Yes, this is my new favorite product for summer entertaining: The Ravi Wine Chiller!  It saves you time, money and stress when you entertain so you can chill just like your wine! The Ravi Wine Chiller can chill wine from room temperature to its ideal serving temperature in an instant – and that just made serving wine for your summer parties and BBQs simple! Now you don’t have to waste precious real estate in your fridge keeping wine cool or waste time and money on filling and refreshing wine buckets with ice during your party (I hate to see wine bottles floating in a warm pool of water, yuck).   Great Perk: the Ravi chills your wine but doesn’t change the wine’s characteristics or taste because the internal cooling tube is made from the same stainless steel used in fermentation tanks.  It also allows you and your guests to enjoy a great bottle of wine without watering it down because you had to add ice to the glass.

To use: Simply place the Ravi in the freezer for six hours before using. The shell works like a cooler and is designed to cool a full bottle of wine being served within one hour. Ravi easily fits onto the neck of your wine bottles and can be used with red, white and rosé wine.

To purchase the Ravi Wine Chiller go> SurLaTable Available on 06/02/2010

The Partybluprints Blog did NOT receive any form of compensation for this product review. It’s just one of our great finds that we had to share with YOU!

“Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé!”, “The New Beaujolais has arrived!”

At exactly one minute past midnight on the third Thursday of each November, Beaujolais is released for immediate shipment worldwide, about 65 million bottles! The fanfare surrounding this wine’s trek from tiny villages in France to your table is due to the fact it’s the first wine of the season in the northern hemisphere. Beaujolais Nouveau is made from the gamay grape, grown in the Beaujolais region of southeast France. It’s vinified quickly, producing a very light, fruity red wine that is purple-pink in color. It pairs well with turkey and makes a fun and festive addition to your Thanksgiving Table.

If you haven’t already tried a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau, do so this year – but don’t wait too long.  Although the bottles are just arriving at wine shops this week, they sell out fast.

Recommendations:

• 2009 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau, France: crisp, tart and very fruity; aromas and flavors of black cherries and spice; medium body; $10.

• 2009 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau, France: darker, richer, fuller-bodied, with hearty black cherry and cinnamon flavors; creamy; $11.

Tips:

• Serve at about 55 degrees, cooler than usual for a red wine.
• Beaujolais Nouveau is intended for immediate drinking, and in general should not be kept for more than a year.

I love wine and this time of year my crush on it gets even more intense. September to October is harvest season in wine country, and is known as the Crush. I was very fortunate to visit Napa during the crush. It’s an amazing time to be there and you can feel the excitement in the air as wine growers, producers, tasters and masters begin the process of creating the new year’s wine. A new harvest of grapes that holds a promise for great vintage.

Since the Crush is here, I thought I would share some tips with you for tasting wine like a pro. Each will enhance your tasting experience and bring out the full potential of the bottle you are enjoying

Elizabeth and I get our “Lucy and Ethel” moment during the Crush at Grgich Hills

Tips For Tasting Like A Pro

1. Seeing is Believing

2. The Nose Knows

3. Taste not Waste

4. Make it to the Finish Line

Kirk Sprenger our resident wine expert details tips 1 through 4 below:

5. The Glass does matter

The glass you taste wine with, does matter. If a glass is engineered correctly, it will allow you to fully enjoy all of the taste a particular wine has to offer. Riedel is our pick for wine glasses that are perfectly engineered to guide wine over the palate. Each glass is designed so that the wine you sip will hit select spots in your mouth and tongue. Certain wines need to hit the sides of your tongue, others the tip. This impacts how you taste the wine and ultimately your enjoyment.

6. Do your homework

Every bottle of wine has a story. The main elements of the story can be found right on the bottle: the name of the winery, the type of grape(s), where the grapes where grown (on the estate or by a farmer up the road) and the year the grapes were harvested. When you take the time to learn “the story” behind the bottle, you recognize and appreciate all the time, work and passion that went into making your bottle of wine. This extra bit of “leg work” personalizes your tasting experience by allowing you to connect with the roots of your wine.

Summer usually means at least one great Surf and Turf BBQ or maybe you treat yourself to this special meal while on vacation. Either way, picking the right wine to compliment your meal is important. We went to our resident wine expert to find out which wine works best with land and sea! Here is what he said . . .

“Comments from Kirk” – Kirk Sprenger is a wine expert and proprietor of Chappaqua Wine & Spirits in Chappaqua, NY. Kirk provides his expert opinion and advice on our wine selections, pairings and rules.

