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June 13, 2008 
 Summer Sippers
 and Drinking Italy - part 2 - the south


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Despite the lack of summer we seem to be having I refuse to give in to the glum grey and choose to embrace the crisp and aromatic wines anyway.
I have a delicious assortment of summer sippers to share (with many more to come) over the next weeks - so make sure to check them out.
I just spent a week traveling through the stunning wine regions of Germany with a small but mighty fine group of Canadian journalists and sommliers so there will be much more to come featuring the adventures of "Rhine Diva" in July.
And, as promised Drinking Italy - part 2 - the south is now available for your drooling pleasure. Follow the winescores.ca link below and read about wines from Sicily, Sardinia, Campania and Puglia.
I'm back to Italy next week so I will cover Drinking Italy part 3 - central this summer.

And finally, on The Tasting Room this week Terry and I talk new BC releases...


Well don't just sit there, start sipping...

 Drinking Italy part 2 - the south
 Campania, Puglia and the islands of Sicily and Sardinia

Calabria Pavillion Vinitaly
I have Sicilian family, so I grew up thinking that Italy was Sicily.
When you grow up in the middle of the Canadian prairies, having Sicilian relatives makes for a far more interesting childhood than most. My uncle Vince made regular trips into Winnipeg to find items as close to "home" as he could.

Wine however, was a different matter...

photo - the Campania pavilion at Vinitaly.


Read the article on winescores.ca... 


 Quinta de Azevedo Vinho Verde, Portugal, 2006
 

Quinta Azevedo VV Light straw-yellow in colour with the typical spritziness expected in this fresh wine.
Clean aromas - white floral, honey, minerals, citrus and a hint of creamy white fruit. On the palate it has more structure and weight than many Vinho Verde, the texture is slightly oily, the flavours are crisp and minerally with a hint of fresh, sweet herbs.

$15.50BC
89 points winescores.ca


Read all summer sippers reviews... 


 Blasted Church 'Hatfield's Fuse', Okanagan BC, 2007
 

Hatfield's fuse Blasted Church This always popular white blend features an aromatic melange of: Chardonnay, Optima, Ehrenfelser,Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Blanc and Riesling.
The aromas are an enigmatic array of exotic citrus, honey, minerals and spiced orchard fruits. On the palate the flavours echo the aromas showing honey blossoms, orange citrus, peaches and spice with grapefruit zest. Mouth- watering acidity bright fruit and a lively lingering finish make this a wine to pair with fish, spiced dishes or simply sipping on the patio.

$16.99 BC

89 points winescores.ca


More summer sippers... 


 WineScores.ca
 wine scores + articles = new!

wine scoring paperpencil banner












Click here to link to winediva.ca's sister site winescores.ca... 


 Peller Estates Private Reserve Riesling, Okanagan BC, 2007
 

Peller PR riesling If we were in Germany this is what you would call a "trocken" meaning dry.
Clean, white fruit aromas - pear, apple and nectarine with lemon and minerals. Mouth-watering on the palate with loads of juicy lemon, apple peel and more mineral flavours with a spritz of lime. It's crisp on the entry and rounds softly mid-palate through the finish. Nothing fluffy about this wine.
Pair with lemony shellfish or summer salads with vinagrettes and soft cheeses.

$17.99 BC

88 points winescores.ca


More summer sipping here... 


 Cono Sur Chardonnay, Colchagua Valley, Chile, 2007
 

Cono Sur Chard The Cono Sur Chardonnay is made from grapes whose vineyards are currently in transition to organic - a process that generally takes a few years to comply with organic standards.
I applaud this - especially if the wine is tasty and the price is agreeable.
Fresh, yet ripe fruit aromas, creamy pear, honey, white floral notes with a hint of melon. Softly rounded on the entry growing more powerful mid-palate with apple peel, melon, pear and juicy lemony flavours with a brush of spice on the finish.
Very nice.

$14.50 BC

89 points winescores.ca


More mouth-watering options... 


 Tommasi Le Rosse Pinot Grigio, Veneto Italy 2007
 

Tommasi PG The Tommasi Pinot Grigio has lovely golden- amber glints and rich aromas of pears, wild honey, slate and hazelnuts. Lush, with a slick weighted texture that clings to your palate bringing flavours of pear, melon and citrus zest with bold minerality, a hint of white pepper, star anise and hazelnut praline on the finish.
Elegant!

$19.99 BC
90 points winescores.ca


Read all the summer sipper reviews... 


 More Summer Sippers
 2 pages...

Tinhorn Creek Gew
  • La Vieille Ferme - France
  • Pascual Toso - Argentina
  • Red Rooster - BC
  • the Little Penguin - Australia
  • Tinhorn Creek - BC
  • Bodega Lurton - Argentina
  • Sokol~Blosser - Oregon
  • Twisted Tree - BC
  • Wirra Wirra - Australia
  • Mirrassou - California


 


 The Tasting Room
 

Tasting Room









"...Th e Tasting Room is the radio version of an audio blend, a Meritage for the soul."
Terry David Mulligan and his guests discuss food, wine, viticulture...

Listen each Saturday to hear Wine Diva's weekly wine reviews.

The Tasting Room - Saturdays 10am - noon
on am 1150 in the Okanagan or listen on www.thetastingroomradio.com
and now...
Listen Saturdays from 5-7pm on Vancouver's The Buzz 1410 (formerly CFUN)

This week Terry and I talk about new BC releases!


Link to The Tasting Room Radio... 


 Taste this!
 

red wine glass illus

CRU Restaurant Winemaker's Dinner Series. Joie (June 16th) Osoyoos Larose (June 28th) and Mission Hill (July 7th)

July 5th - The 2008 Canada Cup of Beer returns to UBC's Thunderbird Stadium. For tickets and info go to www.canada cupofbeer.com


Event details on WineDiva's events page... 


Coming Next!

Pink wines and "Rhine Diva" on Riesling!

Barbecue wines and more from Italy in July.

Don't forget to visit winescores.ca and winediva.ca for new wine reviews every day!

Pink and Cheeky...

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