A Featured Chianti Region Article

The Case of a wine cellar

Living the Good Life by Jim Bogaty owner Veramar Vineyard

The case of the wine cellar or a dozen wines for all times

Its cheaper by the dozen, for an everyday wine cellar, all you need are strong shelves, a cool spot and 12 bottles (one case) of wine. Always keep a bottle of sparkling wine and a bottle of white ready to drink in the refrig. Between that and the 10 in the rack, youll have a case that is ready just in case.

dozen any time wines - 3 Whites and 3 Reds
Three bottles each of Cabernet Franc (Cab-er-nay Fronc) and Chardonnay (Shard-don-a) or Pinot Grigio (Pee-no-Gree-gee-oh). Great all-purpose wines for almost any occasion. These should be simple Virginia wines you'd be just as happy drinking with a weekday dinner. Others- For whites, a Seyval Blanc (Say-voll-Blonc), Viognier (Vee-on-yea) or a Chardonnay is a good choice; if it doesn't have too much oak, it pairs with everything and works in any sauce. For red, a Virginia Cabernet Franc or Chambourcin (Sham-boor-san) are versatile to cook with and easy to drink.

Special White
Like that Virginia Gold Medal Chardonnay or Viognier youve been dying to try.

Wild White
Riesling (Reez-ling) or a soft white blend like Veramar Tres Blanc that goes wonderfully with Asian flavours or other ethnic spicy foods.

Special Red
A heritage blend or as we say here in Virginia, Meritage, an interesting Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon and Merlot blend that makes a red Bordeaux for a great pasta wine.

Big Red
Wine for that night you feel like plopping a steak on the grill. This can be full-bodied Cabernet or a Norton, --or whatever chewy red you like with red meat.

Ice, late harvest or dessert wine
Virginia has some excellent wines in this area, the late harvest Vidal Blanc (Vee-doll-Blonc) works great.

Sparkling Wine.
Brut (Broot) a sparkling blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Usually dry.
One goes in the fridge for a spur-of-the-moment celebration.

Now, that's a case you can solve. The beautiful part is you get to have wine on demand, and you only need to replenish, as your stash gets low and most Virginia wineries offer a discounts on a case- cheaper by the dozen. Cheers!

A Short Chianti Region Summary

The Case of a wine cellar


Living the Good Life by Jim Bogaty owner Veramar VineyardThe case of the wine cellar or a dozen wines for all timesIts cheaper by the dozen, for an ev...


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Recommended Chianti Region Items

Maison Surrenne Vintage Cognac 1946


In the fall of 1946, in the village of Bilhouet, Hubert Portier returned to his life work: the crafting of small-lot cognacs from his vineyards. World War II had disrupted production, but this year's harvest was superb...the best in memory. In a rustic building behind the vineyard, Porter charged his ancestral still; even in 1946, the fact that it was wood-fired was old fashioned. Using methods passed from father to son for generations, Portier carefully produced sixteen barrels of a wonderful cognac. 51 years later, cataloguing their inventory in various small cellars in the region, one of the last of the family-owned houses, Maison Surenne, discovered a lot of Portier's fine cognac. Originally intended to be used in blends, this cognac was left undisturbed. Its aromas and flavors were astonishing. Maison Surrenne has bottled the lot unblended, with no additives, just as it came from the tun, in tribute to its distiller, who quietly produced one of the finest French cognacs ever made. Great gift for dessert lovers! (Subject to availability) GRS46 GRS46


Price: 521.99 USD



News about Chianti Region for December 2007

Owner of Chianti serves up authentic Italian food (River Valley Business Report)

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Sun, 09 Dec 2007 12:56:53 GMT
The best way to approach Cinghiale in Harbor East is as a wine bar. A very ritzy wine bar, to be sure. But wine is where its strengths lie; and while the food certainly isn't an afterthought, it almost feels as if it's there to support the wine, not the other way around. At best, they are equal partners.

Wine Developers | Wine Dictionary

Labels: Michigan Wine