W and I got married at the end of June! These are the awesome wines we served at the reception at Park Tavern – Halls of Fine Wines in Inman Park carries some of the Valdivieso wines, as well as Hop City Beer & Wine in West Midtown. Of course, your favorite wine shop could easily order them for you if you don’t want to track them down.

Valdivieso Extra Brut Champenoise Sparkling Wine, Chardonnay, 2008 Malbec

Their sparkling wine is made in the style of Champagne – toasty, yeasty, and absolutely delicious with a billion tiny bubbles! Their Chardonnay is not oaky and not buttery, just the way a good white wine should be – with the perfect amount of acid for a refreshing taste. And their Malbec… YUM! Seriously, get a case of their Malbec. It’s insanely fabulous. They have a broad variety of wines in almost every type of grape, as well as reserve labels and single vineyard labels.

Origin: Lontue Valley, Curico Valley, Chile
Next time: Get a case!

Estampa 2008 Sauv Blanc/Chard/Viognier Reserve

This wine was so yummy – the absolute perfect summer wine! This is what I drank throughout the wedding reception, in case I had any spills (you have to watch out for slightly spastic, potentially drunk huggers!). Estampa also has a delightful Carmenere Reserve (2007 vintage, blended with Cab Sauv and Cab Franc), which we didn’t serve since we already had a Malbec… but their Carmenere is one of my new favorites. It’s spurred a recent Carmenere-buying and tasting craze at my house lately – results on that soon now that I’m back to catching up on my wine blogging. Like Valdivieso, this winery also has several collections – Gold, Reserve, and Estate with lots of varietals in each line. And, they get an A+ on a really well-done English version of their website – very savvy and beautiful photos!

Origin: Colchagua Valley, Chile
Next time: Get a case!

Santa Chiara Pinot Grigio

Unfortunately, I can’t find any information about this wine online, except that it is from the Veneto region of Italy. I know it’s less than $20 retail, definitely. Good luck finding this one… If you do, get a bottle, it’s great!
Catalpa Pinot Noir

This Pinot Noir was good but I’d like to taste it again after these few months. I’m doubtful this would be a new favorite Pinot. But it was definitely tasty.

Origin: Mendoza, Argentina
Price: Approx. $12
Next time: Get a glass!

To tag along with my Fave Red Wines of 2009, here are my star whites from this past year:

• Man Vintners Chenin Blanc – $9
• Minini Orvieto – $9
• Le Chat Rouge Chardonnay – $11
• Starborough Sauvignon Blanc – $12ish?
• Luna Argenta Prosecco (bubbly) – $12
• Kiona Vineyards Riesling – $12
• Cavas Hill Brut Rose Reserva Artesania Cava (bubbly) – $12
• Borgo Boschetto Pinot Grigio – $13
• Terra Antiga Vinho Verde – $13
• Pascual Toso “Toso” Brut (bubbly) – $13
• 071 Prosecco Veneto (bubbly) – $14
• Villa Cornaro Prosecco – $14 (this is the bubbly that went with Wyatt’s marriage proposal!)
• Fonty’s Pool Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon – $14
• Fonty’s Pool Chardonnay – $16
• Holly’s Garden Pinot Gris – $20
• Wolf Mountain Vineyards Plenitude Chardonnay-Viognier blend – $20
• Wolf Mountain Blanc de Blanc Brut (bubbly) – $25

Of course, the Holly’s Garden Pinot Gris label is gorgeous and girly and fun. This wine is special for me because I tried it on my birthday last year as a before-dinner drink. Even better, it was scrumptious. It’s a thin, yellow hued wine with a yummy melon and other fruit flavors. It has a great amount of acid. This wine went down really well solo and with my new favorite appetizer, baked brie with sauteed mushrooms on top. Highly recommended! It would also go well with some spicy Asian food.

Origin: Victoria, Australia
Where: Highland Wine & Crystal
Price: $20
Next time: Get a glass!

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.