wine is rich with grapefruit, mango and gooseberry flavors and aromas.  It has good weight, great acidity and good length on the finish; a classic New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

2006 Annie’s Lane Riesling, Clare Valley, Australia
Regular price 12.50; our price 7.99
The wine is pale straw in color with green hues.  The nose shows the classic, elegant characters of Clare Valley Riesling: dried lime rind, citrus and stone fruit.  The palate is tight and elegant, with lime flavors dominating throughout.  It can be enjoyed as an aperitif or as the perfect accompaniment to grilled seafood or chicken.  Its impressive length and natural acidity will allow for graceful aging for a couple of more years.

2005 Chateau Saint-Florin Rosé, Bordeaux, France
Regular price 13.00; our price 9.99
This rosé comes from 100% Merlot grown in the Entre-Deux-Mers region of Bordeaux.  Saint-Florin uses an interesting technique of allowing the crushed grapes to sit for 24 hours before running off the free run juice and beginning fermentation.  Fermentation takes place at a low temperature over a period of three weeks.  The resulting wine is bone dry, with excellent strawberry/raspberry fruit and a hint of black currents.

2007 Bodega Familia Schroeder Pinot Noir “Saurus”, Argentina
Regular price 12.99; our price 9.99
This wine from Patagonia offers red tones which become brick red as it ages.  The nose projects various flowers and red fruits such as raspberry and strawberry, in addition to fine notes of vanilla and cocoa due to the wood.  The mouth-feel is round and fruity with sweet tannins and moderate acidity.  This is a really good value for money Pinot Noir.  Feel free to give this wine a moderate chilling.

Saturday, December 13, 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

Here are a few wines that should prove adequate, if not perfect, for your holiday entertainment.  Surely, they should prove perfect for our party purposes on Saturday.  Next Thursday I will remind you of the annual Champagne bash to occur on the following Saturday, the 20th; always a high time.  As with last year, Lisa Wherry will do the honors, pouring forth that of which dreams are made.

2005 Barnard Griffin Fumé Blanc, Columbia Valley
8.99
We have made an excellent buy of this fine Sauvignon Blanc, taking advantage of the change of distributors to secure a great deal.  Producing Award Winning wines for over 30 years, Barnard Griffin Winery is situated in south-central Washington at the confluence of the Yakima, Columbia, and Snake rivers, in the heart of Washington State’s wine country.  The wine has aromas of citrus and herbs. Its acidity and crispness gives it a wonderful palate impression.  It is bright on the palate for greater length and finish.  Enjoy it with shellfish or as an apéritif. 

Viognier Special of the day
9.99
This just released Viognier was produced entirely in French Oak, with 50% of the barrels being new.  It shows good character with layers of honey, cantaloupe, lychee and white flower blossoms on the nose and mouth.  It shows itself best when served with only a slight chill.
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2004 Barnard Griffin Merlot, Columbia Valley
9.99
The aromas of black cherries and red currants dominate the nose. There is a good dose of medium toasted European oak barrels. You see a great vintage in the 2004 with moderate tannins and good acid.  Black cherry, currant nose with smoky pipe tobacco, caramel notes. Very fruity lively attack boasts ripe plum and cherry fruit accented by licorice and earthy qualities in the background. This wine delivers excellent fruit concentration, depth and density.  Think barbequed meats with rich sauces and marinades.  It received a 91-point rating from Wine & Spirits Magazine.

2004 Brassfield Merlot, Lake County
11.95
Here’s another great deal while it lasts.  The winery sits at an elevation of 1800 feet overlooking Clear Lake and the grapes are grown in well drained volcanic soil.  The blend is 86% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot.  The wine has a deep, rich garnet hue, with aromas of black cherry, cola nut and cocoa.  The rustic flavors of cinnamon spice, plum and bay laurel are enhanced with subtle nuances of vanilla, oak, and soy.  The complexity of flavors is further enhanced by the soft middle and silky tannins that lead to a lengthy soft finish.

