by Lizbeth Congiusti

When my husband Bob and I moved to Arizona from Chicago, I was anxious to see what was happening in the Arizona Wine business.  It was 2003 and in our opinion the local wine makers struggled to find the right nitch.  Wine makers struggled to make drinkable wines.

Wine drinkers struggled to find a pleasant wine tasting experience.

We are happy to report the Arizona Wine Growers are doing a much better job of making really nice drinkable wines as witnessed on Sunday October 23 at the Farm South Mountain where Sam Pillsbury released several of their NEW wines.

Pillsbury Wildchild White “Crop Circles” 2009

The newest release from Sam Pillsbury, an aromatic dry white wine a field blend of Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Malvasia and Muscat with a touch of Roussanne is one you will want to try.  “Super fragrant explosive and nose of lychee, jasmine, honeysuckle and frangipani, with fresh pineapple, pear and lime in the mouth, finishing very fresh and clean.”  While this wine has not been rated by other local sommeliers we give this a “High-five” for drinkability and food pairing ease.

Pillsbury Wildchild Red “Crop Circles” 2009

This very drinkable red is 100% Arizona grown. “Fields blend of Syrah, Petite Sirah, Sangiovese, Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon.”  Some might call it everything but “the kitchen sink” we call it good to drink.  With a welcoming ruby red color red currant and cranberry on the nose with a hint of earthiness this wine has a great mouth feel.

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and both of these food friendly wines will make a welcome addition to your holiday table.

Visit http://www.pillsburywine.com for additional information on availability in your area.

By Lizbeth Conguisti, the Sassy Sommelier

On most days in the greater Phoenix/Scottsdale area one can find anywhere from 25 – 50 wine tasting events available for your enjoyment.  Often times the events will offer a tasting of many different red and white wine varieties from all over the world. 

What do you do with sooooo many wines to taste?

The type of mood you’re in will determine how to go about tasting the many wine selections offered. 

Out to enjoy the evening and taste some wine?  Grab your glass and get started in any direction that makes you happy.  You can spend the time tasting your old favorites, “the usual suspects” you enjoy — Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot.  There are only four things you need to know about wine; red, white, what you like and what you don’t like.

If you’re tasting for a learning experience, taking a systematic approach is helpful. 

Starting with Champagne or sparkling wine is a great way to open your palette and prepare your taste buds for the many other wines to come. 

Continue by following the rules of serving wine.  Taste whites before reds and begin with light bodied before full bodied wines.  

Visit the regions or appellations of the world you are most interested in experiencing.  Take the time to taste the wines of the same variety from each different region/appellation before moving on to the next grape variety that interests you.  For example, if tasting Chenin Blanc, taste all the Chenin Blanc’s offered from different producers and regions/applications before moving on to Sauvignon Blanc.  

It is very difficult to go back and forth between tasting white and then red wines.  If you do this, you may only truly enjoy the first two wines you taste. 

When approaching the tasting table, ask the winemaker or representative to educate you on their wine.  You’ll find everyone loves to talk about the wines they make or represent. It’s a great way to get them talking.

Take notes on color, aroma, mouth feel, taste and finish.  Note the grape variety/blend, vintage, appellation, winery/producer, vineyard/estate and your first impression.  If you find a wine you particularly like, take a picture of the label.  It will make it easier for you to remember the wine after all the tasting you are doing.  Pick up a copy of Sip, Swirl, Savor; A Wine Tasting Guide and Journal available at Amazon.com and follow the “My Notes” page to keep track of the wines you taste. 

At first you may feel you are not taking advantage of all the wines offered.  You may only taste whites at one tasting and reds at the next tasting event.  We suggest you give this system a try; you’ll find you will enjoy more wines at each and every tasting you attend as you learn more about the wines and regions you have tasted. 

Whatever approach you take, drink responsibly, enjoy the wines and leave with a list you’ll want to drink at home.

By Lizbeth Conguisti, the Sassy Sommelier

Professional wine tasters and writers have created a lengthy list of descriptive words to help us understand the characteristics, fragrances, and aromas of the many different wine varieties on the market today. Unfortunately, many of us do not smell the same scents in the glass that the pros do.

My suggestion is to find your own descriptive words to describe what you smell in your glass when you taste. If the wine in your glass smells like your grandmother’s cedar chest, and that is something you like using to describe the wine, this will work well for you. The same is true for the taste in the glass. Look for a taste you are familiar with, things you can identify and put a name to. All the descriptive words are useless unless they can help you remember what is in your glass. Match the smell and taste of the wine to something you can identify and remember. To help you build your vocabulary of descriptive words, take time when in the grocery store to smell fresh fruit, vegetables, flowers, and spices. In no time you’ll have your own lengthy list of descriptive words.

A few key words on Italian wine labels you need to pay attention to: “classic” is the word used to reference the “heart of the region”. We often see this word used on the label of wines from the Chianti region.  The other term we wanted to bring to your attention is “superiore” — to use this word on an Italian wine label indicates higher alcohol. 

My Italian heritage makes Italy my favorite place to vacation and when I am not in the country I love tasting Italian wines. Over the past few weeks we’ve tasted a few wines we would like to share with you. Our hope is you’ll find them enjoyable.

Colli di Soligio Prosecco Brut, NV:

100% Prosecco. A sparkling wine made from grapes from the Treviso hills.  A wine with delicate flavor notes of dry fruit and mangoes, with a pleasant and creamy aftertaste on the palate.

Firrato Chiarmonte Nero d’Avola:

100% Nero D’Avola. The Nero D’Avola is a native grape to Sicily. This wine is full bodied, opaque deep purple color, with ripe plum and spice notes. Exotic flavors and a silky finish. 

