Top-flight Rosés can indeed be found in the United States
Wow! The angst and drama from Bawlemore had me sampling wine like crazy this week. At what point will the Progressives be held responsible for the chaos in many of our cities and blue states which has been brought on by their misguided policies and inept management? It is irrefutable that the most crime-prone, devastated, racially divided cities and states have been under the sway of Progressive leadership for 50 or more years. The mainstream media supports them in their proposed remedy.
Spend more money! So I went out and bought several half bottles of wine, and drank them down while viewing marathon stupidity reportage of the riots. Sure enough, most of my troubled thoughts disappeared. Fortunately dear readers, I took notes and can read my handwriting up to the seventh bottle, which enabled this column.
Eminence Road Farm Winery is Located in Long Eddy, N.Y., in a mountain valley in Delaware County. The winery is housed in an old cow barn. Don’t let that throw you, though; it produces small lots of wonderful wine. The Elizabeth Vineyard Gewurztraminer 2012 vies with the best from Alsace and Germany. It’s pale golden, and the nose shows subtle floral tones, honey notes, orange zest and beeswax aromas. The palate is dry, with perfect acidity supporting a medium body and hints of Asian spice, lychee and more orange rind. The wine went through malolactic fermentation employing naturally occurring yeast so it has some appealing, yeasty characteristics, 92 McD and it can be found under $20. If you enjoy spicy, sushi, or most Asian or Mexican, please give “Gewurz” a try. It is made for food. If you have a pal who enjoys Gewurztraminer, do the push up and search this out. I found mine in Brooklyn.
Luca Malbec 2012 was awarded 93s and 92s by many. No. 19 on Wine Spectator Best of 2014 but for some reason the price is falling from its high of $32 to a reasonable under $25, less on cases. The only weak vintage from 2007-13 has been the 2009 and that rated a “nothin' ta sneeze at” 87 points. Natalie Maclean intoned, “Heavenly hamburger wine.”
As regulars are aware, I’m no fan of Malbec. I made my rare 85 percent burger with a half-inch slab of onion, slathered it in Creole grainy mustard, surrounded it with a Kimmelwick roll and sure enough, the Malbec was pretty darn good. On a serious note, this is a very well-made bottle. Malbec fans would be well served to lay some in at this price. Lots of black fruit, long time in oak provides mocha, chocolate, full body.
Remember Judith Beck? Think GruVe. She’s at it again with a wonderful Blaufrankisch Rosé 2014 for $16. Blaufrankisch, aka Lemberger and Kekfrankos, is German for blue Frankish. This dark-skinned grape is very hardy and withstands the cold winters found in the region. It is planted all over Austria, Hungary, parts of Germany and the Balkans.
A top-flight Rosé rendition is rarely found in the states but I had the very good fortune to sample eight. Beck’s stood out: Light orange rose-tinted, after a few swirls the nose is lovely. Spicy cherries and tangerines are underlined by herbal nuance. On the palate, bitter cherry and rhubarb flavors. Finishes long, clean and dry. Two other producers worth looking into are Schiefel and Wenzel.
Don Ramon Platinum Silver Tequila, Mexico is the crème de la crème of tequilas say several experts. If you try this please don’t show your “country.” Don’t take it in a shot glass and slug it down. Don’t salt your hand and bite a piece of lime or ask for it in a Margarita with a splash of GM and a salt rim. Think of it as a decent brandy, place it in a snifter and savor it. The hangovers are substantially reduced. Believe it or not Tequila improves with age, both by how old-timers consume it and the lovely effects of maturation.
Finally, Happy Mother’s Day. My mom passed several years ago, and I wish I had cherished her even more than I did.
