The rites of spring abound in this month’s wine picks with a German May Wine from Leonard Kreusch that is perfect for front porch swinging, swilling and swirling. The Zinfandel from Paso Robles that I have picked is the perfect grilling wine for the diehard backyard chefs that will put anything that will stand still long enough into a smoker. A new twist on our old favorite Pinot Noir is a Pinotage from South Africa with its smokey influences. Finally one of my favorite white wines for the onslaught of summer is a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc that will not overwhelm one with too much grapefruit but enough acidity to dance on the tongue. If none of these are to your taste please come see me at County Line. I have 3011 more choices for you to choose from.
LEONARD KRUSCH, 2011 MAY-WINE, MOSEL, GERMANY $ 8.28 – May Wine is a German rite of spring, with its annual appearance on May Day, a holiday enthusiastically observed by both younger and older Europeans alike, where villagers would erect a tall trunk of a pine tree decorated with ribbons then dance and sing to celebrate the new season. This coincides with the blooming of Waldmeister or Sweet Woodruff, a forest plant that is traditionally dried and steeped in white wine overnight imparting a festive herbal fragrance and a hint of vanilla to the wine.
VAN RUITEN, 2008 OLD VINE ZINFANDEL, PASO ROBLES, CA - $13.45 – 86% Zinfandel and 14% Petite Sirah is the blend that makes up this not so little Zinfandel from Lodi. A perfect place for growing Zinfandel and Petite Sirah due to the even sun exposure and long warm nights. The grapes for this Zin were hand-selected from the first vineyard John Van Ruitten planted in 1952. Packed full of blackberry, cherry and blueberry jam flavors which lead into barrel aromas of coffee and cedar rounding out this amazing Zinfandel’s flavor profile.
SOUTHERN RIGHT, 2007 PINOTAGE, WALKER BAY, SOUTH AFRICA - $19.99 - Southern Right is redefining Pinotage with this intense classically styled, clay-grown wine, packed with complex berry fruit, beautiful tannins and subtle wood spice. Full ripeness and the longer hang-time afforded by cooler sites, combined with the complex, more classic fruit aromas and structure resulting from clay-rich soil, make this wine a highly individual expression of South Africa's unique grape variety. Smokey and fleshy, but with good aromatics and vibrancy lead to black currant, fig, roasted sage and bramble notes. WS 90
STARBOROUGH, 2008 MARLBOROUGH, SAUVIGNON BLANC - $14.46 -The Marlborough district of New Zealand’s South Island has set the world standard for crisp Sauvignon Blanc wines. Marlborough is on the east coast of the island, with a ridge of mountains to the west, which limits rainfall and helps make it one of the sunniest areas of New Zealand. The long, cool growing season helps the wines of this region to develop rich layers of flavor with a distinctive, refreshing character of citrus and ripe tropical fruit with some herbal notes. WS 80
These wines and many more can be found at County Line. Your “Citiscapes Magazine” Award Winning Wine Selection for 2010. I can be found here Tuesday through Saturday for any of your entertaining and wine related questions. Let me help you put together the perfect wedding, rehearsal dinner, reception or bachelor/bachelorette party. This is what we do and we do it well.
Enjoy
Mark Hatwig
