Tuesday Tasting at The Wine Spot
The second Tuesday of the month is club member pick up night at The Wine Spot! If you haven’t checked out this gem in Edgewood yet, you’re missing out on a fantastic location. Last month we shared our tasting of the showcased Red Mountain wines from Terra Blanca, as well as the reds and whites that were the club pick-up night in May. Well, June’s tastings and club pick selection were at least as good as May’s!
If you’ve read much in our wine tasting posts, you know that big bold reds are our favorite… but with summer (hopefully) coming soon some good whites are nice to have on hand.
This month, again, there were two whites and two reds open for sampling and on club special for purchase. The weather held out for the most part, and we enjoyed sitting out on the patio around the fire place. We checked in inside and grabbed a couple glasses and mini carafes; the little one serving sampler carafes are pretty cool and do the job very well!
2021 Pike Roads Pinot Gris from Willamette, Oregon: For me (Zeek), Pinot Gris is a white I find easy to like on a hot day. This Pinot Gris is crisp and bright, aged in stainless tanks to allow the flavor of the handpicked fruits to come out without anything in the way. There’s a great citrus “zest” to this wine, with the dry and refreshing flavors I like in a Pinot Gris, all in all making it a great selection for the club wines this time of year.
Sauvignon Blank from Bonterra Vineyards, California: This had the customary grapefruit aroma and tart finish. Denice found this combination quite appealing with a hint of something we couldn’t quite put our finger on. Truthfully, it didn’t appeal to me (Zeek)- grapefruit, no thanks! Later, we read the tasting notes and found out it was Kiwi.
Well, as far as a couple of whites for the days ahead with warmer evenings, barbequed chicken, and a little something for the fall Bluesfest on the shopping list, these whites were a great choice for the club night.
St. Francis from Sonoma California: Denice started with the St. Francis Red Blend, which has everything you’d expect after reading the list of wines/grapes that make up this deep red, nearly burgundy in color, wine. The varietals in this Claret are all classic Bordeaux, and it shows in the refined bright notes of red fruits and plumb along with a perfect balance of acidity in the finish making it ideal to pair with steak or roast, or even a beef stew.
2019 Due Amici from Marche, Italy: This was from a grape varietal I wasn’t familiar with, Montepulciano. I’m always excited to try something new, so I jumped on the Due Amici right away. The rich full body seemed extra bold after the whites, and the tannins gave it what I consider the perfect finish. The tasting notes refer to rhubarb, dark plumb and cherry, and an herb scent on the nose. While I didn’t get anything quite that specific, the complexity of the flavor finished with an earthy, rich note that lingered on the back of the tongue… all in all it was a perfect red wine to go with Denice’s Mongolian Beef, which she made few nights later (and I was right… the pairing was spot on).
As we discussed the flavors of the wines and went back for one more mini carafe of each of the reds to complete the comparison, Dawne Swanson, co-owner of The Wine Spot, came over to see how we were liking the evenings wines. As we revisited the flavors and preferences, Dawne told us about meeting the gentleman from the Marche Italy winery responsible for bringing us tonight’s Montepulciano (the best wine of the night in my opinion). She described his passion for the wine that was evident in his description of the flavors, with his strong Italian accent. Dawne admitted that she later needed to have Gina (the other co-owner) taste the wine to make sure it was as good as she thought it was, and it wasn’t just the ambiance of the Italian vintner, the accent, the description of the wine and flavors that drew her in… but that it was truly a wine that would stand up on its own. Well Gina confirmed that it was indeed a great wine and was well worth adding to the club list… and not that they needed it, but I’ll confirm it too.
We left with two bottles of each of the reds, and I see us going back for the whites if we start to get some warmer weather… actually, we’ll be going back to just to enjoy the great wines and stories, the time around a fire table, and the other wines this perfect oasis has to offer!