Boise Coop Wine Shop

Four Different Wine Regions

• June 8, 2010
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2008 George Duboeuf Macon-Village, $9.99
This is good, clean, solid Macon Villages, from noted Beaujolais producer Georges Duboeuf. It is a lovely white Burgundy made from 100 percent Chardonnay grapes and tastes the way many feel Chardonnay is meant to taste The rich, medium-bodied wine is un-oaked to preserve its freshness and offers aromas of white blossom (honeysuckle and acacia), lime, pear, apple cider and spice. On the palate, citrus notes emerge, joined by bright green apple and melon, honey, almonds, balanced acidity and a crisp, clean, lingering finish.

2008 Panther Creek Pinot Gris, $13.49
Panther Creek Cellars, located in McMinnville, Oregon, has been producing ultra-premium wines since 1986. They are made from grapes grown at some of Oregon’s finest vineyards. The goal is simple: each wine should express the personality of its vintage and character of its vineyard as clearly as possible. A great example is this Pinot Gris that is light in color but bold in flavor. This wine is bright and refreshing with pink grapefruit, lime, orange zest and lovely floral characteristics on the nose. Minerality, green fruits and grassy notes balance out the tropical components (peach, kiwi, more grapefruit) on the palate while the acidity and viscosity create a lush mouthfeel and persistent finish.

2005 Ramon Bilbao Crianza, $11.49
Bodegas Ramón Bilbao is situated in a privileged location: Haro, in Rioja Alta, a paradise where Rioja’s emblematic grape variety, Tempranillo, best grows. This is a land irrigated by the River Ebro, offering unbeatable conditions for grapes to grow and ripen. It has heterogeneous soils, with a limited availability of nutrients, shallow and well-drained, with a water deficit at key times. This wine is 100 percent Tempranillo with intense aromas of ripe black berries accompanied with balsamic touches reminiscent of coconut and licorice. It is fresh and pleasant in the mouth with a velvety texture, lively fruit flavors and a touch of smoke, all with a nicely persistent finish.

2007 Three Rivers Red Blend, $13.49
The name Three Rivers represents the three most prominent rivers in the appellations from which the winery sources its grapes-the Columbia, Snake, and Walla Walla Rivers. Winemaker Holly Turner has been fortunate to have worked with fruit from nearly all parts of the vast Columbia Valley Appellation, thus developing a winemaking philosophy which is well suited to the area. Holly strongly believes that the blending of grapes from several different vineyards will most often result in the most superb wines possible. That philosophy is nicely illustrated in this red with its unmistakable notes of juicy red plum, bramble berries, cranberries and sweet baking spices. Flavors of ripe berry, cherry and plum are balanced by soft, supple tannins and a generous, yet approachable mouth feel.

Epicurean Wines

• June 8, 2010
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Epicurean Wines aims to lead a shift that is happening at the smaller end of the Australian wine industry. While ripeness is a distinct characteristic of warm climate wines, many producers are striving to keep it in balance, producing seriously ambitious wines. At the high end, it is about harnessing the power of Australia without sacrificing balance, while at the lower end of the pricing spectrum, it is possible to produce wines of exceptional varietal character. See for yourself if they have succeeded as Roberts offers a free taste of five different wines.

2008 Heartland Stickleback, $11.49
Heartland Wines was created by a small group of leading South Australian wine professionals, including Ben Glaetzer & Vicki Arnold from Glaetzer. All are good friends and share a passion for making great wine. Heartland wines are made with fruit from mature vineyards in the Limestone Coast and Langhorne Creek in South Australia. Stickleback is their value priced label and this whit is a blend of 46% Verdelho, 24% Semillon, 23% Viognier & 18% Pinot Gris. Each variety was harvested and processed separately. All components were cool-fermented in stainless steel with no oak contact. The wine was bottled early to retain maximum freshness and attractive aromatics. On the palate, the Verdelho adds natural richness and acidity. The Viognier gives lusciousness to the mid palate. Semillon the vibrancy and citrus zestiness and the tannin of the Pinot Gris gives firmness and structure.

2008 Heartland Stickleback Red, $11.49
The red is a blend of 61% Shiraz, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Dolcetto and 5% Lagrein. Each batch was fermented on skins for 5 days before pressing and underwent malolactic fermentation in 2 and 3-year old oak barrels. All ferments were kept cool to enhance the aromatics and to keep the tannins soft and unobtrusive. A great value that scored a solid 88 points from the Wine Advocate with this write-up: “…displays an alluring perfume of cedar, tobacco, earth notes, black currant, and blueberry. Layered on the palate with some complex flavors, this attractive blend over-delivers for its humble price…”

2006 Epicurean McLaren Vale Bistro Grenache, $12.99
Bistro Grenache is made in a less serious style with bright fresh fruit flavors that make it an easy quaffer. The grapes were sourced and the wine made by Stephen Pannell who has access to some of the best vineyard sites in McLaren Vale. The wine hasn’t seen a lick of oak allowing the vibrant fruit character of the Grenache to shine through.

