SWILL wine tasting party blog

Having a hard time decide which wines to buy for your SWILL wine party? Keep checking in because every other month we will post a ready-to-use listing of wines with ratings and reviews that you can immediately use for your next wine tasting party.

You can purchase these wines from online vendors or look for them at your local wine shop. Many will gladly order what you need, especially if you tell them you’re starting a wine tasting club - they’ll love the repeat business. To decipher ratings, just visit our How To Rate Wine Page.

Olean General Hospital hosted our annual Champagne SWILL wine club in February ‘08 at the Wheeler House, with fabulous food catered by the Old Library Restaurant. This was a very special event held in an old restored home in Portville, NY.

STATION #1
Mondoro Asti • $11.99
Mondoro is arguably the world’s finest Asti—and has been named the best of all sparkling wines in its price range (twice!) by Wine Enthusiast magazine. A slightly drier style, with crisp acidity to balance its complex peach and apricot fruit flavors, it’s perfect as a sophisticated aperitif or a match for fruit and desserts.

This is the second year in a row this wine has won a World Championship. It is a bubbly rife with the heady, highly grapey pleasures of the Muscat grape and a profusion of invigorating bubbles. A trifle sweet with nice crisp acidity giving it an elegant mouthfeel. Perfect for an aperitif, it tastes like biting into a ripe peach. Low in alcohol and a great value to boot. 94 Points Wine Enthusiast

STATION #2
Castello del Poggio Brachetto • $11.99
A red dolce sparkler from the Piedmonte region of Italy, beautifully crafted with sweet impressions of cherry and brown sugar spice; a delicious companion to your favorite chocolate dessert. 90 Points Beverage Dynamics

STATION #3
Cristalino Brut • $7.99
A sophisticated sparkler, this is a big, bold wine, with scents of spring blossoms, of cinnamon, spice and of sage, with a dry roasted almond flavor that keeps it firmly in Spain. Chill this for croquetas de bacalao. 91 Points Wine & Spirits

Named Number 3 on the Wine.com 100 of 2007! Straw color, smooth and fresh aromas; fine and fruity palate with a dry aftertaste. Clean, dry and crisp with citrus and apple flavors. Wine.com

STATION #4
Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve • $39.99
Wine Enthusiast, Top 100 Wines of 2006 (#3) A big boy with almost fleshy fruit. The flavors push into exotic, tropical richness yet retain spicy citrus-rind-highlights. There is nothing clumsy, despite the ripeness; the finish seems to extend almost infinitely and keeps zinging you with surprises — marshmallow, marzipan, cookie dough, etc. A bonus: the back label clearly indicates when it was bottled and cellared (2001). 94 Points Wine Enthusiast, Top 100 Wines of 2006

Full-bodied and intensely flavored, this exhibits mature chaacteristics of candied fruit, coffee and vanilla pastry, along with fresh lemon and ginger accents. Seamless harmony and texture, with a long, long finish. Drink now through 2010. 92 Points Wine Spectator, Highly Recommended

STATION #5
2003 Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs • $27.99
Founded in 1862 by Jacob Schram, Napa Valley’s first hillside winery introduced America’s first Chardonnay-based sparkling wine in 1965 and has been the preferred toast of every presidential administration since it was served at the 1972 peace talks in Beijing. The current vintage shows tart, creamy fruit flavors of richness and dimension while retaining the delicacy of a Chardonnay-based cuvée.

This 100% Chardonnay is easily the best Schramsberg blanc de blancs to date. It’s so rich and luxurious in subtle lime, peach and brioche flavors, and so refined in its beautiful silky mouthfeel, and so long in the finish, you can’t help but love it. Gorgeous now, and should hold and even improve for the next six to eight years. 94 Points Wine Enthusiast, Editors’ Choice

Enjoy and, as always, drink responsibly.

For those interested in how the new wine demographic is shaping up, we at Swill can’t help but applaud this effort by the Pizza Pizza chain of restaurants.  For the Swillers I know, wine and pizza are both very dear to our hearts.  So it is about time a major chain has given a nod to the pizza chomping, wine swilling demographic that we so dearly belong. No anchovies please…….

