We’re very excited to be attending this year’s Miami International Wine Fair, one of the largest wine tradeshows in the US. Approximately 500 producers from all over the world will be attending, and an estimated 1,500 wines will be available to taste through, so make sure your palate is trained if you’re planning on attending! We’ve never attended this event before, so we’re anxious to make it to Miami to take a look and present our wines at this amazing event. We’ll be pouring several wines from various producers- Quinta de Gomariz from Portugal, Domaine du Gros Pata from France, Bodegas Ondalan and Coto de Gomariz from Spain just to name a few. (We have to keep some surprises!)

If you are planning on attending, please make sure to stop by and taste the amazing wines we are fortunate to represent. We will be located at stand 400 and will be sharing the space with Bodegas Medrano Irazu from Rioja and J. Miquel Jané from Penedes region of Spain, so there will be a wide range of fantastic wines to try.

Hope to see many of you there, cheers!

- Michael

We’re very pleased to announce that after several years of hard work and determination from Oscar Quevedo and ourselves, the amazing port wines from Quevedo are available on US soil! These incredible ports, as well as a still red wine which is a special project of Oscar’s, are being sold in Pennsylvania through the PLCB, as well as a very limited quantity online through www.flickingerwines.com. While a relatively young company, Quevedo is already making a name for itself for producing ports as good as any of the “big names,” and were included in the Wine Enthusiasts March 2010 issue on port producers. They have also been very well received by  Roy Hersh of “For The Love of Port” (FTLOP) and the Quevedo Vintage 2007 was included in his amazing review of the 2007 vintage. Whether you are a port expert, novice, or just looking to learn more about port, I highly recommend you visit the FTLOP website as there is an amazing wealth of information available, and subscribers to the FTLOP newsletter always have the most up-to-date info there is on port in the US.

Our hats are off to Oscar for staying determined and not giving up on the US market, especially in the tough ongoing economic conditions!

–Michael

It seems Portuguese producer Quinta de Gomariz isn’t finished yet! After being recognized as one of the “Top Portuguese Value Brands” in the June issue of Wine and Spirits for their 2008 vintage, the 2009 vintage looks to be just as impressive. As reported by Decanter, Quinta de Gomariz swept the board at this years Vinho Verde awards, bringing home the “Best Of” awards for their Avesso and Branco wines, as well as six gold medals and two silver medals for their various other wines. Equally impressive is the fact that Quinta de Gomariz released their first wines in 2005, so this comes as a huge accomplishment for such a young producer. We’re very excited and extremely happy for the team at Quinta de Gomariz and can’t wait to see what the future holds for this amazing producer- Congratulations!!!

Cheers,

Michael

It has been a year this month since we first started importing the amazing wines from Quinta de Gomariz, and they are already making a name for themselves! In the recently released June issue of Wine & Spirits Magazine, both the 2008 Alvarinho and 2008 Loureiro were recognized as “Top 100 Values of the Year” and the winery itself was recognized as one of two “Top Portuguese Value Brands.”

This is quite an honor for such a young winery- the first vines were planted in 1999 and their first harvest was in 2004. We’re very excited to be working with such an up and coming producer, especially as the Vinho Verde region gains more attention in the media and the competition stiffens. We’ve been fortunate enough to be working with Vitor Mendes from Vinixa, who has been instrumental in helping to make these wines available in the US.

I will be in New York City next week for an event hosted by the Vinho Verde Commission and will be pouring these fantastic wines, so if you live or work in New York please register for the event and make sure to stop by and try the new 2009 vintage!

Cheers,

Michael

World renowned wine figure Jancis Robinson recently tasted several wines from one of our Spanish producers, Coto de Gomariz. She tasted both the 2008 Blanco and the 2008 “X” Albariño and seemed to enjoy them enough to feature them as her “wine of the week” picks on her website, www.jancisrobinson.com. While the region of Rias Baixas is still gaining popularity for it’s Albariño’s, Coto de Gomariz is located in nearby D.O. Ribeiro where treixadura is the grape of choice for producing crisp and complex white burgundy-esque wines. Wonderful acidity and mineralty due to the granite and schist soils make these wines a fantastic summer wine, especially when pairing alongside seafood and shellfish. I recently had a glass of the Blanco with the Bonito del Norte Salad from the Garces Trading Co. in Philadelphia and it was incredible. (Sorry Chef Garces, Cat Cora is still my favorite Iron Chef!)

While Jancis’ recent post mentioned that the Coto de Gomariz wines aren’t available in the US, I assure you they are, albeit in small quantities. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board carries both the 2008 Blanco and “X” Albariño, along with another one of their white wines, the 2007 Colleita Seleccionada.  They also carry three fascinating red wines from the same producer using other native varieties such as Mencia, Brancellao, Ferrol, Sousón and Caiño. The 2008 Coto de Gomariz Blanco will also be available very soon for order through Flickingerwines.com who is set up to ship to any state where direct shipping of alcohol is allowed. So, if you live in Pennsylvania or nearby bordering states, you shouldn’t have a hard time finding these amazing wines at your nearest PLCB wine store. If you’re not located near to any of these stores, I encourage you to visit Flickingerwines.com and see their entire listing of amazing wines from all over the world.

