WBTG Cheat Sheet: Complete!

NV Szigeti Brut

Grape:  Gruner Veltliner

Where: Burgenland, Austria

Tasting Notes: fresh fruit (apple aromas, citrus), crisp acidity, great minerality

Pairs with: ideal aperitif, salads, light seafood.

Synonym: Champagne, Dry Prosecco

NV Bisol Jeio Cuvee Rose Brut

Grape: Merlot, Pinot Noir, Glera

Where: Veneto, Italy

Tasting Notes: Light, fresh acidity.rose aromas. fresh berries. dry long finish

Pairs with: seafood, smoked meats, aperitif

Synonym: Pink and bubbly!

NV Cleto Chiarli

Grape: Grasparossa

Where: Emilia Romagna

Tasting Notes: aromas of blackberries, raspberries, and plums. Intensely fruity with a dry finish.

Pairs with: Charcuterie (salami),  Hard cheeses (pecorino, parmesan)

Synonym: sweeter/ fruitier red, sangria, adventurous drinkers

2015 Joao Portugal Ramos

Grape: Alvarinho

Where: Vinho Verde, Portugal

Tasting Notes: Lemon and grapefruit zest, with a little white peach on the nose.  Zippy, bright, and light bodied with slight roundness on the palate.

Pairs with: Patio days!  A perfect aperitif, lighter seafood, salads, greens.

Synonym: Pinot Grigio; a soft Gruner

2016 Maison Foucher “Les Jarriers”

Grape: Sauvignon Blanc

Where: Tourraine, Loire Valley, France

Tasting Notes: Citrus peel and limestone, with delicate white flowers on the nose.

Pairs with: Saucisson Lyonnaise and rillette; delicate, gooey cheeses; Lecco Pizza; Caesar Salad

Synonym: This is classic, benchmark Savvy B.  Other wines try to be this.

2016 Mantlerhof

Grape: Gruner Veltliner

Where: Niederosterreich, Austria

Tasting Notes: Zippy! Tart citrus and under-ripe green apples.  Light bodied with a mineral-driven finish.

Pairs with: Linguini alla Vongole; Brussels sprouts; anything you’d want to squeeze a lemon on

Synonym: Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc drinkers sharing a bottle will love this.

2014 Daniel Seguinot Chablis

Grape:  Chardonnay

Where: Chablis, Burgundy, France

Tasting Notes: High toned, crisp, mineral-driven white

Pairs with: Green vegetables, salads, seafood of any kind (classically paired with oysters)

Synonym: Minerality driven wine

2014 Nostre Pais

Grape: Grenache Blanc, Rousanne, Viognier, Bourbelenc

Where: Costieres des Nimes, Rhone, France

Tasting Notes:  Lively and fresh, flowers, honeysuckle, and white fruits give way to a flinty quality and a mineral-driven finish.  

Pairs with: Gooey cheeses, grilled seafood, rabbit, or poultry.

Synonym: Unoaked chardonnay

2016 Gradis’ciutta Collio

Grape: 100% Ribolla Gialla

Where: Collio, Friuli, Italy

Tasting Notes: Aromas of honey, new sneaker, and almonds.  Medium bodied, clean, tropical, and lush.

Synonym: Dry riesling but for the adventurous.

2016 Telmo Rodrigues Gaba do Xil

Grape: 100% Godello

Where: Valdeorras, Spain

Tasting Notes: Lemon and cooked pear, with a creamy, waxy texture and a mildly-tart finish

Synonym: Full bodied, this is for the American Chardonnay drinker.

2013 Jean-Claude Boisset “Les Ursulines”

Grape:  100% Pinot Noir

Where: Cote d’Or, Burgundy, France

Tasting Notes: Classic Cote de Nuits, dark berries, light body, really well balanced

Pairs with:Light meats, charcuterie boards, salmon

Synonym: This is a benchmark wine.  Red Burgundy is some of the most sought after in the world.  Light, lovely, with intense florals.

2014 Marchesi di Barolo “Sbirolo”

Grape:  100% Nebbiolo

Where: Langhe, Piedmont, Italy

Tasting Notes: Fruity aromas of raspberries combine with those ethereal and spicy of violet and vanilla. The taste is dry, balanced with fine and elegant tannins.

Pairs with: Pastas, roasted or stewed meats, and medium-aged cheeses.

Synonym: A lighter bodied, but concentrated wine.  American Pinot Noir.

2015 Paul Jaboulet Aine

Grape:  80% Grenache, 20% Syrah

Where: Ventoux, Southern Rhone

Tasting Notes:  Silky red fruits, with a white pepper and jammy quality.  

Pairs with: Governatore Pizza, lighter meat dishes, spaghetti all’amatrciana

Synonym: Anyone looking for a Rhone blend; GSM’s are classic.  Merlot or American PN drinkers would love it too.

