Some Southern Hemisphere Shout-Outs

Usually I am posting about German wine, and at this moment, I do have some things to say about German wine, but I'll refrain for just a moment to share some nice things about my Southern Hemisphere departments.

This past weekend, we had a huge tasting of 10 cheeses paired with 10 wines. My contributions included a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc and a Tasmanian Pinot Noir, namely, 2007 Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc and 2007 Tamar Ridge Devil's Corner Pinot Noir. Both wines showed very well, though on this particularly hot Saturday, the Sauvignon was very sauvage, showing tons of aromas of gooseberry, guava, grass and citrus. On the palate it was fresh and fruity. It paired really well with the Spanish soft goat cheese. People were divided on whether they liked the wine or not - those that liked a lot of bigness liked it and those that didn't like a lot of grass and green opted for other wines showing more subtly. The bottom line though is that I sold a ton of bottles, so some people at least thought this wine to be a perfect summer sipper, perfectly priced at $9.99.

The Devil's Corner Pinot Noir was a big hit though, being paired with a truffle cheese. The truffle cheese was strong, earthy, mushroomy, forest floor-y, and distinctly truffly, with some garlic essence. The wine was, in contrast, fruity, fresh and light, full of cherries and raspberries, bright, with no perceptible earthiness. The body was medium-light but not thin. It was a nice red for a hot day, and at $14.99, it was a big hit. I think the name didn't hurt - Devil's Corner. The label was quite pretty too - all that put together, plus a pretty wine in the bottle, makes for a success story.

This week, we have a rep from Veramonte showing off 4 Veramonte wines including their Pinot Noir, Bordeaux-style blend, and Cabernet, in addition to the Sauvignon Blanc. We hope this Chilean tasting will be a popular. It's on Thursday between 4:30 pm and 6:30 pm.