Norm's Tasting Notes

The North Georgia Wine Advisor

#nb-12-17

"Norm's Pine Island Winners - 2017"

I always enjoy reading the "Best of Pine Island" results in the Pine Island Eagle every year. Since I am most interested in wine and food, the following are my choices for the best places to eat and drink on Pine Island for 2017.

1. Blue Dog Bar and Grill ----- "Best Tacos" - Bang-Bang Shrimp Tacos

2. Bert's -------------------------- "Best Lunch" - Burgers out on the deck

3. Tarpon Lodge ---------------- "Best Dinner" - Fresh Grouper

4. Sandy Hook ------------------ "Best Appetizer" - Cracked Conch

5. Lazy Flamingo --------------- "Best Raw Bar" - Oysters on the half shell

6. Little Lily's ------------------- "Best Sandwich" - Triple Club

7. Pizza Bella -------------------- "Best Pizza" - Italian Sausage and Cheese

8. Island Grill -------------------- "Best Breakfast" - Ham and Eggs

9. Hideaway Grill & Sushi Bar "Best Sushi in SW FL prepared by "Miss Kay"

What to Drink?

1. Ice Cold IPA with your Shrimp Tacos

2. Nothing beats a Burger and a Bud

3. Sterling Napa Sauvignon Blanc is perfect with fresh Grouper

4. I like the Cracked Conch with a special Sandy Hook "Old Boy Cocktail"

5. A dozen on the half shell and a Yuengling Draft please

6. Make mine with fresh brewed ice-tea - thank you

7. Pizza and beer is great, but I'd like a glass of Ruffino Chianti

8. Great coffee! - extra cream please!

9. A cold Kirin Ichiban would be good, but take it home and open a bottle of Acrobat Pinot Grigio

If you have not found great food and drink in south west Florida, then you haven't looked in the right place. Try Pine Island, you won't be disappointed!

score: 100

price: Very Reasonable

Norm

Available online at:

CummingHome.com | News and Events from Cumming and Forsyth County

Also available at AOL's Dunwoody Patch:

WINE – God’s Proof of his Love for Humanity

Friday, March 17, 2017

2013 MacMurray Central Coast Pinot Noir

Norm's Tasting Notes

by: Norm Bentley

The North Georgia Wine Advisor

2013 MacMurray Central Coast Pinot Noir

#nb-11-17

The legacy of the great actor Fred MacMurray is embodied in his love for the MacMurray Estate Ranch and its surrounding vineyards, which recalls a memorable actor with a passion for his craft, as well as his natural surroundings. Today MacMurray wines represent quality for a reasonable price. The 2013 Central Coast Pinot Noir is an excellent example of that reputation.

We shared a bottle of the MacMurray Pinot Noir the other night at our cousin's home where it was paired with home-made Jambalaya. The wine rose to the occasion, and helped make the meal most delightful. The color is deep red with an aroma of cherries and a faint trace of violets. The flavors abound with cherry and plum being the most prominent. The wine is vibrant and yet smooth at the same time, and has a rich and mellow finish. Norm's score is 88.

I liked it with the Jambalaya, and thought it would also pair well with prime rib, or perhaps cedar-planked salmon from the grill. In today's world, a decent Pinot Noir for less than twenty is a real find.

price : $16 - $20

score: 88

Norm

Available online at:

CummingHome.com | News and Events from Cumming and Forsyth County

Also available at AOL's Dunwoody Patch:

WINE – God’s Proof of his Love for Humanity

Friday, March 10, 2017

2015 Santa Cristina Orvieto Classico Campogrande

Norm's Tasting Notes

by: Norm Bentley

The North Georgia Wine Advisor

2015 Santa Cristina Orvieto Classico Campogrande

#nb-10-17

The weather is warming up, which reminds me of how much I like sitting out on the back porch in the evening sipping a glass of refreshing, chilled white wine. If I were on the veranda in Italy, I might be sipping a glass of Orvieto Classico, which would also be good on my back porch!. A good choice would be the 2015 Santa Cristina Orvieto Classico Campogrande by Antionri, one of Italy's oldest wineries, and also one of it's best.

This Orvieto is fresh with aromas of flowers mixed with a basket of fresh fruit. The wine is pale straw in color, and has abundant flavors of tropical fruit supported by a cool citrus breeze of orange-lemon citrus notes in the background. The wine is clean and refreshing in its finish which melts into the warm night air. The alcohol content is a mild and delicate 12%, and Norm's score is 88.

True, it is a pleasant "Back Porch Sipper', but it is also a good companion for anti-pasta, springs salads, or Fettuccine Alfredo.

price : $9- $12

score: 88

Norm

Available online at:

CummingHome.com | News and Events from Cumming and Forsyth County

Also available at AOL's Dunwoody Patch:

WINE – God’s Proof of his Love for Humanity

Friday, March 3, 2017

2013 Ruffino Modus Toscana IGT

Norm's Tasting Notes

by: Norm Bentley

The North Georgia Wine Advisor

2013 Ruffino Modus Toscana IGT

#nb-09-17

When you pair one of my favorite wineries with one of my favorite dinners, the result is one "Happy Camper". Such was the case the other night when we shared with friends a huge dish of homemade lasagna and a bottle of 2013 Ruffino Modus Toscana. Oh "Mama Mia", what a treat!

The Tuscan Blend of Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon has taken the wine world by storm over the last few decades, and has created a category, called Super Tuscans, which often demand prices equaling those from the prestigious vines in Bordeaux. The Ruffino Modus gives you all the prestige and elegance at a far more desirable price than some of the other offerings from Tuscany. This is an intense and complex wine with a multitude of flavors, which is also smooth and mellow.

The aroma attacks your senses with an array of scents straight from a big basket of fresh black and red berries, with a few cherries mixed in. The flavors abound with the strong presence of cherry and blueberry with a little plum, and an underlying current of vanilla, with a slight hint of tobacco. The finish is strong and lingering with smooth tannins and an ending kiss of rich, mature fruit. This one should stand up well for several more years. Norm's score is 94.

Absolutely delicious with our lasagna, the Ruffino Modus would make a fine companion for almost any pasta dish. However, as much as I savored it with the lasagna, I could not help but think of how perfect it would be with Veal Marsala.

price : $19- $25

score: 94

Norm

Available online at:

CummingHome.com | News and Events from Cumming and Forsyth County

Also available at AOL's Dunwoody Patch: