Cellar Notes

Notes about the wines we have tried recently.

Adler Fels Wines

Adler Fels Chardonnay & Pinot Noir: Making a Case for Blending Between Wine Regions

When I think of a blended wine, I think first of a wine made by blending different varieties, as in a Bordeaux or in a Rhône-style wine. Blending multiple varieties allows for greater complexity and balance in the finished wine. Blending of vintages, as in the production of a non-vintage Champagne or sparkling wine, allows for consistency from year-to-year…a house style. But, it is also possible to blend wines of the same variety from different regions to produce wines of balance and elegance. This is the tack taken by negotiant winery Adler Fels, established in 1979, with great success in the two wines we tasted.

Luxury Wines from Bodegas Salentein

This is the third group of wines from Salentein we have had the pleasure to review. In all, we have tasted nine wines produced by Bodegas Salentein from their high-elevation vineyards in Argentina’s Valle de Uco. This last group of wines is from their Luxury Range of wines. We have saved the best for last!

Super Bowl Wines

Wine to Accompany Your Super Bowl Celebration

Let me just get this out of the way at the very beginning of the post. We are not football fans. Heresy, I know. Football fans, please forgive us. We just don’t watch the game faithfully, every Sunday, during what seems like an ever-expanding season. We do, however, look forward to the Super Bowl. We whip up some of our favorite munchies and, there is always wine.

Salentein Reserve Wines

Reserve Wines from Bodegas Salentein

I have to say, after tasting this range of wines from Bodegas Salentein, I’m developing a affection for Argentinian wine, at least for those made by Salentein. This is the second collection of wines we’ve tasted (their Killka wines were the first), and we have one more group after this. With each group of wines we have gained an appreciation for the style and quality of the wines produced by Bodegas Salentein.

Cinzano Prosecco and Asti

Mixing Cocktails with Cinzano Prosecco DOC and Asti DOCG

I rarely use sparking wine as a mixer to make cocktails. Generally, I simply enjoy a glass of sparkling wine with appetizers or a meal. To be honest, it just doesn’t occur to me to use sparkling wine to make a cocktail. So, a recent invitation to sample Cinzano Prosecco DOC and Cinzano Asti DOCG along with a cocktail kit caused me to pause for a minute and consider the potential. Maybe I should explore the possibility. I replied yes to the offer of tasting samples and before I knew it I was playing mixologist.

Cesari Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Featured Image

Celebrating 80 Years of Winemaking With Cesari Amarone della Valpolicella Classico

“This wine dances across my tongue,” exclaimed our friend and dinner guest as he savored the first few sips of the Cesari Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG. He couldn’t define for me what that meant exactly, but he liked the wine very much. He was not alone in that evaluation of this delightful Amarone produced in Valpolicella’s Classico zone north of Veneto.

Carpene Malvolti Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco

Carpenè Malvolti 1868 Extra Dry Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG — Hard to Say But Easy to Like

Stop rolling your eyes. Yes, I know the complete name of this delightful Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore is very long (and nearly impossible to pronounce) but there is a lot of information and history in its name. And it’s the perfect opportunity to learn a bit about one of Italy’s most prestigious Prosecco designations. Let’s dissect its meaning then taste the wine.

Killka Wines

Wines from Bodegas Salentein: The Killka Collection

Bodegas Salentein is located in the upper elevations of Valle de Uco, Mendoza in Argentina. The goal of the winemaking team is to produce wines that reflect the high-altitude terroir of the Uco Valley. The Killka collection of wines is named for the Killka Gallery, home to a collection of Argentinean artwork, which graces the labels of this collection of wines.