Unoaked Chardonnay

We tried the Dominican Oaks California Unoaked Chardonnay from 2012.  

Appearance: golden yellow with legs 

Smell: pear, apple, slight lime, grape

Taste: very slightly fizzy, smooth mouthfeel, pear, apple, short smooth pear beginning note, tart green apple finish, very light bodied.

Pairings: cheese was fine with the wine according to Brit.  The Swartzwelders had burgers and coleslaw for dinner.  Brit had salmon for dinner.  The Hogans had chicken parmasean for dinner (which we think effected their rating).  Heavy food and chocolate do not go well with this wine.  Please note that our wines we consumed after dinner and not with dinner.

Brit Scale Ratings:

Brit: 3

Sherry: 3

Erin: 4

Robin: 2

Melissa: 2

Brit's Corner June 201

Brit's Corner - June 2013
I've been searching for great bottles of red wine under $15 lately, and have been partially successful. Two cabernet sauvignon's have come to my attention. First was our wine club selection for Friday, June 14th, Rodney Strong 2010 from Sonoma County. Rodney Strong has a good reputation of producing good wine at a reasonable price and this selection was no exception.  Priced at $12-15 this was a good value.  I also sampled a Robert Mondavi Private Selection 2010 cabernet sauvignon, about same price.  Robert Mondavi also has a similar reputation and also did not disappoint.

First, bear with me for a geography lesson... both Sonoma and Napa are about equi-distant from the northernmost end of the San Fransisco Bay area, which is called San Pedro Bay.  They are about 20 kilometers north of the bay and about the same distance from each other (east to west).  One could expect the grapes in these two areas to be very similar as they have the same soil, weather, etc...  And they were. 

The Rodney Strong cab had quite a bite at first, with pepper and smokey oak overpowering any other flavors, in the initial sips (also a buttery taste).  This subsided with each sip giving way to a nice, pleasant taste where one could taste the fruits better and a typical Cabernet flavor; very enjoyable. 

The Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet Sauvignon was very similar, but perhaps just a bit less bite initially, but also it didn't seem to fade as quickly.  By the end of the first glass both wines had pretty much lost their bites and the dark fruits shone forth. Rodney Strong had maybe a cherry hint while the Mondavi was maybe more of a plum, but otherwise very similar.  I rate both a 3 on the Brit scale, although maybe a weak 3 and admitedly, I tasted the Rodney Strong on an empty stomach.  I had no cheese or other food to sample with the wine to get a better culinary experience.  The Robert Mondavi was a different story, as I had lasagna for lunch before tasting it.  That probably impacted the tasting.

In summary, both wines are from generally the same region, same grape, same vintage, and very similar in flavor.  I like them both!  Up next, I'll share some Merlot experiences!

Until next time, here's wishing you good eats, and good wine treats!

- Brit

Pinot Noir

Brit's Corner for April.
Had a wonderful 2009 Pinot Noir by Henri de Villamont from Bourgogne, France, price about $16. at Spec's.  It is a very smooth, very tasty red wine with fruity and peppery hints for smell, but very pleasing to drink. Paired with filet mignon it was very good, dark fruit evident in the bouquest and taste and to me, an overal good culinary experience!  FOUR STARS!  Highly recommended.
My second wine to share is from South Africa, a 2011 Sabernet Sauvignon by Domaine Rouxvale.  Don't let the twist off cap fool you, this cab is smooth and fruity, a very pleasant taste of cherry and black currant with a hint of spice. Dark red in appearanc with moderate legs, it has a nice appearance as well as a pleasing bouquet and opulent taste!  Another FOUR STARS althought perhaps a weak "4".   Still I am sharing with you two fine reds to try, one from France, a Pinot Noir, and the second a Cabernet Sauvignon from South Africa and sure to find their way into your favorites list of reds in you wine cellar.  Enjoy and give us your feedback should you be so blessed as to sample these fine tasting wines costing less than $20./ bottle.
 - Brit Smeal, Lead Oenefile, San Antonio Smeal Family Estate

Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet Savignon

This week's pick by Brit is Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet Savignon 2011 Central Coast version.  This wine is very affordable and can be found most anywhere (even in your local grocery store)!  

Appearance:  dark plum in color, thick legs that take a long time to form.  

