










| Wine | Retail Price | Why? |
| Merry Edwards 2008 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir (Sonoma) | $42 | We fell in love with all of Merry Edwards’ Pinot Noirs (delightfully presented by her husband and partner Ken Coopersmith), but Lisa was particularly taken by this lower-priced multi-vineyard blend. Inky color and rich flavor were very un-Pinot but mighty tasty |
| Merry Edwards 2009 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir | $42 | Lisa flipped over the next vintage of Russian River Valley four- vineyard blend. While it’s not ready for drinking yet, it shows enormous promise. |
| Merry Edwards 2008 Meredith Estate Russian River Pinot Noir | $57 | A single-vineyard Pinot. Fullness of fruit, velvety and great balance…ready now or can lay down. |
| Merry Edwards 2008 Klopp Ranch Pinot Noir | $57 | Gary’s favorite has delicious fruit, mineral and silkiness throughout. Single vineyard from Ted Klopp’s 30-year-old vines. |
| Ladera 2007 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa) | $70+ | We imagined the best steaks we’ve had with this as a perfect match. Will cellar well, but the price is a bit steep. |
| Meteor Vineyard 2008 Perseid Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa) | $150+ | 100% Cab from a single vineyard with three different clones. This will be a showstopper in a few years; not ready now but clearly worth the gamble. Price point is well beyond our reach but… |
| Torbreck 2007 The Steading (Barossa Valley, Australia) | $35 | Perfection in a bottle! This GSM (Grenache, Shiraz, Mataro) is among the best we”ve tasted. Silky tannins and supple/subtle dark berry flavors make this a perfect wine for just about all foods! A must-buy. |
| Rubro Vendemmia 2004 Colli Martani Sangiovese (Umbria, Italy) | $25 | Great balance of fruit, tannin and acid to make this a perfect wine to have at any dinner table, especially with pasta. Can also age a bit, but ready to drink now. Just delicious! |

Next, we got a generous pour of the Castillo Labastida Reserva 2004, also from Alavesa. According to Lisa, this 100% Tempranillo was “hot, bitter and actually tasted like it had been in oak for 36 months.” Tell us what you really think, Lisa. Gary found the wine to have too much minerality (calcium?) and notes of sour cherries. “In this case, the wine was released too early (yes, even a 2004 can be too early); it needs to mellow out. Some folks might find it ready to drink, but not us.”
The third offering, Bodegas La Rioja Alta S.A. Vina Ardanza 2000 (80% Tempranillo Rioja Alta, 20% Garnacha Rioja Baja), is from one of the region’s oldest and best producers. The wine? Amazing! Lisa said, “Tastes like a delicious Syrah but with a beautiful, caramel-red color in the glass. Gary noted that the wine “displayed light minerality but smoothed out in the glass.” Caramel color is a telltale sign of a well-aged wine. This Rioja is definitely ready to drink. ($28-$35)
Vibrant Rioja saved the best for last. The Bodegas Lopez de Heredia Vina Bosconia Gran Reserva 2002 (Rioja Alta 80% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha) won VinoDuo’s best in show. We were told that this was “textbook Rioja with no compromise.” Lisa noted the great depth of flavor and terroir calling it “marvelous.” Gary pronounced it “outstanding” and asked for another pour to be certain that this wine was as good as it seemed. It was! ($37 - $40).
So are the wines from Rioja vibrant? It’s impossible to generalize about such a diverse region, but we left the tasting feeling rather vibrant, and that’s a good sign of pleasing wine.
Australia
Cognizant of the short amount of time we had for our tasting tour, we started with Tick Tock, a relatively new label (to us) from Robert Oatley Wines. We tasted the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon and think this will be a pretty good wine in a couple of years. The tannins were a stiff as a board, actually they were overboard. But in a year to 18 months this wine may soften enough to be approachable and reveal the flavors that the Tic Toc web site suggests… “bright ripe cherry, blackcurrant and leafy notes…Generous ‘forest fruits’ – ripe red berries to the fore, layered yet soft tannins and a lovely crisp, fresh finish that leaves you wanting for more.” We’re looking forward to trying this wine again and hope that we’ll be able to taste the forest fruits through the trees.
New England
Next stop Plymouth Rock… well, not quite, but we visited with the folks from the Mayflower Winery in Plymouth MA. While their primary focus was on non-grape fruit wines, we did find some lovely “real” wine to sample. Mayflower sources its grapes from Massachusetts, New York, and California varietals. The Mayflower Red is composed of Zinfandel (25%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (75%) juice. We found it to be light, fruit-forward, and serious—not what we expected from the makers of Cranberry Blush, blueberry, and apple “wines.” At 12½ percent alcohol, it was actually pretty refreshing. VinoDuo loves to patronize small local wineries, and Mayflower’s Red is as local as it comes. It retails for @ $12 and may just be an excellent stand-in for your favorite Montepulciano D’Abruzzo pizza/burger wine.
Next stop on the New England wine tour was Sharpe Hill. We first visited the Sharpe Hill winery in Pomfret, CT a few years ago and had mixed feelings about their wines. In fact, our write-up of our visit got a number of “boos” from readers, who thought we shouldn’t apply the same critical standards to local wineries as we do the big boys. We disagree.
During our on-site tasting, Sharpe Hill’s standout was the rightly popular Ballet of Angels, a wine that’s made entirely from Vignoles grapes. At the 2011 Boston Wine Expo we tried Sharpe again and were impressed with the 2008 Cabernet Franc. Delicious on the palate, balancing excellent tannin structure, strawberry and blueberry notes with a smooth finish. At @ $19 it’s a bit pricey, but if you love Cabernet Franc and you’re a locavore committed to supporting New England wineries, this could be on your shopping list.
