Spring is upon us, and summer soon to follow, with warmer, sunny days, and the anticipation of backyard barbecues and lazy afternoons lounging poolside. As COVID restrictions continue to loosen, and we move beyond the dark days of pandemic lockdowns, we look forward to celebrating with friends and family. Not long ago, we received a sample wine that will be the perfect bottle to open for these parties: Diora La Belle Fête 2020 Rosé of Pinot Noir.
The following wine was provided as a media sample for review. All reviews, descriptions, and opinions are our own. We received no additional compensation.
La Belle Fête translates from French to “the beautiful party”, and what a beautiful party it will be with friends and family gathering to enjoy each others’ company, sharing stories and food, and of course tasty and refreshing wines like Diora La Belle Fête 2020 Rosé of Pinot Noir.
Diora winery is located in the San Bernabe AVA, in Monterey County. A lesser known region, San Bernabe AVA is made up of a single vineyard, planted to about 5,000 acres under vine, consisting of 21 different varieties of wine grapes. The soil composition is dominated by sandy loam, which drains water quickly, forcing the vines to dig deep to find sustaining water. The soil also cools rapidly in the evenings, helping to create wines with crisp acidity.
The name Diora is inspired by the golden hills of the nearby Santa Lucia mountain range. The name is derived from the French term “d’Or”, which is translated to “golden.” Using the estate fruit from the family owned San Bernabe vineyard, winemaker James Ewart crafts wines of elegance and distinction.
The Diora La Belle Fête 2020 Rosé of Pinot Noir is made from 83.1% Pinot Noir, with a few friends joining the party to complement and enhance the host: 7.9% Grenache, 3.2% Chardonnay, and 5.8% Other Aromatics. The majority of the blend was fermented in stainless steel, but a small portion fermented in neutral oak to add just a hint of creaminess. The result? Read on!
An exquisite, elegant Rosé of Pinot Noir. Pale pink color. Aromas of raspberry and strawberry. On the palate, red cherry, raspberry, strawberry, and a hint of watermelon. Dry, light bodied, with bright acidity. The finish carries the red fruit, with the addition of some orange zest and rose petal. Delicious.
With a retail price of $19.99, Diora La Belle Fête 2020 Rosé of Pinot Noir is affordable elegance you will definitely want to share with others at your own Beautiful Party. You won’t find Diora wines in your big box retailer, but they are worth seeking out. You can search on the Diora winery website for the restaurants and small retailers carrying the label, or purchase online through the Delicato Family Wines Tasting Room site. Either way, your party will be even more beautiful with a few bottles of Diora La Belle Fête 2020 Rosé of Pinot Noir.
In these days of Shelter in Place, we’ve all had to adapt. “Virtual” is the new normal, and “Zoom” has become a verb. It’s not all bad, though. We’ve connected, or reconnected, with friends and family across the country we haven’t seen in years.
The wine world has had to make adjustments, too. With physical wineries and tasting rooms closed for the foreseeable future, winemakers have had to get creative. Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) is the new normal for wineries and merchants. With many offering discounts, free shipping, and other incentives, online sales have skyrocketed. Wine shopping has become so easy, delivered directly to your door (where allowed), we believe the increase in DTC sales will continue long after the Shelter in Places orders have been lifted.
Many wineries have also pivoted to digital, and are offering virtual tasting experiences. These are a fun way to enjoy your favorite wine from the comfort of your home, while learning about the wine, winery, production, and more. Often hosted by the winemakers themselves, virtual tastings are informative and entertaining. All the ones we’ve attended have been live-streamed, so they are not interactive, other than through typed comments.
We’ve also hosted Zoom or Skype tastings with friends. We all order the same wine, then taste together virtually and talk about the wine, among other things.
But what’s missing in all this? Music.
We miss the winery experience; sidling up to the tasting bar, sipping samples while chatting with the tasting room staff and other guests, and enjoying the ambiance and vibe. Often, we’ll grab a glass of wine and a chair on the patio, and ease in while enjoying some live music. All the makings of a relaxing afternoon in wine country.
If you miss winery music as much as we do, we have good news! Justin Brown is a winery musician in the Napa Valley area. He recently released a new EP album, The Bigger Picture. Now you can enjoy some winery music with your virtual tastings!
