House of Mandela Wines

The Mandela family's heritage reaches back to the 18th century when Thembu Land was a part of a royal kingdom in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. The bee represents the House of Mandela, courage, compassion, a concern for others and making dreams possible, through sharing acts of kindness and invoking numerous relationship circles with family, friends and the broader community.

 

 

Berghotel zum Edelacker – vineyard hotel

Four-star Berghotel zum Edelacker incorporating the Edelacker restaurant opened in 1996 and offers traditional hospitality combined with modern luxury. Staying in a fabulous location high above the wine town of Freyburg an der Unstrut, the hotel's guests enjoy excellent food, first-class service and undisturbed sleep – total relaxation for body and mind!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Château l’Hospitalet - Vineyard wine hotel overlooking the Mediterranean sea

In the middle of a breathtaking wine producing estate, on a unique property of 1,000 hectares of vineyards, pine forests and scrubland, Château l’Hospitalet *** overlooks the Mediterranean sea.

 

Located only 10 minutes away from Narbonne city center and 5 minutes away from the sea, our establishment is the perfect place to enjoy French gastronomy, wine and relax.

Upon arrival, Gerard Bertrand and his team will greet you and share with you the Mediterranean lifestyle in a place whose history goes back to the 6^th century.

 

 

From a perfectly decorated room discover stunning views of the vineyards that will let both your body and mind relax. At our restaurant you can enjoy French gastronomy made from seasonal and fresh vegetables from our own plot. Wake up your senses, while visiting our wine storehouses at Gerard Bertrand's Winery, while sipping our best vintage wines, while walking around our beautiful property or while participating in our Jazz evenings. For art lovers, do not forget to visit our exhibition galleries and our craft shops.

 

The singularity of Château l’Hospitalet has so much to offer….

12 Most Romantic Wines

February is here and romance is in the air; be it contrived and commercial or spontaneous and genuine! One of the things I love most about wine is how memories of wine can take you back to a time, a place, a person, or all of the above.

Here are my suggestions for evocatively romantic wines. There’s something for everyone with suggestions for bubbly, white, red, and dessert wines.

 

Bubbly

1. Gosset “Grand Reserve” Brut Champagne

Champagne and romance go hand in hand. This is an effusive, complex and exotic Champagne made with the traditional mix of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier, from two reserve vintages that contain a bit of Pinot Gris, Petit Meslier, and Arbanne, the latter two almost extinct grapes. It has stone fruit and brioche aromas with a long finish. While it’s great for toasting, it would also be a nice match for lighter fare like a salmon dinner.

2. 2008 Schramsberg Brut Rose

This sparkler from Napa Valley is a comely salmon color with a refined effervescence. It’s well balanced with aromas, and flavors of strawberries and cherries. This is a versatile sparkler that will add to the memories of that special home-cooked meal!

3. Rosa Regale

This is an off-dry slightly sweet sparkler from Brachetto D’Aqui (Piedmont) region of Italy. It appeals to the eye, and the palate with its gorgeous ruby color and aromas of roses and strawberries. It has a softer effervescence than typical sparkling wine. Not only will it shine as an aperitif, it could work throughout a meal including dessert, especially if that dessert is fruit-based like a raspberry tart, or chocolate dipped strawberries. I even enjoyed it with a chocolate truffle tart.

 

White

4. 2010 Merry Edwards Russian River Sauvignon Blanc

This is an opulent and stylish Sauvignon Blanc with enticing floral, melon, and stone-fruit aromas. In the mouth it’s rich, and well balanced with stone-fruit, grapefruit, and citrus flavors. King Crab legs anyone?

5. 2009 Kistler Sonoma Mountain Chardonnay

This is a sublime full-bodied, but balanced Chardonnay that offers rich buttery-toasty brioche, stone fruit and subtle white flower aromas with peach and nectarine flavors, and a lingering finish.

6. Chateau Ste. Michelle Eroica

This is an alluring Riesling named for Beethoven’s Third Symphony. The wine is a collaboration between two of the world’s great Riesling producers, the Dr. Loosen estate from the Old World (Germany), and Chateau Ste Michelle of Washington State, from the New World. Sommeliers love this wine, and you will too, especially when paired with spicy fare.

 

Red

7. 2007 O’Brien Estate Seduction

This Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot exudes romance. It’s complex, and refined, yet powerful with aromas redolent of ripe dark fruits like plums and black cherries along with spices and interesting mocha notes.