Spain
As always we perused the “collector” tables scattered throughout the Boston Wine Expo. These tables—grouped with individual wineries that either cannot afford booths of their own or are marketed as fine examples of wines of the region—included offerings from Spain, Portugal, France, Australia and New Zealand. One Spanish wine really stood out. The 2004 Marqués de Peñamonte Crianza from Bodegas Riojanas is 100% Tempranillo, with a dark crimson appearance and aromas of oak and vanilla. On the palate this supple wine featured black cherry and a long memorable finish. At $18 - $20 it’s a relative bargain and we’ll be on the lookout for it in our favorite wine shops.
Portugal
For our Port loving readers, we did not forget you! Both the 1995 Vista Alegre Colheita (@ $40) and the 20 Year old Tawny Port (@$58) from Vallegre are amazing bargains. Gary said “Gimme a cigar!” Of course, he doesn’t smoke cigars, but it seemed an appropriate request at the time. Both Ports provided terrific mouth-feel and long memorable finishes. Outstanding!
Staying with the Portugal theme, we tasted the 2006 Alem Red from conglomerate Enoforum, a blend of Syrah and Touriga National. This wine straddles the old and new world flavor profiles, with complexity, fruit, and a fine, long finish. At $17 it’s a terrific bargain and once again proves that one doesn’t need to spend $30 to enjoy a great bottle of wine. On a whim we tasted the 2008 Montaria Vinho Regional Alentejano Reserva; after all, how good could a $10 bottle really be? Well, we were impressed with this wine from the Alentejano region of south central part of Portugal. The Reserva, comprised of the indigenous grapes Trincadeira, Alicante Boushet, and Aregonez, has deep black fruit notes on the palate with nice intermediate spicy oaked mineral finish. We think that this needs to be laid down for 6 months to a year to achieve its full potential.
On our way out of Portugal we tried Teseo Primitivo di Manduria DOC 2007, which featured bright, delicious fruit with vanilla/tobacco notes. Most Primitivo wines offer some level of funkiness; mushroom-earthy is a typical description. But not here; this is a delicious wine with vanilla/tobacco aromas on the nose and red, ripe fruit on the palate with a satisfying finish. Another example of a wine that proves you can have it all; a fair price at $10 and a great everyday wine.
Italy
Before we left the show and made way for the soon-to-invade crowds, we stopped at the Puglia region—the boot—of Italy. The Pichierri Tradizione Del Nonno Primitivo Di Manduria 2007 ($24), was a great way to close out the 2011 Boston Wine Expo. The Primitivo was simply the best of this varietal—a kin to Zinfandel—we’ve tasted. If you love the black fruit and spiciness of Zinfandel (with 16% alcohol!) and are looking for a bit more complexity to match with more foods, this is your wine. Just starting to get distribution into New England…let’s all go to Puglia and taste the wine at the source!
Being a wine blogger often has its privileges. Sometimes it’s in the form of free entry to a mass wine tasting or, even better, to a small gathering of other wine snobs, I mean aficionados. And then there are the super-perks, like getting an email from a PR firm asking if we’d like free wine! Us, free wine? Well, ok, sure, if you insist.
That’s the invitation that landed in our in-box last month from Planet Bordeaux’s PR agency. We were invited to sample some of the wines of Bordeaux from the lower-priced $10–$20 a bottle range. Planet Bordeaux had a couple of goals in mind:
The folks at Planet Bordeaux (www.planet-bordeaux.com) provided us with a generous list of roughly 35 wines from the 2005 to 2008 vintages, suggesting that we select no more than 10 samples for evaluation. So we chose carefully and were told that we have “excellent taste.” Gary said “we’ll see…”
Our shipment from Planet Bordeaux arrived with 7 of the 10 wines we requested. We immediately broadcast the availability of free wine to our friends next door—knowledgeable wine lovers in their own right—and scheduled a tasting. As with any wine tasting event, the food was central to the experience. Drawing on our (albeit limited) knowledge of Bordeaux, we selected a variety of cheeses and ordered some delicious barbecued chicken from Blue Ribbon BBQ in Arlington, a VinoDuo favorite. Yes, Lisa would have preferred ribs with her Bordeaux, but a high cholesterol reading has curtailed this avid carnivore.)
Our basic approach for the tasting involved bracketing wine by year: To 2005’s, 2006’s and one each of 2007 & 2008. All wines were allowed to breath for 3 hours prior to the tasting.
What We Tasted, What We Thought
Year Composition Retail Price Tasting Notes Ranking 1=Excellent 7 = Poor Chateau Bois-Malot* 2005 50% Cabernet Sauvignon,30% Merlot 20% Cab Franc $10 “Limestone notes with spicy palate,” “Thin and not enough fruit in the mouth,” “light and pleasant,” “I imagine that this would be a good pizza and burger wine,” “old world without the complexity… taste is equal to the price; disappointed” 5. Domaine de Cantemerle* “Grains du Terroir” 2005 Merlot, Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot $15 “Excellent with food-barbecue…some spiciness, some anise and licorice, vanilla and oak…nice balance and longish finish… I would buy!” “Smooth, velvety and nice finish…a favorite already!” 1. Chateau Bellevue Peycharneau* 2006 65% Merlot, 20% Cab Sauv, 15% Cab Franc $15 “Bottle was tainted as we got the tell-tail signs of coconut, passion fruit and sour cherries…too bad,” “this wine had some potential with a nice earthy nose, but no pay-off and it tasted funny” 7. Chateau Malbec 2006 Merlot, Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Malbec $10 “Yech…Smelled like low tide at a polluted beach” “thin with no complexity no discerning characteristics” “Had high hopes for this wine; perhaps this bottle was tainted as well” 7. Chateau Haut Chatain* 2006 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon $15 “Deep, dark, beefy with hints of cherry ganache,” “old world with cherry compote toasty oak and a long, smooth finish…very good” “I would buy” 2. Chateau Montlau* 2007 Merlot $10 “Earthy nose with hints of vanilla… sharp palate with big tannins and notes of black fruits… tannins are too tight—wine needs time” “beautiful nose with earthy vanilla notes… rustic and old world—needs time” 3. Chateau Les Vergnes 2008 55% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc $12 “Amazing nose with explosive cherry notes on the palate—tannins still too tightly wound needing more time to settle out,” “Tastes like jug-wine… needs lots of time” 4.