2015 Colosi

Grape:  100% Nero d’Avola

Where: Sicily (Mesina, Aeolian Archipelago)

Tasting Notes:  Dark red fruits, particularly dried cherries, with a spicy character.  Medium plus, a warm and aromatic wine.

Pairs with: Spaghetti al’Amatriciana, cured meats and aged cheeses, red sauce pizzas, chicken parm

Synonym: A lighter bodied malbec; rustic merlot.

2013 Familia Castaño

Grape:  100% Monastrell (aka Mourvedre)

Where: Yecla, Murcia, Spain

Tasting Notes: Dark fruits, plums, some baking spice and a little earthy in the background. Medium-plus bodied, integrated tannins.

Pairs with: Game, stews, dark chocolate, Pork Saltimboca

Synonym: Like a baby between merlot and shiraz (Merlot’s silkiness; shiraz’s inkiness)

2014 Guigal Crozes-Hermitage

Grape:  100% Syrah

Where: Crozes-Hermitage, Northern Rhone, France

Tasting Notes: Dark red fruit, noticeable oak presence (sees 18 months in oak).  Nice structure and medium tannin.

Pairs with: Grilled meat, red meats, or game.

Synonym: Certain cabernets or finer red blends from the US.  This is one of the most coveted regions of the world, however, and stands on its own recommendation.

2015 Chateau Bellegrave Medoc

Grape:  Cabernet Sauvignon, some Merlot

Where: Medoc, Bordeaux, France

Tasting Notes: Full bodied, dark red, dried fruits and earth.  

Pairs with: Steak

Synonym: This is another benchmark style of wine.  Seriously, if you don’t go American Cabernet, this is what you order in a steakhouse.

Stewarded Wine: Colosi Nero d'Avola

Hi Team,

Emily recently stewarded a bottle of the Colosi.  In case you were not aware, each of you are allowed to steward a single bottle of any of our wines (with limited exceptions) so long as you write a 1 page paper about what you learned by imbibing this wine.  Here's what Emily put together on the Colosi.

T

     The Colosi Winery has been in operation since 1987 and is located on the island of Salina. Salina is part of an island chain located northeast of Sicily and is the second largest island in the chain. The winery covers ten hectares all under vine and due to conservation laws in the aeolian archipelago the Colosi wine cellar is completely underground, which also aids in maintaining temperature and stability of the wines. The island boasts a diverse vegetation, cultivating chestnuts, capers, olives, and of course wine! Sicily is one of the top regions in Italy as far as wine production volume is concerned. It also it Italy’s largest wine region at 10,000 square miles. The island of Salina is composed of six volcanoes and the area is best recognized on the island for its exposure and for the physical and chemical nature of the soil which being of volcanic origin is great for growing grapes. The islands boasts a hilly terrain, poor soil and unwavering sunlight as well. In the past, Sicily has suffered from the same wine mindset that other regions in the south country had previously suffered from: quantity over quality and since the late 80’s early 90’s we are seeing much better wines come from the region. The climate in the region is dry and hot. Its grapes sometimes reach a boiling internal temperature from the northern African winds. Irrigation is a necessity for more than half of the island, but as you go inland just a light spray is needed and the land is much greener

      Many grape varietals are native to Sicily and today we’re talking about Nero d’Avola. The thick skinned,black, inky grape whose name translates to Black of Avola (which is far southeastern Sicily and has its own DOC Eloro but that’s neither here nor there). This is the indigenous grape that made Sicily’s reputation abroad. In Sicily, there are two production styles when it comes to Nero d’Avola. One is full bodied, opulent, black fruit driven with chocolate and coffee flavors from oak aging. The other style is leaner and elegant with  zippy, cherry, fresh red fruit driven flavors that see little or no oak at all. The Colosi Nero d’Avola Terre Siciliane is definitely the latter style and because of that, pairs great with many of our dishes. Grown on limestone soils with vertical trellising and aged for five months in stainless steel. The wine shows bright, fruit forward, tart, clean, and medium bodied with an underlying herbaceousness. It is very food friendly or delicious on its own. The grape is great for guests looking for Shiraz or an unoaked Cabernet. Pairs perfect with red meat in any preparation style, pizza, tomato sauces, and aged cheeses.

2015 Paul Jaboulet Aine Ventoux

2015 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Ventoux

Who:  Antoine Jaboulet

What: 80% Grenache, 20% Syrah

Where: Ventoux, Southern Rhone, France

Tastes like: Silky red fruits, with a white pepper and jammy quality.  

What to pair with: Governatore Pizza, lighter meat dishes, spaghetti all’amatrciana

The Who: In 1834, a full 100 years before the introduction of the A.O.C. system, Antoine Jaboulet began to transform a sleepy region into one of the most important quality winegrowing terroirs in the world. Since that time, Paul Jaboulet Aîné has become the benchmark in the Southern Rhône, with the iconic Hermitage ‘La Chapelle’ being responsible for some of the greatest wines ever produced.

