NV Antech Brut Nature. Go Team Bubs!
The owners of Vino Verite, a wine shop in my Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle have taken a page out of my wish book: they handed over the controls for their Thursday wine tasting (that’s 9/25 from 5-8pm) to me. If you can’t make it, these are all wines I highly recommend. (Check WineSearcher for average pricing nationally, but the island wines from Sicily and Santorini will be the only ones over $20, the other three should be in the $15 range.) Take this to your local wine shop, tell ’em to put together a mixed case for you. Here’s the lineup:
NV Antech Cuvee Brut Nature
“Brut Nature” means you’re getting the liveliest sparkling wine imaginable. A great way to wake up your tired palate after a long day of work-related yammering. Find out why it’s great for celebrations 365 days of the year.
Kamari Beach, Santorini. Chill down that Assyrtiko!
2013 Sigalas Assyritiko
Some speculate that the Greek island of Santorini was the fabled lost city of Atlantis. Thankfully, the white wine made from the native Assyrtiko grape did not suffer a similar mysterious demise. It’s the ultimate seafood wine; like a supercharged Chablis. Enjoy the beautiful blues and whites of an island paradise.
Not Valle dell’Acate, but the kind of idyllic vineyard scene you’ll find in Sicily.
2011 Valle dell’Acate Frappato
Take note of Sicilian wine! It’s a island firing on all cylinders when it comes to indigenous grapes like Frappato. This red is uniquely delicious and emblematic of “The World of Sicilian Wine”. Which happens to be the title of a book you should pick up. Listen to my interview with the authors.
No fooling, these vineyards at Quinta Dos Murcas are steep. And not terraced, which is unusual for the Douro region of Portugal.
2010 Quinta dos Murcas Assobio Tinto
A Portuguese red blending Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca. Assobio means “whisper” and refers to the winds that course through the steep vineyards of the Douro. Fascinating to taste grapes normally used for Port transformed into a dry red wine. The quality of table wines from this country has skyrocketed in the past years. Cool label, too. Did I ever tell you about the time I battled hairpin curves and dizzying heights to visit the vineyards of Quinta dos Murcas?
Mastroberardino’s Villa dei Misteri project in Pompeii. Just one of the many cool things this winery is doing, like making great Aglianico with a nice price.
2011 Mastroberardino Aglianico “Mastro”
Where is the love for Aglianico, the signature red grape of Campania in southern Italy? Though wines made from this grape can certainly be burly, this is a made in an “enjoy me now” style. Bring on the pizza! (The Frappato is also a great pizza wine, BTW. Speaking of pizza, why does it have to be round?)
If I don’t see you there, I hope you get a chance to try one or all of these wines. Let me know what you think!