Cheers,

Michael

We’ve just finished tying up all our loose ends and are ready to set out for our third year attending the Pennsylvania Wine Week events- with a little detour in Chicago for a Vibrant Rioja event! the three events this year are again being held in Pittsburgh, Hershey and Philadelphia, and we always look forward to making the journey to Pennsylvania. While we have attended the Pittsburgh Wine Festival and Philadelphia Wine Festivals before, we are excited to attend the Wine Festival in Hershey for the first time. If you live, work or play in either area, these events are always a fun and informative way to spend your evening tasting some amazing wines from all over the world. More importantly, all three events will be benefiting great organizations such as the Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital, Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC, UPMC Cancer Centers, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

This year we’ll be pouring some fantastic wines from Spain and Portugal. We will have several different red wines, such as crianzas from Bodegas Ondalan, Bodegas Miguel Angel Muro and Bodegas Ruiz de Vinaspre. We’ll also be featuring an amazing reserva from Bodegas Medrano Irazu, all from Spain’s famed Rioja region. (Click here for a great post on the Rioja classification system by Catavino.net) We’re also excited to feature the amazingly fresh, crisp and refreshing white and rose wines from the Vinho Verde region of Portugal. These are a real value and the region is receiving quite a bit of attention lately for it’s quality to price ratio- it’s definitely worth seeking out wines from this region! Quinta de Gomariz is a young producer from the region and is already making a name for itself by gaining 92 points for its Alvarinho and 88 Points for its Espadeiro Rose from Wine & Spirits Magazine – both were featured as “Best Buys” in the August 2009 Issue.

We’re looking forward to sharing all these wines at the events and hopefully many of you will be able to attend one of the three!

Salud,

Michael

We’re excited about an upcoming event featuring one of the Portuguese producers we represent, Quinta de Gomariz. The Vinho Verde region is quickly becoming one of the “go to” regions for value wines, as most retail for under $15. Wonderfully crisp, fresh and light, these wines are perfect with summer just around the corner. The event is for trade and media only, so if you happen to work in either industry, hopefully you are able to attend.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Charlie Palmer’s Astra

D&D Building

979 Third Avenue, between 58th & 59th St.

New York, NY

Walk Around Tasting: 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Seminar for Trade & Media: 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Seminar for Distributors Only: 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Hosted by Comissão de Viticultura da Região dos

Vinhos Verdes (CVRVV) and the European Union

Seminars conducted by:

Joshua Greene, Editor and Publisher of Wine & Spirits

and Bruno Almeida, CVRVV Oenologist

If you are able and interested in attending the event,  Please RSVP to 212-994-7576 or VinhoVerdeRSVP@rfbinder.com **Trade and Media Only Please**

We’ll be pouring the 2009 vintage of Quinta de Gomariz wines, which are projected to be even better than the 2008 vintage. They received great reviews from Joshua Greene from Wine & Spirits Magazine and we expect the same (if not better) for the 2009 vintage! We hope you can make the event and be sure to stop by our table to say hello and try these amazing wines.

Cheers,

Michael

QUINTA DE GOMARIZ - 2008 ALVARINHO

Wine & Spirits Aug ‘09 - 92 POINTS (Best Buy)

“This starts off with brink peach flavors that last. With air, the fruit moves past the red cast of peach skin toward fraise de bois. The acidity has a granitic feel, keeping the wine’s richness in check while lending clarity to the fruit. For grilled John Dory.”

QUINTA DE GOMARIZ - 2008 LOUREIRO

Wine & Spirits Aug ‘09 – 90 POINTS (Best Buy)

“Powerfully concentrated, this wine is all plump fruitiness, its flavors of tart peach and gooseberries bringing sauvignon blanc to mind. A ripe Vinho Verde for grilled snapper.”

QUINTA DE GOMARIZ - 2008 ESPADEIRO

Wine & Spirits Aug ‘09 - 88 POINTS (Best Buy)

“Appealingly clean and fresh, from its light pink color to the pink grapefruit acidity, this has intriguing floral scents of pear and melon. It ends crisp, a summer picnic wine for grilled chicken sausages.”

Despite travel issues cause by the “Snowmeggedon” storm system that whipped the through much of the East Coast last week, we were lucky enough to have many importers and distributors brave the chaos and attend the D.O. Ribeiro wine tasting last weekend at Jaleo. Celebrity chef José Andrés was on hand to taste many the wines and samples the fantastic tapas that his kitchen staff was shooting out of the kitchen at a surprising rate, as well as discuss why he feels these wines are some of the best wines from Spain.  Polbo á feira, caldo gallego, queso tetilla with membrillo were just some of the wonderful creations on hand to that chef Andrés created to pair with the amazingly fresh wines present.

