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Black Ops

Wine writers call wines like Black Ops by Hugh Hamilton a “rare red blend.” I would call it an “extremely rare red blend.” It is just luscious – deep, inky color paired with unmistakable notes of wild blueberries, dark blackberries, juicy red cherries and a slightly elusive savory/wild herb / ripe fruit note that soaks into every taste bud and makes your shoulders relax.

This wine is made of the unusual blend of Shiraz, Saperavi and Nero d’Avola. Shiraz, a mainstay of McLaren Vale, is the iconic grape of meaty, mighty and most especially tasty Australian wines. It is the same grape that is used in Rhône wines, notably Hermitage, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, and Cornas, which is the only French wine made with 100% Syrah. The primary distinction between Shiraz and Syrah is stylistic. Most Australian Shiraz tends to have a riper, fruitier, more concentrated set of flavors, whereas the cooler climate Syrahs of the Rhône Valley in Southern France, then to be a bit more savory, a bit more structured and a bit more peppery. The trend these days in Australia is that Shiraz is planted in cooler microclimates and is producing a more restrained type of wine, closer in character to the Syrahs of France, while the French are dealing with warmer, longer summers and are producing much more alcoholic, powerful wines than in the past. But despite this climatic convergence, they are still very distinct.

To add to this distinction, Hugh Hamilton has lived up to his Black Sheep logo by introducing an extraordinary grape to Australia called Saperavi. It is an ancient grape variety from the Republic of Georgia. In my mind, it evokes romantic images of farmers thousands of years ago, plucking grapes by hand, stomping the grapes in celebratory fashion with their families, fermenting that must in clay amphorae and drinking it with joy at every hearty meal. It is a grape that deserves this image. It brings to this wine a sort of wild, gamey nature that the buttoned-down varieties of Western Europe lack. It is a teinturier grape, that rare grape whose flesh, not just the skin, has color. And it is known for its depth, acidity, and full body.

Another bold move was to blend in Nero d’Avola. Again, this is an ancient variety that has found its home in the southern parts of Sicily. Like its happy compatriots, it is a dark, full-bodied wine that exhibits bright cherry notes that when oak-aged, can become plummy and juicy.

Together, these three varieties make Black Ops a truly exceptional wine. It is fruity and fragrant while still being structured and powerful. The wine starts strong with aromas of black currants, plums and cherries and fills your mid-palate with wonderful roundness and the complexity of pepper, dark chocolate and a small hint of herbs that seems ingrained in Australian terroir. The mellow tannins are more textural than grippy, rolling over your tongue with very pleasing sensations. It finishes with a long, slow slide of lingering fruits and tobacco and perhaps a hint of smoke.

You’d be a fool to pass up this wine at $19.99 a bottle!!!!

Your wine expert, Seema

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Manu Sauvignon Blanc 2018

It’s like when you casually lean over to smell a rose, not expecting anything, and you can actually smell the rose! It transports you to your childhood in your grandmother’s beautiful garden with melon sized roses that you could smell from a yard away.

That is how the Manu Sauvignon Blanc is. You open it and pour, expecting to smell some Sauvignon Blanc, but then you smell it! It has a gorgeous nose that feels like a lungful of fresh air out on an alpine meadow. It is full of bright lime, grapefruit and green apple freshness balanced with tropical notes of guava and gooseberry. It is overlaid by a wonderful herbal grassiness that reminds you of lying on a hillside on a lush lawn watching the clouds drift across the sky. Even if you never actually taste the wine, you could breathe it in all day.

But then if you do taste it, it is tart and tangy, round and smooth and totally refreshing – from the first taste to the last lingering flavors, it is a wine to be tasted with your eyes closed.

Sauvignon Blanc is grown in many regions of the world. While the Loire and Bordeaux are undoubtedly the wellspring of classic Sauvignon Blanc wines, it has found one of its most popular expressions in New Zealand. Close to 95% of all wine exported form New Zealand is Sauvignon Blanc, followed by very excellent Pinot Noir. What is it about this southern clime that makes this wine so special there? There are several factors. One is the ideal climate in the Marlborough region of the southern island. It is a maritime climate with warm, sunny days and cool nights with ocean breezes flowing off the Pacific to cool down the vines. The morning fogs protect the grapes from the worst of the sun’s ray until the sun is overhead and the leaves can protect them – after all, grapes can get sunburned too. It has combination of schist and sandstone mixed with clay (called Greywacke) that allows the roots of of the plant to penetrate deep, drain well and yet retain enough moisture to nourish the vines. And of course, the final factor is the winemaker. Steve Bird is a fabulous producer – dedicated, thoughtful and willing to think “outside the box.”

