Category: Wine

On Colonial Spirits of Acton’s wine blog page, you will find posts from our team of wine experts. Topics range from trends in the wine industry, appreciation for and personal recollections of wine, and debates on the growing and production of wine. Good wine blogs cannot exist without the participation of our friends and customers, so we invite you to get in on the discussion and post your reactions to our entries. You can also jump over to our beer blog if brew is your thing. And if wine and beer are not your cup of tea (or alcohol), check out our liquor blog for thoughts and opinions on all things spirits. Whatever topic in the liquor industry interests you, Colonial Spirits wants you to join the conversation. Post here or contact us with questions, suggestions, and comments. Or feel free to come in to meet us at one or our weekly wine tasting events. Leave the computer behind and talk to us face to face about your favorite wine, while sampling new and old vintages alike.

Part Two – Owner Albert Pasanau

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I imagine the look on Mr Pasanau’s face as being that of a parent whose small child has just won the school talent show playing the bagpipes. Yes, there is pride in recognition, but the true source of that pride is recognition for doing something both unusual and gutsy. Mr Pasanau makes Priorat, one of only two DOCa in Spain (the highest level of their classification system, the other region that holds it is Rioja), and his wines clearly illustrate the intersection of tradition and modern technology that has become a hallmark of the region. Indeed, finding the balance between the push and pull of the two concepts is becoming the reputation of Spain in general. Continue reading Part Two – Owner Albert Pasanau

Le Coin du Vin : Surprised by Spain…Again

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I have been surprised by Spain once again.   When it comes to Old World wines, Spanish wines often take a back seat to those of France and Italy.  That is changing as more and more consumers realize what Spain has to offer.  Most are familiar with Rioja and they may have heard of or tasted Ribera del Duero.  But how about the wines of Catalunya like Cava (I’m talking about the stuff not named Cordoniu or Freixenet), Penedes, Priorat, or Montsant?  Did you know that Cava is originally from the hills of Penedes south of Barcelona?  Do you really know what Priorat is?  Or Penedes?  Don’t worry, like most consumers, I have been relatively ignorant about these wines and what they’re all about for far too long until recently.  Since returning from Spain last year I have been very enthusiastic about Spanish wines.  I’ve made every effort to learn about them in any way possible through tasting, reading and talking with others knowledgable on the subject. Continue reading Le Coin du Vin : Surprised by Spain…Again

Part One – Interview with Winegrower Joan Huguet

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Joan (pronounced joo-on) Huguet laughs pretty hard when someone suggests signing his wine bottles while at our store. He laughs even harder when we take to calling him “rock star” for the night, and harder still when he insists on my taking a picture of him signing a bottle so he can show his friends back in Barcelona.

Joan produces Cava first and foremost, and he brings with him his “Huguet de Can Feixes Brut Gran Reserva,” a lean, tautly balanced blend of Macabeo, Parellada, and Pinot Noir.  Cava, the flagship sparkling wine of Spain, is produced by the same method as Champagne, but is rarely of equal quality.  The Huguet, however, possesses an elegant complexity free from the angry mouthfeel of lesser sparkling wine, and does so with absolutely no dossage; that is to say, there is no sugar in this wine.   Zero. Continue reading Part One – Interview with Winegrower Joan Huguet

Did you grow that, or is it just organic?

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I take a very skeptical look at “green cred” wines. I think if you have to sell your product based on things like the winery’s carbon footprint, then there’s probably a reason that you haven’t been able to sell your wine based on its quality. That said, what I value in a bottle (after, of course, establishing that it is good) is uniqueness and expressiveness. I want to be convinced by the winemaker that what I’m drinking is different than any other bottle, opened any other day. He can’t convince me if he didn’t put in the time making something that reflects what he grew, and to start at that basic level comes the responsibility of keeping a vineyard and cellar that will continue to produce for a very long time to come.

Here’s the rub: quality wine must be produced sustainably. Wine growers are, at their most basic, farmers. If you do not farm sustainably, you wear out your land, and as such you are no longer able to farm. The fact that so much is being made of so-called “green” wines is mostly marketing, because producers had to work that way to begin with. If they weren’t, they probably weren’t making wine very carefully, either. Continue reading Did you grow that, or is it just organic?

Three great Zinfandels that you should try…

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Thoughts on Wine From Partick Suleski

Zinfandel has long been a dirty word in wine circles, all too often reminding us of pink, sweet juice devoid of personality. Since the advent of the term “Old Vine Zinfandel” over the past few years, however, consumers have been less afraid of Zin and as such, the grape is coming into its own. Vineyards over 100 years old are again producing wine from Napa to Lodi, and are giving adventurous drinkers and enthusiasts alike the opportunity to see that when a quintessentially American wine is made in deference to the dirt, sun, wind and rain the results can be marvelous.
Here are three of my favorite zinfandels well worth a try:

Continue reading Three great Zinfandels that you should try…

Old World… New World… Newer World?

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The world is always shifting, always changing, this is no different when it comes to wine.  In the last year there had been talks of Champagne estates buying land in the U.K.; if global warming is true the U.K. will have the proper terroir for champagne varietals.  What has really caught my attention isn’t what will happen to vineyards and wineries when global warming does become an issue (which I do think about, but with a few areas like Bordeaux basking in the limelight because of it, I tend to forget.), but the growth of vineyards and wineries in China. Continue reading Old World… New World… Newer World?