Dugger’s Food & Fun hosted a Fall Wine Tasting on Oct. 28 that I had the privilege of attending. A table of delicious hors d’oeuvres was the backdrop for the 15 featured wines now available at Dugger’s. Dugger prepared smoked salmon with a tarragon-dill cream cheese filling and tons of fresh cheeses and fruits. The food was an excellent complement to the huge array of wines we tasted.
Shane Burkhart from Horizon Wine & Spirits presented these delightful libations to a modest but tasteful crowd. Nine wines make up “The Captain’s List,” which are offered by the glass at Dugger’s. The last six make up the “Admiral’s List” or the Reserves. Reserves are generally made in smaller batches and are only offered by the bottle here.
We began with Kreush Blue Bottle Riesling from Germany. As Rieslings usually are, it was semisweet with peachy undertones. It was richer than most Rieslings I’ve tasted and paired very well with strawberries. We moved onto a classic Pinot Grigio, Ecco Domani. Made in Italy, it’s the U.S.’s No. 1 Pinot Grigio import. It is a light and easy tasting white wine that pairs with just about any kind of food. Dancing Bull Sauvignon Blanc from California was crisp and zingy. This was a drier Sauvignon Blanc with the feel of grapefruit and the sharpness of gooseberry. Next was the McWilliams Chardonnay from Hanwood Estates in Australia. This was my favorite Chardonnay even though it was not the priciest. I usually prefer my Chards to be from California but the smooth vanilla oak flavor surprised me and left my taste buds satisfied. The White Zinfandel hails from California and is the Barefoot Brand. The gentleman seated next to me said it had a sweet pineapple citrus flavor to it.
We then moved into the red zone and the first one up was a MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir from Sonoma Valley (California). This was a very smoky tasting wine with hints of strawberry. The ever classic Blackstone Merlot from California followed and was a little smoother on the palate. I tasted rich, dark fruit and it grew better the longer I let it “open up” in the glass. The cheddar cheese was wonderful with this Merlot. Another Australian wine was the Jacob’s Creek Shiraz. Always light and agreeable, it pairs wonderfully with all foods. The Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon from Sonoma concluded the “Captain’s List” and had a complexity of spicy black cherries, clove and pepper. This was my favorite Cabernet from both lists.
We moved on to the “Admiral’s List” and began in Oregon. King Estate Pinot Gris was concentrated with ripe tropical and stone fruits whose grapes are grown in organic soil. The St. Francis “Wild Oaks” Chardonnay from Napa (California) was generous in taste and speckled with oak and smoke. Craggy Range Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand was my hands-down favorite wine of the entire tasting. It was zesty and light yet sweet and tart. I tasted lime, green apple and honeyed apricots. The color, aromas and body were soothing and lively to my senses. One word to describe the Craggy Range is spectacular!
The last three were reds from the Reserve list starting with White Haven Pinot Noir, also hailing from Marlborough, New Zealand. I experienced plums and black cherries in this gem of a wine and it finished nicely with silky tannins. Frei Brothers Reserve Merlot from Sonoma was a regal merlot beginning with licorice and fading to blackberries, an overall velvety wine-rich and mellow on the palate. Shane’s presentation concluded with Francis Ford Coppola’s “Claret” Cabernet from California. Yes it is the director’s vineyard. “Claret” is actually a British-coined term for cabernet. This cab carried a lovely bouquet of wild berries and plum and the anise revealed itself a little later. Not only is this man a genius of film but the wine’s not bad either.
Overall I enjoyed myself thoroughly and all of us ate, drank and were definitely merry after tasting 15 wines. Usually a wine tasting doesn’t feature this many wines but Dugger wanted everyone to know that these are all available now. Shane Burkhart, the Horizon rep, was charming and very knowledgeable. He was patient with some less experienced wine drinkers and answered every question. Dugger went all out for us and is one of the most gracious hosts I’ve ever encountered.
There are more tastings to come; in the meantime eat, drink and be merry!
