Autism Blog
March Featured Wines
Besides our "Autism Wine", 2008 Vides del Este, Reserve Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina this month’s featured wines also include a perfect Italian duo, an unfiltered Spanish blend, a scrumptious South African Shiraz and a to-good-to-be-true Napa Valley Meritage.
2005 Corte alle Mine, Cuvee CEP, Toscana IGT, Italy $19.99 / Bottle
"Very Good", "Robert Parker's Wine Advocate"
"This ruby red Tuscan with garnet reflections begins on a wonderful nose of balsamic scents followed by mint, eucalyptus, and Mediterranean-spiced flavors of bergamot, sage and rosemary. A delicious blend of 85% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot delivers flavors of dark fruits, blackberries, aniseed, and a gentle acidity in the mouth with a long, persistent finish."
2007 Salvano, Sognante, Langhe Chardonnay DOC, affinato in barrique, Piedmont, Italy (92 Points) $24.99 / Bottle
"Produced in the hills overlooking Alba comes a Chardonnay from the Langhe shining a lustrous straw yellow color. It exudes a delicate and fruity bouquet reminiscent of fresh-cut flowers. This young fragrant wine is perfect as an aperitif and matches beautifully with fish dishes and soups. A beautiful addition to our Prestige Collection, a fantastic line of premium, special occasion wines."
2007 Loxarel OPS Penedes, Spain (91 Points) $14.99 / Bottle
With this month’s 2007 Loxarel, Ops, D, unfiltered Tempranillo/Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend from Penedes, you’ll see how the Spanish have achieved greatness from this area known for its Cabs while still respecting tradition. At under $15 for this much quality, it’s a wine that should sell like it’s free.
2007 Rietvallei Estate Wine Robertson Shiraz, South Africa (91 Points) $17.99 / Bottle
We came upon the scrumptious 2007 Rietvallei Estate Wine, Robertson Shiraz while in South Africa. Shiraz is fast becoming one of that country’s leading red varietals. Its spicy berry fruits will convert even the most devout Aussie Shiraz lover.
South Africa may seem like a new player in the wine world, but don’t be fooled. Yes. Because of apartheid, South African wines were unavailable throughout much of the rest of the world until trade sanctions were lifted in 1991. However, with its perfect terroir (growing conditions), the country is capable of producing a wide range of wines. In a stunning turnaround, South Africa’s wine industry is one of the primary beneficiaries of the multi-racial democracy that has prevailed since 1994, so that it is now amongst the world’s top 10 wine producers.
2005 San Valencia Winery Napa Valley Meritage (93 Points) $24.99 / Bottle
Gold, World Wine Championships
"Aromas of dried currants, black pepper, and nuts follows through on a round entry to a dryish medium-to-full body with vanilla, spice, and earth notes. Finishes with supple, tangy, oak kissed finish. A smooth, flavorful, but understated and elegant Old World styled Meritage. that will excel at the table."
WINES FOR AUTISM GIVES ONE THIRD OF ITS GROSS PROFITS FROM EACH SALE TO THE ORGANIZATION OF YOUR CHOICE FROM AMONG OUR CHARITY PARTNERS.
For delivery in time for Passover order by 3/22/2010 and for delivery in time for Easter, order by 03/27/2010.
Mar 9, 2010 at 9:21 AM
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Be the first to comment on this postWhen a “Corked” bottle is a good thing…
By our Wine Director, Francis Sanders (aka "A face for radio... but a nose for wine")
The first two Mira Luna bottlings totally integrated with our comic strip http://www.corkedthecomic.com are now available, and they’re both drinking and looking fine. Creative Director Dave Griffin, (Basement Boy to the cognoscenti), and myself have been regularly polluting cyberspace since 2008, but started the current continuity, in embryonic form, back in 2006. While poking fun at the wine industry – easy enough to do - the strip chronicles the staff adventures of fictitious Russian River Valley cult winery, Isinglas Cellars.