As our summer transitions into autumn, this wine will allow you to linger in that alpine meadow for a little longer and draw out the best of the season.

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Brewery of the Month: Lamplighter Brewing Co.

The vibe that Lamplighter Brewing Co. embraces is a modern, funky environment that allows visitors to experience a unique twist on their basic brewery trip. This eclectic brewery, located in in downtown Cambridge, Massachusetts, focuses in quality, community, and craft. With a saying such as “I Love Lamp,” a reference from the comedy hit, Anchorman, it comes as no surprise that this location meets its goal by being a fun, hip place to be.

lamp1The team at Lamplighter is an energetic mix of different backgrounds in education and expertise who all share a strong passion for producing delicious beer. This team makes for a very fun, welcoming environment from the minute you enter the brewery. The space has a very modern, industrial look to it. From the exposed pipes to the classic Boston brick work, this brewery is a neighborhood favorite.

Now for the most important part, the beer. All together, Lamplighter creates 44 different types of brews. Impressive, right? Within these 44 unique choices, they focus on aroma-packed and flavor-driven ales, with an emphasis on New England IPAs, barrel-aged sours, and unique seasonals.

To help narrow down your possible selection, we’re going to provide you the info on the 13 brews that happen to be on tap today!

  • “Alyosha” Abbey Ale: low ABV, and light body allow hints of fruit and spice to shine, while the addition of wheat and pilsnerScreen Shot 2018-09-04 at 5.08.04 PM malts leave each sip soft and approachable.
  • “Brothers Antitoi” Brettanomyces Fermented Wild Beer: smooth and bright acidity is complemented by subtle underlying funk, layered atop flavors of fresh strawberries, ripe pineapple, and candied peach rings.
  • “Cuppa” Brittish Ale with Cold Brew: light and fruity hot bloom roast is added at the end of the brewing process to preserve as much coffee flavor as possible. The finished beer is made up of about 10% coffee.
  • “Ele” Saison: citrus forward flavors, hints of clove and spice, and a dry and peppery finish. Inspired by the character Eleven from “Stranger Things.”
  • “Finnegan’s Wake” Irish Dry Stout: akin to a smooth and creamy Guinness, with each sip bringing forth waves of bitter chocolate and freshly roasted coffee.
  • “Gestalt” Altbier: bright copper in color and exceptionally smooth, balancing assertive hop bitterness with warm malt character.
  • “Group Theory” Wheat Ale with Chamomile and Honey: despite the addition of syrupy raw honey to the brew, GroupScreen Shot 2018-09-04 at 5.09.01 PM Theory has a lovely, dry finish as a result of the fermentation of its simple sugars. It takes its name from a central concept of abstract algebra, which pays homage to both the math background of one of their co-founders, and to their brewery name (a small math reference itself).
  • “Looking Glass” Extra Special Bitter: balanced notes of dark bread, toasted hazelnut, and a robust earthiness. The beer is then lightly hopped with Target and Challenger to accentuate those flavors.
  • “Luminati” India Pale Ale: each batch of this hoppy beer highlights a different hop addition, presenting ever-changing flavors atop the same bold, brash base beer. (citra, mosaic, bru-1)
  • “Metric Systems” Gose: this tart German wheat ale is refreshing and light, with notes of orange peel and lemon.
  • “Rabbit Rabbit” Double India Pale Ale: veritable juice bomb, boasting huge hop flavors of mango, melon, and ripe fruit.
  • “Space Monster” West Coast Style IPA: fresh departure from smooth and juicy New England-style IPAs, instead boasting a prominent bitterness and slight sweetness. From that base emerges omnipotent and monstrous flavors of sweet cedar, prickly pine, and ripe pineapple.
  • “Speedwagon” Kolsch: fermented with ale yeast, but then finished in cold temperatures like a lager. The resulting beer exhibits some of the best characteristics of both categories – light and quaffable, with a touch of muted fruitiness and a crisp, clean finish.

Screen Shot 2018-09-04 at 5.05.46 PMFind something you’d like to try? No surprise there! Lamplighter Brewing Co. has something for everyone! Make sure to stop into Mystic Wine Shoppe to pick up one of their brews on the go. If you need another excuse to try them, they hold trivia nights every Tuesday from 8pm – 10pm. Check their website for more upcoming events! With all the options they have to offer, the fun, funky environment, and the amazing location, make Lamplighter your next brewery must-see and the next pack you pick up from us!

