For our last #WineStudio of 2013 we sipped Bubbles. Although we ascribe to the notion that drinking bubbles year round is the way to go, we chose to concentrate on bubbles because of the celebratory effect sparkling wines lend to any environment.
Le Metro Wine. Undergrounds.’s Volume VII Underground Bubbles is just that: what’s old is new again and what you’ve never had is now at the tip of your lips. Oh it’s all well and good to sample the big boy Champagne houses but Aaron of course curated in the other direction as he is wont to do.
Spirit of the Andes NV Sparkling Torrontés, Tupungato, Mendoza, Argentina
A festive aperitivo! And the winner of the evening!
As we opened the #WineStudio festivities, we were informed by @LeMetroWine that sparkling wine is incredibly common in Argentina, usually enjoyed at the end of a meal. Of course The #WineStudio gang agreed wholeheartedly and added beginning, end all works to either get the palate moving or to cleanse the palate! The Torrontés is sustainably farmed 3,000 feet above sea level and is produced using the Champagne method, spending 12 months on its spent lees lending richness and subtlety to a crowd-pleasing, super inexpensive sparkling wine. And as @sector61 so eloquently put it: Somm Secret: Sparkling wine starts the party, I’ve seen it countless times, turns a dead scene into a lively event!
Sorelle Bronca NV “Particella 68″ 100 % Glera, Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG, Veneto, Italy
There’s Prosecco, and then there’s PROSECCO. The daily wine!
Particella 68 is the land registry’s official name for the plot of land where these single vineyard, forty year-old vines grow. Sorelle means “sisters” in Italian, owners Antonella and Ersiliana Bronca, who are now joined in the cellar by Ersiliana’s daughter Elisa. The Bronca is created by the “tank” (or “Charmat”) method, as is the case with almost all Prosecco. This means that secondary fermentation occurred in a tank rather than inside this bottle (as in the Champagne Method). This allows constant freshness. And the grape, Glera, lends itself to a bit of Prosecco controversy. The wine has been rebranded by this old, indigenous grape.
Parigot & Richard NV Rosé 100 % Pinot Noir, Crémant de Bourgogne, Burgundy, France
Burgundy… with bubbles. Pinot lovers rejoice!
@LeMetroWine stated: simple, hedonistic pleasure. The color gets me every time. A perfectly balanced wine, Champagne by another name. Few will deny Burgundy’s title as “Home of the World’s Best Pinot Noir,” and this stunning rosé contains nothing but. A big winner for the rosé crowd, inexpensive but using the Champagne method, the resulting “bready” notes add unique complexity to this festive wine, whose salmon-colored hue will shine through your glass. @ProtocolWine said the Parigot is funky! Love the earth!
Medici Ermete 2012 “Concerto” 100% Lambrusco Salamino, Lambrusco Reggiano DOC, Emilia Romagna, Italy
Sparkling. Dry. RED. YES!
We all agreed, NOTHING cuts through fatty food like lambrusco. This wine was originally created for one simple purpose: to cut through fatty foods that are in great local abundance in Emilia Romagna, which is one of Italy’s main culinary organs. This wine is produced in close proximity to the cities of Bologna, Parma, and Modena. The land it comes from is the birthplace of tortellini, prosciutto, and Parmigiano Reggiano. Oh, and did we mention this beauty’s colour? It’s red, blood red. Many people take this to mean the wine is sweet. It is anything but. The lambrusco was the darling of the evening. It was an unknown for most but of course the Ermete won over many a palate!
Leclaire-Gaspard NV Grande Réserve 100% Chardonnay, Avize, Champagne, France
The crème de la crème. Toasty & yeasty goodness!
@sector61 remarked: Tina brings out the Champagne and this happens… It’s true. If you’ve never heard of Leclaire – Gaspard, it may be because they don’t have a website. A tiny grower-producer, they grow their own grapes, on their own land – and their prices do not include a marketing surcharge. This wine rests on the lees for six years, made almost entirely from fruit picked in 2006. This extended contact leads to noticeable yeasty notes, which are cushioned by a dry palate and soft bubbles. Definitely one of the highlights of the evening–the only Champagne. There’s magic in the small, grower-produced wines: there’s soul, determination and an overall sense of vivant.
La Caudrina, NV La Selvatica 100% Moscato Bianco, Asti DOCG, Piedmont, Italy
Breakfast wine… For Dessert. Spectacular with the cheese board!
This is one of Italy’s only DOCG appellations for sparkling Moscato. The label was hand-painted by renowned grappa producer and artist Romano Levi just before his passing in 2008. The vines in this small, sloping vineyard plot are almost forty years old, and the grapes are treated with the utmost care to preserve Moscato’s distinctive aromas. It has enough sweetness to finish the meal, perhaps with the cheese sideboard or as many agree: Brunch wine! The perfect kiss of partners sweetness and acidity.
All of the above wines have somewhat of a Cinderella story. Not particularly known, and in some cases previously shunned, but when some of the better examples are revealed, the results can be revelatory. Le Metro Wine. Underground. and #WineStudio does not exist to tell anyone what to drink, rather we’re sharing what we’re drinking and why. And as we quickly move into 2014, we do hope the journey of wine discovery continues.
There’s only one way to wine discovery… #WineStudio
