Posts Tagged ‘Champagne’
Some Truth About Rose Wines
First thing first: roses are not always sweet. Sweet rose wines are more the exception than the rule. White zinfandel is a pink wine, also called blushed wine, but not a rose. Roses can go from pale pink to light red in color and can have more or less fruit on the palate.
There are two main ways to make a rose:
Roses de saignee are obtained by "bleeding the vats". The winemaker decides to open the vats early in the maceration to let the first juice out. This decision is made to produce a more tannic red and/or a rose de saignee.
Roses made by skin contact. The juice is in contact with the skins for few hours only. The method known as "blending" (mix white wine with red wine) is discouraged and not very common (except in Champagne, but even there winemakers don't use this method very often).
Roses containing white grape varietals are very rare! Roses are easy to pair with all kind of food, being even more versatile than white wine or red wine. Light food (salad, seafood, chicken, etc.) calls for a light and crisp rose (Cotes de Provence, Anjou, Tavel, Chinon, etc.), while heavier food (steak, cheese, etc.) would pair perfectly with a darker, "fruitier" rose ("Il Mimo" for one, Italian rose made from Nebbiolo grape). More generally, roses pair very well with good company, sun, swimming pool, barbecue, etc. Have fun and drink chilled roses all summer long!
Italian Wine Week
It was Italian Week last week and the Italian Winemakers invaded NY with a vengeance. Our Boutique Wine Shop in Bronxville (Station Plaza Wine) was fortunate to be visited by several vineyard owners and winemakers. We took in several of the wines we sampled, below are some photos and links to the vineyards.
Villa Trasqua www.villatrasqua.it
Their Super Tuscan, Trasgaia was awsome!
Di Lenardo Vineyards www.dilenardo.it
Great desert wine, Pass the Cookies.
Villa Calcinaia www.villacalcinaia.it
Great Chianti Classico’s – we took in a few!
Love is in the air…at Station Plaza Wine
What better way to say “I Love You” than a bottle of Pink Bubbly? We mean REAL CHAMPAGNE! Station Plaza Wine is having a real Champagne BLOWOUT. Pannier Rose Champagne for under $25 – We also have ½ bottles for $10.31 both Rose and Brut. Happy Valentine’s Day from your friends at Station Plaza Wine!
Winery Spotlight: Brotherhood
Located at 100 Brotherhood Plaza Drive in Washingtonville, NY 10,992 | Website: www.brotherhoodwinery.net
The oldest winery in the country, nestled in the foothills of the Catskills, less than an hour from metro New York City, offers visitors the opportunity to “step back into history”
Visitors stroll the beautiful landscaped premises, tour the romantic underground cellars and taste a variety of award winning wines.
You can browse through their “History of Brotherhood exhibit. Learn interesting facts about grape growing and winemaking. Tour the underground cellars while their guides briefs you on Champagne making, barrel aging and more!