Pinot & Perseverance. Thank you!

Notable Wine’s main goal is about finding excellent values, Fine Wines For Le$$, and we have found an Amazing value Pinot Noir!!  

I was going to dedicate this post to the people who have given me generous offers on my domain name, so a brief THANK YOU is in order. You inspire me to write, and continue to build the Notable Wine brand (which has always been about finding Notable and Worthy Wines to drink and enjoying them with music whenever possible). We still have so much to teach and learn about wine, and I know that our value will continue to rise…which reminds me about this Pinot I tasted tonight that I had to let you know about!!!

I will say that Pinot Noir from most places on earth always makes me curious (many times I am disappointed, but every now and then I am absolutely astonished). Pinot Noir at the lower price points, under $15, are typically either blended with Syrah or some other grape to give them body and fruit, or way out of balance, or just not very exciting wines and lack the “true Pinot” characteristics. I may be generalizing a bit, but please help me prove this theory wrong!?!?  Burgundy has a sense of place and a style, same with Oregon, Alsace, Many parts of Germany, even Carneros, Monterey, and New Zealand and every other wine region known for producing some great Pinots… but generic PN with catchy names really irk me. 

 Tonight, I am very impressed with the quality of this 2014 Aila Pinot Noir from Leyda Valley, Chile, for the money…I found it as a last chance offer that averaged me about $13/bt. It is probably normally closer to $20 retail, but it was right for the price I paid. I wanted to try this site out, and wasn’t really willing to take a chance on some of their higher end deals just yet, but they have piqued my curiosity with this one. 

Now I’m not going to tell you that this was my favorite Pinot by any means, however, as soon as I twisted the cap I could smell that ripe yet tart cherry fruit one should Expect from the Pinot Noir Grape. On the palate it was clean and had an amazingly smooth finish for the first glass. If you could crack this one open and share it with a bunch of friends over a 10-15 minute period, I give it a 92-93 points… but as it opens it starts to fall out of balance rather quickly (not uncommon for PN, especially old and/or cheap ones).  Overall, the wine is a true Pinot Noir with great up front fruit and soft tannins perfect for chicken or pork chops. 

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NotableWine.com 4 Sale!?!

Notable Wine May be Sold?!?! What is this? Could this really be true? To whom? Why? Okay, I know you have questions, so do I. Let me first tell you that I’m more shocked than you are. After all, I kind of disappeared and left you all wondering what to drink for almost 5 years with very little to no communication over the past 2-3 years. I truly apologize and with all of the knowledge I’ve gained over the past 5 years, I look forward to making that hiatus worthwhile… but enough with the that, let’s discuss the possibility that someone wants to purchase NotableWine.com.

I can’t say I never thought this time would come, because when I began my journey with Notable Wine, it was a true passion of mine to find the Best Wine Values that were also Top Quality Wines, and share them with you, my faithful Notable Wine-ers! I also can’t say that I’m ready to sell NotableWine.com because the concept was my baby, before I had kids of my own, and I still believe in it and want to nurture it into a successful, educational, entertaining Wine Consulting (and more) Website.

So who would offer to buy Notable Wine? Another Blogger, A Wine Store, A Winery? Does it matter if they are willing to pay me thousands of dollars? Yes. While I may consider selling the Domaine Name NotableWine.com (don’t worry, I won’t just give it away, it’s got to be really worth it), it is very important to me that the concept of Notable Wine flourishes. So whoever you are, that decided to make me an offer, I would love to know what you plan to do with NotableWine.com, because, unfortunately for you, money isn’t everything to me. If you are willing to pay what I have asked in counter to your offer, then I will assume you have great plans, better than I have been able to offer the site over the past few years…but I suppose I will never be sure if you do accept my current offer!

My promise to you is this… I will continue to build Notable Wine and share Excellent Quality and Value without pretense, without stuffy jargon to make you feel like you don’t know anything about wine, and as objectively as possible. In the past, I reviewed wines that were sent to me by various sources as well as wines that I purchased in stores through my searches, so I was able to be very objective, while also having fun and learning. Over the past 5 years, I learned a great deal, and tasted some Amazing Wines, but I didn’t feel I could be nearly as objective since I was working for a great importer/distributor in the NJ/PA/DE area (Vintage Imports). Since I was getting paid to sell these wines, it wasn’t really fair for me to write about them… I couldn’t really be as objective as I would like to be, and what I always promised to be. I will say, I also wasn’t being completely fair NOT sharing some of their wines with you, so I will make sure to recap some of my favorite values in the VintageImports.com Wine Portfolio… now that I am closing that chapter of my career!

In Conclusion, you can look forward to more posts on NotableWine.com. I doubt the purchaser interested in my domaine name is willing to spend what I asked. I can’t wait to bring Notable Wine to the next level, so if you have any input, or requests… get them in… we are only a few months away from a complete overhaul!! Thank you for all of your support over the years…

Cheers!

Sean @ NotableWine!

Prosecco Can Age. Who Knew?

I love finding out about white wines that age well… This was truly surprising! Thanks Tom!

