Grapes With Dinner Goes Big Time!

Okay...well granted the owner of the shop that asked us to co-host a wine tasting is a friend of Dave's.  And sure, it was a small event in the little seaside town of Warren, RI...not really Times Square or even Wayland Square for that matter.  BUT it was the first time our name was in print and it was exciting!

Katie is the owner of a great shop in Warren on Water Street called the Wooden Midshipman (http://woodenmidshipman.blogspot.com/).  Water Street is quickly on it's way to becoming a premier East Bay destination with it's shops and restaurants paired with a fantastic water view.  The Wooden Midshipman carries local art and photography, books, jewelry, clothing, home decor, you name it that make perfect gifts for either yourself or someone in your life...I wanted one of everything!  If you're in the area be sure to stop by and check it out, I guarantee you don't leave empty handed.

Katie invited in the owner of a wine distributor called Sage Cellars for a complimentary wine tasting this past Thursday.  Jessie Sgro brought with him a 2011 Arbor Hill Riesling from the Finger Lakes region in upstate NY, as well as a Rose and a Chardonnay from Hendry Ranch Wines in Napa Valley, one of the oldest in that region having had it's beginning in 1939.  She asked Dave and I to be on hand to answer questions and she featured a few of our recommend wine reads in the store as well.

Let's start with the Riesling.  Not typically a Riesling drinker, I was pleasantly surprised by this clean, balanced, not "sickly sweet" wine.  It was great to see Germanic grapes being harvested so well in upstate New York to create a Riesling of this quality.  For those of you that say "I like sweet" this is a great wine to segue way you to some different flavors and varietals because you'll still get that sweetness that naturally comes in a Riesling but this is a semi dry wine that will prevent overkill.  If you are indulging in Chinese food or other Asian cuisine pour yourself a glass of this, it won't disappoint.

Next up is the Hendry Rose...bravo on this one, bravo.  I love a Rose in the summer as you all probably know by now.  This Rose is made with both Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon and is just exceptional...refreshing with notes of red fruit.  Serve this chilled with zesty marinated meats, garlic flavors, bleu cheese.  Dave would like to add that Rose should be served with colorful foods, so be sure to take note of that.  With the pink hue of the wine and bright vegetables and fruits in dishes, it does make for a much more fun plate.

As much as you know I like Rose in the summer, you likely know by now how much I loved an oaked Chardonnay, however, I have been experiencing a bit of a transition in recent months.  Unoaked Chardonnays have been grabbing my attention more and more these days, and the Chardonnay Jesse served this night was no exception.  This is entirely fermented in stainless steel with no malolactic fermentation incorporated into the process.  The result is a clean, crisp wine that is lighter in body than an oaked Chardonnay and has flavors of citrus and green apple.  This wine can take you right through fall cuisine as well--your roasts, stews, etc.  If you're not a red wine drinker this one will do you just fine.

You can pick up these great wines at Brickyard or Grapes and Grains in Barrington, RI, all extremely reasonably priced.  We hope to see Jesse again soon!

For our vegetarian reader that came from Middleboro, MA, we have a fabulous portobello mushroom dish we're trying out this week for you to pair with a Merlot (of course we'll be trying that as well so as to provide you with the best possible information we can....er...yeah, that's why).

Thanks again Katie, we'll be seeing you soon!!!

Dave and Trish