white wine

Alpha is the first letter of the greek alphabet. The choice of this name came from the initial letter of Amyndeon, the geographical location of the estate’s vineyards and additionally declares a quality term in the greek argo. Alpha Estate represents the "new beginning", the "birth" of a new era in the world of Greek wine. Makis Mavridis, the grapegrower, and Angelos Iatridis, the winemaker, planted a 33 ha vineyard in Amyndeon region in the late 1990’s.

Tasting Notes: This wine is made from the white grape "Malagouzia" and the wine displays incredible aromatics. This is a medium bodied white wine that shows wonderful pitted fruits of apricot and nectarine and a touch of pear. The wine is rich with great acidity and a creaminess that counters the acid (think creamsicle from Dicky-Dees). The wine is quite lively and is an exciting wine.

Food + Wine Pairing: Creamy cheeses, light seafood, shellfish, chicken. Consider this Chicken Gyros recipe

Columbia Valley, Washington State

The 2010 Gilbert Cellars Chardonnay comes from the same area and vineyard as the Red Left Bank offering. The Columbia Valley is equally as good for producing a variety of white grapes as it is red and Chardonnay grows ideally with the cool nights that help develop some mouth puckering acidity.

The fruit for the 2010 Chardonnay is sourced from the Doc Steward vineyard which is a designated AVA called Whaluke Slope. This Chardonnay from the Doc Stewart Vineyard was aged for 10 months sur lie in 100% French oak, of which only 15% was new. Every two weeks winemaker Justin Neufeld stirred the lees in the traditional process known as battonage, which adds soft texture to the palate.

Tasting notes: Bright aromas of lemongrass, vanilla, sweet melon and lilac lead into fresh, concentrated flavors of Bosc pear, Braeburn apple and rosewater followed by a light yet lingering lemon cake finish.

Food + Wine Pairing: creamy cow milk cheeses such as Camembert or Brie. White fish or rich shellfish such as crab or scallops. Consider Poached Halibut with Tomato and Fennel

Enjoy!

Cellar Door Price $36.95

Over the past week we have had some fun opening some unlikely suspects at the tasting bar in the shop. We were even successful in converting some die hard red wine drinkers to give a nod to lighter aromatic wines to have before dinner. As we escape the doldrums of January and complete our post New Years cleanses we all start to think about entertaining, dinner parties, Valentines day and upcoming bridal showers as the wedding season kicks off after Valentines Day.

The three recent wines tasted and recommended this week cover some unique varieties that are often overlooked and are worthy contenders for your next soiree or pre dinner sip.

First up is a lovely effervescent Moscato from Gomba Boschetti. Muscat has gotten a bad rap in the past and, no pun intended, started making a comeback last year as the Hip Hop scene started rhyming about this light bubble and made it a go to fizz. When done right, Muscat is an incredibly aromatic and floral wine with very low alcohol. The Moscato grape is grown all over the world and goes by a variety of names and clones. The Italian version is mostly known as Moscato d'Asti, which is generally a sweet and soft, low-alcohol, sparkling wine with typical aromas of peach and apricot.

The 2010 Gomba Boschetti Moscato (Italy, $17.95)shows a light effervescence in the glass and the initial nose is dominated by a punch of honey and apricot, then aromas of lemon meringue and soap candy push through. On the palate the wine has a sweet attack but finishes dry with a balanced acidity and lingering citrus notes. This Gomba Moscato could easily be served pre or post dinner, with lighter goat cheeses or dessert such as sweet Italian biscuits and ice cream.

Second up, and just in time for Valentine's Day, is the 2009 Zorzal Malbec Rose (Argentina, $15.95). Pouring this version of Malbec this past week was a bit of a shock to some who were expecting a full bodied Red from Mendozza but any red variety can be made in to Rose with just a tiny amount of skin contact in the initial wine making process. The Zorzal Rose starts with a touch of cranberry then opens to a fuller aroma of strawberry. The wine has a touch of residual sugar but finishes dry with balanced acidity. What we really liked about this wine was the spicy character. A great starter wine in the winter if you are serving some charcuterie and cheese for an opening appetizer (think Manchego cheese and mild chorizo sausages) or would be great with some Provencal inspired bouillabaisse.

