Fourth of July Wine Fest
Earlier this month Gabriele and I attended another wine event put on by the Neighborhood Restaurant Group. The theme was wines made in the United States in honor of the sesquicentennial. We’ve enjoyed these events in the past, and it was a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
There were 30 wines being poured at six tables throughout the restaurant. They were from all over the country, but California, Oregon and Virginia led the way. The event was sold out and the vibe was very chill and fun. That’s how wine should be – not a source of stress or a proxy for sophistication.
What we bought
Our first winner was the Fableist Ant and the Cicada Cabernet Sauvignon 2023. From the Paso Robles region in California this wine was a lighter style Cab suited for summer. One the nose dark cherry and blackcurrant lead the way, with some cedar as well. This is probably from the wine being aged entirely in the bottle. There are also hints of chocolate mint and soft spices.
The tannins are firm but smooth, giving the wine some mouth feel without making it feel heavy. The pourer captured it well when he said it’s structured enough for Cab fans but approachable enough for anyone. The name comes from the original title of one of Aesop’s Fables, The Ant and the Grasshopper, about the virtues of patience and planning. A nice wine at a good value around $25.
The next wine that came home with us was the Lightwell Survey Electric Juice Box Rose 2025. The name gives it away – this Virginia wine is a party in your mouth. Lightwell Survey is a new winery founded in 2015 and promotes itself as making untraditional grape combinations. This wine is a blend of 56% Vidal Blanc, 31% Chambourcin, 11% Petit Manseng, and 2% Traminette. From the makers:
“For the past few years, we have been using both white and red grapes to make something that is usually rosé oriented, skin contact adjacent, or vice versa. This year we lean a little harder towards rosé in the way it tastes and feels, but more light red in terms of the depth of color. We continue to stay away from the pale and crisp, simply fruited, provençal style that has come to define industrial versions of this category. We love a rosé with layered flavors and a deeper texture, so we work with a variety of grapes to build nuance and density, and we allow the wine to go through malo, so we don’t have to filter.” Fun and affordable at around $28.
Our final purchase was the Ovum Off the Grid Reisling 2021. This is an interesting wine. The vineyard is in southern Oregon, close to the California border, and 25 miles from the Pacific. Lots of acidity and fruit push against each other to create a lot of texture on your palate. Apricot, apple and lemon lead the way on the nose. The wine is deep yellow in the glass with some minerality as well. A dry Reisling with a lot of power and highly rated. We paid $29.
Raves for recent Rhones
Readers of the Triple W will know we’re fans of Rhone wines. We’ve found two new favorites available at the local Wegmans. The first is the Les Terrasses de l’Aygues Red Cairanne 2020. This is a fruit-forward Rhone of 60 percent Syrah and 40 percent Grenache, medium-bodied with a lot of dark fruit and spice, with enough tannins to avoid heaviness. Carianne was granted its own Cru in 2016 but is still priced like a CdR. It’s rated 91 by Wine Enthusiast and tells you that on the label, yet retails for only $16.
That’s currently Gabriele’s favorite go-to Rhone. I like the Chateau Courac 2022 Cotes du Rhone even more. Blackberry and dark cherry fruit lead with hints of violet and pepper. It’s a blend of 40 percent Syrah, 40 percent Grenache, 10 percent Cinsault, and 10 percent Carignan. A bit smoother and structured than the Carianne IMO, it promotes a 95 rating from Decanter in 2024. Another steal at $16.
Give any of these a try, and enjoy your August!