Smell:  smokey, strong plum smell, spices, pepper, earthy, hint of raspberry 

Taste: butter, dry, slight smoke, not as strong of a taste as you would think, short taste, tart finish, slight oak, raspberry on the front note, mouth feel is cotton

Pairings: The Swartzwelders had burgers and fries before wine and the Hogans had pasta before wine.  Cheeses: cheddar is a no go, Gouda doesn't do anything for it, havarty brings out the raspberry and plum taste.  Chocolate brings out the fruit taste as well but also enhances the smokey notes.  

Brit Scale Ratings:

Sherry: 3
Erin: 2
Brit: 3
Robin: 2
Gerry: 2
Melissa: 3

Wild Haven Pinot Gris

Wild Haven Pinot Gris Columbia Valley 2011 was the choice by Melissa.  Brit managed to get the same wine from the same valley even.  

Appearance: looks like water, almost no color, thin legs.

Smell: very citrusy, homeysuckle, pear, lime, grapefruit

Taste: very light pleasant taste, refreshing, citrus bitey endnote, very smooth silky mouthfeel, starts with a mild wine taste then builds to a fruity taste of pear, apricot, honeysuckle, and then ends with the citrus bite.

Pairings: the Hogan family had fediccini Alfredo with shrimp for dinner.  Brit had cod with potato crust.  The Swartzwelders had pineapple chicken with rice.  Havarty cheese brings out the fruit taste.  Cheddar also brings out the fruit but not as much.  Gouda tones down the citrus.

Brit Scale Ratings:

Brit: 3
Robin: 3
Melissa: 4
Erin: 4
Sherry: 3
Gerry: 3

Beaujolais

We are all trying a Beaujolais today.  The Swartzwelders and Hogans has Domaine Pignard Beaujolais 2011.  Brit has domaine des Rosiers Moulinavent.  Both wines are similar in grapes, region, importer, and even the labels are similar.

 

Appearance:  deep red purple, cherry colored, no legs

Smell: cherry, fruity, butter, black raspberries, hint of pepper

Taste: peppery, slight cherry, thin fine texture and finish, very light wine that doesn't stay with you long which incourages you to drink more, not as fruity as you would think, hints of raspberry.

Pairings: robin had a bacon cheese burger, the Swartzwelders had a digiorno, Brit had a meatball sandwich and a salad for dinner.  Gouda brings out the peppery taste and changes the midnote, cheddar really brings out the fruity taste and is a hit with the wine.  Chocolate and fruit needs to be avoided while enjoying this wine.

Brit Scale Ratings

Brit: weak 3
Robin: 2
Erin: 2
Sherry: weak 3

Louis Chavy Bourgogne Grand Ordinaire

This is a French wine that was actually chosen by Bruce Swartzwelder.  The description makes the wine sound like a mildly sweet Bourgogne.  So we will see.

Appearance: looks thick bodied.  Deep, rich plum and red color.  Legs that take a while to form.

Smell: cherry, licorice, cola, toast,

Taste: very cherry, slight rasberry, short finish, silk feel on the mouth, smooth taste, pleasant aftertaste, not heavy in tannin,

Pairings: The toast taste is brought out by the lasagne that the Hogans paired with the wine. Gouda brings out the raspberry taste of the wine.  Dark chocolate brings out a bitter taste (AVOID). Milk chocolate brings out the smooth taste of the wine.

Brit Scale Ratings:

Robin: 3
Melissa: 3
Erin: 3
Sherry: 3
Bruce: 3

Bruce states that even though he gave the wine a 3 he was disappointed in the wine as a Bourgogne.  It doesn't taste as overpowering as a normal Bourgogne (burgundy).

The rest of us thought that the wine lived up to it's mildly sweet reputation and that's why it's rated so well by us.

The One Minute Wine Master Quiz

One day, hanging out at Barnes and Noble, Melissa came upon a book called "The One Minute Wine Master."  Inside is a quiz to help pinpoint some wines you may enjoy.  We took the book home with us, and Melissa and I took the quiz.  I have been using the suggestions to help guide my wine choices for the exchange.  Given that some of us are "wine selection" challenged, (not naming names) I thought I would post the quiz.  All credit for the quiz goes to Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan, MW, author.

Note: These types of quizes rarely work out well for me - I frequently don't fit into one or more of the categories perfectly, but it was fun to take and see which season I mostly fit into. According to the quiz, I am a Spring and Melissa is a Fall.

