Responsible Indulgence-May 2025
Get Your Spice On!
Wow Factor—adding a little spice & heat
This month is all about going further afield and making it new. We have wines from around the globe that invite some spice to your table. I am looking at some Moroccan spices from New York Shuk to add a little flavor and heat to my favorite dishes—making them a new and giving me something exciting to pair with wines.
The flavors of Morrocco pair so well with wine, so it is a treasure trove of flavors for us to enjoy!
If you are new to these flavors, start with Za’atar. I love this spice blend! “Za’atar spice is a gateway to the Middle Eastern pantry,” NY Shuk writes “Our version, based on an ancient Jerusalem recipe, uses traditional za’atar leaves (Origanum syriacum) sumac, sesame and olive oil for an intriguing and versatile blend that earns its place at the table during breakfast, lunch and dinner.” I am making a focaccia this weekend and to elevate it, I will sprinkle the Za’atar while it completes baking. The aroma when it is cooking is divine!
Sprinkle a little Ras el Hanout on kabobs on the grill, on roasted fish, chicken or vegetables to elevate and deepen the flavors. It is a spice blend with coriander, turmeric, ginger and clove, and it gives subtle complex flavors to simple dishes. I love this product because of how easy it is to add to a dish. New York Shuk is a family run independent business who sources their spices from North Africa, and make their own secret blend to make their ras el hanout, which translates to the “head of the shop.” It will add a mild touch of heat, spice, and savory to your dish.
If you want a touch more heat, add some harissa paste to just about anything! I rub it on carrots, zucchini, onions, and potatoes and roast them, and then I enjoy a big pile of veggies over couscous, it is so satisfying and simple. The paste is the owner’s mom’s recipe of ground chilis, lemon, garlic, coriander, and cumin. You can rub this on fish, poultry, red meats, vegetables and add subtle heat, depth of flavor, and a satisfying complexity. Think ketchup, but so much more interesting and yummier.
I encourage you to try these if you have not, and return to them if they are in your pantry already.
In addition to broadening our palate, we are offering you some new perspectives on wine. My staff is so talented and eager to share their knowledge, so they will be adding their notes to our monthly newsletter. I hope you enjoy reading their ideas along with my own. They are teaching me so much, and it is pleasure to share my pages with them and you.
Cheers, Maria
May’s Staff Picks
Value Wines
For our value picks for May, we are pleased to bring back a perennial favorite with the new vintages of the Cantine Elvio Tintero wines from Italy.
Kermit Lynch writes: In 1900 a Frenchman named Pierre Tintero set out for Piedmont in search of work. He found an opportunity to do odd jobs at a small estate where widow Rosina Cortese was struggling to handle all the work herself. Pierre, called “Pietrin” by the locals, quickly became a vital part of the estate and also fell in love with the widow, whom he married two years later. The couple continued to work the vines together and bottled their own Dolcetto for the first time just as war fell in 1914. Years later their grandson would find a stash of this vintage hidden within the walls of the cellar, certainly a precaution against ransacking troops who passed through the area.
Pietrin and Rosina’s two sons, Giovanni and Carlo, eventually took over the estate and expanded it by purchasing adjacent vineyard plots. Moscato was just a tiny part of their production since it is only practical to produce it in large quantities, but after the Second World War giants Cinzano and Martini began producing the wine, so the brothers planted more of the variety to sell to these negociants while they continued bottling their still wines themselves. It was not until the 1980s that Carlo’s son Elvio began experimenting with the challenging process of frizzante wine production, allowing the family to take advantage of the grape’s special affinity to the local terroir. Elvio has now handed the reins over to the next generation, but he continues to help his son Marco and daughter-in-law Cinzia run the estate.
The commune of Mango is the heart of Moscato country, and 20 of the Tinteros’ 30 hectares are planted to this grape. Their largest parcel is in the Sorì Gramella vineyard, whose full southern exposure and gradient of more than 20% pamper the grapes with many long hours of sunshine, without even casting shadows from one row to the next as is the case in most vineyards. The resulting wine is delightfully fizzy and slightly sweet, an irresistible combination that makes it a universal favorite. Marco also maintains that same spirit in his other wines, which are all fresh, easy, and fun to drink with friends.
2023 Tintero Vino Rosato
An absolute festive rosé from Piedmont. A blend of Barbera with Favorita, Moscato, Arneis, and Chardonnay. It's a slightly fizzy, easy drinking rosé. This wine is dry, but brings hints of red Spring fruits and candied peel.
Drink this with cheese and charcuterie, seafood on the patio, or just because! and be transported to the Italian seaside. Brandee
A vibrant, slightly effervescent Rosato that brings a taste of summer in every sip. The nose is beautifully aromatic, with a Provençal flair—bursting with raspberry, strawberry, citrus zest, and a hint of white pepper. Light and refreshing on the palate, it offers bright lime and berry notes with a playful touch of orange on the finish. Exceptionally easy-drinking, this is the ultimate beach wine or porch pounder—crisp, cheerful, and endlessly crushable. Matt
2023 Tintero Vino Bianco
Fresh and light on the palate with loads of fresh citrus notes, floral and saline aromas of spring. This is a blend of Favorita, Arneis, Chardonnay, and Moscato, and it is dry, fresh, crisp and so easy to enjoy. The wine is seemingly simple, but the flavors are anything but simple. In fact, the aromatics show citrus, orchard fruits, exotic fruits and minerality. All of this translates onto the palate with freshness and charm! Chill it & take it to the beach with some salty crackers and a fresh goat cheese.
