Page 25 - Spring/Summer Taste Magazine

WineScene
By Andy Abramson
longtime white wine only vigneron Hervé Dubourdieu's Chateau Ducasse. Look for the Bordeaux Blanc or Graves Blanc from this stand- out producer who goes against the grain in Bordeaux by making only white wines.
Last up is red wine. Years ago, Josh Wesson, a noted wine merchant in New York City, authored a now hard-to-find book entitled "Red Wine With Fish." For wines, look for Beaujolais reds, lighter Italian reds like Laghne Rosso, Barbera d'Asti, and other wines from Piedmont, as well as very delightful and slightly effervescent Txakoli reds from Spain's Basque country and mind-boggling Greek and Portuguese reds. Locally, look for Beaujolais red wines from Marcel Lapierre, Guy Breton, and Chateau Thivin.
Sure, it's easy to think that Pinot Noir is a lovely springtime wine, but Beaujolais, Piedmont, and the Basque country offer far more exciting and more diverse flavor profiles. In contrast, wines from Greece and Portugal open up the opportunity to enjoy a multitude of more com- plex dishes. Look for a wide assortment of these types of wines at The Wines To Buy.Com.
Andy Abramson is editor of WineScene.com and Winesiders.co two online wine dis- covery sites. He is also the USA Ambassador for the Grenache Association and a frequent visitor to wine regions around the world. Andy also makes wine under the Comunicano Wine Company brand in Santa Barbara with Doug Margerum of the Margerum Wine Company. He recently co-founded wineTOURia, with longtime wine colleague Victoria Nicole Varela to enable the discovery of wines made along wine roads of the world less traveled.
Springtime Wines To Tempt and Please
Spring is in the air, and as spring arrives, so too do many wines worthy of the warmer, and the soon more humid weather when spring turns to summer. That means it's time to stock up on the wines that are perfect for sipping outside on the deck or by the beach or pool.
First up are those delicious Rosé wines from France. The highly allocat-
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favorite. Nestled high in the Rhone Valley, with vineyards facing the
famed Mount Ventoux, while priced at the top end of the Rosé price
scale, the wine not only is perfect by itself, but it is also perfect with
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Next up are the Rosé wines from Bandol, which means the lovely light pink colored wines from Domaine Tempier and Bastide Blanche. Bandol vineyards are close to the Mediterranean Sea and mainly come from the fields surrounding Le Castellet and La Cadière-d'Azur. Made from pressings of Mourvedre, Grenache, and sometimes Cinsault,
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For something perfect for early drinking, look no further than the Rosé from Corbieres in the Languedoc for near-term Rosé fun. The 2021 Domaine de Fontsainte “Gris de Gris” is a delightful blend of Grenache Gris, Carignan and Mourvèdre. Like the Bastide Blanche and Tempier, look for those at Seagrape Wine Company.
The warmer weather screams for something more than just Chardonnay on the white side of the wine list. With the bounty of fresh fish, shellfish, and vegetables, nothing is better than Sauvignon Blanc. Look first to France, and the Loire Valley Wines from Sancerre are per- haps the quintessential example of how the Sauvignon Blanc grape should be refined. Top producers include Lucien Thomas, Henri Bourgeois, Hippolyte Reverdy. But there's another exceptional region making food-friendly and Florida-ready wine made from Sauvignon Blanc and a few other white grapes. It's Bordeaux. While the sea of wine is awash with inexpensive and often insipid Entre-Deux-Mers, is
ed, small production pink from 2021 Chene Bleu is a perennial
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cheese, charcuterie, or a fresh springtime salad. Look for the Chene Bleu at Magnum Wines in Sarasota.
unlike the Rosé wines from the neighboring Cotes de Provence, Bandol
Rosé wines are not light at all. Much like the Chene Bleu, Tempier and Bastide Blanche are food wines, and all three are also very age-worthy.
Celebrating 30 Years! Taste Dining & Travel • Spring More online at www.tasteweb.net
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TASTE
Dining & Travel
Magical Mystery Tour
Magical Mystery Tour Progressive Dinner Wednesday, June 1, 6:30pm
Dine at three favorite Sarasota restaurants with transportation on the fun Siesta Trolley
We will be choosing the restaurants so please call for more information
For more information and reservations, call Taste at 941-366-7950. www.tasteweb.net