I had a really great wine tasting experience at The Wine and Spirit Archive in Portland. I found this little gem of a place while looking for a course in Wine Tasting, Wine Education, or perhaps a certification to help move my "career" forward.
The Wine and Spirit Archive is a cross between a laboratory and an artist's studio. The big windows that look out over Ash street provide a warm, comfortable light. It was a cozy setting for some wine experimentation!
Our sommelier for the evening, Mimi Martin-Director of The Wine and Spirit Archive, was a gracious host. She was very knowledgable about the five wines we were tasting, all from southwest France. A nice assortment of cheese, flat bread, pate, nuts, and salt was set out for us to pair with the wines.
As she poured a wine into your glass, she would tell you about its origin while simultaneously projecting images of the AOC (the wine's place of origin) on the wall, which added to the enjoyment of tasting these wines from such far off and remote places. If you're on a small, tight budget, these images of vineyards, medieval towns, winding rivers and rocky slopes can stick in your mind and can turn drinking one of these wines at home into a cheap form of travel. A good wine, a good coffee, a good piece of chocolate will actually take you somewhere. So, there we were, stimulating all the senses; melding the projected images of these rustic places with the the scent, texture, and taste of their local wines.
The wines we tasted, in order of serving:
1. Domaine l'Enclos (Cotes de Gascogne) 2013
2. Domaine Castera Sec (Jurancon) 2012
3. Clos la Coutale (Cahors) 2012
4. Domaine du Cros Lo Sang del Pais (Marcillac) 2012
5. Domaine Brana Ohitza (Irouleguy) 2010
Three of these wines really got my attention.
The Domaine l'Enclos, the first wine I tasted, was so crisp and refreshing. After a long day at work and then driving across town in rush hour traffic, I felt that this made it all worth while. Been a while since I had such refreshing white wine. So crisp and simple. I bought a bottle with the idea that I would share it, mainly to see others reaction to it. I think anybody would love this wine. You don't have to tell your friends it's just a ten dollar bottle of wine. Instead, let them think you pulled one of your "special" bottles off the shelf in honor of their presence at your table. Serve it chilled.
The Clos la Coutale from Cahors also got my attention. There was a dark, fruity richness to it. The wine had weight as it washed across my tongue; like many of the red wines I have been enjoying from France. I'm a coffee drinker who roasts his own coffee, presses it a cup at a time, and relishes the feel of the beverage in my mouth and over my tongue. Some of these red wines approximate that sensation. Again, being budget minded, I passed on buying a bottle to bring home. But the taste of a good wine lingers on in the imagination and I wound up in New Seasons this afternoon and bought a similar wine from Cahors made with Malbec.
The third wine that REALLY got my attention is the Domaine Brana Ohitza from Irouleguy. Oh, I have been savoring this wine each night as I sit and write. More expensive than the other four wines, ($26.00, while the other four wines were all under $20.00) it was so worth it. If you buy wines frugally you don't always run into a more expensive wine that is really deserving of the price, like this one. This wine provides a longer finish than I am used to. The acid and the alcohol are both there but not up front; they don't get in the way of the grape. What a wonderful wine!
The tastings at The Wine and Spirit Archive usually happen once a month. Last time I checked members pay $10.00 and visitors pay $12.00. See you there.
The Wine and Spirit Archive is a cross between a laboratory and an artist's studio. The big windows that look out over Ash street provide a warm, comfortable light. It was a cozy setting for some wine experimentation!
Our sommelier for the evening, Mimi Martin-Director of The Wine and Spirit Archive, was a gracious host. She was very knowledgable about the five wines we were tasting, all from southwest France. A nice assortment of cheese, flat bread, pate, nuts, and salt was set out for us to pair with the wines.
As she poured a wine into your glass, she would tell you about its origin while simultaneously projecting images of the AOC (the wine's place of origin) on the wall, which added to the enjoyment of tasting these wines from such far off and remote places. If you're on a small, tight budget, these images of vineyards, medieval towns, winding rivers and rocky slopes can stick in your mind and can turn drinking one of these wines at home into a cheap form of travel. A good wine, a good coffee, a good piece of chocolate will actually take you somewhere. So, there we were, stimulating all the senses; melding the projected images of these rustic places with the the scent, texture, and taste of their local wines.
The wines we tasted, in order of serving:
1. Domaine l'Enclos (Cotes de Gascogne) 2013
2. Domaine Castera Sec (Jurancon) 2012
3. Clos la Coutale (Cahors) 2012
4. Domaine du Cros Lo Sang del Pais (Marcillac) 2012
5. Domaine Brana Ohitza (Irouleguy) 2010
Three of these wines really got my attention.
The Domaine l'Enclos, the first wine I tasted, was so crisp and refreshing. After a long day at work and then driving across town in rush hour traffic, I felt that this made it all worth while. Been a while since I had such refreshing white wine. So crisp and simple. I bought a bottle with the idea that I would share it, mainly to see others reaction to it. I think anybody would love this wine. You don't have to tell your friends it's just a ten dollar bottle of wine. Instead, let them think you pulled one of your "special" bottles off the shelf in honor of their presence at your table. Serve it chilled.
The Clos la Coutale from Cahors also got my attention. There was a dark, fruity richness to it. The wine had weight as it washed across my tongue; like many of the red wines I have been enjoying from France. I'm a coffee drinker who roasts his own coffee, presses it a cup at a time, and relishes the feel of the beverage in my mouth and over my tongue. Some of these red wines approximate that sensation. Again, being budget minded, I passed on buying a bottle to bring home. But the taste of a good wine lingers on in the imagination and I wound up in New Seasons this afternoon and bought a similar wine from Cahors made with Malbec.
The third wine that REALLY got my attention is the Domaine Brana Ohitza from Irouleguy. Oh, I have been savoring this wine each night as I sit and write. More expensive than the other four wines, ($26.00, while the other four wines were all under $20.00) it was so worth it. If you buy wines frugally you don't always run into a more expensive wine that is really deserving of the price, like this one. This wine provides a longer finish than I am used to. The acid and the alcohol are both there but not up front; they don't get in the way of the grape. What a wonderful wine!
The tastings at The Wine and Spirit Archive usually happen once a month. Last time I checked members pay $10.00 and visitors pay $12.00. See you there.
No comments:
Post a Comment