Bordeaux. What more do you need to know? Steeped in tradition and, yes, a bit of French snootiness, the wines of Bordeaux are something special. From the Right Bank to the Left, from Médoc to Margaux to St. Emilion, we will be sampling some wonderful wines. Our tasting will include some older wines as well as some from the stunning 2005 and 2009 vintages. What could be bad about that?
Bordeaux
Saturday, April 11, 2015
7:00 pm
Hosted by Bryan and Nukhet Hendricks
Nukhet Hendricks
850 16th Ave W, West Fargo
$25 members, $30 non-members
rsvp by Thursday, April 9
France has long been regarded as the source of great wines. While Bordeaux and Burgundy get most of the hype, the wines of the Rhone River are some of the best wines in world. Last November we tasted wines from the most prestigious appellations of the Northern Rhone, and in April we will taste wines of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, the most highly regarded of Southern Rhone appellations. Along with the high prestige of those AOCs come high prices. But there are many, many wines produced in the Rhone region, particularly the southern Rhone, and over the last few decades some of these villages have been recognized with their own AOC designations, principally east of the Rhone, from the river to the Dentelles de Montmirail Mountains. These appellations are producing very good wines and at muc
Nestled in the Rhone Valley just north of Avignon, France lies the wine region known as Chateauneuf-du-pape. This literally translates to “New Castle of the Pope”. The region is steeped in history and winemaking and produce some of France’s finest red wines. The wines are big, bold and full of flavor. The predominant grapes from the area are Grenache Noir (70%), Syrah (11%), and Mourvèdre (7%) and these grapes make up the majority of the blends in the region. Other grapes that may or may not be added to these wines include Cinsaut, Claudette, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, and Bourboulenc. The warm climate and high sugars produce wines with typically high alcohol levels. Traditional winemaking techniques involve fermenting with the stems resulting in complex wines with higher tannins. Thus, these wines tend to be laid down in the cellar for years before they are ready for drinking. This practice has been changing in recent years as the stem tannins tend to be more bitter than from the skins. Also, as Grenache Noir is prone to oxidize, the wines are not often stored in small oak barrels but aged in large concrete tanks or larger oak barrels or tanks.
Did you know
olks often reach for a beer at a BBQ but we think wine is just fine. And there are many wines that pair great with slow cooked meats and grilled veggies from crisp and light white wines to big bold and fruity reds. Join us at 4e Winery on Saturday, July 9 for a BBQ and wine tasting that is sure to please every palate. The wines will not disappoint.
When you think of wines from the south, thoughts of Argentinian malbecs and Chilean carmeneres come to mind. But there are fantastic wines being made much closer to the United States. Nestled in the valleys of Baja California just south of the border is a vibrant wine industry where top quality producers are growing cabernet sauvignon, zinfandel, syrah, tempranillo and many more. So come along with us as we climb over the wall to enjoy these delicious and unique wines. You’ll be over the moon about these wine from over the wall.
