Brew Hops & Wine Stops

Just a friendly reminder that next week is my birthday. I know all my faithful blog readers and Twitter followers will want to surprise me with that special bottle of wine. So to help you out I want to give you a few simple guidelines to show you how easy it is to put a smile on my face.

First don't be intimidated into thinking you can't purchase wine for someone who works in the wine industry. Any true wine lover never has enough wine on their kitchen wine rack or in their cellar.

Second don't think you have to buy something expensive or worthy of laying down for years in order to impress me. In fact for my casual friends, I'd rather you didn't spend a lot because then I'll feel like I have to reciprocate. The only thing I do ask is that you put a bit of effort into the process. As I stated in my Christmas present blog a few years back, the worst thing you can do for me is pick up a bottle of wine in your local grocery store while shopping for your cat food and toilet paper.

So what do I mean when I ask for a little bit of effort? Show me that you care enough to buy my present in a real wine shop such as ABC Fine Wine & Spirits. Yes you will also find many of the same wines you see in the grocery store but you will also find a great selection of esoteric, interesting wines in all price points.

Since most of my Twitter followers and blog readers fall into the casual friends category, I've included a quick reference of wines sure to please.

• Contadi Castaldi Brut - I love bubbles anytime but especially when I'm celebrating. Contadi Castaldi offers the quality of French Champagne at half the price.


• Tenuta Pepe Lila Falanghina - Dry white with incredible complexity for the price.


• Giovanna Tantini Bardolino Chiaretto - Rosé wine has become a staple in my house and there is none better that this example from the shores of Lake Garda.


• Tenuta Pepe Terra Del Varo Aglianico - Another great value from Tenuta Pepe. You won't find any Aglianico in you local grocery store.


• Chateau Feret-Lambert Bordeaux - No I don't drink exclusively Italian wines. I love Bordeaux, especially when you find one at this quality/price ratio.

As you can see my tastes are all over the wine spectrum. This should give you the confidence to know you'll be hard pressed to choose something I wont like...unless of course you pick up my present in aisle 17 between the cat food and TP.

Paul Quaglini, ABC Fine Wine Spirits wine supervisor

Wish me happy birthday on Twitter @abcwinepaulq

Okay, so it’s late in the fourth quarter, times running out and you still have some gifts to buy…no problem. Fortunately for you, your friends and family are wine lovers and that’s where ABC Fine Wine & Spirits comes in to save the day. We have many great last minute ideas for you and the people to help you make these critical, last-minute gift giving decisions. A wonderful wine gift idea is a pair of tickets to one the best wine tastings you’ll find this side of the Atlantic. On Wednesday, January 15, from 7-10 p.m. at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort is the second annual Bordeaux Grande Tasting. This incredible event brings the finest Bordeaux châteaux to Orlando, FL, for an amazing evening of world class wines, delicious food and a chance to discuss these unique wines with those who know them best. In attendance will be more than 30 owners and managers of some of the top estates in Bordeaux such as: Château Clinet from Pomerol, Château Leoville-Barton from St. Julien, Château Lynch-Bages from Pauillac, Château Angelus from St. Emilion and many, many more. Just click here for all the information…tickets will be going fast, so you may want to get tickets for yourself while you’re there!!

Another good choice for your wine aficionados is always a great bottle of wine…no worries, we gotcha covered. Just in is a beautiful wine from Sonoma County, the Block 533 Reserve from Chalk Hill ($21.99). This is our first Block Series wine from the Chalk Hill AVA in Sonoma, and it is a home run. A massive, full-bodied Cabernet that oozes with ripe, rich dark fruits and a balanced structure, carries its mouthful of cassis, ripe black cherry and spice all the way through the forever finish. This will bring a smile to the face of any the fine wine lovers on your Christmas gift list.

