Taking the Last Sips of Summer !

Season Finale: Taking the Last Sips of Summer
These sandy beaches and long, warm nights will soon give way to golden leaves crunching beneath our feet and fall’s first chill. Now is the time to take the last sips of summer with simple home entertaining that is easy on the host and easy on the wallet.


Send Out the Invites: The promise of glasses overflowing with wine is always a winner. If you’re pressed for time or don’t want to bother with the snail mail, go to www.evite.com to create a great invitation that includes your theme (wine of course has got to be center stage). To make it extra easy on yourself, invite each guest to bring a dozen of their favorite appetizers. Easy on them. Easy on you. Fun to share, compare and trade recipes of favorites.
Pick The Perfect Spot:Take the party outdoors and take advantage of the late afternoon or early evening. When twilight comes the magic truly begins. Go for lots of candles – from simple votives floating in a bowl to tapers placed in your best crystal or silver (yeah, remember those wedding gifts? Or, the gift from Aunt Edna tucked away in the closet. Bring them out and let them shine up the night).


Set the Mood:Here’s the deal. A great party track can make your event memorable. They’ll be humming those tunes long after they’ve said goodnight. Put your DJ face on and create your playlist, download your favorites and let the music soar. Here are some suggestions for a large outdoor gathering : "A Minha Menina" by Os Mutantes, "The Noise of Carpet” by Stereolab, "Lebanese Blonde" by Thievery Corporation, "Dance with Me" by Nouvelle Vague, "Let me Down Easy" by Bettye LaVette, “Summer Wind” by Frank Sinatra, “Blue in Green” by Miles Davis and “Harvest Moon” by Neil Young.


Pop the Cork:Chill the white in a large bucket of ice (pouring water into the ice makes it easy to push the bottles down for a better chill), pop the cork on the reds and you’re good to go. Arrange wine stems on top of a bar, table or tray and let guests help themselves. Pitchers, or decanters of still or sparkling water (toss in a sliced lemon if you choose) make a nice touch. Add non-alcoholic beverages to the offering so there’s something for everyone. Enjoy the season’s finale with family and friends. Toast to their health, their joy, their happiness. The memories will last all winter long.
Heres to Wine Shop At Home Setting The Mood!

Cheers!
Dale Rossi
www.wineshopathome.com/dalerossi
www.winetasting-dale.blogspot.com

New Resort Worth Visiting

If you are in Southern California or traveling there be sure to visit an amazing resort on cliffs of Palos Verdes Peninsula with fabulous coastal views. I recently went there with some of my fellow wine consultants. See we live in the area and had to check it out, and I'm glad I did!.
We ate one of their many restaurants "Mar'cel's " , wow!! Everything about it was top notch from their one of a kind appetizers, to their main courses, to their service. We were mainly there to check out the wine list.And did they have a list indeed, so of course we indulged. Our choice was a Red Meritage from Newton Vineyards, a luscious, velvety smooth wine! It was a perfect blend, so much so we by-passed on dessert and ordered another bottle! That was our dessert. I still dream about that wine along with the spectacular chocolates that our server brought us as a perk.
Now...... lets talk about those chocolates.....well there are no words!! Sorry folks.
I highly recommend an evening at Mar'cel's, it will be an evening to remember.
Cheers!
Dale
Fine Wine On Line
www.wineshopathome.com/dalerossi
http://www.terranea.com/?esiteurl=terranearesort.com&esitecname=terranearesort.com#

Tasting In Santa Ynez

I Recently got to celebrate my Birthday wine tasting in Beautiful and HOT Santa Ynez! It was a great time.. if you ever get a chance to go you must stay at the Santa Ynez Inn! An amazing B & B. Big beautiful rooms, even bigger bath rooms, service was impeccable and for a $5 fee you can have your breakfast delivered to your room if you don't want to eat in the breakfast room. It was a great way to start our day.

