June Sweet Club: Iowa

Posted on May 31, 2024 by mcginnessalex

Risata
Moscato d’Asti
Moscato Bianco di Canelli
Italy

NECTAR WINE STYLE

Risata Moscato d’Asti is seductively sweet, boasting juicy stone fruit, tart citrus and floral honey flavors. It’s a fresh and fragrant wine.

Analysis: 5.5% alcohol / volume
Varietal: 100% Moscato Bianco di Canelli
Perfect Pairings: Appetizers, tiramisu or a kid-free staycation

WineStyles’ Wine and Cheese Pairing: Reach for a soft cheese such as a brie. Learn more about our wine and cheese pairings here.

Mix Things Up – Wine Cocktails!

Risata Cosmo Punch:

2 parts Risata Moscato d’Asti
2 parts ginger ale
1 part vodka
1 part frozen pink lemonade
1 part cranberry juice
.5 part Triple Sec

Directions:

In a large pitcher or a large punch bowl, combine all ingredients. Serve drinks over ice and enjoy as yummy summer sipper!

Risata
Peach
Moscato
Italy

NECTAR WINE STYLE

Savor the lusciousness of Risata Peach, a semi-sweet wine, bursting with flavors of ripe, juicy peaches and a hint of apricot. Light-bodied and crisp on the finish, this refreshing wine is best served chilled.

Analysis: 5.5% alcohol / volume
Varietal: 100% Moscato
Perfect Pairings: Salads, cake or a night of “me time”

WineStyles’ Wine and Cheese Pairing: Pair this fruity, semi-sweet wine with a rich, nutty hard cheese such as Parmigiano Reggiano. Learn more about our wine and cheese pairings here.

Mix Things Up – Wine Cocktails!

Peach Sangria:
(Makes 4-5 servings)

1 part Risata Peach Wine
1 orange, sliced
1 peach, sliced
1 cup berries
1/3 cup orange liqueur
1 cup club soda
garnish: edible flowers

Directions:

Add fruit and orange liqueur to a pitcher and gently muddle with a wooden spoon. Add Risata Peach wine, club soda, and ice, then stir. Divide into glasses and serve with edible flowers, if desired. Credit: The Social Sipper.

Risata
Blueberry
Brachetto
Italy

NECTAR WINE STYLE

Relish in the wild and fresh flavor of Risata Blueberry, a refreshing semi-sweet wine, with intense flavors of fresh blueberry and a soft hint of cherry. Serve lightly chilled.

Analysis: 5.5% alcohol / volume
Varietal: 100% Brachetto
Perfect Pairings: Fresh fruit, grilled meats, or a little late night retail therapy.

WineStyles’ Wine and Cheese Pairing: For a savory cheese pairing, reach for a feta cheese. The saltiness of this cheese can enhance the sweetness of the blueberries and create an interesting savory contrast. Learn more about our wine and cheese pairings here.

Mix Things Up – Wine Cocktails!

Blueberry Wine Slushie:
(Makes 4 servings)

2 cups Risata Blueberry wine
3 cups frozen mixed berries
¼ cup elderflower liqueur
1 cup ice
garnish: berries, edible flowers

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Divide into glasses and garnish with frozen berries and edible flowers, if desired. Enjoy immediately. Credit: The Social Sipper.

About the Winery:
The word ‘Risata’ means ‘laughter’ in Italian. The team behind Risata thought it would be fitting for a line of delightfully sweet and bubbly wines made to be enjoyed on nearly any occasion. Sourced from the finest vineyards in Italy, Risata wines are premium quality wines that are designed to elevate any moment. Their Moscato d’Asta was introduced to the U.S. in 2006 and has grown to be the most sought after Moscato d’Asti in the country. These wines are delicious on their own or mixed into a tantalizing cocktail! Learn more here.

Love the Sweet life?
“Wine” not try our Sweet Club!

