Californication Day? Golan Heights Winery Yarden Chardonnay 2009, Galil

This time we do a little mainstreaming! On the menu: Chardonnay from Israel’s (probably) most famous quality winery. The Yarden Chardonnay 2009 from the Golan Heights Winery. There are a couple of other more sophisticated and more expensive Chardonnays under the Yarden label (e.g. Odem or Katzrin). Today’s wine is the standard edition from the flagship label Yarden [= River Jordan, but not a watery wine river ;-)]. So much to the info I got left in my brain. The rest you may find on the wineries website. I tried it and failed. The navigation on the site was too challenging (and maybe nerve-wracking) for my mouse and me ;-).

Southern Pinot: Domaine de la Colombette Pinot Noir 2010, Coteaux du Libron

Well, this time I really don't want to waste too many words. This Pinot from Coteaux du Libron was an experimental purchase. Unfortunately not a very successful one ...

Royal Aged Cabernet from the East: Zar Simeon Cabernet Sauvignon Premium Reserva 1999, Nova Zagora

Forged from 30 years old Cabernet Sauvignon vines this Bulgarian Tsar impressed with tonnes of strength, tannin and Rioja-Style-American-Oak-Flavours (12 months in 100% new barrels). The Premium Reserva is the flagship of the Zar Simeon Winery and one of the most expensive wines in all of Bulgaria. The winery itself was the most renowned pioneer for quality winemaking in Bulgaria since the collapse of the Soviet Union. How come the Bulgarians have a relatively large amount of experience and know-how with Cabernet Sauvignon? Even during the communist era. I could not find a satisfactory answer! Maybe you guys got an explanation? But now, the wine: 

Supermarket Sweep Part 2: Grammy Collection Corporation Kindzmarauli Saperavi 2009, Kakheti

For this part of Supermarket Sweep I brought you a Saperavi, the King of Georgian varietals, from Kakheti Region presented by my Lil' Russian Supermarket round the corner.

Contro la Depressione: Tenuta Ulisse Unico Pecorino Terre di Chieti 2011 IGT, Abruzzi e Molise + Assorted Rieslings from Pfalz

This time I needed an anti-depressant for football humiliation. What else could be better than an auto white from the Abruzzi region? Well, I guess quite a lot could be better: Brunello, Barolo, Amarone and bla bla bla! In my capacity as a (wannabe) wine adventurer I simply needed something more "offbeat"! So, Pecorino! According to several sources Pecorino appears to be a low-yielding and pretty rare (approx. 200 ha) grape varietal from the mountainous regions of central Italy. So it is not just some cheese – like some intellectually limited wine adventurer once thought ;-)

Bird's Nest Soup? Chiao Kuo White Fungus Drink, Taiwan

To start your day right - once again it had to be - this morning - a classic Asian soft drink. This time it was a white fungus drink from Taiwan. The ingredients were: 83,1 % water, 8,9% sugar and 8% white fungus (apparently morels). I had comparable drinks like this quite a few times. You might consider them as a more honest and similar tasting version of those bird’s nest drinks (see the little swallow on the can). Most of those drinks look like bird’s nest soup and even taste a bit like that. Maybe because there isn’t so much overwhelming taste in these soups? Well, OK I better shut up about this delicacy. I once had the opportunity to have a cup some years ago. This won’t make me an expert in this field ;-). Back to the drink:

Nose-Heavy Dry Roughness: Dveri Pax Šipon 2009, Štajerska

Today’s Sipon, or its internationally better known Hungarian brother Furmint, comes from one of the most renowned wineries in Slovenia: Dveri Pax in Maribor region. Far better known for its crisp and subtle Sauvignon Blanc and Renski Riesling wines, I most definitely had to grab this for another autochthons adventure. Well OK, in Slovenia Sipon/Furmint might be not that overwhelmingly adventurous. What else to know about this wine: it is part of the Benedict series (standard wines for quick consumption), the grapes were cultivated on sand and loam soils in Ljutomer-Ormoz region and the aging took place in stainless steel.

Pinot de Catalunya: Can Bonastre Pinot Noir 2008, Penedès

Once more a Pinot from Spain! This time from the mainland! More precise: from Penedès region in Catalonia. Actually a region of Spain were Pinot Noir isn’t that exotic, but pretty established for quite a while! Once more thanks to our friends from the Order of Cistercians! The producer is a luxurious boutique hotel –spa –restaurant – winery called Can Bonastre in the up-country area of Barcelona and rather close to the Montserrat Mountains. The winery itself isn’t that big. Besides the Pinot they produce a mildly barrel fermented Chardonnay and a pretty dense Syrah + Cabernet Sauvignon blend. The grapes for today’s Pinot were cultivated on Santa Magdalena Vineyard (clay loam soil). The maceration took 47 days (!) in stainless steel tanks and the barrel-ageing just 4 months (!) in American and French oak.