For the past two weeks, I’ve attended two wine classes taught by Skip Williams from Highland Wine. The classes are held Wednesdays at Shaun’s, and there are three classes left! I encourage you to give Skip a call to sign up for one or more of these classes. 404.853.4731.

March 10 – Bordeaux and Cabernet – $50

March 17 – Italy and Spain – $35

March 24 – Champagne and Sparkling Wine – $35

Unbelievable that nearly six months have passed since Atlanta’s wine blogger Hardy Wallace scored the dream job of a lifetime with the Murphy-Goode social media contest! Counting down his final days as their wine/lifestyle correspondent, check out his farewell post, leave a note, and stay tuned for what’s in store for him next!

The other night, Highland Wine and DBA Barbecue hosted a great wine-tasting centered around wine-pairing with… you guessed it… BBQ! It was really fun, and I enjoyed snacking (making a meal) on the big variety of appetizers and sampler dishes they brought out.

Here’s what we tried:

N.V. Cavas Hill Brut Rose Reserva Artesania Cava ($12) to go with pulled pork and smoked chicken – This was my favorite wine of the night. Stunningly delicious – so fresh and crisp with light sweetness. Now that the weather’s getting chillier, this was a punch of springtime. I’m going back for some bottles of this!

2007 Petit Rimauresq Rose Grenache/Cinsault (Provence, France: $15) with wings and smoked turkey – This rose was more dense and mellow compared to the first wine. Less spring-like and crisp, it reminded me more of baked fruit, maybe like apricots in its heavier qualities. Not bad, but I’d rather have two bottles of the first one and skip this one next time.

2008 Bauer Haus Riesling QBA (Nahe, Germany: $13) to accompany white cheese and corn muffins with honey butter – SUPER SWEET! If your friend likes White Zinfandel, give her this instead. A little of this sweet wine would go a long way for me, but I think it would be really awesome with a spicy asian dish. I’d love a slightly less sweet version of this wine, but I would definitely not turn down a glass of this Riesling.

2008 Terra Antiga Vinho Verde (Portugal: $13) to pair with oysters on the half shell – Ah, one of my new favorite wines from this summer. It’s like honeysuckle. Go get a bottle if you haven’t already. It’s awesome. I didn’t try it with the oysters (they were out of season, and I don’t like raw oysters… enough said)

2007 Winzer Krems Gruner Veltliner (Austria: $13) with bacon wrapped shrimp and boiled peanuts – Nice light sweetness but high on the citrus flavors. It paired well with the shrimp, but overall I wanted less citrus and less acid.

2006 Flora Springs Barrel Fermented Chardonnay (Napa, CA: $21) to go with deviled eggs – I said “no, thanks” to the deviled eggs, but for folks who like a mild oaky, buttery Chardonnay, you’ll like this Flora Springs. For non-oaky, non-buttery Charddonay fans, skip this one and get a Le Chat Rouge instead.

2007 Umani Ronchi Montepulciano D’Abruzzo (Italy: $13) to accompany frog legs and grilled portabella sandwich – This was my favorite red wine of the tasting. It was mild and fruit-forward, not overpowering, just a great humble wine. I see a few bottles of this coming my way soon.

2007 Finca El Origen Malbec Reserva Mendoza (Argentina: $11) to pair with pulled pork salad – This wine packed a punch in terms of jammy and spicy. I didn’t dislike it but I never embraced it either.

2008 Penelop Sanchez tinto Joven (Spain: $14) with brunswick stew – As with most grenaches, the high tannins didn’t deliver the experience I wanted. When paired with a heavy stew, the tannins would be balanced better, but still…

2007 R&B Swingsville Zinfandel ($12) with andouille sausage, red beans, and rice – I think I tried this wine back in the summer at the Smyrna Wine Festival. Recommended.

2006 Vaca Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Small Lot Reserve ($14) with Texas beef brisket – EXCELLENT Cab. Medium tannins (but goes great with food), some spice but not overly so, and full-flavored. Go get some!

2005 d’Arenberg d’Arry’s Original Shiraz-Grenache (Australia: $17) to parnter wth Carolina-style spare ribs – This wine was enjoyable and it definitely goes great with a big piece of meat.

2007 Opolo Vineyards Summit Creek Zinfandel ($21) paired with baby back ribs – Reminded me of a port in its dessert wine similarities. Lots of caramel flavors. I prefer a lighter zinfandel to this dessert bomb but it was fun to drink. Skip mentioned it would pair with chocolate really well… I might have to try that one at some point. A Vosges Barcelona Bar would do the trick.

W and I went to the weekly Muss & Turner’s wine tasting last week. Great theme – Big Burly BBQ Reds just in time for July 4th!

Here’s the lineup along with tasting notes provided at the tasting:

2008 Punto Final Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina

Punto Final’s 100% Malbec comes from vines more than 50 years old whose production is less than 8 tons per acre, resulting in concentrated and flavorful fruit. This wine is untiltered in order to preserve its distinct varietal’s qualities.

