Wine Tasting: Store Favorites

My oenological education continued on Day Three of my new job at Coolidge Corner Wine & Spirits. I got to leave the shop and attend an open house, where I served (and tasted) five of the staff's favorite wines.

• The Hess Chardonnay was the most popular of our three whites, although it didn't really impress me.
  
• I wasn't terribly fond of the Grüner Veltliner (pronounced Groon-er Velt-linner), either. Grüner is a white wine from Austria that is often compared to Reisling. It is described as producing "distinct white pepper, tobacco, lentil and citrus flavors and aromas." I didn't detect many (any) of those things, so I would like to try Grüner Veltliner again sometime.
• The only white wine I enjoyed was the Seaglass Sauvignon Blanc. It was quite fruity - with some nice peachy flavors - and I could see myself enjoying it if I were in the right mood.
• We served two red wines, and a lot of people enjoyed the Trumpeter Malbec Syrah. For some reason I had a really strong negative reaction. Maybe I had been tasting too much white wine without food and my stomach was doing something funny, which could explain my strong dislike for a wine that most people found pleasant.
• My stomach seemed to recover, though, because I loved the Cannonball Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a dash of syrah (11%) which adds to the full and luscious taste. I liked the thick texture, the black fruit flavors, and the complex finish.

Ale Tasting: Route des Epices and Jack d'Or

Today, Coolidge Corner Wine & Spirits had an ale tasting. Samples from the brewery Pretty Things (near Boston) and Brasserie Dieu du Ciel (Montreal) were paired with sandwiches from 7-Subs (a local Coolidge Corner sub shop).

I don't know much about beer, but Paul The Distributor was there to explain the drinks while I handed out sandwiches and listened. My first impression was that both breweries are fun and playful. Not only do they offer creative beers (a rose-colored ale brewed with hibiscus was especially popular at the tasting), but their names and label art are also really cool. Paul was enthusiastic about the selections, and he was knowledgeable without being at all pretentious.

Paul asked me what beers I like. I could only name a few - mostly pale ales - but he poured me a sample of Pretty Things' Jack d'Or and told me I'd love it. Normally I would be suspicious of such optimism, but Paul was so sincerely smitten with this beer that I hoped I really would love it ... and I did. It's light and delicious with a nice dry finish. I would not hesitate to order it all by itself, order it with food, or take it to a party.


Paul wasn't as unabashedly exuberant about Brasserie Dieu du Ciel's Route des Epices, an amber ale brewed with peppercorn. He warned people that they should probably take a bite of a sub (served by yours truly) to offset the bite of the beer. My first taste didn't involve any food, and I was indeed taken aback by the powerful peppery bite. I said "Wow" out loud. But the spice wasn't at all unpleasant or overpowering. There are enough other flavors in this crisp beer to compliment its aggressiveness. Not everyone at the tasting loved Route des Epices, and it's probably only meant to go with food ... but I was very happy to finish one of the open bottles that was left after the tasting. It's a very distinctive ale that I would definitely drink again.

Italian Wine Tasting: Nero d'Avola and Soave

On my first day at my new job, I got to taste and serve five Italian wines.

Coolidge Corner Wine & Spirits (located next to Finale on Beacon Street, across the T tracks from Trader Joe's) holds free tastings every Thursday and Friday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. On Saturdays, they pair drinks with food from local restaurants for a free tasting from 4 to 7 p.m.


For my first tasting, we served two whites: Kyos Grill from Sicily and Villa Rasina Soave Classico from the Veneto Region. We also served three reds: Kyos Nero d'Avola from Sicily, Illuminati Riparosso Montepulciano from the Abruzzo region, and Vignamaggio Chianti Classico from Tuscany.

• I really liked the Kyos Nero d'Avola (pronounced Neh-roe Dah-voe-lah), and I'd like to try more wines of the same varietal. The grape is dark ('nero' means 'black' in Italian) and thrives in Sicily's Mediterranean climate to produce a rich, velvety red wine with dark fruit flavors.
• I also liked the Villa Rasina Soave Classico. 'Soave' (pronounced Swah-vay) is the name of a town near Verona in the Veneto region of Italy. It can also refer to the zone surrounding the town and to the wine produced there. 'Classico' is a label given to Soave wines grown within the original Soave zone. These dry white wines are typically made from Garganega grapes.