We made 5 stops to various wineries: Gainey,Suntstone (fabulous building felt like we were in France), Rubideau (great grounds for a picnic),Blackjack (don't bother, not pleasant people there, maybe it was a bad day for them),and Kalyra .

Now I know wine is subjective, and being in the wine business helps or not! However the only one that was worth blogging about was KALYRA. Well worth the visit.

As you drive up you are not sure (or we were not sure ) it was even a winery, very unpretentious building, they obviously put there money into the wines and not the facade. I love that!

We were greeted with welcome arms by all. Which fits their name Kalyra which means "A Wild and Pleasant Place". The wine maker is Australian. We tasted 7 wines plus 3 dessert wines.... Very rarley do I like all wines on a tasting menu. Typically you have a couple stand outs.

Their whites: 2007 Kalyra Sauvignon Blanc $18. sourced from one of the old vineyards in Santa Ynez Valley. It is a classic Sauvignon Blanc with its classic floral and subtle overtones of grapefruit & gooseberry, with a great finish. Will hold up to most any spicy dishes, as well as grilled fish and summer salads.

2008 Kalyra Unwooded Chardonnay $24 .this was made in the new world style with no oak influence. the grapes were picked at night from White Hawk vineyards in Los Alamos. Very fruit forward with a subtle vanilla characteristic. yummmmmmm!

2007 Kalyra Riesling $18. Considering how hot it was in the valley that day, this wine truly was a refreshing delight. It is a off dry style Riesling and rich forward fruit. it was served at the perfect temperature. I gave this a 5 star!!

Their Reds:2006 Kalyra Sangiovese $28. this wine features a more Tuscan flavor with subtle dark berry flavors, bit of spice and great long finish. A perfect red to drink on its own! Even in 90 degree heat!

2005 Kalyra MC2 Blend $24.I called this the Mc Dreamy wine. This vintage is a Bordeaux blend of a Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cab Franc. its rich with dark berry flavors and a SMOKEY chocolaty finish. this is why I tagged it the McDreamy!

2005 Kalyra Metralla Blend $30. Its a blend of 3 different Portuguese varietals. it is an explosion of rich flavors , dark coffee on the nose and soft berries on the finish. Another yummmm!

Their Desserts: Wow ,Wow and Wow for all three of them! I'm typically not a dessert wine drinker, but these just may make me cross over.

2007 Kalyra Viognier "Stickey Wicket" $30

Kalyra NV Black Muscat $16 . I gave this a 5 star, can't beat the price!

Not on the tasting menu: An Orange Muscat $26..

I highly recommend you stop by this winery. Its not to be missed.

Cheers!

Dale

Fine Wine On Line

www.wineshopathome.com/dalerossi

5 Star Wineries

Wine lovers and friends,

Once again I must tell you I love my job! I just returned from my company’s national convention in Napa, Calif. It was a two day extravaganza where I was recognized with 7 awards of excellence. But this is not my main purpose for blogging about this trip. I was able to extend my trip to do what I call RESEARCH! (lol) I visited seven wineries and this is what I wanted to share with all of you.

I had my own rating system which goes to 5 stars. So let’s cut to the chase. There were three wineries that where stand outs and are 5 stars in my book. All three made the grade because of the following: amazing wines, outstanding customer service, and fabulous presentation. They are:

Darioush*, Paraduxx, and Peju.Now lets take them one at a time.

Darioush: As you drive up onto the property it immediately invites you on a unique journey, with a feeling that you have just stepped back in time with its impressive columns that look like you are entering a temple straight out of Raiders Of The Lost Arch. Not typical of Napa wineries.

As you go thru the massive doors you are greeted by Diana Lasso, Concierge and wine expert extraordinaire! She quickly sat us down and began her presentation. If you ever want to really learn about the wines you are tasting this is the place to be. Diana has such a command of the language, but is able to keep it in layman terms and still be elegant. Everything about her is top of the mark. From how she presents herself to how she presents each wine without EVER being intimidating. Nothing is ever rushed!

