2018 Veramonte Carménère Organic Reserva ($11.99)

This organic Carménère Reserva from Veramonte is produced from 100% Carménère (kar-men-nair) from the Colchagua Valley in Chile.

The Carménère grapes are cold macerated for five days in open-top stainless steel tanks and then fermented with native yeasts. Following primary fermentation, the wine is macerated with its skin for another ten days to achieve greater smoothness and intensity of flavor. The wine is then aged in neutral French oak barrels for eight months.

The wine is medium purple in color, with subtle hints of black cherry on the nose. On the palate is has flavors of dark stone fruits and blackberry, medium-low tannin, hints of vanilla from the oak aging and an easy finish.

This organic Carménère from Veramonte is a great fit as a Behind the Cork™ wine because it’s very affordable and attainable. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Rebekah Polster, Donna White Communications

2019 Organic Sauvignon Blanc ($11.99)

2018 Organic Pinot Noir ($12.99)

These organic wines from Veramonte are produced in the Casablanca Valley of Chile. Both are from organically farmed vineyards and delivers the maximum expression of their living soils.

The Veramonte organic Sauvignon Blanc is 100% Sauvignon Blanc that gets picked at night and goes straight to the press. After sitting on lees for 24 hours, it is fermented in stainless steel tanks to preserve its freshness and flavors.

The Sauvignon Blanc is pale yellow in color with bright citrus, pineapple, pear and herbs on the nose. On the palate it’s got mellow flavors, including grapefruit, moderate acidity and finishes really easy.

The Veramonte organic Pinot Noir is produced from 100% Pinot Noir. After being harvested at night, 15% of the grapes undergo whole-cluster maceration and fermentation that helps build its structure. It is then fermented in small open-top tanks with native yeast. Finally, it’s aged for eight months in French oak.

This Chilean Pinot Noir is pale ruby in color with hints of red fruit on the nose. On the palate it’s got that classic cherry and cranberry flavor of a Pinot with very light tannin and low acidity.

Both of these Veramonte organic wines from Chile are affordable and flavorful, the perfect match to be a Behind the Cork™ wine of the week. Look for these - they’re a great value! Cheers!

Imported by Gonzalez Byass USA

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received these samples at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Samples Provided by Rebekah Polster, Donna White Communications

2018 Ritual Sauvignon Blanc ($19.99)

This is an organic wine from the Casablanca Valley in Chile. This cool climate area is located on the northwestern side of Chile’s coastal range that is less than 30 km from the Pacific Ocean.

This 100% Sauvignon blanc is whole-cluster pressed and is allowed to sit for 36 hours. It is then divided fermented in concrete eggs, neutral oak and stainless steel. By doing the fermentation in three separate ways, the winemaker is able to create different components each with varying aromatics, flavor and textures. The wine is then aged for eight to ten months with the lees being stirred every other week, based on the fruit days of the bio-dynamic calendar.

This wine is pale straw in color and has aromas of citrus, tropical fruit and melon. On the palate it’s creamy-smooth on the front and has nice rounded acidity through its finish.

This one from Ritual is not your typical Sauvignon Blanc. The concrete and oak fermentation definitely adds some wonderful texture and smoothness to this wine. Cheers!

Imported by González Byass USA

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Rebekah Polster, Donna White Communications

Well, it’s Halloween time and that means candy. Lots of candy! And I suggest pairing that candy with Sherry. So, I gathered up three nice bottles of Sherry and a bunch of candy and went to work!

First was the Harveys Bristol Cream ($20). It’s the number one selling Sherry in the world! It’s crafted from four different styles of Sherry (Fino, Amontillado, Oloroso and Pedro Ximexez) and aged between 3-20 years in the traditional Solera system. The result is creamy-smooth sherry that can be served chilled or over ice.

Next was the González Byass Alfonso ($25). This sherry is made from 100% Palomino. This sherry has a beautiful mahogany color with a wonderful walnut aroma. This is not a sweet Sherry. It’s dry with great nutty flavor and a long smooth finish.

Finally, was the González Byass Nectar ($25) that is made from 100% Pedro Ximenez. It has a deep dark mahogany color. And, oh my! It’s rich and sweet and velvety smooth with flavors of caramel, dried fruits, figs, mocha, nuts and spices. It’s dessert in a glass.

