“A bottle of wine begs to be shared; I have never met a miserly wine lover.”
Clifton Fadiman
If there is a best time of year for wine, I think it’s October. Yes, one can argue the holiday season is good, or spring when new life is budding, but I like October. Still a bit of warmth in the air, but the coolness of fall brings clarity to fall colors and that extra blanket needed on the bed helps you sleep so much better. Wines tend to follow suit. Whites can be heavier, and we open heartier reds to pair with thick soups or chunky stews that have simmered for hours. October is when I might have an after-dinner glass of port or maybe a Sauterne with a good book. How about you? When is your favorite month for enjoying wine?
TeamWine yet again had a slightly different mix in tasters as Michele McKinlay, Laurie Muilenberg and Lisa Erickson joined us around the tasting mats in place of Shane and Erin, who were traveling. We sampled a white from Sicily and a red from the Côtes du Rhône. Both were quite flavorful, and the white was new for most of us. The good news, we recommend them both!
Sips
We uncorked the evening with a 2021 Famiglia Roccaperciata Grillo white wine (12.5% abv $16). Grillo is a white Italian grape that can withstand high temperatures. It is used throughout Sicily and is one of the grapes used to make Marsala. The grapes’ origins are unknown. The color was so faint that the yellow, with a hint of green, was barely noticeable. We had aromas of cantaloupe, fresh cut apple, a bit of apricot and some lemon and white floral notes. Flavors on the palate were not as varied. We noted spicy citrus, sour apple (like a tart green apple), and a touch of white pepper spice. A medium body was perfect for a Fall white, and it had medium-low acidity. This wine paired well with our hard white cheeses, the goat cheese and smoked salmon. It did not pair well at all with lemon. We thought it might go well with a pasta and clam dish, a green salad with chicken or possibly a grilled fish, just not with lemon.
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