WPSU Wine Celebration

02/17/2012

A very worthy winter wine made from southern Italy's thick-skinned towering giant - Aglianico grapes. The Mastroberandino family led the way towards putting this wine on the Italian and international stage. Enjoy...!

While "Aglianico" was not previously in many people's wine vocabulary, a few assured me it was now a "welcome addition". Since you typically only find Chianti Classico at this price point, some were "thrilled" to find an Italian offering in our state store system that was "a bit out of the ordinary"...

02/14/2012

Outside some fine bubbly, you might revel in this fresh, crisp, beautifully perfumed white Italian wine with your Valentine - Zona Pecorino Abruzzo 2010 Chairman's Selection™ $12 - Quoted at $17 - Save $5

Color: Yellow, pale yellow, with golden hues.
Bouquet: Full notes of green tea and mature peach.
Mouth: Great structure, long and persistent.
Pairing: Suitable with shellfish and other seafood."

A first for PLCB shelves, the Pecorino grape was nearly extinct when a few vines were cut in Italy's Le Marche region and identified as Pecorino. If you are tired of chardonnay you must try this outstanding white wine. Aromas of fresh fruits, peach, melon, rose petal and ginger. The palate is filled with peach, green tea, mango, white pepper and hints of nuts. Fresh, juicy and absolutely stunning!"
Year: 2010
Size: 750ML
Variety: Other White Varietals
Product Code: 32213
http://www.finewineandgoodspirits.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?level0=null&level1=&level2=&level3=&level4=&catalogId=10051&storeId=10051&productId=1495838&langId=-1&prodlistCatId=Wines%20by%20Variety&parent_category_rn=Wines%20by%20Variety

02/08/2012

What it's all about - great food & wine pairings... Comté cheese meshes perfectly with young Tawny Port's blend of fruitiness and caramelized notes from aging in older barrels. Sandeman's Tawny Porto, Portugal (PLCB code 6507; $13.99) has a ruby color with amber hints offering lovely floral and fruit aromas with toffee notes. Dried fruit and vanilla flavors ba...lance with fresh acidity and a sweet finish. Recommended.

Made available @ Wegman's recently, Comté, a delicious French cheese, makes a heavenly match with Portugal's Tawny Ports.

Comté comes from the unpasteurized milk of mottled red-and-white Montbéliarde open pasture cattle grazing high atop Frances' Jura Mountains on grasses and flowers. After aging typically between 6 and 18 months in cool, humid caves, Comté delivers complex aromas of nuts, dried fruit, vanilla, spicy nutmeg and subtle citrus. Rich, buttery flavors emerge from the firm, yet creamy, texture.

The marvelous alchemy of two together generating more than the sum of the parts holds as true with romance as it does wine and food.

02/06/2012

For all you Malbec-drinking Argentine wine fans - a longtime great quality for value red wine arrived to the PLCB's luxury section for the first time at a very fine price - Altos Las Hormigas Malbec Mendoza 2010, 750 ML, Price: $10.49 [PLCB Code: 20023]. If you a fan of Argentina's star red grape, worth a taste. N. Atherton St. had few on hand, so a call to the store may be in order. PLCB's Luxury Store for Centre County - 1682 N ATHERTON ST STATE COLLEGE, PA, 16803-1416 tel. 814-863-6525

Comes from sites over 800 meters in elevation, located both in Lujan de Cujo, which gives it its fruit forward character, and Valle de Uco, to add spices, floral. All the vineyards have been selected for their soil and impeccable drainage, which avoids excess vigour...

02/01/2012

Wine of the week - Château d'Or et de Gueules Cuvée Trassegum 2009 $14.99 on Chairman's Selection™ [Quoted at $25.00*......Save $10.01]

Biarritz native and powerhouse winemaker Diane de Puymorin'S 2009 Rhone-style Château d'Or et de Gueules Cuvée Trassegum AOC Costières de Nîmes is a great winter wine. Read below about this deep and hearty wine from southern France.