And pairing these wonderful bottles of Sherry with Halloween candy was a joy. It was hard work, but here are the winners…

The Harveys Bristol Cream was excellent with the Baby Ruth bar, the nutty Alfonso was a hit with the Crunch bar and, my favorite was the Butterfinger with the deliciously rich Nectar!

It was a lot of fun tasting my way through all three of these great Sherry offerings from González Byass. And, I’d suggest you do the same with all that Halloween candy that’s going to be around the house. Happy Halloween and cheers!





Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Donna White, Donna White Communications

2019 La Scolca Gavi dei Gavi Black Label ($39)

Gavi is the name of a little town in the Apennines mountains, located in the Piedmont border to Liguria, from where the famous white and dry wine has taken its name.

Thanks to La Scolca® who began production of Gavi 101 years ago, Gavi obtained DOC in 1974 and later DOCG (Denomination of Origin Controlled ano Guaranteed) in 1998.

Gavi dei Gavi® has been a registered trademark in Europe since 1969 and in the US since 1971, and is best known as "Black Label".

This La Scolca Black Label is produced from 100% Cortese (kort-tay-zay) grape. It is pale gold in color, has delicate citrus and floral aromas, hints of Honeydew melon and peach. On the palate this Black Label Gavi is very delicate and light. Its subtle flavors are enhanced by its very rounded acidity that results in a light finish.

Last time I described my first experience with Gavi and stated “I can tell you that La Scolca has done an extremely nice job of capturing the essence of this wonderful Cortese grape.” With their Black Label, La Scolca has gone above and beyond…this is a really nice wine! And yet another wine that fits right in as a Behind the Cork™ wine of the week. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Camilla Fondelli from Making Business Happen USA, Pr&Global Brand Communication & Marketing of La Scolca, Gavi, Italy.

2019 La Scolca White Label Gavi ($19)

Last year, La Scolca celebrated one hundred years of oenological passion. They are a company that looks at the future with an innovative spirit, keeping their focus on the pursuit of a high level of quality.

At just over 100 years old, La Scolca is the oldest company in the area, with continuity of the management by the same family, but at the same time it is also the most modern.

This White Label Gavi is their first label and their most traditional Gavi, made from young vines located in the heart of Rovereto and represents the true essence of Gavi.

The Cortese (kort-tay-zay) grape is almost exclusively grown in Piedmont, Italy. It is known as Cortese de Gavi or just Gavi.

Using in Italy a classification of vineyards as in France, Rovereto of Gavi would be, without any doubt, the “Grand Cru” of Cortese.

This La Scolca Gavi is pale gold in color and has a very delicate aroma with a hint of sweetness. On the palate it has bright fruit flavors of apple, lemon, pear and melon with good acidity that leads to a long, pleasant finish.

This is my first experience with Gavi and I can tell you that La Scolca has done an extremely nice job of capturing the essence of this wonderful Cortese grape. This is yet another wine that fits right in as a Behind the Cork™ wine of the week. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Camilla Fondelli from Making Business Happen USA, Pr&Global Brand Communication & Marketing of La Scolca, Gavi, Italy.

2016 Ace Kicker Big Bet Blend ($15)

This Ace Kicker wine originates from Spain’s Castilla-La Mancha region which is located about 40 miles south of Madrid.

This Big Bet Blend is indeed a big blend that’s produced from 34% Cabernet Franc, 27% Syrah, 15% Petite Verdot, 12% Tempranillo, 7% Graciano and 5% Garnacha with the latter three varieties being classic Spanish grapes.

After the grapes are hand-harvested they undergo fermentation and malolactic conversion in stainless steel tanks. The wine is then aged in French and American oak for eight months.

This Ace Kicker Big Bet Blend is deep ruby in color and has aromas of black cherry, black berry, with some spice and hints of oak. On the palate it has lighter fruit flavors, definite cherry flavor, medium tannin and an easy finish.

This 2016 Ace Kicker Big Bet Blend is imported to the U.S. by González Byass.

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Donna White, Donna White Communications