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September’s Cocktail of The Month

Ketal One Grapefruit & Rose Vodka is the perfect liquor to end summer with!  This delicious smelling and tasting vodka makes a great cocktail, especially when you add fresh basil and grapefruit soda to the mix. Keep summer going with this tasty cocktail –

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Ingredients:

Mix it up:

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August’s Lime Cocktail of The Month

Get your limes out!!!  This month we’re mixing-up a tasty cocktail with Patrón Citrónge Lime Liquor.  If you haven’t tried this Patron flavor yet, hurry into Mystic Wine Shoppe and pick-up a bottle to celebrate the rest of summer.

Tasting notes: Juicy and sweet lime flavor from the highest quality Persian limes. Clear in color with the aroma of fresh lime and a long-lasting, fresh finish.

Mystic Summer Cocktails (1 of 38)

Ingredients:

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Directions: Mix together and enjoy!

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What’s your go-to summer cocktail?  Please let us know!

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It’s all about managing expectations

I remember the first time I tasted a Soave in my wine class. I was expecting Riunite – a sweet fruity drink that would loosely be classified as wine. Boy, was I disappointed! My first taste – which went against every expectation I had – was tough. It was totally dry, dry as the Sahara dessert and therefore shocking to my palate.

Let me back up a step. Expectations are always a tricky thing. Sometimes, they become a self-fulfilling prophecy – you expect something to be bad, you make it bad in your mind by picking it apart. And vice versa, you expect something to be good, so you only see the upsides. But most of the time, expectations can mislead you. When someone hypes something to you and raises your expectations too high, you are bound to be disappointed. And again, vice versa, you hear only negative reviews of something, but then when you actually try it, it’s not so bad! My husband used to always tell me to spend about 20 percent of my time managing expectations. In order to get a job for example, you have to talk yourself up. But then when you actually get the job, you need to make sure people are going be realistic about what you can accomplish. So, walk the line of not being a complainer, but talk about the challenges, your problem solving strategies and so forth. Make sure people know what they are getting so then, they will be happy with the outcome!

Now, back to the shock to the palate. Soave is dry! Dry, dry, dry but also delicately floral with notes of peach and pear and a very refreshing, crisp, mineral-driven finish. In fact, it is one of the great wines of Italy. One would not necessarily know that because it is not as recognizable as Chianti or Prosecco. And furthermore, it is made from the terribly named Garganega (pronounced gar-GA-nega) grape. Sounds like mouthwash, but tastes sublime – it is fresh, lively and can pair with everything from white meats to shellfish.

wine photoSoave Classico is the heart of great wines made with the Garganega grape. It is in the extremely picturesque part of the Veneto that is just east of the gorgeous Lake Garda. The valleys are lush and beautiful dotted with castles and modern buildings alike. Rocca Sveva is made by the cooperative winery, the Cantina Di Soave, which having been established in 1898, is celebrating its 120th anniversary this year. They use high-technology to analyze soils and ensure the quality of the grapes supplied by their growers as well the latest techniques to ensure quality but make wines that are extremely traditional and hark back to their origins.

The Rocca Sveva Soave Classico 2016 is a wonderful, easy-to-drink, highly enjoyable wine. It’s beauty is in its simplicity. It doesn’t require any concentration to appreciate its depths like a white Burgundy might and it doesn’t lull you into a stupor like a big, high-alcohol, buttery Chardonnay might. In fact, at 12.5% alchohol, you can enjoy that second glass guilt free. And really prolong the enjoyment on a hot summer’s day. This wine has lovely notes of grapefruit and lemon zest with a hint of white peach on the nose. It has a nice, soft mouthfeel with some mineral notes and it leaves your palate with a fresh, dry snap.

Cheers! Seema

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Wine of the month: Taking Route Blanc de Cabernet

Moldova is a fascinating country. It sounds both very remote and yet very familiar to my ear – something about Transylvania and the Carpathian Mountains to the west, the Black Sea to the east. It seems to sit at a sinister juncture of fairytale and legend. But in reality, Moldova is a country covered by gently rolling hills that reach no higher than 1000 feet. There are lush valleys and rich pastures with a very temperate climate that is not too cold in the winter and not too hot in the summer and it gets just the right amount of rain for farming grapes.

In fact, Moldova has been growing grapes for millennia. There is evidence suggesting that the native Moldovans were making wine as early as 3000 B.C.E. There has been constant cultivation since that time, excepting the 300 years of Ottoman rule that destroyed many of their vineyards. Further damage was caused during both World Wars, decimating their wine stocks. However, in the post-war period, there has been a concerted effort to replant the wonderful hillsides with vines and bring production back to its former glory.