Conclusions:
Upon our arrival in Barcelona, we found out that Lisa’s luggage took a detour to Belgrade. Belgrade-Barcelona; I guess they sounded the same to Boston’s Swiss Air baggage crew. So along with some unplanned wardrobe shopping (all together now…poor Lisa), VinoDuo found a few terrific spots to learn about, enjoy, and buy Spanish wine.
BARCELONA
Xampany Wine Shop — Valencia 200, Barcelona
Our cruise line’s rules allow passengers to bring two bottles of wine on board. So VinoDuo went shopping and stumbled on Xampany, a marvelous wine shop not far from the hotel This place was a real hoot; a throwback to the 60’s with store’s “office” set up in an open loft overlooking the sales counter. The proprietor sat at an oak roll-top desk with the warm glow of a banker’s desk-lamp nearby. Fortunately his English was better than our Catalan. We fessed up to a limited knowledge of Spanish wine and he produced two fine specimens to bring on board, one from Rioja the other from Priorat, a wine region south of Barcelona.

The stand-out was the 2006 Les Terrasses Alvaro Palacios Priorat. Priorat is a “prestigious” blend usually including Garnacha Tinta, Garnacha Peluda, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah. Priorat almost always features relatively higher alcohol content (> 15%).
We brought this bottle to one of our dinners aboard ship, hoping to make fast friends with our table mates. Readers, it worked! We hooked up with a marvelous couple from the UK who shared our love of wine and travel. The Priorat was a hit with all of us, complementing chicken and veal dishes. This garnet/purple wine had an earthy nose with hints of leather, pipe tobacco, and black cherries. On the palate it was delicious with a slightly full fruit-forward taste followed by silky tannins for a smooth palate-feel and a long, delicious finish. An amazing value for @ $35 US.
Cata 1.81 – Barcelona (wine bar)
As we ambled around the streets of Barcelona near the terrific Hotel Amister we stumbled on the hip wine bar Cata 1.81. The bar wears a modern industrial look with a welcoming personality. We were immediately seated with another group at a community table with a couple from Baltimore and their local guide, who was leading a tour of Barcelona’s best wine bars. Now there’s a Career 2.0 idea for VinoDuo!
We enjoyed the Tapas menu and one wine, the 2006 Castillo Perelada Empordà Finca Malaveïna (Blend of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha, Merlot), really stood out. Hints of leather and cassis on the nose and blackberry-cherry licorice notes on the palate ending in a complex, fruity finish.
ON THE CRUISE

Fattoria Maionchi, Via di Tofori 81, 55012 – Capannori (Lu)
When we docked in Livorno, most of our shipmates awoke pre-dawn and took the hours-long ride to Florence. We chose the more civilized mid-morning drive through the centuries-old wine region of Lucca to Fattoria Maionchi, a 17th century Villa and winery featuring both apartments (for rent at estate) and several wines, Vinsanto, Grappa and olive oils.
The setting was fairy-tale perfect. Lush farmland surrounding the historic ochre and brick villa. Vibrant gardens bursting with purple, orange, and red plantings. And vineyards that took your breath away. If Peter Mayle had stopped at Fattoria Maionchi on his way to Provence, he would have spent his year here instead.

Our visit started with a tour of the wine cellar. Its thick, mottled walls of quarry rock revealed generations of winemaking history. In this naturally temperature controlled sub-basement, the guide shared Fattoria Maionchi’s process for aging its wine.

New and old oak casks line the walls along with the leftovers from vintages past. The usually articulate Gary just kept repeating “wow.” Perhaps he was calculating how to convert our basement crawl space cum wine cellar into something more akin to this beauty.
What We Tasted
We settled in to the modern tasting room with about a dozen other cruisemates and were treated to a tasting of the Estate’s wines plus a hair-raising Grappa.
At the conclusion of the main tasting, Gary did some undercover work and found another wine held back from the tasting. Since his family motto is “if you don’t ask, you don’t get,” he asked and we got. The 2003 Cintello IGT (Sangiovese 85%, Canaiolo 15%) was supple and complex with deep black fruit and cherry notes A very good super-Tuscan style wine with the kind of personality that we look for in a @ $30 - $35 wine. So we bought a bottle and shared it with our new-found friends on the ship, accompanied by a selection of cheeses.
We had a memorable day at Fattoria Maionchi. The wine was above average at best, but when the atmospherics and gracious hospitality are factored in, it was an excursion well worth taking. As for the wine, if we can find their Cintello locally we’ll certainly put it on our must-buy list.
Next stop: Cheese Tasting in Rome
What We Wrote About Ravines
“A winery where the quality of the wines matched the classic beauty of the tasting room. Winemaker Morten Hallgren is a French transplant whose family owned Domaine de Castel Roubine in Provence. Before opening Ravines in 2003, Hallgren was chief winemaker for Dr. Konstantin Frank Wines.
We bought the 2006 Meritage “Big, bold fruit and just the right amount of pepper and spice; probably should cellar a year or so” and the 2007 Cabernet Franc – Spicy nose, cherry flavors and some white pepper."
