Month: August 2018

Santorini 2018 Wine Tour Stop 3 – Estate Argyros. Again the Assyrtiko didn’t disappoint. A good mineral and acidity that went well with a milder cheese. Estate Argyros Assyrtiko is a great wine. I’ll do research on where you can find it and let you know. Also the Estate Argyros was good and had also had a slight butter essence like a Chardonnay. Once again a dessert win did not work but I tried. Others did like the Vinsanto which tasted of raisins and caramel.

Santorini Wine Adventure Wine Tours is the way to go. Anton Lianoudakis, one of the tour guides, is the most knowledgeable of wines, Santorini history and geology.

estateargyros.com/

https://www.winetoursantorini.com

Santorini Wine Tour 2018 Stop 2 is Gavalas Winery. I tried another Assyrtiko-based wine. Very nice. I also liked the Nykteri wine too. Buttery like a Chardonnay. I do not like ports or dessert wines. Second one this morning. Still don’t like them. It is confirmed – dessert wines sweet…Stephanie not sweet.

http://www.gavalaswines.gr/en.html

Santorini Wine Tour First Stop is Boutari. I learned that Assyrtiko grapes are very hearty and make a great acidic wine. The Santorini Boutari white dry wine paired with a semi-strong cheese like a Manchego is great!

Boutari is a Greek Winery with a few locations. We were in the one in Santorini of course. See their website below:

http://www.boutari.gr/en/main.php

Happy Thursday Everyone! I am ready for the weekend. I was able to enjoy some good friend time last weekend and..well…there was wine. My friend, Elizabeth, offered a 2016 Beaucanon Estate Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. The Beaucanon Estate winery focuses on sustainable and organic methods. Louis de Coninck, the winemaker, originates from France and learned about winemaking there. Welcome to America, Louis! We’re glad to have you here making wines. This was a really good wine if you like a medium oak with hints of pepper and spice. I do. Let’s face it…I like most wines. The word, Sommelier, meaning wine steward, originates from France. I originate from Texas and I consider myself a Sommelier for the common man. I’m a SommeliYAY. Yeah, that’s what I am. You can find this wine, in limited quantity, at Total Wines for about $32.00 per bottle. Have a great weekend!

Hello Everyone! I hope you’ve managed to stay cool in the Texas heat. I had the pleasure of eating a late lunch with a friend, Amy, and her very cute daughter, Audrey, at Sixty-Vines in Plano, Texas a couple of weeks ago. We enjoyed a Krupp Brothers Cabernet Franc. This was a special blend made by Krupp Brothers for Sixty Vines. It had a great earthy, mineral nose and a really good bold, but smooth finish. We paired it with a Salumi and Cheese board and it was excellent. I had never enjoyed a Krupp Brothers wine, but really enjoyed this Cab Franc. However, this was not just a wine tasting, but a tea party too. I paired the Audrey’s Awesome and Outstanding tea with the Salumi and Cheese board and it paired very well too. The more sugar in the tea, the better. We also paired it with the berry cobbler and it was divine! I would highly recommend the Audrey’s Awesome and Outstanding tea, but it is only made in small batches and a very rare, but a definite five-star find! Have an outstanding week!