The annual Bowling Green Parks and Recreation Foundation wine and cheese social is always an enjoyable affair. The wines are provided by Norm Heineman of BG Beverage and he likes to present a memorable lineup.
This year he had an array of 11 wines that ranged from the familiar vineyards of California to exotic wines from Greece, Portugal and Turkey.
You knew you weren’t in Kansas any more upon sampling the first wine, the Kyklos Moscofilero from Greece. This is a fresh aromatic wine that could easily replace a Chardonnay with your dinner. Norm explained that his company supplies most of the Greek and Turkish restaurants in the state.
We also enjoyed the Stoneburn Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand (always popular with Green Dragon) and the Vina Robles White 4, a California vino that features Viognier, Vermentino, Verdelho and Sauvignon Blanc.
The Vina Robles 4 winemakers, we’re told, planted numerous varieties of grapes in their vineyards and then selected only the ones that thrived best for their Vina Robles 4 wines. The red version has Petite Sirah, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre.
Our tasting team also included the Cabinator and Glorious T. The quartet of tasters enjoyed the Triade Della Campania Italian blend of three obscure grapes. It features Fiano, Grecco and Falahghina. This is a rich wine with citrus and vanilla. Offbeat and enjoyable.
My favorite white was the Louis Armond Vouvray. This French wine, produced from the Chenin Blanc grape in the Loire Valley, has a refreshing taste of sweetness and a full body. It is delightful alone or with dinner.
The star of the night was the Kavaklidere Selection Red. This is from Turkey, which is the fifth largest grower of grapes in the world. It is made with Öküzgözü and Boğazkere grapes from Eastern Anatolia. Those definitely are two new grapes on my list!
Selection is a dark ruby color and is aged in French oak for 12 months. The wine is dry with toasty notes of dried red fruit. Selection is well balanced, not clumsy with jammy flavors or overdone with tannins. This is a nice sipping wine and we were disappointed when the bottle ran dry.
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