Check it out:

http://www.pizzapizza.ca/english/pages/menu/pizza_wine.htm

The Swami

The good news on the street is that you’re drinking copious amounts of wine. Nothing wrong with that. The not-so-great news is that you’re fickle. What’s up with that? Wineries are whining about you guys not being brand loyal. Well, then they’ll just have to work a little harder to get your attention.

The stats also say you like to don’t like to be told what to drink and that you like to research your wines online. Personally, I think that shows great intellect! I don’t like being told what to drink either. However, I do love to try new and different wines. I’m always up for a good wine tasting. You never know when you’ll find something surprisingly delicious, so hopefully you will dive in with an open mind and clean palate.

Hosting a SWILL wine tasting party is a fabulous way to taste lots of different wines with little expense. It’s something fun you can do with your friends and colleagues. SWILL wine tastings are dymanic parties that keep people interested and engaged. Best part is, they’re not stuffy, you don’t need any wine expertise to participate and enjoy, and they’re so simple to organize. And, if you do know a thing or two about wine, you’ll keep expanding your palate database and have a great time with like-minded people. What more could you ask?

Try it just once, and I can guarantee you’ll want to host another, and another, and another, and … you get the idea. So, why not just skip to the part where you start your own wine tasting club. SWILL clubs are now located all over the country, and they’ve all begun with a SWILL Wine Tasting and Club Starter Kit and wine club supplies. Try it today!

Cheers! Eva

If you’re wine lovers like we are, then you’re already aware of the gazillion online wine-of-the-month clubs originating from states all over the country. These are excellent sources for purchasing wine for your SWILL wine tasting parties. These clubs offer every type of grape in all price ranges imaginable. Best part is, you’ll get special shipments on a regular basis. No need to think or plan. It’s like getting presents every month! And who doesn’t like presents?

For many boutique wineries, this is the best way for them to reach long-distance customers and you’ll get to taste some very unique, limited-production wines. A quick search for “boutique wine clubs” turned up www.aowinery.com, www.deerfieldranch.com, www.andrettiwinery.com and many, many more.

Don’t care about the “special” stuff? Then join a wine club offered by an online wine seller like www.cellarswineclub.com, www.celebrationswineclub, or www.cawineclub.com. Your neighborhhood wine shop may also offer wine club specials.

Bottom line - buy some great wine, invite your favorite people, put out some food and make it a SWILL wine tasting party! You truly can’t go wrong.

Cheers, Eva and Anne

It was inevitable. Even living legends eventually fade to gray, and so goes Robert Mondavi. At age 94, Mondavi was still a driving force in the California wine industry. He was a true visionary who pioneered new and radical methods including cold fermentation, French oak barrels, stainless steel tanks, and popularized sauvignon blanc as fume blanc all back in the 1960s. He wanted consumers to fairly judge wines, thus introducing blind wine tasting to the public and the trade.

This is a technique we still highly recommend for your SWILL wine tasting parties. Don’t let a label or price tag influence your preferences. Let the wine be the only factor you judge.

Let’s raise our wine-filled glasses for one last toast to Mr. Robert Mondavi. Here’s to one hell of a ride. Cheers!

Decanter.com
“Nasa Boffin Creates Device to End Wine Headaches”
November 7, 2007

A Nasa scientist has developed a device that can assess levels of headache-causing agents found in some wines. Some biometric amines, compounds which occur naturally in some red wine, cause headaches by elevating heart rates, amongst other triggers. Now University of Berkeley chemistry professor Richard Mathies, who suffers form wine-induced headaches, has created a device to detect these agents. Nothing like a little motivation to solve a problem!

He’s devised a way to measure how many amines exist in different wines. Saki, for example, “is loaded with [allergy-inducing] histamines,” while the modified amino acid tyramine, which can cause headaches, is most often found in red wines which have undergone malolactic fermentation. Tyramine releases adrenalin and elevates heart rates and blood pressure – which leads to headaches.