2005 Trentadue Old Patch Red, Sonoma County
11.95
Named for the original 1896 plantings, Trentadue’s Old Patch Red has remained the all time favorite among legions of Trentadue fans for over three decades.  The blend is comprised of 70% Zinfandel, 20% Petite Sirah, 5.5% Carignane and 4.5% Syrah.  The predominance of Zin in the blend brings in jammy, peppery, black cherry and strawberry aromas with spicy herbal nuances.  Further aeration reveals deeper and more complex layers of plums, brown sugar, graphite and earthy, dusty undertones.  The mouth feel reveals no hard edges, with a juicy middle but shows a solid tannin core suggesting a good aging potential.  This release has picked up 5 Gold Medals so far from prestigious California competitions including a “Best of Class” award at the Sonoma County Harvest Fair.

2006 Robert Hall Orange Muscat, Paso Robles
9.99
Not all good dessert wines need to be expensive.  This high value Muscat (enjoying a 95 point rating) is effusive with fresh citrus & orange blossom aromas that entertain your senses with sweet spice and tropical fruit flavors.  It is crisp, with a bright finish; a delight by itself, or paired with Thai cuisine or as an accompaniment to crème brûlée.
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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.

Saturday, August 16, 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

Pinot Noir comes in many forms, but most bottlings are perfect for aperitif service and dining during the long summer.  We will begin with a rosé of Pinot Noir and proceed through California examples with a Burgundian and a Chilean Pinot to follow.

2006 Fleur de California Vin Gris, Carneros
10.95
Owner, Francis Mahoney founded the Carneros Creek Winery in 1973 and sold the winery in 2004.  Fleur de California is his new venture using fruit from his original Carneros District vineyards.  This rosé of Carneros Pinot Noir is a fine expression of a bright, fresh, and flavorful rosé wine.  Made in a crisp, dry style designed to accompany food, the wine displays aromas of strawberry and honeysuckle while exhibiting a mouthwatering finish that cleanses the palate. 

2006 Aquinas Pinot Noir, Napa
9.99
Aquinas Napa Valley is named for Patron Saint Thomas Aquinas which is fitting, considering the wine inside delivers “truth and divinity, reason and revelation, refinement and expression, all at a vow-of-poverty price”, so sayeth the boys over at Don Sebastiani and Sons.  The aroma is of cherry, pomegranate and strawberry fruit framed by lightly smoky oak seasoning and earthy nuances.  The wine is well-structured, a middleweight Pinot that is tart and possesses fine tannins.  The ripe cherry/red berry flavors combine with citrus rind and a bit of sweet spice before finishing very dusty dry like its valley of origin.

2005 Irony Pinot Noir, Monterey County
11.95
The grapes for this Monterey Pinot Noir were primarily sourced from the San Bernabe Vineyard where there are seven different blocks of Pinot Noir.  Each block features different soils, rootstocks, clones and trellises, which serves to add complexity to the finished wine.  It offers a balance of heady fruit notes and savory characteristics.  Layers of sweet cherry, fresh raspberries, cola and earthy mushrooms make up the profile in this medium-bodied wine.  There are vanilla and mineral notes in the lingering, soft finish.

2005 Bernardus Pinot Noir, Bien Nacido Vyd, Santa Barbara
19.95
While the Marinus Estate near Carmel produces the Bordeaux-style red wine is the centerpiece of owner Ben Pon’s reason d’être, the vineyard here is the truly wonderful Bien Nacido, in Santa Maria Valley.  Cooling sea breezes protect the grapes that yield the intense red-fruit aromas and flavors, ideal for Pinot Noir.  There are aromas of ripe cherries and red plums in the glass.  Notes of spice and pepper, so typical of this vineyard, accent these aromas.  On the palate are ripe, full, and intense flavors that mirror the aromas along with toasty oak nuances.  The long, velvety structure promises a rewarding future, should you choose to age the bottle for several years.

