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From the Vine Spring Newsletter

Posted April 3, 2009 | 0 Comments

Spring 2009

Island Mist Pomegranate Zinfandel

This Spring, Winexpert is proud to introduce the newest addition to our exciting line of refreshing Island Mist beverages, Pomegranate Zinfandel. The Pomegranate’s earthy, rich juice balances with Zinfandel’s slightly spicy, robust grapes creating a delicate slightly spicy sweetness that has a particular uniqueness on the first sip and leaves you wanting more. This wine is very easy to drink and on a warm summer afternoon you could easily lose yourself with a good book and a bottle of Island Mist Pomegranate Zinfandel.

Ready to drink in only four weeks, now is a great time to start your Island Mist so that it is ready in time for the warm weather and lounging in the hammock. Island Mist Pomegranate Zinfandel will be available March 2009. Please ask your Winexpert Authorized Retailer for details.

The next time you’re looking for a quick easy way to cool you down try this deliciously refreshing Pomegranate Spritzer:
¾ part Island Mist Pomegranate Zinfandel
¼ part Club Soda or Lemon-Lime Soda
Ice Cubes
Fill a glass with ice cubes, then fill ¾ with Island Mist Pomegranate Zinfandel and top up the rest of the way with Club Soda, or if your prefer a little bit of extra sweetness use your favourite Lemon-Lime Soda. If you’re looking for something a little more fancy to serve to your friends, garnish with a few pomegranate seeds and a wedge of lemon.

Winemaker Profile

Name: Linda Kazakoff
Title: Customer Service/Retail Sales

Description of Role:
I offer technical support and customer service to our home winemakers and retail partners through our website and information line.

How did you get started with winemaking?

There were a few really productive plum trees in our back yard which led to quite a production of fruit wines. In 1985 I started working in the industry at Wine Art and then joined Winexpert in 1996 and have loved wine ever since.

What is your favourite wine?

I really enjoy white wines so I would have to say it’s a tie between Winexpert’s 2007 Limited Edition Pacific Quartet and the Selection Original Symphony. I love the fruity character of the Pacific Quartet, it tastes great on its own or with fish and chicken dishes. The Selection Symphony is another of my favourites and has been referred to around here as “Fruit Salad in a glass”.

New Varieties to Entice Your Tastebuds

World Vineyard California Pinot Noir

World Vineyard California Pinot Noir creates a lasting impression on the palate with an intense ripegrape and black cherry aroma, accented by a spicy suggestion of cinnamon and mint. Medium-bodied and rich but not heavy, it’s perfectly balanced with alcohol acid and tannin working harmoniously, and has substantial flavour despite its delicacy. It has an appealing soft, velvety texture, like liquid silk gently caressing the palate.

World Vineyard Washington Riesling

World Vineyard Washington Riesling has a distinctive floral and green apple aroma mixed with mineral elements from its Washington vineyard, giving it a brisk,‘racy’ quality. Its high natural level of acidity enables it to balance a hint of residual sugar, setting off aromas of rose petal, apple, pear, peach and apricot and leading to a grand crisp finish of flinty mineral notes. Riesling is the longest-lived of all white wines.

Vintners Reserve Zinfandel/ Cabernet

Vintners Reserve Zinfandel/Cabernet is a medium bodied, deep red wine with initial raspberry and licorice notes giving way to a blackberry, currant and pepper character that finishes with firm tannins and light, spicy oak. Rich, but not clumsy, it’s an excellent foil for red meat, strong cheeses or even dark chocolate.

May is Selection Estate Series Month

In May, Winexpert will introduce our Estate Series Okanagan Pinot Blanc of our Small Lots Edition. It will only be available in small quantities for a limited time, so don’t miss this rare opportunity to stock your cellar with this refreshing fruit-driven wine from British Columbia!

Pinot Blanc

Pinot Blanc is a natural mutation of the Pinot Noir grape, and was first seen in Burgundy in the nineteenth century. It is a versatile grape, grown in wine regions worldwide, and is most popular in the Alsace region of France. Pinot Blanc is prevalent in Germany, where the local name is Weissburgunder, and is planted throughout California, where it is often used in sparkling wines due to its vibrant acidity and crispness. Since it thrives in cool climates, you will also find Pinot Blanc in Oregon and Northeastern Italy, where it is referred to as Pinot Bianco.

Selection Estate Series Italian Barolo

This May, Winexpert is launching a Selection Estate Italian Barolo. Unique in the world, Barolo is a wine of incredible depth and power, and yet it possesses finesse and elegance. Made from 100% Nebbiolo grapes, the Italians revere it under different guises, acknowledging it as ‘The King of Wines and the Wine of Kings’, and ‘Tar and Roses’, for its contrast of intense colour and demanding tannin against delicate, aromas of violets and rose petals. Combining the flavours of ripe tart cherries, damson plums and spice it gives way to chocolate, dried fruit, truffles and herbs that culminate in a long smoky finish and powerful, brooding tannins. Full-bodied, it pairs very well with rich meat dishes like osso buco, or roast leg of lamb.

Glassware Care

Raise your hand if you enjoy doing the dishes. Right, then, for the rest of us who reserve this exquisite pleasure for that precise moment when all other options have been exhausted, this short primer on caring for wine stemware is for you.

We have all heard the purist say you should flush your glass 4 or 5 times with only hot water to get rid of the wine residue, fingerprints and lipstick and you should never, ever, wash your stemware in the dishwasher. This is well and good and certainly achievable for a formal wine tasting. So what about the real world? The one where we enjoy our wine with fi nger foods and in the presence of good friends and family, where the party is over and littered glassware seems to have found its resting spot on virtually every horizontal surface.

What now Mr. Purist?

Without mentioning the specifics of the composition of wine stemware, we will divide it broadly into 2 categories – regular everyday glass stemware and everything else, or specifically more porous. Regular glass stemware can be washed in the dishwasher, just don’t dry by heat.

Greater care must be taken with the porous glass as it can easily absorb soapy ‘fl avours’- so while your glass is technically clean, it can alter the wine. The easiest way to care for these is to wash in the hottest water that is comfortable, with a small amount of mild dish soap and baking soda, which will both soften the water and boost the power of the soap. Focus your efforts on the outside of the glass – this is where the tough offenders are – fi ngerprints, lipstick, food residue… Finally rinse the bowl very well with hot water and then rinse again. You can dry the glasses by placing them upside down or with a lint free towel. Your glass is now ready for its next use. Drink in moderation and enjoy!

To download a PDF of our Spring 2009 From The Vine Newsletter, please click here

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