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April Sweet Club: Iowa

Posted on March 21, 2024 by mcginnessalex

Stella Rosa
Stella Royale Rosso
Veneto, Italy

NECTAR WINE STYLE

With its higher alcohol content, yet still smooth finish, Stella Rosa Royale retains that delicious semi-sweet nature with its fresh natural flavors of raspberries, strawberries and other red berries. This is the perfect wine to pair with any food, just remember to serve it chilled.

Analysis: 8% alcohol / volume
Primary Grape Varietal: Barbera, Brachetto, Nebbiolo

WineStyles’ Wine and Cheese Pairing: A creamy, yet tangy, blue cheese like Gorgonzola or Roquefort can provide a bold flavor contrast to the sweetness of the wine. Learn more about our wine and cheese pairings here.

About the Winery:
It all started in 1917, when the Riboli family founded Los Angeles’ historic San Antonio Winery. Back then, Los Angeles was the prime location for wine growing in all of California. For some time, the wine industry reigned as one of Southern California’s most economically significant and popular industries of that time. After surviving Prohibition and about a century later, the Riboli family has continued its artisan winemaking tradition through four generations. Within the tasting rooms of San Antonio Winery, customers repeatedly requested a sweeter, light, refreshing wine. The Riboli family took this unique opportunity to create a new semi-sweet, semi-sparkling wine style, which today, they are the leader. And so, Stella Rosa was born. Learn more here.

Wine Cocktail: Berry Regal
Try this delicious wine cocktail at your next brunch:

2 oz Stella Rosa Royale
1 oz Grand Marnier
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup frozen raspberries
1 cup frozen blackberries
agave (to taste)
Add Grand Marnier, frozen fruits, and agave to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into glass and stir in Stella Rosa® Royale.

Vietti
Moscato d’Asti DOCG
Castiglione Falletto, Italy

NECTAR WINE STYLE

Bright straw-yellow in color with slightly shimmering hints of gold. This wine has intense aromas of ripe yellow fruit (peach and apricot), floral notes (rose petals and acacia flowers) and ginger. Sweet and delicate on the palate, with the modest acidity, good balance and complexity. Hints of fresh apricot on the finish.

Analysis: 8% alcohol / volume
Varietal: 100% Moscato

WineStyles’ Wine and Cheese Pairing: The nutty and salty flavors of Parmigiano-Reggiano can provide a nice contrast to the sweetness of the wine. Its firm texture and complex flavor profile make it an excellent pairing option. Learn more about our wine and cheese pairings here.

Winemaking:
The grapes are sourced from small vineyards in Castiglione Tinella, with 4,500 plants per hectare. The vines, cultivated with the Guyot-system have an average age of 40 years. Limestone and clay-rich soil.

The grapes are harvested by hand in and around late August/early September. The vinification begins with a gentle pressing of the grapes and natural cold decanting. The must is stored at a very low temperature in stainless-steel tanks to avoid spontaneous fermentation. Throughout the year, individual portions of the must are put in an autoclave at a temperature of 12-14 degrees to initiate alcohol fermentation. When 5.5% alcohol by volume is reached, the temperature is quickly reduced to stop the fermentation. The wine, which is only partially fermented, is then filtered. The wine does not undergo malolactic fermentation and is bottled using sterile filtration, to maintain its natural freshness, aromas and fine bubbles.

About the Winery:
Almost 150 years have passed since its foundation. It was the end of 1800 when Carlo Vietti started the Vietti winery, right in the heart of the Langhe, on the highest point of the medieval village of Castiglione Falletto. In the very same place where it is located today. Vietti is renowned for its commitment to crafting exceptional wines that express the unique terroir of Piedmont. From their iconic Barolo to elegant Barbera and beyond, each bottle reflects a harmonious balance of tradition and innovation. Embracing sustainable practices, Vietti’s vineyards yield grapes of unparalleled quality, resulting in wines that captivate enthusiasts worldwide. Passion, heritage, and a deep connection to the land define Vietti, making it a cherished gem of Italian winemaking. Learn more here.

Love the Sweet life?
“Wine” not try our Sweet Club!