CAL914, $12.99 Mira Luna, Crusher & Stemmer Red, California, is a field blend that features the Isinglas dogs on the label. We bottled this in Western Sonoma after we modified-for-the-better an existing bottle blend. My mid-June notes on the base wine, originally a Bordeaux blend follow: “looks less than attractive; over-ripe red/brown berry, pepper, leathery, stewed vegetables - some dimension in the nose; lots in the mouth - tangy nose berries from nose - sort of cranberry, herbaceous, pepper, black tea; almost OK weight, almost OK structure, too alcoholic, nice texture”
By mid-September, our version, at the time about 13% Syrah to improve color and temper the herbaceous and over-ripe elements, was on its way:” bit murky deep red; touch of oxidation, stewed fruit, leather, vanilla, plums and red berry nose - pretty complex! pleasant, some acid-driven vif, adequate tannins, light-to-medium-bodied brown and red berry fruit, short finish though”
The final January release, buttressed with other material like Zinfandel, Nebbiolo, Dolcetto and Primitivo, improved the color, unearthed more ripe fruit aromas and flavors, added structure, balance, and lengthened the finish. All of these different vintage and varietal components throughout the process eliminated any legal appellation beyond California and vintage on the label, so Crusher & Stemmer Red 
evolved from a Bordeaux blend to a field blend. Since 1997 I have been bottling a successful non-vintage field blend as Backyard Red for a partner wine company, for G&W we required a new name. The “field blendish” name came since the Isinglas dogs were already named for winemaking equipment, so the strip tie-in was perfect for this new red.
Using our Mira Luna label allowed us to take advantage of our cast’s full-moon-crazy behavior.
Originally the dogs were to function as a Greek chorus in the strip, but they developed personalities of their own. Crusher, the Chihuahua, drawn in a Ren Hoek less realistic style (I served my Spumco time) feels he’s the baddest banger on the planet, and thinks in Cheech Marin’s voice. Stemmer, the French poodle, thinks he’s Cary Grant in “To Catch a Thief”, with Maurice Chevalier’s voice.
SON573, $17.99 2009 Mira Luna, Tough Day Chardonnay, features Isinglas Tasting Room Manager and all around Uber-Babe (sorry KP, you’ve been relegated to Garbo status), Chenin Meunier. Again, we used our Mira Luna label, but hedged our bets – we wanted a more timeless label concept - one that would not live and die only with the strip. We continued to work in black and white as essentially we’re producing a variation on a newspaper strip.
Chenin and her twin sister Rose (no fan boy fantasies from this creative team)
are clearly the favorite characters of the straight male demographic, as BB has spent plenty of research time with Gil Elvgren and Alberto Vargas. Originally the Chenin label was a 100% swipe from http://www.corkedthecomic.com, episode 2, but, strictly in the name of culture, we homaged the still of Jean Peters in the bathtub from Sam Fuller’s classic “Pickup on South Street”, coincidentally enough, screened at January’s Noir City 8, http://www.noircity.com program 3. Anticipating potential label approval difficulties and delays if we drew a prude as a clerk at the TTB, we changed the image to a profile.
The bottling occurred at one of the greatest estates in Carneros, tweaking Sonoma Carneros Chardonnay fruit with a touch of Muscat for more accessibility. My mid -
October notes follow: “tank-sample needs-to-settle look, light copper; difficult to identify aromas and flavors at this stage; difficult-to-find tropical fruits, figs/dates/nuts, toast, under the yeast nose”.By late October, we felt we had nailed it “same visual; finally, a nose! floral golden delicious apple, tropical fruits; adequate apples, acidity and heft, tropical fruit notes - mango & kiwi.”
By the February release we had a Chardonnay exhibiting pristine varietal fruit proudly framed in Sonoma Carneros terroir, accessible to a rank beginner while providing value to the most jaded connoisseur.
Geerlings & Wade’s Mira Luna, “Corked” the comic wines – so delicious they don’t need to take themselves seriously.
Supporting Families and People with Autism through the Autism Trust
BUY A BRICK TODAY, BUILD THEIR TOMORROW.
All too often I hear the ominous expression “Window of Opportunity” with the word autism and it disturbs me greatly.
Ideally, the younger a child, the earlier he/she receives massive biomedical interventions and therapies the better prognosis for his/her future will be.
Unfortunately, the reality is quite different. Not everybody will receive massive biomedical interventions and therapies at an early age because most of us cannot afford them and because most of them are not reimbursed by insurance companies. Not everybody will improve significantly let alone recover from autism.
So what do we do with all of those people who missed their “Window of Opportunity”?
Do we throw in the towel and call it quits? Do we stop treating them biomedically, do we stop giving them therapies because they are now too old? Do we lock them up in institutions or day hospitals because they cannot function properly in our society?
There is not a single family affected by autism that is not haunted with the fear of what is going to happen to their loved ones with autism when they are no longer around to care for them and protect them.
