Greetings from the Wine Cellar:

 

This Saturday, December 8^th will bring the highlight of Historic Downtown Yuma’s 2018 Christmas season – the 16th Annual Dorothy Young Memorial Electric Light Parade.  The special theme of this year’s parade will be “Celebrating Yuma Agriculture.” The parade will start off at 6PM in the vicinity of 9^th Street & 4^th Avenue, then right on 4^th Street to Orange Avenue and then Giss Parkway, ending up on the Main Street Plaza.  There will be lots of decorated and illuminated floats, marching bands and of course Santa on his sleigh, and festivities continue well into the evening with activities and entertainment on the Plaza.  It does get rather crowded downtown by late Saturday afternoon in anticipation of the parade’s arrival, so get down here well before then for a close-in place to park.  Feel free to hang out at the Wine Cellar!

 

THIS WEEK’S WINE TASTING:

 

Tramin 2016 Pinot Grigio (Alto Adige, Italy)    $14.99 This crisp, refreshing Pinot Grigio owes its character to the cool, high-altitude vineyards of far northern Italy’s Alto Adige province.  Fermented and aged in stainless steel, it opens with exotic floral and citrus aromas that lead into a deliciously fresh mouthful of green apple and pear fruit.

 

Route Stock 2014 Route 99W Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley)    $22.99 The Route 99W opens with scents of sweet Oregon blackberries and Rainier cherries, plus hints of cedar forest and 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.

 

Marqués de Vargas 2011 Rioja Crianza (Rioja, Spain)    $14.99 2011 was acclaimed as a classic vintage in Rioja.  This Crianza is deep ruby red with a garnet edge.  The nose is redolent of ripe dark fruit plus hints of spice and leather. On the palate, cherry and brambly berry fruit is edged with complex spice and oak accents.

 

Terra d’Oro 2014 Barbera (Amador County)    $17.99 The Barbera grape, while native to northern Italy’s Piedmont region, thrives in Amador County. This is a fruity and medium-bodied red with the classic Barbera character of ripe black cherries, blackberries and currants, edged with a pleasant touch of savory spice.

 

ÆRENA2016 Cabernet Sauvignon (Lake County)    $19.99 This Cabernet is from the Mayacamas mountains north of St. Helena, prime Napa territory for producing concentrated, intense reds.  The nose offers scents of blackberry, plum, fig, cigar tobacco and vanilla.  Smooth on the entry, this wine offers a rich, lingering finish.

 

Orin Swift 2017 8 Years in the Desert (California Red)    $39.99 A dark garnet in the glass with a lucid rim, this wine offers aromas of ripe blackberries and plums with hints of mineral and charred meat. A huge, mouth-filling palate gives complex flavors of rich, brambly black  fruits, a touch of earth and a hint of espresso bean.  A blend of  56% Zinfandel, 34% Petite Sirah & 10% Syrah.

 

NEW WINE & BEER ARRIVALS:

 

Robert Craig 2014 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley)    $99.99 A dense purple to the rim, this Cabernet offers extravagant blueberry, blackberry, plum and truffle notes on the nose and the palate has superb flavor concentration, with a taut, ripe mix of wild berry, dark cherry and plum fruit.  New oak adds hints of spicy vanilla and firm, polished tannins provide depth and traction.

Tiefenbrunner 2017 Pinot Grigio (Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy)    $15.99 Tiefenbrunner has is well known for producing some of Italy’s finest white wines in this cool and mountainous region close to Austria. Their Pinot Grigio shows a fine purity and depth of flavor coupled with a distinct, intriguing mineral character, all in a perfect balance.

 

The Lost Abbey Gnoel de Abbey Holiday Ale (San Diego)    $16.99 The Gnoel de Abbey is a fresh take on a holiday classic. Partially aged in Bourbon barrels, it’s a winter warmer brewed to be lighter in body while maintaining a subtle, mellow oak character. Offering aromas of rich, freshly brewed espresso, Gnoel has rich tones of cocoa, vanilla and holiday spices, finishing up with a pleasant hint of coffee.

 

Cheers!

 

Mike Shelhamer Old Town Wine Cellar 265 S. Main Street, Suite E Yuma, Arizona  85364 928-373-0405

 

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http://www.yumawine.com