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October Sweet Club: Iowa

Posted on September 30, 2023 by mcginnessalex

Pitulé
Moscato d’Asti DOCG
Piedmont, Italy

NECTAR WINE STYLE

Pitulé Moscato d’Asti is a classic semi-sweet sparkling wine. It is yellow straw in color with gold reflections. It is deliciously sweet with bright, fruity grape flavors, a refreshing, yet delicate honey and peach finish, and a slight spritz.

Varietal: 100% Moscato
Appellation: Moscato d’Asti DOCG, Piedmont, Italy
Vinification: Grapes are gently pressed and the juice is kept cold to prevent total fermentation. This retains a small amount of residual sugar in the wine.
Food Pairing: Classic wine for desserts and fruit. Served chilled.
Critical Acclaim: 90 pts. James Suckling – 2020

WineStyles’ Wine and Cheese Pairing: Sweet wines from our ‘Nectar’ section will pair well with any rich, soft cheeses such as a goat’s milk cheese. Learn more about our wine and cheese pairings here.

ABOUT THE WINERY:
Pitulé is produced by the Sperone family who have been making affordable premium wines for four generations. In 1911, Antonio Sperone opened a small wine shop in Torino where he sold bulk wine directly to consumers. Unsatisfied with the quality and price of the local wine, Antonio started his own winery in Puglia and built a bottling facility in Torino. He was soon able to offer his customers quality wines at prices everyone could afford. Sadly, it was destroyed when the city was bombed in WWII. The winery in Puglia survived the war and enabled Antonio’s grandson Giacomo to open a new facility in 1965 near Milan where he produced vermouth, sparkling wines, spirits and fine wines. In 1983, the family purchased 75 acres of prime vineyards in Piedmont and built the current winery in the small town of Mombaruzzo just outside Monferrato.

Bitch Wines
Bubbly Sparkling Rosé
Penedes, Spain

NECTAR WINE STYLE

With hues of Honeycrisp apple and scarlet, this wine has a strawberry mousse and a petillant style of bubbles that are slightly softer than traditional sparklers. There are notes of sweet red berries and a red cherry conserve on the nose. The palate highlights flavors of strawberry jam with the added depth of red cherries and currants. The fruit sweetness is balanced with the crisp refreshing tang of the bubbles.

Blend: Macabeo, Parellada, Xarel-lo, Carignan
Elaboration: Skin Contact Method. According to Methode Ancestrale – a traditional method of making sparkling wine that is, in fact, the world’s most ancient. The wine is bottled before the primary fermentation is finished, delivering a lower pressure, lightly sparkling wine in the petillant style. The wine is finished without the addition of secondary yeasts or sugars.

WineStyles’ Wine and Cheese Pairing: Sweet wines from our ‘Nectar’ section will pair well with an herbal cheese. Learn more about our wine and cheese pairings here.

ABOUT THE WINERY:
“After a fateful trip to Australia in the late 90’s, Dan Phillips was hooked on Grenache. There to publish a story about Shiraz for Food & Wine, shortly after, Dan invested his life savings in a container of Shiraz and was off and running. Grenache soon took over his life. Dan purchased all the Australian Grenache he could from Northern Barossa. This was around the early 2000’s when Grenache was looked down upon, mainly because people associated Grenache with White Grenache, a grape used to make cheap, sweeter wines. Stuck with 1000’s of cases of Grenache-labeled wine that he could not sell, Dan had a problem. Not one to shrink from a challenge, he enlisted the help of world-famous font designer, Jeff Keedy to help produce a new brand for his beloved Grenache. After hours of brainstorming (and numerous bottles of wine) Jeff seized on an idea of Dan’s to call his new brand, Bitch. According to Dan, “Bitch is an ugly sounding, and looking, harsh word. His (Jeff’s) challenge was to make it beautiful. He decided to create a custom font for Bitch.” The Bitch font was created (left) as well as the dagger in the heart logo, which Dan believes is just as responsible for the success of the brand as the word. The word was left to exist on its own to allow consumers to bring their own experience to it. To sum it all up, Dan says, “Bitch is a verb, to bitch about life, which is our logo, the dagger in the heart, and the essence of wine drinking as it is the essence of blues music and life itself. It is WHY we drink wine. As I say, ‘life’s a bitch and then we drink.’” – Grape Expectations

Love the Sweet life?
“Wine” not try our Sweet Club!

