I take my wine seriously and want to learn more. So today I bought a couple of bottles of sparkling wine.
Last week I felt like I needed to write my newspaper column about bubbly since New Year's Eve was approaching. But I had to do it based on research and virtually zero personal experience. Frankly, I can't remember the last time I even tasted champagne or sparkling wine. It's been a long time.
So I wrote the column, which I'll post to the blog next week. And today I picked up a couple of bottles of sparking wine to get a better feel for those wines.
The wine I opened tonight - New Year's Eve - was a Spanish "A. Duboy" sparkling white wine. I could find very little about the Spanish winery but I did enjoy it more than I thought I would. I 'm not a big white wine fan, though there are whites I like.
This bubbly was pretty easy to drink. The bubbles were rather modest. Anyone who has ever had a champagne-like product may have had the bubbles in the nose sort of feel and this wine had nothing like that. I would describe the Duboy by saying the bubbles were restrained.
The wine was aromatic and had a definite hint of grapefruilt for me. It was easy to drink. I struggled to form a real opinion about it but I'm sure as I open the next bottle or the next I'll then start to build a base for what I like. It was okay, enjoyable, the bubbles were fun and it was easy to drink.
I paid $15.95 for this bottle at Deano's Vino in Fountian Square in Indianapolis, though I did find it a little cheaper online.
I also picked up a bottle of sparkling Pinot Noir from Spain today I'll try another time. I'm headed back to Indy Saturday and may buy another.
Yes, New Year's Eve is the big time for sparkling or bubbly wines. But they are also popular for summer weddings and special occasions throughout the year. I want to know more about such wines. The only way to do it is to drink some!
Happy 2009!!
Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
May 2009 Bring You Great Happiness and Good Health
I bought some sparkling wine today and going to open one tonight - New Year's Eve. I'll do a post later (typos included) or write it up tomorrow. It's a sparkler from Spain!
Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com
Saturday, December 27, 2008
A Great Way to Develop an Interest in Italian Wines
One of the fears of doling out advice as I do in my every-other-week newspaper column is a sense of responsibility. I really have this desire to help people enjoy better wine.
So when I suggest a particular wine or a particular grape, I do try to consider it carefully.
There aren't many folks who haven't had some sort of red italian wine with some pasta - even if you're not a wine drinker. Many of us, me included, started with Riunite Lambrusco from the grocery store. Riunite got me started drinking wine. And if it wasn't that for you, it was probably white zinfindal. The path to wine appreciation starts with very humble origins indeed.
Lambrusco dates back to Roman times in Italy. It's an old and noble grape that today is best known for it's cheap supermarket product, though it can be used - and is - to make other wines.
But we are all more serious about our wines now, right; so we are looking for something a bit more sophisticated. I'd recommend a Dolcetto wine. This evening I opened a nice bottle of Dolcetto D' Alba and enjoyed it with some dynamite pasta.
The wine was a 2005 from the San Guilio region. San Guilio is an island in the Piedmont region in northern Italy. This particular wine, (I couldn't find a picture of the label) was a very nice, easy to drink, and enjoyable. Dolcetto means "little sweet one," but the wine is a dry wine that goes great with pasta, pizza, or similar foods.
It is easy to drink and that's the key. Italian wines can be big, bold, acidic and challenging for the average wine drinker. That's why I think a Dolcetto D' Alba is a great introduction to Italian wines.
The wines also fall easily into the category of under $20. You can find them in almost any wine store. Good ones are often no more than $9-$12. So here is a case where I'm recommending a grape. It will get you into the wonderful Old World style wines of Italy.
Graduation ceremonies include Barolos and Brunellos! I'll write about those one of these days too! I wish they came in under $20 but those are much bigger and much more expensive bottles of juice!
And since this blog is supposed to complement my wine newspaper column, I should throw in a quick explanation. Note I didn't offer the name of the particular bottle I had this evening. It's not important. When I write about old world wines, it's largely about Europe. And with France and Italy, in particular, wines are known for the region and much less the name of the producer.
So with that next pasta dish, try a Dolcetto D' Alba. They're easy to find. I think you'll like it.
Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com
So when I suggest a particular wine or a particular grape, I do try to consider it carefully.
There aren't many folks who haven't had some sort of red italian wine with some pasta - even if you're not a wine drinker. Many of us, me included, started with Riunite Lambrusco from the grocery store. Riunite got me started drinking wine. And if it wasn't that for you, it was probably white zinfindal. The path to wine appreciation starts with very humble origins indeed.
Lambrusco dates back to Roman times in Italy. It's an old and noble grape that today is best known for it's cheap supermarket product, though it can be used - and is - to make other wines.
But we are all more serious about our wines now, right; so we are looking for something a bit more sophisticated. I'd recommend a Dolcetto wine. This evening I opened a nice bottle of Dolcetto D' Alba and enjoyed it with some dynamite pasta.
The wine was a 2005 from the San Guilio region. San Guilio is an island in the Piedmont region in northern Italy. This particular wine, (I couldn't find a picture of the label) was a very nice, easy to drink, and enjoyable. Dolcetto means "little sweet one," but the wine is a dry wine that goes great with pasta, pizza, or similar foods.
It is easy to drink and that's the key. Italian wines can be big, bold, acidic and challenging for the average wine drinker. That's why I think a Dolcetto D' Alba is a great introduction to Italian wines.
The wines also fall easily into the category of under $20. You can find them in almost any wine store. Good ones are often no more than $9-$12. So here is a case where I'm recommending a grape. It will get you into the wonderful Old World style wines of Italy.
Graduation ceremonies include Barolos and Brunellos! I'll write about those one of these days too! I wish they came in under $20 but those are much bigger and much more expensive bottles of juice!
And since this blog is supposed to complement my wine newspaper column, I should throw in a quick explanation. Note I didn't offer the name of the particular bottle I had this evening. It's not important. When I write about old world wines, it's largely about Europe. And with France and Italy, in particular, wines are known for the region and much less the name of the producer.
So with that next pasta dish, try a Dolcetto D' Alba. They're easy to find. I think you'll like it.
Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Merry Christmas to My Loyal Readers!
A very Merry Christmas from Grape Sense!
Howard Hewitt
Crawfordsville, Indiana
Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com
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