The reason I like this quiz is because it introduced me to some new wines that I had never heard of before. I used the results for my last selection, the Grüner Veltliner, and now I am a fan of that wine.  Since one of the purposes of our wine exchange is to broaden our knowledge of wines, I figured this quiz was a good starting point for new wines.

Enjoy!

The One Minute Wine Master Quiz

Question	3 points	2 points	1 points	0 points
1.How do you take your coffee or tea?	Black/nothing added	A little milk or cream	A lot of milk or cream	I don’t drink coffee or tea
2.  How much sugar do you add to your coffee or tea?	None	A teaspoon	Two or more teaspoons	I don’t drink coffee or tea
3. What type of chocolate do you prefer?	Dark, bitter chocolate	Milk Chocolate	White Chocolate	I don’t eat or like chocolate
4.  How often do you put lemon on your fish?	Never	Sometimes	Always	I don’t eat fish
5.  What is your favorite juice	Apple	Orange	Lemonade	I don’t drink juice
6.  How spicy do you like your food	Extremely hot	Medium	Mild	None
7.  If you compare the body of a white wine to the body of heavy cream, whole milk, or skim milk, which would you prefer?	Heavy cream	Whole milk	Skim Milk
8. If you compare the body of a red wine to the body of heavy cream, whole milk, or skim milk, which would you prefer?	Heavy cream	Whole mile	Skim milk
9. What type of perfume or cologne do you like?	Spicy/Intense	Sweet/candied	Floral/fresh	I don’t like perfume or cologne
10.  What type of gum do you prefer?	Spicy (cinnamon)	Bubble gum or fruity gum	Fresh (mint, violet, etc)	I don’t chew gum
11.  What is your favorite snack?	Something rich like a chocolate or a candy bar?	Something savory like chips or crackers	Something light like a piece of fruit or carrot sticks	None of these

 Total Points:

Key: Spring: 1 - 13 Points

        Summer: 14 - 19 Points

        Fall: 20 - 25 Points

        Winter: 26 - 33 Points

Based on the season, the following wine recommendations are made (sorry, Jennifer, but I couldn't reconstruct the colorful, nifty answer wheel in your book, so we are reduced to a list)

Spring: Riesling, Savignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Albariño/Alvarinho, Grüner Veltliner, Marsanne/Roussanne, Anything Rosé, Beaujolais, Berbera, Pinot Noir

Summer: Soave, Chenin Blanc/Steen, Torrontés, Viognier, Dolcetto, Bonarda, Monastrell, Nero D'Avola, Cabernet Franc, Merlot

Fall: Chardonnay, Gewürztraminter, Pinot Gris, Carménére, Tempranillo, Sangiovese, Pinotage, Syrah/Shiraz, Garnacha/Grenache, Primitivo/Zinfandel

Winter:  Cabernet Sauvignon, Tannat, Nebbiolo, Melback, Petite Sirah, Amarone, Aglianico, Touriga Nacional, Merlot, Zinfandel

Smart Cookie Red Blend

First of all I, Erin, have to say that I am totally disappointed in my wine picking abilities.  However, this time I shall not take the blame alone.  Smart Cookie red blend was in the sweet section of our wine store.  The display said sweet, fruity medium bodied wine.  It also was touted as one of the best sellers at total wines.  The label also made the wine sound right up my alley.

Appearance: very dark plum, very little to no legs

Smell: butter, oak, cherry, vanilla, the label claims that it smells like cookies but we didn't get that, earthy, leather

Taste: turpentine, lackberry, burnt rubber, smooth feeling on the mouth, short finish

Pairings: better with cheddar, Gouda has no effect, chocolate has little to no effect as well

Brit Scale Ratings:

Erin:1
Sherry: 2
Gma: 1
Pap:1
Melissa: 2
Robin: 2
Sarah: 1
Gerry:1

Chateau Landat 2009, March 15

Would like to share my last pick, a French red haut-medoc called Chateau Landat, 2009. It was rated 91 by wine spectator, I think, and was trying to find a French red that we all could find. It cost about $20 and had a good review online.  SO we made it my Friday night pick for March 15.  I must say, it was a disappointment. The wine was appealing visually but had almost no bouquet to speak of, perhaps a hint of spice and licorice but that was faint. I decanted mine for two hours and still did not bring out the bouquet.  Well, the taste was forgettable, very dry, almost no taste except maybe a hinte of spice and faint dark fruit but mostly a bite that was not pleasing at all. Cheese mellowed the bite but still the medoc had almost no taste that one could say was enjoyable.  Next day, same results.  Our concensus was that we should never get this wine again, although I could drink it perhaps with gouda or other cheese.  Brit's rating: 1 star, maybe 2 after extensive decanting and good cheeses with the wine.  Very dissappointing.