Let’s talk about the wines, the tasting flight was: 2007 Signature Chardonnay $43.2008 Signature Viognier $39. 2006 Signature Merlot $45... 2006 Duel $45. 2006 Signature Cabernet Sauvignon $80.00

Their Chardonnay and Viognier are geared towards red wine drinkers, meaning they have more complexity, more weight but not heavy in acidity. The Viognier is meant to drink crazy cold! It feels sweet but is all fruit. Viogneirs are tricky to get right and did they got this RIGHT!

Their Merlot is full bodied with a blend of Cabernet & Cab Franc for spice. Aged 24 months in new French Oak.

Their Duel, this is one of my all time favorites. Each year it holds up to all my expectations. This can only be purchase thru the winery and is in limited quantities. It is 60% Cabernet and 40% Shiraz. This has just the right amount of body and weight, yet velvety smooth. You want to savor every sip!

Their Cabernet Sauvignon: This is made in the Bordeaux style, 85% Cab, and 9% Merlot, and 3% Malbec, and 3% Cabernet Franc. The French would be proud of this one. At the $80 price it is well worth every drop!
http://www.darioush.com/

Paraduxx: As you walk up to the entrance it is this quaint yellow unassuming house, but as you enter it is contemporary, innovative and out of the ordinary. This is part of the Duckhorn Wine Company; it was competed in 2005, located along the less traveled Silverado Trail. Paraduxx is a bold and expressive in their red wines. They have developed their own personality. Their service from the get go was friendly and accommodating, however this is the best; you have a choice to have your tasting inside or out. We chose outside. Both are tableside service! They have the most beautiful and comfortable outside lounge where you wanted to hang out all day. All of this takes place under two of the most massive, break taking trees. As I was lounging reflecting once again how much “I love My Job”! I was then greeted with our guide who was exceptional friendly and pleasant, carrying on a beautiful silver tray (meant to keep all wines at the perfect temperature).Wines were served in stem less glasses, each vintage has its own artist label with its own pair of ducks, along with the perfect cheese and cracker pairings. Fabulous presentation!

About the wines: 2008 Parajaxx Napa Valley Rose, 2004 Paraduxx, 2005 Paraduxx, and 2006 Paraduxx. All Napa Valley red wines.

2008 Rose`: 100% stainless steel, blend of Zinfandel, merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cab Franc. This is felled bodied and mixes well with warm weather. Smooth entry wonderful fruits and bright acidity. Aromas are refreshing with layers of strawberry, red cherry, and watermelon. It was the perfect complement to the warm day.

2004 Paraduxx: Aged 18 months in oak, 65% American, 35% French, 70% new, 30% second vintage. This vintage is 65% Zinfandel, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 7% Merlot. And before I start can I just say Yummmmm! Medium bodied, velvety, long finish. Flavors of wild boysenberry, strawberry, currants and just the right amount of toasted oak.
2005 Paraduxx: Also aged in oak for 18 months. This vintage is a blend of 60% Zinfandel, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc. This also medium bodied but with chewy texture, approachable tannins, lengthy finish. Flavors of raspberry, red cherry, and boysenberry, with hints of chocolate.

2006 Paraduxx: 18 months of aging in oak, 50% American, 50% French, 50% new, and 50% second vintage. A blend of 64% Zin, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon,7% Merlot 2% Cab franc .Dense color, smooth, fine tannins, black pepper, bing cherry ,strawberry ,raspberry, layers of blueberry, red currant finish.

Peju: Beautiful grounds with marble and bronze sculptures. Larger than life aged wood front doors. As you enter small gift store with complimentary appetizers’ served while waiting for your spot at the tasting bar. They have two one off the gift store and one upstairs that overlooks the barreling room. Great staff1 I had the pleasure of having Bob at the upstairs tasting bar. He couldn’t be more personal able and entertaining. He truly loves what he does. His knowledge is extensive, and makes sure you are getting a wealth of information as well as having a good old time!