And while you are at your local ABC, it might be a good idea to pick up a few bottles of your favorite sparkling wine like an Italian Prosecco from Collalto, a fine Champagne from Moutard, Charles Mignon or Haton and a great value in Spanish Cava, Dominio de la Peseta at just $10.99…you always want to have a bottle or two of bubbly in your fridge, especially during the holidays.

So to you and all your friends and family, I would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Until next time, cheers!

Ken Amendola, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits Wine Supervisor

Follow him on Twitter @abcwinekena

 …but Christmas and the New Year are right around the corner! It always seem to happen that way--you hardly have time to finish the Thanksgiving leftovers and it's suddenly Christmas Eve! This year especially, with Thanksgiving falling so late on the calendar, your shopping season is really going to be a rush. Fortunately I have some pretty good wine choices for you.

We have some wonderful new Champagne ideas for both your special friends and family and the person most deserving…yourself. Something that I always like to receive are wines in large format bottles, and this year we are offering two fine French Champagnes, Moutard Grand Cuvee Brut ($69.99)and Jean-Noel Haton Reserve Brut ($69.99) in magnum bottles. These are delicious bottles of wine, and as a gift they hard to beat for the “WOW” you will receive from whomever is lucky enough to receive such a gift. We have also been fortunate to receive both of these fine Champagnes in demis, or half-bottles ($19.99), which will make great stocking-stuffers for your favorite wine enthusiasts.

This what a wine critic from the Wine Spectator Magazine thought of the Moutard Grand Cuvee: “Spiced, with juicy roast apple, Meyer lemon, fruitcake, anise and smoky notes, followed by a firm finish. Razor sharp acidity focuses this streamlined Champagne, so try with food such as fish or pork. Best through 2017. 90 points."

There are, of course, many more terrific ideas for you at your favorite ABC, so drop by and ask your ABC wine consultant for more holiday gift wines.

Ken Amendola, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits Wine Supervisor

Follow him on Twitter @abcwinekena

I love working in our stores during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Bottles of wine disappear from the shelves as fast as we can replace them. All kinds of shoppers from the most experienced connoisseur to the weekend imbiber and finally the once a year visitor all come in search of the "perfect" bottle of wine to give as a gift.

It's the once a year shopper that often presents the greatest challenge to our wine team. Often times they come equipped with a name scribbled on a piece of paper in search of the holy grail. It's our job to look through the eyes of the guest and create a positive shopping experience. Frequently this requires us to answer a number of questions that are not always as easy to answer as one might expect.

Yesterday, for example, I had a woman come into the store with a scrap of paper and the word Cabernet Sauvignon scribbled on it. She told me, "That's what my boss wants and money is no object. I really want to impress him." Since she made it clear that cost was not important I showed her a couple of different Cabernet Sauvignons. One was the 2010 Chateau Lafite Rothschild ($1500) and the other from one of my favorite boutique Napa Valley producers, 2010 Buoncristiani Cabernet Sauvignon ($90). I'm sure she thought I was joking when I told her the price of the Lafite Rothschild. Only when she realized I was serious did the cascade of questions begin.

Why is one wine so much more expensive? I never want to overload a guest with too much information but here is my not so short answer to her question:

-Land prices. In Napa Valley an acre of land can reach $250,000. Prime real estate in Bordeaux is even more expensive. The more expensive the land, the more expensive the wine.

-Hand harvested vs. mechanical. On large flat tracts of land where mechanical harvesters can be used, the cost is lower.

-Yields. Lower yields (the amount of fruit actually harvested) result in more concentrated but also more expensive wines.

-Organic farming. Just as with the produce we buy, organically grown grapes are more expensive to produce.

-Oak barrels. The cost of a new French Oak barrel can be over $1000.

-Supply and Demand. Perhaps the most important factor. As with anything in life, limited supply and great demand equals high prices.

Are price and quality related? Sure they are, but price is not the most important factor when you are out shopping for that perfect bottle of wine. Both the Lafite Rothschild and the Buoncristiani Cabernet are impeccably well-made wines. I'm sure her boss is going to love the Buoncristiani.

