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AUGUST // SEPTEMBER 2018 • MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
Late Summer Wines
BY HOLLY ENDERSBY
August and September are filled with
scrumptious, ripe vegetables from the
garden, the smells of jam made from home-
grown fruit, and lazy evenings grilling
outside with friends and family.
A late August memory of mine is the
aroma of lush grapes hanging in huge
bunches off the vines my friend’s grand-
mother grew along a huge trellis. The entire
yard was perfumed with the spicy-sweet
smell of grapes as they hung ripening in
the sun.
When I first smelled, then tasted, the
American Niagara wine from Oak Knoll
Winery in the Willamette Valley of Oregon,
I was transported back to those wonderful
years in that back yard. This is a sweet
wine but when served chilled (not cold),
the aroma and taste are divine. I have never
smelled a wine that so perfectly reflected
those giant purple globes ripened by the sun.
This wine is made with an original native
American grape, so if you’re into buying
American, this is the wine for you.
PHOTO BY HOLLY ENDERSBY.
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Serve it with light appetizers or with Finally, an interesting wine we tried was
marinated, grilled chicken, and you will love the Robert Mondavi Private Selection 2016
it. At $8 a bottle, this is a steal. cabernet sauvignon, aged in bourbon barrels.
Another nice transitional wine is the Having never tried a wine aged this way, I
Sauvignon Blanc from Chateau Ste. Michelle thought it was something we should explore.
in the Columbia Valley of Washington. The Again, my husband gave this a resounding
2016 we tried was sprightly, not too sweet, thumb up. The aging mellowed the edginess
and was the kind of wine you could easily right out of the Cabernet Sauvignon without
enjoy out on the deck as you watch the sun detracting from any of its lovely character.
set. We paired it with clam fritters, and its Two other tasters felt this wine was excep-
fresh taste worked well with the pungency tional as well, and at a huge discount of
of clams. This white wine has a nice balance $6 a bottle, it was an absolute steal. If you
between crisp and sweet, so it should tickle can find this wine on sale, buy it. If not,
the taste buds of a wide variety of white try it anyway as it is perfect with such late
wine lovers. summer dinners as grilled burgers, or even
A beautifully balanced red, we enjoyed pizza, on the deck. MSN
this summer, which would be perfect now
and into the fall, was the Dreaming Tree Little Timber Quilts & Candy
2015 Cabernet Sauvignon. This lovely, bal- Bonnie Ferguson
anced wine with notes of dark chocolate and PARTICIPATING IN THE
traditional blackberry and plum was served ROW BY ROW EXPERIENCE
with grilled elk steak and it performed June 20 - Sept. 4, 2018
superbly with this mild, wild game. My 406.932.6078 | ltquilts.com
husband is not fan of Cabernet Sauvignon, M–Sat 10–5:30
so when one gets his approval, which this 108 McLeod St • Big Timber
did, I know a wide range of wine drinkers Stop in & try our Janome Sewing Machines
will enjoy it.
Dreaming Tree Winery is the coopera-
tive brain child of musician Dave Matthews
and native New Zealander Sean McKenzie.
This California wine is exceptionally
smooth with satisfying mouth tannins Erik & Jolene Stenberg
and is incredibly reasonably priced. If you
can’t find it in a store near you, the winery 215 Anderson Street, Big Timber
can ship to Montana. 406-932-4687
Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel is a stenbergfuneralhome.com
terrific transitional wine. Not as light as
some summer wines, it is not a heavy, mer-
lot-type for rich winter meals. A group of
four of us found this wine simply delicious.
This wine is made from 35- to 85-year-
old grape vines. Head trained and spur CALL ROB AT 406-224-1697
pruned, these older vines produce smaller
grapes in fewer clusters that have increased
intensity of flavor, which is why Gnarly ATF LICENSED DEALER “WE AIM TO PLEASE”
Head chooses to make old vine Zinfandel:
it’s all about the richness of the juice these
grapes produce.
I found this wine to be redolent of ripe
blackberries, with a touch of plum, some
spice, and a tiny bit of pepper. It’s aged in
a combination of American and French Oak
barrels, but the oak does not overpower the
richness of the berry. We served this wine
with smoked salmon pasta, and it was an
immediate hit.