They have succeeded to a very great extent and replanted many indigenous varieties such as the difficult to pronounce “Feteasca Alba”, “Rarã Neagrã” and “Zghiharda.” They have also followed global trends and replanted the lands with more international varieties, including Cabernet Sauvignon, which seems to thrive almost everywhere, as well as Merlot, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay.

Until I tasted this remarkable wine, I couldn’t really predict what I would be tasting. I have had many, many red Cabernet Sauvignon wines and even had a few rosés, but I have never had a white wine made with it. This wine makes you appreciate just why Cabernet Sauvignon is indeed a superstar among grape varieties. My son would call it “o.p.” or overpowered. When it is gently pressed to preserve its fruit flavors and keep out the colors and polyphenols from the skins, it yields a white wine that has some beautiful aromas and flavors. Fresh and approachable, you smell grapefruit, herbs, perhaps some mango, pineapple and banana, and maybe just a hint of jalapeño. Then on the palate, you get creamy textures of summer fruit and with a mineral finish that is completely satisfying. Like most Cabernet’s, this is a full-bodied wine that is perfect with a range of flavors including shell fish, mature hard cheese, and charcuterie.

Thanks for reading,

Seema

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Pinot, pinot, gris, blanc, or noir?

I often hear people refer to the wine they are drinking as “Pinot” – but since “Pinot” comes in red, rosé and white, not to mention sparkling, one should disambiguate!  Is it the blanc, the gris or the noir?  What does “blanc de noir” mean?  And what is the difference by the way between “gris” and “grigio”?

Today, we will explore all of these questions
The word “Pinot” is thought to refer to the shape of the grape bunches on the vine because they resemble pine cones.  They have relatively small berries which are tightly packed together in a characteristic shape.  And, given all the names attached to the word “Pinot,” one might be forgiven for thinking that they refer to a family of grapes.  In fact, all the pinots share a genetic fingerprint.  Or in other words, they are all clones or mutations of one variety.  The gris and blanc are just lighter skinned versions of the noir.  Much of this is because the pinot grapes have been around for centuries; some think they have been around for 2,000 years with specific references dating back to the 4th century A.D.  It has had a lot of time to create a highly branched family tree.
The expressions of the various wines span a spectrum of colors, styles and flavors.  Pinot Noir is the red wine made anywhere from a light, fruity easy drinking style full of bright cherry and strawberry notes to a more muscular, grippy style full of forest floor and earthy, meaty aromas.  Most interestingly, it can me made into white sparkling wines, called “blanc de noir.”  This literally means “white from black” and is made by very gently pressing the grapes to ensure that color from the skins does not leech into the wine, which is then fermented as a white wine.
Pinot Blanc wines tend to be made with white grapes into a white wine (obviously) but they are often made in a relatively full-bodied style with moderately aromatic characteristics of stone-fruit, almonds and grapefruit.  It is most widely planted and highly regarded in Alsace, France, Germany, Italy, and Austria. Unfortunately, in most other regions of the world, it is woefully underappreciated and does not receive the attention it deserves!
That is not the case with Pinot Gris or Grigio, which has seen a huge rise in popularity of late.  So, what is the difference between the two?  It is pure style, baby.  Pinot Gris is the French / Alsatian name which also denotes a rounder, softer, fuller-bodied, more scented style.  Pinot Grigio is the Italian name and also the Italian style.  A bit harder-edged, a bit sharper with higher acid and crisper finish.  Both can have beautiful noses with stone fruit and grapefruit with a hint of orange blossom.  Interestingly, different places in the new world have adapted both the names and styles to some extent.  In Oregon for example, the viticultural area rules prohibit calling it “grigio” and one might expect a more Alsatian character to the wines.  New Zealand also hues to the “gris” name and style.  But Washington and California tend to call it “grigio.”  Go figure.
Which brings us to this week’s wine: The Thirsty Owl 2016 Pinot Gris from the Finger Lakes region of New York.  I know some people are skeptical about wine from New York, but this wine will put those doubts to rest.  It is a lovely summer wine that will pair with everything from fresh mozzarella and brie to bratwurst.  The first sign that it is a fuller bodied, softer style of wine is the tall, elegant fluted bottle.  The second sign is, of course, the name.  The third sign is a memory of a balmy, sunny summer in 2016 that allowed the grapes to ripen fully and allowed the creation of a lovely wine full of peach, pear and tropical citrus notes and a light floral quality indicating the relatively cool nights in upstate NY.  Despite only having 12.2% alcohol, it has a creamy, silky texture that slides across your tongue like a cool caress.  And the finish leaves you wondering if you should take the next sip right away or savor the previous one a little longer.
Thanks for reading, Seema

 

 

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