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June Sweet Club Iowa

Posted on May 26, 2021 by mcginnessalex

Ruffino
Moscato d’Asti DOCG
Piedmont, Italy

NECTAR WINE STYLE

This sweet wine from the Piedmont region of northwest Italy has an aromatic bouquet and low alcohol content, making it an incredibly pleasant wine to drink. It is bright straw yellow in color. The nose is very fragrant and characteristic of the Moscato varietal. It showcases notes of acacia, elderberry, wisteria and citrus, followed by defined notes of peach, orange blossom and sage. On the palate, the wine delivers a pleasantly sweet taste, with flavors or sage and white stone fruit. Its frizzante wine style and balanced acidity make this wine a versatile companion for lunch, dinner, dessert, or simply on its own.

Analysis: 6% alcohol / volume
Varietal: 100% White Moscato
Harvest: Mid-September
Serving Temperature: 46°F to 50°F
Serving Glass: Ideally served in a high-stemmed, tulip-shaped glass, allowing the wine to touch the sip of the tongue first, where sweetness is first perceived
Pairing: Moscato d’Asti is a very versatile food companion. It pairs exceptionally well with any type of dessert; or pair with fresh bread, charcuterie, figs, melon or spicy foods.

WineStyles Wine and Cheese Pairing: Sweet wines from our ‘Nectar’ section pair well with an herbal cheese. Learn more about our wine and cheese pairings here.

HARVEST AND PRODUCTION:
“We source the grapes for this wine from the Roero, Monferrato and Langhe regions in southern Piedmont. The first stage of Moscato production is a traditional white wine process. The second stage uses the Charmat method in which the wine undergoes a secondary fermentation in tanks and is bottled under pressure to produce light, gently sparkling bubbles and to preserve the fresh, fruit characteristics of the Moscato Bianco grapes.” – Ruffino

ABOUT RUFFINO:
Ruffino is a large wine company based in Tuscany, producing wines from several wine regions in Central and Northern Italy, including Piedmont. The winery was established in 1877 when cousins Ilario and Leopoldo Ruffino took on their passion for winemaking by establishing their first winery. Today, more than 140 years later, Ruffino continues to showcase the heritage of these true Italian wines. Learn more about their history here.

Mondoro
Asti
Piedmont, Italy

NECTAR WINE STYLE

Produced entirely from white muscat (moscato) grapes grown in the strictly delineated Asti region of northern Italy, the wine has a delicately sweet character which makes it delightful and refreshing. It is pale yellow in color with fast moving bubbles. On the nose, there is a distinctive and intense aroma of honey and ripe peach. On the palate, it is an intensely sweet and fruity sparkling wine with hints of orange and candied pears.

Analysis: 7% alcohol / volume
Varietal: 100% Moscato
Country: Italy
Region: Piedmont
Appellation: Asti DOCG
Vineyards: Grapes sourced from Canelli, Santo Stefano Belbo and Calosso

Pairing: Enjoy as an aperitif or with fruit-based desserts.

WineStyles Wine and Cheese Pairing: Sweet wines from our ‘Nectar’ section pair well with an herbal cheese. Learn more about our wine and cheese pairings here.

HARVEST AND PRODUCTION:
“The sparkling wine is created with the Asti Method. Grapes are crushed and the juice is stored at a low temperature until it is needed. When the wine is ready to be made, the grape must is warmed and fermentation takes place in pressurized tanks. Carbon dioxide is allowed to escape until the alcohol level reaches 6% and at this point, the Carbon dioxide is retained – which creates the bubbles. The fermentation continues until the alcohol has reached 7-7.5% alcohol by volume and the pressure is close to 5 atmospheres. The fermentation is stopped by chill filtration and the wine is bottled for immediate release.” – Mondoro

Love the Sweet life?
“Wine” not try our Sweet Club!

