Every Tuesday I spend about 3 hours of my day tasting wine. I know to some this might sound like a great way to spend a Tuesday. It can be, if the day is filled with wonderful wines at perfect prices. Unfortunately, though, most of my day is spent spitting out wine that will never make it through the door of this building. And then there are some days, like today, that start off brilliantly and end oddly.

My morning began with a sit down educational wine tasting at Angus Barn restaurant. A little cheese, some crackers and I’m ready to taste. The event was scheduled to introduce a new portfolio of wines to some local buyers. Juice distributing, (one of the best, local boutique distributors) was showcasing the wines from Small Vineyards Imports. They are the little Italian importer that could. All of the wines come from very small, family-owned estates or wineries that practice organic and sustainable farming. There were twelve Italian wines in total to taste. Even though the first three whites were lovely, I was really looking for two Italian reds to fill in some holes on my shelves. And, happily, I fell in love with a couple of bottles that would go great in the store.

The first was a 2007 Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore, from Giuseppe Lonardi. Only 1800 cases were produced, all hand-harvested. Wow – I was expecting to taste something pleasant, but this red was more than just “pleasant.” It stuck its hand out and drew me in for a big hug, gave me kisses on each cheek, and even slapped me on the ass. It was fresh, and I don’t mean like a dirty old man. It was fresh, like a new day or a just-picked apple. No dirty old raisin notes. It smelled like a dusky warm Indian summer. It has aromas of cranberries, smoke, chocolate and soft warm spicy wood. The juice coats your tongue like a velvet cloak. The finish is concentrated and sticks around. It pops back in periodically to tease you. It was unforgettable. I have 2 cases arriving Thursday, July 22^nd.

The next wine in the line up was…. a Super Tuscan, with a slightly naughty side. Imagine Batman with a latex fetish. This 2007 Tuscan hero called “Nessun Dorma” is produced by Antonio Sanguineti. Only 2000 cases were produced, and it is still priced at $16.99. I didn’t expect to fall in love with this wine. I have a few Tuscan blends in the store, so it was not a top priority. I am very happy with them, but this wine brushed by shoulder and whispered in my ear: “I’m only here for the weekend.” I thought to myself, “Why not? It’s limited!” The first whiff made me gasp. Oh, how I love the smell of Sangiovese mixed with Syrah; it gives me goose bumps. My nose was filled with violets, moist earth, tart blackberries and briary twigs. It’s like a hike in the most beautiful forest. Then you take a second deep breath: truffles, spice, and something that reminds you of rum-soaked cherries. I could smell this all day. But I have to get back to work, so down the hatch. Wow, that was smack-your-mama good! Intense, lingering and seamless. Sangiovese, Merlot and Syrah – who would have thought they could be so magical together? Personally, I might have to hide a few of these for my personal collection. I have only 3 cases arriving Thursday, July 22^nd.

The final wine of the tasting was the one white I was looking for: Moscato d’ Asti, a wine I can’t seem to keep in stock. Number one, it is sweet. Not your normal sweet-tea sweet either. It’s juicy and sweet like a ripe peach. Number two, it has low alcohol, around 5%. So it’s the perfect wine for the summer and for those that don’t want to pass out from the wine sweats after a day of golf, tennis or chasing the kids. The only problem is that most great Moscatos cost around $20.00 retail. But now? Let me introduce you to the Target of Moscato. Still classy, still varietally correct, but it is only $14.00 retail. Can I get a “Hot Darn” from the crowd? Tre Donne Moscato d’Asti is the perfect summer aperitif; it will make you and your friends so happy. You will giggle like school girls for hours. Light bubbles, lovely floral and white peach aromas, and a soft juicy finish. Now this was a productive morning.

Later that afternoon I had a few other wine representatives arrive. Their wines were fine – nothing bad, but nothing that made me pay attention. That was until Beth from Classic Wines showed up. I saw her pull up and she started pulling bottles from her truck. The labels had giant yellow sunflowers on them. “OHHH, OHH, OHH,” I said to myself, “Please be good.” I love sunflowers, and if the wine tastes good and looks great, I might have to buy something today. The winery is Girasole Vineyards (“girasole” means sunflower in Italian), a Certified Organic Winery in Mendocino. This means that the grapes are grown organically, with no added sulfites. We tasted Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir and Muscat Canelli. All of them were pleasing, except the Zinfandel seemed to be a little reduced. Not a big deal, my three favorites were the 2008 Chardonnay, 2009 Muscat Canelli and the 2008 Sangiovese. The 2008 Pinot Noir was also outstanding and we will bring this in for the fall, but the other wines were line priced and I wanted to display them together. Each of the wines will retail for $12.99. A great price for organic wines that taste great. The 2008 Chardonnay is beautiful, a lovely pale blond color with Meyer Lemon, vanilla and Crème Brule aromas. The palate is lively with additional lemon-lime, nectarines and graham cracker notes. It has a smooth and creamy mouth feel, with a long balanced finish. The 2008 Sangiovese, is bold, very Italian and spicy. Think Danny DeVito on steroids: bright strawberry, cranberry and sandalwood aromas, followed by a round and subtle mouth feel. Nice tannins and a great spicy finish. This would make Mama proud. The 2009 Muscat Canelli will make all my sweet wine fans very happy. Its nose consisted of a potpourri of honeysuckle, apricot, mango, guava and lemon-drop. It makes your mouth salivate. The flavors continue to bounce around your mouth. Peach and apricot continue to linger on the finish. This muscat is a lovely wine to serve with spicy food, barbeque, light salads and dessert. Yummy!

As the afternoon wore on and a few more reps came and left, I thought I was finished. Then my newest rep, Teresa with Carolina Booty Distributing, showed up close to 5pm. Teresa’s company specializes in small North Carolina wineries. I know … some of you are wondering why I’m tasting North Carolina wines. It might not be Napa, but North Carolina has some nice wineries, and if we don’t support our local growers, who will? A few of them are trying to grow organic grapes and some of them are sustainable. Now, not all the wines I tasted were winners, but a few of them were. Owl’s Eye Winery makes a very nice 2007 Gewurztraminer with 2% residual sugar. Their blackberry wine was pleasing, very dry, and it would go well with some grilled lamb or pork. I know how much North Carolinians love their PIG. The wine we bought was a 2009 Owl’s Eye Niagara White.   It is made from Concord grapes and guess what… It tastes like a dry Concord grape. It is pleasant with a familiar grape taste and touch of sweetness. It would be lovely on a summer day. Oh and yes, the PIG will harmonize well with it. Plus it’s only $11.99. I’ll bring their Gewürztraminer in for the fall. It would make a tasty addition to any turkey dinner, especially if you poured some of it over the bird before roasting. That would be yummy gravy to sop up. We then moved on to the red wines, the first of which I won’t refer to by name but it had a deer on the label. I have to say, it smelled like one too. No fooling, it smelled like wet, sweaty, animal hair, coated in kerosene. You would think I would have dumped it then, but I thought I could use a little hair on my chest and tossed it back. Ok, I never thought I would say this, but I have licked a deer. It tasted just like it smelled, yucky with a big Y and a quiver. Never again! Again I should have learned from my misgivings, but I’m a professional and I can take it. The next wine was from Divine Llama. Their 2008 Cabernet Franc was not the most perfect example of the grape, but it was made well and I look forward to tasting other wines from them. The moral of this adventure is, I need to do a North Carolina tasting to promote the local folk and you need to keep an open mind. Even if it you have to lick a few deer.