2004 Vincent Girardin Bourgogne Pinot Noir, Cote de Beaune
18.75
Vincent Girardin is part of a winemaking family with roots back to the 17th century.  He began his winemaking career in 1982 with only 2 hectares of vines.  When his father retired, Vincent took over several additional hectares in Meursault while sourcing other varietal grapes throughout the Cote de Beaune.  There is neither filtering nor fining of his wines which serves to capture the maximum expression of fruit and terroir.

2006 Cono Sur Pinot Noir, 20 Barrels, Casablanca Valley, Chile
21.95
This project strives to emulate the French method for fine Pinot Noir production.  Although most of the method is modern, the grapes are still foot trodden which further enhances the old world character of Cono Sur’s wines.  The name refers to the best 20 barrels set aside for this bottling each year.  This is a full and rich wine with excellent fruit and elegant spicing from the 100% French Oak.

Home of: ExecutiveGiftService.com
611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite #1, Palm Springs, 92264,
327-7701

The rapid rise in popularity of Pinot Grigio in the US says a lot about the evolution of American taste in wine varietals.  The movement away from Chardonnay was inevitable after this grape became expressed in ponderous wooded styles.  The resulting gravitation to Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio have brought about a welcome change with Chardonnay producers towards lighter and crisper wines that refresh instead of overwhelm.  Lesser known varietals such as Pinot Blanc, Viognier, Albarino, Marsanne and Rousanne have benefited from the desire to break away.  You might say even Roses have moved back in the collective consciousness, as well, as a result.  So, let’s try some Pinot Grigios from Italy and compare them to others from California…

2007 Salmon Creek Pinot Grigio, California
5.99
This winery makes a delicately and refreshingly crisp Pinot Grigio with nuances of peach, melon, and mint.  It is an amiable quaff to be served very cold on a hot day. The wine is straw colored with green highlights. The bouquet is floral with hints of pear. Befitting a proper Pinot Grigio, the wine is dry and of good body. The aroma is replicated in the flavor profile and finishes most pleasantly.

2006 Voga Pinot Grigio, Venezie
9.99
The unique and trendy bottle delivers a soft and rich, crisp wine with fresh, ripe apple and pear aromas and delicious, juicy flavors.

2006 Mont St. John Pinot Grigio, Madonna Estate, Carneros
13.99
Years ago this property produced one of the best Petite Sirahs made in California from a very old vineyard.  Unfortunately, they couldn’t show a profit and replaced the vines with Pinot Noir which did show a profit.  Also planted were the grapes for this versatile wine which is both complex and interesting, and has delightfully fresh, fruity aromas.  It displays wonderful nuances of melon and pear that mingle on the palate and has a clean, crisp finish.  Still, I miss the Petite Sirah.

2006 Luna Vineyards Pinot Grigio, Napa
14.99
Uncork and enjoy a wonderfully expressive nose of pear, peach and apricot.  This is a delicious wine with a forward surge of lemon zest and pine nut flavors.  On the palate, there are flavors of citrus, fig, pear, pineapple and a faint underlying hint of oak.  Barrel fermentation begot a full body to the entire mid-palate. Notes of honeysuckle and orange marmalade close out the finish.

2006 Bottega Vinaia Pinot Grigio, Trentino
15.99
The grapes for this wine come from an old vine, low yield vineyard in the Dolomite Alps north of Lake Garda.  The wine is exceptionally fragrant with intense aromas not usual for a Pinot Grigio.  The flavors are pear toned and backed with perfect acidity for service as an aperitif or as an accompaniment to food.

2006 Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio, “Valdadige”
19.99
Nearly 30 years ago, importer Tony Terlato discovered this company’s wine and built it into the number one imported Pinot Grigio in the US as well as the number one Pinot Grigio served in restaurants.  This wine of the Alto Adige has a clean and intense aroma, is medium bodied and has flavors of golden apples and minerals.  It is clean with a fresh crisp character and firm structure.