Ten years ago, the Frey family purchased this historic property and committed tremendous effort and resources to improve upon the already legendary estate. They immediately started converting the estate vineyards to biodynamic principles and encouraging sustainable practices from every family grower they work with. With each successive vintage the purifying effects of these natural agricultural improvements can be felt and tasted. This is one of France’s finest estates, the crown jewel of the Rhône Valley. Oenologist and proprietor Caroline Frey, alongside Winemaking Director Jacques Desvernois, are producing the authentic standard for quality Syrah across the Northern Rhône.

The What:

Grenache, or as it’s known by its Spanish name, Garnacha, is one of the most widely planted red grapes in the world. The Garnacha grape was born in the northern region of Spain known as Aragon. There, the grape began to be cultivated and was originally used for both single varietal wines as well as for blending. It was not long before the grape made it’s way over the border to France and found yet another home in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of Southern France. From there the grape became widely known as Grenache.

In the Southern Rhone, French winemakers were looking for a grape that could be blended with the other famous varieties of the region. The grape they sought would add body, alcohol and fruity flavors to their wines. They found that grape in Grenache and it was there that the famous, and highly collectible, Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine blend was born.

Syrah is one of the darkest red wines on the market. It carries a large amount of mouth-drying tannins, and is known to be rather full-bodied.

There are several myths associated with the emergence of Syrah — one involves a Roman Emperor planting the grape in France in 280 A.D. and another involves a winemaker from Iran, where legend says the grape was actually born, bringing the vines with him to France in 600 B.C. where he settled in Marseilles. No matter how the grape actually arrived in France, suffice it to say, it has been there for a long time, and France is the country that made it famous.

Syrah came to prominence in the eighteenth century in the Rhone Valley of France. While many other regions of the country were busy making blends containing several different red grapes, the Northern Rhone set upon creating a red wine solely from Syrah. It was there in the town of Hermitage that Syrah became famous, and still today Syrah from this town fetches some of the highest prices in the world.

The Where: Located 25 miles (40km) northeast of Avignon, in the far southeast of the country, Mont Ventoux looks down over the wine-producing areas of the Rhone Valley to the west and Provence to the south and east. On the western slopes and foothills of this iconic mountain, in an area roughly 30 miles (50km) from north to south and covering 51 parishes, are the vineyards of the Cotes du Ventoux appellation.

Wines have been made here since the 1st Century AD and have been consumed by popes and kings throughout the centuries. The official AOC Cotes du Ventoux appellation was created just before the harvest of 1973, for the red, white and rosé wines of the area.

The style of these wines varies dependent on the combination of grape varieties and the terroir from which they originate. The style is overall one of lighter, fruit-driven wines, reflecting the increased altitude and slightly cooler microclimates that the Ventoux slopes provide.

2016 Familia Castano Monastrell

2016 Familia Castaño Monastrell

Where: Yecla, Spain

Who: Ramon Castaño Santa

What: 100% Monastrell (Mourvedre)

Tastes like: Dark fruits, plums, spice, earthy

What to pair with: Game, stews, dark chocolate, Pork Saltimboca (!)

The Who:  Familia Castaño is, like the name implies, a family run business.   Founded by Ramon Castaño Santa in the 1950s, the winery today is run with the assistance of his three sons.  The early years were spent modernizing the winery and purchasing more land in the area, and bottle production began in the 1980’s.  Monastrell, the little known native grape to the area, was traditionally sold in bulk, and Familia Castano was one of the region’s first producers to take production of it seriously as a stand-alone grape.  Though they do plant international varietals, the work with monastrell is still the primary focus for the winemakers.  All grapes are harvested by hand.

The What:   The earliest mentioning of Monastrell as a varietal is in the 15th century in the mediterranean areas of the Spain.  It is a very hearty grape, thick skinned and inky, perfectly suited to the extreme climate conditions of Yecla: it is able to bear extreme temperature deviation from winter to summer, and can handle long periods of drought by decreasing its rate of development and yield.

Mourvedre/Monastrell Red Wine Profile

MAJOR REGIONS: Less than 190,000 acres worldwide.

• Spain (~150,000+ acres) Alicante, Jumilla, Almansa
• France (~25,000 acres) Bandol (Provence), Rhône
• Australia (~2500 acres) South Australia
• United States (~1000+ acres) California, Washington

Typical Characteristics:

FRUIT: Blueberry, Blackberry, Plum

OTHER: Black Pepper, Violet, Rose, Smoke, Gravel, Meat

OAK: Yes. Usually medium to long oak aging.

