On the Wine Side - Wineology Review! Mon, Apr 07, 25 It's April already, and that's cause for celebration. Here on the wine side at Exit 9, we're having all kinds of fun with everything from our tried-and-true selections to some interesting new additions. Wineology classes started up again in earnest in March, and besides classes I've given, there was one where we tasted a selection of Italian wines from Banfi, and another where Jackson Family came in to share excellent selections from their women winemakers.In this post I'm going to share some of the bottles that were top selections in the classes from the past six weeks. You may want to grab a few and arrange a tasting of these with family or friends to see what you think. From February's special "wine and chocolate" class, the Graham Norton He-Devil was a big hit. Norton is an Irish actor, writer, broadcaster, and comedian whos love of wine has led to the production of a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and the He-Devil under his label. The He-Devil is a Malbec from Argentina. In Norton's words, "If you're looking for a well-behaved wine, well, this isn't it. He-Devil was created to turn heads, break hearts and leave you wanting more...and it's delivered on all counts." The wine is highly rated, and you can find it in the wines from Argentina and also on the Highly Rated rack in the middle of the store. There was a class of wines aged in spirits barrels, and wouldn't you know the most popular one was a wine that got the whole movement started - a Bourbon Barrel-aged Zinfandel from 1000 Stories. The winemaker who launched this wine confessed to spending years trying to not have it revealed that he was aging some red wines in used bourbon barrels, as they were a more affordable option than French oak when he as in need of extra barrels. This was in the 1980s. When a bourbon barrel-aged stout became popular in the early 1990s, he thought he might be on to something. He sure was! 1000 Stories Bourbon Barrel-Aged Zinfandel came out in 2014. There are now over a dozen brands aging wines in spirit barrels. This is a really fun category in which to compare and contrast bottles. In another class, we traveled to Bordeaux (if only we could have really been in France!) We tried right bank wines and left bank wines and a white wine from Entre Deux Mers. There are so many nuances in Bordeux wines -- something that makes them endlessly intriguing -- and wouldn't you know the stand-out from this class was none other than a Bordeaux blanc from the AOC Entre Deux Mers, the Chateau Haut Damberts. In that appellation, which is only approved for white wines, 70% of the grapes must be the "principal varieties" of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Muscadelle, or Sauvignon Gris. The Chateau Haut Dambert is 70% Sauvignon Blanc; 15% Sauvignon Gris; and 15% Semillon. We all agreed it was tres, tres bon. I enjoy doing blind tastings, and the one I did recently was around the theme of waking up your palate for spring. It was a hoot! Congrats to the folks who guessed all five wines correctly. There were three white and two red wines, all chosen because of their freshness and their peculiarities. There was a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, an Italian Gavi, a Gruner Veltliner from the Finger Lakes, a French Cabernet Franc, and a Blaufrankisch wine from Austria. Wow! There was a tie for most popular - the Sauvignon Blanc (from Allan Scott), and the Blaufrankisch (Von Kisel). From the Banfi class, it was nice to see how well received a Super Tuscan was from the tasting. It's the Banfi Belnero - a sumptuous blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet France from part of Banfi's vineyards in Tuscany. Also very popular was the Banfi San Angelo Pinot Grigio, which has been a staple here in the store for years. Multo bene! The classes that featured a delicious selection of Jackson Family wines was presented by Donna and Jesse from the company. Both are so knowledgeable and so enthusiastic - and Donna is especially entertaining and engaging. She even suggested a pairing of Sour Patch Kid gummies with a dry rose. That was weird, but oddly ok. A really good time was had by all! One of the top choices from attendees was a wine that's new to the store, the Cambria Pinot Noir from Julia's Vineyard. Vibrant, fruit-forward, and beautifully balanced, it's a wonderful wine. Close behind was a classic, the Kendall Jackson Vintner's Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. I did a class called Wine 101 that featured a blind tasting of two California Cabernet Sauvignons at two very different price points (in addition to the other wines.) I won't give this one away but it got us all thinking. For anyone who's interested, this class is being repeated on Wednesday, May 7, and there are still seats available. When you're here On the Wine Side, say hi and let's talk about wine. In the meantime, cheers! By Dominique De Vito
