Friday, July 2, 2010

Friday Wine Tasting... Fourth of July Favorites

I have to admit since the start of summer I have been totally addicted to Rose. Recently having a few that were just brilliant and local finds. Last Friday Alicia, one of my brides, surprised me with a bottle of Rose from a local winery, Maugle Sierra Vineryards, here in Connecticut, and it was such a treat as we went into the weekend.
This weekend you must check out the calendar for the local wineries, there are so many spectacular things going on, from music series, to farmer's markets to having a picnic and sipping wine on their beautiful grounds. Thanks to Alica I have discovered a new winery that I must check out on the CT Wine trail. Their Rose was a real treat!

In addition to Rose, Zinfandel is a great wine to pair with food off of the grill. And one of my favorite cheapies is Gnarly Head, Old Vine Zinfandel, $9.99.


Lastly while searching the web for what the experts were saying about Fourth of July wines, I discovered a really interesting suggestion. That will be on my list for the weekend. Happy Fourth Everyone!


I’m going to take a pragmatic view here. Let’s say you are going to start getting ready in the afternoon, for whatever you do, meaning cracking a bottle of wine open and drinking it throughout the day. It’s probably going to be pretty warm out and there is a good chance that you might throw back a few drinks. This lead me to think, low alcohol, after all, heat stroke and dehydration are not very good ways to spend a paid day off.

Quick and dirty, Vino Verde, which means ‘green wine,’ is made in northern Portugal near the Spanish border. There are different styles including a red version but the region is known for its slightly frizzante wine that has 10 – 11% alcohol. It is usually made from one or a combination of Alvarinho, Loureiro and Trajadura. You want to get a wine from a recent vintage, preferably 2007, as it should be super fresh. My pick is Muralhas de Moncao Vinho Verde, 2007 ($13). It’s super clean and refreshing, with lime and a slightly salty minerality. Get two bottles as it goes down way to easy." - Pamela Busch, Owner & Wine Director at CAV Wine Bar & Kitchen, San Francisco

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