Mathies said, “This device would allow people to see which wines have elements that could bother them and then choose a wine accordingly.”

The chemist could not explain why malolactic fermentation results in higher tyramine or why such elements occur less often in white wines. “We have not looked at enough wines to have a systematic view of which wines produce more tyramine, but it is clear that red wines have more,” he said.

Mathies said there is growing interest in the device. He is working with a company that could produce it commercially. I’m quite sure that quantity has absolutely nothing to do with my wine “headaches,” so I will be most interested in finding out which ones to avoid. SWILL happy!!!

Cheers, Eva

Local Wine Events is a huge resource for fun food and drink events all over the U.S. and in many other countries. So, if you ever find yourself transplanted to a new and unfamiliar city, and of course you love wine, then pull up the site and see what’s happening near you. You’re bound to make many friends who are interested in the same things. Local Wine Events also offers a free, post-it-yourself service. Do you have a wine club, host a weekly wine tasting at your restaurant, sponsor a local wine tasting festival? Publicize it here and market your fun for free!

In addition, the Local Wine Events site has a myriad of other fun and useful information including wine questions, wine tidbits, wine articles, wine ….. well, you get the idea.

Our SWILL Wine tasting party blog is now listed here too. Please help us move up in the ranks by voting for us as one of your favorite blogs at:

As always, cheers!

Eva

In case you’ve been wondering…yes, the Allegany Chapter of SWILL has been meeting regularly every other month or so. In November, our theme was Spain and it was muy excellente! Each wine displayed unique character, its own defining wow factor.

This time our hosts were Beth and Chris Powers who provided a very relaxed atmosphere in their Frank Lloyd Wrightesque home. The food was exceptional and we discovered that Beth may have been a pastry chef in another life. All in all, a smashing success!!

Professional reviews:

STATION #1
Bodegas Pedro Romero Amantillado Dry Rich Fino Sherry • $9.99
Robert Parker: “The Amontillado Dry Rich, which is an oxidized style of fino, exhibits an amber color along with plenty of roasted nut and citrus charateristics.” 90 points (6/15/2005)

STATION #2
Lustau Solera Reserva “Capataz Andrés” Deluxe Cream Sherry • $15.99
Wine Enthusiast: “Here’s a dessert wine to make your head spin. Rich molasses nose suggests the richness delivered on the sweet, lush palate.” 96 points

STATION #3
2005 Torremoron Ribera Del Duero Tempranillo • $11.99
Ribera del Duero’s rugged landscape is dotted with rustic farms and ancient castles. Weaving along the banks of the Duero River (ribera means river bank or shore), the region’s climate creates a long growing season, which encourages grapes to develop intensity and structure. In youth, reds made from Tempranillo, or Tinto Fino as it’s called locally, are fruit-forward and bright. With aging, they gain their trademark suppleness.

The Wine Advocate: “The 2005 Torremoron is an unoaked cuvee of 100% Tempranillo from 60- to 90-year-old vines. Medium ruby-colored, it has a terrific perfume of wild berries including raspberry, strawberry, and cherry. On the palate, the wine is youthful, very concentrated and structured. The finish is long and fruity. It seems unlikely that many people will cellar a $10 wine but this amazing effort should continue to evolve for 1-2 years. Drink it with pleasure over the next 3-4 years. It is an outstanding value. 90 points - Jay Miller (2/2007)

STATION #4
2004 Vinos Sin Ley G5 Garnacha • $16.99
Robert Parker: “The extraordinary 2004 G5 Garnacha (from 80-120-year old vines) is pure kirsch liqueur, reminiscent of some of the older-styled Chateau Rayas Chateauneuf du Papes. (However, when is the last time anyone paid $13 for a bottle of Rayas? Perhaps 1959?) This is a super, elegant, pure effort offering that wonderful liquid minerality and raspberry kirsch liqueur-like component that makes Rayas so special. The good news is that production is around 2,500 cases. Run … don’t walk to latch onto a few bottles of this beauty! It should drink well for 5-6 years.” 92 points

