The Best Wine Is Wine Shared With Friends

Tasting Features Sparkling Wine and California Reds

A Grand Tasting With Wines From France, California, and Italy

When friends gather, it’s time to break out the good stuff. Over the recent years, as we’ve encountered a few bumps on life’s highway, I’ve come to appreciate even more the pleasures of good wine shared in the company of first-class friends.

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And so when we traveled to Ohio for a family visit, it was time to connect with good friends Steve, Tracey, and Maria. Steve and Tracey (Cabernetor and Glorious T!) hosted a wine dinner that was perfect in all regards.

Our evening started as every evening should – with sparkling wine. The bottle of choice was the Gilles & Romain’s Collet Crémant from Burgundy. This is a brut sparkling wine made from 100% Chardonnay. Elegant, with an aroma of citrus and pepper, it was full of creaminess – a perfect fizz to start the evening.

French Crémant Gets The Crowd Bubbling

After a bit of hobnobbing, we were ready for dinner. The crowd enjoyed the bubbly so much that Green Dragon (my wife) demanded more. Steve’s cellar has depth, and he soon emerged with another Crémant, Faire La Fête. The wine is from Limoux, the birthplace of French sparkling wine. Faire La Fête means “to party” or live it up. Good selection! Faire La Fête is a blend of Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Pinot Noir. It’s a beauty with pear and white blossom notes with the requisite creamy bubbles. This is one of the best sparkling wine values out there with a price of about $21.

Masterful Wines From Beringer Vineyards Plus Brunello

When the entrée arrived the reds rolled out. I had brought a 2014 Beringer Quantum, a rich dark Cabernet blend. The four of us (alas Maria wasn't along) had visited Beringer Vineyards years ago on a dark and stormy night during a trip to Napa and Sonoma. We enjoyed our meal and conversation while sipping the Quantum (dark fruit, plum, earthiness, and oak). I hoped the bottle would stir memories of that wine adventure.

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Steve pulled a surprise out of his hat, as he quickly grabbed a bottle of beautifully aged 2012 Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Both reds were aerated via the Wine Breather, which always provides a pleasing show.

I was frankly surprised by how well the 2012 Beringer was drinking more than 10 years on. It was soft and silky with raspberry, spice, and black cherry rocking the flavor. Founded in 1876, Beringer Vineyards is the oldest continuously operating winery in the Napa Valley. They also offer wines in a variety of quality levels with prices from $20 to $400.

Fortified by numerous glasses of wine, I decided it was time to unleash a furious ping-pong attack on Steve. This can only be done after he has several glasses of red wine. Since I had also consumed several glasses, I lost my advantage. It was good table tennis with no declared winner. We headed upstairs.

It was time to enjoy the starry Ohio night on the patio. The 2012 Rodolfo Cosimi “Terra Rossa” Brunello di Montalcino. In the late 1800s, it was determined that Brunello and Sangiovese were the same grape. Today it is one of Italy’s best-known and most expensive wines.

Sour cherry, baking spice, and blackberry jam highlighted this 100% Sangiovese beauty. We sipped away and slipped away into old memories and new tales as the night wound down.

Adelaida Wines Trumpet Paso Robles Excellence

Adelaida Vineyard Wines from Paso Robles

The Paso Robles AVA is among California’s largest. It is also the fastest growing. Here are three recommended Paso bottles.

Adelaida Vineyards & Winery is located in the mountainous terrain of the Paso Robles AVA in California. Its vineyards span distinct areas of mountainous terrain characterized by chalk-rock limestone soils, afternoon blasts of cool coastal air, and a daily 40 to 50-degree temperature swing.

Only about 10% of Adelaida’s 1,900 acres are planted with vines, and more than 1000 acres of land remain undeveloped and unfenced, for ecological and wild animal habitat. The winery farms organically and is a leader in the ecology movement. All of the estate’s energy needs come from its own solar farm.

The microclimates, elevation, and unique soil result in superb wines, as we discovered as we recently tasted a trio of new Adelaida releases.

2022 Rosé, Anna’s Estate Vineyard

In the glass, this single-vineyard rosé is a brilliant salmon color with the aromas of fresh strawberries and melon. There is a pleasing minerality that mingles with strawberry rhubarb and citrus zest. It is crisp and decidedly easy to drink.

The blend is  34% Mourvèdre, 33% Grenache, 17% Counoise, and 16% Cinsaut. The wine was aged in equal amounts of neutral oak barrels and concrete eggs for four months. SRP is $35.

2020 Anna’s Red, Anna’s Estate Vineyard

One sip of Anna’s Red, and my reaction was, “Wow!” This is everything we look for in a red blend: deep rich flavors, supple mouthfeel, and an enduring finish. This is a blend of 32% Grenache, 24% Syrah, 17% Counoise, 14% Mourvèdre, 7% Cinsaut, 3% Petite Sirah, 3% Touriga Nacional. Grenache plays the leading role and contributes soft raspberry flavors, Syrah and Mourvèdre add weight and texture while Counoise and Cinsault lend a spicy character.

Anna's Red is a beautiful Paso Robles blend

It has a soft mouthfeel but is full-bodied. This is a blend that changes composition from year to year. Anna’s Red gets 20 months of aging in French oak (18% new). Priced at $50, we highly recommend it.

2020 Syrah, Anna’s Estate Vineyard

Paso Robles excels at Rhone varieties and this Syrah is a shining example. Almost black in the glass, it is rich with rounded blackberry, cocoa, and dark cherry notes. Baking spice and tobacco add to the long, layered finish.

This is a full-bodied wine to be enjoyed anytime. Beef and lamb entrees will pair perfectly. SRP is $50.

Adelaida produces bold and beautiful wines. Their full selection is available online including some sourced from the historic HMR vineyard.

Full disclosure: These wines were received as marketing samples.