10 Interesting Wine-Related Discoveries For Fall 2020
Fall 2020 is now underway as we are now almost into the month of October. While 2020 has already proven to be the most difficult year in recent memory, it has produced plenty of interesting new wines and wine-industry developments. In turn, below are 10 product recommendations and/or interesting vineyard-related news items that are keeping things interesting in Fall 2020 for wine enthuasists.
Stags’ Leap Winery 2017 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Priced at $60.00, this 2017 cab-sav is expressive and inviting, with a bouquet of wild blackberry and fresh black currant fruit alongside delicate floral notes of geranium and violet. You can expect warmer notes of caramel, sweet cinnamon, cardamom and black pepper spice coming through from its oak integration. It ought to pair nicely with a juicy steak.
Meanwhile, the same vineyards’ Stags’ Leap Winery 2018 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc — carrying a retail price of $32.00 — is an ideal wine for the recent transition from summer into fall. This Sauvignon Blanc is lively, expressive and vibrant, exhibiting the variety’s classic citrus fruit, lemongrass and white floral nuances. There is a depth of flavor with candied lemon peel, passion fruit and melon, alongside hints of white floral jasmine and white pepper that linger on the palate of the lengthy finish. It is recommended to be enjoyed alongside grilled chicken or fish.
Légende (Lafite) by Domaines Barons de Rothschild
Back in August, I had the pleasure of attending a virtual hosting hosted by Diane Flamand, winemaker of Légende (Lafite) by Domaines Barons de Rothschild. A collection from a family of wine producers with a reputation such as Domaines Barons de Rothschild, the wines in the Légende collection are made under the supervision of oenologist, Diane Flamand with the same care and attention to detail as is applied to the Grands Vins. Its Pauillac and Médoc wines are produced from DBR (Lafite)’s own vineyards and from neighbouring vineyards. For the Bordeaux appellations, the technical team selects the terroirs and supervises the vinification of the grapes from partner suppliers. The Bordeaux Rouge and Blanc are made from selections of the finest production in the Entre-Deux-Mers region.
Following that excellent Zoom-based tasting session, I had the pleasure of doing Q&A over e-mail with Diane Flamand on behalf of A Global Lifestyle, which you can read here.
Made from 100 percent Glera grapes from the province of Treviso — an area renowned for high quality Prosecco — this sparkling wine offers a luminous straw yellow hue and stylish mousse. The palate is marked by aromatic notes of honey and white peach. For stocking stuffers, you can start with Mionetto’s signature mini bottles, as priced as low as $4. The classic ribbon beautifully-displayed across the bottle means there is no need to wrap. You can even customize with notecards displayed around the bottle’s neck.
Also great from Mionetto is its Luxury Cartizze DOCG, as priced at $40. This elegant Cartizze boasts luminous golden tones and delicate beads of tiny bubbles. A majestic, multi-faceted bouquet releases seductive impressions of apple and pear alongside notes of citrus and glazed almond. On the palate it is crisp, well-balanced, and elegant.
Earlier this month I had the pleasure of attending a virtual tasting led by Philippe Rolet, Estate Manager of Bodegas Caro. In 2019 Rolet became Estate Manager for CARO, a partnership between the aforementioned Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) and the Catena family dating from 1999. Situated in the heart of the Mendoza region in Argentina, Bodegas CARO’s ambition has been to produce a unique range of wines that would combine two cultures, French and Argentine, 2 grape varieties, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, and the expertise of both families.
Its Aruma 2018 — which carries a suggested retail price of $15 — is a pure Malbec made from a blend of grapes from the best terroirs in the Mendoza region. “ARUMA” means “night” in the language of the Quechua, the native Indian population of the Mendoza region. The name suggests the deep darkness of the nights in the Andes and the very pure mountain air: the wines have the same rich, authentic character as their terroir. Meanwhile, its 2017 Amancaya presents a harmonious balance between the Argentine and Bordeaux styles. The wine is more fruity due to the higher percentage of Malbec and shorter ageng. The word “AMANCAYA” is the native Indian name of a flower found at high altitudes in the Andes in the Mendoza area.
2018 Robert Mondavi Winery Pinot Noir Carneros
With crisp acidity and tight structure, this pinot noir — carrying a suggested retail price of $28 — exhibits heady aromatics and refined silkiness. With a swirl of wild dark cherry and ripe, red plum aromas layered with hints of dusty cocoa and dried herb complexity, this is an expressive red wine. It is intended to match well with pork chops and/or pot roast.
If cab-sav is more your thing, you may want to try the 2018 Robert Mondavi Winery Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. This cabernet delivers mouth-filling, deeply-intense blackberry fruit across the palate with clove and cardamom spice. Complex and dusty tannins add structure to the juicy fullness of the fruit. A Napa Valley classic, this wine easily complements hearty fall fare like roasted beef or sirloin steak.
