Chef’s Choice Wine Club – November 2011 Selections

Valentin Bianchi ‘New Age White’ Argentina
New Age White is an effervescent blend of citrus-y Sauvignon Blanc and fruity Malvasia. It is a slightly sweet, semi-sparkling wine that exhibits aromas of fresh flowers and fruit. It’s crisp, yet soft in the finish – a great bottle for people who like a little spritz. New Age White Wine comes from Bodega Valentin Bianchi, one of Argentina's oldest wineries. It is a blended wine that has added carbon dioxide, so it is not present in the wine from a natural fermentation, and is therefore not like a moscato or cava.

Serving: This third-generation winery owner was given the nickname "Tincho" as a boy, a term of affection that, loosely translated, means "young Valentin" (as his grandfather was "older Valentin"). It is "Tincho" that fist added the lime to the New Age White. "Tincho", the drink, quickly became one of the most popular, refreshing cocktails served in the restaurants, bars and nightclubs in trend-setting Buenos Aires. The most common way to enjoy New Age is on the rocks with a slice of lime or lemon. This highly refreshing drink is called "Tincho" after the cocktail's creator. In Argentina, New Age is usually ordered by the bottle for a group of friends to enjoy. Additionally this drink has only 121 calories making it perfect for people in search of post Thanksgiving“skinny drinks.”

Georges Duboeuf 2011 Beaujolais Nouveau
Beaujolais Nouveau, as regulated by French law, is released six weeks after the grapes are harvested, no sooner than the third week of November. The tasting begins in huge worldwide celebrations that start one minute after midnight on the release date. Beaujolais Nouveau is a red wine made from Gamay grapes and is a fruity and fun purple-pink wine that is particularly lightweight to be consumed with friends as a celebration of the fall harvest. Some 65 million bottles of the latest wine will be consumed in the following months.

The Vintage : The first Nouveau vintage was released in 1951, making this the 60th anniversary edition. "2011 will be a great millésime in Beaujolais—complex, serious, solid and rich in delicious flavors" as quoted by Frank DuBoeuf.

Tasting notes: All red cherry and banana fruit, this is a soft, juicy and bright wine. Fresh but framed softly with some dry texture. This is an excellent choice for the first wine of the day to begin a Thanksgiving celebration.

The Label: Every year, Georges Duboeuf comes up with a new -- or should that be nouveau? -- theme and label design for the year’s batch. This year, the company recruited New York-based artist Mr. Kaves to design a graffiti-inspired label based on the theme “Nouveau Expression.” All part of heavy marketing aimed at the under-30 crowd. “Interestingly enough, I think the Millennial generation is far more open-minded than [my generation] when it comes to drinking wine,” said Tom Steffanci, president of W.J. Deutsch & Sons, Ltd., the company that imports Georges Duboeuf wines to the United States. “Younger consumers grew up eating food from all over the world…so they are open-minded, adventurous and interested.”

The Chef's Choice Wine Club is a monthly hand-picked selection consisting of two wines, one white and one red, designed to enhance your everyday dining or entertaining needs.

  Choose from:
3 months $60 + tax
6 months $120 + tax
12 months $240 + tax

Wine Club selections are available for pickup at the Chef’s Table Wine Shop any time after the 15th of the month.

Please stop by or call the front desk at 740-587-3333 to place your order.