Cortese Sabuci Cerasuolo di Vittoria: Surprise in Glass

This wine was a wonderful surprise in so many ways. I had been in touch with the winery – Azienda Agricola Cortese – back in March and then as the world fell apart, I forgot all about that exchange. Then on the day of my actual birthday last month, my husband handed me an unexpected package – it was the Cortese wine. Happy birthday, indeed! 

Not paying full attention to the “gift,” I stuck the bottle in the refrigerator thinking that it was a white wine. Why? I’m not entirely sure, but I think I was confusing the winery’s name – Cortese – with the grape of the same name, which is a white variety.

So, one evening when my husband and I were about to have dinner (Branzino stuffed with tomatoes, capers and olives), we reached into the fridge, pulled out the Sabuci wine and proceeded to open it to enjoy with dinner…until we discovered that it wasn’t white at all, but red.

While I don’t think that there is only one right wine pairing, I do generally shy away from reds with delicate white fish since the wine can cause a metallic taste in the fish. Instead, we opened up a Chardonnay and permitted the red wine to warm up after its lengthy chill.

An hour or so after dinner, when the fish was merely a memory, I poured a glass of the Sicilian wine and turned my attention to what was in the glass. It was such a lovely discovery!

Photo courtesy of winery.

Azienda Agricola Cortese was initially owned by Giovanna Cortese. However, as Giovanna became older, she recognized that she was unable to maintain the winery on her own and, since none of her family members indicated an interest in taking over, she set out to sell the estate. After six years of intense negotiations, the winery was purchased by Stefano and Marina Girelli of Trento, Italy. The two were keenly aware that Sicily was a great wine producing region with significant potential and seized the opportunity to make their mark with organic, low-intervention wines.

Part of their La Selezione range, the grapes for the Sabuci Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG are grown within the Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG denomination, which is situated in the south central part of the island. More specifically, the Sabuci Cerasuolo di Vittoria hails from a small hamlet of the same name, which has been an important area for wine production ever since the Greeks established vineyards there.

This organic wine is a blend of the indigenous varieties of Nero d’Avola (70%) and Frappato (30%). The former is fermented in barriques, while the latter is fermented in 7hl terracotta amphorae, further drawing on the wine’s historical roots. The wines are then blended together and aged for six months in various vessels before being bottled and eventually released.

After tasting the Sabuci wine, it is clear that the Girelli’s are truly harnessing the potential of their winery. It was truly a very welcome surprise in a glass!

TASTING NOTE
Sabuci Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG 2016, Sicily, Italy, $20.00 (estimate)
This wine delivers plush aromas of berries, plum and cranberry with an undercurrent of herbal notes, namely wet leaves and tobacco, along with vibrant acidity, medium+ body and long length.

Photo courtesy of winery.



All I want for Christmas: Things that sparkle

Regardless of which winter holidays you do or don’t celebrate, who doesn’t want to be on the receiving end of presents? So, with that in mind, I am starting a list just in case anyone wants to know what to get me. Next up, all that glitters!

One of the things I always say is that everything is better that sparkles. This is true of water, wine, diamonds and personalities!

So, you can be sure that I had to have one of these Goldish aura-activated sparkling body chains when I first saw them in the Journelle email that featured them… until I saw the price (but that’s why they make such a perfect gift).

 

 

 

Also not in the budget, but definitely on the Desire List are almost any of Christian Louboutin‘s embellished pumps collection as seen in an email from Nordstrom, although the one pictured is my favorite of the lot. Oh well, a girl can dream.

 

Thankfully, the Gaudi-inspired, beautifully-packaged,  duo of Cavas from Vilarnau is an affordable option to imbue your holidays with glitz and glamour. Named for the Arnau family’s castle that stood on the banks of the Anoia River, the Vilarnau property, situated just outside Barcelona, evokes a magical scene right out of a fairy tale. Available in a classic Brut Reserva (SRP $14.99) and a Brut Reserva Rosé (SRP $15.99), these sparkling wines will be a welcome addition to any celebration.

And you’ll still have money left over to gift me a pair of shoes!

Putting Provence Rose on the Map and In Your Glass

As an old Virginia Slims ad used to say, “You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby.” While that slogan was targeted at women during the Women’s Lib movement of the late 1960s, the same sentiment might be attributed to rosé wine.

For decades, wine was relegated to two colors: white and red. Then, slowly, but surely, pink eased its way in.

