Final Call: Wine Education Class This Saturday!

Final call for reservations for the Wine Education class this Saturday, August 18, at 3pm.

The topic will be Italian Red Wines. The class will focus on some unique, exceptional red wines from all over Italy. We'll be taking a look at a handful of different regions and showcasing the red wines of that region: i.e. Piedmont, Sicily, Tuscany, the Veneto, Puglia, to name a few.

This class is another collaboration with OurGlass Wine Co. Our guest speaker will be Steven Chevalier from Ideal Wines. He is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to Italy and is the one who actually sources the vineyards that they choose to import. So he knows the winemakers and vineyards personally.

This is a great opportunity to taste some new and different wines and meet other local wine lovers in the area. The cost is $25 per person, which includes cheese and breads as well as special Tasting discounts. You must call OurGlass TODAY to book your reservation.

Don't miss it!

OurGlass Wine Co.
124A Broadway (Rt. 1 N)
Saugus, MA
Phone: 781-941-8068

2004 Mas Estela Quindals

Here is another wine from a small, largely unknown region of Spain. This wine is from the Emporda-Costa Brava D.O. This region is in Catalunya, next to the French border. The principal grapes here are Macabeo, Garnacha Blanca, Garnacha and Carinena. Roses have been the most popular wine made in this region but new whites and reds are being made now.

The winery, Mas Estela, is owned and operated by Diego and Nuria Soto and their two sons. "Mas Estela" translates as “shooting star.” Vineyards have existed on this property for a very long time though were devastated by Phylloxera. In 1989, the Sotos bought the property, very run down at the time, desiring to create a new winery. Their vineyards are now organic and biodynamic. Their grapes include Chardonnay, Black Garnacha, Syrah, Carinena, Monastrell and Muscat d'Alexandria.

The 2004 Mas Estela Quindals ($18) is made of 90% Red Garnacha, 5% Syrah and 5% Old-vines Carinena. It spent twelve months in French oak and has an alcohol content of 15%. This is an inky dark-colored wine with a nose of dark berries. On the palate, this is a big, powerful wine. There is plenty of dark fruit flavors, like blackberry and plum. There are strong tannins on the long finish so this is a wine that certainly is better with food, especially a good steak or lamb. I think it is a balanced wine with tinges of almost chocolate. This wine reminds me of a big Cabernet yet the taste is different. It has its own unique flavor. If you like big, bold wines, this is a wine for you. Drink & Buy, a good value!

Stoneham Sun: Georgie D's Place

My next column of "A Passionate Foodie" can now be found in the August 15 issue of the Stoneham Sun newspaper.

The Stoneham Sun is a weekly free newspaper. I will be writing a weekly column that will concentrate on reviews of local restaurants. The column may also touch on a few other food and wine topics as well. My second column will be published tomorrow though it is available now online. This column is a restaurant review of Georgie D's Place, a new Italian restaurant in Stoneham.

If you have any questions or comments about my column, feel free to add them here. Next week, my column will be another local restaurant review.

I hope you enjoy!

Latest Wine Stats

StreetInsider has an interesting article on the latest wine consumption statistics for the U.S. for 2006. This information is based on the information from the 2007 edition of the Adams Wine Handbook.

U.S. wine consumption in 2006 rose 3.4%, the 13th consecutive year of rising consumption. Domestic wine sales rose 2.6% and imported wines rose 5.7%.

It is interesting to see that more people are drinking wine from other countries. Consumers are expanding their horizons which is good to see. So where is this wine coming from?

Imports from Italy rose 6.7%, Australia rose 6.8% and France rose 21.9%. Italy is still king as they have 29.3% share of all U.S. imported wines. French wines have seen two years of increase which definitely must please them as they had been seeing decreases for several prior years. This year's increase is certainly very significant. Mmmmm,..where is Spain?

The largest imported brands include the Australian Yellow Tail at 8.1 million cases (+7.3%), the Italian Cavit at 3 million cases (+13.2%) and the Chilean Concha y Toro at 2.7 million cases (-2.6%).

The largest domestic brand is Franzia Winetaps at 22.8 million cases (-3.2%) and second place goes to Carlo Rossi at 12.7 million cases (+2.6%). Third place belongs to Twin Valley at 8.9 million cases (-5.9%).

Champagne and sparkling wines gained 3.8%, the fifth consecutive year of gains, to at 13.4 million cases. Dessert and fortified wines continued to decline last year, although the sake and imported port and sherry segments each continued on an upward climb.

I am glad to see that Japanese sake and Spanish sherry are doing well. Let us hope to see continued gains in the years to come.

To Restaurant Owners

To all Restaurant Owners:

I am always out seeking out new restaurants to review, whether the restaurants are actually new or just new to me. If you would like your restaurant reviewed, simply email me. My readers can also email me, sending me your suggestions for restaurants that I should review.

I do not guarantee that I will review your restaurant if you email me. But I definitely will give it my consideration. I also do not guarantee that you will receive a positive review. I will review it like any restaurant I review, honestly and objectively. Plus, if I choose your restaurant to review, I won't identify myself when I go there. So, I could be any of your patrons, at any time.

In addition, if you are running any special events please email me about them. I may post about them on my site. Just send me as much detail as you have about the event.

Thanks.