Brew Hops & Wine Stops

This is one of the very first 2014 wines, after Beaujolais Nouveau and couple of Provence rosés, already available. The wine exhibits aromas and flavors of white flowers, ripe citrus and sweet apple, and all the freshness, perfect balance and pure, long finish expected from this best-selling and favorite organic wine!

Château Petit Roubié is family-owned by Floriane and Olivier Azan since 1981 and organically farmed since 1985. The winery is located in the small town of Pinet (population 1,300), which would have been totally unknown to the wine world if it wasn't for the great white wine produced there from the Picpoul grape.

Olivier Azan is a firm believer in organic farming; his Picpoul vineyards have been free of chemicals and synthetic fertilizers for over 26 years. These happy vines are planted on a high plateau overlooking the Mediterranean; happy vines = good wine.

The Picpoul de Pinet from Château Petit Roubié is a pure, honest, well-crafted and exciting wine that gives great pleasure when consumed as aperitif and will enhance any seafood dish, particularly raw oysters. In fact, this area is also famous for some of France's best oysters.

This great wine is an incredible bargain offered at $10.99.

Atanas Nechkov, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits wine supervisor

Follow me on Twitter @abcwineatanas

Good news for our Bordeaux aficionados in general and those who have been enjoying Château Carignan Prima 2008 in particular. And if you have not, there will be one more opportunity, thanks to our ABC Fine Wine & Spirits wine buyers, who have been able to secure the very last of the 2008 Prima. Fifty more cases of this fine wine are on their way to Florida as we speak, directly from the château’s cellars.

This wine has become a favorite among all who have tasted it, and for that reason, we have sold out of it already twice. The wine is evolving slowly and gracefully and is now showing better than ever! The 2008 Prima has received a gold medal at the prestigious Concours de Bordeaux in 2011 and was rated 90 points by James Suckling.

The 2008 Prima exhibits saturated, dark ruby color and a complex, aromatic bouquet of currant, blackberry, cedar and spice. The wine has gained even more body; the mouthfeel is persistent, precise and round, with assertive but silky tannins, and rich fruit flavors of black-currant, blackberry and spicy oak. The incredible 30+ seconds finish leaves a velvety sensation.

Château Carignan is one of Bordeaux’s largest estates; the domain covers an area of ​​150 hectares total, of which 70 hectares are vineyards planted on stony hillsides of predominantly clay-limestone soil with southwestern exposure. The vineyard is composed of 30% 40-year-old vines and 70% between 8-25 years of age. The varieties are divided into 65% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc. The entire production is vinified and bottled at the domain; no grapes are ever sold to other producers.

Château Carignan is embracing the sustainable approach in farming. Most importantly, no herbicides are ever used in the vineyards of Château Carignan and occasionally organic fertilizer, from the Château’s own herd of Limousin cows, is used. 

Prime quality terroir and impeccable vinification are obviously not a rarity in Bordeaux, the worlds’ largest fine-wine region. What makes the wines of Château Carignan unique is the next step: distribution. In fact, the wines of Château Carignan are directly distributed to only select wine retailers in the United States and are not available through the Place de Bordeaux and the négoce network after 2009. Cutting out the middle man adds even more value to the high quality, moderately priced wines from Château Carignan. 

At only $24.99, it's one of the best wines you can get at this price. 

Atanas Nechkov, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits wine supervisor

Follow me on Twitter @abcwineatanas

As I get older the seasons seem to fly by faster than ever. I can't believe it's already Labor Day. Growing up I was never a fan of Labor Day. It signaled the end of the carefree summer and the beginning of the rigorous back to school routine. My family would celebrate Labor Day every year but my memories of the holiday were centered around hamburgers and Oscar Meyer wieners on the grill. Throw in a cooler filled with the king of beers and you have a holiday celebration worth forgetting.

Today I plan on celebrating the social and economic achievements of American workers with a bit more pizazz. My game plan is simple. As summer comes to a close, it also brings along some of the best foods of the entire year. The farmers markets in Florida are brimming with tomatoes, peaches, berries, melons and much more. If you can combine the bounty of local produce with a juicy steak and a couple of good bottles of wine, I guarantee you a successful backyard get together.

So what kind of wine will I serve? Glad you asked. When choosing wine for a diverse group of people I look for wines that have what I call crowd appeal. These are typically well-balanced, fruit forward wines with enough complexity to get people talking about them around the picnic table.

No party is complete without a sparkling wine, so make sure you have at least a couple of bottles on hand. Collalto Spumante Rosé is a wonderful wine to start your festivities and also works well with whatever fruit based dessert you might serve.