Next time: Get a glass if you like middle-of-the-road Cabs and Merlots

2007 Pas A Paso, La Mancha, Spain

The Paso a Paso Tinto is 100% Tempranillo source from vineyards averaging 40 years of age. The color is a saturated purple with fragrant aromas of mineral, scorched earth, and blackberry. The wine has a big core of fruit with enough structure to evolve for many years.

Next time: I’ll pass. I’ve learned after many tasting that Tempranillo is not for me… nor was it for the other four people sharing our communal table. Just too saturated and tannic.

2006 Sierra Cantabria, Rioja, Spain

Almost all Tempranillo from Rioja. Darkly colored, the aromas are of plum, candied violet, and raspberry. It’s very generous with its flavors of plum, raspberry, red cherry, and wood smoke (from barrel aging). The Sierra Cantabria folks produce a bit more of a new world style Rioja in that it is supple and easy to drink.

Next time: I’ll pass. I very much disagree with the notes saying this wine is “easy to drink.” Again, being Tempranillo, it’s very saturated and very tannic.

2006 Clos La Chance Zinfandel, Central Coast, CA

Sweet raspberries on the nose, ripe plums and figs, along with a cinnamon spice. Dried cherries and raspberries on the palate, hints of cocoa and rosemary. The finish is long and smooth, and there is a touch of vanilla at the very end, from the oak ageing.

Next time: Get a case! A bit on the lighter side for a Zinfandel but this was fantastic! At a restaurant, expect to pay $9.50 per glass, or $36 per bottle. What a steal! If you like this one, you’ll also like Eos Estate Winery Zinfandel… more on that below (and see picture above).

2006 Juan Gil Monastrell, Jumilla, Spain

It has a very dark cherry colour with purple tones. In the nose, it has powerful aromas of red berries, toasted and smoked notes from their ageing in the oak barrels. It has good structure with ripe and sweet tannins. In the mouth, it is very long and with a perfect balance between fruit, alcohol, and the oak tones, which make it very pleasant and easy to drink.

Next time: Get a case! Seriously fabulous! Like the Clos La Chance Zinfandel above, the price is great – expect $9.50 per glass or $36 per bottle at a restaurant… when I find it retail, I’ll comment back.

This next one wasn’t part of the tasting, but Ryan recommended it based on the popularity of the Clos La Chance Zinfandel. The 2007 Eos Estate Winery Zinfandel was excellent with our meal after the wine tasting. It was absolutely perfect – striking a great middle ground of very flavorful but without knocking you down with tannins and fruit concentration. Eos is located in Paso Robles, CA, about midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles east of the coast.

Notes from their website:

Nose: The 2007 Zinfandel aromas fill the senses with the fruit of plum and dark berry pie with graham cracker crust.
Mouth: The aromas carry over onto the palate and are balanced by the acidic fruits of black cherry, raspberry and strawberry.
Finish: This wine finishes out with floral aromatics, subtle hints of oak, dry dusty earth, fresh tobacco that lingers and spices of white pepper and sage.

Next time: Get a case! Or split a case with this and the Clos La Chance Zinfandel!

On Monday, Muss & Turner’s hosted an amazing wine dinner featuring five wines by winemaker Stephen Ross Dooley. I’m pretty sure this is the first time I’ve ever been to a dinner where everything was so elegantly planned around the wine! Even better, winemaker Stephen was able to attend and shared a bit of his story – how he entered into the wine business and his general approach to making wine. Also, the other folks at the dinner were all very fun and interesting, so I was very excited to make some new friends!

Now, on to the food and wine info!

The 2008 Pinot Gris paired very nicely with a salad of local vegetables, lettuce, and buttermilk dressing. Everything here was just excellent – very simple but all the fresh, local veggies just felt like summer.

The 2006 Edna Valley Chardonnay was served with an absolutely delectable combo of fresh georgia shrimp, riverview farms grits, and arugula chimichurri. The Chardonnay was of the full-bodied and buttery, so not really my style. However, the shrimp and grits was unbelievably good. (around $22 per bottle)

The 2007 Central Coast Pinot Noir accompanied a serrano “ham salad,” with quail eggs, spanish white anchovy, and cornichon vinaigrette. Overall, this was my least favorite pairing. The Pinot was light but didn’t quite measure up with enough fruit for me. The salad, on the other hand, had a nice flavor – except for the anchovies. I am just one of those people that really don’t like anchovies. My dislike boils down to the texture. Between the skin and little teeny bones, it’s just not a pleasure texture for me. (around $24 per bottle)

The 2006 Bien Nacido Pinot Noir complemented a duck confit, local beet salad, belle chevre, and mint. WOW! This wine and food pairing were fabulous! I often do not like duck… too gamey or too medium-rare. This duck was absolutely amazing though! I often dislike beets as well – but not in this dish. Everything just went together so well in terms of flavors and textures. The Pinot was delicious – very smooth, lots of raspberry fruit flavors. Just fabulous! (around $35 per bottle)

The 2006 Aubaine Pinot Noir totally rocked with the herbed gnocchi, braised riverview farms beef shank, and house made ricotta. I was beyond full after all these dishes, but this gnocchi and beef combo was superb. There was no way I was going to leave anything on that plate! The Pinot was rich but still very smooth, just great! (around $40 per bottle)

The final touch was a spoonful of chocolate mousse with coursely ground salt and other chocolate shavings on top. It was the perfect ending, and thank goodness, a small but wonderful bite!

