Brew Hops & Wine Stops

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It was something that those of us in the wine business should never do, and I was guilty. I was attending a series of seminars, master classes, tastings and dinners in South Australia before heading out to visit some of the regions. On my last evening in Adelaide I attended a gathering, along with several hundred other wine experts from around the world. Australia was putting its best foot forward and free-pouring a wide selection of hundreds of its best wines. There were several stations of the most delicious food on hand. Owners, winemakers and sales people were there to meet with us, talk about their wines, and of course pour copiously. I met many fine and interesting folk – wine people are generally a passionate and friendly bunch – and in the course of the evening I was guilty of overindulging slightly. Somehow I ended up at a bar drinking beer with the band who entertained us that night – a folky roots group somewhat akin to Mumford and Sons (though they didn't want to hear that).

The next morning was the grand wine tasting. About 200 wineries were in attendance, ready and waiting to pour wine in the largest wine forum ever undertaken in Australia, and there I was, not – shall I say – at my best. Quickly I did something else that wine tasters should not do. I downed two or three espressos. After picking on some food and tasting a few wines I began to feel fine.

It was at this point that I approached a table of wines from Howard Vineyard and asked to taste. The pourer was a friendly guy named Tom Northcott who I soon learned was the executive winemaker at the winery. As soon as I tasted, my senses jerked to attention. I was immediately drawn to the purity of the fruit and the finesse of the wines. They had an elegance that was right up my alley and I was hooked.

Howard Vineyard is a family-owned winery in Adelaide Hills producing estate-grown wines. The land was purchased in the late 1990s and the brand was established in 2005. There are two well-situated vineyards with northwest-facing slopes which offer good exposure to the sun, and red loam soils which provide good drainage as well as a mineral structure to the wines. The Nairne vineyard is ideal for cool climate reds and the Schoenthal vineyard, being at a higher elevation, is used for whites and Pinot Noir.

ABC Fine Wine & Spirits is happy to offer two wines from Howard Vineyard:

Clover Shiraz: “The rich palate displays blackberries, olives, white pepper, blueberry and spice, followed by smooth French oak and perfectly balanced tannins. This wine will benefit from careful cellaring and is best decanted thirty minutes prior to serving.” – Winery Notes (Gold Medal from Wine Showcase Magazine)

Picnic Sauvignon Blanc: “Another take on Hills Sauvignon Blanc that treks a clever path towards the more lemon and citrus end of the spectrum but not forgetting its telltale passionfruits and lightly scoped tropical fruit salad elements as well, all cast with lovely tangy acidity and a lift of musk-like spice.” – Tony Love’s Top 100 Wines 2014 (Four Stars)

Both wines are excellent examples of the overwhelming quality to be found in the wines of Australia, as well as irrefutable proof that an under-the-weather taster can still sometimes choose well. Don’t hesitate to try them!

Bill Stobbs, ABC ABC Fine Wine & Spirits wine supervisor

Follow me on Twitter @abcwinebills

Say “hello!” to one of the newest wines we will be carrying at ABC…OS 16^th St Bridge. Very excited about this one because, honestly, who could say no to a Cab Franc predominant wine for under $20? I know I can’t! Cabernet Franc is one of my favorite “underdog” grapes. I say that because in France it’s used in Bordeaux blending but doesn’t ever get a chance to stand on its own. Now, take that same underrated grape, plant it in Washington State, and watch the beauty flourish! Lucky for me, OS Winery has taken this blending grape and run with it. The latest incarnation for my adored Cabernet Franc is OS 16^th St Bridge, Columbia Valley, Washington, and it makes me VERY happy. All the things I love about Cab Franc come out in OS’ signature style. Cab Franc is very particular in smell, almost like a spicy perfume as it opens, with flavors of Bing cherry, and -I‘ve got to say it- pink peppercorn. If you ever have a chance to bite into a singular kernel of the pink stuff you’ll realize it’s softer than black pepper, and has a similar feel to a solo grape.

Here’s what Great Northwest Wines had to say about it:

“Rob Sullivan and his daughter, Peggy, recently launched this label as a tribute to the historic South Park Bridge that was closed for several years. This release is devoted to Cabernet Franc (79%) and supported by Cabernet Sauvignon (11%) and Merlot from acclaimed vineyards such as Champoux, Elephant Mountain, Sheridan and Two Blondes. Cab Francophiles will embrace this for its aromas and flavors of Bing cherry, red currant, bell pepper, oregano and thyme. It carries a lighter body with graphite-like tannin and violets in the finish, and the responsible profile of lower alcohol lends this to suggested servings with Italian-themed pastas, Cajun dishes, grilled chicken, roasted pork and white cheeses.”

They (Great Northwest Wines) gave this wine an excellent rating and so do I. My favorite expression of this wine came straight from the website:

“With great acid and tannins for structure, the Bridge spans across your palette with dark cherry flavors, then opens in the mid-palette to bright red fruit and smokiness, finishing of raspberry and vanilla complete the journey, yearning for another trip across the Bridge.”

I think it’s time you took your trip!

