WineFlorida BLOG

Wondering what wines are worth sipping into during these long, hot, dog days of summer? Whether it’s a crisp, cool white to savor over a sunset or a juicy, ripe red to accompany a cookout, Michael’s Wine Cellar has a wine for every occasion and budget. These are our favorite Summertime Gems - cheers!

WHITES
2008 Lurton Pinot Gris, ARG $8.95
Satiny-textured with thick layers of yellow fruits, citrus peel, butter, floral and peach, and a round clean finish. If you’ve never tried a Pinot Gris you’re missing something - it’s a wonderful grape.

2007 Albet I Noya Xarel-Lo Classic, SP $11.95
Light, fresh aromas. Peach, some zingy fruit, a lot of sherbet lemon. The palate is nice and simple of crisp apples with a touch of cucumber.

2007 Two Angels Sauvignon Blanc, CA $12.95
Vibrant, complex fruit characteristics of melon, citrus blossom, fennel and honeysuckle. Elegant and balanced with a clean, crisp, long finish.

2008 Morgenhof Estate Chardonnay, ZA $14.95
The nose is expressive of lime, kiwi and pineapple fruit flavors. These zesty flavors follow through onto a crisp palate with subtle wood integration and a rich velvety long finish.

2007 Hartenberg Riesling, ZA $16.95
The spicy richness on the nose gives way to a taut yet floral and fruity mid-palate that has both richness and complexity. The sugar is barely noticeable and if anything it contributes extra fullness and richness to the palate.

2007 Elk Cove Vineyards Pinot Gris, OR $18.95
This is a fruit powered wine, with fresh pear, melon and tropical flavors. Ripe with perfect acidity, and a streak of vanilla and coconut wrapping up the finish.

REDS

2005 Falesco Vitiano, IT $10.95
A dark-purplish/crimson red with a slightly fuchsia-colored rim. On the nose, there are massive amounts of black cherries, blueberry jam, raspberry coulis, some licorice and intense notes of crushed black currant. In the mouth, there is serious upfront black fruit with cherry, brambleberry, sweet cranberry crush, raspberry jam and a multitude of flavors held together by great concentration and superb structure. A wonderful long finish permeated by supple yet solid tannins and good extraction.

2007 Bodega Lurton “Grande Reserve” Malbec, ARG $11.95
This grape variety reigns supreme in Argentina. A spicy wine, rich in aromas, with an extraordinarily dark purple color which immediately catches the eye. On the palate it is very supple with mellowed tannins and spicily rich, fat fruit. A highly individual and very appealing wine.

2005 Seven Hills Merlot, WA $12.95
A ripe, food-friendly Merlot exhibiting a broad array of flavors and aromas - toffee, violets, herb and vanilla accent ripe red and black fruit, with generous depth and length. 83% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc, it’s perfect with barbecued chicken or steak on the grill.

2006 Dead Letter Office Shiraz, AUS $19.95
Deep crimson red color. Juicy rich aromas immediately strike the nose with a wide spectrum of fruits including raspberries, cherry and plum intermingle with milk chocolate, vanilla bean and roasted coffee. The layers of creamy tannins form the foundation of this wonderfully opulent, fleshy and fruit driven wine. The palate is succulent with subtle, spicy integrated oak and traces of black pepper.

2006 Bertrand Ambroise Bourgogne Rouges, FR $19.95
Amazingly dark in color, smells and tastes of raw blackberries and graphite, saturates the palate with formidable, bitter-sweet intensity of fruit, and finishes firmly with persistent flavors of blackberry and roasted meat.

2005 Avontuur Estate “Minelli” Pinot Noir, ZA $19.95
Typical red cherries and strawberries on the palate with aromas of lead pencil and cedar wood on the nose. Light-bodied with soft tannins and well-balanced fruit and acid.

Have you joined me for Wine Discoveries yet this year? Hopefully you will - but you’ll need to act fast this since this unique monthly discovery to specific regions around the world is limited to just 50 tasters. Designed to keep you on your “wine toes” we created this new, casual evening event for right after work or play!. Once a month we introduce you to 12-14 very interesting wine finds and this month we’re off to Italy - and the wines are “favoloso!”

We’re not talking about a formal wine class - just a nice walk-around tasting experience with a small group of fellow wine-lovers. Our resident Sommelier, Julie Pepi will be on hand to present a bit of her wine wisdom and Chef Al will share a nice selection of passed hors d’oeuvres. You will be done in time to still go out for a nice dinner! Oh, by the way, Thursdays are double points nights at Michael’s On East AND you will receive DOUBLE POINTS on your wine purchases at the tasting!

