|
Month
|
Name
|
Description |
Price
|
Order |
|
January
|
Selection Limited Edition South African Shiraz (Red)
|
The Region: Stellenbosch is
South Africa’s oldest growing region, the centre for study of
viticulture and oenology in Africa, and the heart of the wine industry.
Famous for its stunning natural beauty, it has soaring mountains,
forests, vineyards, olive groves and veldts. South Africa’s finest red
wines thrive in the Cape’s moderate climate, and the Shiraz from this
region is dense with jammy richness, intense fruit, and complex
spiciness.
The Wine: This wine has a dense, chewy blackberry, earthiness and
robust character. This medium/full bodied wine almost begs for early
drinking, with spice and rich fruit, but the bold tannins and rich
jamminess (typical of Shiraz) will allow it to improve with age for a
further 2 years.
The Food: The pepper, plums and red fruit aromas and abundant tannins
blend wonderfully with barbecue, grilled red meat and stews.
(Originally offered in January 2006)
Sweetness: DRY | Body: MEDIUM-FULL | Oak Intensity: HEAVY
* |
$144.95
|
|
| January |
Selection Limited Edition California Lake County Trio Blanca (White) |
The Region: In California’s Lake
County, the vineyards nestle in steep hills in the west, while Clear
Lake, directly east, moderates the blistering heat of summer, ensuring
slow, even ripening and perfect grapes.
The Wine: A unique blend of three grapes, Selection Limited Edition
Trio Blanca is an outstanding white wine that showcases bright fruit
flavours, excellent structure, and a long finish. Pinot Blanc
contributes the delicate floral character and full body while Chenin
Blanc gives a wonderful melony-honeyed aroma with hints of apple. The
third grape variety, Sauvignon Blanc contributes zesty acidity and
aromas of gooseberry and herbs. After six months ageing, the Sauvignon
Blancwill dominate with zest and crispness. After a year, the Chenin
Blanc‘s honey and melon will come out, and at 18 months to two years
the Pinot Blanc will show a perfumed floweriness andlingering structure.
The Food: Enjoy by itself or serve Trio Blanca with seafood, chicken or vegetarian dishes.
(Originally offered in January 2005)
Sweetness: DRY | Body: MEDIUM | Oak Intensity: NONE
* |
$139.95 |
|
| February |
Selection Limited Edition Australian Petit Verdo (Red) |
The Region: South East Australia
is a literal hotbed of grape growing. The abundant sunshine hours and
heat allow growers to ripen varieties that have all but been abandoned
by growing regions less blessed. Petit Verdot is one such variety. It
makes unsurpassed red wines in Bordeaux, where it goes into their
classic Cabernet-Merlot blends, yet the climate there is too cool to
ripen it reliably.
The Wine: Best described as a ‘Super Cabernet’, it makes dark, rich
wines, with wonderfully concentrated flavours of spice, blackberry and
blackcurrant. With smooth, gripping tannins and an elegant structure
leading to a magnificent boldly oaked finish, this is a wine for long
term ageing and special occasions.
The Food: Excellent when paired with steak, prime rib, lamb, intense cheeses, and game.
(Originally offered in April 2004)
Sweetness: DRY | Body: FULL | Oak Intensity: HEAVY
* |
$144.95 |
|
| March |
Selection Limited Edition Pacific Quartet (White) |
The Region: The Pacific Coast of
North America has micro-climates that match those of the blazing
sunshine of the Mediterranean to the crisp mountain air of the upper
Rhine. With so much range and variety, there is a perfect terroir for
almost any grape you can name.
The Wine: This wine showcases bright fruit, excellent structure and a
long finish. Vidal from British Columbia gives spiciness and stone
fruit. Chenin Blanc from California gives a wonderful melony-honeyed
aroma with hints of apple. Gewürztraminer from Washington contributes
lychee, rose petals and floral notes, and Muscat from Australia’s
Murray- Darling Valley gives wonderful grapey notes with dried fruit
and hints of orange peel.
The Food: This wine has a range of fruit character and enough acidity
to stand up to a wide range of foods, particularly spicy and savoury
dishes, including Thai cuisine, grilled fish, herbed roast chicken or
barbecued salmon. Although delicious right on bottling day, drinking it
early would prevent it from showing it’s best–after six months the
Muscat and Vidal will dominate with spicy/grapey notes, after a year
the Chenin Blanc’s honey and melon will come out, and at 18 months to
two years the Gewurztraminer will show a perfumed floweriness and lush
structure.
(Originally offered in March 2007)
Sweetness: OFF-DRY | Body: MEDIUM | Oak Intensity: NONE
* |
$139.95 |
|
| April |
Selection Limited Edition Italian Brunello (Red) |
The Region: Italy’s long, narrow
peninsula reaches deep into the Mediterranean,basking in the relentless
sunshine and welcoming warmth. Gentle sloping hillsides, rich mineral
soils, the moderating breezes off of the Mediterranean waters and
unique grape varieties work to make wonderful wines.
The Wine: Brunello is a large-berried variety of the Sangiovese grape,
most famous in Brunello di Montalcino. The flavour profile of
Sangiovese is fruity, with strong natural acidity, a firm and elegant
assertiveness and a robust finish that can extend surprisingly long.
The aroma is generally subtle, with cherry, strawberry, blueberry, and
violet notes. Medium-bodied but boldly tannic and intense, this
gripping wine will begin to open up after six months, but the richer
flavours will take at least 18 months to show, with cherry and spice
dominating the long, fruity finish.
The Food: Brunello shines in the company of assertively flavoured
foods. Hard cheeses such as Asiago and Parmigiano Reggiano are splendid
accompaniments and the wines backbone of acids and tannins make it work
well with rich and spicy foods like Italian sausages or lasagna.
(Originally offered in April 2007)
Sweetness: DRY | Body: MEDIUM | Oak Intensity: MEDIUM
* |
$144.95 |
|
The
Homebrew Emporium