The following are Kirk’s comments for a Surf & Turf pairing:

White wine with fish, red wine with meat. Always obey the rules, when possible. However, sometimes life throws us a curve ball. Periodically we are faced with little obstacles such as Surf & Turf. Herein lays the dilemma. There happens to be a simple resolution though. The answer is Pinot Noir. Oily fish and tannic reds have a tendency to clash, yet Pinot Noir usually contains lower tannins and can unite very favorably. For this type of dish, I would certainly recommend Irony from Monterey which has an abundance of cherry rich fruit and a very delicate texture. For those who are looking for a bit more depth and body with the same lushness of fruit, seek out Domaine Chandon from Carneros. Irony ranges in price from $14-17/Domaine Chandon ranges in price from $28-32 (current market prices)

Written for Partybluprints.com By: Kirk Sprenger
Kirk Sprenger is a wine expert and proprietor of Chappaqua Wine & Spirits in Chappaqua, NY. Kirk provides his expert opinion and advice on our wine selections, and, in many cases, advises us on wine selections, pairings, and rules.

Best “Green” Wines

With today’s blitz of “think green”, it is only fitting that the wine industry would follow suit. Though organic wines have been around for decades, they are certainly gaining more recognition. The grape growers have long sought ways of limiting the use of herbicides and pesticides in their farming techniques. In addition to organic farming, many vineyards are incorporating the technique of sustainable farming. This, simply put, is a code of practices by which the entire eco-system is kept in balance and preserved. This includes the effect on soil composites, water supplies and surrounding environments.

Some of our favorites at The Chappaqua Wine & Spirit Company include Penny Farthing Chardonnay. This white has delicate flavors of pear and green apple and a crisp finish without the buttery edge found in many of today’s California Chards. It also happens to be farmed sustainably. For a more weighty white we recommend Bonterra Chardonnay which shows beautiful bright fruit and gentle underlying accents of oak.

Of course, for the red wine lover our choices are just as alluring. Penny Farthing’s Syrah is a rich and satisfying Rhone style with plenty of berry notes and integrated highlights of vanilla and exotic spices.

One producer, Lolonis Vineyards of Mendocino, California took organic farming to a different level by releasing hoards of ladybugs on their vines. These natural predators aid in keeping away aphides without the use of chemicals that might harm the ecology. This has been a practice of theirs for the last fifty years. They produce a Cabernet Sauvignon which is rich and vibrant in fruit with a velvety texture.

Remember to enjoy these eco friendly organic wines as you would any other. “Go Green”.

You hear it, read it and see it everyday – “We are in a Recession!” and everyone is watching what they spend . We all need to cut back where we can, but spending less, doesn’t mean we have to give up quality or enjoy life less! In the world of wine this takes some savvy shopping and a lot of homework – or just trying some of the picks below to see what you like.

Last week, the Wall Street Journal asked several wine experts to recommend some inexpensive quality wines. I am posted their picks below, with the hope you find one you like and continue to enjoy drinking and entertaining with wine for a whole lost less!

Stay tuned each week and I will continue to bring you different ways to keep the party going this year!

Lisette Sehlhorst, The Wine Merchant in Cincinnati:

• 2006 Michele Chiarlo Barbera d’Asti Superiore Le Orme, $15. Notes of plums and strawberries with nice acidity and soft tannins.
• 2007 Cave de Rasteau Cotes du Rhone Ortas Les Viguiers, $15. Aromas of red fruits with remarkable complexity for an inexpensive wine. Blackberry fruit on the palate with subtle minerality.
• 2007 Concha y Toro Carmenere Rapel Valley Casillero del Diablo Reserve, $10. Aromas and flavors of plums, with a pleasant spicy quality and hints of coffee and chocolate on the finish.
• 2007 Altos Los Hormigas Malbec Mendoza, $13. Cherry and blackberry fruit with a little vanilla and cinnamon. Well-structured for Malbec.
• 2006 Luc Pirlet Pinot Noir, $14. A bouquet of blackcurrant, licorice and cherries; wonderful with salmon, pork or roasted meats.

Tyler Colman, author of several wine books and the Dr.Vino blog

• 2007 Yellow + Blue Malbec Mendoza, about $11. A succulent unoaked Malbec, organically grown and packaged in a one-liter Tetra Pak (think juice box for adults). A third more wine and lower carbon footprint!
• 2007 Sobon Estate Zinfandel, Amador County, Calif., about $11. Not the typical Zin, these grapes were organically grown and this mate for grilled meat is a mere 13.8%.
• 2007 Les Heretiques Languedoc, $8. A rich red blend from 70-year-old Syrah and Carignan vines from the South of France. A wine of character that’s a steal to pair with rich wintry dishes.
• 2008 Berger Gruner Veltliner, $12. This zippy, fresh and clean white from the Gruner Veltliner (aka Gru Vee) has refreshing acidity to accompany seafood or for simply sipping on the deck. It also comes in a one-liter bottle, so is a particularly attractive price per ounce. And it now comes with a crown cap (think beer), so popping this Gru Vee doesn’t even require a corkscrew.
• Hidalgo La Gitana, manzanilla Jerez (sherry), about $12. Delicious aperitif with enticing saline character. Serve chilled with olives or Spanish almonds for a classic pairing.

