Philly Wine Finder

Trimbach Gewurz and Spicy Quinoa

Another Chairman's selection sale wine from Alsace, this time Gewurtztraminer. This one has a full golden color, big aromas, and lush flavors.  A perfect pairing for this spicy quinoa dish, a recent Rush Hour Gourmet recipe that appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer. 

There's 188 bottles at the Ardmore store.

Red Quinoa with Dried Fruit and Yogurt

Makes 4 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, finely diced

1 to 2 teaspoons chopped crystallized ginger or fresh grated ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder

1 1/4 cups water

1/2 teaspoon each ground cinnamon, salt

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 cup red quinoa, rinsed, drained

1 cup diced dried mixed fruit

1/2 cup plain yogurt, at room temperature

1/2 cup salted cashews or peanuts

Chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; add onion and ginger. Cook until onion is softened, 5 minutes. Add curry powder; cook, 1 minute. Add water, cinnamon, salt and red pepper flakes. Cover; heat to a boil. Add quinoa and fruit; stir to mix. Cover. Lower heat to a simmer; cook 20 minutes.

2. Remove from heat; let stand, covered for 5 minutes. Stir in yogurt. Sprinkle with cashews and cilantro.

Note: Rinse the quinoa well before cooking to remove a possible bitter flavor. If you want to substitute long-grain white rice, increase water to 2 cups. Stir in a cup of chopped cooked shrimp or chicken with the yogurt for a heartier dish.

Per serving: 447 calories, 12 grams protein, 72 grams carbohydrates, 15 grams fat, 3 milligrams cholesterol, 430 milligrams sodium, 6 grams dietary fiber.

 

Trimbach Gewurztraminer Cuvee des Seigneurs de Ribeaupierre 2001

Chairman's Selection^TM
Description from PLCB web site
PLCB Code: 32169
Size: 750ML
Price: Was 19.99 Now 14.99
Compare to prices on wine-searcher.com:  (Avg $33, Min $29, Max $37)
Availability in Pennsylvania:

In Wine & Spirits stores

Region:    France > Alsace
Grape Variety:     Gewürztraminer
Alcohol Content:    13.5%

PAWineTalk

Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Clos Hauserer 2007

High ratings in Wine Spectator (94!), Cellartracker, and PAWineTalk, a Garagiste selection, and prices ranging from $40 to $50 elsewhere, somehow the PLCB has this on sale for $19.99.

It lived up to the hype and didn't disappoint. We agree with others, this is a bright wine, lots of acidity, some citrus--grapefruit or starfruit, clean and crisp. Acidity and minerality are the stars.

Not much in the Philly area, but there are 80 bottles in Newtown.

 

Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Clos Hauserer 2007
Chairman's Selection^TM
Description from PLCB web site
PLCB Code: 32065
Size: 750ML
Price: Was 29.99 Now 19.99
Compare to prices on wine-searcher.com:  (Avg $46, Min $40, Max $52)
Availability in Pennsylvania:

In Wine & Spirits stores

Region:    France > Alsace > Wintzenheim
Grape Variety:     Riesling
Alcohol Content:    12.5%

PAWineTalk

 

Kumeu River Chardonnay Estate 2006

Restrained oak, nice finish. Part of the Chairman's Selection Sale, down from $19.99 to $13.99, still some available in Philly. Good one to have around for summer.

Kumeu River Chardonnay Estate 2006
Chairman's Selection^TM
Description from PLCB web site
PLCB Code: 32329
Size: 750ML
Price: Was 19.99 Now 13.99
Compare to prices on wine-searcher.com:  (Avg $24, Min $21, Max $28)
Availability in Pennsylvania:

In Wine & Spirits stores

PAWineTalk

Region:    New Zealand > North Island > Auckland
Grape Variety:     Chardonnay
Alcohol Content:    13.5%

Joseph Drouhin Chorey-les-Beaune 2007 and Yering Station Pinot Noir Little Yering 2008

Similar tastes and flavors, the Drouhin is brighter and has more bite; the Yering is more smooth. Despite the different price points and different regions, we found these wines to be very comparable as far as quality.

