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Nantucket Wine Festival May 17-20 2001 - Printable Version

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- wondersofwine - 05-31-2001

I'm recently back from my third annual Nantucket Wine Festival (I think they've had five now). Some of you wine lovers from the east coast should put this on your calendar for next year. Something like 250 wines are available for tasting at the Grand Tasting at the Casino on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. I was a bit disappointed in the California selections (Wente, Geyser Peak, Jed Steele are some of the vintners present), but there is representation from New Zealand and Australia, Italy, France, etc. I was impressed with Felasco's Umbria Merlot which at about $19 a bottle is a real bargain.
Many of you love pairing wines and food. The wine dinners held in connection with the wine fest are a great attraction. I always try to make a wine dinner at Cioppino's--this year I went to the one partnered by Jed Steele. We had appetizers with Shooting Star aligote, ahi tuna with a Chardonnay, osso buco with Catfish Zinfandel (very nice) and tiramisu with Late Harvest Chardonnay. About eight or ten restaurants offer wine dinners.
Then there are the smaller wine tastings in private homes limited to twelve people. This year I attended one on white burgundies with negociant Alex Gambal. We tasted eight white burgundies and one of his reds. My favorites were the Mersault (characteristic French chardonnay) and the Chassagne- Montrachet Clos St. Jean (a big wine!) although Alex thinks the Chassagne-Montrachet Mourgeots is even more powerful. The red (Bonnes Mares) was also a standout. The first wine we sampled (Fixin) had a pear aroma at first sniff. I believe they were 98s or 99s (don't have my notes with me). The red burgundy had just been bottled a week or two before the tasting.
Part of the fun of the smaller tastings is in the houses you get to see. This one was in the historic part of Nantucket--the front part of the house dates from 1756! Some beams from the original part of the house were used in the addition in back where we had our tasting.
The more expensive tastings sold out quickly but I was very pleased with the one I attended. Have I whetted your taste buds (or wine nose?) Rooms sell out also on the weekend of the Nantucket Wine Festival so it is good to make plans in February or March.

[This message has been edited by wondersofwine (edited 05-31-2001).]

[This message has been edited by wondersofwine (edited 07-10-2001).]