Kathleen Anderson, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits North/West Florida Wine Supervisor

Follow me on Twitter @ABCwinekat

I love sparkling wine and with the holiday season still in our rearview mirror, I have many pleasant memories of the sound of popping corks. I'm an equal opportunity wine drinker so...Champagne, Cava, Prosecco, Franciacorta...I find a way to enjoy all incarnations of one of my favorite styles of wine.

I made a New Year's resolution to squeeze more enjoyment out of life in 2015, and a part of that includes drinking more bubbly. As I said, I find pleasure in all forms of sparkling wine, but more and more I find the wines of Franciacorta to be some of the most enjoyable, best-bang-for-your-buck wines in our stores.

For those not familiar with Franciacorta, it is a sparkling wine from the Lombardy region of Italy. More specifically it comes from a series of hillside towns to the south of Lake Iseo in the province of Brescia. Franciacorta was awarded DOC status in 1967 and then achieved the DOCG classification in 1995.

Grapes for the production of Franciacorta are strictly regulated. The permitted varieties are 85% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Noir and 5% Pinot Blanc. Non-vintage Franciacorta may not be released until at least 25 months after the harvest, of which 18 months must be in contact with the yeast in the bottle. Vintage Franciacorta may not be sold for at least 37 months after harvest, of which 30 months must be in contact with the yeast. Essentially Franciacorta is a sparkling wine produced just like French Champagne only with stricter quality regulations.

Ok, so why write about sparkling wine in January? Well why not? Drinking bubbles almost always brings a smile to my face, so why limit our consumption to the holidays? Additionally my favorite wine from Franciacorta, Bellavista, underwent a complete redo in it's packaging and I wanted to reassure our guests.

The new packaging sports a new name and bright orange color scheme. The name "Alma" ("soul" in Latin) was choosen because Bellavista Brut Cuvée ($34.99) reflects the soul of the Franciacorta region and the Bellavista winery. For those who were familiar with the old lable, I assure you this is the same great sparkling wine. If you have never had a bottle of Bellavista, it's time to get acquainted with a wine that is sure to help you celebrate 2015 and put a smile on your face.

Paul Quaglini, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits wine supervisor

Follow me on Twitter @abcwinepaulq

ABC is happy to add two great South African wines to our portfolio from A.A. Badenhorst Family Wines: Secateurs Chenin Blanc and Secateurs Red. Winemaker and co-owner Adi Badenhorst, who trained in Bordeaux, the northern Rhone and New Zealand before becoming winemaker for nine years at Rustenberg, purchased 60 hectares in the Swartland in 2008 and set about making natural wine in the traditional manner.

Once something of an ignored area in South Africa’s Western Cape, the Swartland has grown in stature over the past decade and has become one of its most interesting appellations. A beautiful but sometimes wild, sometimes forbidding area it is now the home of The Swartland Revolution (‘We came, we saw, we revolted’) of which Adi Badenhorst is a founding member. The idea of the Revolution is to showcase the wines of the area. Despite whatever stylistic or philosophic differences the winemakers of the Swartland may have, all will agree that it offers a true sense of place which can be enjoyed and detected in the wines.

Old bush vines

Most vines in the area are bush vines, which is the original and most natural way of planting. With no trellis support, only pruning, the vines flourish in the wilderness and produce wines that have great character and depth, wines that are meant for enjoyment even more than idolization. When asked what he likes most in wine Adi replies, “Just that it quenches your thirst. Wine that you can drink and that can last and change in the glass. You must feel nourished after drinking wine. You mustn’t feel confused by wine.” Pretentious is the last thing that Adi Badenhorst is.

Secateurs Chenin Blanc is beautifully simple and delicious. Crisp and vibrant with pleasant citrus aromas and a dry finish, it is the perfect white wine for our Florida weather.

Secateurs Red is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, Cinsault and Grenache. Badenhorst’s vines are unirrigated, biologically farmed as much as possible and fermented in traditional concrete tanks. The 2011 Secateurs Red was awarded 91 points by Wine Advocate. (Though when asked his view on wine scoring Adi replied, “I don’t know. I’m no good at maths so it doesn’t work for me. If it’s more than 10, I get a bit nervous!”)

Breakfast with Adi Badenhorst

I had the pleasure of staying at Adi Badenhorst’s Kalmoesfontein farm in the Swartland a while back, along with our ABC Director of Wines Brad Lewis and a small group of wine specialists. It was, as you might expect, a very happy and laid-back time, with the emphasis on enjoying the wines in good company, in pleasant surroundings and with great home-cooked food. Somehow it seemed wrong to discuss the wines too deeply, as wonderful as they were. The farm was a real ‘home’ – with Adi and his beautiful family making us perfectly at ease, and neighbors stopping by to join the festivities (and to watch the rugby game). But my prime memory was after everyone else had gone to bed, sitting up until late at night with Adi, drinking that delicious South African Rooibos tea and talking about – not wine so much – but good books, life philosophies, the pleasure of collecting vinyl records and our mutual affection for Hergé’s Adventures of Tintin.

I don’t think I need to say more about the wines. Try them. Enjoy them. Oh, and “Long live the Revolution!”

Kalmoesfontein Farm

Bill Stobbs, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits wine supervisor

Follow me on Twitter @abcwinebills

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