Polly Tommey, the Founder of The Autism Trust could not have described in better words how we all feel:
“My son, Billy was diagnosed with having severe autism at age two and a half; we have come a long way since then. Eleven years on and he is a happy boy who still has autism, but now he is described as ‘high functioning‘ and his improvement is ongoing.
Through preliminary research into what lay ahead for my son, I was devastated to find that his future, like a great many other children with autism was ‘bleak’. There simply isn’t enough provision and support for these children as they approach adulthood.
Please help me and the Autism Trust in any way that you can: help us build a real future for the great many children that have autism today.”
Help us buy those bricks faster with your wine purchase.
Choose the Autism Charity you want to support!
Choose the Autism Charity you want to support!
I am excited to announce a few changes in our site which will be beneficial to all of you.
Working with our wonderful IT partners we can now let you choose the charity you want to support with your wine and/or wine club purchases at checkout.
What it means for our Autism Charity Partners is that instead of benefiting only for the length of time Wines for Autism is featuring them in its website they can now benefit all year long from sales generated by Wines for Autism – One third of our gross profits.
We will continue to support our Autism Charity Partners' largest events with in-kind donations of wine for fundraising purposes as well as free samples for wine tasting events.
We will also support other Autism Non-Profit Organizations that share our beliefs in biomedical interventions to treat autism and offer free services for our children such as Heart of Sailing.
We are proud to offer many excellent wines from all over the world for One Cause - Autism.
Our wines are selected for their authenticity, quality and value, from small family-owned estates.
As we keep growing, we will expand our collection of wines with the Autism Awareness Ribbon along with the websites of our Non-Profit Organizations on the labels. We have started featuring artists with an ASD diagnosis on some of our wine labels.
Together we can move mountains for our children.
With much hope and dedication to our cause
Cheers!
Are you driven with a passion?
GOLF FOR AUTISM AND WINES FOR AUTISM JOIN FORCES
"We are grateful for the amazing support of Wines for Autism," says Event Executive Producer Daphne Plump. "Wines for Autism was started by a stay-at-home mom, who is directly affected by autism."
February is ultra-affordable-values month.
February is ultra-affordable-values month.
By our Wine Director, Francis Sanders
(I’m being forcibly restrained from imposing the Crazy Eddie school of wine writing upon you.)
CAL895, $9.99 /product/Stone-Briar--Sauvignon-Blanc--California--90-Points-
"100% ORGANIC!"
Due to my inability to use a calculator properly, we are able to offer this gem for even less money than we originally planned! Though I’ve signed a zillion pages of non-disclaimer, I can tell you that this wine is now almost one-half of it’s metro Napa retail price. The 100% certified organic Yountville vineyard fruit source routinely yields Sauvignon Blanc that exhibits purity and definition of flavors unique to both place and season. Said pedigreed Sauvignon was one-quarter barrel fermented and aged on the lees for six months, three-quarters cold fermented in stainless steel. Forty percent got soaked with the skins one full half day before pressing. This handling unveiled tropical fruit flavors of gooseberry, guava and kiwi, in addition to the expected herbal, grapefruit and pineapple notes. While it lasts, this wine temporarily eliminates any need to explore affordable New Zealand, Chilean, South African, Loire Valley and Northeast Italian Sauvignon Blancs.
AUS298, $11.99 /product/Circle-Springs--Cabernet-Sauvignon--South-Eastern-Australia--90-Points-
In retrospect, it was the right decision to choose this 08 Aussie house brand as the first ever Cabernet Sauvignon to bear our Circle Springs label. Having tasted thousands of Cabernet Sauvignons since then only confirms my June 18, 2009 tasting notes - “cold soaked gorgeous; seems one-dimensional in nose but isn't, herbaceous black fruits, cacao, touch of licorice - blackberry nose; ripe, round tannins, red fruits, cacao and a touch of pepper - currant palate; certainly good enough” – we cannot produce Cabernet anywhere, California, France’s pays d’Oc, Chile & Argentina included, at the price/quality ratio this 08 delivers. Bottled by Westend Estate winemakers Bryan Currier & Sally Whittaker with the blessing of vintner Bill Calabria and his four children – the third generation of Westend Calabrias since 1945 - the wine exhibits a sweet berry nose, with violets over subtle French oak. The palate is replete with ripe berries, spice, vanilla oak and soft, chewy tannins. It bears repeating, we cannot produce Cabernet anywhere at the price/quality ratio of this wine, possibly no one can.