Unlike our monthly open house wine tastings, reservations and pre-payment are required for this one, admission is $20 per person, and reservations must be made with Susan Baugh at 941-355-0007 Ext. 229. The next Wine Discoveries will be mid-August - more information is coming soon!

This month’s Wine Discovery tasting menu highlights my favorite Italian wines - you be amazed at how beautifully complex these wines are!

JULY WINE DISCOVERIES TASTING MENU
2006 La Spinetta, “Langhe” Nebbiolo, Piedmot
2007 La Spinetta, “Biancospino”, Moscato, Piedmont
2006 La Spinetta Nero d’Avola, Piedmont
2008 A. Lageder “Benefizum Porer”, Pinot Grigio, Alto Adige
2004 Castello di Bossi, Chianti Classico, Tuscany
2007 Argiolas Costamolino, Sardegna
2006 Jermann “Cintage Tunina”, Chardonnay, Venezie
2006 Zenato Ripassa, Veneto
NV Bellavista Brut Cuvee, Erbusco
2007 Gini Soave Classico, Veneto
2003 Iskra Rosso, Veneto

For Gulf Coast Connoisseur Club members, Thursdays are double points nights at Michael’s On East restaurant and in Michael’s Wine Cellar during the tasting event! Another reason not to miss out! See you there!

Memories of running around my backyard with sparklers in hand as fireworks explode in the night’s sky always bring a smile to my face. Now the sparklers are for my children, I prefer sparkling glasses of fine white and red wine to celebrate Independence Day! Join me in toasting our country this Fourth of July weekend with some of the best and most affordable whites and reds available. Here are my picks for this holiday and any summer gathering with friends and family!

WHITES
2007 Ferrari-Carano Fume Blanc, Sonoma County, CA $13.95
2007 Girard Sauivgnon Blanc, Napa Valley, CA $14.95
2006 Merryvale “Starmont” Chardonnay, Napa Valley, CA $16.95
2006 Bell Chardonnay, Napa Valley, CA $19.95
2007 Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley, CA $25.95
2006 La Fenetre “Block Eleven” Chardonnay, Santa Maria Valley, CA $29.95

REDS
2005 Seven Hills Merlot, Columbia Valley, WA $12.95
2007 Martin Ray “Angeline” Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, CA $13.95
2006 Clayhouse Vineyards “Adobe Red” Zinfandel, Paso Robles, CA $14.95
2006 KlingerBrick “Lodi” Zinfandel, Lodi, CA $17.95
2006 Girard Petite Syrah, Napa Valley, CA $21.95
2003 Collier Falls Petite Syrah, Dry Creek, CA $29.95

The sweltering days of summer are upon us! Relax and beat the heat with a fresh, crisp white wine, or perk up your day with a juicy, fruit-laden rosé. If you still go for the spice in summer, we’ve got a wonderful selection of Zinfandels. We are showcasing just some of our value priced wines this week, and there are many more!
We’ve got a Wine Discoveries coming up on July 16 and we’ll be tasting wines from the Pacific Rim (Washington, Oregon & California). Make your reservations now ($20 per person) by calling Susan at 941-366-0007 ext. 229.

Finally, our store hours will not change this summer as they have in the past. We’re open Monday through Saturday from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm, and every Saturday we give double points!

Here are a few of my favorites…

Refreshing Whites
2007 Brampton Chardonnay, ZA
Pears with hints of flowers and ginger spice, together with creaminess and richness, enhances the nose and carries through to the palate. Crisp and clean with a dry finish.
2007 MAN Vintners Chardonnay, ZA
Fresh and clean, with easygoing peach, melon and pineapple flavors. Round finish. Perfect for drinking now.
Ripe Rosés

2008 Mulderbosch Rosé, ZA
A lovely, lively, bright and clear pomegranate color with complex layers of strawberry, cherry, roses and fresh peaches on the nose. The wine has a nice, spicy and slightly peppery taste on the palate and is well balanced with a fresh long aftertaste.

2008 Susana Balbo “Crios” Rosé de Malbec, ARG
The color is deep as rosés go, nearly purple; your eye can truly appreciate the backbone allowed by the Malbec. On the nose raspberries lead, with a note of fresh strawberry jam and a little cherry to back it all up. You expect red fruit and you get it, along with a little prickly white pepper on the nose. The palate nicely echoes the aromatic notes, balancing the acidity with a touch of sweetness and a little appropriate jam to result in a clean finish.

Spicy Zins
2006 Clayhouse Vineyards “Adobe Red” Zinfandel, CA
The Adobe Red is a proprietary blend with ripe flavors of cherry, plum and vanilla bean, with rich spicy blueberry and cherry notes. The tannins are supple, and the balanced oak character adds additional vanilla notes.

