Wine

This biodynamically farmed McLaren Vale shiraz from Yangarra Estate is a good symbol of where Australian wine is at.

Biodynamically farmed, matured in old oak, and with a future ahead of it.

Mike Bennie has already reviewed the varietal Drawcard Shiraz 2010 here. Quality wise it and this Shiraz Mataro blend are pretty much on a par.

Yangarra’s viognier is an excellent advertisement for the variety. Only 173 dozen made. Matured in old oak.

The country pub. It’s uniquely English. Popped down to the White Horse at Hedgerley today where an ale festival was underway. Together with brothers in law William and Dominic, I supped several different ales in the warm spring sunshine. This is a pub that cares about cask ale, and knows how to keep it in good condition. We tried a number of different ales. First, Moongazer from Tring Brewery. This is a deep coloured ale with lovely sweet flavours and a bit of hoppiness. Great balance. Second, a pale beer called Pictish Lambzilla. This is fresh, light, bright, fruity and hoppy. Easy to drink, but could have done with just a touch more complexity? These three beers were lovely. The Coco du Mer from Wood Street Brewery is a porter style, all dark and chocolatey with some malt and a touch of savoury bitterness. I liked it; the others didn’t. Kennedy’s Carouse, from Holden, is pretty special: an unusual herbal ale with some apple notes. Distinctive and lively. And finally, the Epicurion from Mallinsons was one of the stand-outs: this is pale yellow in colour and has amazing bright lemony fruit. Citrussy and fine with nice complexity, and a lot of drinkability.

craig.camp posted a photo:

Nice golden hued Chard with an awesome bouquet sporting loads of honeysuckle on the rim and orange blossom mixed in. Creme Brulee, ripe pineapple and tropical fruit compote. Very nice!Palate-Racy acidity with mouth filling flavors of honey, ripe citrus, tropical fruit salad, and a finish that hangs on with Chardonnay goodness.This wine is the last of the wines I was sent from the good folks at Holman Ranch and somehow I unwittingly saved their best for last. This is their $28 offering and since I commented on their previous wines that I thought they were a bit overpriced, this Chardonnay is under priced--if anything--for what you get.It is crisp, and will pair well with food which I shall do in a few minutes coupling it with steamed little neck Clams and sauteed bay scallops. But it is also the kind of wine that would be great with a chill on it (not too much) and enjoyed on the porch enjoying a nice summer day so raise a glass or a case of this value Chardonnay from Carmel Valley!--A Review from The Wine Cask Blog. Creative Commons: Attribution - ShareAlike 2.5 applies

In the minds of many thoughtful and fun-loving Americans, Memorial Day represents the unofficial (or perhaps really official) opening of the outdoor cooking or grilling season. In honor of the day and of the entire concept of charring meat and vegetables over hot coals, I offer nine red wines of varying degrees of robustness, heartiness, rusticity and whack-’em-upside-the-head flavorishiness. We touch many bases here in terms of grape varieties, countries and regions, but you will see no merlot, pinot noir or cabernet sauvignon, just because that’s the way I feel today. Let’s shine a little light on bonarda, barbera and petite sirah! (I slightly modify what I said about cabernet; there’s a touch in a blend of one of these wines. As usual with the Weekend Wine Sips, the focus, the intensity, the concentration is on the wines themselves, characterized in brief but pithy and, I hope, provocative reviews. So light that fire, throw on a haunch of goat and enjoy the beginning of summer. These wines were samples for review or were tasted at trade events. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Concannon Conservancy Petite Sirah 2009, Livermore Valley. 14.2% alc. Dark ruby-purple with an opaque center; dark in every sense but quite drinkable; black olive, leather, fruitcake; black currants, black raspberries and plums; graphite and grainy tannins permeate luscious black fruit flavors; lively and dynamic. A heavy-lifter but light on its feet. Needs a steak or a burger, preferably with bleu cheese and grilled onions. Very Good+. About $15. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Bocelli Sangiovese 2011, Rosso Toscana, Italy. 13% alc. 100% sangiovese. Produced by the family of the well-known performer Andrea Bocelli; though he is a tenor, this wine devolves to bass-notes; starts with a medium ruby color; fresh, bright, spicy and appealing; then robust, dense and chewy, lots of weight for the plum, black and red currant fruit; fairly tannic and earthy; demands hearty fare, like sausages grilled to a turn or barbecue ribs. Very Good+. About $15. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Greg Norman Shiraz 2010, Limestone Coast, Australia. 14.5% alc. Dark ruby color with a magenta rim; deep, warm, spicy; large-framed, intense and concentrated, yet deftly balanced and well-knit; very ripe and spicy black fruit scents and flavors imbued with hints of leather, tobacco, mint, bitter chocolate and graphite; pretty damned sleek, highly appealing and drinkable but with a foundation of dusty tannins. Excellent. About $15, representing Good Value. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Luca Bosio Barbera d’Asti 2011, Piedmont, Italy. 13% alc. 100% barbera grapes. Lovely medium ruby color; very charming, made all in stainless steel for freshness and brightness; red and black currants with a touch of plums; moderately spicy and herbal in the cloves and dried thyme ranges; manageable tannins lend support, keen acidity keeps it honest. Grilled chicken with a coffee-cumin rub perhaps? Very Good+. About $16. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Borsao Berola 2009, Campo de Borja, Spain. 14.5% alc. 70% garnacha, 20% syrah, 10% cabernet sauvignon. Tightly focused and intense, dusty tannins and grippy iron-iodine mineral elements; still, there are ripe, dark, spicy black and blue fruit flavors, hints in the bouquet of dried currants and baking spices; foresty, with touches of moss underbrush; savory, rolls on the palate. Begs for a medium-rare ribeye steak, hot and crusty from the grill. Very Good+. About $16 in my neck of the woods; priced from $12 to $17 around

Last weekend, the 2013 Manhattan Cocktail Classic roared into town like a well-dressed, well-fueled, steam train.  Second in scope only to Tales of the Cocktail (held every year in New Orleans), it is New York’s stamp on the spirits world.  Now in its third year, the MCC kicked off the four-day festivities by holding its Gala at the New York Public Library (yes, Ghostbusters fans, that library.  And yes, at night). But this year, the Gala was ratcheted up to a new level of greatness by the addition of one aspect: the NY Spirits Room.  For the first time, amongst what is an inevitable crush of huge liquor brands, the state of NY paid for a room to feature 24 established, as well as newly launched, New York craft distillers.  To read more, check out my piece for The New York Cork Report:  ”New York Spirits Steal the Show at the 2013 Manhattan Cocktail Classic Gala.” Below are some pics I took from the gala.  Unfortunately, I was not able to document the Library Ghost floating amongst the stacks…but don’t you doubt, she’s there…

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