BOR658, $11.99 /product/La-Tonnellerie-du-Chateau-de-Segonzac-Bordeaux-Superieur-France
I’m a sucker for affordable, mature Bordeaux that’s drinking fine right now and has been aged on the producer’s dime. This wine proves more than just a double dip of value, it’s a picture in the bottle of the magnificent 2005 vintage in the form of a deuxieme vin from an undervalued, historic 120 year old Premieres Cotes de Blaye estate. Blaye itself is practically synonymous for Bordeaux value central – this is where the Bordelais shop. The Bordeaux Superieur designation indicates that the wine has proven to the INAO (the appellation system governing board) that it meets even more stringent requirements for alcohol percentage and aging potential. Don’t take my word for it, you can look it up - this was the least expensive highly recommended, silver-medal-winner cellar selection at the 2007 World Wine Championships. The short form is that this meaty blend of 75% Merlot, 25 % Cabernet Sauvignon bears aromas and flavors of plum and oak framed in that unique-to-Bordeaux forest floor quality – affordable elegance, breed and finesse in a bottle, courtesy of at least 10 values-in-Bordeaux touch points.
SPA103, $14.99 /product/Finca-La-Estacada-2006-6-Months-Oak--Castilla-La-Mancha--Spain--91-Points-
This is a repeat of a featured wine you may have missed, a wine so versatile that, based on the amount of cases delivered to and brought home by Braintree, MA Vinification Ventures office employees, has become our the East Coast satellite office house red. The Cantarero-Rodriguez family winery, in the heart Cervantes country, produces Spanish wines more modern and international in style - people drink Castilla-La Mancha wines. Tradition, prestige and impressive price tags reside more in Rioja, Ribero del Duero and recently, Priorat. Deemed “very good” by Mr Parker, this Tempranillo exhibits the expected olives and nuts aromas and flavors, beneath vibrant blackberry fruit with bramble notes. Lip-smacking cherry and vanilla (catnip for humans) are a direct result of the time spent in new American oak. Accessible, but will age well, this Finca La Estacada is great with tapas, if you’re in a Spanish mode, but if you were raised like myself, via meat on the grill, it’s perfect with BBQ.
Love Park and Blockbuster Wines from South America
El Parque del Amor and Blockbuster Wines from South America
El Parque del Amor (aka Love Park) Miraflores, Lima, Peru is on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific ocean devoted entirely to romance.
The poet Antonio Cilloniz had lamented that "In the cities, they do not build monuments to lovers", a reaction, to all the monuments in South America (and everywhere else) devoted to those who had distinguished themselves in battle by either winning or dying. Miraflores decided to be the exception and they opened the Parque del Amor in 1993 on Valentine’s day. The park features a prominent statue of two lovers in a passionate embrace over Cilloniz's very own words.
The major sculpture in the park is of "El Beso", a couple engaged in a passionate kiss. It was sculpted by Victor Delfin.The sculpture celebrates the lovers who gather to catch the sunset on the waters of the Pacific Ocean. It is said that the locals compete for the longest kiss under this statue.
I love Peru and its culture and I am very fond of its national drink “Pisco Sur” (the Peruvian version of a Mexican Margarita) unfortunately we do not have any wines from that country so I rely on its neighbors for blockbuster wines.
From Chile, we have those great unfiltered wines more specifically from Paseo.
"Elegant, seductive and lush with piles of fruit, this is an intriguing wine for those with a penchant for Pinot Noir – silky, elegant, straightforward and pure. It’s a sultry red that’s light enough to marry with a variety of foods, yet intense enough with fruit aromas, flavors and concentration to thrill and excite."
"The grapes used in producing this wine hail from the Colchagua Valley, an area hardly known at all a decade ago which is fast becoming one of Chile's most celebrated wine growing regions."
From Argentina, we just stocked up on our latest "Autism Wine", Vides del Este. The Autism Awareness Ribbon and the websites of our autism non-profit partners are on the back labels.
"Malbec is the characteristic varietal of Mendoza. Wines elaborated from this kind of grape have a strong personality and even though it is farmed in other places, the characteristics attained in Mendoza are superior to the rest of the world."
And finally for our super health conscious supporters, we have this gem from Gustavo Caligiore. Read our blog to about his view of organic viticulture in Mendoza.
How does organic viticulture help preserve the character of old vines in Mendoza?
How does organic viticulture help preserve the character of old vines in Mendoza?
Interview with our friend, dedicated winemaker and supporter of Autism Awareness, Gustavo Caligiore
First of all, it is necessary to know that organic agriculture follows many goals:
1) Environmental sustainability, preserving the fertility of soils and water & air quality, thorough promoting natural equilibriums & biodiversity as a source of natural ecosystem preservation and so getting very well nourished and so healthier plants and animals.
