September is here but the summer is still going on, with warm weather sustaining in most parts of the country. That means it’s still a great time to be drinking white wines, and Sauvignon Blanc is a versatile, refreshing, food-friendly white that is easy to find and easier on the wallet.

Maggie Hoffman of Serious Eats recommends De Martino 347 Sauvignon Blanc:

“Bracing acidity and dry herb notes dominate the flavors of De Martino’s 347 Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc (2009). Though this Chilean wine has fragrant fruit on the nose, it’s a bit austere in the mouth, with hints of grapefruit (and grapefruit pith), lemongrass, and thyme. It’s fresh and focused …”

De Martino 347 Sauvignon Blanc can be found for under $15 at fine wine shops, and we also recommend the following, similar (in style and price), Sauvignon-based wines from the Opici Wines portfolio:

De Martino Organic Sauvignon Blanc – the same winery, but... ...
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Do you like sherry / Jerez wine? Are you into inventive cocktails? If so, you may be interested in trying the Balao Swizzle, which was created by Boston bartender Corey Bunnewith during last year’s Vinos de Jerez Cocktail Competition. Hat tips to Drink Boston and Cocktail Virgin for publishing this recipe (Cocktail Virgin also snapped the photo you see here).

Balao Swizzle
by Corey Bunnewith

3 oz dry oloroso sherry (Don Nuño)
1/2 oz Meletti Amaro
1/2 oz velvet falernum
1/2 oz lime
1/4 bar spoon caraway seeds
Angostura bitters

Lightly muddle caraway seeds in a collins glass to extract aromatics. Discard seeds. Add crushed ice and liquid. Swizzle until chilled. Float bar spoon of Angostura bitters over the top.

By the way, if you are interested in sherry cocktails, the 2010 competition has a deadline of September 17th — more info can be found at The Secret Sherry Society.

Wine Spectator Senior Editor James Molesworth chose Yauquen Chardonnay as a “Daily Wine Pick” on the magazine’s website on August 16th.

Molesworth described the wine as:

Plump and friendly, featuring creamed apple and pear flavors backed by a medium-weight, buttery edge. Drink now.

That’s how it tastes to us, too!

Learn more about this clean, unoaked, food-friendly Chardonnay made by Ruca Malen by visiting this page: Yauquen Chardonnay.

Have you heard about “Cabernet Day” on Thursday, September 2? All you need is a Facebook or Twitter account and a bottle of Cabernet to participate in a worldwide virtual wine tasting.

The tasting was organized by Rick Bakas of St. Supery winery in California, and it is expected to be one of the largest Twitter Tastings ever — so you can be part of history by joining in!

From the CabernetDay event page:

Celebrate the king of grapes on ALL social media sites

Thursday, September 2nd.

This is going to be an all-day virtual and in-person event.

Use the #Cabernet hash tag when posting on Facebook, Foursquare, Gowalla, Twitter, blogs and all the other sites you hang out on. Search the hash tag on social sites to see what other wine drinkers are saying. You’ll be able to connect and chat with other Cab drinkers around the world.

Cabernet Franc and Cabernet dominated blends are welcome!

What will you be...

Wine is not normally associated with rock stars, but Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder is a known enophile — and often seen drinking wine on stage.

During a recent concert held in Bilbao, Spain, Vedder had a bottle of Dinastia Vivanco Rioja Crianza on hand to wet his whistle in between songs.

Check out the photo to the left and you will see the unique, unmistakable bottle shape that Dinastia Vivanco is known for — which is a replica of a hand-blown Bordeaux bottle used in the 1700s that can be seen in the Dinastia Vivanco wine museum.

Hat tip to South African wine blog The Cru for spotting Vedder with the bottle in hand. There was actually a bit of mystery over what wine he was drinking until a blog commenter figured it out.

As if you needed any more reason to enjoy Dinastia Vivanco, here is one more: to be like a rock star!

If you live in Pennsylvania, you will want to find your way to the “Exotic Wines of Spain Dinner” being held on August 27th at Georges’ Restaurant on The Mainline in Wayne, PA.

The dinner will include Spanish-inspired dishes paired with a fine selection of Opici Wines, including Albet i Noya Cava Brut Reserva, Mas Igneus Barranc dels Closos Blanc, Altos del Cuco, Dominio De Tares Baltos, and Casa de la Ermita Dulce Monastrell.

