12/30/2019 Newsletter

Greetings from the Wine Cellar:

 

2019 is almost behind us! To celebrate the impending arrival of 2020, Historic Downtown Yuma will once again feature a New Year’s Eve celebration that had its introduction last year and promises to be even better Tuesday night. If you recall, a giant iceberg lettuce (or rather a facsimile thereof) was dropped last year on New Year’s Eve on the Main Street Plaza, both at 10PM to coincide with the famed ball drop in New York’s Times Square, and again at midnight to mark the new year here in Yuma. Organized by Visit Yuma in cooperation with the City of Yuma, the “Yuma’s Iceberg Drop Celebration” will commence at 8PM Tuesday night.

 

This time, the good folks at Penn Signs & Graphics have put in over 50 hours to make this year’s giant fabricated head of lettuce much brighter, better and more realistic that the inaugural lettuce ball of last year, with multiple vinyl layers digitally printed with translucent inks. It will be brightly illuminated from the inside and will be dropped from an 80-foot crane, with a large countdown clock adding to the excitement. There will be plenty of food and drinks to be had from our many downtown eateries and drinking establishments, along with live music on the Plaza. So ring in the New Year in Historic Downtown!

 

And a quick side note: the Old Town Wine Cellar will be open all day Tuesday, New Year’s Eve, but we will be CLOSED on January 1^st, New Year’s Day. And with that: Happy New Year to everyone!

 

THIS WEEK’S WINE TASTING:

 

Famiglia Pasqua 2017 Passimento Bianco (Veneto, Italy)   $18.99 Produced in the Valpolicella region, this wine is made from Garganega grapes that are partially dried prior to fermentation, losing 20 to 30% of their weight. The result is a unique white with dried apricot and honey tones and a creamy rich mouthfeel, yet balanced by bright acidity.

 

Route Stock 2017 Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast)   $24.99 Routestock’s Sonoma Coast Pinot opens with scents of sweet blackberries and ripe red cherries, and hints of cedar forest with a light note of rose petal. The palate offers rich, vivid flavors of freshly picked wild berries and exotic Asian spices, yet the wine displays elegance and balance.

 

Shannon Ridge 2015 High Elevation Petite Sirah (Lake County)    $14.99 This is vinted from a careful selection of mountain-grown fruit farmed at elevations of 1,200 to 2,400 feet, and aged in a mix of French and American oak for up to 9 months.  Fresh blackberry, blueberry and dark plum flavors are laced with hints of black pepper and toasty vanilla.

 

Goldschmidt Winery 2017 Fidelity Red (Alexander Valley)   $16.99 All the fruit for this wine was sourced from Nick Goldschmidt’s Crazy Creek Vineyard in Sonoma’s Alexander Valley. A Meritage-style blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, it’s a rich and supple red with flavors of black cherries, espresso and dark chocolate.

 

Famiglia Pasqua 2016 Passimento Rosso (Veneto, Italy)   $17.99 Essentially a turbo-charged Valpolicella, this is made with partially dried grapes to concentrate flavors prior to fermentation. It contains some Merlot in addition to the indigenous Corvina and Croatina grapes to add smoothness. The result is a rich, succulent wine with flavors of cherry jam, plums and spice that are savory and dry.

 

Alejandro Fernández 2015 Tinto Pesquera (Ribera del Duero, Spain)   $32.99 This Tempranillo opens with deeply scented tones of ripe blueberries and plums, complemented by hints of cedar and roasted coffee. The palate shows outstanding depth, offering layers of ripe black plum and currant fruit flavors on a solid, gripping tannic frame.

 

NEW WINE & BEER ARRIVALS:

 

Bootleg Wine Works 2015 Prequel Red (Sonoma County)   $29.99 The 2015 Prequel is a blend of 85% Syrah and 15% Petite Sirah. A deep purple in color, this delivers vibrant black cherry, red raspberry and wild blueberry flavors, with nuances of licorice, dried herbs and pepper. Spice accents mingle on a soft texture, coming to a savory finish.

Lohr 2018 Sauvignon Blanc (Arroyo Seco)   $12.99 This is fresh and fragrant, with bright, tangy ruby grapefruit, sweet lime, gooseberry and citrus blossom aromas on the nose. There’s plenty of depth and dimension to the flavors as well, with a fruit-filled palate of citrus and tropical fruits leading to a crisp, clean finish.

Tenuta La Badiola 2017 642° Maremma (Tuscany, Italy)   $15.99 642° is produced on the Tenuta La Badiola estate, at the 42^nd degree of latitude in the Maremma province of Tuscany. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Sangiovese and Grenache, it’s a rich, complex and surprisingly elegant red that combines the best of Tuscan tradition with a fine interpretation of European varietals.

 

Cheers!

 

Mike Shelhamer

Old Town Wine Cellar

265 S. Main Street, Suite E

Yuma, Arizona 85364

928-373-0405

 

http://www.facebook.com/oldtownwinecellar

 

http://www.yumawine.com