Saturday afternoons are typically wine-tasting days at many wine shops in our area. Most days, you'll get to taste two to four wines from a particular region or varietal. A few weeks ago we hit the jackpot when we were invited to attend the Spirited Gourmet's (Winchester, MA) fall wine tasting, showcasing nearly 70 wines and some terrific wine-friendly food.

The Spirited Gourmet was new to us, but now that we've sampled its well-chosen food and wine selections, we’ll certainly be back. Along with the usual suspects—Stonewall jams and Lake Champlain Chocolates—the shop stocks unusual gourmet treats and excellent farmstead cheeses.

As for the wine, distributors presented their offerings in shifts. Our crafty friends Ron and Patrice—old hands at the Spirit Gourmet’s biannual event—suggested we got at the tail end of the first shift so we could sample the full boat. While we didn't make it to 70, intrepid Vino Duo managed to check out a barrel-load of new-to-us wines. Here are our favorites, none of which we had tried before.

Whites

Graziano Sauvignon Blanc (Mendocino) 2006         $16.99
This wine defied Lisa's oft-voiced complaint that California can't make a good SB (good being virtually anything from Marlborough, NZ.) Crisp, clear, with some ripe fruit and a touch of mineral, it stole Lisa's heart.

Maybe the difference is the 100% fermentation in neutral French oak barrels and "sur lie" aging.

Alamos Torrontes (Mendoza) 2006         $10.99
Torrontes is a grape unique to Argentina and a great "compromise" wine for couples fighting the Chardonnay / Sauvignon Blanc divide. Crisp but not minerally, light but not watery, and floral but not, well, flowery. Gary and Lisa both jumped at this drinkable, food-friendly wine.

Richter RieslingQbA (Germany) 2006         $13.99
The distributor pouring this wine told everyone, "This was the house wine on the Hindenburg." Was that meant to intrigue us or turn us off? Um, didn’t the Hindenberg blow up?

But those Germans sure knew their wine. The Richter was an easy-to-love Riesling, a perfect late summer wine we hope to enjoy in this unseasonably warm New England fall. Not a super-sweet Riesling, the Richter was fruity but elegant with a lovely, long finish.



Reds

Allegrini Palazzo della Torre (Veneto) 2004     $22.99
Friendly and fruit-forward, this blend would be great with red-sauce Italian food or grilled meat. Deep ruby red, with marvelous structure and a long finish.

Bucciarelli Chianti Classico 2003      $17.99
Gary is a fine pizza maker. His homemade sauce is a perfect blend of sweet and spicy. He tosses the dough above his head with gusto. And each pie beats our local pizzeria every time. Chianti is, of course, the perfect pizza wine and Gary is defrosting the dough tonight in anticipation of pairing the Bucciarelli with his pizza while we watch the Patriots cream the Colts. A refined, fruity Chianti, with great structure and full-flavored palate.

Laurona Monstant (Spain) 2003        $ 29.99
We're learning more about Spanish wines this year and the '03 Laurona has emerged as a solid winner. Deep, intense fruit with great structure and a touch of spice. It's a blend of, primarily, Garnacha and Merlot, with currant and plum on the nose.