In this episode of IntoWineTV, host Lisa Kolenda and wine experts Bartholomew Broadbent, Laely Heron, and Mulan Chan convene at one of San Francisco's finest restaurants, Incanto, to taste and discuss wines from regions not typically associated with wine, including Slovenia, Croatia, Austria, Hungary, and Andalusia, Spain.
Theme: Wines from Strange Places
Wine: 2006 Santomas Big Red Refošk ($16.95)
Region: Slovenia
Alcohol content: 13%
Varietal: Refošk (Refosco is an Italian family of dark-skinned grape varieties native to the northern Italian areas of Friuli, Gavi, and Trentino. Refosco is also grown in Slovenian, and Croatian parts of Istria, under the name of Refošk, or Teran, respectively. The grape is also known as Terlan or Terlano. The wines this grape yields can be quite powerful and tannic, with a deep violet color and a slight bitterness. On the palate, there is strong currant, wild berry, and plum. The wine can stand some aging, and after a period of four-to-ten years, it achieves a floral quality as well.)
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Wine Notes: Very deep ruby color, with purplish-violet hints. Long varietal nose typical for this vintage, more floral and herbaceous aromas, mild green pepper, forest undergrowth, green tea. On second nose nice mulberry and green olive; intense and firm medium bodied wine, well persistent. In the aftertaste a lot of spicyness, bell pepper and mountain herbs. Rich and ready to drink.
Wine notes courtesy of the Blue Danube Wine Company
Experts:
Bartholomew Broadbent, CEO of Broadbent Selections. Bartholomew was named as one of the "fifty most influential people in the wine world" by Decanter Magazine. He is also widely considered to be one of the world's foremost authorities on Port and Madeira. Learn more about Bartholomew Broadbent.
Laely Heron, Owner and Winemaker at Heron Wines. Laely's unconventional upbringing in Africa, Asia Europe and the US may explain the wanderlust which has led her passion for international wine studies and winemaking. She began at the Institute of Enology in Bordeaux, and worked in the US, Australia and Scandinavia before starting Heron Wine 13 years ago. Today she makes wine in France, Spain and the US. Learn More about Laely Heron.
Mulan Chan, Rhône and French Regional Buyer, K&L Wine Merchants, San Francisco. Learn more about Mulan Chan.
Location: Incanto Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar, Situated in the heart of one of San Francisco's most charming residential neighborhoods, Incanto's rustic Italian setting, with its handcrafted stone, antique brick and woodwork, 16th century Latin parchments, and private dining room dedicated to poet Dante Alighieri, provides a uniquely warm and inviting dining environment.
Incanto's daily-changing menu honors old-world traditions including house-cured meats, unusual regional pastas, fresh local seafood and a commitment to sustainably grown and harvested produce. Incanto's award-winning wine program features one of the most diverse Italian wine lists in the United States and an ever-changing lineup of more than twenty wines by the glass, half-glass, half-liter, and flight.