Category Archives: Food

RKS 2024 Wine: Monte Zovo Caligo Veronese 2018

This red wine is a blend of Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella. Aroma: Red cherry, cranberry and raspberry. Palate: Relatively light and dry with low tannins making it an attractive sipper. Strawberry, raspberry jam and cactus pear. Moderately long finish. Personality: I am easy going but not a push over. A mere IGT you say butContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: Monte Zovo Caligo Veronese 2018”

RKS 2024 Wine Tourism: The Finger Lakes Cayuga Lake Wine Trail

There are 11 Finger Lakes in New York all narrow enough to be reminiscent of fingers. Cayuga Lake is one of the lakes. For many wine drinkers in the United States and Canada accessibility to Finger Lake wine is minimal. The Finger Lakes are easily accessible by road. The trip would be 5 hours fromContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine Tourism: The Finger Lakes Cayuga Lake Wine Trail”

RKS 2024 Wine: Quinta Do Espírito Santo from Lisboa

I rated the 2018 vintage an 87. How about this 2020? Aroma: A torrent of blackberry with some blueberry, black cherry and some dark chocolate identical descriptors I used for the 2018. Palate: The blackberry in this wine just won’t leave you alone! Blueberry too. A medium length finish. It handles its 15% alcohol wellContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: Quinta Do Espírito Santo from Lisboa”

RKS 2024 Wine: Featherstone’s Canadian Cabernet Franc

Not willing to speak in absolutes but chances are a Cabernet Franc from Ontario seldom steers you off the cliff but don’t let me be your GPS on this! We try a Featherstone 2020 Cabernet Franc from Ontario’s Niagara region. 2129 cases mean an ample supply for domestic consumption.5% Merlot in the blend. Aged inContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: Featherstone’s Canadian Cabernet Franc”

RKS 2024 Wine: Featherstone 2023 Rosé from Niagara Peninsula

Always excellent. Drinkable all year round straight up or with food. Time to try their 2023 vintage. A blend of Gamay, Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir. Aroma: Fully ripe raspberry, strawberry and Thames River Farms sugar babe watermelon. This rosé is what you might call fruit expressive! Palate: Smooth with some raspiness on the backContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: Featherstone 2023 Rosé from Niagara Peninsula”

RKS 2024 Wine: German Pinot Noir: Attractive Price But Quality?

At $21 the 2021 Ruppertsberger Imperial Pinot Noir Trocken is at an attractive price but its quality? Aroma: No doubt this is a Pinot Noir or as they say in Germany Spätburgunder! Raspberry, cherry and a tad of strawberry jam. Palate: A jolt of kirsch mixes it up with raspberry. The fruit is a bitContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: German Pinot Noir: Attractive Price But Quality?”

RKS 2024 Wine: Caught in the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc Groove (or trap?)

Many wine drinkers hear “Sauvignon Blanc” and their mind races to New Zealand. Whether the Sauvignon Blanc fad has faded is not apparent but what is apparent New Zealand is enjoying the ride on its tail and why not! Of course, or maybe not of course, you are aware Bordeaux produces some Sauvignon Blanc ofContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: Caught in the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc Groove (or trap?)”

RKS 2024 Wine: A Field Blend from Russian River: Groggy and Sluggish?

My experience with field blend is a Portuguese one. Once upon a time grapes were grapes and wine was wine. Different grapes could be planted willy nilly in the vineyard. Harvest them and you got a bit of this and that grape. Another type of field blend is where two or more different grape varietiesContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: A Field Blend from Russian River: Groggy and Sluggish?”

RKS 2024 Wine: Can Christopher Michael Save Face with Its Chardonnay

The Christopher Michael 2022 Pinot Noir I recently sampled limped in, as vacant faced as it was, with a 73/100. My retail contacts agreed and suggested their Chardonnay and Pinot Gris would fare better. Is that correct? So why not try the Christopher Michael 2021 Chardonnay? Aroma: Apple, pear, cantaloupe with some scant butterscotch andContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: Can Christopher Michael Save Face with Its Chardonnay”

RKS 2024 Wine: McManis 2022 Petite Sirah: Berlin Wall of Blackberry: Bland? Predictable? Reliable? Uninspiring? Consumer Friendly? Cali Conundrum

It is not common to encounter a Petite Sirah as a single varietal wine. It produces tannic wines with a savoury and almost meaty character and dense blackberry fruit making it a useful blender but if the tannins are carefully managed it can make an age worthy and supple wine on its lonesome. Aroma: WowContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: McManis 2022 Petite Sirah: Berlin Wall of Blackberry: Bland? Predictable? Reliable? Uninspiring? Consumer Friendly? Cali Conundrum”