#SummerSips with Vinkara Wines, Villa Maria Estate, and Biokult
Hello Friends,
Just about every day, as wine o'clock approaches, you can find me uncorking or unscrewing a new wine adventure. Being a wine enthusiast, a wine writer, and someone who appreciates the liquid expression of place, a person’s vision, and Mother Nature’s influence, I find wine to be one of the most intriguing beverages out there. It is an area of interest where you never run out of great people to meet and new things to taste and learn.
The summer heat is finally here, and the selections for this post are all ideal warm weather wines for lunch, picnics or just to keep cool on the porch or poolside. All three recommendations are fun, affordable, and guaranteed to refresh! For further information and where you can find these wines, please see my tasting notes below.
Vinkara 2013 Narince (SRP $15): Narince means “delicately” in Turkish. This white grape variety is indigenous to Anatolia in north central Turkey. It is one of several ancient varieties – all native to the region, that Ardic Gursel of Vinkara seeks to introduce to the rest of the wine world. The wine pours a pale yellow, with aromas and flavors suggestive of citrus blossom, lemon peel, and dried floral notes followed by stony hints. It is medium-bodied with a refreshing lift of acidity that extends through the finish. A particularly good food wine, I enjoyed a glass with an Old-Bay seasoned shrimp salad. For those of you who have not tried a Turkish wine, this producer is a great place to start. Region: Black Sea Region, Turkey. Other info: ABV 13%, cork enclosure, imported by Winebow Inc. in NY, NY. Click here to find this wine.
Villa Maria 2016 Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc (SRP $14.99): Villa Maria is a well-known family owned New Zealand winery that was founded in 1961. Year-in and year-out, you can count on this producer to deliver solid and affordable Marlborough wines made from the noble Sauvignon Blanc grape variety. The 2016 growing season was relatively cool with a prolonged Indian summer providing ideal ripening conditions. The resultant wine is pale straw in color, with aromas of fresh cut herbs, lemon oil and lime. It is sleek and racy in the mouth, brimming with vibrant citrus fruit and guava flavors alongside chives, cut grass and lemongrass, ending with a lively, slightly tart finish. This is a very nice summer refresher for which the food pairing possibilities are endless. Unscrew, pour, and enjoy! Region: Marlborough, New Zealand. Other info: ABV 12.5%, screw cap enclosure, imported by Ste. Michelle Wine Estates LTD in WA. Click here to find this wine.
Biokult 2015 Zweigelt Rosé (SRP $13.99): The Biokult brand is produced by the Michlits family. They are one of the most influential and creative organic wine-growing families in Austria. Zweigelt is Austria’s most widely grown red grape variety and the fruit for this rosé comes from a Demeter-certified Biodynamic vineyard in the Niederösterreich - Qualitätswein appellation. Pale cranberry in color, flavors suggest ripe cherry pulp and fresh raspberries elevated by a springy, citrus-tinged acidity. This wine is fun, straight-forward and lively, with just a smidgen of residual on the back-end. For that reason, it paired very well with my batch of moderately spicy jerk wings and fixings. Overall, this is a rosé that won’t break the piggy bank that you’ll want to pack in your picnic basket or cooler for outdoor get-togethers. Region: Niederösterreich, Austria. Other info: ABV 10.5%, all stainless, cork enclosure. Click here to find this wine.
Have a question about this post? Feel free to drop me an e-mail at myvinespot@yahoo.com or hit me up on Facebook or Twitter. Stay tuned ...more to come. Happy Sipping, my friends! Disclosure: These wines were provided for review. Thoughts are my own.
Just about every day, as wine o'clock approaches, you can find me uncorking or unscrewing a new wine adventure. Being a wine enthusiast, a wine writer, and someone who appreciates the liquid expression of place, a person’s vision, and Mother Nature’s influence, I find wine to be one of the most intriguing beverages out there. It is an area of interest where you never run out of great people to meet and new things to taste and learn.
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| #SummerSips with Vinkara Wines, Villa Maria, and Biokult |
The summer heat is finally here, and the selections for this post are all ideal warm weather wines for lunch, picnics or just to keep cool on the porch or poolside. All three recommendations are fun, affordable, and guaranteed to refresh! For further information and where you can find these wines, please see my tasting notes below.
 |
| Vinkara 2013 Narince |
Vinkara 2013 Narince (SRP $15): Narince means “delicately” in Turkish. This white grape variety is indigenous to Anatolia in north central Turkey. It is one of several ancient varieties – all native to the region, that Ardic Gursel of Vinkara seeks to introduce to the rest of the wine world. The wine pours a pale yellow, with aromas and flavors suggestive of citrus blossom, lemon peel, and dried floral notes followed by stony hints. It is medium-bodied with a refreshing lift of acidity that extends through the finish. A particularly good food wine, I enjoyed a glass with an Old-Bay seasoned shrimp salad. For those of you who have not tried a Turkish wine, this producer is a great place to start. Region: Black Sea Region, Turkey. Other info: ABV 13%, cork enclosure, imported by Winebow Inc. in NY, NY. Click here to find this wine.
 |
| Villa Maria 2016 Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc |
Villa Maria 2016 Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc (SRP $14.99): Villa Maria is a well-known family owned New Zealand winery that was founded in 1961. Year-in and year-out, you can count on this producer to deliver solid and affordable Marlborough wines made from the noble Sauvignon Blanc grape variety. The 2016 growing season was relatively cool with a prolonged Indian summer providing ideal ripening conditions. The resultant wine is pale straw in color, with aromas of fresh cut herbs, lemon oil and lime. It is sleek and racy in the mouth, brimming with vibrant citrus fruit and guava flavors alongside chives, cut grass and lemongrass, ending with a lively, slightly tart finish. This is a very nice summer refresher for which the food pairing possibilities are endless. Unscrew, pour, and enjoy! Region: Marlborough, New Zealand. Other info: ABV 12.5%, screw cap enclosure, imported by Ste. Michelle Wine Estates LTD in WA. Click here to find this wine.
 |
| Biokult 2015 Zweigelt Rosé |
Biokult 2015 Zweigelt Rosé (SRP $13.99): The Biokult brand is produced by the Michlits family. They are one of the most influential and creative organic wine-growing families in Austria. Zweigelt is Austria’s most widely grown red grape variety and the fruit for this rosé comes from a Demeter-certified Biodynamic vineyard in the Niederösterreich - Qualitätswein appellation. Pale cranberry in color, flavors suggest ripe cherry pulp and fresh raspberries elevated by a springy, citrus-tinged acidity. This wine is fun, straight-forward and lively, with just a smidgen of residual on the back-end. For that reason, it paired very well with my batch of moderately spicy jerk wings and fixings. Overall, this is a rosé that won’t break the piggy bank that you’ll want to pack in your picnic basket or cooler for outdoor get-togethers. Region: Niederösterreich, Austria. Other info: ABV 10.5%, all stainless, cork enclosure. Click here to find this wine.
Have a question about this post? Feel free to drop me an e-mail at myvinespot@yahoo.com or hit me up on Facebook or Twitter. Stay tuned ...more to come. Happy Sipping, my friends! Disclosure: These wines were provided for review. Thoughts are my own.
Live, Love, Laugh, Tweet, Sip, Enjoy!