You can learn more about the event by visiting Georges’ website and you can view the entire menu by clicking here: Exotic Wines of Spain Dinner Menu.

Georges’ is located at 503 W. Lancaster Avenue, Spread Eagle Village, Wayne, PA. You can call them directly at (610) 964-2588.

If you go to the dinner be sure to let us know how it went by visiting the Opici Wines Facebook page!

A few weeks back was the annual “Tales of the Cocktail” event in New Orleans, Louisiana. If you’ve never been there or heard of it, it’s THE place to be if you are into spirits, liquors, and cocktails.

At some point during the festivities, a cocktail called “Death By Misadventure” was concocted – and it happens to include our favorite Amaro by Meletti!

Learn more about the cocktail and the event by visiting the cocktail virgin slut website.

No, I’m not making that up — that’s really the name of the website. The cocktail slut is actually a very useful and entertaining reference for people who enjoy mixing drinks … meaning, people who put the drinks together. Though, I suppose people who “mix” drinks as in “mixing up the types of drinks they’re drinking” would also enjoy the site!

Here is the recipe, if you want to try it yourself:

Ruca Malen winery sits at the foot of the Andes in Mendoza, Argentina

The connection between red wine and Argentina is so strong, you may not even realize that Argentina also produces WHITE wines — and some very good ones, at that.

But don’t take it from us … we’re biased, after all — we import Chardonnay wines from Ruca Malen / Yauquen.

Instead, check out the nice words that wine writer Roger Morris had to say about Ruca Malen Chardonnay on his blog “Been There, Tasted That”, in naming it one of his “Wines of the Week”.

Here is a tidbit from the article:

This is a well-priced Chardonnay that fits the niche of having a little oak while maintaining the crispness and minerality... ...
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When was the last time you went on a picnic with your significant other?

Not a barbecue or outdoor party, but a good old-fashioned picnic — replete with a picnic basket, blanket under a shady oak tree, and full attention of your partner (no cell phones allowed!).

Perhaps it’s been a while — if ever. The notion of a picnic sounds great and can be romantic, but it doesn’t happen nearly enough in our hectic lives. So why not plan one while the summer is still providing sunny days and warm breezes?

To help you out, Buckhead (Atlanta, GA) Cooking Examiner Lynda Mahana has worked out four delectable and simply prepared menus of finger foods, paired with Opici Wines as suggested by Atlanta Wine Examiner Edgar Solis. Lynda also has suggestions for setting the mood and making your picnic “an aphrodisiac with rewards”.

Read the full article and get both the menus and the wine pairings by visiting this link:...

Sergio Scaglietti steps out of one of his famous Ferrari cars

Even if you’ve never heard of Sergio Scaglietti, it’s likely you have heard about or seen some of his designs. He’s most famous for developing the sultry, curvy bodies that sat atop the chassis of Ferrari automobiles from the 1950s through the 1980s. In fact his designs through the years were so inspiring that the current Ferrari 612 is named “Scaglietti” in his honor.

Sergio Scaglietti rarely, if ever, extended his creative juice beyond automobiles. But one exception he made was for his good friend and fellow Modena, Italy businessman Antonio Giacobazzi. Giacobazzi asked Scaglietti to design a special bottle for his equally special Lambrusco wine.

Today you can enjoy the artistic beauty of both the wine and the bottle by drinking Donelli Lambrusco Reggiano Amabile DOC...

What’s the best way to keep your “dog” cool in the summer heat? Pop it into a temperature-controlled wine cave!

Wait, did you think we were talking about man’s best friend? Heck no — don’t you DARE put your pooch in the fridge! We’re talking about Carpineto DOGajolo, a.k.a., “Dog White” and “Dog Red”.

“Dog White” is an easy-drinking summer wine made from grapes grown in the gorgeous hills of Tuscany, Italy.

“Dog Red” is a similarly satisfying “Baby Super Tuscan” that can be enjoyed throughout the year with a variety of dishes — and is especially enjoyable on a hot summer night when given a slight chill.

But wait, what about that wine cave? Wasn’t there something about getting a free one? You betcha!

Return to this page on August 6, 2010 to enter to win a EuroCave Comfort 101 Wine Cellar — a $2000 value!

One...