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March Sweet Club

Posted on February 27, 2021 by mcginnessalex

Marco Negri
Moscato D’Asti
Piemonte, Italy

NECTAR WINE STYLE

Pale yellow color with a fine perlage. A typical bouquet with skin citrus fruits and jasmine. It presents a good structure and sapid.

Analysis: 5.5% alcohol / volume
Varietal: 100% Moscato
pH: 3.28
Residual Sugar: 125 g/l
TA: 5.0 g/l
Sulfit: 120 mg/l
Harvest Date: Beginning of September
Vineyard Location: 11 hectare in Costigliole d’Asti – Piemonte
Oenologist: Mr. Donato Lanati
Fermentation: Stainless steel tanks
Bottling: Preserved at 28.4ºF
Vinification: After the must has been softly pressed, it is left to ferment with selected yeasts into 50 hl. autoclaves for 8-10 days, at controlled temperature. The fermentation is stopped by cooling when the desired alcohol level is reached. When bottling, the wine is filtered through micropore sterile filters to totally eliminate any yeast.

Pairing: Traditionally enjoyed with dessert, but with its low degree of alcohol, amazing sparkling fragrance, and very light sweetness; it can also be pleasant as an aperitif.

WineStyles Wine and Cheese Pairing: Sweet wines from our ‘Nectar’ section pair well with an herbal cheese, such as a gorgonzola. Learn more about our wine and cheese pairings here.

ABOUT THE REGION:
Marco Negri estate, located in the heart of Piedmont, Italy, near the town of Asti, produced its first sparkling wine in 1993. Marco Negri has received their DOCG, Italy’s highest category of production, with their Moscato grapes.

Pacific Rim
Sweet Riesling
Columbia Valley, Washington

NECTAR WINE STYLE

Refreshingly sweet with a lively mouthfeel. Bright Acidity. Fresh and fruity with flavors of pineapple and white peach. This Riesling is wonderfully aromatic with notes of honey, pear and orange blossom.

Analysis: 8% alcohol / volume
Varietal: 100% Riesling
Residual Sugar: 7%
TA: 0.83%
Food Pairing: Ideal with fiery fare – especially Thai, Szechwan, Mexican, Middle Eastern and Caribbean cuisine.

WineStyles’ Wine and Cheese Pairing: Sweet wines from our ‘Nectar’ section pair well with an herbal cheese, such as a gorgonzola. Learn more about our wine and cheese pairings here.

PRODUCTION:
Pacific Rim’s Sweet Riesling is 100% Columbia Valley, WA grown. The soil is wind-blown loess on basalt bedrock. They use the purest winemaking possible – sustainably produced, all native yeasts, no oak, no malolactic. A perfect exploration of sweetness – covering the classic residual sugar spectrum of Riesling.

The winery picks their Riesling grapes early (20-21 Brix). Using only native yeasts and fermenting at low temperatures in stainless steel tanks – there is no use of oak barrels or malolactic fermentation. They stop the fermentation at about 7% residual sugar, and clean the wine rapidly to retain as much freshness and fruitiness as possible. They leave a fair amount of natural carbon dioxide in the wine to create a lively mouth feel.

ABOUT THE WINERY:
First released by Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon Vineyard in 1992, Pacific Rim Dry Riesling quickly gained a loyal following among Riesling lovers. Known for its fresh and bright characteristics, the wine was a welcome alternative to over-oaked, one-dimensional white wines. As the American palate evolved in recent years toward wines with greater complexity and crisper acidity, the popularity of Pacific Rim Dry Riesling grew. Demand and enthusiasm for Pacific Rim Dry Riesling continued to gain momentum — and the excitement around the wine inspired a radical idea… the creation a winery exclusively dedicated to Riesling. In August of 2006, a small band of Bonny Doon expats moved to the Northwest from California with a common desire to craft the best Riesling in America… thus, Pacific Rim became its own winery. Learn more about the winery here.