Justin recently reached out, and provided us with complimentary copies of his newest releases. Yes, plural. In addition to The Bigger Picture, he also released an acoustic set, The Bigger Picture Acoustic.
With smooth, soulful vocals, and toe-tapping instrumentals, The Bigger Picture transports you to that winery patio, and brightens your entire day!
Justin Brown’s musical career started at the age of 15, when he taught himself to play the guitar. In 2013, he recorded his first album, Musings of the Soul. In that same year, he moved from New Jersey to the San Francisco Bay area. Since then, he has become a successful part of the Napa and Sonoma winery music scene.
If you want to add some smooth jazz ambiance to your next virtual wine tasting, or just want to enjoy some really good music, click this link to go to Justin’s website and purchase one or both of his new EPs. Both are available for download, or you can order physical CDs for delivery. While you’re there, you can also download Musings of the Soul. Justin is actually offering Musings of the Soul downloads for free, but there is an option to enter a purchase price at checkout. Please consider this option to help Justin out during these difficult and uncertain times.
Now, pop that cork, pour a glass, log into the virtual call platform of choice with your family and friends, fire up some Justin Brown smooth jazz, and enjoy some music with your wine.
Wine clubs have been around for awhile, in various iterations. From winery-based clubs in which members receive a shipment of pre-selected bottles, at a prescribed frequency, to online retailer clubs, where members can order however many bottles they want, from a broad selection, as often as they want. One of the main attractions that wine clubs share, is home deliver (in most states.)
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and shelter-in-place orders becoming the norm, wine clubs are more vital and relevant than ever before. Beyond winery versus retail, there are many other variations from one club to the next. Some retail clubs are more of a mail order wine shop, with recognizable, major brands. Others offer club-exclusive wines that you can’t get at Total Wine & More or your neighborhood shop. With all the options out there, how can you know which club is right for you?
As luck would have it, the folks at ConsumersAdvocate.org did the research for you. With more than 200 hours of research (that’s a lot of wine drinking time!), they looked at 20 online wine clubs, and narrowed it down to four recommended choices. Click here to check out the results. Be sure to read the whole article for great information on incorporating wine into a healthy lifestyle, wine making, packaging, and pricing.
Even after the COVID-19 is nothing more than an horrific memory, I believe online wine sales will continue to be strong, and a safe, convenient way to shop for your favorite beverage.
Stay safe, everyone, and remember to SIP while you Shelter In Place.
You simply can’t go to Hawaii without attending a Luau. This past August, we were very excited to be heading to the 50th state for 10 days of sun, beaches, snorkeling, wine tasting (what, you missed our blog about MauiWine? You can fix that by clicking here), and of course, a proper Hawaiian Luau on the beach.
For weeks, we had read reviews of the various Luaus around Ka’anapali, Maui, where we would be staying. We finally selected The Feast at Lele. It promised authentic food, including a pit-roasted pig, music, dancers, and the all around romance of a sunset dinner on the beach. We were really looking forward to it!
Upon our arrival on Maui, we were alerted to the impending doom that would be Hurricane Lane. Honestly, we’d had no idea. Our three days on Oahu had been stunning, with brilliant sunshine, and warm tropical waters. Though apprehensive, we were committed to enjoy our stay no matter what the weather brought. Afterall, we were in Maui!
Yea, that’s a pretty big deal.
As Hurricane Lane churned toward the Islands, it became apparent that, although she would not make landfall on Maui, the outer bands of the hurricane would affect the island. Hawaii, the Big Island, took the brunt of the damage, but the storm skirted Maui to the south. Nevertheless, all necessary precautions were taken. The staff at the Westin Ka’anapali were amazing in their diligence, keeping us updated several times a day with voicemail messages, and literally going door-to-door handing out flyers with the latest storm conditions, forecasts, and precautions. Our parasailing trip was cancelled. We dutifully filled our bathtub, and ventured out the the market to stock up on provisions for what could be several days without power.
The town of Lahaina pretty much shut down, including most of the restaurants. This is understandable, considering many of the people who work in the town commute some 45 minutes to and from the north side of the Island, on a sometimes narrow, twisting road. Still, the resort bars remained open, so we got our fair share of Mai Tai’s! And the Feast at Lele held out, determined to treat their guests to an experience of a lifetime, despite an approaching Hurricane.