The last wine in today's post that we served this week is a wonderful rendition of the ubiquitous Malvar Grape from Spain. You probably wouldn't think to try a wine called Malvar that comes in an orange hued bottle but the 2010 Zestos Malvar (Spain, $15.95) is an incredible value will make you a convert to this lovely brand and varietal. The 2010 Zestos is a bit of a contradiction on the palate and we think our friend, and Calgary Wine Blogger, Peter Vetsch, describes it best: "a creamy textured white with contrasting racy acidity. Citrus and tropical Fruit with hints of coconut, pineapple, grapefruit and mango on the nose that carry through on the palate." The wine also has a wonderful finish with some pretty racy acidity that might woo you away from considering sauvignon blanc for you choice. The Zestos is a great match with less sweet Thai Food, prawns / shellfish and would be fantastic with the Calamari from Crazy Weed Kitchen. Who's hungry now?

All wines are available in the shop and if we run out of stock will arrive back the following week.

Vancouver Island, B.C.

In a unique twist this week we have sourced some Pinot Gris from the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island. Normally we associate British Columbia wines with the Okanagan but grapes are also grown on the lower mainland, the Saanich Peninsula and Cowichan Valley. The Cowichan Valley lies approximately 50 km north of Victoria and is actually a very warm growing region. "Cowichan" means the "warm land" and is generally 5-8 degrees hotter than Victoria.

 Averill Creek Winery was founded by Andy and Wendy Johnston who are from Edmonton but relocated to the coast to establish a 40 acre vineyard and vertical flow winery on the slopes of Mount Prevost just north of Duncan. Since their first release the winery has acheived critical acclaim and specializes in Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris.

The 2008 Pinot Gris was barrel fermented in neutral French Oak. The wine is golden in color, with an aromatic nose of clover honey, spice and citrus. The wine has forward acidity and is a great food pairing wine. A wonderful food match would be West Coast smoked salmon with some mascarpone cream cheese with lemon zest!

Enjoy!

Cellar Door Price $19.95

Occasionally a wine comes along that makes you just say "wow."The 2010 Anselmi is one of those wines and is a blend of 90% Garganega and 10% Chardonnay. The grapes are grown on a hilltop named Foscarino in Soave in volcanic tuft soils which adds a saline minerality to the wine and the after pressing and fermentation the wine is is left on its natural lees or (dead yeast cells) for six months in stainless steel tanks. Leaving the wine on its lees gives the Foscarino an angelic aroma of the finest sourdough or fresh bread. Layered upon the wonderful toastiness are bright stone fruits, crisp apple, lemon zest and roasted almonds. This a very unique wine and would be fantastic over the holidays or with Christmas dinner.

Cellar Door Price: $31.95

Wondering what to drink on the 25^th? Make your Christmas and Holiday dinner seamless with our assortment of wines that pair perfectly with your holiday feast. Start with festive Bubbles, then enjoy fantastic Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with your turkey or ham then finish with some sweet Muscat.

The Cellar Door Christmas basket includes:

• 1 x Evans & Tate Zamphire Sparkling, Australia

The palate is fresh and crisp. Crunchy green apple, white peach and melon flavours dominate with time on yeast lees adding a delicate creamy note and texture.

• 2 x 2009 Joel Gott Chardonnay, California

A refreshing and crisp un-oaked chardonnay from Monterey. Aromas of nectarine, tree fruits and zingy lime.

• 2 x 2009 Waitiri Creek “Drummer” Pinot Noir, New Zealand

Rich on the nose, the wine displays classical raspberry and cherry notes.  The palate displays bramble characters, and some sweet dark fruits supported by oak and an integrated tannin structure.

• 1x Chambers Rutherglen Muscat, Australia

Smoke, roasted nuts, coffee, brown sugar, maple syrup, prunes, honey, fruitcake, overripe orange/apricots, and remarkable spicy characters. Yummy.

• One Cellar Door Gift Bag

Total Price including tax = $161.39

Victoria, Australia

Tahbilk was established in 1860 and is Victoria's oldest family owned winery. The vines for this wine were planted in 1927 and are some of the oldest Marsanne vines in the world. The wine has aromas of citrus, honey and peach with a touch of mineral and on the palate it is full bodied with crisp acidity.

Cellar Door Price: $19.95

Santa Cruz County, California

The vineyards from which the grapes for this wine are sourced lie on the Santa Cruz coast and are cooled by ocean breezes. This Pinot Gris is full of peach and nectarine aromas and has a creamy, full-bodied mouth feel that leads to a smooth palate coating finish.

Cellar Door Price: $22.95

Bairrada, Portugal

A blend of Arinto, Bical and Chardonnay. Exotic fruit with a toasty character on the nose and a creamy full bodied texture balanced beautifully by the juicy acidity.

Cellar Door Price: $18.95