Each Saturday at 2:00 pm, we open four different wines and talk about them- where they come from, who makes them, and what makes them special. A couple of light hors d’oeuvres accompany the tasting and those who attend are eligible for discounts on the wines. Reservations are required, and web and email reservations will not guarantee you a seat, to please make your reservation by calling (520) 326-9363
This week's theme: Rhône varietals from the Rhône proper and from the New World as well. Please do come visit, and know that if you like the Old World stuff, there'll be another tasting on the 30th of all Rhône wines- you know, from the actual Rhône Valley.
When was the last time you had a wine from Castagnole Monferrato? What about Irpinia? Morro di Alba?
There are no wines to be listed here for this Saturday's tasting. Why? Because the whole point of the tasting is to pull on your thinking cap and consider what's in the glass and how you perceive it. It's a great way not only to test your tasting skills, but as well, to start thinking about the qualities of various varietals and terroirs.
You know the feeling: you're on vacation, whether it's just a jaunt to San Diego to get out of the heat, or a carefully planned trip to a Tuscan farmhouse, and you taste that local food or drink that makes you pause for a moment and realize that it's all come together so beautifully.
Kevin strolled into the office today and announced that I was required by someone very important to include a parenthetical note in the title of this week's tasting. You've already seen the note if you're here, but I somehow doubt that Megan wants that notoriety, or to be pigeonholed as narrow in her scope just because she's fond of Sauvignon Blanc.
While Zinfandel is the quintessentially American varietal, it has its roots in the Old Country. While its grandparent is a varietal called Plavac Mali, there's not enough in Arizona right now to include in the tasting. Our alternative? Zinfandel's literal cousin, Primitivo.
Two weeks ago, you may recall that we lauded the strengths of southern Italian wines. We stand by that assertion. That said, we wanted to remind you that the offerings of the North are nothing to sneeze at.
As wine lovers, we're often forced to choose a style or a winemaking tradition- we can only consume so much, so it behooves us to pick a style we like, whether it's the wine we want to accompany a particular dish, or whether it's our own "house preference."
Ask any northern Italian about the south and you'll get an eyeroll, most likely, and a dismissive gesture. In the South, they refer to the northerners as nordici, which really just means someone from the north, but the northerners call the southerners sudici, a double entendre that means not only "the southern ones," but also "the dirty ones."
You're all certainly aware that we change our menu each month, but to be honest, the wine list is in a more constant state of flux than the food menu is.