What they’re Pouring at the ExpoWhat they’re Pouring at the Expo
What We Wrote About Red Newt
"We indulged in a marvelous lunch at Red Newt Bistro, the acclaimed restaurant at Red Newt Cellars in Hector. Red Newt’s 2008 Syrah/Cab Franc blend. Its pale pink color looks like a White Zin, but the luscious grapefruit on the nose and apricot on the palate were most sophisticated.
Since it was the middle of the day, Gary decided to go with the Dry White Flight. This time, the tastes were all Red Newt varietals. The Chardonnay was a light hay color with a butterscotch nose and bright, white grape juice flavors—delicious. Gary also loved the Yellow Jail blend, with its clean apricot and honeydew aroma and pink grapefruit taste."
What They’re Pouring at the Expo
What We Wrote About Turtle Creek
"We bought the 2006 Dry Riesling (gets his grapes from Sheldrake Vineyard in the Finger Lakes) “fresh, clean, with flavors of grapefruit and tart apple. [Producer Kip] Kumler released the wine in September 2008 after 10 months in stainless and a year in the bottle. He produced just 624 bottles; we feel lucky to have snagged one of them.”
We were less enthralled with the Zin.“He imports his grapes from Wildwood Vineyards in Amador County, California. But don’t expect a big fat juicy, chewy, smoky Zin. As the Turtle Creek website puts it, this Zinfandel is “idiosyncratic, with half of the grapes left on skins, after fermentation, for two months.” So you lose color, and you lose some POW! What you gain is some earthiness and, according to Kumler, elegance. Well, call us rubes, but if we wanted elegance we would order a Pinot Noir. We do look forward with great anticipation to the 2009 Zin, which Kip says will have more depth of color and more Zin impact.”
Cameron Hughes Wine
We're intrigued by Cameron Hughes' business model. They buy up excess juice from prominent (but unnamed) wineries, bottle it under their own label below the original price. We'll be stopping by their table at the Expo to see if we can unmask the 'real' winemakers!| Wine | Varietal | Price | Tasting Notes | |
|
Whites
| ||||
| Heritage Trail Vineyards (CT) | Chardonnay | $32 | Light-colored straw; almost translucent. Sweet pear and peaches on the nose, a balance of fruit, acid, and tannin structure, and a long finish. | |
| Carm Reserva 2008(DOC Douro Portugal) | Non-varietal white blend | $20 | Butterscotch/vanilla nose backed up by a lively, grassy/limestone palate with light fruit and honey. | |
| La Poule Blanche Vin de Pays (Languedoc) | 45% Chardonnay 30% Sauv Blanc 25% Viognier | $11 | Peach and honeysuckle nose complemented by a vanilla-mineral palate that will accompany many of your summer weekend lunch favorites. | |
| Picpoul de Pinet Mas Saint Laurent 2006 (Languedoc) | Picpoul | $16 | Inviting honeysuckle nose and a surprisingly full palate that would complement a steamed lobster in the rough. | |
| Dr. Frank Dry Riesling 2007 (Finger Lakes) | Riesling | $17 | Floral and citrus nose; delicious spicy pear and grapefruit flavors. | |
| Reds
| ||||
| Banfi Excelsus Toscana IGT, 1999 | 60% Cab 40% Merlot | $35 | Absolute perfection in a glass. Smooth, supple, reserved and elegant. An amazing wine for the money. If you can find it, buy it. | |
| Heritage Trail Vineyards (CT) | Cab Franc | $32 | Notes of vanilla, toasted oak, and tobacco on the nose, bright berry flavors, and enough acidity to stand up to lamb and veal. This is one of the best Cab Francs we’ve tasted from Northeast producers (fruit is from North Fork of LI, New York) | |
| Andeluna Winemakers’ Selection Malbec 2006 | Malbec | $12 | We love this Malbec and wish more wineries would emulate Silvio Alberto and Michel Rolland and cross into the no-man’s-land of balancing old world styles with the new. The Andeluna Winemaker’s Selection Malbec-2006 is a terrific value and is a must buy. | |
| Domain Rimbert les Travers de Marceau 2007 | 35% Syrah 40% Carignan 20% Cinsault 5% Mourvedre | $14 | What a nose! Aromas of cooked cherry and blackberry fruits. Terrific balance of black fruits, smooth tannins, and memorable finish. | |
| Bodegas La Cartuja 2009 Priorat
| 50% Garnacha 30% Mazuelo 10% Cab 10% Syrah | $15 | We tasted this 2008 Priorat in Barcelona and tracked it down in the states. Big fruit, medium body, silky-smooth. | |
Saturday Wine Tasting At Marble House:
Better than Ever
All was forgiven on Saturday, though, with a best-ever Grand Tasting under the elegant white tents at Marble House. A perfect late-summer day was the perfect backdrop for terrific food from some of Rhode Island’s top restaurants and caterers and an extensive selection of wines from little-known family vineyards and big corporate wineries. Per the usual divide and conquer strategy Lisa spent most of her time scoping out the food (and basking in the sun); Gary made the rounds of the 100+ wineries represented and did some serious tasting.

Best Food
With 18 white-toqued chefs whipping up snacks, entrees, and desserts, Lisa had a lot of due diligence to do before uncovering the superior offerings. Two dishes made it to the “memorable” list:
Best
Wine
Since Gary did most of the tasting, white wine got
short shrift this time. Following are the top red wines on
our tasting list.

We were stung by the criticism. As champions of smaller wineries in lesser-known regions, we regularly shine a light on wine that deserves a wider audience. But we also believe that good wine is good wine, no matter how big or small the producer. So along the Connecticut Wine Trail three years ago, we crowed about Priam Vineyards and Jonathan Edwards Winery and were less charitable about others. Re-reading our post, however, we were struck by the snarky tone that did not reflect favorably on VinoDuo. So, as we planned our return trip to Connecticut to visit the wineries we missed in ‘07, Lisa and Gary made a pact: speak well of the good stuff and…speak our mind about the rest, but, you know, politely.