As evidence of this shift, last summer, wine brand Chateau D’Esclans celebrated its tenth anniversary, hosted by Shaw-Ross International Importers, the brand’s U.S. importer since its launch in 2006. As Paul Chevalier, National Fine Wine Director for Shaw Ross recounted, “it has been quite a ride these past ten years. The key behind this early partnership was Sacha Lichine, and it was Sacha’s determination to put rosé on the map that convinced us. And trust me; no one was drinking rosé in the U.S. back in 2006.”

While rosé sales in the U.S. had begun to grow slightly in the early 2000s, it wasn’t until 2008 that the category really started to take off, a trend that continues today. And far from this trend being over, Chevalier believes that the rosé category still has a strong future ahead. “What we are seeing now is that rosé consumption is starting to spread across all 50 states (specifically middle America). That was hardly the case even just three years ago… This has a long way to go.”

Like Sacha Lichine, Mathilde Chapouter has been a big proponent of crafting quality rosé wine in Provence and was (and continues to be) the driving force behind the creation of Grand Ferrage Rosé, which required a lobbying effort on her part to convince her dad (famed winemaker, Michel Chapouter).

Thanks to Sacha, Mathilde and others, rosé is now here to stay and it was with great pleasure that I received the most recent vintage of Mathilde Chapoutier’s Grand Ferrage Rosé. With its gold-inked inscription, “From Provence, with Love, Mathilde,” I felt like I was receiving a gift from an old friend, having met Mathilde previously [See my story on Mathilde]. The wine was the perfect accompaniment to a pesto pasta salad, which I enjoyed at a Summer Solstice celebration in Central Park and very much in keeping with Mathilde’s philosophy in making a wine to be shared with friends.

Mathilde Chapoutier Grand Ferrage Rosé 2017, Cotes de Provence, France, SRP: $24.00
Its floral aromas, were joined by flavors of melon and strawberry on the medium-bodied palate, along with beautifully bright acidity. It has a lovely, yet delicate, structure, culminating in long length.

 

 

Fierce, fabulous and Femme!

Last week, my friend and Femme! Creator, Bernadette Pleasant, shot and produced a video to promote her amazing movement classes, Femme! This “fusion of sensual movement, dance, meditation, creative visualization and celebration of the feminine form” offers women a safe and sacred place in which to celebrate their bodies and themselves.

During the same week, in another feminine celebration, Carol Duval-Leroy was in New York to launch the re-release of Femme de Champagne 1996. Known as the “Lady of Champagne,” Carol has been at the helm of Duval-Leroy since 1991 and is now joined in the family business by her three sons. Duval-Leroy’s tête de cuvée (top wine) was named in Carol’s honor and was initially produced in 1990 to take advantage of the vintage’s unique weather conditions and the (then) newly built winery’s smaller tanks.

Femme de Champagne was next made in 1995, followed by the spectacular vintage of 1996. The 1996 vintage of Femme de Champagne was first released to rave reviews, garnering high scores from the wine media and prompting the Champagne house to hold back a substantial quantity for additional aging. These bottles were then carefully stored upside down in the caves to avoid any oxygenation. After spending 21 years on the lees (yeast), these wines were recently disgorged (had the lees removed) and are now ready to hit the U.S. market.

The 1996 vintage has repeatedly been hailed as one of the best Champagne vintages and one I have admittedly been partial to because it is also my anniversary year. But, the Femme de Champagne 1996 is worthy of the hype. It was a beautiful, breathtaking wine!

While I did not take formal tasting notes during the celebration, perhaps the most amazing characteristic of these wines (we also tasted the 1990 and 1995) was their youthful freshness. I know that their RD (recently disgorged) status lends itself to this fresh quality, but it was remarkable not to find any hint of age in the glass. There were no oxidative notes, no mushroom aromas; nothing to imply that these wines were as old as they were.

But, they did have spectacular elegance with laser sharp acidity, bright citrus fruit, complex yeast aromas, well-integrated bubbles and long length.

Established in 1859, Duval-Leroy is among the smaller Champagne houses in the Champagne region. With only 494 acres under its ownership, Duval-Leroy limits its production to estate grown grapes, which is quite unusual for a region in which the majority of large producers buy grapes from its many small growers.

