NCWC DOOMSDAY TASTING 12/21/12 SMOKESCREEN CHARDONNAY 2010 It’s true, the Mayan calendar runs out on the winter solstice of 2012, which of course is today. Some believe that equals disaster; I think the calendar just starts over (duh). In any …
NCWC BUBBLY TASTING, 12/19/12 LaMARCA PROSECCO We’ll be bouncing all over the world during this tasting, starting with Italy. This is “a delicate, well-balanced Prosecco, showing a good blend of baked apple, tart lemon and grapefruit, with a lightly creamy …
NCWC “TOP SHELF” TASTING 12/14/12 DUCKHORN NAPA VALLEY MERLOT 2010 “With firm tannins and exceptional length, this is a lovely and age-worthy wine that shows how much Merlot can excel in a cooler growing season. The aromas are rich and …
NCWC 90 POINT TASTING 12/7/12 BROKENWOOD SEMILLON 2010 As energetic and bouncy on the palate as a gold medal gymnast on the floor exercise, this Australian Semillon shows off “high-pitched, mineral-driven aromas of lemon zest, talc and spearmint. Taut and …
NCWC ZINFANDEL TASTING 11/30/12 GLORY DAYS 2010 LODI ZINFANDEL Midway between the Sierra Foothills and San Francisco Bay Delta, Lodi is home to a number of excellent Zinfandel vineyards, including those farmed for decades by the Van Ruiten family. Their …
NCWC “COMFORT WINE” TASTING 11/24/12 PINE RIDGE CHENIN BLANC-VIOGNIER 2011 As comfortable and refreshing as a cool breeze on a warm summer day, “this distinctive blend opens with a dazzling spectrum of fruit and floral aromas, from crisp white peach, …
Some Thanksgiving history to go with our tasting notes: NCWC THANKSGIVING WINE TASTING 11/16/12 J VINEYARDS BRUT ROSE The first Thanksgiving lasted 3 days. The Pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians might have kept going longer if they’d had a few cases …
NCWC BUBBLY TASTING 11/7/12 SEGURA VIUDAS HEREDAD BRUT RESERVA You might have trouble deciding what’s prettier, the bottle or what’s inside it. “A selection of macabeo and parellada grown at estate vineyards in the Alt Penedes, Reserva Heredad is a …
Wine hero Sterling Rubicon reappears in this special Hallo-Wine Edition of tasting notes! RHIANNON (WELSH WITCH) RED 2010 Sterling Rubicon is a wine hero for the ages, a man among men, strong and unshakeable, fearless in the face of danger. …
SIKA WINES WITH WINEMAKER PARIS DRIGGERS 10/19/12 SIKA CHARDONNAY 2010 Sika Wine is a boutique winery orchestrated by long-time wine professional Paris Driggers and wine lover, Rodger Grove. Sika was founded in 2009 in an effort to bring well known, …