August Daily Wines

Poggiano Chianti 1999 Region: Chianti, Italy Varietal/Type: Sangiovese Cost: $9 Easy drinking Italian wine. Ripe, acidic fruit that just jumps around your palate. Some hints of leather and coffee in there. To borrow a fellow wine freak’s expression "great hand to mouth food wine" Meaning, some Pecorino, some salami, some bread and olives and you are so set. Brava	Pellegrini Vineyards 1998 Chardonnay Region: LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK STATE Varietal: Chardonnay Cost: about $13 Heads up folks, this is what the Chardonnay grape can do. Far from oak tea, this is the kind of wine you would expect to pay handsomely for. Thankfully, it's affordable and very drinkable. Great structure and finesse with aromas of pear and quince a little caramel on the finish. A nice round of Camembert, some Asian pears and crusty bread.
Giacosa Barbera D’Alba 1999 Region: Piedmonte, Italy Varietal: Barbera Cost: about $14 Deep ruby colored, with soft yet structured tannins. Multiple layers of taste and nose in this wonderful red that would be perfect for grilled Italian sausages or a lusty pork loin all seasoned up with rosemary and garlic. Notes of hickory, coffee, berries and grilled meat come up from the glass. Purely delicious or as the Italians say "Molto Buono"!	Hidalgo La Gitana Manzanilla Region: Jerez, Spain Varietal/Type: Palomino Cost: $12 A cool glass of sherry with some Tapas (Spanish style appetizers) is a beautiful thing. Extremely refreshing on a warm summer evening and a terrific appetite awakener. This bottle's so good that we just skipped dinner and kept nibbling munchies and before we knew it, it was gone! Pale antique gold. Clean and bright, it has a pear and Gala nose with a tinge of the sea. Notes of Almond, brine, and a hint of herbs on the palate. Olé!
Porte Du Palais Margaux 1996 Region: Bordeaux, France Varietal: Merlot Cost: about $14 When I first tasted this wine, before I'd gotten my glass close enough to my nose or mouth for that matter, I thought, "Hope for the best, expect the worst". The Gods smiled on me. This was gorgeous, silky, absolutely beautiful wine. Margaux is the most southern of the Medoc's communal appellations, fruit has a chance to get lush and seductive, as showing in the glass with this incredibly affordable beauty. This is a sip and savor, providing incredible value for the price. If you must eat something with it, mild cheese such as a young Camembert or mellow goat would be perfect.	Dry Creek Fume Blanc Sonoma County 2000 Region: Sonoma County, California Varietal/Type: Sauvignon Blanc Cost: $12 A glass of refreshment. Very bright and frisky. Absolutely perfect salad wine. Substitute equal quantities of the wine for the vinegar in the dressing and you’ve neutralized the conflict of wine with salad. Notes of vidalia onion, some tarragon, grass and green peppers. Perfect for a huge Cobb or Chef’s salad with tons of ripe, bursting cherry tomatoes.
HAAN Wilhemus 1999 Region: Barossa, Australia Varietal: The big Bordeaux five, Cab Sauvignon, Merlot, Cab Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot Cost: about $38 Every wine making region has it’s issues, Australia of late has had a problem with overly fruity, hit you in the face wines. Subtlety was, shall we say, sorely lacking. Until I tasted this. Absolutely perfect wine. Precise flavor components of the big five come forward, leather, herbs, chocolate, bright fruit, smoke, I could go on… But, the wine is elegant and subtle, velvet for your palate and something you owe it to yourself to try. The owner is a former 747 pilot, I’d have to say "Perfect Landing" with this one!	EXP Viogner RH Phillips Region: California Varietal: Viogner Cost: about $10 Not usually one to encourage the "big guys" but this stuff is good. Pretty nose and very nice roundness to it. Getting some mango and starfruit with a hint of nutmeg. This is perfect for Grilled Tilapia with some chunky Mango salsa.
Castillo de Almansa Reserva 1995 Bodegas Piqueras Region: Almansa, Spain Varietal: Monestrel, Grenache, Tempranillo Cost: about $14 Almansa is a tiny DOC located in the east of Central Spain, or the Castilla-la Mancha region. It’s a pretty rough climate for vines. Temperatures oscillate between 40 degrees or hotter in the summer months and can drop below freezing in the winter. The bulk of what is produced in this region is usually blended with other regions lighter wines to give them some backbone. Contrarily, this bottling has Tempranillo in it to round out the rustic quality of the regions indigenous fruit. Wine geek details aside, its just really good red wine. Ripe fruit, with a smoky and almost austere quality to it. It’s a 95 so the tannins are smooth; the wine just has great acidity and balance. Try it with Pollo a la Parilla (grilled garlic chicken) or, if you are more adventurous, a regional specialty Callos con tomate (Tripe with Tomatoes).	J.J. Hahn Semillon 1999 Region: Barossa, Australia Varietal: Semillon Cost: about $14 Jackie and James Hahn have been reputable grape growers for years. They’ve always been more concerned with quality ver quantity and have been known to refuse to sell their grapes to winemakers they may feel make mediocre wine. The grapes are handpicked and beautifully "kissed" with oak, making for soft, lush, wines with notes of papaya, kiwi and ripe pineapple. However, there is a beautiful balance to the acidity of the wine making it incredibly "Food Friendly". Whether it’s with fish tacos with a mango salsa or grilled jumbo shrimp and lime butter, this wine rocks.
Cricklewood Pinot Noir 1998 Region: Oregon Varietal: Pinot Noir Cost: about $10 Pretty Pinot for the price. 1998 was a terrific vintage for Oregon and this bottle shouts that out loud and clear. Ripe lush cherry along with some cardamom and mushroom on the nose. Very soft and delicious on the palate with good structure on the finish. Salmon steaks with dill grilled fingerling potatoes and portobello mushrooms.	Tommasi Le Gosse Pinot Grigio 2000 Region: Valdadige, Italy Varietal: Pinot Grigio Cost: about $8 This is a wine region that definitely produces many a stellar white. Here's a perfect example. Pinot Grigio with layers of flavor and backbone. Hailing from the "Etschtaler" as the German Italians call it, region in Italy it's perfect drinking for the 98°days we've been having. A peach, citrus and almost floral nose that bursts on your palate with the most refreshing sonata of tastes. Vitello tonnato, cool seafood salad seasoned with white wine and garlic. Brava!
Rancho Zabaco Heritage 1998 Zinfandel Region: Sonoma County, California Varietal: Zinfandel Cost: about $11 Excellent drinking value here folks. Dark and rich in On the nose you get, ripe blackberry, tar, eucalyptus and black cherries. Like velvet on the tongue but full of fleshy ripe fruit. An extremely lasting finish that ends with notes of chicory, toffee and tobacco. To sum it up, great stuff!	Francis Coppola Bianco 2000 Region: Napa, California Varietal: Chardonnay, Riesling, Muscat and Malvasia Price: about $9 This wine is a great find for sipping on your own, or entertaining. First reason: it's great, so you won't be embarrassed to serve it to your wine savvy buddies. Second, the different flavors and complexity you get from the blend of four varietals make it a great food wine. Hints of autumn fruit and spice with Normand cream makes me think this would sing with squash blossom ravioli in cream sauce.
	Chateau de Cruzeau Blanc Pessac 1998 Region: Bordeaux, France Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon Cost: about $8 Here’s a white that’s affordable and boasts some heft. Very rich, fruit forward style with notes of kumquat, peaches and tarragon. Made by one of Bordeaux’s white wine making experts: Denis Dubourdieu, this wine provides excellent drinking value for the price. Try it with fresh goat cheese and apricot salad.