Father’s Day Wine
I don’t think I could make a scientific case that certain wines are better served on Father’s Day. This post is less about father’s day-specific wine and more about a few bottles that I’ve enjoyed in these recent weeks leading up to Father’s Day. Whether you are a father, have a father or know a father, you might want to try these as well…
There’s been a lot of white wine in my glass recently. It’s warming up and I’ve been trying to eat nice, healthy salads and seafood; thus the color of my wine.
The first bottle was sent to us by our friends at Pasternak Imports, the 2008 Domaine de la Perriere Sancerre. Sancerre is an appellation in the eastern Part of France’s Loire Valley, and most of the wine produced there is 100% Sauvignon Blanc. This was a nice, elegant wine with a light, floral nose and flavors of lemon, citrus and a vein of minerality. A crisp acidity with a decent finish, it was a nice pairing with my arugula & crab (and by crab I mean krab) salad and baked brie. It retails for $23.99.
Next up is the ‘08 Catena Chardonnay from Mendoza in Argentina, which was sent to us. We love Argentina in general for good wine values, and the Mendoza region is at the heart of the Argentinian wine industry, producing two thirds of the countries wines. This wine has a distinct tropical nose with notes of sweet spices. Those tropical flavors, along with pears, apples and a glimmer of minerals continue on the palate. It’s a nice, creamy mouthful of medium-bodied chardonnay with a nice crisp acidity. A good deal at under $20 and it scored a 91 from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and a 90 from Stephen Tanzer.
Another value-wine-producing-country we love in the Southern Hemisphere is Chile. We were sent a bottle of white from Bodegas Renacer, the 2009 Punto Final Sauvignon Blanc. This one hails from the Casablanca Valley which is a hot spot for Sauv Blanc in Chile. While this one didn’t knock my socks off, it was an easy-drinking, refreshing burst of citrus. It had hints of herbs, with a zesty acidity- best served nice and cold. It retails for $11.99.
Meanwhile, back up here in the Northern Hemisphere, I was pleased to find a bottle of the pink stuff on my doorstep. Of course I’m talking about rosé, pink being the other color of wine that gets poured a lot when the temperature rises. This one was from the Russian River Valley area up in Sonoma- the 2009 Foppiano Vineyards Estate Rosé. One of Foppiano’s specialties is Petite Sirah, and this rosé is a blend of 55% Petite Sirah and 45% Pinot Noir. It’s not a grape that’s often seen in a rosé, and the result is crisp, fun and complex (much like myself). The nose is sweet strawberries, and the palate is strawberries, cherries and a dash of spice. It has a nice, creamy body and a bright acidity. A great summertime wine for about fifteen bucks.
By the way, if you want to get your dad a father’s day gift he’ll never forget, the lovely wine bottle tie pictured above is available at www.vinodeco.com. Happy Father’s Day!