Joseph Drouhin Chorey-les-Beaune 2007
Chairman's Selection^TM
Description from PLCB web site
PLCB Code: 32006
Size: 750ML
Price: $15.99
Compare to prices on wine-searcher.com:  (Avg $20, Min $17, Max $25)
Availability in Pennsylvania:

In Wine & Spirits stores

PAWineTalk

Yering Station Pinot Noir Little Yering 2008
Chairman's Selection^TM
Description from PLCB web site
PLCB Code: 32344
Size: 750ML
Price: $7.99
Compare to prices on wine-searcher.com:  (Avg $14, Min $13, Max $16)
Availability in Pennsylvania:

In Wine & Spirits stores

PAWineTalk

 

Le Petite Vigne Sauvignon Blanc Pays d'Oc 2010

 We found the grassy elements to be in balance with the grapefruit and lemon and enjoyed this a great deal. Just as good or better than any sauvignon blanc we've ever had up to $15-$20, but we don't drink a lot of sb so that may not be saying much.  We did not find it to have "loads of grapefruit" or it to be "far too lemony."

Seems like a great deal for $7.99 and good to have around for linguine and clams.

Le Petite Vigne Sauvignon Blanc Pays d'Oc 2010
Chairman's Selection^TM
Description from PLCB web site
PLCB Code: 32424
Size: 750ML
Price: $7.99
Compare to prices on wine-searcher.com:
Availability in Pennsylvania:

In Wine & Spirits stores

 Region:    France > Languedoc Roussillon > Vin de Pays d'Oc

Brunori Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico San Nicolo

Another from Moore Brothers from their recent 10% off sale. This was medium bodied and lemony. 

The 6 hectares of the San Nicolò vineyard are located in the heart of the Verdicchio D.O.C., 200 meters above sea level. The varietal has been vinified in this area since the 15th century. Having produced excellent Verdicchio for three generations, the Brunori family has achieved a perfect balance of tradition in the vineyard (no chemicals, hand-harvesting, respect of the sandy soils) and innovation in the cellar (soft-pressing and microfiltering). The result is a wine of structure and fleshiness, with beautiful aromatics and a lovely, nutty finish. This is also a wine for aging - 5 to 8 years - taking on more complex layers of aromas and textures.
-- Brian Healy, Moore Brothers, June 6, 2011

 

Côtes du Rhône Bout d'Zan Domaine du Mas de Libian 2010

This was a Moore Brothers special offering ($14) recently. We like.  One of Greg Moore's classic descriptions is below, we agree with him on "black cherries...raspberry...smooth mouth filling and round velvety finish."

"Domaine du Mas de Libian:

Jean-Pierre Thibon's family has operated the Mas de Libian in Saint-Marcel d'Ardèche since 1670. He and his cardiologist wife Jacqueline have three daughters: Hélène, Catherine, and Cécile. In 1995, Hélène and her husband Alain Macagno assumed responsibility for viticulture and winemaking, and began to estate-bottle the wine, rather than sell it in bulk to négociants.
 
Long before it was fashionable, the Mas de Libian was an organic farm, and in 2005 Hélène introduced the demanding practice of biodynamics. Catherine does much of the vineyard work herself, with the help of a charming Comtois draft horse named "Nestor," who is encouraged by his canine stable mates "Sophia" and "Éclair."

This Wine:

"Bout d'Zan" (for the rascal street urchin protagonist of Louis Feuillade's short silent films of the early twentieth century) was Jean-Pierre Thibon's childhood nickname. One third of this co-fermented blend of Grenache and Syrah was matured for seven months in large, well-used foudres; the remainder in concrete vats.

In the glass, the wine is nearly black at the center, with a saturated, deep purple color right to the edge. The nose opens with wild black cherries seasoned with baking spices and fennel seed, adding lavender, dried flowers, and powdered cocoa as it evolves in the glass, and the flavors range from black raspberry and fennel through ripe cassis and dark chocolate. On the palate the wine is smooth and mouth filling, with wonderful graphite mineral brightness and refreshing vibrancy. The mouth-coating flavors gain weight over time in the glass, and the wine has a round, velvety finish. Drink now - 2017."