What We Bought
If you’d rather skip the tasting details and just want to know what to buy, here’s our Connecticut weekend haul:
You might say we slept in the vineyards during our visit. Fitch Claremont Vineyard Bed in Bozrah is surrounded by four acres of vines, lovingly planted by proprietor Warren Strong. Warren and Nora are amateur winemakers and excellent innkeepers; our room was comfortable and clean as a whistle and the breakfast was out of this world! We’re still trying to figure out how to make the stuffed blueberry egg soufflé dish that graced our plate.
What We Tasted
Our first stop took us to McLaughlin Vineyards in Sandy Hook, at the far western reaches of the Eastern Wine Trail. In a bit of time-travel freakiness, we drove down a long and dusty road past a field where two teams clad in vintage uniforms played old-timey baseball with wooden bats and larger balls. We had stumbled on a regular weekend game of the Newtown Sandy Hook Vintage Baseball Club , founded in 2005 to “provide wholesome recreation to those who wish to experience our national pastime played in the style and traditions of the 19th Century.”

After that surreal introduction, we anticipated McLaughlin Vineyards staff greeting us in bonnets and aprons. But while the winery sits on a160-acre farm with a homey, old-fashioned New England feel to it, the tasting room and wine were very 21st century.
The young tasting room staffer walked us through the wine offerings. McLaughlin produces 2500 cases of wine each year, much of it not to our taste. Gary suggested there was too much of the limestone terroir shining though the wines, “adding imbalance and a dissatisfying aftertaste on the finish,” particularly with the Merlot. (The best part of the Merlot tasting was the marvelous Thompson Chocolates from Meriden, CT served with it.) We preferred the Vista Reposa (non-vintage,) a Cabernet Sauvignon/Cab Franc blend whose deep flavors show true promise.
Our second stop was the Jones Family Farms, 13 miles from McLaughlin in Shelton, CT. Founded in the 1850’s and now in its sixth generation of family farming, Jones is better known in Shelton as “the place you get your Christmas tree.” With 200 acres of evergreens and a giant wooden Santa Claus on the premises, we assumed that winemaking was Farmer Jones’ hobby. We assumed wrong. Winemaker Jamie Jones is no amateur. He produces complex, drinkable wines that we happily tasted, bought, and cellared.

In a beautifully renovated tasting room (2009) with a centered rectangular bar, Bob Sember walked us through the Jones tasting menu. Bob has worked at the farm for over 18 years. He was incredibly generous with both his knowledge and time and provided one of the best tasting experiences we’ve had in quite a while.
Of the three white varietals (Cayuga, Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris) we were partial to the 2009 Stonewall Chardonnay ($17.) This unoaked Chard featured hints of honeysuckle, peach with a slight minerality. The crisp, clean palate prompted Lisa to say, “So that’s how Chardonnay is supposed to taste.” The ’09 was Jones’ first vintage; we bought two bottles and look forward to seeing how year 2 turns out.
Connecticut supplies the grapes for all of the white wines. For his reds, Jamie Jones draws from his own vineyards (Cab Franc), other Connecticut producers (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon), and California’s Central Coast (Merlot, Sangiovese). Importing grapes is a touchy subject in Connecticut (see our previous post re: Jonathan Edwards Winery.) So we’ll leave the moralizing to others and simply discuss the wine.
We loved the Jones 2009 Merlot, ($18) which blends some locally grown Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with the Central Coast Merlot. A nice balance of fruit and tannins interlaced with hints of oak and leather. Ripton Red ($16) is a Jones Winery favorite, comprised of 80% California Sangiovese and 20% Connecticut Merlot and assorted “other” varietals. The nose had hints of cherry Twizzlers and the taste was “kapow,” with big fruit and tannins to match. Gary said he couldn’t wait to pair it with his homemade eggplant and chicken parmesan (which, Lisa will note, beats the local red sauce Italian joint any night of the week).
Our final stop of the day was at Gouveia Vineyards in Wallingford. Goueveia has a drop-dead gorgeous setting, with 360-degree views of rolling woodlands and centuries-old farms. It looks the part of a sophisticated wine operation. Step inside and it’s Saturday Night in Wallingford…or Tanglewood without the BSO or the brie. (Oh, there’s that snark again. Bad Lisa) Couples, families, groups are spread out on picnic tables, enjoying their pizza, Chinese take-out, or homemade treats. One couple was playing Yahtzee; others dealt cards for a friendly game of gin rummy. And they were all drinking Goueveia wine, purchased at the winery, of course.
It was controlled pandemonium, so we forgave the tasting room staff for being a bit distracted. Conversation was short and, frankly, a bit uninformed. On its 28 acres, Gouveia cultivates 13 varietals, from Connecticut favorites like Cayuga and St. Croix to Merlot, Cab Franc, and Pinot Noir. We tasted six wines, including two Chardonnays (one oaked, the other steel), a super-sweet Rosé, a Cab Franc, Merlot, and Stone House Red. We liked the Stone House Red ($20,) a blend of Merlot, Zinfandel, and Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 12 months in US and French oak. Gary thought it would be a terrific “burger wine” but at $20 he lamented that there are plenty of choices that go for closer to $10. We also liked the 2009 Merlot with its deep plum nose, fruit-forward taste and spice/pepper finish. Perhaps if we weren’t so rushed at the tasting bar, we might have enjoyed the wines a bit more, and maybe even had some of our questions answered.