8. 2009 Walter Hansel “South Slope Vineyard” Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir as has been described as “the most romantic of wines, with so voluptuous a perfume, so sweet an edge, and so powerful a punch that, like falling in love, they make the blood run hot and the soul wax embarrassingly poetic.” Sounds like romance to me!

This is a voluptuous intense Pinot with aromatic black cherry, raspberry, and rose petal aromas. On the palate it’s creamy and well balanced with juicy dark black cherry and raspberry flavors and a long finish.

9. 2009 Turley Mead Ranch Zinfandel

This is a cool climate Zinfandel produced with grapes from a high elevation site on Atlas Peak in Napa Valley. It’s hedonistically creamy with ripe plum, and blackberry flavors, and a lingering finish. Zinfandels this good are irresistible — give in to your desire!

 

Dessert

 

10. 2001 Hétszölö Tokaji Aszu 6 Puttonyos

Tokaji is a legendary sweet wine produced in Hungary. How’s this for romance trivia? It’s believed that it was Tokaji that Hitler, and his bride Eva Braun consumed to celebrate their marriage in the bunker shortly before their deaths.

This is a decadent dessert wine. It’s a golden yellow color with vivid aromas of apricot and orange peel. On the palate, it’s viscous, and balanced with a harmonious streak of acidity, with intense apricot and orange flavors, a hint of minerality, and a long finish. Pair with caramelized desserts.

11. Rosenblum Cellars Desiree

This is a luscious blend of Zinfandel, Touriga Nacional, and Syrah fortified with Brandy, and infused with a bit of chocolate. It comes in a 375ml bottle and weighs in at 18% alcohol. The bottle has a lascivious red label, and of course, the name suggests desire. You’ll be enticed by the aromatic dark plum, and chocolate aromas, that flood your palate with sweet dark fruits and chocolate. Pair with that box of truffles, or drink by itself — if you dare.

12. Graham’s 20 Year Old Tawny Port

Port is always a sweet treat. This one is a dark orange color with a red hue and mildly nutty, caramel, roast coffee aromas that cut to cherry, and toffee flavors. Pair with milk chocolate, crème brulee, or blue cheese. Retails for around $50.

Looking to make it extra special? Get a bottle of Port from the vintage that marks an anniversary, birthday, or other special occasion! Look for top producers like Dow, Fonseca, Warre, Taylor and Graham’s.

I leave you with this French proverb… “In water one sees one’s own face; but in wine one beholds the heart of another.”

 

Cheers and happy romancing!

Best Bargain Wines of 2012

 

 

REDS AND ROSÉS

 

1. Concha y Toro, Casillero del Diablo Merlot, Chile, 2011 ($11)

Full of red fruit flavors, this wine pairs well with spicy, flavor-packed dishes.

2. Aveleda, Charamba, Portugal, 2009 ($9)

Lots of acidity and spicy fruit make this red an ideal partner for tangy sauces.

3. Torremoron, Tempranillo, Ribera del Duero, Spain, 2009 ($12)

Pair this slightly smoky, juicy red with roasted meats and hearty flavors.

4. Muga, Rosé, Spain, 2009 ($13)

This dry blush packs enough heft and acidity to stand up to big global flavors.

 

WHITES

 

1. Berger, Grüner Veltliner, Austria, 2010 ($14/1L)

This rich, food-friendly white is a good match for tough-to-pair dishes.

2. Segura Viudas, Brut Riserva Cava, Spain ($10)

A terrific value, this creamy sparkler cleanses the palate with bright acidity.

3. Alexander Valley Vineyards, Gewürz, California ($10)

Try an aromatic gewürztraminer as a full-flavor alternative to chardonnay.

4. King Estate, Acrobat Pinot Gris, Oregon, 2010 ($12)

This soft, fruity white packs enough acidity to tame the spiciest of foods

From Napa, With Love: Two Delicious New Wines for Taste’s Launch

The idea: two wines showcasing California’s premier wine-growing regions. With that in mind, Four Seasons approached the company with “The World’s Greatest Wine List”—that is, 900 90+ ratings from top wine publications to its credit.

And that’s how the match began. Terlato Wines is America’s leading marketer, importer and producer of luxury wines, representing 60 labels. Trelato recently crafted two wines from its family-owned vineyards for the November 6 launch of Taste by Four Seasons at Four Seasons Hotel New York. Both are under the Iconoclast label: a cabernet sauvignon from Napa Valley’s Stags Leap District and chardonnay from the Russian River Valley.