2007 Plungerhead Zinfandel, CA
This medium plum-colored Zinfandel is very forward with rich and sappy French oak notes and ripe raspberry and bramble notes up front. The core of the wine is very robust with dark fruit including black cherry and cassis followed by generous and integrated spice flavors of star anise, cardamom and licorice. Ample coffee flavors on the backside, it ends with the classic old vine, resinous finish.

Since the surreal news of joining the ranks of Nation’s Restaurant News Hall of Famers, our staff has been walking on air. Being inducted into the Fine Dining Hall of Fame is a once-in-a-career honor that I honestly did not see coming, but was elated to receive! The past two weeks have flown by as my staff and I work to find creative ways to use this accolade to transcend our great city of Sarasota into a true player among the world’s top dining destinations.

Anyone who has spent time in Sarasota knows that it would take months to dine your way through town to experience all the amazing restaurants we have to offer. From casual beachfront tiki bars, to chic cafes, to over the top fine dining restaurants, we have it all. My family has served this community in the hospitality business for over 40 years, and we have come to know our fellow restaurateurs and hoteliers very well. They are not our competition, they are our comrades, our friends. We learned years ago not to look at the guy across the street as our rival, but rather as a partner equally committed to improving the culinary culture of our community. Working together has brought us, and will continue to bring us, success!

Here’s to all the individuals in Sarasota and beyond that dedicate themselves everyday to providing guests with the impeccable service, exceptional cuisine and unrivaled atmosphere we have to offer!

Buying futures, or “en primeur,” is the perfect way to purchase wines before they are released into the open market. Bordeaux futures work like other market-traded commodities - you invest in wine that has not yet reached the market. This allows you to obtain a share of a potentially rare wine at a bargain price, then watch it increase in value. You take possession of the wine when it becomes available in approximately 24 months.

To some, the concept of paying for wine years before they receive it may seem odd. However, there are many advantages. Wine futures afford consumers unprecedented access to world-class wines that may never be seen on retail shelves. Many chateaux and estates have earned such a reputation for excellence that their wines never see the open market. Every single bottle is sold via futures. Price is also an issue. It is extremely unlikely that these wines, were they to someday be available in limited quantities, will ever be sold for less than on a futures basis. Historically, vintages such as these increase in value almost monthly until their release two years after purchase. For example, we paid for the wines listed in the previous blog entry two years ago, and the purchase cost now, with the change in the Euro, would 25% greater or more.

Buying futures is a unique opportunity for collectors and investors alike to have access to wines from great estates from an outstanding vintage that will age well for many, many years.

Rosé Champagnes are perfect for Valentine’s Day – or any day, really. Alone or paired with food, there is a certain “wow factor” to a pink Champagne.

The pink color of a rosé can range from a pale orange to a vivid near-purple, depending on the grapes and wine making techniques. The main method of making a rosé is crushing red-skinned grapes and allowing the skins to remain in contact with the juice for a short period of time, typically two or three days. The grapes are then pressed and the skins are discarded rather than left in contact throughout fermentation (which is what’s done when making red wines). The skins contain much of the strongly flavored tannin, and by removing them from the process after just a few days you end up with a taste more similar to a white wine. The longer the skins are left in contact, the more intense the color, which is why the color of rosé wines and Champagnes can vary so greatly.

Another method is blending juices from several grapes, mainly Pinot Noir with Chardonnay. Blending is more often used in the Champagne region of France than other areas of the globe. One method isn’t necessarily better than the other – again, it’s a matter of your preference. Maybe it won’t even matter to you!

Rosé Champagnes, as with any variety of wine, are offered in a wide range of prices from very affordable (but no less delicious) to very pricey. Here are some I’m particularly fond of:

Francois Montand Brut Rosé, NV, Crancot, FR ($10) - Classy and a remarkable value! Light bodied and bursting with flavor and lots of great bubbles featuring aromas and flavors of dried cherries and raspberries. Crisp and very dry with an extremely clean finish.

Mumm Cordon Rouge Brut, NV, Reims, FR ($22) – Very aromatic with floral and citrus flavors, a creamy texture and vibrant structure. Fine balance and personality with a lingering lemon note on the finish. Made of Pinot Noir for roundness and strength, Pinot Meunier for fruitiness and liveliness, and Chardonnay for finesse.

Montaudon Brut Rosé, NV, Reims, FR ($32) - Gingerbread aromas introduce berry and orange flavors in this tangy Champagne. Tight and on the tart side, so have this one with food, for sure.

