Rhode Island Wines The Best of The Best
James Ringrose - February 2006
I was reading
one of those high-end wine magazines a couple weeks ago. It had a special feature listing wines
and wineries by state. I noticed that there were plenty of wines from Washington
and even some from New York, but nothing at all from New England.
That's odd, whenever I visit a wine festival or wine tasting in the region, I'm
amazed at the variety of wines that come from our area. So why weren't
they in this list? Was it an oversight or are there just no good wines
coming from this area? Well, after extensive and enjoyable research,
we are pleased to report that the wine industry is alive and well
in New England and producing some very good wines. Here are a selection
of some of the wines that we've enjoyed, along with very brief tasting notes.
The name of the vineyard and a web link is also provided, so you can order some if you want to. What surprised
me, was the variety of wine types and the subtlety of flavors. Like
many people, I believed that wineries from our Northern region produced
mainly white wines of a Germanic semisweet type. I couldn't have been
more wrong as the tasting notes below reveal. Let us know you think
all of this wine round up at info@restreview.com
Vidal Blanc 2004 Sakonnet Vineyards www.sakonnetwine.com
The Vidal Blanc is Sakonnet Estate's signature grape.
The wine is crisp with a fresh fruity character reminiscent
of white peaches, pink grapefruit, apricots, gooseberries,
citrus and lime. The unoaked Vidal Blanc demonstrates
the subtlety of winegrowing on the New England coast and
goes well with the region's fresh seafoods. Vineyard price $10.95
Chardonnay 2004 Newport Vineyards www.newportvineyards.com
The Chardonnay is dry and barrel fermented with hints
of pear and mango, and a long full finish. The grapes
are clones from Dijon and the wine is similar to that
of Burgundy. The Newport Chardonnay pairs well goat
cheese, cream sauces and of course, seafood. Vineyard price $13.99
Chardonnay 2002 Greenvale Vineyards www.greenvale.com
The 2002 Chardonnay is dry, light wine with fruity aromas.
The wine has delicate fruit flavors characteristic of
the chardonnay grape, and a pleasing, lingering finish.
The Greenvale Chardonnay is great to drink all by itself,
and goes well with lighter meals, such as salads or grilled
seafood. Vineyard price $14.99
Vidal Ice Wine Newport Vineyards www.newportvineyards.com
The Vidal Ice Wine was voted one of America's top 50 wines.
Harvested after the third hard frost and pressed frozen
to capture the richest nectars of the Vidal, this wine
has peach aromas and flavors of apricot that explode on
your palate. The Vidal Ice Wine goes well with fresh fruit,
dishes with apricot glaze, chocolate and crème brulee.
Vineyard price $32.99
Rhode Island Red 2003 Sakonnet Vineyards www.sakonnetwine.com
Sakonnet's Rhode Island Red is a hearty blend of three
different grape varieties. With medium body and clean
finish, it's deep ruby color and silky tannins are complemented
by delicious aromas of raspberry and a subtle hint of
toasted American oak. Vineyard price $13.95
The Elms Meritage 2002 Greenvale Vineyards www.greenvale.com
Rhyming with "heritage", this 2002 vintage
is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec, three
traditional varietals of Bordeaux. The wine is a medium
bodied, dry red wine with wonderful aromas of berry,
smoke, and subtle spice, with a delicious, lingering
finish. It is great by itself or with flavorful foods. Vineyard price $24.99
So there you have it. The Restaurant Review really enjoyed this wine tasting and encourages everybody to grab a corkscrew and enjoy some of these interesting and diverse wines.
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