Month: February 2021

Bordeaux-Style Blend, Chardonnay, Finger Lakes, New York Wine, Riesling, Samples

Three Gems from Ravines Wine Cellars

Appetite for Wine

A few weeks back, we were talking about different wine varieties, and decided we needed to incorporate more Riesling into our lives. Mere days later, as if she overheard our conversation from 3,000 miles away, Courtney from Ravines Wine Cellars, in the Finger Lakes Region of New York, emailed us offering samples of their wines, including their flagship Dry Riesling. How could we refuse?

The following wines were provided as media samples for review. All reviews, descriptions, and opinions are our own. We received no additional compensation.

Riesling is a very versatile grape. It can also be polarizing; you either like it or you don’t. In our observation, the polarization is directly related to the versatility – Riesling wines can be made in a variety of styles, from dry to sweet. A few years ago, the market was flooded with cheap, sweet Riesling from Germany, which has turned a lot of wine drinkers away from Riesling in general. That’s a shame, because Riesling is a stunning grape, food friendly and elegant. While we tend to prefer dry wines, we’ve enjoyed some excellent off-dry Rieslings, and have an appreciation for the occasional sweet sip. 

The Finger Lakes Region, in Upstate New York, is known for its Riesling. With a short growing season and cold, snowy winters, Riesling finds itself right at home there. The name, Finger Lakes, comes from the 11 long, narrow lakes formed by glacial movement millions of years ago. Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake are two of the deepest in the US, at 618 feet and 435 feet, respectively. 

Image credit: https://www.fingerlakestravelny.com/

Ravines Wine Cellars is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. In 2001, husband and wife team Morten and Lisa Hallgren founded Ravines Wine Cellars, with a mission to produce a bone dry Riesling. Born in Denmark, Morten learned winemaking at his family’s estate winery in Côtes de Provence, France. Morten went on to earn a degree in winemaking from Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Agronomie in Montpellier. Meanwhile, Lisa studied the culinary arts and is now a professionally trained Chef. As an adult, Morten came to the United States, eventually settling in Upstate New York, where he and Lisa purchased land between two ravines in the Finger Lakes region. You can read more of Morten and Lisa’s story on the Ravines Wine Cellars website.

Our sample pack from Ravines Wine Cellars included three wines; a 2017 Chardonnay, the flagship 2017 Dry Riesling, and their Bordeaux-style red blend, Maximillen 2017. These, and all of their portfolio wines are available for purchase on their website.

2017 Chardonnay (SRP $19.95)

A unique Chardonnay, made in the appassimento method by partially drying the grapes before pressing. The appassimento method is of Italian origin, and is used in making the rich and concentrated Amarone wines. 

Clear golden color. Aromas of ripe apricot, mild citrus, and pear. On the palate, there are flavors of grilled lemon, pear, peach, and citrus. Medium body with vibrant acidity. The finish lingers with fresh citrus and just a hint of toasty warmth at the end. Excellent paired with roast chicken. 

Dry Riesling 2017 (SRP $17.95)

Clear, golden color. Aromas of pear, apple, and citrus, with floral notes. On the palate, there are flavors of Bartlett pear, yellow apple, lemon lime, and lychee, with hints of honeysuckle and lemon blossom. Light body with brisk acidity and a lingering finish. Paired well with chicken and broccoli stir fry. 

Maximilien 2017 (SRP $24.95)

54% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon. 

This is a classic Bordeaux blend. A New World wine with a distinctly Old World vibe. Ruby-garnet color. The nose is earthy, cherry, raspberry, and ripe plum. On the palate, smoky with blackberry, black cherry, ripe raspberry, and red currant, with black pepper, tobacco, cigar box, and wisps of bell pepper. Medium-plus body, with grippy tannins and bold acidity. Long finish of black fruit and spice. Somebody please get me a ribeye! 

Thank you.

We found each of the Ravines Wine Cellars wines to be distinct, expressive, and downright delicious. We are happy to have more Riesling in our lives, and will remember Ravines Wine Cellars when it’s time to re-stock that corner of the cellar.

  • By Kent Reynolds & Robyn Raphael-Reynolds
  • Photos by Robyn Raphael-Reynolds
Amador County, Casino Mine Ranch, Grenache, Mourvedre, Pot Roast, Wine

Our Wine of the Week: Casino Mine Ranch Simone 2018

Appetite for Wine

This week, our Wine of the Week was an easy choice. Not that any of the other wines were bad, but the Casino Mine Ranch Simone 2018 was hands down the best of the week. We have been fans of Casino Mine Ranch and their entire portfolio of wines since our first visit a little over a year ago. We were so impressed, we even wrote about it! 

The Simone wine is a tribute to Simone Vanophem Shaw, who founded the ranch in 1936. Simone is Great Aunt to Rich and Jim Merryman, the current owners of the ranch. Simone’s is a fascinating life story, filled with adventure and elegance; from living with her father at his Alaskan fold mine, to jet-setting to New York, Los Angeles, Paris, and other glamorous destinations, to later buying and managing this beautiful, rugged ranch property in Amador County. The Simone wine embodies the lady. As the Casino Mine Ranch website describes it:

“Like its namesake, it’s elegant yet tough, and brims with joie de vivre. It’s a wine for feasting, both opulent and earthy, best enjoyed while wearing dungarees and boots. Or, alternately, diamonds, furs, and pearls.”