Paul Quaglini, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits Wine Supervisor

Follow him on Twitter @abcwinepaulq

Where would we all be if not for our mothers? Well, not here—that’s for sure. No matter what your budget may be while searching for the perfect gift for mom this week (Mother’s Day is Sunday, in case you forgot) there is no greater (or cheaper) gift than one that you’ve put your own blood, sweat and tears into. And so, behold our latest Pinterest-inspired craft attempt: recycled wine cork coasters!

We had a lot of extra corks sitting around the office, and ribbon, and a hot glue gun, and that’s really all it takes to make these coasters. Oh, and you may also need a sharp knife to cut the corks in half. It’s a pretty easy craft and takes no time at all. The only flaw with the finished product—the hot glue is definitely visible between the cork pieces.

After the first coaster was complete we tried extra hard with the second one to use a minimal amount of glue, while still trying to hold each cork piece together, but even with the second coaster, the glue is visible. This can be frustrating to the perfectionist types! But if the coasters are a gift for Mom, and your mother loves you, she’ll probably still appreciate the effort.  

This project is definitely pinpossible—the coasters just aren’t quite as beautiful, or neat, as the Pinterest experts make them out to be.

Cheers,

Meghan & Hannah

I was trying to come up with something interesting to blog about when I noticed this two-pack of canned wines sitting on my dresser that I had just received as a gift of sorts. I shook my head and started to think about all the different ways wine is packed--shape and materials. I looked around my house and found a bunch of interesting types of containers used for holding wine. I was at the South Beach Wine & Food event a few weeks ago and came home with a stackable, foil covered, individual packaged plastic “glass” of wine (I haven't tried it yet, I just have it!). Another crazy (am I allowed to call it that) wine
container is the ever useful, plastic bladder lined, paper wine purse. No worries Michael Kors, I think you’ll survive the certain drop in sales this wine purse will surely cause you. This 1.5 liter wine purse from Volere comes in Pinot Grigio, Rose or Merlot/Pinot Noir…the perfect accessory for any special occasion.  

In Europe there are more and liquid products being packaged in Tetra Paks. This Swedish company’s
innovative “aseptic” packaging process is being used for packaging everything from milk, fruit juices, broths, tomato sauce to wine. You will find wines packaged in all sizes from 187ml to a 750ml in Tetra Pak. This environmentally conscious package uses up to a 46% smaller carbon footprint than its glass cousin and is being seen more and more on American retail shelves.

You can also buy wine in all sizes of bottles from the little twist top 187ml, a 375ml half bottle, the
common 750ml, a 1.5 Liter bottle or a 3 liter double-magnum bottle. Now, even the names get quirky like a 6-liter Methuselah, a 9-liter Salmanazar, the 12-liter Balthazar, a 15-liter Nebuchadnezzar--this one bottle is equal in volume to 20 of the common 750mL bottles of wine...I wonder how many come in a case? The real showstopper is the 30 liter Champagne bottle Melchizedek. That’s right, one bottle that is equal in volume to 40 common 750’s of Champagne…over three cases of wine in one bottle! The right size bottle for every party.

Well, I guess it doesn’t matter what your wine comes in, as long as you have a good friend or, in the
case of the Melchizedek, about 100 good friends to enjoy it with. So open your favorite bottle, cup, Tetra, purse, goat skin or can with someone you love. Cheers!

Ken Amendola, ABC Wine Supervisor

Follow me on Twitter @abcwinekena

The first attempts at producing sparkling wines in Burgundy were made in the early nineteen century in Nuits-Saint-Georges and Rully, where the local white wines were particularly suited to this treatment.

These wines were marketed under the appellation  Bourgogne Mousseux and were for the most part of inconsistent quality which led to the establishment in 1975 of strict regulations under the new Crémant de Bourgogne appellation.