On Day Two we chucked our plan to re-visit wineries from the 2007 trip and headed to Lisbon, CT to scope out the newest winery on the Eastern loop, Heritage Trail Vineyards . If walking into Gouveia was like date night in the ‘burbs, the vibe at Heritage Trail was Sunday Brunch in SoHo. More a restaurant that serves homemade wine (but oh, what wine) than a winery with some food, Heritage Trail is the brainchild of Harry and Laura Schwartz. Malibu transplants, the Schwartz’s have found the ideal division of labor: Chef Harry (of Public Television and cookbook fame) runs the restaurant and Laura is winemaker and winery manager.
At Heritage, set aside your winery expectations. There’s no tasting bar. The staff is young, hip, and a little green around the gills when it comes to understanding wine. But Harry and Laura were warm, gracious hosts. The palate cleansers were divine: a trio of toppings for crackers and breads including goat cheese from the Schwartz’s farm, Tuscan black olive tapenade, blueberry compote, and, wasabi-flavored goat cheese flatbread crisps. Oh, and did we mention that Laura makes phenomenally good wine?
While we tasted seven wines, Lisa and Gary agreed on two examples of terrific, serious wine made with Northeastern-grown grapes. The unoaked Chardonnay ($32) was a big hit. In the glass the wine is light-colored straw; almost translucent. But with its sweet pear and peaches on the nose, a balance of fruit, acid, and tannin structure, and a long finish, we could have sworn we were drinking a classic California deck wine.
Heritage’s Cabernet Franc ($32) was our other favorite. The fruit is from the North Fork of Long Island (another favorite weekend destination for VinoDuo,) with a lovely color a bit light for a Cab Franc. This fruity charmer grew in complexity as it opens (it took @15 minutes in our glasses). There were notes of vanilla, toasted oak, and tobacco on the nose, bright berry flavors, and enough acidity to stand up to lamb and veal. This is one of the best Cabernet Franc’s we’ve tasted from Northeast producers and only stands to improve in our cellar.
It’s every baby boomer’s dream: turn a passionate hobby into a second career. Some folks make jewelry. Others open a yoga studio or a used bookshop. And what wine lover hasn’t daydreamed about cultivating a few acres in Napa or Sonoma? Well, one 60ish Optometrist on Cape Cod has expanded his life-long hobby of making homemade wine for friends and family into the Cape Winery Co-Op. Dr. Frank Puzio hasn’t quit his day job—he’s one of the Cape’s most respected and innovative eye doctors—but he’s grown from a vino-hobbyist to an accomplished small-batch winemaker.
The Winemaker
We met Frank and his wife, Diane, through a friend and fellow wine enthusiast. She told us about a home-based winemaker with a fabulous home on the Cape and a talent for crafting Old World reds from California grapes. We smiled, but winced. Gary’s grandfather made wine on the back porch of his triple-decker in Malden, Mass. Frank Puzio’s grandfather Dominic made wine in the basement. Other passionate amateurs have eagerly thrust a glass of their home brew our way. Yes, we know they’re made with love, but…is it really wine? But of course, we readily agreed to meet Frank and taste his wine. Any opportunity to be on the Cape, in the summer, at a stunning home near the beach was too good to pass up.
The Winemaking
On a brilliant July afternoon, we visited the Puzios and were in for the surprise of our life. From the scientifically-driven winemaking process to the stylish and functional cellar to, yes, the wine, Frank has brought extraordinary vision to his “hobby.” The cellar is hand-crafted (Frank did most of the work himself,) with a stunning below-grade granite barrel area. The room includes all of the gadgets and equipment one needs for proper winemaking. Puzio’s “laboratory” reminded us of the (much larger) cellar at Turtle Creek Winery (Kip Kumler’s place in Lincoln, MA).
Grapes do grow in Cape Cod’s sandy soil. But let’s just say the Cape produces better Cod than Cabernet. Frank Puzio’s grapes travel cross-country in about 5 days from Lodi or Monterrey, California (delivered fresh, not frozen, flash-frozen, or previously frozen) After the crush and the clarification, Frank stores his wine in French Oak for a full year. Upcoming vintages will age in something new… a lined poly-tank with toasted oak planks introduced through the middle of the tank. This process uses less wood and is more sustainable than 100% oak.
The WineFrank Puzio produces red wine blends in the tradition of some Meritages or Clarets and even some Super Tuscans. Frank poured two wines for us during the tasting:
2007 Blend
Cabernet Sauvignon (66%) , Merlot (22%), and Sangiovese (12%)
We were astounded by the quality and complexity of the wine. This is a serious, food-friendly wine that should accompany a nice Osso Buco or even a pizza with meat toppings. We noted intense black fruit flavors, with good tannin structure for a dry finish. The character of the wine improved over the one hour or so that we spent getting to know Frank, Diane and their wines. The 2007 Blend was truly, surprisingly pleasant and delicious!
2008 Blend
Cabernet Sauvignon (66%) , Merlot (22%), and Syrah (12%)
Frank opened the barrel for this Blend, as it had about 2 months left before bottling. Again, we were impressed by the quality and complexity of the wine. The Syrah added depth and soul to this blend. The undertones of vanilla and cherry licorice flavors were balanced and the wine was velvety on the palate. The character of this blend also improved as we swirled the glass while chatting and nibbling cheese and crackers.
Bravo to Frank Puzio for putting his passion and his vision to work. He may still be the Cape’s eye doctor of choice, but we envision his Cape Winery Co-Op consuming more of his time as the vintages go by.
Note: Cape Winery Co-Op follows the model of successful co-ops across the country. Participants sign an agreement stating they are not purchasing wine but rather supporting the costs of their personal share for the procurement of quality wine grapes from California, the wine yeasts, and nutrients, required chemicals and supplies, etc. Co-op participants can reserve one or more six-gallon unit (30 bottles) or split the volume with a partner. The fee is $400 per six-gallon unit. Anyone interested in signing up for next year’s co-op contact Frank Puzio at drfpuzio@gmail.com.
