On Tuesday, July 11, Old Westminster’s hit show, “Wine For Lunch” will become “Wine For Dinner”. After 23 weekly episodes, hosts, Lisa Hinton, Ashli Johnson and Drew Baker announced to more than 2,000 viewers the new time (Tuesdays at 7:00 PM) & new feature: Each week, the sibling trio will feature widely distributed wines from around the world and lead a live and interactive wine tasting with viewers.
The wines will be announced the week before the show, giving interested folks the opportunity to go out and purchase the wines in advance. Those who acquire a bottle of the featured wine will taste along with the siblings and be given the opportunity to weigh in. It’s a great opportunity to grow in your appreciation and knowledge of wine!
To kick off this new format, Old Westminster Winery teamed up with the prestigious French wine importer, LVDH, based out of Baltimore. They supplied a mixed case of wines to be featured on the first five weeks of the show. Below you’ll find a list of the specific wines, price points & tasting date. Each of these are readily available wines, but if you want a list of places to buy them, please email Alan Cohen.
Week 1: Tuesday, July 11 @ 7 PM
We think it’s fitting to kick things off with a Bordeaux tasting. Bordeaux is the largest and one of the most storied wine-growing areas in France. Because of its wide geography and sheer size, many styles of wine are made throughout Bordeaux. We will focus in on an estate situated on clay-limestone soils in Camiran. Three primary styles of wines are produced there: a red blend made from Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, a Rosé made from Merlot, and a Sauvignon Blanc. Here are the wines:
2015 Chateau La Roche Saint Jean “Bordeaux” $12
2015 Chateau La Roche Saint Jean “Sauvignon” $12
2016 Chateau La Roche Saint Jean “Rosé” $12
Week 2: Tuesday, July 18 @ 7 PM
In Week 2 we’ll feature what is, to our minds, one of the best value wine regions in France: Beaujolais. Beaujolais wine is generally made from the Gamay grape which is red, has a thin skin and is low in tannins. Beaujolais tends to be a light-bodied red wine, with relatively high acidity. The wine takes its name from the historical Province of Beaujolais, a wine-producing region located north of Lyon. Here are the wines:
2015 Domaine Roche-Guillon “Fleurie” $25
2015 Domaine des Gaudets “Morgon”, Cote du Py $25
2015 Domaines des Hospices, Civils de Lyon, “Beaujolais-Villages” $15
Week 3: Tuesday, July 25 @ 7 PM
In Week 3 we’ll go a little more off the beaten path with Petit Manseng from Comté Tolosan in the Southwest of France. Petit Manseng is a white wine grape variety that is grown primarily in South West France. The name is derived from its small, thick-skinned berries. The grape is often left on the vine to produce a late harvest wine made from near raisin like grapes. We’ll try two different styles. Here are the wines:
2010 Chateau Cabidos “Petit Manseng Sec” $25
2011 Chateau Cabidos “Petit Manseng Doux” $25
Week 4: Tuesday, August 1 @ 7 PM
In Week 4 we’ll feature another fun, yet less mainstream, region in Corbières. Corbières is located in the Languedoc-Roussillon, France. Red wine dominates the production in Corbières with almost 95 percent, with 3.5 percent rosé wine and 2 percent white wine making up the balance (But don’t think that deterred us from finding a killer white Corbières to feature). Carignan is the most common grape variety. Due to its large size and geography, Corbières encompasses an enormous variety of soil types and microclimates. The wines from the region tend to be just as varied as the terroir. Here are the wines:
2015 Domaine Spencer “Le P ’tite Spencer” (Carignan 60%, Syrah 20%, Mourvèdre 20%) $16
2015 Domaine Spencer “La P’tite Envie” (Vermentino 70%, Roussanne 15%, Marsanne 15%) $16
Week 5: Tuesday, August 8 @ 7 PM
In Week 5 we finish strong with wines from one our favorite regions of France: The Loire Valley. The first is a Cabernet Franc from Chinon. Chinon is a town situated on the banks of the River Vienne in the Loire where the vineyards cover the relatively steep banks. The vineyards consist almost entirely of erosional scree and gravels on top of rather hard Turonian limestones. In Chinon, Cabernet Franc is king and it is fitting that’s what we’re going to taste together. The second is a Chenin Blanc from Saumur. Saumur is a region noted for still and sparkling wines produced from Chenin Blanc. So, that’s what we’re going to taste! Here are the wines:
2015 Clos de la Lysardiere “Chinon” (100% Cabernet Franc) $17
2015 Les Pouches “Saumur” (100% Chenin Blanc) $14
Over the next five weeks, we'll explore each of these wines together with our viewers.
Tune in – and weigh in – Join us for “Wine For Dinner” every Tuesday at 7:00 PM LIVE on Facebook & Instagram!