Tom's Wine Line

With a lot of curiosity and an only slightly smaller amount of skepticism, I last month accepted an invitation to a vertical tasting of Prosecco, a wine that is usually drunk young and fresh. The producer so bravely putting himself and his wine on the line was Primo Franco, owner of the Nino Franco winery (Nino was his grandfather) in Valdobbiadene, the heart of the heart of classic Prosecco country.

I knew his wines to be excellent examples of the breed, with charm and elegance and fruit and an ever-so-slight hint of sweetness in the finish – lovely Proseccos, all of them, and I and a lot of other wine professionals regard his Prosecco Rustico as one of the best bargains in sparkling wine of any kind from anywhere.

And since I also knew him to be a serious winemaker, devoted to the highest standards of quality in the field…

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Of Esters & MLFs. (Wine Snark Repost)

This blog post was very educational, and fun, I had to repost!

Of Esters & MLFs..

Pre Harvest Mosel Tour, Germany 2014 Video

I was fortunate enough to go to Germany this summer, and while I was there, I drank some of the best, and oldest Riesling I have ever had, I climbed to the top of some amazing and steep Grand Cru Vineyards and enjoyed some fantastic traditional German food with of course, more excellent Riesling… I could go on, but the pictures and video tells it all… except the part when I jumped in the Mosel… yes that was after a great, late night of, once again, more excellent Riesling (and maybe some Gin…) I hope you like the video, make sure you fill your glass, it’s a little long… Cheers. Drink More Mosel Riesling!

NorthWest NJ Wine Event @ Panther Valley CC on April 12, 2014!

Don’t miss this great event open to the public! I will be there to check out the scene,and to show off some excellent value wines! Check the flyer for more information… I hope to see you there! Feel free to contact me if you have any questions!

Best,

Sean

Taste of the Town Wine Tasting Event

NJ Wine Festival: 2nd Annual Winter Festival 2/21/14!!

I came across this event, and thought I’d share… Sounds like a nice Valentines Gift!

For Immediate Release:
New Jersey Wine Festivals Hosts 2nd Annual Winter Wine Festival at the Hilton Short Hills, Friday, February 21, 2014

Winter Tasting to feature 150+ Wines plus Contemporary Jazz Live on Stage

New York, NY – January 21, 2014: New Jersey Wine Festivals will present their 2nd Annual New Jersey Winter Wine Festival at the Hilton Short Hills on Friday, February 21, 2014. The wine tasting event includes 150+ wines selected by the experts of the Wine Library, plus an array of light fare prepped by the Hilton’s AAA 4-Diamond award-wining chefs. The event also features a top contemporary jazz act performing throughout the evening, adding to the festive atmosphere.

Tasting tables located throughout the Hilton’s Grand Ballroom, Livingston Room and Patio Pavilion will feature a wide array of unique, quality wines from around the globe. Selections include wines from classic regions like Bordeaux and Rioja, plus newer styles from California, New York, Chile, Australia, and more.

”We’re delighted to return to the Hilton Short Hills with our winter tasting event featuring an array of wines curated by the experts of the Wine Library as well as tasty light accompaniments from the Hilton’s culinary team, and live music from guitarist JJ Sansavarino and his band,” notes S.W. Kimball, founder of New Jersey Wine Festivals. “For nearly a decade, our popular spring and fall wine festivals have packed the venue and we look forward to continuing the tradition with our winter event for years to come.”

Musical guest Joe “JJ” Sansavarino has reached millions with his music, touring the US, Canada, Europe, Africa, Asia, the South Pacific and the Caribbean. He has worked with the best in the business, both live and in the studio, and has appeared on hundreds of recordings. JJ’s music features diverse guitar styles including R&B, jazz, rock, fusion and his trademark ballad style.

In order for attendees to easily recollect and access their favorite wines from the event, this year’s festival will showcase and utilize Winevento, the free iPhone app that lets users Rate, Favorite, Save & Share wines at participating tasting events. An Android version of the app will be unveiled in early February. WiFi access will be available for attendees to download and use the app and screens placed in the venue will note users’ top-rated wines in real time.

Sponsors (to date) include: Barefoot Wine & Bubbly, John Wm. Macy’s CheeseSticks, Jam’s by Kim, Dr. Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars, The Naked Grape Wine, Take Things Personally, Traci Lynn Fashion Jewelry, Well Dressed Nut, and Wine Sisterhood.

Tickets are $79 (Final 2 Weeks: $89.) There is an additional charge of $25 per ticket for those who wish to attend an exclusive VIP Wine Class featuring a special side-by-side tasting of five select wines, led by a wine aficionado. Classes are held at 7:30pm and 8:30pm. Additionally, the Hilton Short Hills is offering a special $159 room rate to festival attendees who call 1-800-HILTONS and mention promo code: WWF.

For more details and to purchase tickets to the New Jersey Winter Wine Festival, visit http://www.newjerseywinefestivals.com or order by phone at (866) 811-4111. Space is limited and advance purchase is highly recommended as the event sold out in its inaugural year.

About New Jersey Wine Festivals
New Jersey Wine Festivals hosts elegant wine tasting events at the Hilton Short Hills. The company’s goal is to provide a wine tasting experience that allows guests to sample as many different wines as possible while enjoying great music and the company of other wine lovers. Learn more at http://www.newjerseywinefestivals.com.