Reading and Sharing About Wine — Almost As Much Fun As Tasting
One of my favorite pastimes is tasting wine. It is a pleasure to sip and discover what is in the glass. That is the obvious first choice as a path to exploring new wines. I also savor reading about wines as a second path. In my recent reading, I found a couple wines that I wanted to share with you. These both have large enough productions that you may be able to find them at retailers in your area. I found these in the Wine Spectator sneak preview buying guide. Again, it’s not completely about the rating; yet, with a good one, it makes it worth trying,
First, here’s a Chardonnay to be on the look-out for. Chardonnay represents about 20% of the wine sales by varietal, and this wine looks to be a great choice for everyday drinking:
Columbia Crest Chardonnay – Columbia Valley Grand Estates 2012 -$12
“Silky and seductive with pear and spicy grapefruit flavors on a taut, polished frame, lingering with intensity and brightness on the glowing finish. Impressive for the price.
Drink now. 160,000 cases made. –H.S.”
With the holiday season just around the corner, parties, celebrations and family time will predominate; and this second wine may be just what’s needed. It’s always good to have some sparkling wine on hand to toast the season:
Mumm Napa Brut Prestige — Napa Valley – $22
“Packs a lot of complexity for the price, offering aromas of apple, fresh ginger and rubber. The flavors are crisp and layered with notes of raspberry and spice. Drink now. 173,000 cased made. –H.S.”
Here’s a comment about this wine from Mumm’s website: “If you asked winemaker Ludovic Dervin to name the quintessential Napa Valley Sparkling wine, his answer would inevitably be Brut Prestige. Our signature cuvée, this versatile wine is sourced from more than 50 prime Napa Valley vineyards to create an infinitely elegant, gorgeously balanced wine. Delicate golden peach color, tantalizing hints of melon, spice and toasty vanilla, with a crisp lingering finish. This sparkling wine has won more medals at major wine competitions than any other wine in its class.”
This sparkling wine could fit the bill for many occasions as we head into the holiday season, when it’s time to celebrate or simply add some effervescence to your day!
Enjoy!