Yet, despite its size, the House prides itself on its innovation and its number of “firsts” including Carol Duval-Leroy’s distinction of being the first and only woman to date to be appointed president of the Association Viticole Champenoise and having the first vat room in the world to use photovoltaic solar panels, a rainwater harvesting system and a green wall for heat and sound insulation. A further hallmark of Duval-Leroy is that its wines are released when ready, even if that means that they are out of sequence.

The woman-only event was held at Air’s Champagne Bar, which opened earlier this year. The unique venue is owned by Ariel Arce, named one of Wine Enthusiast’s 40 under 40 for 2017. In addition to having a deep menu of Champagne and other sparkling wines, Arce is also known for her Parlour Hour (5:00-7:00 PM daily) during which patrons can purchase three glasses of bubbly plus snacks for $30. Wednesday’s focus is on female winemakers, while Sundays offer a twist: serving up “one wine that we should never pour by the glass” along with snacks for the same $30. Not surprisingly, the menu includes an assortment of bubble-friendly food such as the oysters, caviar and charcuterie that were perfectly paired with the Femme de Champagne.

With a limited production, there won’t be much Femme de Champagne 1996 to go around, but it is currently availa ble at Morrell Wine for $295 if you wish to buy a bottle for yourself. After all, while Americans tend to save Champagne for a special occasion, Duval-Leroy’s export manager touted that the Champenois open a bottle of Champagne in order to create an occasion of the every day.

Certainly, enjoying a glass of Femme de Champagne will elevate any day of the year and we should always celebrate the feminine in all its forms!

International Cover Up and the Feminine Rising

After years of waiting, we were finally visiting Morocco, a dream destination. The trip coincided with the final weeks of the U.S. election, against the backdrop of a pussy-grabbing, wannabe politician making headlines at home and the publication of Regena Thomashauer’s new book, Pussy.

As a part of Regina’s Sister Goddess community, I was proud and excited as we, together, took back this word and reclaimed it for ourselves. Hers was a daring title choice: provocative, decisive and divisive, but so necessary for this moment.

Yet, despite my awakened state, my husband and I also believe strongly in respecting other people and other cultures – the idea of being the ugly Americans is anathema to us – so I struggled about what to wear in a patriarchal, Muslim country.

A friend recommended covering my blond head to limit unwanted attention from locals while blogs and other online articles warned that Western women were presumed to be unchaste (and thus available) by Moroccan men merely due to their skimpy attire.

While still at home, mentally packing my suitcase, I began to notice other women on the subway and was able to spot a handful of women who I deemed to be ideally dressed for the occasion. They were here among us, but so, too, was everyone else; on New York City transit, nearly anything goes. But, I was certain that my preferred clothing choices – body conscious, sleeveless, knee-length dresses – would be unwelcome abroad.

Initially, I had grand visions of chic caftans or stylish palazzo pants and tunics, but I had neither the time nor the money to source such garments. Instead, I shopped online; shopped in person; then shopped again – unsure how to implement what I learned or how I wanted to dress. It became an unhealthy obsession as I focused on fashion instead of researching sight-seeing options. I returned some items and kept others until I thought I had a “respectable” wardrobe, but I didn’t love what I packed.

I arrived at our first hotel in my usual flight uniform (black dress, black leggings and a long black sweater), but, surprisingly, we were greeted by a woman in a sleeveless blouse and mid-length skirt. Had I been wrong to worry?

As it turned out, she was more the exception rather than the rule, although I did see women – particularly younger women – wearing skinny jeans with a long-sleeved blouse and a head scarf. It was only when we got to the desert that I saw the burka obliterating a woman’s presence – covering her head and face; we saw only her eyes.

img_20161014_072330875_hdrDressing on day one of our journey, I donned a newly purchased outfit: baggy, printed pants; an unstructured, black blouse; and a long, black cardigan, which hid my body and, ultimately, hid my true personality. I didn’t feel good in the unflattering clothes; I didn’t feel like me. They were bulky, ill-fitting swathes of fabric that hung on me rather than hugged my body. And, with the warm weather, I was further made uncomfortable.

In Morocco to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary, we had made reservations at several top restaurants. Such vacation evenings are usually a time to get dressed up “fancy” and look good (read sexy). Instead, I wore an outdated, full-length dress with flats and a black scarf to cover my upper body.

