Shiraz

News, Reviews October 14, 2013

Grape Expectations – Eight Wines that Pair With Summer and Fall.

Ok, first-things-first, I didn’t write the title for this article. “Grape Expectations” is way beyond my reaches of my creativity. Secondly; I wrote this article a couple of months ago for the Jacksonville Magazine “Taste” Edition…and I know we’re out of Summer now….but I think it still has relevance…since the weather here is Florida is so bloody-warm well into November! 4 Summer Wines Taltarni “Tache,” Brut Sparkling, Australia Description The term Tache (meaning “stained” in…

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Reviews October 12, 2012

Yalumba Scribbler Cabernet/Shiraz, Barossa Valley, Australia.

Grapes 61% Cabernet, 31% Shiraz   Facts I know it’s kind-of a sweeping statement, but it’s hard to go wrong with the wines from Yalumba. They always give plenty of bang for the buck! I actually picked up this bottle (as well as a few others) on my recent trip back to the Motherland (England). It’s not that you can’t find this wine in the U.S., you certainly can; but since I was staying at…

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Reviews July 26, 2012

Duel by Darioush, Napa, California.

Grapes 60% Cabernet, 40% Shiraz   Facts I’d never seen this wine before, so I was over the moon when I received it as a gift on Tuesday! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: “Keep your friends close, and your wine-drinker friends closer!” The name Duel comes from the blend of Cabernet and Shiraz, and is illustrated on the front label by the dueling lion and bull. The idea is that the…

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Interview October 29, 2011

Mollydooker Winemaker Sparky Marquis

Believe it or not, me and Sparky go waaaaaaaay back! I’m talking 2009, here! Mollydooker winemaker Sparky Marquis was actually the first ever winemaker I interviewed when I started blogging. This week he came back to Jacksonville for the release of his 2010 wines. The interview was supposed to last about 15 minutes. We ended up talking for closer to an hour.   <Sparky starts pouring every-single one of his wines into glasses lined up…

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Reviews June 5, 2011

Layer Cake Shiraz, South Australia 2009

Grapes 100% Shiraz Facts The popularity of Layer Cake really seems to have exploded over the last couple of years, and why wouldn’t it!?!? There’s picture of a delicious looking cake on the front label! People are suckers for good-looking wine labels (myself included). Layer Cake is a winemaking venture from Jayson Woodbridge (no connection to Woodbridge wine), who first first came onto the radar in 1998, with a little-known wine called Hundred Acre. He…

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Facts December 21, 2010

A Few Facts About Syrah / Shiraz…

Syrah / Shiraz is a dark black grape with a very thick skin, and depending on the soil and climate the flavors and tones will change greatly, creating distinct wines between their regions of origin. It’s worth noting that the vast majority of the world’s plantings of Syrah are located in France, primarily in the Rhone region which extensive DNA testing concluded is where the grape originated. Syrah and Shiraz are used interchangeably around the…

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