STATION #5
2002 Lan Rioja Limitada • $45
Wine Spectator: “This rich red tastes like blackberry jam on toasted brioche. Thick on the palate, oozing with sweet fruit and oak, with muscular tannins that barely ripple the surface. Yet it remains fresh, with a clean, floral finish. Balanced and lively. Atypical for the region, extraordinary for the vintage. Shows the hallmarks of the international style, but is it authentic Rioja? Does it matter? Drink now through 2015.” 95 points

Annie, thank you for all the time you spend picking just the right wines for all your friends to enjoy. Once again, you’ve outdone yourself! Cheers to you all, Eva

You know, putting yourself out there–quite literally in terms of the Women of SWILL calendar–is not an easy thing to do. When we were done joking about the idea of making the calendar, and really getting into the details, logistics, business, and mechanics of how to pull it off, one of the things that kept popping up was “how will people react?” What is a wine tasting club doing taking their clothes off for charity?

To put it in perspective, the women of SWILL live in a very small town in a very rural area of New York. We’ll say up front that it is a lovely place to live and to raise our children. But in small towns, people talk. And we collectively offered up a prayer that our calendar would be accepted as what it is…a sincere effort to raise money for a cause near to our hearts. In other words, we are idealists.

So after occasionally dealing with rumors and ill will directed toward the effort, I am left with this thought…we can’t control what others are saying about us–we can only live the truth. And the truth is that breast cancer survivors will benefit from knowing about Living Beyond Breast Cancer (www.lbbc.org), a nonprofit dedicated to helping breast cancer survivors live a quality life no matter what their diagnosis. And the truth is that we are honored to be able to donate to LBBC. And the truth is that our hearts were in the right place with this calendar and the overwhelming positive reaction we’re receiving from survivors and their families far outweighs the criticisms thrown in our direction.

Our goal is to sell at least 1,000 calendars. They can be purchased at www.swillparty.com and on Amazon.com (search for Women of SWILL).

Cheers, Anne and Eva

The 2005 Oxford Landing Viogner South Eastern Australia is the second Viogner we tasted and reviewed at the 17th SWILL wine tasting party on April 21, 2007 at Cabinet World in Olean, NY. It’s available at Premier Wines for $7.99. We usually select wines carrying a reasonable price tag and a rating of 88 or higher.

Professional review:
Green-gold. Varietally accurate aromas of peach, apricot, apple and white flowers. Fresh and brisk, with no excess fat. This ought to appeal to those who are averse to loose-knit or overstated viogner. Crisp and focused, the peach and pear flavors picking up a subtle vanialla note on the back. Finishes on a dusty mineral note. Theis is a remarkable bargain for an often overpriced variety.
[88 pts Steven Tanzer International Wine Cellar]

SWILL reviews:
Keeping in mind that we encourage the use of pen names to really bring out the honesty factor when rating the wines, here are fun and ocassionally crazy SWILL reviews.

Punchy: Like a mouthful of hot metal. I’d rather get another mammogram than drink this schlock.

Black Sun: Sweet initial taste with a warm finish; leaves a sting in your mouth like a shot of cheap tequila.

Buffalo Bob: A little difficult to drink. Don’t bring it to my house. Use it for regifting.

Mikasa: Looks like my tap water. Smells better than my tap water. Tastes better than my tap water and doesn’t contain any chewy bits. Need to find this well and pipe in into our house.

Anon: Light golden hue, bubbly. Smells woodsy. Has a rich bold flavor that dances across the tongue. Enticing! A would buy.

The Wine Sexpert: Straw colored. Smells like melon and apple with a touch of barnyard. Taste clean and astringent. Nice vibrant acidity and subtle fruitiness. And good wine for fruit salad and brunch.

See? Some are right on. Some are plain funny. And some were too offensive to print! Cheers! Anne and Eva