Veramonte Organic Wines and Patagonia Provisions

Viñedos Organicos Veramonte is a leading producer of 100% organic and sustainable wines from Chile. A true believer in Living Soils, they maintain a natural balance in the ecosystem of their vineyards, and stimulate the soil's biodiversity using all natural practices. Patagonia Provisions out of California practices regenerative organic farming for their food products, from their grains to their fish. Sooooo... what a perfect pairing for Earth Day these two make!

Veramonte's vineyards are in Casablanca Valley, enjoying a cool climate close to the Pacific Ocean. I've got the Pinot Noir pictured with the Patagonia Provisions Black Pepper Wild Pink Salmon. Let me tell ya... that Salmon is AWESOME! It comes in two thin plastic packages inside the box that don't take up much space at all in a backpack or what have you. In fact, all of the Patagonia fish products here are perfect for camping and hiking. The Roasted Garlic Mackerel, Spicy White Anchovies, and Smoked Mussels come in classic anchovy cans.

The Veramonte Pinot Noir saw eight months in French oak barrels. It's light and bright with raspberries, cherries, and its perky acidity is met well with a balancing out of tannin. 15% of the Chardonnay was aged in oak barrels for eight months. It's creamy and shows notes of melon and pears. Both of these are delicious, but my favorite is the Sauvignon Blanc. I'm a sucker for a good Chilean Sauvie, and this one features oranges, lemon, and flowers. Yummy!

HAPPY EARTH DAY, EVERYBODY!

Get some Veramonte wine: https://vinedosveramonte.cl/vinedosorganicos

Get some Patagonia Provisions: https://www.patagoniaprovisions.com/

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The blog turns 10!

And so I did...

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Firriato Cavanera Etna Rosso Rovo Delle Coturnie 2018

This wine is calling out for a porkchop. Not only is it a single vineyard wine, but the vineyard is dedicated to producing this label only. Right away it's pretty clear that it's mostly Nerello Mascalese, but the other grape involved is Nerello Cappuccio. It has a lighter body weight, bright acidity, and fine-grained tannin. There's a nice minerality with metallic notes of iron and nickel, rustic notes of barnyard and damp earth, and then there's fruit roll-up with a strawberry finish. Very nice and enjoyable; not bad at all for the average price of $35.

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Firriato Ribeca Perriconen 2016

Myself having Sicilian ancestry, the wines of Sicily hold a special place in my heart. And here I have a Sicilian wine that I don't believe I've ever had before as a labeled varietal! It's called Perricone, a native grape to the island that is permitted as a varietal in some regions, is a good blending buddy with Nero d'Avola, and is one of the grapes blended in the Rubino style of Marsala.

I couldn't decide what I would incorrectly guess this wine was if I had tasted it blind. For a moment I thought I'd say Shiraz, the next I thought I'd say Right Bank Bordeaux. It's definitely different... but it's got balls. Mocha, burnt caramel, walnut, and black olive are heavy on the nose, with a whiff of rosemary and clove. On the palate there's tart plum, cherry, and leather. It's got a medium body with moderate acidity but even at eight years old the finish is tight and astringent, dominated by oak and spice. This lady still has a life ahead of her to smooth out.

I'm seeing anywhere from $33 to $40 for this, and that's exactly where it should be. Good stuff!

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Book Review: "A History of the World in 6 Glasses" by Tom Standage (2005)

 

"Drinks have a closer connection to the flow of history than is generally acknowledged, and a greater influence on its course."

This really isn't a "review" I guess, but just a little "hey, this book exists, check it out!" It was published all the way back in 2005 and I recently picked it up at my local library.

The book is hella fun. It's called "A History of the World in 6 Glasses" and goes through the history of mankind broken down into the beverages at the time they ruled the world above all else. From beer in the stone age, to wine, to distilled spirits, to coffee, to tea, to the soda of today.

It goes over how and why the beverage rose to be so popular, the culture and consumption habits of those who drank them, and how they changed the course of history. There are so many cool things in here that I never knew, such as coffee houses creating the stock exchange and tea being the drink that fueled the Industrial Revolution. As a history nerd in the beverage industry, I loved it. 

"Baths, wine and sex ruin our bodies. But what makes life worth living except baths, wine and sex?" - Corpus Inscriptionis VI, 15258

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