The day of our scheduled Luau arrived. We called to confirm, and the Feast of Lele said the Luau will go on, unless we were otherwise notified. With winds increasing in intensity, we grabbed a Resort Shuttle into Lahaina. Our driver informed us that, depending on conditions, the shuttles may stop running before we were done for the evening, so we should be prepared to catch an Uber or Lyft back to the resort.
We arrived at the venue about a half hour before they were ready to receive guests. So, naturally, we set out to find somewhere to relax with a glass of wine before the Luau. As luck would have it, right across the walkway, we spotted Pacific’O restaurant. As we found two seats at the bar, we were greeted by Manager Cory Brownfield, who was manning the bar that evening. A very personable man, we enjoyed chatting with Cory as we sipped our wine and waited for the Luau. Cory gave us the inside scoop: don’t rush over right when they open the doors. We’d be crammed into a “holding pen” until they were ready for us to go down our tables on the beach. There would be plenty of complimentary Mai Tai’s and Pina Coladas to go around, so we sat and visited with Cory a bit longer.
Finally the time came. We left Pacific’O and walked across to the Luau. We could see the nervousness on the faces of some of the staff, as the winds continued to build, and rain clouds loomed overhead. We grabbed a Mai Tai and waited for our turn to walk down the ramp to the beach. Despite the tension of the impending Hurricane, the vibe was energetic. At last, we took our places in line and walked down the ramp. As we reached the bottom, literally at the moment we were adorned with our lei’s, the skies opened up! This was it! Hurricane Lane was upon us!
The staff hustled us back inside. For a few minutes there was confusion, and it was unclear if they would try to hold the Luau indoors. After a few passing moments, however, we saw one of the most horrific sights we’ve seen in our lives: the barbacks started dumping Mai Tai after Pina Colada down the drain! It was clear the Luau was cancelled. Kent tried to rush the bar in a quest for a to-go cup, but the staff held firm. Our money would be refunded, and the Luau was cancelled.
Oh, the humanity!
As Kent waited a moment for the details on the refund (hey, he is an accountant) Robyn, always forward-thinking in times of crisis, made a dash back over to Pacific’O to secure us a table before the throngs of other disappointed cancelled-Luau guests got the same idea. Although there were no tables available, there was still room at the bar, so we took our seats and resumed our pleasant interaction with Cory.
Alas, the deluge was not the fearsome Hurricane itself; only a passing squall from an outer band. In fact, within 10 minutes, the rain had stopped, the clouds thinned, and we enjoyed one of the most spectacular sunsets we got the see during our trip!
Cory continued to be the consummate host. He gave us recommendations, and we were treated to an exquisite meal. Of all the Mai Tai’s we had during our time on Maui, the one at Pacific’O was far and away the best!
The one on the right was their Farm Cocktail of the Day. It was delicious, but I don’t remember what was in it; I didn’t think to bring my notebook.
The pictures really don’t do justice. The portions look small in the photos, but they were more than enough for the two of us! Exquisite ceviche – the fish can’t get any fresher! Buttery seared scallops and prawns with mushrooms and rice. Everything was delicious, and more than made up for our missed roast pig and poi. (Do they still serve that at Luaus?)
We survived the hurricane, obviously. There was some damage as you can see, but thankfully, Hurricane Lane wasn’t as destructive as early predictions suggested; at least on Maui. Hurricane Lane did put a damper on our vacation, but they way we see it, it’s hard to be disappointed when you’re in Maui. Besides, it gives us an opportunity for a mulligan!
Hurricane Lane Damage! The Struggle was Real!
If you happen to be in Lahaina, be sure to stop in at Pacific’O. They’re located on the beach, at 505 Front Street, Suite 114, Lahaina, Maui, HI 96761. If Cory’s working, tell him Kent and Robyn from the night Hurricane Lane almost destroyed the Island, say “Aloha!”
Actually, there are many advantages. Portability is the most obvious. But also consider weight (aluminum weights less than glass, which reduces carbon footprint when shipping), durability (aluminum doesn’t break like glass could), and accessibility (No glass containers allowed at the pool? No problem.) Taking these factors into consideration, it’s definitely worth giving this latest wine trend a try.