Tonight for your dining pleasure, will it be chicken paired with pencil shavings? Veal accompanied by a delightful wet granite? Or a marvelous filet paired with white pepper, smoke, and loam? The language of wine can be pretentious, self-important, and downright weird (pencil shavings??) Worst of all, flowery wine descriptions can be misleading. You’re shopping for a well-priced, medium-bodied white wine to serve with the roast chicken, and all you really want to know is: what does the wine taste like and will it complement my meal? Instead, the shelf tags quote wine reviewers pontificating about hints of quince and noses of posies (and yes, vinoduo is guilty of over-the-top descriptions, so don’t barrage us with emails, please.)
Who do we turn to for honest, plain-spoken but spot-on wine and food pairing reviews? Ray Isle is our go-to guy. Whether it’s his column and articles in Food & Wine or his wine blog (http://www.foodandwine.com/blogs/tasting-room, Ray makes us want to jump in the car and buy whatever wine he’s raving about. And then cook the food he’s paired it with.
Until Ray becomes a guest blogger on VinoDuo, we’ll continue to offer our suggestions on wine and food pairings. And since we know that for every one of our suggestions there’s 100 others just as valid (sort of), we’ve included the “conventional wisdom” pick in our food pairing charts, below. Won’t it be fun to check out who’s right? Um, we mean, whose opinion most closely matches your own
|
Dish |
Conventional Wisdom |
VinoDuo Suggests |
|
Chicken Cacciatore |
Chenin Blanc (white) |
Sangiovese (red) |
|
Chicken with Mushrooms & Cream Sauce |
Chardonnay (white) |
French Unoaked Chardonnay |
|
Fried Chicken |
Chenin Blanc (white) |
UGH. Does wine really go with Fried Chicken? Get a Red Stripe! |
|
Roast Chicken with Rosemary |
Beaujolais (red) |
French Unoaked Chardonnay |
|
Dish |
Conventional Wisdom |
VinoDuo Suggests |
|
Pan Seared Tenderloin |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
California Syrah |
|
Hamburgers |
Beaujolais |
Zinfandel or Shiraz |
|
Rib Eye Roast |
Merlot |
Merlot or Claret |
|
Sirloin Tips with Roast Veggies |
Merlot |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
|
Dish |
Conventional Wisdom |
VinoDuo Suggests |
|
Pork Tenderloin with Orange Marmalade |
Pinot Noir (red) |
Pinot Noir |
|
Pork Scaloppini with Porcini Mushrooms |
Pinot Grigio (white) |
Dry Riesling (white) |
|
Baked Ham with Maple Glaze |
Riesling (white) |
Torrontes (white) |
|
Pork Chops with Vinegary Peppers |
Zinfan del (red) |
Wine and Vinegar? Try an IPA instead |
|
Dish |
Conventional Wisdom |
VinoDuo Suggestions |
|
Baked Halibut |
Soave |
Sauvignon Blanc |
|
Marinated Swordfish |
Sauvignon Blanc |
Sancerre |
|
Steamed Lobster |
Chardonnay |
Chenin Blanc |
|
Herb Crusted Salmon |
Chardonnay |
Santa Barbara Pinot Noir |
|
Dish |
Suggested Wine |
What We Suggested |
|
Kung Pao Shrimp |
Gewürztraminer (white) |
Sauvignon Blanc
|
|
General Gao’s Chicken |
Merlot |
Malbec (red) |
|
Pad Thai |
Chenin Blanc |
Dry Riesling or Unoaked Chardonnay |
|
Mexican |
Sauvignon Blanc |
Soave, Dry Riesling (white) |
This is just a small sampling of suggested food and wine pairings; the possibilities are endless and perhaps overwhelming...so much so that you might just give in and visit the beer cooler! But hopefully you’ll experiment and document your findings. Tell us what wines you pair with your favorite meals. Just lay off the pencil shavings and slate, ok?
Roger is usually right on the money with his recommendations so we purchased two bottles and turned the night into a VinoDuo Cheapo Challenge:
Yes, we know, a tasting across three different years and three different areas of Mendoza is not a “real” test. You can’t compare young, just out of the barrel wine with a mature wine. So we’re not purists…sue us!
This is not actually a contest though… it’s more of a “truth in advertising” sojourn. We wanted to know how close the winemaker’s marketing blurbs on the bottle came to the actual taste. So we put on our “wine police” hat and began the tasting. As Anderson Cooper says, “We’re keeping ’em honest.”
| Wine | They Say… | We Say.. |
| Puerto Viejo Malbec 2008 | Deep ruby red with hints of plum, cinnamon, and minerals, this wine is intense and concentrated with a balanced finish. | Not really a deep ruby, more like a bright medium ruby (Yeah, color is subjective; we won’t hang our case on this point) Aromas of cigar box and Cherry Heering. We did taste cinnamon on the palate with some racy Bing cherry fruit mid-palate and a lingering cinnamon-cocoa finish. Day Two, there was a fruity boom then bust! No distinctive character. Unbalanced finish. A little sleuthing uncovered that this winery actually specializes in Chilean grapes—8 of 9 wines they produce are Chilean. Are they trying to cash in on the Malbec craze? Maybe the lesson is, drink it all up on Day One! |
| Bombal & Aldoa 1830 Malbec 2007 | Deep red in color with ruby highlights. An enticing, complex aroma that hints at blackberries, flowers, and a touch of eucalyptus. On the mouth you can feel the typical sweetness of the Malbec. | Roger raved about this wine, so we had high hopes. Dark ruby color…check. Complex aroma of toasty vanilla and cherry…check. Typical sweetness… Gary picked up “creamy caramelized cherries jubilee on the palate.” Triple check. This is a well-made wine that’s neither a fruit-bomb nor a pizza companion. It held its own on Day Two, with Lisa calling the Malbec a “serviceable wine… enjoyable with food or for social events.” We do quibble with the eucalyptus aroma. Perhaps the winemaker was nursing a sore throat with Hall’s Mentho-Lyptus prior to tasting. |
| Andeluna Winemakers’ Selection Malbec 2006 | Excellent body and exceptionally well balanced with a great structure. Aromas of ripe plums, strawberry, lavender and vanilla with notes of cherry and spices are balanced with lush flavors of red plum, black currant, Morella cherry and chocolate with notes of dried fruits and red fruit liqueur that complement the soft, sweet, rounded tannins and produce an exquisite finish. | We love this Malbec and wish more wineries would emulate Silvio Alberto and Michel Rolland and cross into the no-man’s-land of balancing old world styles with the new. Amazingly, Alberto and Rolland work their magic consistently across 11,000+ cases. Even the Wine Enthusiast agrees, saying “Great overall balance for an under-$15 wine. There's slam-bang dark fruit, good mouth feel, tightness and serious but controlled tannins. Oak plays its role on the back palate and finish, and in the end the wine is as savory and balanced as it is bold and fruity…90 Points.” The Andeluna Winemaker’s Selection Malbec-2006 is a terrific value and is a must buy. |
So, in conclusion, the 1830 and Andeluna were outstanding with the Bison Burgers. But the Andeluna still reigns supreme
as our Malbec benchmark.