February Sweet Club

Posted on January 30, 2021 by mcginnessalex

Paolo Saracco
Moscato d’Asti
Castiglione Tinella, Piedmont, Italy

NECTAR WINE STYLE

Moscato d’Asti is an indigenous aromatic wine characterized by orange, peach and lime notes, with a sweet taste rich in minerals. In color, it is straw yellow with greenish hues, fine perlage, and a slow fermentation index. On the nose it has intense orange blossom, peach and thyme flavors. The taste is intense, elegant, and lingering. The sweet sensations are well balanced with a pleasant acidity with fruity aromas — typical of Muscat grapes.

Food Pairing Recommendations: Ideal with pastries, cakes, fruit tarts, ice cream, biscuits. Also delicious with cheeses such as gorgonzola and in cocktails.

WineStyles’ Wine and Cheese Pairing: Sweet wines from our ‘Nectar’ section pair well with an herbal cheese, such as a gorgonzola. Learn more about our wine and cheese pairings here.

Varietal: Moscato Bianco Canelli
Vineyards: Located in Castiglione Tinella, Santo Stefano Belbo, Castagnole Lanze, Colosso
Vinification: After harvesting, the bunches are gently pressed to extract the most flavorful juice from the outermost part of the grapes. The must is kept in stainless steel containers at -3°C, where it can be kept for months. When there is market demand, it is then transferred into autoclaves for temperature-controlled fermentation, micro-filtered for purity and then bottled to keep the freshness and flavors intact.

VINEYARDS:
A real winemaker knows how to identify plots of land in the best areas. Over the years the Paolo Saracco winery has bought vineyards in the areas around Castiglione Tinella, Santo Stefano Belbo, Castagnole Lanze and Calosso. On their 50 hectares, grapes are grown sustainably in harmony with nature and with attention to changes in the climate throughout the year. Moscato grapes are full of aroma: all processing steps in the winery are done to maintain and preserve their flavors.

ABOUT THE WINERY:
In the heart of the Moscato d’Asti, the Saracco family has produced this aromatic wine in this area since the early 1900s and cultivated their own vineyards, which is an important part of the process, creating a link with the ideal terrain for growing Moscato grapes. With the support of their founder Luigi Saracco, a family of winemakers put their aromatic Moscato wine on the market, selling wine in bulk in the spring to companies producing Vermouth. Today, the passion and professionalism shown in previous decades are continued by Paolo Saracco, Giovanni’s son and current owner, who decided to start bottling Moscato after studying oenology. And so, the ‘Paolo Saracco’ label was born. This idea has allowed wine lovers in Italy and across the globe to discover a hugely aromatic, balanced Moscato d’Asti. To learn more about the Saracco Winery, click here.

Sonoroso
Rosso Dolce
Trentino, Italy

NECTAR WINE STYLE

The Rosso Dolce (Sweet Red Wine) is brilliant ruby red in color. On the nose, delicate scents of plum and violet compliment the aromas of red fruits and sweet spice. The taste is fresh vibrant and slightly frizzante, with notes of blackberry and cherry for a sensuous taste. It finishes with a touch of sweetness.

Food Pairing Recommendations: Pleasantly refreshing and food-friendly; pairs well with flavorful dishes and spicy cuisine, or even your favorite dessert! Serve chilled.

WineStyles’ Wine and Cheese Pairing: Sweet wines from our ‘Nectar’ section pair well with an herbal cheese, such as a gorgonzola. Learn more about our wine and cheese pairings here.

Analysis: 7% alcohol / volume
Varietals: Teroldego, Marzemino, Merlot
Appellation: Trevenezie IGT
Residual Sugar: 100 g/I
TA: 5.30 g/l
Vinification: Each varietal is manually harvested at the perfect ripeness to preserve aromas and freshness. Following de-stemming, the juice is kept in contact with the grape skin for several days at low temperatures (cold maceration) to extract the fruit’s aroma and color. Then a partial fermentation is done at low temperature to preserve the natural sweetness, the fruity character and the fizzy style.

ABOUT THE WINERY:
Sonoroso is an irresistible, delicately sweet line of wines from Northern Italy. It makes a wonderful aperitif and is also incredibly food-friendly with a variety of dishes. Learn more here.

Love the Sweet life?
“Wine” not try our Sweet Club!

Click here to learn more >

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