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’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.”

Good news for all you Spanish wine fiends! With the success of last years inaugural event in New York City, the Vibrant Rioja campaign decided to include a date in Chicago this year. This years events are focusing on the amazing quality-to-price ratio that many Rioja wines have been able to maintain even during these tough economic times. The key to this years events are not focusing on the least expensive wines necessarily, but the best “Value Wines.” I have noticed many Reservas from Rioja are still quite affordable and, in my opinion, the best “Value Wines” one can find from Rioja. However, don’t exclude the amazing array of Crianzas from around this famous region, most of which you can easily find in any market for under $15.

We will unfortunately only be able to attend the Chicago event due to upcoming wine events Pennsylvania, but we hope we can make it to the “Big Apple” next year. Both events in Chicago and New York are for members of the press and trade only, so if you are a Spanish wine lover but not part of the press or trade, have no fear, you’ll be there with us in spirit! Don’t feel angry or left out however, these events are taking place for importers and distributors to find outlets to make all these wines available to you, so you are actually the beneficiary in the end. If you are however a member of the press or trade and would like to attend either event, you can sign up online here. This years events will be held May 4th in Chicago, and May 5th and 6th in New York City, so if you’re in the area and can attend, please sign up. We look forward to meeting many of you that are able to make it to the Chicago event!

Salud,

Michael

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……

Often overlooked, misunderstood, and unknown, it seems as if Tokaji is making a comeback. With most of the big name publications featuring articles and reviews on these amazing wines, I can only hope that they help to grab some attention and encourage people to go out and but these incredible wines. Of significant importance to us, Decanter Magazine recently published an article “Discover the Magic of Tokaji Tasting” which saw the Alana-Tokaji Furmit 2006 listed as one of the top wines from the tasting. We are very happy and encouraged to see that not only are Tokaji wines receiving much deserved attention, but one of the wineries we are proud to represent has been included among the best. The Furmint, as well as two other outstanding wines from Alana-Tokaji, are available in Utah and Pennsylvania at your local wine store. Please call ahead for stock as these have limited quantities!!

Also encouraging for us is the continues focus on the Cotes du Rhone region of France. Often overshadowed by its more “prestigious” counterparts of Bordeaux, Burgundy and Alsace, Cotes du Rhone has become a heave hitter for incredible wines at competitive prices. With the continued economic troubles worldwide, the region offers quite an array of different styles and varieties to suit any palate. Echoing the high quality and great values available, especially from the Southern Cotes du Rhone, here is Mr. Robert Parker’s take on these amazing wines-

“Last year, after tasting the 2007 southern Rhônes…I stated it was “the vintage of a lifetime.” Tasting the 2007s out of bottle has confirmed my thoughts – this is a truly historic and profoundly great vintage. As the following tasting notes and commentary suggest, this may be the most compelling vintage of any viticultural region I have ever tasted. I say that because the quality of a vintage is not only measured by what the reference point estates produce, but also by how well the generic appellations fare. I have never tasted better Côtes du Rhônes, Gigondas, or Vacqueyras than the 2007s. Moreover, the profoundly concentrated, vividly aromatic, and remarkably fresh, yet substantial, full-bodied, and flawless 2007 Châteauneuf du Papes I tasted in the southern Rhône in late August and September were unforgettable…

…To the extent they are still available, these wines will disappear fast – even in these hard economic times. If you love southern Rhône wines, which are the most underrated great wines of the world, you need to move fast, or forever hold your peace.”

We’re very excited about the recent hype not only from Mr. Parker himself, but also from the various other publications form the US and worldwide. We’re not sure if it’s coincidence or just good luck (but hey, we’ll take either!), but we just recently placed an order for the “2007 Cuve Sabine” from Domaine du Gros Pata, a wonderful family owned and operated winery we have been representing for some time. This beautiful wine is currently available in Utah, Pennsylvania and select stores in Wyoming (the 2005 vintage) and readily available for the upcoming Holiday season, and would be a great wine with your Turkey and cranberry sauce!

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

Cheers,

Michael