Category Archives: A Wine A Day

A WINE A DAY – Santo Wines Santorini Assyrtiko 2016

If looking at the waves breaking on the rocky beach brings us back in time, drinking this wine while doing that, will engrave that experience in our souls.

I had never been particularly familiar with Greek wines, before spending two weeks in that beautiful country. Abound with the friendliest people, great food, and a feeling I have found nowhere else. I definitely want to go back.

Santorini, from where this wine originates, is a volcanic island with a warm Mediterranean climate and strong wind. Vines are pruned very low on the ground to protect them from the Meltemi, a strong, dry wind that blows from mid-May to mid-September, North to South.

The rocky, lava soil and the warmth of the climate, all combine to make wines of exceptional character. The freshness and acidity reminds me a lot of the wines from the slopes of the volcano Etna, in Sicily.

I had the pleasure of enjoying this wine, 100% Assyrtiko, with a traditional Greek meal in Santorini. Assyrtiko is the main, noble white variety from Greece. I actually enjoyed two different bottlings of this wine with some friends, the 2015 as well as the 2016 vintage.

The 2016 was a fresh combination of the perfect acidity and fresh citrus fruits, that went hand in hand with the tzatziki sauce (please, I want more), fish, and shellfish. This dry wine has a full body, perfect tartness, and is beautifully balanced.

The herbaceous flavors, the minerals, hints of jasmine, lime and chalk, make this wine wonderfully complex. If you care to venture further (as I had the pleasure of doing) one will also find cucumber, lemon, vanilla, grapefruit…I could go on! But please, take the time to experience it for yourself!

Overall, this is a great wine; and the price helps, making it an easy pleaser for every occasion.

The 2015, though still very good, has lost some of its freshness and fruit, even if the high acidity helped to preserve it.

Enjoy it young!

As usual, I want to remind that I am not payed to talk about any wine.

A Wine A Day – Ramon Raventos Brut Cava Pendes

Summer is here and the heat is calling for a refreshing sparkling wine!

wine bottle label

This Cava (sparkling wine from Spain), will blow your mind!

Fresh and fruity and a crowd pleaser for an average price of $11, what you want more than that?

With an alcohol percentage of just 11.5%, this wine is perfect even when the heat strikes! With notes of pear, green apple and citrus fruit, it is fresh and perfect for a sunny afternoon, maybe mixed with orange juice for a perfect mimosa!

This wine is  a great pair with shelfish or some not too salty appetizer.

Thought Cava wines are not as well known worldwide as Champagne or  Prosecco, these sparkling wines are both tasty and a bargain most of the times. Trust me, it will not disappoint any Champagne or Prosecco drinkers and, more important your wallet!

Chill it well and enjoy it!

As usual, I want to remind that I am not payed to talk about any wine.

 

A wine a Day – Cala Cala Red Wine

This is a wonderful example of two great grape variety, the Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio (two of the three main red grape variety of Sicily, Italy).

Italian wines are known to be a bit harsh sometimes and not very friendly to the palate of many people, especially those who are just getting into wine.

High acidity and strong tannins, together with a long finish, typical of Italian wines, however are prone to produce great wines that can age well and that are usually very reasonably priced (I am talking to you, French wines from Bordeaux…cough cough…).

This wine comes from vines that are an astonishing 100 years old on average and give a deep red color. The minerals of the lava soil where the vines are grown give a unique taste you will not find in any other region. Cala Cala (Sicilian dialect for a drink that goes down easily) is great by itself but, as for most Italian wines, you will need food to balance the tannins. The acidity and minerals of this wine call, however, for food that has some fat or acidity in it. My kingdom for a dish of fresh pasta with boar sauce accompanied by this wine!

On the nose, the wine is strong and lightly pungent. Hints of leather and coffee are there thanks probably to the light oxygenation given by the three-year wood barrel aging. Very ripe strawberries and cherries are there too. On the palate, it has a full body, filled with minerals and tannins, strong but never overwhelming. Again, strawberries, cherries and this time also black cherries, blueberries and dates.

The greatest thing about this wine, apart from tasting delicious, is that, being declassified from the Etna Rosso DOC, the price is great, $17.99 on average and it is a great way to start enjoying the wines from one of the most interesting wine regions in the world.

If you find it, grab a couple of bottles and, trust me, you will not regret it!

 

As usual, I am not paid to promote any of the wines I talk about.