"A potentially outstanding, elegant wine with lots of blue, red and black fruits intermixed with a hint of loamy soil notes giving a distinct earthy, peppery character to its medium to full-bodied, attractive flavors."
--88-90 points Wine Advocate, October 2010

"Deeply colored, the wine's robe is inky, with a complex bouquet of dark fruits, vanilla and coffee. Spicy and concentrated mouth with a very good length."
*Winemaker's notes

Cuvée Trassegum Rouge (means "love potion" in France's occitan language »)
Awards :
2007 : Parker Wine Advocate Oct 2009: 90/100
2009 : Parker Wine Advocate Oct 2010 : 88-90
Varietals : Syrah(50%), Old Carignan carbonic maceration(25%), Old Mourvedre(25%)
Wine making process : The grape is harvested by hand for the old vines mourvedre and carignan.
Grape are fermentated with long traditional extractions (28 days). Pneumatic press and high control of temperature. 1 year in french barrels and 2 years in tank in order to smooth the tanin.
Tasting notes : Deep coloured, spicy and concentrated mouth with a very good length. The robe is like ink, their is a complex nose of dark fruits. The mouth is really ample, concentrated and the taste lingers.

02/01/2012

Worth getting to know - the wines of southwest France!! With wine prices spiraling upward, enjoy discovering some diverse, well-made wines that deliver great value - some great winter PLCB wine recommendations inside.

With wine prices spiraling upward, lighten the heart and put a smile on your face by discovering diverse, well-made bottles delivering terrific value. Welcome to the wines of South West France.

01/18/2012

Penns Woods Winery takes up roots @ Chestnut Hill Growers' Market Year-round market!! Stop down to this wonderful, historic town to sample PA's renowned wines by vintner Gino Razzi at Chestnut Hill Growers' Market Year-round market!
Winter Hours:10 am to 1 pm
Winter Schedule: 2nd and 4th Saturdays, January -April.
Location: Winston Road between Germantown Avenue and Mermaid Lane, Chestnut Hill , PA http://www.pennswoodsevents.com

Penns Woods Winery is the result of Gino Razzi 's lifetime of experience in the world of wine. A respected importer and distributor of wine, Gino is an Italian immigrant from Abruzzo, in southern...

01/14/2012

Hot sun, Spanish and French beaches backed with acres of wine country define France’s Languedoc and Roussillon (L&R) wine regions. Here's a great wine, travel and food article and a very good Bila-Haut, Côtes du Roussillon white wine tip. Ringing the Mediterranean Sea, L&R has an ideal wine-growing climate, filled with hot, sunny days, strong, refreshing winds and delightfully dry growing seasons. L&R wines traditionally feature grenache blanc and grenache gris for dry white wines and hearty, juicy carignan, grenache noir and mourvèdre for reds. Discover L&R’s sexy summer, seafood-friendly whites and hearty winter warming reds no matter what season for a southern French state of mind...to dash away cold wintery central PA winter days and nights like today.

With a closer look at geography, culture, and terroir, Roussillon stands out as a distinct, vibrant wine growing region with breathtaking natural beauty.

12/24/2011

Some great recommendations for your holiday sparkling wine shopping in this week's PGH Tribune wine column. For some lovely Italian rosé prosecco - try the N.V. Cantine di Clara C, Fiori Brut Rosé, Italy (Special Liquor order 514689, $20.39 call 800-332-PLCB (7522), option No. 1 to order)

Shop now, before Christmas. Buy sparkling wines for Christmas and New Year's celebrations. A little bubbly always brightens and revives flagging spirits amidst the holiday bustle.

09/23/2011

When people think about styles of wine, certain names usually come to mind — cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, zinfandel. Recently, a new (or old, depending on how you look at it) kid on the block is giving the traditional favorites a run for their money and will be the featured star at a wine tasting...

09/23/2011

While this year’s WPSU Wine Festival will primarily offer wines from established wineries, guests also will be able to sample the creation of a couple of local “amateur” winemakers. Lash Segens, which was blended by Ed and Jo Lash, of Boalsburg, will be among the offerings of Starr Hill Winery and V...