As launched at the virtual Specialty Food Live! 2020 trade show, Spirit & Co. reportedly produces the world’s first line of all-natural, distinctive sauces made exclusively with premium liquor. These sauces are all-natural, gluten-free, made without artificial preservatives, and do not feature any high fructose corn syrup; all of them are also vegan except the Bourbon & Smokey Bacon BBQ Sauce. On the wine end, there is indeed the Cabernet Sauvignon & Steak Sauce offering, although my favorite may be the Vodka & Italian Tomato Ketchup. One of my top food discoveries of 2020.
Some knowledge with this one… Prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine with a fresh, light and lively taste, but Prosecco cannot be produced just anywhere in the world. The Consortium that protects Prosecco has really strict rules regarding what can officially be called “Prosecco DOC.” The production area for Prosecco DOC is located in northeast Italy, in the territories of 5 provinces in the Veneto region (Treviso, Venice, Vicenza, Padua, Belluno) and 4 provinces in Friuli Venezia Giulia (Gorizia, Pordenone, Trieste and Udine). Cans and on-tap sale are forbidden, as all wines served in this format are not Prosecco, but generic sparkling wines. Prosecco DOC must be produced and marketed exclusively in glass bottles, every bottle of Prosecco DOC on the market must have an official government seal which guarantees the origin and the quality of the product. Thus, the Prosecco DOC is the symbol of simple, refined drinking, intrinsically tied to the unmistakable “Made in Italy” lifestyle.
Speaking of Prosecco, La Marca Prosecco was made to share and toast life’s ordinary moments with our favorite people. With a crisp, fruit forward taste and bright acidity, its Prosecco is a light, refreshing sparkling wine that brings a bubbly sophistication and is the perfect bottle to share with loved ones bringing cheer to every occasion. But great wine aside, La Marca’s now has a free online-based label maker tool that enables user to create a one-of-a-kind label. This tool doesn’t just have to be used for gifting, as anyone can use it to add a little something extra to any occasion or event.
Avaline is a new, clean wine brand from global icon and wellness author Cameron Diaz and successful entrepreneur Katherine Power (Who What Wear, Versed Skincare). Launched with a white and rosé, its wines are clean, delicious, vegan-friendly, made with organic grapes and free of unnecessary additives. With ingredient transparency on each label, Avaline aims to set a new standard for the wine industry.
Avaline White and Rosé (SRP $24) are available for purchase at select retailers in 43 states plus the District of Columbia and on drinkavaline.com. Avaline White is a dry wine with a crisp, fresh finish and comes from Spain. It pairs perfectly with fresh-cut flowers and your favorite meal. Avaline Rosé offers a light and fresh mouthfeel with notes of melon and zest and comes from France. It pairs well with the warmth of the sun and the company of your best friend.
Hahn Family Wines’ 2018 Boneshaker
This Old Vine Zinfandel, a great wine from Hahn Family Wines, opens with aromas of cherry, toasted oak, a hint of leather and spice notes. Its palate brings ripe red berry fruit flavors and a toasty finish to all your “spooky” Halloween festivities. While the Hahn family owns vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA and produces most of their wine from these sites, they contract with the Mettler family in Lodi, California, for the grapes that make Boneshaker. This one carries a suggested retail price of $19.
2018 Chronic Cellars Purple Paradise
A Zinfandel-dominated blend, this wine is alluring and will have you blissfully floating during Halloween night. It carries a $15 suggested retail price per bottle, just like the vineyard’s 2019 Chronic Cellars Pink Pedals. The Pink Pedals offering carries flavors of wild strawberries, peaches, citrus, and cranberry. Both Chronic Cellars bottles I checked out have fun and festive labels, to say the least.
And speaking of fun, delicious and Halloween-friendly wines, 2 dancing skeletons play instruments on the Stella Rosa Black, while the sultry wine bewitches with ripe blackberry, blueberry and raspberry flavors. Its magnum counterpart is adorned with gorgeous silk screen printed sugar skull artwork, a collectable by any means. This one — as given a 90-point rating, a Gold Medal and a “Best Buy” tag from Tastings.com in 2016 — is sold in 250 ml “singles,” 750 ml bottles and 1.5 liter magnums.
Meanwhile, Stella Rosa also has people talking via its Stella Rosa Red (featuring a mysterious Day Of The Dead femme fatal on the label beyond captivating ripe raspberry, wild strawberry, and red plum notes), its Stella Rosa Rosé Magnum (the label has been revamped to include a skull engulfed in a myriad of flowers) and its Stella Rosa Moscato D’Asti (which shows a hypnotizing, intricately-adorned skeleton on the label while the wine boasts delicate peach, apricot and honey aromas.
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Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."
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