Wine & Spirits
way , by hand . Once loaded on a truck , they come into the winery and are inspected and stemmed before heading to the press . Guigal uses a pneumatic press for the white wines . It resembles a large sun-tanning table , but it closes tightly and a bladder that forms the lining of the press is inflated to an exact pressure . This allows juice to be extracted , but stops before any of the bitterness flows into the juice . At the end of the tour , we tasted two whites , a 2012 and a 2014 Condrieu ; a 2014 Cavelle , which is their top Rosé wine ; a 2013 Saint Joseph ( 100 % Syrah ), which had a spicy pepper flavor on the palate yet a full blackberry flavor on the finish . Their 2010 Côte Rôtie ( primarily Syrah / Viognier ) had strong notes of cedar on the nose yet a pleasant earthiness on the palate . E . Guigal allows their great raw materials to flourish in the bottle . Because they seek and grow truly outstanding grapes , they claim not to “ make wine ,” but let the wines come together over time . Guigal wine undergoes natural yeast fermentation with minimal intervention . No fining ( a process to make wine clear ) or filtration occurs during their wine making . Guigal ’ s top wines are known for their long maturation time in barrels – up to three and a half years . They do not rush their wines even though it may be costly to hold vintages of Chateauneufdu-Pape or Côte Rôtie longer than other vintners . But when you go to open a bottle of E . Guigal wine , you know it is ready for enjoyment . We closed the tour with 30 minutes of tasting a wide selection of wines . Salut ! ❖ A note for those interested in trying some of these wines – both Van ’ s Liquor and Family Beer carry E . Guigal wines and may be able to order a specific one if you are interested . Just ask Jeff or Tim .
Dubuque Food & Wine Fest 2016 November 5 & 6
If you like fine food paired with excellent wine , don ’ t miss this event . Get your tickets now ! Friday November 5 , 7:00-9:00 p . m .
The event opens Friday night at the Diamond Jo with Food being prepared by Woodfire Grille , Caroline ’ s , L . May Eatery , Pepper Sprout , and Brazen Open Kitchen . Jeff Jansen carefully pairs wines to accompany the food that is being served . There are wine tables placed about the room for your tasting pleasure with the food interspersed . This one night alone is worth attending , but it gets even better .
Saturday , November 6 , 1:00-4:00 p . m .
The events continue on Saturday at Stone Cliff Winery . The famous Soup Cookoff takes place under the tent while tasty foods from Candle Ready Cakes , Cremer ’ s Food Coop , The Food Store , East Mill Bakeshop , Fresh Take , and Galena Main Street Cheesecake will temp your taste buds . Stone Cliff Winery , Van ’ s Wine & Liquor , Millstream Brewery , Jubeck New World Brewery , and Potosi Brewery provide a selection of beer and wine that should keep your whistle wet while judging the soups . Another “ don ’ t miss ” part of Saturday is the Celebrity Chef presentations . These are local folks who know their way around a cook stove . This year Brian Pechous , Greg Nauman , Dave Chapin , and one yet to be determined will share their expertise and provide delicious morsels to sample .
Sunday , November 7 , 10:00 a . m . -1:00 p . m .
To cap off the weekend , join the crowd at Van ’ s Liquor on Sunday morning . There will be Mimosas and Bloody Marys available while you shop some incredible deals on all those wines you ’ ve tasted over the two previous day .
Put this on your calendar now , but more importantly , purchase tickets early . Want to make it an easy weekend ? Check out the deals offered by Hotel Julien Dubuque and the Grand Harbor Resort . Both of them have put together “ Stay-n-Play ” packages ( or should I say Wine / Dine & Slumber ) so you can take the worry out of driving home each night .
Go to www . dbqfoodandwine . com for the latest information and tickets . ❖
Wines I ’ ve Recently TasteD ...
If you don ’ t find the wines listed here locally , ask at your favorite place to shop if it is possible for them to order the wine for you . Just because you don ’ t see them , that doesn ’ t mean they cannot get them . 2008 L ’ Hostellerie Alsace Gewürztraminer – Emile Beyer – Alsace , France This 100 % Gewürztraminer wine was brought to Music in the Arboretum by my good friend , Gerry Podraza . He picked it up at Family Beer and it was a pleasant surprise to both of us . The cork was totally moldy , but inside was a wonderful expression of a German wine ... out of Alsace . A classic German Gewürztraminer from France ! The wine had a dark amber color and strong nose of wet straw , yet a sweet , very ripe banana or pear essence on the palate . A feel of honey in the mouth was smooth and slick with more viscosity than I expected . 2004 Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon – Tera Blanca Winery – Washington State I was quite pleased with this wine as it held up well for its age . It took a long time to open up , but the tannins were soft and smooth on the palate . Flavors of licorice and blackberry seemed to dominate with a hint of graphite . This is a 100 % Cabernet Sauvignon from the Red Mountain AVA on which sits Terra Blanca Winery . A very dark red color which is typical of Red Mountain fruit . 13.5 % ABV 2015 Satigny Pinot Blanc – Le Prieure – Genève , Switzerland This was a very pleasant Pinot Blanc that revealed typical aromas of floral white flowers and yellow fruit ( peach ). The palate expressed a brightness with subtle flavors of melon and crisp pear . The wine had a very pale yellow color and was quite refreshing on a warm day . 13 % ABV 2014 Côtes du Rhône Entr Amis – Clos Du Père Clément – Rhône , France This wine combines Grenache and Syrah in a wonderfully tasting wine . The wine displays a pretty bright garnet color with crimson reflections . The nose gives intense fruity and floral notes with some spice . A wine of this character , with no strong overtones , offers flexibility as you ’ ll find it goes very well with appetizers or grilled meats . 13.1 % ABV . ❖
50 ❖ Julien ’ s Journal