Weinert? Argentine Wine that'll blow your mind!

I've wanted to go to Argentina for a long time. I want to see the wineries in Mendoza and I also am a huge fan of beef and dulce de leche. I know that I'll start singing "What's new Buenos Aires! I'm new..." and embarrass myself. I've always liked the jammy Malbecs and the floral Torrontes. When I worked at Zachys, Argentina was a go-to region.  Newcomers to wine find it lush, accessible and consistent. Other boozers like the price. I was getting a little bored with wines in the $10-$20 category from Argentina. I felt like there wasn't a ton of diversity in this New World arena. That is... until... I tasted wines from Bodegas de Weinert.


Weinert isn't new to the scene like some Juanie-come-latelies. They've been around since the '70s (like me). They were the very first wine to be reviewed (& highly I might add) by Robert Parker. They produce a distinct old-world style of wine. They are thoughtful wines full of character.

Bodega Weinert was founded in 1975 by Bernardo Weinert who has a passion for wine. German sounding name confusing you?  The Weinerts are from a German colony in Brazil.  He searched high and low for the perfect locations for his vineyards. He worked with the legendary winemaker, Don Raul de la Mota, who at 91 years old passed away earlier this week.
They make several tiers of wine. They have a great big earthy old world-style Malbec that you would think was from France. I also fell in love with the 2002 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, and I’m not a Cabernet Sauvignon fanatic. It was the Carrascal Blanco (Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc) that I found unusual and delicious. I’ve also never had/seen this combination on the shelves or wine lists here in NYC.
Chenin Blanc is usually found in the Loire Valley where it is manifested in various degrees of sweetness. South Africa also grows quite a bit and sometimes they call it Steen. This is usually a steely, green apple, dry style. Sauvignon Blanc, we’re all familiar with, but this too is famously grown in the Loire Valley, albeit a little deeper into the heart of France in the Sancerre region.
This is an unusual blend for Argentina, but the Weinerts are always experimenting with grapes. The Carrascal Blanco is a blend of 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Chenin Blanc. They have about 2 acres of Chenin- this comes from the Iduna vineyard; named after their vivacious daughter. The vines are 30+ years old.  There is some Chenin grown in Argentina, but it’s mainly destined for cheap sparkling wine. This Sauvignon Blanc-Chenin is stainless steel fermented and hangs out on its lees (dead yeast cells) for 3-4 months. Malolactic fermentation gets down there on the lees transforming the wine into a soft creamy goodness, and yet it maintains very fresh acidity. This really gives the wine a more complex personality (like me & Iduna).

I had the privilege of tasting this wine with Miss Iduna Weinert herself! She we swirled sniffed and sipped this together at the Chelsea Wine Vault.

Color: pale lemon
Nose: Iduna says (and I concur) the Chenin dominates the aroma. There is a beautiful spun honey, sweet cream butter, macadamia nut and Iduna also says butternut squash (something I would have NEVER come up with, but she is right on!)
Palate: The Sauvignon Blanc dominates the palate with fresh lemon-lime zestiness.  There is a zippy lemongrass and sweetpea that rounds it out

Iduna and I enjoying some Weinert at a NYC trade tasting

If you are lucky enough, you may catch a glimpse of Iduna Weinert. She is the sassy Weinert ambassadress to the world can be seen promoting and educating wine drinkers on her family's wine.  When  you see any bottle of Weinert on the shelf or on a wine list -- grab it.  You won't be disappointed!!

Yessir I Cider!! Eden Ice Cider NV Vermont

I am upfront about my sweet tooth.  I will also confess my weakness for artisinal products.  You can just imagine my delight when I found myself presenting next to Eden Vermont Ice Cider at a trade tasting recently in Massachsusetts.   This was one the the highlights of the tasting! 

I, like 80% of the other thirsty folk that stopped by the table assumed that Ice Cider is made with frozen apples (because that's how icewine is made.. from grapes that have frozen on the vine).  Eleanor of Eden patiently told me and consequently everyone else, that apples fall from the tree.  Aha!  They don't freeze ON the tree.  This liquid dessert is made from the Cider that has been frozen not from apples that have been frozen.  Aha!!  So it is as the name suggests: ICE CIDER -- frozen cider.

Eleanor and her husband Albert (French pronunciation here please) use 11 differnt varieties of apples to make just the right blend of for the Ice Cider.  The largest percentages are Empire, MacIntosh, Northern Spy (see apple above) and various other "french cider apples" as Eleanor charmingly puts it.  The thought of a "french cider apple" makes me feel all warm and tarte tatin-y inside.  This duo has worked hard at creating just the right balance for the blend.  Cider apples are broken down into several categories such as sweet, bittersweet, sharp and bittersharp.  Each have different levels of tanin and acidity.

