If I worked for an importer, I’d lean strongly toward Winebow. Ever since Feast opened, I’ve gone to the industry wine tastings, and year after year, when I go and taste hundreds of wines at a time, there’s a table at which I find myself shaking my head and wondering how I can like every wine on the table. That table is usually the Winebow table. Standing on the other side of that table, year after year, has been Jamie Beatty, a human treasure trove of information about his wines and a man who understands and appreciates the soul of each them. Lucky Feast- we’ll have him here on Sunday, December 30th for our monthly tasting. Not wanting to be generic about it, Jamie suggested an island theme: Mallorca, Sicilia, Sardegna and Capri will all be represented, and we’ve stepped it up a bit this month, pulling out some higher-end wines, so this month’s tasting will be $35.00, including a bit fancier wines plus our customary food pairings. The tasting begins at 3:30 pm on Sunday the 30th, and space is limited, so please do call us at 326-9363 if you’d like to join us, and we’ll hold a spot for you.
2011 Argiolas “Costamolino” Vermentino, Sardegna $17.00
Lemon-green in color, delicate aromas of citrus and tree fruits complement undertones of tropical fruits and honey. On the palate, the wine shows a delightfully zesty acidity, which makes it both food-friendly and crowd-pleasing.
2011 Tasca d’Almerita “Leone d’Almerita” (Catarratto/Pinot Blanc/Sauvignon Blanc/Gewurztraminer), Sicilia
$23.00
Bright lemon-green in color, Leone offers aromas of pink grapefruit, orange blossom, white peach, and pineapple. On the palate, it is fruit-forward and rich with good acidity and a pleasant finish.
2008 Argiolas “Korem” (Bovale Sardo/Cargnano/Cannonau), Isola dei Nuraghi IGT $53.00
Bright lemon-green in color, Leone offers aromas of pink grapefruit, orange blossom, white peach, and pineapple. On the palate, it is fruit-forward and rich with good acidity and a pleasant finish.
2010 Ànima Negra “ÀN/2” (Callet/Syrah/Mantonegre/Fogoneu), Mallorca $27.00
Deep ruby-red in color, ÀN/2 has complex aromas of savory spices, wild raspberries, dark cherry fruit and a hint of violets and smokiness. On the palate the wine is silky and elegant with intense flavors of mature fruit. Well-balanced with a long finish.
2007 Tasca d’Almerita “Rosso del Conte” (Nero d’Avola/Cabernet Sauvignon), Contea di Sclafani DOC $74.00
Deep ruby-red with garnet reflections, this wine offers enticing aromas of Marasca cherries, along with walnut husks, vanilla, mint, sage and tobacco. A rich, well-structured red with a silky mouth-feel and a concentration of flavors that culminates in a lingering, satisfying finish.
Caprinatura Limoncello, Capri $27.00
The production method is traditional: lemons, immediately after the harvest are selected and hand peeled, to obtain a thin skin, lacking the bitter white part that would make the liqueur bitter. The skins are then placed in infusion of pure alcohol for several days.
Subsequently the infusion solution is added water and sugar. The resulting liquor, yellow-green, dense and rich with mellow, fresh, aromatic flavor.