Skip to main content

"New Wave White Wines"

My notes from the "New Wave White Wines" seminar and tasting at Taste of Italy Houston 2017 held on March 6, 2017. with David Lynch, Jeremy Parzen, Thomas Moësse and Jaime de Leon.

The Wines:

Colutta Prosecco - Produced in Friuli from Glera grapes, this fresh, light sparkling wine had ripe apricot and melon aromas and flavors.

Bellaria Greco di Tufo 2014 - From the limestone soils of Compania, David Lynch feels that these southern Italian wines are "the Chablis of Italy" due to their mouthwatering acidity and strong minerality. Jeremy Parzen shared that "these are the types of wines my wife and I go to Thomas' shop to buy to drink at home," referring to Vinology, a local wine bar and shop, of which Moësse is a founding partner.  Moësse discussed the terroir of the area which he says "adds bounce" to the wine. Fresh pineapple and citrus aromas and flavors intertwined with crisp acidity and a lingering smoky minerality.

Talis Colli Orientali Ribolla Gialla 2015 - Also from Friuli, this wine saw no oak, only stainless steel. Lynch credits the combination of the Alpine and Adriatic influences for giving this wine its character. Fresh aromas of peach and green apple with a light floral component, zippy acidity and a saline mineral finish. Very pure and elegant, David Lynch called it, "Electrifying."

 Colli di Poianis Colli Orientali Pinot Grigio 2015 - Another from Friuli, this wine also saw no oak but it had a weightier textural component than your "typical" Pinot Grigio. Ripe tangerine aromas and fresh citrus flavors with a slight bitterness in the persistent finish. Moësse's description of this wine was that he felt as if he bitten into a whole tangerine through its skin.

Kellerei Kurtatsh Alto Adige Pinot Grigio Penóner 2014 - From South Tyrol, though this wine was fermented and aged in oak, it is not an "oaky" white. Fuller bodied than than the previous, this wine had sweet orange cream aromas and flavors with a creamy texture and a touch of vanilla in the lengthy finish. Weightier and richer than the previous, Master Sommelier candidate, Jaime de Leon discussed the opportunities for heavier pairings.

Jaime de Leon also discussed the current wine buying trends he is seeing locally. He feels there has been a shift in wine buying attitudes, "People are wanting to experiment and explore more than ever before, they want to try something different." He credits tech savvy consumers who are educating themselves on new or unusual wines made from grapes they don't know or which come from places they haven't been and who are excited to investigate further. He is encouraged by this new openness and challenged the room to help consumers find all the opportunities that the world of wine offers.

My take away from this discussion and tasting is that this "new wave" of whites offers a fresh, crisp liveliness that I'm looking forward to enjoying this season and beyond. All of the wines from this tasting are highly recommended.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Thank you for reading Wine Life - Houston.

Popular posts from this blog

An Immersive Introduction into the World of Asolo Prosecco

Dinner Views at Osteria Alla Baracca. I was very excited to visit the Asolo DOCG Prosecco region at the end of May on a press trip as it is an Italian area that I have not previously traveled through. Asolo is located in the Province of Treviso at the foot of Monte Grappa in the high hills to the west of the Piave River with views of the Dolomites. The grapes are grown in 17 communes surrounding the town of Asolo. The days were very warm while I was there but I needed a sweater or light jacket on most evenings due to the diurnal swing that makes it a great area for grape growing. Wines from the Master Class Tasting. Asolo was elevated to the DOCG level in 2009. The majority of the Prosecco that I have found in Houston is Prosecco DOC which is mostly from very large producers. Asolo was separated from this category and the region was given this higher status because there are terroir elements that make it distinctive in the world of Prosecco. The Sant'Anna Vineyard. Many of the vin
Post a Comment
Read more

Lunch at Cépage paired with Paso Robles Sparkling Wine

Cépage is the elegant new restaurant inside of the recently refurbished Paris Valley Road Estate & Winery Tasting Room. Cépage opened in 2022 and currently serves lunch and weekend brunch. Paris Valley Estate is a fairly new brand that is named after the two lane road in Monterey County where the owners, the Stoller family, planted their first vineyard over 20 years ago. The new name inspired them to renovate the former Arciero Winery in the opulent style of French Grand Cru domaines they had previously visited, explained winemaker, Doug Hidinger. I was visiting on a rainy day so I did not get to tour the grounds or take many outside pictures, unfortunately. The table was set and ready upon arrival. Hidinger was at lunch to present both the Paris Valley Road Sparkling Wine 2019 and the Sextant Edna Valley Sparkling Wine 2012 from a sister property of Paris Valley Road. Owner/Winemaker of Vino Vargas , Pedro Vargas, was also there to present his three sparkling wines. All of these
Post a Comment
Read more

Tasting Tin City - Paso Robles

Located in a small industrial warehouse district, 3 miles south of downtown Paso Robles, is an easily walkable zone of contemporary industrial-style tin buildings called Tin City which is home to an innovative beverage scene. Tin City has several small-production wineries such as Anarchy Wine Co., Benom, Cordant Winery, and Giornata along with somewhat larger producers like Field Recordings . It is not unusual to be greeted by the winemakers in these modern tasting rooms and find them ready to share both their wines and their stories with their guests. Superfly Zinfandel blended with Cabernet and Petite Sirah At Anarchy Wine Co , expect to find a wide range of wines which includes a Bordeaux-Style Blend, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Grenache Blanc, Mourvèdre, Petit Verdot, Petite Sirah, a Red Rhône-Style Blend, Syrah, Tempranillo, and Zinfandel all deliciously served with a rebel yell in a rock and roll environment. Les Deux Freres means The Two Brothers and is unique
Post a Comment
Read more