Royal Oporto Tawny Porto Add
Spinyback 'Nelson' Sauvignon Blanc Add
Cloudy Bay Chardonnay Marlborough Add
Wines are recomendations only and may not be carried by this store.

Royal Oporto Tawny Porto

Attributes:
Producer:

Royal Oporto
Region:

Portugal, Other
Varietal:

Dry Red Table Wine
Bottle Size:

750 ML

Food Matches:
Cheese: Aged Cheddar, Cream Cheese
Fish or Shellfish: Deep Fried Bass
Red Meat: Liver, Pate or Liver
Spicy Food: Dim Sum
Vegetables: Beans, White, Greek Salad, Nicoise Salad, Tomato Mozzarella Basil, Vegetable Gratin or Stew

Portugal:

Well known for its Port and Vinho Verde wines, Portugal is one of Europe’s leading wine producing countries. It competes closely with Germany for the position of fourth largest wine producer in Europe. Portugal is also the worlds leading producer of cork. Single-handedly it accounts for nearly 70 percent of the worlds commercially traded cork supply.

Spinyback 'Nelson' Sauvignon Blanc

Attributes:
Producer:

Spinyback
Region:

Nelson, Australia/New Zealand
Varietal:

Sauvignon Blanc
Bottle Size:

750 ML

Food Matches:
Cheese: Feta, Goat Cheese, Mozzarella, Ricotta, Swiss
Fish or Shellfish: Catfish, Dover Sole, Red Snapper, Tilapia, Walleye, Ceviche, Grouper / Swordfish, Monkfish, Ligurian Fish Soup, Pan-fried Trout, Salmon with Lemon, Sea Bass, Shellfish (scallops, clams, crab, lobster, shrimp, etc...), Soft-shelled Crab
Fruits & Nuts: Citrus Fruits, Mango Salsa
Herbs & Spices: Anise, Fennel Seed, Tarragon, Basil, Cilantro, Coriander, Curry, Dill, Thyme
Poultry & Eggs: Chicken or Turkey, Chinese Chicken Salad, Roast Game Hen
Sauces: Vinaigrette
Vegetables: Asparagus, Asparagus Quiche, Greek Salad, Nicoise Salad, Salad, Tomato

Sauvignon Blanc:

Comes mostly from California, France, New Zealand, and South Africa. Its highly acidic wines are often suggestive of herbs or grass. Light to medium bodied and usually dry, European versions are generally not oaky while California Sauvignon Blanc can take on many of the qualities of Chardonnay. France has two classic wine regions for the Sauvignon Blanc gape: Bordeaux and the Loire Valley The Bordeaux wine is called Bordeaux Blanc and the two best known of the Loire wines are called Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé. In Bordeaux, Sauvignon Blanc is sometimes blended with Sémillon.

Cloudy Bay Chardonnay Marlborough

Attributes:
Producer:

Cloudy Bay
Region:

Marlborough, Australia/New Zealand
Varietal:

Chardonnay
Bottle Size:

750 ML

2003: WineSpectator Rating: 88
Acidity:

crisp
Flavors:

lime, pepper, spicy

2002: WineSpectator Rating: 80
Flavors:

bitter, earthy, pineapple

2002: WineEnthusiast Rating: 88
Compliments:

elegant, well-balanced
Fruit:

ripe

2001: WineSpectator Rating: 86
Compliments:

pleasant
Flavors:

buttery, oak, spicy

2001: Tanzer Rating: 87
Flavors:

lemon, minerals
Texture:

strong

2000: WineSpectator Rating: 87
Acidity:

crisp
Aromas:

*-scented
Compliments:

fragrant
Flavors:

lime, oak, pear, spicy

2000: Tanzer Rating: 87
Complexity:

complex nose
Flavors:

butter, pear, petrolly, spice, spices
Fruit:

juicy

1999: WineSpectator Rating: 87
Acidity:

bright, lively

Food Matches:
Cheese: Blue Cheese, Brie, Goat Cheese, Gouda, Swiss
Fish or Shellfish: Catfish, Dover Sole, Red Snapper, Tilapia, Walleye, Garlic Shrimp, Grouper / Swordfish, Monkfish, Lobster Salad, Salmon / Trout, Bluefish and Mackerel, Shellfish (scallops, clams, crab, lobster, shrimp, etc...), Smoked Salmon
Herbs & Spices: Anise, Fennel Seed, Tarragon, Basil, Curry, Ginger, Nutmeg, Mace, Allspice, Rosemary, Saffron, Thyme
Poultry & Eggs: Chicken or Turkey, Glazed Duck, Goose, Roast Game Hen, Roast Turkey
Red Meat: Pork, Veal
Sauces: White Wine Sauce
Vegetables: Avocado

Chardonnay:

(shar dohn nay)—This noble grape’s reputation was established in France, particularly in the Burgundy region, and the highly prized Chardonnay wines from Chablis, Mâcon, Mersault, and Pouilly-Fuissé are imitated by winemakers around the world. Generally an oaked wine (whether from expensive oak barrels or a quick soak in oak chips), its fruity aromas and flavors range from apple in the cooler regions to tropical fruits such a pineapple in the warmer regions. It can also display subtle earthy aromas, such as mushroom or minerals. It has a medium to high acidity and is generally full-bodied. Classical Chardonnay wines are dry. Chardonnay is also an important grape in the Champagne district where it's picked before fully ripe and while it still has high acid and understated fruit flavors—the perfect combination for champagne. California has adopted this grape with a fervor and there are some 200 wineries producing Chardonnay wines in other parts of the United States. Chardonnay has also seen a tremendous planting surge in Australia, and new vineyards are being planted in Italy, Lebanon, New Zealand, Spain, and South Africa.


Marlborough:

When the first growers planted grapes in Marlborough in the 1970s (there is evidence of plantings as early as 1870s), it is unlikely they would have foreseen the extent of the growth and fame that the region’s wine industry would achieve, based upon a single varietal called Sauvignon Blanc. The distinctive pungency and zest fruit flavours of the first Marlborough wines, in particular Sauvignon Blanc, captured the imagination of the country's winemakers as well as international wine commentators and consumers and sparked an unparalleled boom in vineyard development. Worldwide interest in Marlborough wines, particularly Sauvignon Blanc, has continued to fuel that regional wine boom.

Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella Salad

Rated

Ingredients

4 slices tomato
4 leaves fresh basil
4 slices low-fat mozzarella
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation

Place the tomatoes on a plate. Top with the basil leaves and mozzarella and season with black pepper.

Yield

Makes 4 servings