Tenuta de Capezzana Barco Reale di Carmingnano, Toscana DOC 2006:

A blend of 70% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet and 10% Canaiolo Nero. It is ruby red in color, with attractive youthful perfumes of ripe, red fruit, strawberries and redcurrants with the French oak adding a spicy depth. On the palate, it has lovely balance between lively, red fruit characters and smooth, spicy tannins. The quality is sustained right to the finish (Wine makers notes). I couldn’t agree more.

By Lizbeth Conguisti, the Sassy Sommelier

The month of April seemed to fly by with lots of wine tasting and a segment on Arizona Midday 12 News on Wednesday April 7^th.  For this segment I focused on Arizona wines and what a nice surprise they turned out to be. 

I reached out to the Arizona Wine Growers who were very anxious to have us taste their wines.  At the Tempe Wine Festival in late March I had the opportunity to meet the wine makers and taste a lot of incredible wine from Arizona.  Our friend and associate Tim Hilcove of www.WeeklyWineJournal.com  filmed a few segments for his blog.  

On Saturday I visited the Sphinx Date Ranch on Scottsdale road just south of Earll Drive to taste Dos Cabezas Wines.  The date ranch is a great resource for tasting and purchasing Arizona grown and made wines.  They feature ONLY Arizona wines in their location.

Don’t shy away from Arizona Wines. The wine growers and makers are really starting to understand the soil and with that, the needs of the vines in this very unique growing area.  I believe I will continue to taste more good wines coming from our Arizona wineries.

Keep it local with Arizona wines!

Following the 5 S’s (see, swirl, sniff, sip and savor), I enjoyed the following wines and believe you will too. 

Page Spring Cellars Vino de la Familia Blanca 2008: 100% Arizona Malvasia Bianca

I agree totally with the wine maker on this wine; loved the fruit and will definitely drink it again.  

White wine for the Family! This is a wine to be shared with ones close to you. Its fragrant, tropical aromas jump from your wine glass, stimulating both the senses and conversation. With historical viticulture origins in southeastern Turkey, this liquid landscape is ancient and new — simple but complex. Enjoy the waves of pineapple, mandarin, muskmelon, lemon and honeysuckle with an open mind and thoughts of the high elevation Arizona desert. Enjoy this wine young.  (Wine Maker Notes)

Dos Cabezas Wine Works “El Norte” 2008: Grenach 55%, Mourvedre 25%, Syrah20%

This is a small production winery; they produce limited quantities of all of their wines. So when you find a wine from them you like you’ll need to stock up!  

This blend of three red grapes is full bodied with great deep dark color hints of dried fruit, with a touch of acidity on the finish.  I suggest enjoying this wine with grilled Italian sausages on a warm summer day.

Pillsbury Wine Company “Roan Red” 2008: Grenache 68%, Mourvedre 14%, Syrah 16%, Petite Syrah 2%

Another of Arizona’s small producers has changed the spelling of the grape from “Rhone” to “Roan”. In either case this is a wine you will want to sample when you get the opportunity.  I tasted this wine twice over the past few weeks and found it best after decanting. 

This medium-bodied dry wine is made from hand-picked single vineyard grapes they planted in a high desert valley, and matured in neutral American Oak for 12 months.  Delicate and fragrant, it has a nose of white flower and spice, a fresh, clean palate with red cherry, sandalwood, nutmeg and cinnamon, finishing with soft tannins and a hint of toasty oak. (wine maker notes)

Keeling-Schaffer Vineyards “Three Sisters Syrah” 2008

This husband and wife team is dedicated wine makers and offer this enjoyable dark red for your sipping pleasure.

Very ripe, dense and lush in the mouth, their “Three Sisters”, planted at their home ranch high in the foothills of Arizona’s Chiricahua Mountains, reflects a fruit-forward style and a floral nose. (wine maker notes)

Arizona wines now offer another great opportunity to shop local, even for the most discriminating wine connoisseur.

By Lizbeth Congiusti, The Sassy Sommelier

The first thing I think about when I think of February is how cold it is in Chicago.  I am from Chicago and I love the Arizona weather.

The second thing I think of is Valentine’s Day, going out for dinner, chocolate and enjoying a nice bottle of wine.

My idea of wine and chocolate follows everything I know about wine tasting, there are NO Rules, only guidelines to get you started.  Once you get started follow your nose and your pallet.  Your heart will lead you to what you like and what works best for you.

With any food and wine pairing you’ll need to pay attention to both the wine and the chocolate.     Red wine has tannin and chocolate has bitterness.  You’ll want your wine and your chocolate to be at least equal in their tannin and bitterness or even better your wine should be slightly sweeter than the chocolate.

Full bodied Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlots and Zinfandels with hints of cocoa marries well with bittersweet chocolate.   “Branham Jazz” is a blended wine with hints of cocoa and coffee, give it a try.

Milk Chocolate works well with Pinot Noirs because of their lighter tannins and essence of strawberry jam.  “Loring Wine Company” pinot noir collection makes an easy to pair with chocolate.

My favorite chocolate pairing is fresh strawberries dipped in white chocolate with sparkling wine or champagne.  “Soligo Prosecco Brut” from Italy has a sweet finish and complements the strawberry and sweetness of the white chocolate.

I learned a long time ago, my picks may not be yours so YOU need to keep tasting wine.   It truly is the only way to learn what you like.

Also, the economy has affected wine drinkers.  We are looking for values, we want to be sure we like the wine before we buy it and many of us are going back to what we know Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay.  Under $20 is the preferred price BUT under $10 is BETTER.

Folie a Deux Menage a Trois a red blend is consistently good and a great price under $8 at Costco.

Bander Cuvee Natalie a blend of Riesling, Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc is something you’ll really love as it heats up in the valley.  Usually around $15 per bottle, you can ask your local retailer to order it for you.