Since we are outside you'll want a refreshing white wine. Nothing too high in alcohol. Try serving a good quality German Riesling and see how many of your friends comment what a good choice you made. Thanisch Bernkasteler Badstube Kabinett is my wine selection for today.

We are going to need a big red for the steaks but once again the wine must not be too heavy. Giovanna Tantini Ettore is produced mainly from Corvina with a small percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. I drank Ettore with the steaks pictured and it was a match made in heaven.

If you haven't purchased your Labor Day wine yet don't worry. ABC is open all day with summertime savings.

Paul Quaglini, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits wine supervisor

Follow me on Twitter @abcwinepaulq

First the good news:  One of the most popular Italian wines we sell in our stores is back in stock. Fattoria Querciarossa Fulgente is a wine that has been incredibly popular with our guests since we first introduced it in the fall of 2012.

We discovered Fulgente on a trip to Tuscany in 2012. Our ABC group was traveling the Tuscan countryside visiting the wineries of Bruna Baroncini. Bruna owns properties in the more famous regions of Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Brunello di Montalcino, but it was in the Maremma where we found our new love.

The Maremma is a part of Tuscany that is relatively unknown to many wine drinkers. Wine has been produced in this region along the Mediterranean Sea since Etruscan times, but only in recent years have people discovered its potential to produce great wine.

The ABC group in the vineyards at Fattoria Querciarossa with Bruna Baroncini.

Bruna Baroncini, a woman with a long history of wine making in her family, rediscovered an ancient Etruscan vineyard on her land in the Maremma. It was on this land that she constructed Fattoria Quercerossa where Fulgente is produced.

Fulgente is produced mainly from Sangiovese grapes with some Canaiolo, Colorino, Montepulciano, Alicante, Ciliegiolo and Teroldeco rounding out the blend. The wine has intense ruby color, a spicy bouquet and a taste full of redcurrant and chocolate. This wine way over-delivers for the price which is why it is so popular with our guests.

Oh and the bad news? This wine never lasts long on our shelves. Do yourself a favor and stock up on this terrific value while it's here. 

Paul Quaglini, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits wine supervisor

Follow me on Twitter @abcwinepaulq

Château Villa Bel-Air, 2010 Graves, Bordeaux, red, and Château Villa Bel-Air, 2012 Graves, Bordeaux, white, are the latest two additions to our portfolio of fine Bordeaux.

Villa Bel-Air is owned by the Cazes family (Lynch-Bages); the property was bought in 1988 by Jean-Michel Cazes. This 50 hectares, single plot vineyard is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon on the warm gravel of the plateau, while the Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon are planted on the cooler slopes. The terroir of this property also benefits from an advantageous micro-climate; the surrounding pine forest protects it from high winds and the proximity of the Garonne River mitigates both extreme heat and excess humidity. 

Château Villa Bel-Air, 2010 Graves, Bordeaux, red

The 2010 Vila Bel-Air red is a blend of 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc, aged in oak barrels for 12 months. The 2010 red received 90 points from the Wine Spectator:

Ripe and alluring, with a note of singed mesquite weaving in and around the lightly mulled blackberry, black cherry and black currant fruit flavors. Long and supple through the finish, with black tea and incense hanging in the background. This has grip, but it's fully embedded, making this accessible now. Drink now through 2022.

The Villa Bel-Air 2012 Graves, Bordeaux, white is 65% Sauvignon Blanc and 35% Sémillon aged in new oak for 9 months. The wine opens with aromas of citrus and tropical fruits with a touch of oak followed by medium weight and refreshing acidity. To be enjoyed as aperitif or paired with seafood dishes, grilled fish, mixed salads, fresh goat cheeses and goat cheese omelet.

These well crafted, high quality wines, priced at only $24.99, are some of the best wine values on the market today.

Atanas Nechkov, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits wine supervisor

Follow me on Twitter @abcwineatanas

Now available at ABC Fine Wine & Spirits is the Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvée Anonyme 2007 by Xavier Vignon. The 2007 vintage is considered to be one of the best vintages in recent history in the Southern Rhône Valley and in the Châteauneuf du Pape area in particular. The 2007 Cuvée Anonyme wasn’t released until 2013; the wine went through extended barrel aging for three years in a combination of demi-muids and barriques. The name ‘Anonyme’ refers to the fact that Xavier does not reveal the sources of the grapes; it is a blend of fruit from some of the best domains of the area.

Xavier consults for almost 200 domains in the Rhône Valley and the Languedoc, and manages one of the area's biggest laboratories with a team of 10 oenologists.

