Wine Reviews: Galer Estate Albariño

Happy Friday Friends!

Have you ever cleaned our your closet during those transition seasons and stumbled upon that perfect statement piece that has been missing from your life for way too long? Well, I was searching through my old drafts and found the blog equivalent of those perfect statement knee high leather boots for fall. (Or for the boys, that perfect plaid shirt. Or maybe an unopened bottle of bourbon that you put away to "age" and accidentally forgot about...)

For this post I want you to think back to almost a year and a half ago. It was April, after that insanely harsh winter. We were celebrating warm winds, spring flowers, and the hope of fun fresh white wine. I give you a post I drafted after visiting another great Pennsylvania winery.

Galer Estate.

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Spring has finally sprung folks! And I could not be more excited! Warm weather, sunshine and wine tastings! Tons of wine tastings actually! A while back, I had the opportunity to visit several wineries in Pennsylvania and taste some delicious wine. It was a really special day for me because when I'm at my favorite winery, I usually spend my time pouring from behind the bar rather than in front tasting wine - so it was great to see what other local wineries had to offer. Two in particular were especially interesting: (1) Stargazers Vineyard and Winery (interesting post on sustainable winemaking to follow), and (2) Galer Estate Winery.

I believe I have said it before, but I will say it again, wineries are definitely the unsung heroes of happy hour! Now that I am no longer a student, but a full time employee, I have come to appreciate happy hour that much more. For me, a great happy hour has a great location, ambiance and drinks. Once location that definitely has all three (and then some) is Galer Estate Winery.

Galer Estate Winery is located in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania - close to Longwood Gardens! ThIs tasting room had a great vibe. The space has both indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor seating overlooks a field of beautiful grape vines. Inside there is a great bar in the middle of the room where you can try the wine, check out the wine tanks, and even listen to live music. The owners also display art made by local artists on the wall, which is ever changing, and really brightens the space.

The wine was definitely just as fun, if not even more fun, than the great atmosphere. I tried several of their wines and all were delicious. However, I walked away with a bottle of their Albariño. 

The 2012 vintage was 100% Albariño aged in steel tank for approximately five months. This wine smelled super fresh, with aromas of herbs, fresh cut grass and a hint of citrus. This wine was definitely what I was looking for in a Albariño, it smelled like putting your face in a tropical fruit bowl. I particularly noticed notices of grapefruit, lemon and lime.

The taste was surprisingly smooth. With most Albariños, I expect almost tingling acidity. Kind of like licking a lemon (which is something I like!). But the Albariño at Galer was super smooth, it almost reminded me of Chardonnay, until I hit the slight tang of acidity on the finish. It left my mouth watering. I think it would have paired nicely with a fish dish, like ceviche!

So if you have some time to get out of the City, Galer Estate is definitely a worthwhile stop!

Cheers!

Benchmark Wine Tasting Class: Other Classic Whites

Hey there wine nerds! Welcome to the second installment of the benchmark wine series. For the newbies, I previously introduced a benchmark wine tasting series based on a tasting I did at Penn State University. Last time, I provided an overview on aromatic whites. Now, I will be discussing "other classic whites," or more specifically Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. We also tasted an Albariño just to mix things up.

This tasting couldn't be more interesting because I considered these grapes extremely different in flavor and character. When I think of Sauvignon Blanc, I think of bright citrus, spicy green pepper and high acidity. When I think Chardonnay, I think smooth vanilla, stone fruit flavors and full-body. However, now that I think a little more, the two grapes are similar in one curious way -- they are both very versatile. Both have adapted to a variety of locations and styles, resulting in a variety of selection for consumers.

Sauvignon Blanc.

I have said it before and I will say it again, Sauvignon Blanc is my favorite grape! If you drink Sauvignon Blanc, then you know it has those awesome citrus, herbaceous, or even grassy green pepper flavors. Thanks to the world wide web, I learned a fun new principle when it comes to the flavors of Sauvignon Blanc: the ripeness of the grapes plays a major role in the flavor profile. (Duh, but listen to this!) If the grapes are LESS ripe, the wine is more likely to taste like lime or green apple. While, if the grapes are MORE ripe, the wine will likely taste like flowery peach or citrus. The best regions for Sauvignon Blanc are Bordeaux, Loire Valley (specifically Sancerre), New Zealand, and California. When surfing the aisles at the wine store, you can also look for the following synonyms: Fume Blanc or Pouilly-fume and you will most likely be drinking Sauvignon Blanc. Looking for food pairing tips? A good general rule is "go green," since the herbaceous qualities of the wine will pair well with salads, but any herb based sauce would pair well also. Now that we have covered the Sauvignon Blanc basics, let's check out the wines I tried at the benchmark wine tasting:

BANCROFT ESTATE 2011

Where it's from. Marlborough, New Zealand.

My thoughts. I love NZ style Sauvignon Blanc because it's so distinct. The flavors can be grassy, spicey, or peppery. This particular bottle had a lighter style than I have experienced with most NZ Sauvignon Blancs, which was fine. It definitely had the spicey finished and white pepper notes tha I expected. Overall, this wine was delicious but, as the only NZ Sauvignon Blanc on the tasting, I was hoping for a bolder style. The room thought it would be hard to pair with food - but I argue it would go great with an arugula salad. (Don't knock it before you try it!)

Chardonnay.

Chardonnay and I have a love-hate relationship. Generally, I am not a fan of most those "butter-bomb" styles. But, the unoaked styles, generally out of the Old World, are quite lovely. Like our discussion above, the ripeness of the Chardonnay grape also changes dramatically with ripeness. MORE ripe and you may notice flavors of pineapple and other tropical fruit, LESS ripe and you may notice strong notes of lemon or green apple. Similar varietals include: Marsanne, Rousanne, Viognier, Semillion and Fiano (Italy). Check out the wines I tasted below:

KENDALL-JACKSON VINTNER'S RESERVE

Where it's from. California.

My thoughts.  Definitely not a favorite. If you like the buttery styles, you may like this, but it's definitely not for me.

HENRY FESSY CHARDONNAY 2010

Where it's from. Pouilly-Fuisse, France

My thoughts. This wine could give any ABCer a run for their money. (Anything But Chardonnay). It had a pungent aroma that I was sure would mirror the taste - but I was so wrong. The flavors were subtle and sweet. Definitely an interesting wine.

LOUIS LATOUR 2008

Where it's from. Côte-d'Or, Burgundy, France.

My thoughts. This wine may have been my favorite white, maybe even my favorite wine of the tasting. This producer is just awesome. Yes, it is a bit more expensive - around $40 a bottle - but arguably worth every penny. The wine had a very refreshing aroma, including aloe or mint. However, it had a smooth and round taste, with an almost tart finish. I loved the complexities.

Albariño.

This grape is lovely. If you are ever in the wine store looking for something a bit different in the white wine aisle, Albariño is a great option. It is most commonly grown in northern Spain, specifically the Rías Baixas region. This grape is interesting because it has a pronounced fruit-forward aroma. For our benchmark wine tasting, we tasted the 2010 Mar de Vinas Albariño from Spain. Another great wine! It had the fruit aromas and bright acidity that I was hoping for - so check this wine out!

That is all for this post on benchmark wine - classic whites!

Cheers!