Half Way Through the Alphabet!

I am half way through my A-Z sipping journey with the grapes Lagrein, Malbec, Merlot, Montepulciano and Nebbiolo. Lagrein (lah-GRAYN) is a popular red grape of the Trentino-Alto Adige region of Italy. A bottle of 2007 La Vis Dipinti Lagrein Trentino with its spicy, intense dark berry fruit flavors and medium body, paired well with an arugula, ricotta, smoked mozzarella pizza, a very tasty recipe from one of my favorite Food Network chefs, Giada.

My next wine, Trivento Amado Sur Malbec, featured the red grape Malbec (mahl-BEHK). This grape is widely grown in France, Argentina, Chile, Australia and the United States. In France, Malbec is often blended with Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Tannat. The wine that I tasted was from Argentina and offered a nice balance of dark berry fruit and tannins. It was a great pairing with lettuce wraps and tuna wontons.

I love a Merlot! My daughter Meredith brought me a delicious bottle of King Family Vineyard Monticello Merlot 2007 from one of her visits to Charlottesville, Virginia. The red grape, Merlot (mehr-LOH) produces wines with a deep garnet color, full body and low tannins. This wine was a Double Gold Medal Monticello Cup 2010 winner. Thomas Jefferson would be proud!

Montepulciano (mohn-teh-pool-CHAH-noh) is a red grape variety grown throughout Italy. The wines produced with this grape have moderate acidity with a deep color and peppery, blackberry notes. I tasted this grape in a bottle of Masciarelli Montepulciano d'Abruzzo over a plate of Three-Cheese Lasagna. Delish!

Have you ever thought about what wines you would like to have if you were on a deserted island? Well, I have now started this list and have added a bottle of Produttori del Barbaresco Langhe Nebbiolo 2008 to the top of it. This red wine made with the Nebbiolo (neh-b'YOH-loh) grape had a very appealing personality with great texture and structure, full flavored and beautiful berry aromas. Does a wine have personality? Try this wine and let me know if you agree that it comes alive on your palate!

Spanish Sparkling!

Sparkling wine produced in designated areas of northern Spain is called Cava. The grapes used in Cava most often are Macabeo (mah-kah-BEH-oh), Parellada (par-eh-LYAH-duh) and Xarel-lo (sah-REHL-lo). I had the pleasure of sharing a bottle of 2008 Mistinguett Cava with my friends Steve and Virginia as we were discussing their upcoming trip to Spain to visit the winery owned by the Domenech family of Catalonia and to meet the oldest son and winemaker, Oriol. This Cava is a blend of 30% Macabeo, 30% Parellada and 40% Xarel-lo. With aromas of apples and apricots and a balanced acidity, it truly was a delightful Spanish sparkling experience! And the best part of discovering Mistinguett is that it's a great value...under $15.00! You can find it in Dallas at Cork Wine Bar ( West Village), Majestic Liquor stores, Mercy Wine Bar and Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. With the holidays approaching, this sparkling would be a great addition to any party or just celebrating life!