Walking home after dinner, my shawl slipped from my shoulders. They were bare and exposed; my décolletage now obviously on display. I panicked, feeling the overwhelming need to cover up – all at once, I felt it… shame!

But, whereas American women have body shame for being too fat, too flat-chested, too busty or for having big thighs [or are otherwise too something], this was a different kind of shame. This was a sense of feeling that my body was impure and inherently dirty. The feeling was visceral and powerful, taking me completely by surprise as I am certainly not ashamed of my body.

Yet, as I was uncovered, I was wrapped up in the collective consciousness. Perhaps when we immerse ourselves in the culture, it becomes both a physical and metaphysical immersion.

As the journey continued, I was assailed by other latent cultural messages about the feminine…We toured a synagogue in Fez’ Jewish quarter and saw a mikveh, the ritual bath in which women must immerse themselves monthly to restore themselves to a clean state. Meanwhile, at the hammam, I was asked to strip down to nothing other than paper panties as a female attendant pawed my chest with a rough mitt, scrubbing my skin raw.  I stood before her naked and unashamed.

Upon taking the throne, the current King of Morocco, Mohammed 6, ruled that women were not required to cover their head. Other reforms for women have been enacted such as raising the minimum age for marriage to 18 and compelling a man to pay child support when divorcing his wife. But, admittedly, there is work to do (the literacy rate for women is still under 50%) and, as we were reminded by at least one Moroccan man, the country needs to focus on basic human rights – food, clothing, shelter – for people, before they can focus on broader rights. Moreover, it seems that fully emancipating women takes a back seat to sustaining religious beliefs with a backlash from men and women alike as they grapple with changes to the ingrained patriarchal system.

Once again stateside, I was eager to move my body again – to be feminine and fluid and to celebrate my curves – bringing myself to my home away from home, the S Factor NY studio. Afterward, a quick post on Facebook, expressing my pleasure at feeling uncovered and freed, was quickly shut down by a male “friend” with his comment asking to see photos of my “uncovered and free to move feminine body.”

But, upon reading his words, there was no shame; only righteous anger at the pervasive patriarchy that lingers in my own culture – all the more reason (and need) to continue to reclaim ourselves and our bodies.

This feeling has persisted in the weeks following the election – the world is in dire need of the feminine voice. A conversation with my friend IRL confirmed that he is generally a good person, but still doesn’t get how his words can be hurtful or why there should be any antipathy to what he wrote. I was at a loss as to how to more fully respond, but perhaps he is too immersed in our patriarchal culture to see it. Such misogyny both here and abroad should not and can not be tolerated. This is not an indictment of the masculine, but rather a call to sing in harmony with one another. The world has waited too long and the time is now to lift our voices.

As Sheila Kelley, founder of S Factor, wrote on FB in the wake of the election, “…We cannot let this hurt keep us from our shine. We cannot stop daring. We must dare every day. Dare to reach further. Dare to live deeper. Dare to shine brighter. Dare to run for the highest office in this nation. Because when we all dare together the collective energy of feminine hope will make change happen. Let’s use this unraveling to unite even tighter, to unite into such a force of nature that nothing and no one will be able to keep us down. Let’s use the hate that comes flying at us to fuel our love. The feminine has always been resilient. We bend and not break. When we go down. We dare to rise again. I am fired up. Fiercely emboldened. For this I am grateful. United we thrive and will rise.”

Champagne Fleury is a name to know

2016-09-20-12-59-20Representing the four generation of her family in the wine business, Morgane Fleury stopped by Racine’s to showcase her family’s portfolio of Champagnes for the wine press. Champagne Fleury’s market visit provided an opportunity for me to become acquainted with this winery, which was new to me, despite its long history in the region

The boutique producer has racked up a lengthy list of noteworthy firsts: the first to graft Pinot Noir vines in the Côte des Bar area in 1894; the first Recolant-Manipulant (RM) in the Aube in 1929; and the first biodynamic producer in 1989 (presently certified by Demeter and Biodyvin). Situated in the village of Courteron, Champagne Fleury’s 15 hectares of vineyards are within the southernmost point of the Côte des Bar. Although this area is lesser known than others within Champagne, Fleury is showing that the microclimate and soils are very suitable for producing high quality Champagne.

Building on their ancestors’ pioneering spirit, the company is currently run by Jean-Sebastien Fleury in the cellar, Benoit Fleury in the vineyard and Morgane Fleury in Paris, who owns a wine shop in addition to establishing relationships with local restaurants and promoting the brand worldwide.