Crémant de Bourgogne is made the same way as the sparkling wines of Champagne using the Traditional Method or Méthode Champenoise, where the secondary fermentation takes place in the bottle and the wine is aged for minimum of nine months on the lees before disgorgement.

The predominant grapes used in the production of Crémant de Bourgogne are the Chardonnay and the Pinot Noir.

New at ABC Fine wine & Spirits are three Crémant de Bourgogne from Veuve Ambal.

Veuve Ambal is a family business founded in 1898 in Rully; today, Veuve Ambal is the largest producer of some of the best Crémant de Bourgogne.

Veuve Ambal Cuvée Marie Ambal – Crémant de Bourgogne, France

One of the few producers of quality Crémant de Bourgogne, Veuve Ambal is located in Montagny-lès-Beaune just outside the city of Beaune. Marie Ambal comprises only Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes bottle-fermented in the Champagne method. It’s aged 3 years before release and shows hints of flowers, raspberry and blackcurrant with subtle toast notes. It could age more but it’s ready now for celebrating.

$22.99

Veuve Ambal Prestige Brut 2010 – Crémant de Bourgogne, France

Veuve Ambal’s Prestige Cuvée is Pinot Noir and Chardonnay aged 18 – 24 months. It’s bottle-fermented like Champagne and shows a light golden color from the aging and notes of fresh flowers, toast and almonds with tiny bubbles.

$16.99

Veuve Ambal Brut – Crémant de Bourgogne, France

The Veuve Ambal Brut is made from Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Aligoté, bottle-fermented. This cuvée has fruity and floral aromas with slight toasted hints and a bright finish. It’s a great everyday bubbly.

$14.99

Atanas Nechkov, Central Florida Wine Supervisor

This past holiday season I gave  my thousands of readers a guide to buying me a present. As we roll into August and my birthday fast approaches, I thought this would be a good time to refresh your memory of just how easy it is to buy a gift for wine lovers.

Same rules apply. You don't have to spend a lot of money. In fact I wish you wouldn't because then I'll feel like I have to reciprocate. The only thing I absolutely insist on is that you please do not buy my wine at the grocery store. The thought of my present rattling around a shopping cart with the kitty litter and laundry detergent just kills me. This on top of the fact that you will find a better selection at more competitive prices if you do your shopping in a store that specializes in wine.

Okay, enough of that. You probably want a few specific suggestions. Italian wine is always welcome, but despite what some may think, I do like variety in my life.

I love Pinot Noir, especially during the summer months. We recently acquired a new/old producer of California Pinot Noir. Francis Mahoney founded the Carneros Creek Winery in 1972. After a short retirement he recently reinvented himself and launched a new winery. Three price tiers of Pinot Noir can be purchased from Francis Mahoney: Redwood Empire, Fleur and his flagship wines, with the Mahoney name on the label. These Pinots have quickly won critical praise for being balanced and elegant with bright, focused fruit. These wines can be purchased for between $14 to $35 depending on your budget.

I never seem to have enough white wine on hand in the summer, so someone please get me a bottle of Domaine Serge Laloue Sancerre. This classic Sancerre has grapefruit and floral notes, a load of minerality from the soil and a long zesty finish. This gift will only set you back $17.99.

Another intriguing white I wouldn't mind receiving is the Shannon Ridge Roussanne. Roussanne is typically found in the Rhone Valley of France but this example from California's Lake County is full of tropical fruit flavors with a rich creamy finish. For $16.99 and a bow you have my birthday present! See how easy I am to shop for?

I know my truly loyal fans will want to impress me, so I have to go back to Italy. My two favorite producers of Brunello di Montalcino, La Gerla and Poggio Il Castellare have just released the classic 2006 vintage. These wines are destined to find their way into my wine cellar and be enjoyed in the future with best friends.

Thanks in advance for the gifts.

Paul Quaglini

Follow me on Twitter @abcwinepaulq