WEST YARMOUTH

il Cuore 2005 Barbara
Mendocino County

Typically grown in Italy's northern Piedmont region, this medium bodied wine is grown and produced domestically from vineyard sites located above the Redwood Valley in Mendocino. This wine comes alive with palate pleasing fruit profiles of blackberry framboise, cocoa dust and dried herbs. Primarily Barbara, this wine blends in a small amount of red zinfandel to add a sleek edge of spice driven baked fruits. This food driven wine pairs well with game, roasts, wild mushroom risotto and hard (pecorino) cheeses.

BREWSTER

Crios de Susana Balbo Malbec 2007

Tasting Notes/Food Pairing Suggestions
The wine has a beautiful reddish/purple color as most good Malbecs do. The aromas are a mix of fresh crushed cherries and toasty/smoky oak - just enough to frame the exuberant fruit. On the palate, the flavors of cherries and spice are obvious, and the jammy fruit quality just keeps coming on strong, with hints of spice and sandalwood lurking in the background. This is a wine that you'll want to buy by the case because it can be consumed at almost any occasion, whether at a fancy dinner party, or just curled up on the couch in front of a movie. Fun and delicious - what more can you ask for?!

About the Name/Label
Crios means "offspring" (as in children). Susana selected a word to express the notion that these are wines that haven't quite "grown up" to the same level of quality and maturity as her more expensive Susana Balbo label wines, but they receive the same loving care and attention throughout the winemaking process. The label features a series of three connected and overlapping hands, an image inspired by a Mayan artifact. The three hands represent Susana and her two children.

I tried this Malbec at a wine dinner recently with our friends from Ruby. I have been thinking about it ever since. It's a great house wine that I think will be joining me at lots of dinner parties this summer. Good stuff!!

HARWICH

Montecillo Rioja Crianza 2003

Wines from Rioja are classified according to the quality of the grapes that are used and the amount of time they are aged. It being a Crianza, the 2003 Montecillo is considered to be young (aged in oak for 18 months), but shows powerful flavors of cherry and blackberry with terrific balance and structure. More importantly, this stuff is obscenely affordable! Try it with some sharp cheddar or grilled tuna.

HYANNIS

Maramonte Syrage 2005

Those adventurous enough to try this intriguing red blend will be rewarded with an incredibly rich, dark, but not overpowering wine. Blended predominantly of Syrah with smaller portions of Petite Verdot and Petite Sirah respectively, the mix has depth and a most impressive creamy texture. It reminds me of a mocha latte. Without knowing the price of this bottle I guessed it would fall in the $20 range. It turns out that you can buy this wine for about half that price. When you get ready to fire up the grill, you should have a few bottles on hand. One simply won't last.