In addition to it’s traditional bottled wines, Union Wine Co., located near Portland, Oregon, produces and markets wine in a can under the Underwood label. You’ve probably seen it in Trader Joe’s, Target, Total Wine & More, or pretty much any other local supermarket. The can is 375 ml, half of a traditional 750 ml wine bottle, and about the same as a standard 12 ounce (355 ml) beer or soda cans. No corkscrew required, as the cans are equipped with the standard pull tab familiar to, well, everyone. Five different wines are produced: Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Rosé, Sparking, and Sparking Rosé. As best as I can determine, all are Non-Vintage.
Photo Credit: unionwinecompany.com
With reasoning similar to the recent upsurge in boxed wine, Union Wine Co.’s philosophy is that “it’s more important what goes into the glass than what type of glass it is“. That is, the quality of the wine in the vessel is more important than the vessel in which it comes. Concerned about metallic tasting wine? Don’t be. The cans have a liner that prevents the wine from contacting the aluminum.
And let’s get real about this. If you were to swig your wine straight from the bottle, you’d get some serious side-eye from your neighbors. From a can? No problem. Half the folks around you probably wouldn’t even notice its wine, and not beer or soda. Slip on a Koozie, and you’re home free!
Hmm. I wonder what’s in that can.
But the all important question is…how’s the wine? On the day I shopped, only Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris were available at my local Trader Joe’s, for $4.99 per can. That makes them the equivalent of a $10 bottle. I picked up a can of Pinot Gris, and after adequate chilling, I gave it a try. Here’s what I thought:
Is it pretentious to pour canned wine into a glass?
Pale straw color. Aromas of green apple, pear, and lemon-lime. On the palate, bright acidity gives it a tangy profile with flavors of green apple, lemon, pineapple, and the slightest hint of stone fruit. Fairly short finish. Less fruity and higher acidity than many PG’s. All in all, pretty good, but not my regular go-to. However, for a picnic, camp out, or other outdoor event where one wants a light weight and portable container, and an easy drinking refresher, this is a nice choice.
So, while I wouldn’t necessarily buy this to pair with a nice meal or take it to a restaurant (would they charge a “tabage fee?”), it is a solid, affordable wine, and an excellent choice for a day at the lake or pool, weekend camping trip, or “alcohol-permitted” concert in the park. Portable, recyclable, and lighter-weight for easy transport, give Underwood wine-in-a-can a try.
Have you tried Underwood or any other canned wine? Let me know what you thought of it in the comments.
“…she’s amazing, she’s eccentric, some might even say barking mad…” That’s the teaser on the label to describe this delightful Sauvignon Blanc.
In my ongoing exploration of Sauvignon Blanc, I found this fun bottle. Mutt Lynch winery themes all their wines around dogs. And for good reason. Mutt Lynch donates a portion of the profits from each bottle they sell to animal rescue organizations. If that isn’t reason enough to support them, their wines are really good, too!
Our 2013 Fou Fou Le Blanc White is a delicate blend of Sauvignon Blanc,
Chennin Blanc, and Verdelho — a grape varietal known for being crisp and
fruit-forward. This release clearly showcases the Sauvignon Blanc and con-
tinues to reflect Brenda’s rules for producing a great white —pick ripe fruit,
avoid herbaceous aromas and flavors, protect the wine’s natural acidity dur-
ing fermentation and no oak. The 2013 Fou Fou Le Blanc White is a wonder-
ful embodiment of this approach and delivers to you a delightfully fresh and
well-balanced wine. Fou Fou for you!
I found Fou Fou le Blanc to be a pleasant variation from many of the citrus-driven California Sauvignon Blancs I’ve tasted this summer. Fou Fou le Blanc has more tropical flavors, with citrus undertones. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a bracing, citrusy SB in the heat of the summer, but now that we’re (finally) into the cooler, autumn weather here in Northern California, the soft, tropical notes were really enjoyable. Here’s what I thought about it, in my Vivino review:
Straw color with soft aromas of elderflower and white peach. There are flavors of gooseberry, honeysuckle, and pear, with mango and papaya on the finish. The fruit flavors drive this wine, giving it a sweet profile although it is not a sweet wine. The mouthfeel is soft, almost creamy, with very smooth acidity. This is a very easy-drinking, tropical Sauvignon Blanc.
If you get a chance to sample some Fou Fou le Blanc, or any of Mutt Lynch Winery’s other wines, don’t let it pass you by! You’ll enjoy the wine, while supporting animal rescue efforts. That’s a win-win!
Appetite for Wine 