I’ve attended way too many events where no thought beyond price was given to the wine being served aside from having the word “wine” on the bottle.  More often than not, I would find myself declining to take a glass or regretting that I took one.

Occasionally I have been charged with purchasing wine for a group, a meeting or an event and I’ve struggled to find a reasonable choice that fits the budget, is what I consider “comfortably sippable” and relatively easy to transport.  Toting a case of 750 ml bottles is cumbersome and  liter bottles are awkward to handle.

I’ve tried a few boxed wines, not many, but a couple of weeks ago I noticed a familiar packaging on the shelf at our local ABC Liquor store.   Having been a fan of Randall Grahm’s Bonny Doon wines and especially their unique labels and tales, I was attracted to this one – Cardinal Zin, Beastly Old Vines.   The cardboard container holds 3 liters (4 – 750 ml bottles) in a plastic bag within the box.  It’s easy to carry and has a plastic spout for dispensing.

Grahm sold the Big House and Cardinal Zin brand wines to Underdog Wine Merchants in 2006.   Seems Underdog has maintained the quality of the Cardinal Zin, kept the price point affordable ( we paid $19.00 for the box) , and designed a convenient package.

Have you tried a boxed wine?  What did you think of it?  Any whites in boxes you can recommend?
Salud!  Debbe

This rates as one of the most creative dinners I’ve had the pleasure to experience.  The chef owner of Indigenous created all of the courses from ingredients found within a 100 miles of Sarasota.

Thank you to Chef Phelps for introducing us to some delicious local ingredients and to your experienced staff for making the evening so amazing!

Who would have believed the berries on the Brazilian Pepper plant could be dried and consumed as pink peppercorns!

Salud!

Debbe

We were guests at a very specially planned evening of wine and food this past weekend. Our hosts, Marta and Francis went to great lengths to select wines and foods of Spain they have experienced and loved.  They cooked regional dishes to give us a spectacular introduction into Spanish dining.

To begin the journey, we were poured two wines from the appellation of  Rías Baxias in Spain made from Albariño, the primary grape of the region.  The first wine from the province of Pontevedra in Galicia was a 2010 Martín Códax Albariños  followed by a Abadia De San Campio wine from the Terras Gauda Winery.  The two were distinctly different.  I tried both with a serving of Marta’s Gazpacho and both accompanied the course well.

With an array of cheeses, sardines, olives, sausage, potatoes, peppers and an assortment of crackers and breads we shared a 2005 Marqués de Riscal Reserva  and a 2007 El Coto Crizanza Rioja wine. The course was especially nice to linger over, while experiencing some regional specialties and to create our own combinations of flavors with the foods.

A tremendous course of Paella came next and was served with two Ribera del Duero wines -  a 2007 Emilio Moro and a 2007 Viña Mayor Crianza.  To add a bit of Portuguese into the mix,  a bottle of  Vino del Duro – a 2008 Ventozelo was shared as well.

A delicate Cava completed the evening meal.   A Segura Viudas Brut  from Penedés, Spain accompanied the delicious dessert.

Our hosts created a superb evening of outstanding foods and wines that certainly encouraged some extraordinary conversation.  Thank you Marta and Francis for such a memorable evening!

Salud!  Debbe

Sarasota had a marvelous wine store that brought us an array of wines from boutique wineries and far away places at incredibly reasonable prices.  John got to know the manager, Thomas and was a frequent customer for many years.   Sadly the store closed after Thomas’s departure.

A shop in Gulf Gate has become a great replacement.  Many of you already shop here -  thewinetobuy.com.  I linked it on the Merchant page when I began this blog but it deserves more attention.  We want to spread the word about our excellent, independent retailers.  It’s at 2440 Stickney Point Road, about 2 blocks east of 41 on the right.   Thewinetobuy.com  is  a small  shop filled with great values and selections that change all of the time.  If you find a wine there that you can’t live without, get back quick and buy all you can as selections are limited and frequently sell out rapidly.

  Three of last week’s selections

The store’s website is definitely worth viewing and bookmarking.  New acquisitions  and specials are posted there and the site features  a very handy listing of local restaurants and what they charge for corkage.   The shop also produces a newsletter that you can sign up for on the site.  And don’t miss the coupon page!  Often you will find specials posted there for free or discounted corkage.   Mitch Soffer is thewinetobuy.com’s  proprietor.  Stop in, say hello and discover some exceptional buys!

I’ve become such an urban dweller that going to Gulf Gate what?, three or four miles from downtown seems like a three day bus ride to me!  We combine our trek south to restock on wines with other errands and include a stop at one of our favorite bakeries – O0h La La  or Jim’s Small Batch Bakery.  If you haven’t tried both bakeries you are  definitely missing some of the best breads and pastries created  in Sarasota.  And just a note, Ooh La La is open on Sundays now!

Salud! Debbe