Located in the northwestern region of Spain, Galicia has seen a considerable amount of media and press attention due to the popularity of the Albariño variety being produced in the neighboring Rias Baixas region. Where as Albariño shines in Rias Baixas, D.O. Ribeiro has a higher elevation and is located more inland, providing prime growing conditions for the Treixadura variety, the star white grape of Ribeiro. The white wines are amazingly crisp, fresh and full of minerality and well balanced acidity that provide the perfect pairing for a variety of shellfish and seafood, as well as light meat dishes of pork and chicken.

Also occurring this past weekend, the Washington D.C. International Food & Wine Festival did in fact go on as planned, despite the continued travel issues cause by the severe winter storms. A surprising number of attendees were on hand, from importers and distributors to restaurateurs and the general public, and all arrived eager to try new and exiting wines from various countries and regions of the world. There were wineries present from the Spain, Italy, France and Alana-Tokaj from Hungary, as well as several US producers from Idaho, Pennsylvania, and the Washington DC area as well. While the event was sponsored by the Kingdon of Navarra, there was a never ending stream of people packing in and around the D.O. Ribeiro booth. While the majority of wines on hand were the incredible white wines from the region, there was quite a bit of interest in the red wine produced by Coto de Gomariz, the Cuve Caco. Produced from indigenous varieties, Caiño Longo, Sousón and Mencía, the Cuve Caco presented a completely different flavor profile from the various other Spanish red wines on hand. Very few people had heard of  these varieties, and only about five people had ever tasted a red wine from Galicia, all of which were mono-varietal wines produced from Mencía from neighboring Ribeira Sacra.

With all the buzz around the Cuve Caco, I began to think if it was just a matter of the demographic at the event, or if the obscurity of the red wines from Galicia are just due to the fact that the white wines overshadow them due to their popularity and coverage in the press. So, my question to the readers, have you ever tried a red wine from Galicia? Where was it produced? What varieties were used?

Looking forward to hearing some responses!

Cheers,

Michael

We’re excited to announce that two wineries we are fortunate to represent will be attending the 11th Annual Washington D.C. International Food & Wine Festival this February. Coto de Gomariz located in the D.O. Ribeiro region of Spain and Alana-Tokaj located in the Tokaji region of Hungary will be presenting their wines this year and we hope many of you will be able to attend and taste the amazing wines these two wineries are producing.  While the event will be featuring more Spanish wine than any other region (the Kingdon of Navarra is a major sponsor) there will be wineries from all over the word, including France, Africa, New Zealand and right here in the U.S. Many local restaurants will be holding cooking seminars and tastings as well, including local celebrity chef José Andrés who lives in the D.C. area. If you happen to live in or be visiting our nations capitol the weekend of February 12 through the 14th, I encourage you to attend the event and be sure to visit and taste the amazing wines Coto de Gomariz and Alana-Tokaj will be pouring- I can assure you they won’t disappoint!!

Cheers,

Michael

It seems Emilio Lustau continues to dominate the sherry market, picking up yet another award, this one arguably the highest honor a Spanish producer can receive. Here is a press release from Europvin, whom we are fortunate enough to represent in several markets.

“We are proud to announce that EMILIO LUSTAU has taken the Spanish Wine Producer of the Year Trophy in the 40^th Anniversary edition of the International Wine & Spirit Competition.  This is in addition to the eighteen medals awarded to our Sherries, of which we advised you in the summer.

The gala awards banquet was held on 26 November 2009 at the Guildhall in London, and Lustau was announced as the winner from a shortlist which included such renowned names in the Spanish wine industry as Marqués de Murrieta and González Byass, amongst others.”

In other Sherry news, check out the finalist for the 2009 Vinos de Jerez Cocktail Competition. A huge thanks to akawinegeek for passing along this info!!!

They are:

Alex Raij, Txikito, NYC – “Elkano”, Manzanilla

Reza Esmalli, CONDUIT Restaurant, SF – “Espana en Emerica”, Pedro Ximenez**

Charles Joly, Drawing Room, Chicago – “Bread and Wine”, Oloroso

Danny Valdez, Cure, NOLA – “That Night a Forest Grew…”, Pedro Ximenez

Misty Kalkofen, Drink, Boston – “The Dunaway”, Fino

Todd Thrasher, Restaurant Eve, Alexandria, VA – “Walla Walla Bing Bang (aka the Witch Doctor)”, Amontillado

Erick Castro, Rickhouse, SF – “French Toast Flip”, Oloroso Dulce

Phil Ward, Mayahuel, NYC – “The Smoked Palomino”, Amontillado

Corey Bunnewith, Coppa, Boston – “Balao Swizzle”, Dry Oloroso

Thomas Waugh, Death & Co., NYC – “Delores Park Swizzle”, Amontillado

These 10 finalists will compete in the live finals on December 15th at Clover Club in Brooklyn, NY, to determine who will be crowned the winner of the 2009 Vinos de Jerez Cocktail Competition.

If you want to try out some of these cocktails at home, visit the Secret Sherry Society for the recipes of the cocktails.

And one other thing- please drink more sherry people!!!!

Salud,

Michael

P.S. Bloggers heads up- there is a ridiculous amount of flash on most of the restaurant websites……