The March WineTimers meeting commenced on Friday March 12th at Nancy and Mike’s. They planned a picnic theme and despite 30 some degrees and a stiff wind off the Lake, Mike grilled fabulous bratwurst from Superior Meats out on his patio. As he said, the weather wasn’t a great deal different than some of the days we have during the summer when the wind is strong off of Lake Superior, with fog and heavy mist.
WineTimers were introduced to 3 wonderful wines prior to our picnic fare. The first up was a 2005 Monterey County Pinot Noir called Irony. The description boasted “layers of sweet cherry, fresh raspberries,cola and earthy mushrooms”. We weren’t too sure about the “mushroom” flavor, but found the wine to be a very pretty, light red wine that would be an excellent accompaniment to any picnic. Mike and Nancy invited the group to share a story of “irony” in our lives, and that provided many laughs for the group… “Embracing Life’s Strange Twists”.
The next featured wine was a 2008 Domaine Pichot Vouvray from the Jean-Claude Pichot winery (France), produced in the family tradition, dating back to 1734. This wine is described as a “fresh, floral chenin blanc with crisp acidity and rich concentration, the Vouvray is slightly dry, pure and intense”. I don’t think anyone goes immediately to vouvray, when we think about a white wine, but what a wonderful selection for a very early Spring(?) picnic.
The third offering of the night is a special wine that Mike discovered at an event at the Kitchee Gammi Club in Duluth, MN. The Triton 2005 Vinas Del Cenit (Spain) hails from the remote region of Zamora, where they have cultivated a unique clone of Tempranillo for centuries. For this wine, small, hand harvested clusters of fully matured grapes were carefully chosen from 100 year old vines which have grown as thick as one’s torso. “The wine has an elegant balance of ripe red fruit flavors and a delicate spiciness. A hint of dark chocolate completes the long finish”. This is a very “grown-up”, rich red wine that is now on my list of favorites. Although not usually available in our area, it can be found online.
Last but definitely not least, Nancy provided a chocolate experience for all. Chocolat by Quintessential Chocolates (California Cabernet), a European style liquid center chocolate with a sugar crust creating a barrier for the true Liqueur Praline found inside. The key is to place the entire piece in our mouth, then bite to capture all of the liquid essence. This was a wonderful chocolate experience and what can be better than chocolate and wine in one bite!
The WineTimers enjoyed a wonderful picnic with fabulous wine and look forward to our next meeting as we forge ahead in our quest to learn about and sample different wines of the world. So much wine… so little time…
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