I stopped at Dolce Vita Wine Shop in Chaska, Minnesota today for their weekly Friday wine tasting. This wine shop is in an old train depot. They have a good selection of wine, and the staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. Every Friday, a representative from a wine distributor is there with a selection of wines for tasting. They also use actual wine glasses, unlike some wine shops that use small plastic cups. Using wine glasses allows you to fully experience the wine.
The tastings generally include 3 white wines, 3 red wines, and 1 specialty product. Today’s tasting from Vinocopia consisted of 3 whites, 3 reds, and a liqueur.
The first white wine was the 2010 Good Pinot Grigio. This is an Italian Pinot Grigio. It is quite affordable. This was a good, basic white wine, and it would probably be a good choice for summer.
The next white was the 2009 Casas del Bosque Reserva Sauvingnon Blanc from Chile (Casablanca Valley). I have really liked the Chilean wines I’ve had in the past, and this one was no exception. This wine was very fruity and well balanced. I think this is one I may have to purchase in the future.
The third white wine was the 2009 Piatelli Premium Torrontés from Argentina. There was lots of floral aromas on the nose, as well as plenty of floral, particularly rose, on the palate. Quite good, but very different from what I typically expect in a white wine. (I’ll admit that I haven’t had a lot of experience with whites, though.)
The first red was a 2006 Mommessin Beaujolais Villages from France. This is 100% Gamay. I recently learned that Beaujolais should be served slightly chilled, and the winery website confirms that it should be served at approximately 60°F. This wine had some good fruit flavors.
The next red wine was the 2009 Piatelli Premium Malbec from Argentina. (This is the same producer as the Torrontés.) There was some nice, rich, dark fruit on this wine. This may be another one that I’ll purchase in the future.
The last red wine was from Hungary. The 2009 Donausonne Blaufränkisch is described as a “red wine for people who think they don’t like red wine.” This wine lacks the tannins typically associated with red wines, and it is also a sweet wine. Very fruity. While it may be a good choice for people who typically don’t like red wines, it might not be to your liking if you generally do like reds!
The final bottle was not a wine, but an Italian liqueur. The Pallini Raspiccello is made from wild raspberries, blueberries, and black currants. It is very sweet. It reminded me of the center of a chocolate raspberry cordial (like a cherry cordial, but with raspberry inside). This would probably be very good as part of a sweet cocktail or drizzled on top of a dessert.
I think they were all very good selections this week, which is not always the case with the Friday tastings. I did not purchase any of these today, as I had other selections already in mind, and I did not want to overspend! I may get some of these in the future, so watch for full detailed reviews.