Thanks, M&T’s and Stephen Dooley – this was a night well spent! Looking forward to having some of these Pinots again.

Tonight’s “Summer Champagne Extravaganza” with Food 101 Morningside and Highland Wine & Crystal was so fascinating. It was really fun to try a variety of “bubblies” – sparkling wines, champgnes, proseccos, etc. and see which ones stood out as favorites. I’ll be the first to admit that I have tasted very little in this category and none of it has been anything I’d be comfortable ordering or suggesting to other people. So I admit I am almost as close to a champagne-sparkling wine newbie as you can get. One more disclaimer – I was tasting the bubblies on their own, not paired with anything, so that might make a big impact on any final decisions. With that said, here’s my (very initial) verdict.

The tasting started with the light and sweet to heavy and dry.

NV Marquis De La Tour Brut Loire France – this first tasting was one of my top 5 favorites. It was lightly sweet, not too dry and just overall very enjoyable.

NV Louis Pedrier Rose Cote D’Or Burgundy France – compared to the first one, this wine was drier than I expected. Not bad, but I still preferred the first one.

NV Torley Grande Cuvee Hungary - Wasn’t a big fan of this one. Not really sure why…

Parxet Cava Brut Cuvee 21 Spain – Another favorite!

NV Novecento Extra Brut Argentina – Another favorite!

NV Gratien & Meyer Brut Rose Saumur France – very nice, light and sweet with nice fruit (wow… I’m realizing I’m really bad at describing the differences between most of the champagnes I like.. they’re similar but they weren’t all the same… okay, gotta work on descriptions in the future!)

NV Villa Cornaro Prosecco – AWESOME!

071 Prosecco Veneto Italy – AWESOME!

NV Jeio Bisol Prosecco Brut Italy - AWESOME! and less sweet than the first two proseccos

2004 Gruet Blanc de Blancs New Mexico – a firm and solid dislike for this one. Smelled like fermented honey… think middle ages, mead.

NV Taltarni Brut Tache Victoria Australia – TOP FAVORITE OF THIS TASTING!

NV Maxim’s Brut Chigny Les Roses Champagne - Wasn’t a big fan of this one… this will become a trend… liked almost all proseccos but hardly any of the champagnes. I’m eager to discovery why I disliked champagnes… was it just the lack of food or a very beginner palate? To be determined!

NV Beaumount Crayere Brut Epernay Champagne – Just okay…

NV Mandois Brut Origine Epernay Champagne – Nope…

NV Beaumont Brut Rose Epernay Champagne – Very nice! One of the few champagnes in positive territory for me!

NV Mandois Brut Nature Epernay Champagne – Nope…

2002 Mandois 1er Cru Blanc de Blancs Epernay Champagne – Nope…

NV Maxim’s Rose Chigny Les Roses Champagne – Yes!

NV Laurent-Perrier Ultra Brut Salon Sur Champagne – The driest of the bunch and apparently a stellar wine according to those in the know. Unfortunately, I wasn’t a fan. We’ll see if that changes over time.

Lucky me :) Two fun wine tastings this week:

Tuesday, May 19 – 6:30pm at Muss & Turner’s – the theme is New Zealand (yum!). $15 per person. Reservations via 770-434-1114 or reservations@mussandturners.com

Wednesday, May 20 – 6pm at Food 101 Morningside‘s lovely patio with Highland Wine & Crystal. Theme is “Summer Wines.” The cost is $10 per person. Reservations are strongly suggested. To make reservations call 404.853.4731 or e-mail info@highlandwineandcrystal.com

Just returned from the Smyrna Wine Stroll - a fun event featuring over 60 wines in Smyrna’s quaint Market Village. The event was hosted by The Wine Cellars shop located in Market Village, and the proceeds benefit the Woodland Ridge Foundation. It was really fun, and a variety of wines were presented. Here were some of my favorites:

Sancerre 2005 Daniel Reverdy Sauvignon Blanc

Gewurztraminer Sonnerberg 2005 Kuehn

Henry Estate Muller-Thurgau

La Caplana Gavi di Gavi

R&B Cellars Swingsville Zinfandel

Gustav Adolf Schmitt Niersteiner Rehbach Riseling Spatlese

Tamayo Chardonnay

St. Christopher Gewurztraminer

Weingut C. H. Berres Impulse Estate Riesling

Auka Torrontes