We suggest taking a chance. Go out on a limb and try something new! If you swear by Sutter Home’s White Zinfandel, try La Linda Malbec Rose ($12) from Argentina. In July 2009 we wrote we had a crush on this “sweet (but not too sweet) juicy, cranberry-colored” charmer. La Linda has “a strawberry nose [that] gives way to a dry but, fresh flavor. Lots of fruit but not in your face.”
For a terrific summer white, bag the Kangaroo and try La Poule Blanche Vin de Pays. Discovered last June at the Spirited Gourmet tasting, we wrote, “We just loved this wine. Its peach and honeysuckle nose is complemented by a vanilla-mineral palate that will accompany many of your summer weekend lunch favorites. At $10.99 this is definitely on our by list.”
If you’re a red wine fan, try Quintas das Tecedeiras Reserva 2006 from Portugal ($12). In October 2009 we wrote that this six-grape blend had “…a nice deep cherry nose and a terrific balance of tannins and fruit throughout the taste. Tastes like a far more expensive wine and is a terrific value.”
With a 1.6 percent decline in wines sales priced $20+, it’s clear that the economy has hurt the wine market along with every other industry. But there are so many wines that taste like $20+ bottles but cost much less! So it’s time to explore new varietals, new wine regions, and new names.


The Domaine du Poujol winemaker calls Proteus an “every day wine,” so we paired it with that most every day entrée—roast chicken. A little olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic was all the bird needed to come out seasoned, succulent, and ready for the wine.
The Proteus is a dark ruby red. The nose was intoxicating…lots of ripe fruit, mostly blackberry and cherry, with hints of leather and spice. If we didn’t know Merlot was the dominant grape, the nose gave it away. The wine drinks beautifully; nicely balanced fruit and spice, with a long finish. Lisa detected some vanilla in the finish; Gary noted leather. This wine is in no way a fruit bomb; just a classic food-friendly wine that complements both meat and poultry. We bought it for $15.99; you can probably find it for $12-16 at your local shop. But don’t wait too long; the ’05 is probably coming to the end of its useful life.
Wandering Old San Juan’s
hilly streets and alleyways is always a treat, especially for two winter-weary
Bostonians seeking sun and sustenance. We’ve visited this fabulous city a
half-dozen times, soaking in the Latin vibe and ogling the centuries-old homes
and shops that line the streets. During the first “fitness walk” on our recent
trip we stumbled on Casa Galena,
(108 Calle Cruz) a new boutique with some of the finest tsotchkes any tasteful
home-goods shopper would desire. When he hit the back of the shop, Gary let out
a “Yes!” (and I swear he did a fist pump too.) He had discovered a small
selection of wine from Argentina, Spain, and Portugal. Most of the offerings
were unknown to us; some were vaguely familiar from past Boston Wine Expo or
ViniPortugal tastings.
Finding a well-curated wine
collection in the heart of the old city was a step up for our San Juan wine
experiences. Better known for its rum and local beer, the area’s liquor stores
mostly boast Gallo and Yellow Tail, while restaurants still tend towards
unremarkable (and improperly stored) “vino tinto” or “vino blanco” house wines.
The 2006 Mendoza Valley
(Argentina) harvest produced some outstanding wines at terrific prices so we
opted for a bottle of the Bodega Sottano 2006 Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon. At checkout, the Casa Galena shop owner told us we
picked “the best”; one of her favorites.
Assuming she had impeccable taste, we asked for a dinner recommendation so
we could enjoy the Cab that evening. She wasn’t aware of any BYO restaurants
but raved about the chef-owned La Cucina Di Ivo, (202 Calle de Cristo) whose $15 corkage fee was
palatable.
What We Ate…What We
Drank
Well,
Casa Galena’s owner batted 2 for 2 that night! The restaurant was charming,
secluded, and molto Italiano.
Quietly empty with just one other table occupied, we had the airy outdoor
courtyard to ourselves. Gary had the Chickpea Soup and Gnocchi Bolognese; Lisa
ordered the House Special Salad (field greens, Granny Smith Apples, Walnuts,
and Feta cheese) and the Gnocchi with fresh peas, Prosciutto, and langoustines.
Chef Ivo Bignami makes all his pasta, sauces, dressings, and bread from
scratch. The Gnocchi were, as Lisa put it, “light, feathery little pillows” and
the bread—with garlic and chive-speckled butter—was rustic yet light.
And the wine? A Mighty
Fine Accompaniment