Krug Rosé, Reims, FR ($375) - A succulent harmony of flavors that is truly perfection in a glass. Produced in strictly limited quantities, it is an original. Its pale, tawny-pink color and miniscule bubbles lead to a bouquet of wild strawberries and concentrated flowers. The color is beautiful – a pale delicate salmon touched with coral. On the nose, Krug Rosé is fragrant, complex, enchanting, with notes of fruit including wild berries, and hints of spices. Particularly delicate, it is also very dry yet subtle, mellow and beautifully silky. Grape blend: 20-30% Chardonnay, 50-55% Pinot Noir, 15-20% Pinot Meunier.

We searched the web for some dishes to pair with rosé champagnes, and we found several on CHOW: Zucchini Carpaccio with Goat Cheese and Pine Nuts, Snapper Ceviche, Linguine with Clams and Zucchini, and Oysters with Mignonette Granité.

My system for rating groups of wines at a tasting is simple – in fact, I think it’s the simplest rating system in the world, and it works very well!

If I like it a lot, I give it a ++. If I like it, I give it a +. If I don’t like it, I give it a –. It’s just that easy!

The idea behind wine tasting is as simple as this: Slow down, relax and take the time to think about what you’re drinking.

First, examine the color. Is it clear or hazy, transparent or opaque? Next, take a deep sniff. Swirl the wine to allow aromas to escape as the wine “opens up” in the glass. Does it smell like fruit? Flowers? Road tar or sweat socks? Finally, take a drink. Swish it around in your mouth, sensing not only its taste but also its texture and weight, often described as “mouth feel.” As the moment of tasting becomes swallowing, let the memory of the wine on your palate “speak” to your own taste. The aftertaste, or “finish,” of a wine can be brief or lengthy, extraordinary or off-putting, but is usually a major influence in our ultimate enjoyment of a favorite wine.

Don’t judge a wine solely on its looks – enjoy it with all of your senses – even sound! Listen as all of your tasting senses tell you what you like (or dislike) about each wine. Never underestimate the importance of smell. We actually smell most of the things that we think we taste. Our taste buds can discern only four flavors – sweet, sour, salt and bitter – while the nose is capable of discerning thousands of subtle variation of scents, distilling sensations even from the recesses of memory.

Remember, when other tasters voice their opinions, expertise and the opinions of friends should never overrule your individual preference. While the wine writers of our time point us in the right direction, it doesn’t mean you’re always going to agree with them.

Helpful tip: Save your receipts when you buy wines, and mark each wine on the receipt as I have suggested. Pretty soon your wine merchant will be able to help you build a “tree” of the things you like!

Over 25 years ago, I had my first professional wine judging experience. It was 1981 at the Sonoma Harvest Fair in Healdsburg, California, on a mountaintop overlooking the valley – a very pristine setting. I was surrounded by all the big names in the wine industry including the most famous wine writers at that time. A little intimidating, to say the least! We were all sitting around a table, in white lab coats, and the first flight of wines to judge were Sauvignon Blancs. No labels, just the wines, to discuss and rate. As we started around the table, the first gentleman said, “This reminds me of fresh cut grass on my Dad’s farm where I grew up in Iowa.” It was at that point I knew I was in trouble and had to come up with a simple rating system that wouldn’t embarrass me and would make sense.The interesting thing is my rating system still works for me, 25 years and a lot of experience later. And it doesn’t just work for me, it works for novices and pros alike. It’s not a system based on 100 points, or a scale, it’s just three things: don’t like, like, and like a lot. Each month at my wine store I have a big tasting – over 45 wines from around the globe – and this system is used by just about everyone who attends!

There’s been more publicity lately about wines with screw caps, as they make their way into fine restaurants and exclusive wine cellars. Many high-end wineries are shifting from cork to metal closures, and the reason is an increasing amount of wine is being contaminated by cork taint, leaving the wine tasting musty and dull. The culprit for this unpleasant phenomenon, which can spoil up to one in 10 bottles, is trichloroanisole (TCA), a compound formed when chlorine used for bleaching reacts with mold already growing in the cork. Humans are incredibly sensitive to the compound and can detect it even at weak dilutions. TCA can flourish in several areas of a bottling facility, such as drains and barrels, but corks pose the biggest problem. So, the next time you’re at a restaurant and the waiter unscrews the cap from your bottle of wine, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s an inexpensive or inferior wine. It means the winery is taking steps to protect against cork taint. And that’s to be commended!

I recommend screw caps for wines you’re going to drink within the first two to three years of their release. It’s more of a guarantee of quality. I did a wine dinner with Baroness Rothschild from Chateau Mouton-Rothschild and one of the bottles we opened was tainted. She caught the problem before that bottle was served. So even with bottles worth hundreds of dollars, you can still have a bad cork.