2) Social responsibility. Organic farming requires a lot of human labor, that means human is a key matter on managing land and crops and it is respectful of ancient regional practices. There are no technological packages that fit organic farming. Just everyday monitoring, reading plants needs and so, do whatever you can to preserve equilibriums.
3) Safety & nutritive food. No chemicals (pesticides, herbicides, etc) – there is no possibility of contamination and on the other hand, a very well and equilibrated nourished plant produce more tasty and nutritive food.
Having in mind those three main goals, it is easy to understand how organic farming get healthy, natural & typical food.
Our vines grow in a balanced ecosystem, together with many other species of insects and plants, which keep them in good shape and absolutely healthy where all plagues and illnesses are auto controlled (not eliminated) and kept under the economical damage threshold naturally, without using any chemical.
Soils are permanently covered letting small microorganism make their job, mobilizing nutrients by decomposition of organic matter allowing vines to take those nutrients in a proper quantity and timely. Completely different thing is when you fertilize, you are offering a huge amount of just some particular nutrients which induce a strong disequilibrium in a plant, making them more susceptible to illnesses, plagues attack and of course modifying the natural conditions the ecosystem where is planted can offer. Or when you use pesticides, you are killing the plague but also all benefic insects and destroying the ecosystem. So condition where plants grow are not the natural ones, are just induced ones through managing conditions in a different way as they should has been.
Our job as vintners is just to preserve that equilibrium, monitoring the system, planning (because there are no possibilities of immediate answers once you have a problem), getting the best conditions to the fruit to mature slowly, under the best environmental conditions we can get form it to assure a the high quality, sincere and complex and concentrated local representative wines we are looking for.
It is a hard job. It is as hard and simply as to devote a huge effort preserving the expression of the terroir. The difficult part is that there are no recipes, just reading the nature, the vines, the soil etc, where experience over many years is the only useful “recipe”, and that is the reason why committed people is the only successful tool.
When drinking a wine coming from our old vines, you may like it or not, but you can be sure you are drinking the expression of the grapes grown in a natural & equilibrated environmental where ancient practices and a huge effort has been done to preserve that expression till your glass not only at the vineyard but also at the winery. What you get is what the land can offer every year with its normal weather variations among year to year. As the phrase that move us express “The soul of the land turns into wine”
In a global society diversity is a great value we all have to help building and preserve because means identity.
2007 Caligiore Bonarda Reserve Mendoza, Argentina
"91 Pts – “Best Buy” – Top 100 Wines of 2009 Wine &Spirits Magazine • Caligiore Reserve Bonarda"
Our First Organic "Autism Wine" from Spain - Now Available
Our first Organic "Autism Wine" from Spain - Now Available
From its great success at the Meet & Greet Event of the National Autism Conference in Fort Lauderdale for two years in a row you have asked us to make it available for purchase.
We are delighted to feature our first "Autism Organic Spanish Wine" Old Hands 2007 Organic Monastrell at a price that is a no-brainer for the quality - $11.99
Here is our brag about our Old Hands ...
AWARDS
· Bronze Medal - 2nd Annual Green Wine Competition
· 88 Points - Silver Medal "Highly Recommended" - 2009 World Wine Championships Beverage Testing Institute
· 88 Points "Best Buy" - Wine & Spirits June 2009
· 87 Points "Best Wines of Spain" Jul/Aug 2009 International Wine Cellar - Stephen Tanzer
And now that we have your attention here is a little more about it...
Old Hands 2007 Organic Monastrell comes from Bodegas la Purisima (referring to the Holy Virgin) in Yecla, Spain from a vineyard that uses no pesticides, herbicides and is farmed organically.
Our winemaker, Pedro Azorin, showcased the Monastrell grape (also called Mourvedre) without using any oak barrels but he softened its bold tannins with a malolactic fermentation.
The result – A rich an opulent wine with a deep black cherry color with notes of blackcurrant, blackberry and plum with scents of aromatic herbs that grow in the hills of Yecla like thyme, rosemary and fennel.
It goes great with grilled meats, pasta or flavorful cheeses.
My favorite part besides drinking the wine... The winery uses pheromone traps and actively releases ladybugs in its organic vineyards to control insects. They even hid a small ladybug on its organic label. Can you see it?
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If not... We will forgive you by giving it a try.
Cheers!
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