2013 Bonny Doon Vineyard "Vin Gris Tuilé"

Though not quite a meeting on the astral plane, when an early morning conversation about dreams leads to the arrival of intriguing wines, it does make one wonder if, perhaps, the universe is working its mysterious ways through the magic of social media.

A sample of the 2013 Vin Gris Tuilé, a "brick pink wine of the sun & earth", arrived to me in just such a way. I didn't even know it existed before it materialized via delivery service. Though a traditional blend of southern France grapes, this is not a typical rosé in the Provencal sense; this wine was solarized in a glass demijohn purposefully changing both it's color and character.

I had dinner guests coming later in the evening and a large chunk of meat was already out spinning on the rotisserie. I was setting up some pre-dinner Mediterranean-themed snacks and decided to check out whether this Central Coast wine was "the perfect apéritif wine" as advertised on the back of the bottle. I poured a glass of the slightly cloudy, pale orange-colored wine. With it's oxidized aromas familiar to any sherry drinker, I immediately knew this wine was not going to be for everyone.

I took a sip, sat, thought and then I poured myself some more. Nutty with grapefruit citrus and an interesting Indian spice note through the lingering finish. Cumin or curry, I couldn't decide. Nope, this wasn't for everyone. It clearly was a wine for me and I wasn't sharing. I decided to go hide it in my refrigerator.

Dinner was served with different wines that evening and I continued to enjoy the 2013 Bonny Doon Vineyard "Vin Gris Tuilé" over the next few days. It was an excellent apéritif wine as suggested and with it's intentional oxidized character, it remained very consistent.

I did offer a taste to my husband the next day. He compared it with the white wines we had tried in Bandol (which I will tell you had not been his favorites). As I said, it is not for everyone so I took his glass and I finished it. Highly recommended for your quirkier wine loving friends.

Comments

Lust Zinfandel 2007

My husband loves this wine so he purchased quite a few bottles at a recent Michael~David dinner that we had attended. Last night, I decided to open a bottle to serve with dinner. I was making a roasted southwestern pork tenderloin, sweet potato fries (w/ chipolte ketchup) and a salad consisting of baby lettuce (fresh from my garden) with strawberries, red bell peppers, red onions and walnuts tossed with a white balsamic-raspberry vinaigrette. This turned out to be a great pairing. It is a bold wine that really stood up to the strong chipolte seasoning while complementing the fruit flavors. I opened the bottle a 1/2 hour before I served it as I have found this wine to be more enjoyable when I do so. The Lust Zinfandel by Michael~David 2007 was a dark purple color with a ruby rim. It has intense aromas of very ripe mixed berries and baking spices-both allspice and ginger with hints of ...

Introducing Oltrepò Pavese - An Italian Sparkling Wine that You Should Know

Last year, I had the opportunity to travel to Italy to taste the wines of Oltrepò Pavese. I discovered that these sparkling wines are based on Pinot Noir, they are made in the traditional method, like Champagne, and most importantly, they are an Italian hidden gem that bubble lovers across the world need to put on their radar. In the August issue of Galveston Monthly magazine, I introduce these wines to my readers.

World of Pinot Noir in Santa Barbara -on location

Tasting Rombauer Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with Pacific Ocean views. I was given the opportunity to attend the annual World of Pinot Noir event last month which brings together the foremost Pinot Noir wineries and winemakers from around the world in a weekend-long celebration of this enticing wine. Champagne to Bourgogne in France, down under wines from Tasmania in Australia, Pinot focused wineries in South America, and all along America's premium West Coast Pinot regions including Santa Barbara, Russian River Valley, up to Willamette Valley, this is truly a celebration of Pinot Noir from around the world. A Grand Tasting of Pinot Noir at the Ritz Carlton Bacara. Though the house was full ,it was still easy to maneuver to the different tasting tables to sip with the many winemakers on the floor. Attendees have the opportunity to enjoy tasting classes, paired winemaker lunches and dinners, and two Grand Tastings in the refined comfort of the Ritz Carlton Bacara Hotel in ...

Wine Life - Houston

Search This Blog