Good news, I found two very nice reds the next week from the WSJ wine club, first was a Bordeaux by Christian Mouiex - the genius behind decades of the Chateau Petris line.  This 2009 Bordeaux has nice merlot and cabernet sauvignon flavors, very pleasant to drink with a meal or by itself.  Also, a surpisingly pleasant South African Cabernet Sauvignon by Domaine Rouxvale, vintage 2011 whose flavors exploded on the tongue with cherry/wild cherry sensations, very nice!  I highly recommend these two reds, each considered 3-stars on the Brit Scale.  That's Brit's Corner for March 2013.


Not to promote Total Wines or anything (we in fact have no affiliation with them) but this wine was picked because Brit could go online and see what the rest of us could find in our stores that he could find in his own store in Texas. So it turns out that wine was Château Landat Haut - Médoc 2009.

Appearance: slightly leggy, very dark purple

Smell: merlot, oaky, dry, slightly buttery

Taste: lighter than you would think, dry, oaky, turpentine endnote, wooly texture, grape, smokey

Pairings: filet for Brit, BBQ chicken pizza, Gouda with the wine takes the bite away, cheddar works as well, chocolate makes this wine super dry and sour so avoid it at all costs when drinking this wine, 

Brit Scale Ratings

Erin: 1
Sherry: 2
Brit: 2
Gerry:
Robin:
Melissa:

Grüner Veltliner Ried Sandgrube

So we all have our Grüner Veltliner Ried Sandgrube most of us have the 2011 version and Brit has another vendor with the same wine grapes and year.

Appearance: light, no leggs, slight bubbles

Smell: grapefruit, butter, yeast, lemon, ginger

Taste: grapefruit, lime, mild tasting, very short finish, no after taste, smooth texture, very light and pleasant.  The colder it is the more citrusy it is.

Pairings: salmon stuffed crab meat with as araguus went very well with the wine according to the Swartzwelders, pork also complements the wine according to Brit, pairs well with a sharp cheddar, flavored cheddar also goes well, not good with chocolate though because it highlights the flowery tastes too much.  This is a very simple, light wine.

Brit Scale Ratings:

Brit: 3
Pap: 2 (he likes red flavored wines)
Robin: strong 3
Sherry: strong 3
Erin: 4

Villa Lanata's Moscato D'Asti

We had another first for this tasting (well and the last one too but I forgot to mention it).  We coordinated trips to Total Wine so we could ensure we had the same wines.  We tasted Villa Lanata's Moscato D'Asti.

Appearance: Almost clear, bubble, no legs

Smell: Citrus, honey, grapefruit, ginger ale, peach, pineapple, sweet (anxious honey says Sam)

Taste: Peach, citrus, apple, grapefruit, pear, butterscotch, ginger, honeysuckle, very sweet, Egyptian cotton mouthful feel.

Pairings: Before the wine the Swartzwelders had fajhitas. After dinner dark chocolate brings out the fruit in the wine and takes away some of the tart, milk chocolate doesn't really do anything for it.  Cheese doesn't really go well with it.  It is definately a desert wine only.

Brit Scale Rating:

Gerry: 4
Sam: 3
Melissa: 3
Sherry: 3
Robin: 3
Erin: 4
Brit: 3

Hermes Dry Red Table Wine

 A product of Greece chosen by Melissa.

Appearance: slightly leggy, and dark red. Melissa says it's "Pretty in the light." Smell: dry, cherry, peppery, (tomato Brit says but no one agrees with him) smoky, earthy, buttery, and some citrus rind at the end that we couldn't identify specifically.