He is the consultant oenologist for large number of Châteauneuf du Pape domains, including prominent estates like Raymond Usseglio, La Gardine, Jerome Quiot, Beaurenard, La Nerthe, Mont Redon, Marcoux, Grand Veneur, etc.

It is safe to assume that the 2007 Cuvée Anonyme was blended from grapes originating from some of these estates.

The 2007 Cuvée Anonyme received 96 points by Robert Parker! Parker called it a "sensational wine" that should "drink well for another 15-20 years." In fact, in my experience, after comparative tastings, the 2007 Cuvée Anonyme is the bestChâteauneuf du Pape that Xavier has crafted up to date.

The wine exhibits dark, saturated ruby color, great concentration, power and finesse, multi-layered and focused at the same time with 60+ seconds finish. Decant for an hour before serving.

Do not miss this stunning wine! The quantities available at ABC are limited, and we also have the best price in the country (the average price on Wine Searcher is $55). 

Hurry, this will not last!

Atanas Nechkov, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits wine supervisor

Follow me on Twitter @abcwineatanas

The summer weather has started to creep into Florida, after a long three weeks of brutal winter with temperatures plummeting into the 50s. As we transition from shoes to flip flops and shorts to bathing suits, we also transition our drinking habits. We set aside the big bold reds and start to venture into the lighter, crisper wines. Now I am not saying we don’t drink any big reds, because around my house we still pop open some monster Cabernets with dinner by the pool. We all just tend to gravitate to nice light wines to go with our warm spring afternoons.

I have selected two regions to highlight their great warm weather sippers, Provence in France and Marlborough in New Zealand. The region of Provence has some of the most highly acclaimed and affordable rosés. Provence is the largest wine region that specializes in rosés worldwide--with the American consumer continuing to crave them, sales were up 40% in 2013. Two of our feature favorites are the Domaine De Paris which, at $10.99, is an amazing deal for a wonderful wine. The second wine is the Château Montaud which, at $12.19, is still a great bargain. Both wines are well crafted, with flavors of honeysuckle and red cherry with a creamy lush finish.

The second region is Marlborough in New Zealand, which is known as the top producer of Sauvignon Blanc in the world; it has the ideal climate for the grape to grow. The two wines that we are featuring for the category are Silver Beach and Jules Taylor. Silver beach is known by some as the ruby red wine because it packs a powerful grapefruit punch. At only $10.99, it is a tremendous value. The second wine is Jules Taylor Sauvignon Blanc, this vineyard was founded by the former winemaker from Kim Crawford. However, their wines are made in a much more handcrafted way. The wine is produced in small batches of high quality juice, and at $14.99 a bottle you are getting a great bargain.

Mike Love, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits wine consultant

Follow me on Twitter @abcwinemikel

After a great success with Tait ‘The Ballbuster’ Shiraz Blend – the only under $20 wine from anywhere that has won 10 consecutive 90+ ratings from Wine Advocate – ABC Fine Wine & Spirits is happy to also add Tait “The Wild Ride’ to its portfolio. ‘The Wild Ride’ is a delicious blend of 60% Shiraz, 20% Grenache and 20% Mataro (aka Mourvèdre).

Located at the southern end of Australia’s famed Barossa Valley, Tait Wines is owned and operated by brothers Michael and Bruno Tait and Bruno’s wife Michelle. The property was purchased in 1994. Michael and Bruno’s father, Giovanni Tait, was a third generation cooper who migrated to Australia from Italy in 1957. Though heavily involved with other areas of the wine industry – making and repairing barrels for some of Australia’s most famous wineries – Giovanni’s dream was always to establish a small winery. Michael and Bruno were able to make that dream a reality and to fulfill his vision.

His vision for Tait Wines was as a traditional winery using old winemaking techniques to produce handcrafted wines that were full-flavored and tasty. The fruit is from 50-80 year old vines, and is grown in the Barossa Valley by Michael and Bruno or by partnering grape growers who share the same low yield philosophy. The grapes are then basket pressed to ensure a wine that is soft and generous, with loads of personality.

The current 2012 vintage of ‘The Wild Ride’ received 91 points from Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar, who wrote: “Ruby-red. Fresh cherry and blackberry aromas show very good clarity and energy. Offers intense, juicy cherry and floral pastille flavors that put on weight and spiciness with aeration. Shows impressive power without undue weight and finishes spicy and long, with sneaky sweetness and just a trace of dusty tannins.”

Take ‘The Wild Ride’ today. You won’t be disappointed.

Bill Stobbs, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits wine supervisor

Follow me on Twitter @abcwinebills