“A bottle of wine contains more philosophy than all the books in the world.” — Louis Pasteur
TeamWine met on a Sunday night in March, missing two of our regulars (Erin & Shane), but we had two guest tasters (Theresa & Hunter) to maintain our six wine tasters. Once we finished tasting the two June wines, we also discussed an extra bottle of wine that each of us had brought. We had a delightful evening of good food, fine fellowship and fun wines.
As is our custom, we tasted a white and a red wine, available locally. This month our white came from Aldi’s and the red was purchased at Roux & Lucia’s. Often the place of purchase is not listed in Sips & Tips, so if you are wondering where we obtained it, send me an email at John@juliensjournal.com and I’ll get back to you. Or you can show your favorite local retailer my Sips & Tips column in a copy of Julien’s Journal and ask them if they carry the wine or would be willing to order it for you.
Sips
We began with the white, and as usual, the wines are bagged so we don’t get a preconceived notion as to how it might taste. At the end, for the fun of it, we do make our somewhat educated guesses as to the varietal, and maybe what country produced it. We then uncover them and more often than not, someone has made the correct identification. Our white for June was a Cambalala 2025 Chenin Blanc from the western cape of South Africa, where Chenin Blanc is the leading grape by cultivation. (12.5% abv $5.99). The wine was very clear with a light, butter yellow tint. The medium light body made for a pleasant mouthfeel and delightfully long finish. Aromas identified were cucumber, white flower blossom, fresh cut pear, lemon zest and some stone fruit. Enticing flavors included stone fruits, green apple, some citrus, fresh pineapple, pear, soft spice, and tropical fruits.
The wine had moderate to high acidity, but we all considered it a well-balanced wine. We felt the wine went well with our cranberry goat cheese, tinned tuna, crackers with white cheese. We felt this would be a perfect back-porch wine, so don’t let the price scare you away. We all liked the wine!
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