Taste: short smooth finish, dry, tastes differently from the smell, peppery notes, very light, fruit at the end note, vinegar at the front, not very grapey

Pairings: For an Actual meal, Sherry and Erin had burgers. Meatball sandwich for Brit. After the initial tasting we found Hermes was good with cheese: Gouda or cheddar. Dark Chocolate brings out the vinegar note.

Overall impressions:

Brit on his own special wine...2
Robin 2
Melissa solid 3
Gerry 1
Sherry 3
Erin 3

 We all agreed that for a dry wine this was very good.

Hold Your Sipping Horses

Through trial and error these last few weeks we have come up with a system for tasting our wine. We don't just crack open the bottle and gulp it down... At least we aren't supposed to. The Smeals like to prematurely sip their wine when they think no one is looking, but usually it goes something like this. After everyone is ready, the initial chit-chat is out of the way, and the wine breathes as necessary we begin. Melissa, as the designated person of the group, asks us what we see in the wine (yes we do really follow the 5ish Ss of wine tasting) and she dutiflily writes diwn our winy thoughts as we go along. Then we smell the wine and discuss which notes we notice. We swirl and resmell as needed (Sherry and Brit at this point usually prematurely sip their wine before everyone else. I can't decide if it's because they just love wine that much or they really want to be first.). Finally, when we all declare that we are ready, we sip the wine together. As we sip and savor Melissa writes down our thoughts on the wine. We note what we taste as Melissa gives us taste options from her book. We score the wine based on a five star system but Brit has his own wine scale based on four stars which will hopefully be posted sometime soon.

Brit Scale

Hello all! I would like to share Brit's Drinkability Scale with you. Please feel free to editorialize to make it better!  The scale is a simple 1-4 - no middle ground for those who can't make a firm decision!

1 = NEVER DRINK OR BUY AGAIN!
2 = Underachiever - not pleasant to sip alone but salvagable with the right food pairing
3 = Tasty! Enjoyable to sip, significantly improved with the right food pairing
4 = Superior culinary event in every way!

I fortunately have had only one '1' that I can recall, that was last week, unfortunately. The vintage was French, so there goes that stereotype... a 2005 Superior Bordeaux which shall remain nameless (I lost my notes on that one).  I suspect a defective cork, actually.

Recently I have enjoyed two "4's", though I have to admit I usually limit myself to under $20 and my tastes are not very refined.  Nonetheless, I found a nice Spanish red wine, Peter Lehmann of the Barossa "Layers", 2009.  Very complicated, noticable berry fruit, medium purple color and legs. Perhaps a borderline 4 but worth trying, great deal for under $15. The other was French, 2010 Chateau Belleview Cholet.  I won't give it away, let me simply recommend it and see what you think!

Cheers!

A Taste of Italy: Rosso Piceno

February 15th was another week of firsts for Virtual Vino. Our wine tasting spread across five states instead of our normal three.  Robin was visiting her parents in Pennsylvania and Melissa was in Virginia visiting her boyfriend.  So now our state count in one Skype session is up to five: Texas, Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.  Also, for the first time, we had someone listen into the tasting on speaker phone. Robin had got stuck in really bad traffic, so she was behind schedule and was unable to make the normal tasting time. So while her son did the driving, Robin watched the Pennsylvania countryside speed by and listened to the rest of us taste the week's wine selection; what a trooper!  The last "first" was that we were able to use premium Skype (courtesy of Robin) and video chat with everyone.  Melissa used Robin's account in order to get the tasting going (because the premium account must host the call) which led to quite the game of Skype musical chairs when Robin finally arrived at her parents house.

One more note before the actual tasting. Brit was unable to get the same wine that the rest of us had, so he tasted an Italian Perolla, which is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sangiovese.

Now, to the tasting. We tasted a Rosso Piceno made by Saladini Pilastri from the Piedmont region of Italy.  It is made of an organic blend of grapes including Montepulciano and Sangiovese (don't worry, we can't pronounce them either; just say it with confidence and people who don't know Italian will think you're saying it right).  The vintage was varied; Robin and Melissa had a 2010, Sherry and Erin had a 2011. 