The Casino Mine Ranch Simone 2018 is a blend of 57% Mourvèdre and 43% Grenache Noir. As with all of their wines, Simone is made with 100% estate grown fruit. It is a rich, lush, powerhouse of a wine, perfect for cold winter nights and pot roast. 

Ruby color. Aromas of raspberry, cherry, and smoke. On the palate, flavors of blackberry bramble, raspberry, cherry, cola, tobacco, white pepper, and smoke. Medium body, lively acidity, and smooth tannins. Magical paired with pot roast.

We wish we could have met Simone, we know we would have loved her. But at least we can enjoy the wine made and named in her honor. 

What was your wine of the week?

Cheers!

  • By Kent Reynolds and Robyn Raphael-Reynolds
  • Photo Credit: Robyn Raphael-Reynolds

Brut Rosé, Cremant, Cremant d'Alsace, Lucien Albrecht, Valentine's Day, Wine

Valentine’s Day Brunch with Lucien Albrecht

Appetite for Wine

In lieu of our wine of the week, we’re celebrating Valentine’s Day with brunch! Cheese blintzes topped with peach-blueberry purée (peaches from our own back yard, frozen last summer) and some pink bubbles! Lucien Albrecht Crémant d’Alsace Brut Rosé is always the right choice for a romantic meal, at any time of day! 

We’ve been fans of Lucien Albrecht wines for some time, and have written about some of them in this blog, including the Crémant d’Alsace Brut Rosé. As a non-vintage wine, there may be some variations year to year, but we’ve never been disappointed. Here are our notes from Valentine’s Day 2021, followed by what we believe are some drool-worthy snaps. Keeping it short, since as they say, a picture paints a thousand words!

Delightful and perfect for Valentine’s Day brunch. Salmon color. Steady streams of tiny bubbles. Aromas and flavors of raspberry, strawberry, and cherry, with hints of yeast and cream. Vibrant acidity and a medium finish. 

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Cheers!

  • By Kent Reynolds and Robyn Raphael-Reynolds
Chile, Chilean Wine, Sauvignon Blanc, Wine, Wine of the Week

Our Wine of the Week: La Playa Sauvignon Blanc 2020

Appetite for Wine

Selecting our wine of the week this week was pleasantly challenging. We had to choose between two wines that were both equally impressive. The deciding factor in our decision was the fact that we have another bottle of one of them, so we can revisit it to feature in a future week. And so it is, that our wine of the week is La Playa Sauvignon Blanc 2020, from the Curico Valley in Chile.

We’ve become big fans of Sauvignon Blanc in the past few years. Light, crisp, and refreshing, it is also quite versatile in food pairing. Often considered a summertime wine, we enjoy Sauvignon Blanc year-round. While New Zealand, specifically Marlborough, has taken center stage in the world of Sauvignon Blanc, the grape originated in France, and is now planted world wide. (Fun fact: Sauvignon Blanc is one of the parent grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon, the other being Cabernet Franc.) 

In general, at least to our palates, we have concluded there are three overarching styles of Sauvignon Blanc: 

  • The French style found White Bordeaux, or Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé from the Loire Valley – often blended with Semillon, resulting in a fuller, rounder wine, with gooseberry, green apple, pear, and citrus.
  • The New Zealand style – grassy, cut straw, grapefruit, lemon, and occasionally cat pee (yes, this is actually a desirable quality in a Sauvignon Blanc!) with light body and zesty acidity.
  • The Northern California style – bursting with tropical fruit; pineapple, mango, passionfruit;  and stone fruit; apricot, peach, nectarine; with a bit more body and softer acidity. 

As we said, this is a general observation. Plenty of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc have pineapple or other tropical fruit flavors, and NorCal can show grassy, apple and pear notes. With Sauvignon Blanc, style transcends location. Any of these styles can be produced in any of the growing regions. We’ve just come to associate these styles with these places. 

Make no mistake, we enjoy all the different styles. Thus is the approachability and appeal of Sauvignon Blanc. However, we each have our preferences. Robyn prefers the fresh, clean citrusy style from New Zealand, while Kent favors the tropical and stone fruit from NorCal. 

Always eager to explore new wines, we thought we’d try the La Playa Sauvignon Blanc 2020 with our meal of grilled fish tacos. A bargain at just $8.99 from Wine.com, we’d put this up against Sauvingon Blancs at three times that price! The biggest surprise was that we had expected more of a New Zealand style, as most of our Chilean Sauvignon Blanc experiences have been, but La Playa is decidedly NorCal, in our estimation. 

Pale golden color. Aromas and flavors of fresh tropical fruit; pineapple, mango, and lychee; with citrus, including lime and quince. Soft mouthfeel with medium acidity and a pleasing finish.

La Playa Vineyards produces only sustainably farmed wines, using native yeasts. They also produce Chardonnay and Viognier, along with a red wine lineup of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carmenere, and a red blend. We have tasted their Dry Rosé of Cabernet Sauvignon, several months ago, and it was equally delicious. 

What was your wine of the week? 

  • By Kent Reynolds and Robyn Raphael-Reynolds
  • Photo cred: Robyn Raphael-Reynolds