TANNIN: High

ACIDITY: Medium (+)

ABV: 12-15%

COMMON SYNONYMS: Monastrell, Alicante, Mataró, Damas Noir, Pinot Fleri, Mataro, Torrentes, Monastre, Mourves,

The Where: D.O Yecla is located in the north of Murcia in southeast Spain.  The altitude of the municipality is very high--between 400 and 800 meters (approx. 1400-2800 ft)--which means it has a very distinct microclimate compared to other parts of Murcia.  Normal winters see temperature below freezing and summer can be extraordinarily hot (in the 90’s), sunny, and dry.  

Viticulture and winemaking in Yecla date back to the Phoenician empire, and much archaeological evidence exists which indicates notable winemaking activity during the Roman occupation.  The area has two smaller areas designated, indicating the altitude at which the vines grow as the soil in the mountains changes drastically over 500m.  These vines in the Castano are planted at higher altitudes, in very difficult, dry soil that is 70% limestone, 15% clay, and 15% sand.  

New Cocktails: I'll Have What She's Having; Palomino Must Have

I’ll Have What She’s Having

1.5 GTD Craneberry Liquer

.5    Barr Hill Gin

.5    Kina L’Aero

.5    Lime

Shake.  Dbl strain to coupe.  Lime wheel

This one is a riff on a Cosmo.  Despite being popularlized by everyone’s favorite NYC quartet in the early 2000’s (thereby earning the reputation of “girly drink”), the Cosmopolitan dates back to at least 1934, though with some distinct differences from the accepted recipe of today.  Originally a gin cocktail with triple sec, lemon, and raspberry syrup, the drink eventually evolved (likely in the early 1980’s) into the citrus vodka, lime, triple, and cranberry concoction that we know today.  Even in this format, a well-made cosmo is much dryer than it’s pale pink color implies.   

For our cocktail we’re splitting the old and the new.  Our primary base is a cranberry cordial made by Grand Ten Distilling down in Southie.  Craneberry is not a typo, but what our founding fathers referred to the little red berries that floated about in bogs.  We add a little bit of the Barr Hill for depth and a nod to the old school, lime juice for acid, and lastly the Kina L’Aero.  This is essentially the original recipe of Lillet: floral, bitter orange, and dry to the finish, it keeps the cocktail from going into the Candy Coated Nightmare Zone while reinforcing the citrus elements of the original.

So what’s in a name?  The Cosmo was made famous by Samantha on Sex and the City.  In the 90’s and early 2000’s SATC marked a radical change in the way TV dealt with modern, independent women, particularly singletons in major cities.  The show was such a phenomenon that it actually validated many women’s quest to have it all: independence, a career, and love.  At the turn of the previous decade, another movie set in NYC also made major waves for changing the standard guy-meets-gal narrative of the romantic comedy.  In “When Harry Met Sally,” the most famous scene occurs at Katz’s Deli, when Meg Ryan’s character complains that relationships are couched in incredibly male-centric terms by society.  She proves her point by pretending to enjoy her lunch to such a degree (and very much out loud) that another older woman in the deli looks at her server and says “I’ll have what she’s having.”  Essentially, push against the box you’re put in, no matter the time frame.  And if you want a “girly drink,” know that it can be pretty, pink, delicious, and strong as hell at the same time.

Palomino Must Have

2 oz Fino sherry

4 oz Seasonal Soda

Build in collins glass or pitcher.  Quick stir to integrate.

Seasonal Soda: Grapefruit Thyme

2 qts Grapefruit Juice

The peels of 3 grapefruits

3 cups sugar

5 g thyme

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan.  Slowly bring to a boil over medium heat.  Let steep for 1 hour.  Fine strain solids.  Will last a month in the fridge.    

Fino sherry is a dry, oxidized, fortified wine made in the area around Jerez, on the south west coast of Spain.  The primary grape used for sherry production is Palomino, but Moscatel and Pedro Ximenez are also allowed.  The wine is vinified, fortified with grape brandy, and then allowed to age in contact with flor (all of the yeast cells that form a protective cap) within a solera system for a minimum of two years.  The time in barrel increases the complexity, but the protective quality of the flor creates a wine that is still young, fresh, and grassy.  

This cocktail is designed to be a delicious layup for the bar team.  Fino sherry with a splash of soda is a thing in Spain, so we’re taking that local cavalier-with-our-fine-wine attitude and putting it on the menu.  In the long run, I’d love to use seasonal fruits and herbs to make a rotating house soda to keep on hand.  This can be sold separately (no free refills--this stuff takes time) or used as an ingredient in a mocktail.  We’re starting with grapefruit-thyme.  Winter, strangely, is a peak citrus season, and thyme is a hearty green herb that will play up the grassy notes of the fino sherry.  The end result will be a refreshing, fizzy lifting drink that takes no time at all to get to your guests.