Appearance - light legs (wine "legs" are the streaks of wine that slowly stream down the glass after you swirl), very dark purple-red color, the wine was so dark that it looked dense;

Nose - Very fruity (plum, dark cherry), oaky, a little bit of almond

Taste - dark cherry and blackberry, medium bodied, peppery-aftertaste on the back of the tongue, oak, off-dry, a little bite in the middle of the tongue. "Mouthfeel" - Egyptian cotton (identification courtesy of Brit)

Overall Rating - out of 5 stars
Erin: 2 (too dry)
Sherry: 3+ (somewhere between 3 and 4)
Melissa: 4 stars (at least as good as the Malbec from 2 weeks ago)
Brit: 3 (Remember, he had a different wine and is using the "Brit Scale" which will be posted soon)
Robin: 2 Pairings - Due to the Italianness of the wine, the Swartzwelders had spaghetti and meatballs just prior to the tasting and had dark chocolate after the initial tasting of the Rosso. We thought that the chocolate enhanced the berry taste of the wine.

Tasting Gerd Anselmann

On Friday, February 8th virtual vino history was made.  Three families gathered around their computers and Skyped while tasting the same wine for the very first time.  We discovered many interesting things.  Including that Skype three way calling is only meant for platinum users and that Brit has his own tasting scale (which we hope he will post later).

We tasted a Riesling-Spätlese (Spätlese literally means "late harvest"), from the Pfalz region of Germany. The vintage (for us) was 2009.  The bottle recommended pairing the wine with spicy, sweet, or sour food (basically anything except salty stuff lol).

The Hogans tasted it with a smoked gouda cheese which made the texture of the wine smoother. They also tried it with a dark chocolate, but didn't think the wine was sweet enough to hold up to the sweetness of the chocolate. The Swartzwelders paired their wine with Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate and we thought it enhanced the cinnamon taste of the wine.

Appearance - ginger ale or honey colored. Light

Nose - sweet and very fruity

Taste - apple, pear, apricot, cinnamon, medium body. "Mouthfeel" - woolly

Overall Ratings (out of 5 stars):
Sherry - 3 stars
Erin - 4 stars
Sean - 0 stars
Brit - 3-4 stars
Melissa - 3.5 stars
Robin - 3 stars
Gerry - 3.5 stars

Coming Together Across the Miles - Our Story

Mission – To have a wine tasting once a week; sounds easy right? But this weekly wine tasting is between siblings and their families who live in three different states; New Jersey, Florida, and Texas. 

How to complete the mission: Enter the miracle of the internet. Courtesy of skype, these three siblings (plus spouses and children) have discovered the joys of virtual wine tastings.  Each week someone picks a wine and then sends the wine information (name, type, vintage, etc.) to everyone else. We then gather around our computers with wine glasses in hand.  Though we’re thousands of miles apart, we can exchange ideas about bouquet, appearance, taste and pairing, but really it’s just an excuse to enjoy good wine and even better company. 

How did the mission start? It started simply, with Brit and me talking about our enjoyment of wine and viola, the idea was born.  It now includes my family, Brit's family and Sherry's family. Some of us are more serious, some of us are just there to heckle the group and make "the wine face." Regardless of motives, we are all there to find a way to cross the miles and bring our families closer together.  In the pursuit of careers and earning a living, we now find ourselves spread out all over the country like so many American families.   Sherry and her family live in Florida, Robin’s family lives in New Jersey, and Brit’s family is in Texas. Posts will be made by any one of us to share our experiences and maybe some pairings or recipes - Melissa and I are also fans of cooking with wine.

Disclaimer – we are not wine experts. We are amateur wine lovers who are trying to learn more about wine and our family.  You need no wine knowledge to read this blog, just a willingness to try anything once. 

Where this will go is anyone’s guess. The world is filled with great wine and we aim to discover and explore as much of it as we can. Despite the fact that we are separated by state lines, time zones, and climate, Virtual Vino is one easy and enjoyable way to keep the family together.

Sherry's 2/15 Vino Selection

Rosso Piceno the 2011 Saladini Pilastri will be my selection for our virtual tasting next Friday. 

The tasting notes are a very intense ruby colour with slight grainy tones.  Rich and persistent nose with a sophisticated berry-sented bouquet revealing hint of almond extract, mint, and earth.  Fresh and fruity palate that is well-structured with soft tannins, mellowed in French oak. 

It's made with organic grapes and is a product of Italy and can be found in the Italian section of Total Wine. 

Since it's an Italian wine the Swartzwelders will be having some Italian food with our wine, maybe even pizza.

Sherry Swartzwelder