No ratings, no hype, just straight talk about Wine/Spirits, Food and Travel.
WINE, SPIRITS, & OTHER BEVERAGES: As a wine writer for the last decade, and wine, spirits and water judge at competitions from California to West Virginia to Puerto Rico and Portugal, I've tasted a lot of great stuff. My goal is to find the best wines, spirits, beers and bottled waters at prices commesurate with quality. Here are some excellent choices.
Offley ~ 30 Year Old Tawny Port A recent visit to the Gaia in Portugal allowed me some time to visit the port houses in Porto. Off the main drag are many smaller houses, Offley among them, established in 1737. Their 30 Year Old Tawny is a beautiful wine: The slight sweet dissipates mid-palette and you’re left with flavors like roasted almonds, apricots, caramel and sweet wood. This is a deftly balanced port retaining some of its acidity, some residual sugar and a smooth, velvety texture. A bottle will last you a while as this is an idea after dinner sipper.
Pinot Noir is always treated well by the folks at Robert Talbott in Monterey. Their 2008 Logan Pinot Noir ($25) is from a vineyard called Sleepy Hollow in the Santa Lucia Highlands. This is one dynamite Pinot. It has the earthy raspberry and blueberry some Pinots have, but it also has a great acidity, giving it some structure and making it capable of standing up to a variety of foods. Yes, it’s more extracted than say, a French version, but that makes it more rich and ripe without being overbearing. This is a no-miss Pinot Noir at a fair price, what we call a win-win.
Don Q Añejo Rum ~ Puerto Rico From one of the island's oldest distilleries, Serrallés, the nose on this beautiful añejo ($18) is light burnt caramel and butterscotch. Aged for a minimum of three years in American bourbon barrels, this is a great sipping rum, with a soft velvety character on the palette and honey and a back note of apricot. You can mix this with other things, but seriously, why would you? This is a fantastic stand alone rum. The best place to drink this is in Puerto Rico as I was in April, 2010. BUt really any place is great.
What a stunner! The 2008 Beckmen Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc ($25) is flat out an exceptional wine. Everything works on this one. There’s a bit of lemon grass and grapefruit, finely balanced acidity and a creaminess from time spent in barrel. Beckmen is also known for coaxing out a solid minerality from their whites and this sauvignon blanc hits every note perfectly. You simply will not find a better example of sauvignon blanc from Santa Barbara County, and this wine can go against any Napa sauvignon blancs as well. Run to get this before it’s gone. I guarantee you will be happy
Vodka goes crazy! Using natural flavors and coloring, this Van Gogh Dutch Caramel Vodka ($27) will win you over with its heady smell even before you taste it. Rich scents of caramel and butter it’s practically irresistible. Once you open the bottle and taste it, you’ll be sold. For some it might seem odd to infuse caramel with a super premium vodka and at first I was skeptical. But this is a real treat. Serve it chilled and neat, or room temperature, over ice cream or make cocktails, this is a fun vodka that will make you think of caramel apples this holiday season, but here you can drink it and not get your hands sticky. It’s also a perfect nightcap.
Ayala’s Herbal Water So this is why these are really good waters. They start with purified water and add organic culinary herbs like cinnamon orange peel, and lemongrass mint vanilla. And that’s it! Nothing else – no crappy sugars or fake ingredients. You get pronounced flavors with no calories, no preservatives, just healthy pure water. They produce six flavors in all, so if you need your water with some taste in it, try these and keep hydrated. http://www.HerbalWater.com
Anytime is the right time for dessert wines. From the Finger Lakes region in New York we have the 2007 Heron Hill Late Harvest Vidal Blanc ($20). A viscous, creamy wine that’s not overtly sweet. The nose is reminiscent of a German Riesling, but this beauty is all American. Mango, peach and vanilla softly exude enticing aromas with a honey backnote. This is a beautiful little wine that doesn’t blow you out with residual sugar and is beyond balanced. Perfect for cool winter nights, hell, even warm summer days, this is a delightfully subdued wine from the Finger Lakes. http://www.HeronHill.com
About Michael Cervin and Cervin It Straight As a writer with an emphasis on wine, spirits and beer, my articles have appeared in diverse publications such as: Decanter, Wine & Spirits, Wine Enthusiast, Wine & Dine, Santa Barbara Magazine, IntoWine.com, The Tasting Panel, Westways, Skywest, Luxveria, Vine Times, Wine Country This Week, Central Coast Magazine, Fido Friendly, Tolosa Press, Juxtapoz, Celeb Life Magazine, and many others. I've been invited to judge wines at the Monterey Wine Competition, the Central Coast Wine Challenge; the Santa Barbara, Ventura, El Dorado and Amador County Fairs; Paso Robles Winemaker's Cookoff, the SLO Grill and Wine Affair, and many others. I've been a judge at the Taste of Rum Festival in Puerto Rico, the Best of Vinho Verde in Portugal, and the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting. Yeah, it's a crazy world!
My latest travel book, Santa Barbara & The Central Coast comes out nationwide in November, 2010. Contact me for special pricing and a signed copy! click here: http://www.MichaelCervin.com
Offley ~ 30 Year Old Tawny Port
Pinot Noir is always treated well by the folks at Robert Talbott in Monterey. Their 2008 Logan Pinot Noir ($25) is from a vineyard called Sleepy Hollow in the Santa Lucia Highlands. This is one dynamite Pinot. It has the earthy raspberry and blueberry some Pinots have, but it also has a great acidity, giving it some structure and making it capable of standing up to a variety of foods. Yes, it’s more extracted than say, a French version, but that makes it more rich and ripe without being overbearing. This is a no-miss Pinot Noir at a fair price, what we call a win-win.
Don Q Añejo Rum ~ Puerto Rico
What a stunner! The 2008 Beckmen Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc ($25) is flat out an exceptional wine. Everything works on this one. There’s a bit of lemon grass and grapefruit, finely balanced acidity and a creaminess from time spent in barrel. Beckmen is also known for coaxing out a solid minerality from their whites and this sauvignon blanc hits every note perfectly. You simply will not find a better example of sauvignon blanc from Santa Barbara County, and this wine can go against any Napa sauvignon blancs as well. Run to get this before it’s gone. I guarantee you will be happy 
Vodka goes crazy! Using natural flavors and coloring, this Van Gogh Dutch Caramel Vodka ($27) will win you over with its heady smell even before you taste it. Rich scents of caramel and butter it’s practically irresistible. Once you open the bottle and taste it, you’ll be sold. For some it might seem odd to infuse caramel with a super premium vodka and at first I was skeptical. But this is a real treat. Serve it chilled and neat, or room temperature, over ice cream or make cocktails, this is a fun vodka that will make you think of caramel apples this holiday season, but here you can drink it and not get your hands sticky. It’s also a perfect nightcap. 
Ayala’s Herbal Water
Anytime is the right time for dessert wines. From the Finger Lakes region in New York we have the 2007 Heron Hill Late Harvest Vidal Blanc ($20). A viscous, creamy wine that’s not overtly sweet. The nose is reminiscent of a German Riesling, but this beauty is all American. Mango, peach and vanilla softly exude enticing aromas with a honey backnote. This is a beautiful little wine that doesn’t blow you out with residual sugar and is beyond balanced. Perfect for cool winter nights, hell, even warm summer days, this is a delightfully subdued wine from the Finger Lakes. 
In Celeb Life Magazine, I look at the cabernet sauvignon/syrah blend, how it's becoming more trendy and why it's not actually anything new.