Eleanor and Albert Leger lucky owners of Eden Ice Cider

Back to the Ice Cider... around November, when the apples are at their peak; they are picked and pressed.   They pour the precious cider into special plastic containers and leave them outside to freeze in the bracing Vermont air.  They are in the way northern tippy-top of Vermont so there's no worry of it not freezing.  Once the cider is completely frozen they bring it inside to thaw.  This is where the delicate cider trickles down and percolates through the ice - that takes about 3-4 days.  Then it is fermented using a Riesling yeast.  I thought that was really interesting!  Eleanor says that particular strain works well with the high sugar levels of the apple juice.  Interesting indeed.   Meanwhile, there is  huge carcass of ice bereft of it's cider that apparently just hangs out in the yard 'til it naturally melts.  Considering where they are in Vermont; it could be June or July!  Just kidding. I'm sure they get to wear shorts there at some point during the year!

What does it taste like?  Amazing.  So light and pure.  It really tastes good for you,  I felt like I was really doing myself a favor by drinking it!  When she told me that there are about 8lbs. of apples that go into every bottle - I felt like maybe I'd had my fiber for the day!

color: golden yellow

nose: golden delicious apples, it smells just like cider

palate: not cloyingly sweet, very delicate, pure apple, creaminess, honey and baking spices.

http://www.edencider.com/

Wait! Wait! Rosé Me! A Confession to Drinking Rosé After Labor Day!

The leaves are changing color; they're falling on the ground, The pumpkins are out.  Candy corn is on display at Rite Aid.  Today, even though there was a nip in the air and I wore a sweater; I wore my open toe sandals. I saw some people on the subway doing the same and smile a conspiritorial smirk.  We hardly had a summer!  I'm not letting go that easily either!  One way of not letting go is drinking rosé.

Ok, it might not be sweltering out.  You may have lost your tan.  You might not be in the south of France, the Hamptons, or poolside; but you can still drink pink wine.  It's like wearing white after Labor Day - it's okay to drink rosé after September! That's right!! You can drink it all year long.  Drink it at Thanksgiving - it pairs better with Turkey than Zinfandel and all those other big reds magazines would have you believe.

Actually, now is a great time to buy rosé.  A lot of retailers are freaked out that they still have inventory. They might feel like discounting them.  I just bought a couple of Roses that I plan on sipping whilst wearing my flops and shades. , Domaine La Croix Belle's Grenache-Syrah from Languedoc, Calera's Pinot Noir rosé from California, Rizzardi's Bardolino Chiaretto from Italy.  All of these wines were around $10 even though they used to be around $15-$18. I love a bargain. 

Rosé has the reputation in the US as being a seasonal wine.  This is a huge leap from 5-10 years ago when rosé were only thought of as sweet wines. Now, most of the rosé in stores (in the Northeast anyway) are on the dry side.  It's tricky for importers, distributors, and retailers to calculate how much rosé to either carry or bring in.   Everyone is terrified of being stuck with older vintages of rosé. You probably saw 2008 rosé in your wine stores.  There may have been an odd 2007 - but you'd better believe that your retailer was getting a great deal. However, even though we drink rosés young, fresh 'n fruity; some of them can age for a few years if they are made well. 

What is rosé? Some of you oldies might still call it Blush?  Well stop it! Don't make me cringe!  It's rosé.  If you want to speak Italian, call it a  rosato.  If you are really cool and drinking a Pinot Noir rosé, maybe you'll refer to it as a vin gris  Rosé wine is made from the juice of red grapes.  The color is from the contact with the grape skins.  Some times it is quite minimal - like hours, sometimes it can be a few days.  The longer the contact with the skins, the deeper the color and more taninns the wine will show. Sometimes Roses can be an orangy salmon color (just like Champagne rosé) and sometimes they can be a very light but intense violet. I am a sucker for the ones that look like fruit punch.  Thank you Scaldabrone rosé from Antinori (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah). 

Buonchristi's small production Rose of Syrah is amazingly full-bodied and spicy.   I bought a case of Lechthaler's Lagrein Rosato.  I still have about 6 bottles left.  I'm not worried.  The acidity is so good that the wine will last for a couple of years.

Don't be a fad follower.  If you like your rosé, don't be afraid to drink it year round.  Yes, rosé tastes amazing with a salade nicoise while dining al fresco - however, that is just ONE pairing.  Rosé can give a warmth that can give you comfort during your next Nor'easter.