Desert Wines and Spirits

Saturday, October 4, 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

We have taken delivery on some interesting imports from Mediterranean countries and on Saturday will be pairing a red and a white from each of Italy, Spain and Greece.  Join us for our poor-man’s tour of the Mediterranean as we sample wines of each country that make us wish we were there.

2006 Teruzzi & Puthod Vernaccia, “Rondolino”, Tuscany
11.50
The Vernaccia grape yields a wine that is a brilliant straw yellow in color, and the nose is delicately floral and fruity with notes of citrus.  In the mouth it is light and crisp with bright lemon/lime flavors. A slight flintiness accompanies notes of green apple.  It is harmonious, pleasantly complex in flavor and pleases with a soft mouthfeel.  It is best served lightly chilled, and is delicious with all types of seafood, white meats and carpaccio.

2007 Boutari Moschofilero, Mantinía, Greece
14.95
Boutari Moschofilero (mo-sko-FEEL-ero) is a premium white wine made from 100% Moschofilero grapes grown in high elevation vineyards in the AOC region of Mantinía in the Peloponnese.  For years, Moschofilero has been an important selling white wine in Greece and, until recently, a virtual unknown in the United States.  This is a fresh white wine with intense floral (white rose) and fruity (melon and citrus trees) aromas and flavors.  It serves well as an aperitif.

2007 Burgans Albariño, Rias Baixas Spain
12.50
This wine scored 90 points from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate: “Burgans is a custom cuvee made for importer Eric Solomon and in terms of bang for the buck, it has no challenger.  The 2007 is light gold-colored with a sprightly nose of mineral, spring flowers, and lemon peel.  Ripe, balanced, and concentrated, this is an ideal match for flaky fish courses.”  Also: look for the flavor of white peaches balancing nicely off of the wet stone character.  Excellent with oysters, lightly fried white fish or even roast chicken.

2006 Valcantara Garnacha, Cariñena, Aragón, Spain
8.99
The Valcantara is made of Grenache from vineyards of more than 40 years old.  Flavors of berries, cherries and leather carry from the nose to the palate. The wine is medium bodied, lush, full, spicy and fruity, with rounded tannins.  It is ideal with any roasted or highly flavored meat dish, as well as a variety of tapas.

2005 Pavlou-Kagas “Klima” Xinomavro, Macedonia, Greece
19.99
The vineyard yielding this wine is 160 kilometers to the west of Thessaloniki in the region of Macedonia in Greece.  The estate is owned by two Greeks, George Pavlou and Vasilios Kagas as well as by an Italian-Canadian Alex Pulcini, who is responsible for distribution in North America.  The Xinomavro (ksee-no-mah-vro) vines were selected from an organically-run vineyard, and are between 15 and 75 years old.  Xinomavro is a wine lover’s wine, rather than an easy drinking crowd pleaser.  With a low color and flavors of earth and sun-dried tomatoes, the grape is often compared with Nebbiolo in its youth, largely due to the high tannin and acidity.

2001 Castello di Monastero Chianti Classico Riserva, Tuscany
22.25
The winery is located in the area near Sienna in Tuscany where Sangiovese is “king”.  Vinification here is done in the traditional method, with contact on the lees for 14-15 days.  The wine is aged for 16 months in French wood barriques, then undergoes considerable bottle age on premises at a controlled temperature.  The color is dark with light orange hints and the bouquet: is earthy with hints of cherries slightly spiced.  The taste is dry, harmonious and complex with medium tannins.

Saturday, December 15, 2007

4 to 6 pm

$5.00 per person

Home of: ExecutiveGiftService.com

611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite #1,
Palm Springs, 92264, 327-7701

Saturday’s tasting event will be hosted by Madeleine de Jean representing an east coast importer of wines from Greece. She will be discussing the technological advances in winemaking that have occurred in the last couple of decades as well as the wines themselves. There are many new wineries and newly trained winemakers in Greece that are changing the perception of wines from that country. Most are using the indigenous grapes as well as the international varietals such as Cabernet, Syrah, Merlot and Chardonnay. They remain proud of their heritage and insist on making the best possible bottle of wine each varietal will yield. The proof is in the tasting and the opportunity awaits you this Saturday.

2005 Haggipavlu Moschofilero, Mantinía, Peloponnesus
$15.85
This is perhaps the most popular of the white wines from Greece. Citrus remains the center of the flavor profile and some exotic fruits come into play, as well. It functions well as a food wine to accompany Greek spiced meat dishes as well as those of fish and poultry.

2005 Megapanos Savatiano, Sparta, Attica
$15.95
This is a dry wine of low vineyard yield, with good bouquet and soft viscous flavors and some stoniness; an excellent accompaniment to the fresh ingredient cuisine of Greece. The wine is fermented in stainless steel with no carbonic maceration, nor malolactic fermentation. It sees no barrel aging and enjoys a fresh fruitiness with less than 12% alcohol. The winemaker is well-known as a leader in the advancement of Greek viticulture and oenology.

2006 Vatistas Asproudi/Assyrtiko, Lakonia, Peloponnesus
$19.95
Both of these white wine grapes are ancient varietals and are quite popular in Greece. The blend is 60% Asproudi and 40% Assyrtiko and produces a lovely crisp, softly perfumed food wine. This vineyard lies in the same region where the grape, Malvasia, originated.

2005 Pavlou Xinomavro “Klima”, Macedonia
$19.99
Pavlou farms his grapes organically which we are seeing more of in Greece. Klima is a single vineyard designation and the grape Xinomavro is more closely related to the Pinot Noir grape. It sees six months of oak aging and emerges smooth and velvety.

2003 Vatistas Aghiorgitiko, Neméa, Lakonia, Peloponnesus
$29.95
This is one of the most important red wine producing regions of Greece and the star varietal is Aghiorgitiko, which probably explains why it is referred to by its Anglicized meaning: St. George. The grape is indigenous to this area with a recorded history extending back to 2000 BC. The wine is deep and complex with lovely elements of red fruits, and spices including vanilla, probably the result of spending a year in French oak.

nv Etko Commandaria St. Nicholas, Limassol, Cyprus
$19.95
Commandaria is made exclusively from two types of indigenous Cyprus grapes: Xynisteri and Mavro. The grapes are left to overripe on the vine and when sugar content reaches acceptable levels they are harvested. The grapes are then laid out in the sun to further increase the sugar density through evaporation. Fermentation takes place in vats and will arrest naturally due to the high levels of alcohol achieved at around 15%. The process has to take place within the confines of 14 designated villages that lie in the Commandaria Region, and, by law, the wine must be aged for at least four years in Oak Barrels. The flavors begin with black cherry on the palate, showing honeyed elements, and proceed to a strong yet pleasant raisin finish that lingers on and on. The Commandaria Centurion from Etko is a world class wine that sells in the $100.00 range.