Last Minute Gift Wines!

• Posted on 22 December 2020
• 0

This week at City Vino, we will be conducting two in-store tastings. On Christmas eve, December 24th, we will be featuring four wines for your last-minute holiday gift giving, or to serve at your own dinner table. Then on Saturday, December 26th, we will be having Jon Yeager, of International Cellars, pouring four sparkling wines which pair with his bubbly personality.

Our first wine for the December 24th tasting is Treveri Cellars Sparkling Rosé Yakima Valley Washington. Treveri has produced sparking wines that have made their way to the White House, State Department receptions, and the James Beard Foundation in New York. They proudly include nontraditional varieties such as Gewürztraminer in a sparking format. On December 31st, City Vino will have a sparking tasting that will feature the Treveri Cellars Gewürztraminer Demi-Sec Columbia Valley Washington. Meanwhile the Rosé is a beautiful blend of Chardonnay and Syrah, perfect for your Christmas Ham crostinis.

The next wine is the Chakana Winery in Mendoza, Argentina, which is located over 3,000 feet above sea level in the foothills of the Andes Mountains. The winery is named after Chakana, which is the Southern Cross constellation, and as it traversed the evening sky, it became the agricultural calendar used historically by the Andean people. The label on Chakana’s wines features a jaguar, which was known in ancient days as being the wildest known animal, and called the “lord of the starred night.” The Chakana Winery Estate Selection Red Blendis comprised of 70 percent Malbec, 25 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, and five percent Cabernet Franc. This wine has a deep red color, with hints of violet. The aroma and palate show rich black fruits, exotic spices, black pepper, smoke, tobacco, and vanilla, all finishing with chocolate or mocha. Pair this wine with grilled or roasted meats. It will also work well when served alongside spicy dishes.

Our third wine is Peirano Estate Vineyards Red Blend Illusion Lodi California.  This winery has a fun story on how they survived prohibition by selling fruit to Italians in New York City and Toronto, Canada. It is a big blend of Zinfandel, Merlot, Petit Sirah, and Cabernet Sauvignon that has a bunch of flavors going on. This will be a great gift for your red blend lovers or to partner up with your Christmas ham.

Our final wine we will be featuring on December 24th is from Bodegas Pinea, a new producer in Ribera del Duero, Spain. The winemaker, Isaac Fernandez, was called “one of Spain’s brightest young winemakers” by Wine Spectator magazine. The winery is located in the heart of Ribera del Duero, with vineyards at high elevation that are dry-farmed, so there is no irrigation, which makes the vines develop deep roots in their search for water. These conditions lead to wines with deeply concentrated fruit flavors. The Bodegas Pinea "17" is the winery’s flagship wine, and it is made of 100 percent Tempranillo. This is an impressive, full-bodied wine with black fruits, blueberry compote, and red fruits on the palate, with light notes of cedar, vanilla, and cacao nibs. City Vino recommends that you serve this wine after decanting it at least 30 minutes, which will allow the wine to open up and express itself more fully. This wine can be served with steaks, game meat, brisket, lamb, pork, or grilled vegetables.

For our December 26th tasting, Jon Yeager will be sharing sparkling wines and their stories with you. The wines he will be pouring are the Bernard Lonclas Selection Brut Champagne France, Tempus III Brut DO Cava Spain, Aimery Crémant de Limoux Rose, and Annie Amie "Cuvee A” Amrita. 

City Vino wishes you a happy and safe Christmas. We hope to see you soon!