2016-09-20-12-08-15I was most impressed with the Blanc de Noirs Brut NV, which is produced from 100% Pinot Noir, a grape variety that does especially well in this area of Champagne. The wine offers up a pronounced nose of floral notes and bright, red fruit, with a lovely intensity on the palate.

The Notes Blanches Brut Nature was also quite interesting. This 100% Pinot Blanc, which has had some wood contact during the fermentation process, is very clean and bright, with high acidity, yeasty, bready, creamy notes and hints of citrus and floral on the palate.2016-09-20-12-56-15

Meanwhile, the Cepages Blancs 2006 Extra Brut, produced with 100% Chardonnay, was weightier with woody, yeasty and brioche aromas and flavors, culminating in long length.

Finally, the 100% Pinot Noir-based Bolero 2005 Extra Brut was essentially sex in a glass with its yeasty, sweaty and earthy aromas and flavors.

Not surprisingly, the Champagnes provided a nice range of food pairing possibilities during the seated lunch.

 

50 Shades of Rosé

The heat is on (some might call it sultry), but there’s no need to get all hot and bothered. Although there’s no prohibition against drinking rosé during the winter months (admittedly ordering rosé in the middle of a snow storm may raise some eyebrows), summer is certainly a perfect time for turning to rose-colored glasses.

Not quite white and definitely not crimson, these wines are somewhere in between, but offer a wide range of styles. With a grape’s color pigments contained in its skin and not in the pulp, rosé wines are produced primarily from red grapes, but with much more limited contact between the skins and grape juice (think tie-dyeing). Longer macerations and more deeply pigmented grapes will result in wines with deeper, more intense shades of pink (and frequently more body and flavor intensity), while shorter skin contact and paler grape varieties create lighter-bodied rosés with just a blush of color.

Purse your lips and get ready to enjoy these wonderfully refreshing wines, broadly available at your neighborhood wine shop this time of year. Astor Wines has not just one, but two special sections of rosés in the store – a more general selection of rosés and another limited to those priced at $10.00 and under. A few of their wines are listed as organic. Aside from the usual suspects, an unusually shaped, box wine hailing from southwest France is offered in a “Vinity Case de Buzet.” This Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, priced at $25.00, is the equivalent of four bottles of wine, but is easily transported to the party.

Uptown, Sherry-Lehmann kicks off summer with Rosé Fridays. Starting June 22, 2012 and running for the next eleven weeks, the store will pour a selection of rosés from 3:00-5:00 pm each Friday afternoon (505 Park Avenue @ 59th Street, New York, NY 10022).

If you can’t unleash your inner goddess at least you can unleash your inner wine lover. In any shade, these wines are definitely delicious!

Sex, Wine & Chocolate

On December 10, I had the delight of presenting a fun and festive tasting event with Judith Steinhart and Traci Schiffer, featuring wines provided by Alexander Valley Vineyards and Banfi Vintners. Titled Sex, Wine & Chocolate, we explored the sensual aspects of these three pleasures in life.

As the wine educator, I lead the wine tasting, accompanied by my friend Traci who works for Godiva Chocolatier and is very knowledgeable about chocolate and its creation. Accordingly, we were able to provide both wine education and chocolate education during the tasting.

Each wine was paired with two different chocolates, graciously donated by Godiva. This gave each participant the opportunity to taste how the wine and chocolate changed depending upon the individual pairing. The featured wines included the aptly named Temptation Zin from AVV and Banfi’s Brachetto d’Acquis. The first is an easy-drinking Zinfandel, part of their Wicked Weekend trio of Zinfandels, which also includes the Sin Zin and Redemption Zin. The wine has berry and cocoa aromas and flavors that permit it to pair with chocolate despite its dry nature. Brachetto is a lovely grape from the Piedmont region in NW Italy that creates a beautifully ruby-hued, sweet sparkler with notes of raspberry and strawberry. The third wine tasted was Duck Walk’s Aphrodite.

Dr. Steinhart has long been a respected health and sexuality educator and brought a wonderful approach to the tasting, framing it within the context of the sensual world. She further provided education on enhacing one’s sex life with an emphasis on being in the moment.

Overall, the event was extremely informative and a whole lot of fun. We look forward to future presentations, which will only get better. Perhaps you can join us next time.