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Gemtree Shiraz is wine of the day!
If you are reading this blog, you are interested not only in wine, but in finding good values for everyday drinking from small producers. As I have stated, I am not a fan of the wine rating system, put good reviews and press are another matter. Today, Robert Parker picked the Gemtree Shiraz ‘Uncut” as the wine of the day. I like this wine for two reasons: It tastes great and it is under $25. If Parker gives it 91 points and recommends it, it just lets me know that he happens to agree with me.
I first tasted this wine just last month. It has just recently been made available in South Carolina. Gemtree is a small, family owned winery, and they are also organic and support “green” practices. The Shiraz is named Uncut because it is unfined and unfiltered, and they compare it to an Uncut diamond. In my opinion, it has the true essence of a great Shiraz. Tons of fruit upfront, followed by a long mid-palate and a spicy finish. You can also smell the eucalyptus trees that grow next to the vineyard. To see how my review compares to Parker’s, check out his website at eRobertParker.com. This link should take you directly to the comments about today’s pick.
I believe the wine is in stock at Northampton wines, but any good wine shop should be able to order the wine for you. Make sure you tell them that it’s a Carolina Wine Girl wine (unless I let you know otherwise, all the wines I recommend will be sold by Carolina Wine Source, the wine distributor who generously pays me to sell their wine!).
Let’s get the discussion rolling! What do you think about this wine, Australian wines in general, Robert Parker reviews? All comments are welcome! The first time you post a comment, the site will hold it for approval. After your first comment is approved, you can comment at will! Please note that all posts while written during an intoxicated wine stupor are welcomed and are great fun for those of us that are reading this blog without a glass in hand!
Sean Minor’s visit
As I mentioned in my last post, I am thrilled to be working with winemaker and winery owner Sean Minor! He arrived in Greenville last night, and we headed over to Nantucket Seafood for some apps. As word started to spread that “THE” Sean Minor, the guy whose name is on the bottle, was sitting at the bar, the staff started to buzz with excitement. We treated them to a private tasting with all of the wines. Look for the Sean Minor Pinot Noir by the glass, and the Cabernet and Merlot by the bottle the next time you dine at Nantucket. Also, check out the signed bottles behind the bar! After some amazing calamari and seared tuna, we headed over to Northampton for our wine tasting. I think Sean was impressed by the great crowd of wine aficionados that came out on a Monday night to meet him and taste the wines. Most of the guests had already purchased several cases (not bottles!) of Sean Minor, and they were honored to meet the guy that makes the wine and taste the whole line-up. In addition, Northampton Wines is the ONLY place in the upstate where you can purchase the Sean Minor Vin Gris, a gorgeous, dry rose made from 100% Pinot Noir. Chill it well and enjoy it with seafood dishes like we did last night. The shrimp and grits paired beautifully! Thank you to Richard and David at Northampton for the wonderful tasting and a great dinner afterwords! We are fortunate to have such great wine locations in Greenville!
The night would not be complete, however, without a visit to Rick Erwin’s. We joined the group at the bar for a glass of Sean Minor Pinot Noir, which is available daily as their “by-the-glass” Pinot Noir. Once again, the staff started to buzz that ‘THE” Sean Minor was at the bar. Thanks to Rick for stopping by our table and making Sean feel welcome! Sean signed a few more bottles while devouring a piece of their amazing peanut butter cake. (I swear I only had two bites!) We left feeling full with food and new friends, and we both made it home (well, Sean to the hotel, me to my house), in time to watch the end of the basketball game. Too bad about Butler, they put up a great effort! Oh well, it’s back to another grueling day of tasting wine and working with a famous wine maker… I love my job!
Look for a guest post later today from Sean!
Carolina Wine Girl 