Whispering Angel

Whispering Angel

Chris and I attended a wine tasting recently of Whispering Angel, a rosé from France. It was held at the Jupiter Grill and we went with friends.

Whispering Angel is a rosé wine from the Côtes de Provence AOC in Provence, France. It is produced by Chateau d'Esclans, which is majority owned by LVMH. It is credited with reviving interest in rosé wine. It is priced expensively for a rosé to create the perception of a premium product. (Wikipedia)

Dishwasher After and Before
Whispering Angel Plastic Glasses

The venue was nicely prepared, but I believe they underestimated the crowd even though tickets were purchased in advance. Our tasting included two glasses (yes, 5 oz pours) of Whispering Angel and a discussion of the history of the wine and winemaker. 

There were a few nice gifts including some plastic wine glasses with the name Whispering Angel on them. Fortunately, we tasted from very nice glasses and not the plastic beach/pool give aways. As it turned out, the plastic glasses were not dishwasher safe. They are for show and not use.

The wine was tasting very nicely and it was paired with a couple of enjoyable munchies. Whispering Angel used to be Chris' favorite rosé, but due to its popularity the price has risen to a premium price point. Despite the price, it remains a very enjoyable wine and is suitable for many meals. It is especially nice here in Florida as it  helps to beat the oppressive heat.

I recommend trying Whispering Angel if you haven to done so. Be careful of the price. I have seen it in stores recently ranging from $18 (Costco) to $25 (Publix). 

I applaud the Jupiter Grill for this inaugural tasting event and am looking forward to future offerings.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Confirming the Wine Status

 I wrote briefly about my FedEx troubles with recent wine delivery. The wine was delayed four days and not stored in good conditions. The condition of the corks seepage concerned me that the wines may have gotten "cooked."

Here is a good description of cooked wine:

If a bottle of wine has been exposed to extremes of heat, the wine might start to expand and leak out of the cork a bit. When you remove the capsule, you might notice a sticky mess. This is evidence your wine may have been exposed to heat, but it doesn't always mean that your wine is toast. A "cooked" wine's flavors will actually taste ... cooked. The fruit flavors might seem stewed, not fresh. There might be baked, burnt or caramel notes. The color may also have changed from deep red to more of a brown or brick tone.  (WineSpectator)

Well, I was concerned. But the only way to know if a wine is cooked is by sight and taste. But what, say, if I didn't want to open the bottle right now. I generally like to keep my bottles for a few weeks/months/years depending on the varietal and vintage. 

So, how to taste and evaluate the wines without opening them? 

The Coravin! 

I have had a Coravin for a few years but use it only infrequently. But, it provided a great way for me to sample the wines and make a determinations to whether they were cooked or not. 

Fortunately, the wines which appeared to have suffered the most were not cooked--by the definition above. They just got too warm and expanded in the bottle. This, of course, will lessen their shelf life, but again I am lucky in that none of the wines in this shipment were destined for long-term lay-down. One of the bottles, a solid CabSauv, was so good that I finished the bottle across three nights without ever removing the cork. 

That is the beauty of the Coravin. Chris and I are on divergent wine tastes at the moment, she likes whites more and I the reds, I will be using my Coravin a bit more because some wines go flat too quickly once oxidized.

I have contacted the winery and advised them of the results of my sampling and that I will not be requesting the replacements they graciously offered.

Ahh, wine. 

Life is too short to drink bad wine!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

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It is that day!

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Wine Tasting Disaster

Wine Tasting in Small Plastic Cups

Chris and I decided to visit a few local wineries and vineyards to enjoy the fruit of the vine and see how the wines are progressing. We ended up visiting two wineries that we had last visited a few years ago and one winery that we had never visited. 

I was disappointed in the quality of the tastings. And of course the wines suffered as well from poor presentation.

In my mind, winemakers should ensure that their wines are presented in the best possible manner for people to enjoy and hopefully purchase. 

All three of the wineries visited were doing tastings by the flight. Which, in my mind is the worst way to do a tasting. There is little interaction with the staff and almost no knowledge transfer regarding the estate and the wines. 

At one winery Chris and I tasted 12 wines--but they were served in small plastic glasses--single serving glasses not much larger than communion cups. It is impossible to enjoy the intricacies of wine in small plastic cups which provide no space for the bouquet to develop. At least when I had decided that I wanted to taste a couple of the wines in glass, the tasting room manager accommodated me.

At another winery we were seated outside, under alleged heaters on a cold November day, to taste wines in flights of four. At least they were serves in glass--although not wine glasses. And since the day was cold the wines definitely did not overheat. The reds may have been a bit cool. As the cold November wind blew, we definitely did not enjoy the wines in the same manner that could be done in a warm tasting room with knowledgeable staff to help us understand the vintages and processing. 

The final winery's tasting was probably the most egregious. The wine tasting was $20 for three wines. They were served in wine glasses and were a sufficient pour--but the server poured the wines, placed them in front of us and went back to her computer and continued shopping on Amazon. So much for as personalized tasting experience. We did not even get a written description of the wines. Did I mention that there was only one other two-some in the tasting room? Well, at least we were in the tasting room.

Based upon our experience we likely will never return to any of the three wineries. 

-- Bob and Chris Doan, Elkridge, MD