Jan 15th, 2010 Posted in wine + spirits | no comment »
PALATE PRESS: The Online Wine Magazine and Brother, Can You Spare a Bottle? announce a joint program to help the relief effort in Haiti following the devastating earthquake that rocked the country earlier this week. Wine for Haiti is an opportunity for wine collectors to make a contribution not through their pocketbooks, but from their wine cellars.
The idea is simple: wine lovers contribute a special bottle that is then included with other donations into a mixed case. Those interested helping out the cause, and getting some great wine as a bonus, can then bid on the cases in an online auction. These generous contributions of wine lovers will all be turned directly into money for disaster relief.
In the spirit of giving, donations have already started rolling in with some very desirable bottles, including a 1976 Dr. Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Beerenauslese and an etched 6.0 liter bottle of 2003 Cornerstone Cellars Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. PALATE PRESS: The Online Wine Magazine will pay all administrative and overhead costs of receiving the wines and running the auction.
Bottles should be sent to:
Wine for Haiti
Palate Press: The online wine magazine
9425 Meridian #201
Indianapolis, IN 46260
Please direct all inquires to WineForHaiti@palatepress.com .
Tags: brother can you spare a dime, Haiti relief, palatepress.com, wine, wine auction, Wine for Haiti
Jan 5th, 2010 Posted in wine + spirits | no comment »
We’ve been buying good, moderately priced Sauvignon Blancs from Chile for the past few years, so I was happy to try half a dozen more from all over the country, when I got the chance. All six are vintage 2008, which means they’ve been on the market for several months. They’ve lost that ultra-new quality and are ready to drink. The first three wines are lighter, while the last three are more complex, better with food.
Bio Bio Valley is not only a great name but a region with a lot of buzz, and its Gracia de Chile Reserva 2008 Sauvignon Blanc “Luminoso” opened gracefully into a medium light wine with gooseberry notes, minerality and plenty of acid in its finish.
Francois Lurton’s Hacienda Araucano 2008 Sauvignon Blanc comes from the Valle Central, and its emphasis is on fruit, with a touch of minerality and underlying notes of what some call “cat’s pee” – not necessarily a negative in this wine.
Also from the Central Valley is Xplorador 2008 Sauvignon Blanc produced by Concha Y Toro. This wine is crisp, crisp, crisp, with citric accents.
Santa Carolina 2008 Sauvignon Blanc from the Valle del Rapel is nicely balanced, and very pleasant to drink with a medium-light tropical fruit quality enduring through aromas, body and finish.
Casas del Bosque 2008 Sauvignon Blanc Gran Reserva comes from the Casablanca Valley. It’s very nicely balanced, with light touches of lemony acidity and plenty of the meadow-herb qualities I particularly enjoy.
The Leyda Valley’s Luise Felipe Edwards “Family Selection” 2008 Sauvignon Blanc appealed to everyone, and went on to be enjoyed with dinner, balancing tropical fruit and herbs very satisfyingly as it opened up. At the end of the evening, this bottle had the least left in it.
Tags: 2008, Bio Bio Valley, Casas del Bosque, Central Valley, Chile, Chilean, Concha y Toro, Family Selection, Francois Lurton, Gracia de Chile Reserva Luminoso, Gran Reserva, Hacienda Aruacano, Leyda Valley, Luis Felipe Edwards, Rapel Valley, Santa Carolina, Sauvignon Blanc, Valle de Casablanca, Valle del Rapel, Valley Central, wine, wine with food, Xplorador
