Quick Rundown on New Wines to Try

Here are some wines that Megan and I have had the past few weeks and wanted to share with you guys.

Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc 2007 $17 (91pts WS)- Megan's favorite all-time wine!!! I actually found this wine at JMU when the Cool Group (Peter B., Liz A., and Lindsay G.) and myself were trying new wines for our Wine Class. Peter found this wine at Costco for just under $20. We thought we were living in high society with our $20 bottle of white wine!!! We always kept coming back to the Whitehaven SB when we would get together to grill out. Lets run down the flavor profile and you will understand why this has been one of our favorites for years.

Visual: Light Straw, with Lemon-Lime Tones. Medium Legs
Nose: Vibrant Currant, Gooseberry (or Sour Plums), Ripe Citrus (Lemon, Lime, Orange) You also get an ammonia type of smell that the experts say smells like "cat pee" but I don't like to use the term because it turns people off to SB. But it is very typical of New Zealand SB.
Palate: Full Flavored Medium Bodied Wine, Currant, Citrus, GRAPEFRUIT, Pineapple, Grass. When you think New Zealand SB think GRAPEFRUIT!

Great Sauvignon Blancs come from New Zealand only, not California. The Whitehaven is a gem if you can find it in your area. I know that VA carries a lot of Whitehaven. If you want me to get you a few bottles I will pick some up for you.


La Chapelle de la Bastide Picpoul de Pinet 2007 $9- This one is for you Pamsman!!! This past Christmas we had an abundance of customers asking for light, easy drinking, inexpensive whites for their parties. We got in a few cases of Picpoul in for around $10 a bottle and people couldn't get enough of this lighter cousin of the Chardonnay grape. The wines are green-gold in colour, full-bodied, and show tropical and lemon flavours. This is a great house wine just to have around when people come over so you don't have to break the bank. I have also found that both Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio drinking really like Picpouls because they tend to have the best of both wines. Fuller body from the Chardonnay and citrus from the PG.
Visual: Clear Golden Yellow with Greenish Hues, Medium Legs
Nose: Citrus, Earthy, Grass, Tropical Fruits (Pineapple and maybe Mangoes)
Palate: Bright Lemons, Limes, Grassy, Earthy, Crisp Acid


Wines I will be trying very soon:
Alma Negra 2005 (60% Bonarda & 40% Malbec),
Sausal Family Zinfandel Alexander Valley 2006

Chicken and Malbec?!?!

I picked up a couple bottles of Argentinian wine last night because at the store we are seeing a trend shifting away from Old World wines (French, Italian, German) to New World wines (Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, USA). There are two main reasons that winos like ourselves are venturing into these relatively unknown wines. BECAUSE THEY TASTE AWESOME!!! Sorry, I'm a little bias towards the New World wines.

These wines are so popular right now because of the price points. Your entry level Malbec is going to run you anywhere from $8-$12. But the real kicker is that your Malbec Reserves are going to be in that $15-$25 range. Also the American palate is geared towards fruit-forward wines. What i mean by this is that when you swirl it around and take a sip, the FIRST tastes that hit your tongue are fruit flavors (Cherries, Raspberries, Blackberries) then it finishes with Non-Fruit flavors (Vanilla, Chocolate, Oak, Cedar, Licorice). In Old World wines the first flavors are going to be Earthy or Non-Fruit flavors (Mushrooms, Barnyard, Hay, Leaves, Dirt, Bell Peppers) then on the finish you will get your fruit flavors (Cherries, Raspberries, Currants, Raisins) I know that Pamsman likes the Old World wines so I will not bash them to hard.

Enough of the wine class, lets get to the wine:

Pascual Toso Reserve Malbec 2007 Mendoza Argentina $17
Megan and I had this wine last night with Prosciutto and Roasted Red Pepper Stuffed Chicken. That's right I had RED WINE with CHICKEN. The seas have not parted and frogs are not falling from the sky. I'm crazy, I know. I have only two rules about drinking wine. 1) Drink what you enjoy even if you like Merlot with fish. 2) Never drink White Zinfandel, it's not really wine. This South American gem complimented the stuffed chicken very well. The saltiness of the prosciutto, creaminess of the aged provolone, and spice of the peppers made this chicken big enough to stand up to this monster Malbec.
Visual: Dark Magenta, Heavy Legs that coated the glass in a purple film for seconds.
Nose: Raspberries, Black Cherries, Oak, Chocolate, Currants
Palate: Raspberries, Blackberries, Chocolate, Licorice, Oaky Finish, Light Tannins on the end (tannins are what dries your mouth out, not always a bad thing)