About the wines: The flight consisted of 2008 Carnival- French Colombard $16(a new release). Provence a California red/white blend $22, 2005 Estate Merlot $35, 2005 Estate Cabernet Franc Reserve $95.

2008 Carnival: This was my first time experiencing a French Colombard, and for the price I couldn’t be more excited about this lovely summer wine. Flavors of peach, apricot preserves, and tropical fruit. Aromas of magnolia, cantaloupe with notes of rose petals. If you enjoy concerts in the park, picnics, or just lounging by the pool, this is the perfect match.

Provence: This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zin, and barrel fermented Chardonnay, along with French Colombard. This has a refreshing finish and begs for a second glass.

2005 Estate Merlot: 87% Merlot, 10%Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cab Franc. Soft yet firm tannins, flavors’ of Bing cherry, vanilla, brown sugar, cocoa, hints of toasted oak.

2005 Estate Cabernet Franc Reserve: This is Bob’s favorite. Lush and full bodied, big nose of dark garnet and black fruit. Flavors of berries and plum with small hints of cocoa, cedar.


Well friends there you have it. I hope if you have the opportunity to travel to Napa that you stop by these extraordinary wineries.

*Darioush not to be missed ask for Diana to complete your experience.

At a later time I will blog about the other three wineries, all were good, and a few stand out wines. Till then…..

Cheers!
Dale
Fine Wine On Line

www.wineshopathome.com/dalerossi

Regions of Spain and Portugal

Spain and Portugal
With a blend of tradition and innovation, Spain produces red, rose, and white wines of varying quality. It is best known for sherry, Rioja (oaky reds and whites), and sparkling known as Cava. Tempranillo and Garnacha (Grenache) are its most important grape varieties.
Aside from Port, Portugal makes red, white and rose wine. Since it joined the European Union, the quality of wine making has improved a great deal.

Wines Of Spain: Many wines are a blend of grapes. Red Rioja is typically a mix of Tempranillo and Garnacha, and white is mostly Viura (also known as Macabeo). Wines from Rioja’s three main districts are Alavesa, Alta, and Baja, are often blended. American oak barrels are used in Rioja to age both reds and whites .Cava is sparkling wine using the Champagne method, and can be of excellent quality.

Portuguese Wines: Portugal uses grape varieties little known elsewhere. Vinho Verde is a light white wine best drunk young. Dao’s once coarse and tannic reds are now fruitier with spicy flavors. Minho is an important region which makes Vinho Verde.

Cheers!

Dale

Fine Wine On Line

Napa Valley Late Harvest Dessert Wine

I've just experienced an amazing dessert wine, which I typically don't drink....but this one blew my socks off, so I thought I would share all I know about it.

This blended late harvest dessert wine has about one-third each of Muscat, Semillon and Chardonnay, all three of which were allowed to ripen longer than usual creating a sweet dessert wine. The Chardonnay portion was barrel fermented and after the final blend was made, the wine was aged in 100% new oak barrels for an average age of 5 years. As with most dessert wines, this wine will age very well for 8 to 10 years and possibly beyond. Late harvest wines owe their rich complex flavors to several factors. Late harvest crops are usually smaller in both weight and quantity. As the grapes ripen, they lose water making the clusters lighter while concentrating the sugar. Late Harvest wines are typically carefully handpicked to assure magnificent quality. These delicious wines — with their extended aging periods — make them highly anticipated and very, very special indeed. This Ceres Napa Valley Late Harvest Dessert Wine has aromas of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, pralines and caramelized pears. The flavors of this wine are a perfect mirror of the aromas, with mouth-filling sweetness and layers of complexity. The finish is long and sweet with hints of fruit, finishing with a light nuttiness. Enjoy this wine with pecan pie, Roquefort cheese and walnuts or bananas foster. Yummmm! I tried it with something I would have never thought to pair with it...the Roquefort cheese. Wow! give it a try.

Cheers!

Dale

Fine Wine On Line

Fog Zin & Merlot Rosato