First Friday Tasting-Aug. 3-Wine World

H eat, nor rain nor gloom of night would have kept me away. It was hot and luckily the rain came much later so there was no excuses. The taste profiles of the wines tonight were quite wide ranging. The starting Italian sparkler was quite refreshing after coming in from the heat. The Rueda was an incredibly light white that Dick Benjamin says is a fantastic shellfish wine.

The Waterbrook Melange, which is a blend of six grapes was slightly sweet and as refreshing at the Secco Sparkler.

At the red table the Georges Duboeuf Fleurie was still a bit tight despite being decanted. But it’s dark berry flavors make it a very desirable French wine. I’ve had the Renwood Zinfandel before at a previous tasting and it is a very approachable Zin with very fruit forward dark fruit but has some nice spicy peppery notes that make it a very appealing wine for this taster.

The last wine of the evening is a red blend that is very fruit forward and has a hint of sweetness. I think this wine, especially with a name like “Flirt” is a good starter wine for someone who is trying to transition from sweeter wines to more complex wines.

All and all a very nice tasting.
Where: Wine World, 133 Georgia Ave., North Augusta, SC
803-279-9522

When: Friday, August 3, 2012, 5 to 8 pm
Cost: $5, with rebate on the purchase of 1 bottle of the featured wines.

Here are the wines presented (click to see more):

1. Secco Italian Bubbles Rosé
2. Marques de Riscal Rueda 2011
3. Waterbrook Melange 2010
4. Georges Duboeuf Fleurie 2009
5. Renwood Zinfandel 2006
6. Flirt Red Blend 2010

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Here are the detailed wine notes:
Secco Italian Bubbles Rosé
A beautiful, vibrant sparkling Rosé. Its aromas & flavors suggest strawberries, raspberries, and dark cherries with hints of minerality. The blend is 80% Raboso Piave (a widely-planted indigenous grape) and 20% Pinot Noir. Note that this wine is not appellation Prosecco, but it is in that same playful spirit. It is made by Charles Smith, Washington’s State’s “rock star” winemaker and husband of one of the two Italian sisters who love Prosecco and who founded Casa Secco.)  Serve cold and have fun! Aperitif.
From: Veneto, Italy 
Winery: Secco
Goes with: Almost all foods. Seafood, Asian cuisine, appetizers.

Marques de Riscal Rueda 2011
Wine World’s August White Wine of the Month. A wonderful summertime-anytime white. It’s 100% Verdejo varietal. High aromatic intensity, with
floral & tropical fruit notes and hints of fennel & fresh-cut grass. Lemon, grapefruit, apple and pear flavors with refreshing acidity From one of first producers to promote Rueda in the U.S. market. Appealing aperitif. Very food-friendly. 
From: Spain 
Winery: Marques de Riscal
Year: 2011
Goes with: Excellent with gazpacho, greens with vinaigrette & goat cheese.  Fish and shellfish are also natural partners. Chicken, ham, pork pasta. vegetables, tomato-based dishes. Tangy cheeses.

Waterbrook Melange 2010
Inviting aromas of peach and nectarine with floral notes of honeysuckle and jasmine. Flavors of golden delicious apples. The bright finish is citrus, ruby red grapefruit and honey tangerines. A marvelous lightly sweet blend of 39% Riesling, 18% Pinot Gris, 14% Gewürztraminer,
10% Chardonnay, 10% Sauvignon Blanc, and 9% Viognier. (Resembles Conundrum.)
From: Columbia Valley, Washington
Winery: Waterbrook
Year: 2010
Goes with: A very good aperitif and a match for light summer meals. Stilton with lemon zest.

Georges Duboeuf Fleurie 2009
Wine World’s August Red Wine of the Month. Floral scents (violets), dark berry and pepper-spice aromas dominate the aromas. Full flavors
suggest dark raspberries and strawberries. Full-bodied and robust with rounded lingering finish. One of the most popular of the Beaujolais crus, from the village of Fleurie, this wine is from an exceptionally fine vintage and from Beaujolais’ pre-eminent producer. Gamay is the red grape of
Beaujolais. It produces lighter red wines with lots of fruit, nice acidity and lower tannins. Village-named Beaujolais wines are higher quality and slightly heavier.)
From: Beaujolais, France
Winery: Georges Duboeuf
Year: 2009
Goes with: Food friendly, this Fleurie goes very well with sausages, spicy chicken, pork, turkey, mushrooms, Asian dishes. Tangy cheeses.  Cablanca. Great with burgers.

Renwood Zinfandel 2006
A very satisfying Zin at a value price from one of our favorite Zin producers.  Garnet color with aromas of cherry and leather with hints of white pepper. Tangy cherry, raspberry, and nutmeg flavors with a hint of oak. Lingering easy finish.
From: Sierra Foothills, California
Winery: Renwood
Year: 2006
Goes with: Steaks & burgers, Cajun, BBQ, chile.  Pork & chicken in spicy preparations. Robust cheeses. Gruyere, Tillamook Cheddar, Manchego.

Flirt Red Blend 2010
A playful and provocative lightly sweet California red blend of Syrah, Tempranillo and Zinfandel with flavors of warm, juicy red plum, baked cherry spice and cherry cola layered with vanilla and butterscotch. Oak-aging and a blend of Mendocino County quality fruit give this “fun” wine
some  additional complexity and rich flavor.
From: California
Winery: Flirt Winery
Year: 2010
Goes with: A good choice for burgers and lighter meals. Flavorful cheeses. Gouda with Mediterranean Herbs.