Kaj Stromer, Woodland Hills Wine Co., Calif.

• 2006 Copain Syrah ‘Saison des Vins’ Mendocino County, $11.99. Winemaker Wells Guthrie is one of this country’s most talented and respected winemakers. This Syrah is exceptionally well made and would still be a bargain at twice the price.
• 2006 Montoya Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, $10.99. There are extremely few wines from Napa Valley at this price. There is no wine this good at this price from Napa Valley.
• 2005 Domaine de la Pertuisane ‘La Nain Violet’ Cotes Catalans, $15.99. From the southwest of France. This is a young winemaker from Leeds, England (Richard Case) crafting stunning wines from old vine Grenache, Syrah and Carignan.
• 2007 Grands Bois ‘Trois Soeurs’ Cotes du Rhone, $10.99. A sensational vintage for the southern Rhone Valley. The ‘Trois Soeurs’ cuvee is a boatload of flavor and character.
• 2004 Vina Santurnia Rioja Crianza, $11.99. Spain is the world’s leader for QPR [quality-to-price ratio]. The country is exceptionally well position for such economic times. This is a classic, sleek, elegant Rioja made from the noble Tempranillo grape.

Howard Silverman, Howard’s Wine Cellar, Chicago

• 2005 Venta Mazzaron Tempranillo, $13.79. The 2005 Venta Mazzarron is one of the finest values in Spanish wine. Made from 100% Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo), it offers up a smoky, complex bouquet of minerals and blackberries. Ripe, sweet, forward and altogether pleasurable, it can be enjoyed over the next six to eight years. I would decant for an hour before serving.
• 2007 Monte Oton Garnacha, $7.29. The 2007 Monte Oton is 100% Garnacha or Grenache. Dark-ruby colored, the nose delivers aromas of dark cherry and spice. Medium bodied with good depth of flavors, this is one of the outstanding values available today.
• 2007 Crios De Susana Balbo Malbec, $13.99. The wine has a beautiful reddish-purple color as most good Malbecs do. The aromas are a mix of fresh crushed cherries and toasty, smoky oak. On the palate, the flavors of cherries and spice are obvious, and the jammy fruit quality just keeps coming on strong with hints of spice and sandalwood in the background.
• 2007 Domaine de la Pepiere Muscadet Clos de Briords, $14.99. This wine has citrus-lime and wet stone aromas. On the palate it has bracing lemon mineral flavors that keep on going. Perfect with shellfish, particularly oysters and scallops.
• 2007 Las Brisas Blanc, $9.99. Intense, youthful nose of grapefruit, lemon and pepper. Delicious, with medium body and a penetrating finish. 50% Verdejo, 50% Sauvignon Blanc and Viura.

Brian Hoffer, The Vineyard Wine Shop, Denver

• 2006 Ca’ del Sarto, Barbera d’Alba, Piedmont, Italy, $11. This is a medium-light style Barbera, with bright cherry and pomegranate fruit tones and a hint of roses and spice in the nose. The wine has that classic Barberian tangy acidity, which gives it a fresh, sprightly presence on the palate and makes it a great mate to pizza and tomato-based pastas.
• 2005 Saurus Malbec, Patagonia, Chile, $11. The Mendoza style of Malbec tends toward the ripe, round and voluptuous, but the cooler climate of Patagonia usually yields wines like the Saurus, which are a bit more focused and suave. Flavors and aromas of crushed black cherry and plum dominate the palate and nose, backed up by hints of herbs and baking spices.
• 2005 Puerta Colorada Rioja, Spain, $11. A nice medium-bodied Rioja made entirely of Tempranillo. There¹s only a hint of oak on the wine; otherwise it¹s all about pure, smooth black fruits, notions of pepper and anise, and just a touch of earth. With easy tannins and acidity, this is a friendly wine that will do well as an aperitif and still play nicely with a variety of foods.
• 2007 Pierre Olivier Bourgogne Blanc, Burgundy, France, $12. This is a ridiculously good wine for the money. Perfectly balanced between creamy and crisp, it has gorgeously focused fruit tones of pear and melon, elegant notes of vanilla and nutmeg, and a lovely texture that sort of tip toes on the palate. The flavors and aromas are vivid and pure, and it¹s clear that the wine was made by someone with a delicate touch.
• 2006 Heron Chardonnay, California, $12. Although it’s bigger and fuller than the Olivier, the Heron still steers well clear of the overwrought style you sometimes find in California Chards. The wine is toasty and expansive on the palate, with lots of peaches and tropical fruit laced with honey and cream, but it delivers just enough keen acidity to keep things lively and brisk.