Newark Wine and Dine 2015
Newark, DE
Tasted March 28, 2015 by lockestep with 453 views
Introduction
The Newark Wine and Dine is an annual event where 20 or so Newark, Delaware restraunts offer a selection of small plates and wines by the glass. One of the selliing points is $2 glasses. As you might expect, the offerings skew towards the lower end of the spectrum, but good wines do rear their heads. The game tends to be finding the best wine and food parings, which can be tricky as the best wine establishment in Newark is known for whiffing on the foods. LE
Flight 1 (8 notes)
White
2010 Zaca Mesa Viognier
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley
Light, fruity, and really lacking in varietal character. As a cocktail white it might be servicable, but little to recommend here.
White
2012 Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay Sonoma Coast
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Light nose with a bit of toffee init. Medium weight Chard with OK acidity, fairly crisp finish. No bad but kind of feels like a slight miss, like they got very close to a Chablis clone but couldn't quite pull it off. Still though it is a decent QPR and superior to a lot of product at the price point.
White
2011 Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay Les Pierres
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Light nose with a bit of vanilla. Lemon notes and some (restrained) butter on the palate, with enough acid to provide balance. Fairly rich without being overblown or skating towards butter bomb territory, Matched with a lobster gnocchi it played nice, which is all you could ask.
Red
2010 Sonoma-Cutrer Pinot Noir
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Bit of alcohol and prune in the nose. Decent fruit, but a one-note wine. Lighter style, drinkable but not something to seek out.
Red
2010 Château Kefraya
Lebanon, Bekaa Valley
Decent nose, but on the palate a maderized note that is more than a little off-putting. The fruit is still there fighting its' way through, but the overall impression is negative.
Red
2010 Clos de l'Oratoire des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
ot the biggest CdP you will ever encounter, but correct for type, with good flavor. Nose of leather, truffles, olive followed by a medium-weight palate and medium-long finish. Seems a bottle for the near term, and a good choice off a list where you won't have hurs to let it develop.
Closing
Best wine selections, as expected, were from Cafe Gelato. And as expected they managed to screw up the foods they were paring with those wines. Still it was a nice event, even with the unseasonably cool temperatures. WOTN goes to the Clos de L'Oratoire CDP, FOTN to the Cape Charles oysters at the Stone Balloon.
© 2003-24 CellarTracker! LLC.