 

Hailing from the globe’s best locale to grow the grape, thanks to cool Pacific breezes and volcanic soil, the cabernet sauvignon packs a punch: bold and bright with dark fruit and hints of baking spices. It’s aged 20 months in French oak. The wine delivers a remarkably long, smooth finish and lush texture characteristic of Stags Leap. Aged nine months in French oak, the well-balanced chardonnay reveals hints of apple pie spice. It has crisp acidity and is great mid-palate.

“Our partnership with Four Seasons was so natural—one that just made sense,” says John Terlato, Vice Chairman of Terlato Wines. “We share a common perspective—a total and complete focus on, and dedication to, quality and ‘beyond expectation’ experiences for our customers. We hope it’s the beginning of beautiful relationship and long-term partnership.”—Michelle Pentz Glave

 

 

Wines of Castiglion del Bosco

The winemaking cellar at Castiglion del Bosco has a capacity of 300,000 litres and is a modern, efficient structure on two levels, built against the hillslope and almost hidden amidst the poplars and beeches. Inside, it boasts the state-of-the-art technology required for the most effective interpretation of Castiglion del Bosco’s distinctive character and that of its wines.
The Sangiovese grapes are quality-selected in the vineyards first, then the clusters travel two sorting tables, where trained eyes make a further selection of the finest fruit. The clusters are then gravity-fed into 100-150hl tanks on the lower level, which are arranged in suitable sizes to ferment the various vineyard lots separately.
When the fermentations are complete, the wines go to a spacious, climate-controlled area that is partially underground, containing 750 new and once-used French barriques. From the tasting room, visitors can enjoy a gorgeous view from a glass walkway extending out over the barrique cellar.
The winemaking process continues with bottle-ageing, which, depending on the wine, may last from 6 to 36 months before release.

Castiglion del Bosco Rosso di Montalcino DOC –
A pleasant, modern wine that represents a fresh and well-rounded expression of the Sangiovese grape. Its intense varietal aromas are the result of a combination of traditional and modern techniques in the cellar.
Castiglion del Bosco Brunello di Montalcino DOCG –
Castiglion del Bosco’s most representative wine is an example of the Sangiovese grape’s perfect symbiosis with the territory of Montalcino. The richness of the “galestro” stone in the soil gives the wine its unique aroma, complexity and structure.
Campo del Drago Brunello di Montalcino DOCG –
The name is quite ancient, referring to the fact that the watercourse bordering the vineyard at this point looks very much like a dragon; one look at the water and one realises that no other name would ever fit so well, particularly if those eyes were those of a local farmer. The Campo del Drago Brunello di Montalcino is an extremely elegant, complex expression of the Sangiovese grape. It comes from grapes from the Capanna vineyard, characterized by an excellent exposure and optimum soil and climactic conditions. This wine has great power and personality, and represents a perfect combination between tradition and innovation.
Castiglion del Bosco Millecento, Brunello Riserva DOCG –
The Brunello Riserva is the fruit of a meticulous selection of estate-grown grapes; it matures in 4 of the barrels from the Le Chene de Morat, the famous centuries-old oak from which French coopers made 120 barrels.

Source: Great Wine News

Wine Spectator's "Wine of the Year 2012"

 

 

Shafer Vineyards
Relentless Napa Valley 2008

96 points / $60
3,300 cases made
Napa Valley, California

 

Relentless, a riveting blend of Syrah and Petite Sirah, is a groundbreaking red from a region and a winery better known for producing stellar Cabernet Sauvignons. From his first vintage in 1978, founder John Shafer, joined by his son, Doug, steadily built the family winery into one of Napa’s elite; their signature Hillside Select Cabernet is one of California’s most sought-after reds.
The Shafers credit Elias Fernandez, a migrant worker's son who has been involved in the winemaking for 28 harvests, with steering the winery to a higher level of quality. To honor Fernandez’s commitment to perfection, they named this wine Relentless. To create the blend, the team planted a parcel on a knoll south of the winery, outside the Stags Leap District boundary, to 14 acres of Syrah and 4 acres of Petite Sirah. The grapes are cofermented, and the wine is aged 30 months in new French oak barrels. From its first vintage, 1999, Relentless has been a model of consistently high quality, closely tracking Hillside Select. The near-perfect growing conditions of 2008 are reflected in the wine’s complex array of flavors and textural nuances.
Relentless marks the second time in three years that a Rhône-inspired red from California has been chosen as Wine of the Year, and it is the seventh Napa wine to earn that honor. Read the Dec. 31 issue of Wine Spectator for the entire fascinating tale behind Relentless

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