The SOMM Journal

June / July 2016

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30 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } JUNE/JULY 2016 { readers respond } Glass Menagerie There are five kinds of Champagne glasses in our restaurant. There's a set of four from a prestigious tête de cuvée, with beautiful anemones for a romantic night. There are the ever yday flûtes we use—not too thin, or tall, but well balanced, and sturdy enough to handle the brunch crowd and their cries of 'Mimosa!' Dozens of these. There is one from a bygone time—a large, unshapely eyesore useful for holding straws. Five exist of a stately, onyx flûte with a gold-colored rim. There were eight originally, but there is enthusiasm in wine. And there are two of unmatched elegance. They remind me of Champagne's har - monious beauty, of friends sitting into the late night, of lovers holding hands and of my own journey into wine, and how it gave me the chance to share my love of wine with others . . . one bubble at a time. —Ricardo Zarate, Jr., Wine Director, Finch's Bistro, La Jolla, CA. Simply Called White At a recent tasting at my boutique wine shop, Tony's Off Third, located in Naples, Florida, I introduced a new Spanish wine, simply called White, produced from 100% Xarel·lo grapes from the Penedès region. Xarel·lo, pronounced sha-rel-oh, is itself intriguing. Considered a flagship Spanish wine grape, it is the primary ingredient in Cava sparkling wine, but is rarely used in still wines. No oak influence, coupled with stone-fruit flavors, leaves it crisp and fresh. Of 20 wines poured, HMR Mont Rubi's White was the overwhelming favorite. This may have been as much attributable to the quality of the wine as to the expertise of Martin Cerdá, representing his family's Naples, FL-based importer and distributor, Cerdá, Llanos y Cía. The company's mission is to pair "New Spain" wines with Florida's eclectic tastes and lifestyles, working closely with family-owned or small-production wineries across Spain. Influenced by the internationally acclaimed Naples Winter Wine Festival, our local wine landscape has evolved considerably. My customers are increasingly interested in wines from international and emerging wine growing regions—contributing to a more robust wine experience for all of us. —Sukie Honeycutt, Wine Director, Tony's Off Third, Naples, FL In response to my last issue's letter asking our readers to "Somm Journal" some of the memorable moments in their lives, we received thoughtful responses from the two wine directors below. If you'd like to contribute to a future issue, send your 150-word entry and a high-resolution photo of yourself to me at mmay@sommjournal.com. UPDATE ON "Let's All Somm Journal" Sukie Honeycutt at Tony's Off Third in Naples, FL. Wine Director Ricardo Zarate, Jr. PHOTO: CARONCHI PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTO COURTESY OF RICARDO ZARATE, JR.

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