Author: Nancy (CSW)

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Sherry Happy Hour to Celebrate #SherryWeek

Sherry lovers around the world have been celebrating Sherry this week. November 2-8, 2020 marks the seventh International Sherry Week Celebration organized with support from the El Consejo Regulador Jerez-Xérès-Sherry. We are happy to take this opportunity to share a Sherry with you that we received as a tasting sample.  Sherry is a fortified style of wine made exclusively in […]

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District 7: Certified Sustainable Wines from California’s Monterey AVA

The more I read about District 7 wines the more impressed and curious to taste the wines I became. Some of the qualities that attracted me include: family ownership, certified sustainable vineyards and winery, 100% estate vineyards, a commitment to renewable energy and community support. Today we’re sharing four wines from District 7 that we received as tasting samples. District […]

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Jean-René Germanier Humagne Rouge, Valais, Switzerland: A Taste of Something New

Oh. My. Goodness. This wine has everything I love in a red wine. It’s an unusual variety from a country and region that is unfamiliar to me and the flavor profile is right up my alley.  2017 Jean-René Germanier Humagne Rouge, Valais, Switzerland — light ruby in the glass with aromas of red cherries, raspberries and cranberries along with wet […]

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Quinta da Fonte Souto, Portalegre, Branco, DOC Alentejo

The Symington family have spent five generations establishing themselves first in Portugal’s Port world and then as makers of quality dry wines in the Douro Valley. They own 26 quintas in the Douro and as of 2017 have expanded to Portugal’s enormous Alentejo region in southern Portugal. Quinta da Fonte Souto is that property located in the Portalegre sub-region of […]

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2015 Geil Bechtheimer Scheurebe Kabinett, Rheinhessen

Weingut Geil is a family winery located in the village of Bechtheim in Germany’s Rheinhessen. Johannes Geil-Bierschenk tends 30 hectares of vines that include Riesling, Silvaner, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Gewürztraminer, Kerner, Scheurebe, Rieslaner, Huxelrebe, Muskateller and St. Laurent in the family’s estate vineyards. Organic practices are followed. I’m pretty sure this is our first taste of Scheurebe and […]

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2016 Shelter Winery Spätburgunder: a Taste of Baden

Shelter Spätburgunder is the middle-tier Pinot Noir made by Hans-Bert Espy and Silke Wolf at their small winery in Kenzingen, Baden. The couple farm just a few hectares of vines north of the Kaiserstuhl where the soils have transitioned from volcanic to limestone and loess. Growing conditions are a bit cooler here too, thanks to the influence of the Black […]

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TerraNoble: A Fresh Version of Carmenere from Chile

The first versions of Chilean Carmenere I tasted years ago were often characterized by generous fruit flavors, dense color, chewy texture and distinctive flavors of jalapeño or green bell pepper. Those flavors of jalapeño and bell pepper were pleasing in moderation, but I found them overwhelming in many versions of the variety. Recently I was re-introduced to Chilean Carmenere from […]