Summer Wine Picks – Ted’s Corner May 2021

Okay, it is time to shed the past, (i.e. winter and masks) and start thinking about the summer!  It is time to store or finish off the red wine in your house and open and enjoy a chilled bottle of the following:

Bright yellow color, delicate bouquet of dried pineapple and peach. Full and rich in flavor, yet mineral and refreshing. Fine aromatic flavor to the end.

Country: Italy
Region: Piedmont
Type: Wine

Avito means 'ancestral', and it is this focus on longstanding Italian family traditions of enjoying good food and good wine.

Winemaker Notes
Brilliant with pale yellow with green hues. The nose has hints of citrus fruit and white fruity like peach. The palate is fresh and lively attack, notes of grapefruit and lemon. Persistent freshness on the finish.

Pairs well with aperitif, seafood, oysters, shellfish, and fish.

Winemaker Notes
This is a young, fresh white wine with the characteristic bright acidity and aromas of peach and grapefruit. Nortico is light and delicate, lovely as a "porch-sipping wine" to drink on its own. Have it simply with corn bread and butter like country folks do in Portugal. Also a terrific seafood wine, particularly with salty, fattier dishes like fish tacos or broiled oysters. Recommended serving temperature is 50F (10C) so the citrus and fruit aromas are well present.

Region -
Portugal / Minho
Wine style -
Northern Portugal White

Bobal is a red grape grown in the area of Utiel-Requena and Manchuela, whose main characteristics are its high yields, excellent acidity, and high polyphenol (or anti-oxydent) content, and in particular its pigment-intensive anthocyanins.

It is worth remembering its importance in terms of planted acreage, since Bobal is one of the three most heavily cultivated red varieties in Spain. But what’s most surprising is the fact that almost all this grape’s production is concentrated in the same geographical area. Outside of Utiel-Requena and Manchuela we have only encountered Bobal on our numerous trips to the Italian island of Sardinia, where some people say it goes by the name of Bobale.

The Bobal variety is possibly the best grape in the world for crafting rosé wine.

100% Bobal

Tasting Notes:

Color: yellow with gray and reddish backgrounds.

Aromas: of wild strawberry, white flowers and ripe white fruit.

Palate: presents an integrated, refreshing acidity with a long finish reminiscent of berries.

Tasting Notes

Enticing aromas of wild strawberries and lavender predominate with some subtle hints of honeysuckle in the background. This wine has a wonderfully rich, supple mid-palate followed by a clean, crisp finish.
35% Syrah, 30% Malbec, 21% Merlot, 8% Grenache, 6% Viognier

Winemaker Notes
Electric pink color, this wine opens with vibrant aromatics of tropical peaches, strawberries and cream and candied pineapple. The palate is juicy and displays fresh raspberry, kiwi and honeysuckle flavors while remaining bright and balanced with refreshing acidity. The finish carries lush watermelon flavors well beyond the sip.

Pair with complex, spicy and herbal dishes that highlight fresh spring and summer ingredients. Also enjoy with seafood like seared ahi tuna, shellfish and ceviche, curry dishes and other pairings with harissa sauce, sweet potato fries and antipasto platters.

Reminder to keep all of your wines away from heat.  Wine deteriorates over 70°F.  The higher the temperature the quicker the wine will deteriorate.  So keep your wine in a cool, dry place with no direct sunlight.

Hope you all have a great summer! Ted - The Old Wine Guy!