2008 Charles Cimicky ‘Trumps’ Shiraz, $17.99
Charles Cimicky is fastidious. The winery is completely air-conditioned and individually temperature-controlled tanks are employed in the making of all Cimicky wines. Updated technology includes the use of a membrane press and rotary fermenters. The Cimickys also have their own bottling and packaging line which is a rarity in a winery of this size. The winery and vineyards are located 1 kilometer along the picturesque hermann Thumm Drive in Lyndoch, on the very floor of the Valley, surrounded by the beautiful Barossa Ranges. Apart from minor drip irrigation in January and February, the vines are dry grown, cover-cropped and organically fertilized. This 2008 Shiraz is made with grapes from 63 year old vines. It scored an impressive 91 points in the Wine Advocate which described it as “…A glass-coating purple color, it displays a smoky, toasty, spicy nose leading to a fruit-filled, succulent Shiraz with a bit of underlying structure. This lengthy effort will evolve for 1-2 years but can be enjoyed now and over the next 6-8 years.”

2006 Kaesler Stonehorse GSM, $16.99
The Kaesler Vineyards were established in 1893. The family sprung from Silesian pioneers who  came to the Barossa Valley in the 1840s. They cleared the scrub and in 1893 planted out the entire holding with Shiraz, Grenache, and Mataro (Mourvedre). The gnarled, dry-grown vines still remain and provide the backbone of the intense wines produced here. This blend of almost equal parts of Grenache and Shiraz with 11 percent Mouvedre was rated 90 points in Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar with the following description: “…Deeply concentrated dark berry flavors verge on liqueur-like but are given verve by tangy minerality … Velvety in texture … Offers an attractive blend of richness and vivacity….”

Snake River Winery

• June 2, 2010
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On the slope of a valley carved by the majestic Snake River, sits the Snake River Winery’s Arena Valley Vineyard. Southwestern Idaho’s ancient riverbeds provide the unique cobbled soil that allows a diverse range of grape varietals. This combined with the vineyards elevation and consistent hot, dry summers gives the climate of old-world wine growing regions such as the Rhone Valley (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre), the Douro Valley (Tempranillo, Touriga), Austria (Blauer Zweigelt), and Northern Italy (Barbera). The sand and river rock naturally restrict the vines’ growth producing small grapes with intense and concentrated flavors. Inspired by a passion for traditional wine making and viticulture, quality over quantity is always emphasized on their 75 acres.
Everything in the vineyard is done by hand and hroughout the growing season they are in the vineyard, caring for the plants by removing over abundant fruit, opening up the canopies to sunlight, and trimming excess growth. These techniques help ensure consistent quality. They also employ sustainable and organic vineyard management practices including composting pomace for fertilizer, eliminating harmful pesticides, using organic fungicide with a goal of achieving biodynamic certification. From vine to barrel to bottle the wine never leaves our estate ensuring our hands are the only hands that craft your wine.

2008 Unoaked Chardonnay, $10.99
Chardonnay without oak barrel aging expresses the true character of the fruit. This wine has a soft, lean texture with flavors and aromas of lychee fruit and pear. A soft but refreshing acidity nicely balances the fruit and makes it ideal with most lighter foods, salads and appetizers.
2007 Grenache, $19.99
This elegant European grape is nurtured beautifully in the rocky Snake River Valley soil. Brilliant red and pink hues give you an idea of what to expect from this delicate and alluring wine. Slightly spicy with silky soft tannins and subtle cherry fruits this 100% Grenache with its lingering finish leaves you wanting more.
2006 Barbera, $16.49
The 2006 Barbera was aged in new and one year old barrels for twelve months giving it ample body and a hint of spice. This wine starts with plum and cherry aromas and finishes with a crisp fresh bing-cherry note. The higher natural acidity in this wine makes it perfect with tomato based dishes and sauces.
2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, $14.99
Because of its heat generating, south facing hills and rocky soils, the Arena Valley Vineyard is ideally suited for Cabernet grapes which tend to ripen late in the season. Mint and eucalyptus aromas dominate with a hint of leather and plum with well integrated tannins.

June Wine Tasting at Café Vicino

• May 27, 2010
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The Memorial Day weekend marks the official opening of the summer barbecue season. Here’s your chance to taste through a line-up of reds, whites and rosés from around the world, designed to pair with barbecue fare. Hosted by Wine Guy Leil Cardoza, and as always, Chef Richard will offer up appetizers to match. The event is scheduled for Saturday, June 5 from 2 to 4 pm, and the tariff is $30 per person. Call the restaurant at 472-1463 for reservations.

Co-op Culinary Class: Perfect Wine Pairings!

• May 24, 2010
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If you’ve never taken a Boise Co-op Culinary Class before, now’s the time. Take a break from gardening and softball and join us for a Wednesday night of great food, fabulous wine and a ridiculoualy good time. Mystified by how to pair wines with different foods? This is the class for you. And even if you’re not, this one promises to be a lot of fun. Let Leslie Young from the Boise Co-op Wine Shop and Sylvie Ryan, the Co-op’s Culinary Educator, walk you through some great food and wine matches. You’ll feast on delicious appetizers, cheeses and other fare while tasting and learning to choose the perfect complementary wines!

Wednesday, May 26th, 6:30 pm at the Pottery Gourmet Kitchen downtown.
Cost is $40 for Boise Co-op members, $50 for non-members.
Register at the Co-op Customer Service Desk, or by calling 472-4500.