2023 Tintero Vino Rosso
I love this one with a chill on it! It is a blend of Barbera, Dolcetto, Nebbiolo, and Cabernet Sauvignon, and in good company with the Tintero line up. It is approachable, fresh, light and imminently crushable, as Matt put it! The wine has a balance that far exceeds the price point. Try it with some grilled lighter meats smothered with that harissa paste!
2023 Azevedo Loueiro Vinho Verde
There are two kinds of Vinho Verde, those that are simple and easy and those that have more character, texture, and style. The Azevedo is of the later. It is compelling and delicious. The winemaker writes, “The union of Loureiro with Alvarinho created a typical green wine of the region: fresh and fruity, but enriched by a creamy texture originated by the brief contact with the skins before the fermentation of the must and by the aging in stainless steel vats with battonage of the fine lees for 3 months.” Beyond the delicious flavors, I love the texture of this wine, smooth and satisfying and still very refreshing. I would like this one with some charred vegetables and jasmine rice, yes, sprikle that Za’tar over the rice and crack open this Vinho Verde!
2019 Primaterra Sangiovese
This Sangiovese comes to us from Puglia in Southern Italy. Notes of cherry, strawberry, hibiscus, and blood orange shine through the ruby red glass. Sangiovese is probably one of my favorite varietals for pizza, but this wine can be enjoyed long before you get to cooking your meal. Sophie
2020 Castagnoli Chianti Classico
This house sits at the apex of a hill in Tuscany surrounded by terraced Sangiovese vines with rolling green hills as far as you can see. It is dreamy. Open this wine, pour yourself a glass, sip with your eyes and imagine your feet on the galestro, special, decomposed stones that hold the warmth of the sun. It is the stones that impart a minerality, tension, and a fresh, high-toned character to the wine that is full of plum and brambly fruit!
Kermit Lynch writes, “Castagnoli is a small estate in Castellina on the western edge of the Chianti Classico DOCG. This estate possesses a striking terroir,, one of Chianti’s most beautiful. Owner Alfred Schefenacker is the driving force behind this estate with amazing potential. He is intent on developing it into one of the finest estates in Chianti. The Castagnoli terreno is one of cool climate, high altitude Sangiovese but one with depth and concentration. Aromatics are on display, a medium-full bodied frame with smoked meat, olive and rosemary to complement the fruits, solid acidity and tannin. It is a unique style born of a unique terroir, and it possesses an elegance that makes it immediately drinkable and very pleasurable though it will age well.”
Select Wines
2024 Fenouillet Ventoux Rosé
I don’t say this often, but yes, this is a favorite of mine. I don’t get much of this fabulous rosé, so it goes to all my loyal club members first!
Rosenthal writes, “Brothers Vincent and Patrick Soard broke with the local co-operative in order to bottle their own crop back in the early 1990s, and we have been with them every step of the way since, remaining perpetually delighted at their ability to render these warm southern Rhône terroirs with grace and balance. The product of a boomerang-style growing season that presented a bone-dry and hot summer after a particularly wet spring, their 2024 Ventoux Rosé (60% Grenache, 30% Cinsault, and 10% Syrah) was produced solely via direct pressing; it is breezy but appropriately Rhône-y, balancing spicy red fruits with notable acidity. The domaine has been certified organic since the 2012 vintage, a fact which shows in their rosé’s vibrancy and vividness of fruit.”
Try this one when the gods give us our first warm beach day along with some hummus and salty Torres potato chips!
2021 Ksara Blanc de Blanc
This Lebanese white is a truly balanced wine. The straw yellow glass has fair body thanks to two months spent aging in French oak. Drinking this blend, I feel like I'm basking in a fruit and flower garden, happily sipping on my glass or pairing with my spring salad and grilled chicken. Sophie
2019 Ksara Le Prieure
Made with grapes that hark back to the Château Ksara's origins and fermented in the concrete tanks built by the Jesuits, this medium-bodied, unoaked wine, which can be served slightly chilled, is filled with an exotic fruity aroma along with spicy and licorice notes and spice of the Bekaa Valley. The color is intensely ruby, and it immediately draws you in with a fruity and spicy aroma. It may be my intention to use harissa in my cooking, but this wine has the aromatics of the spice—chili, tomato paste, lemon, and cumin.
2023 Corte Giacobbe Soave
For those who have been stuck on Pinot Grigio, which I honestly cannot fault you for, this wine is a step to the left. It has alluring soft aromas of herbs, floral notes, and citus, along with apples and peaches and pears. I love the hint of fresh honey suckle. Ihas a brilliant, straw color and a zesty lift to match. I would enjoy this with some fired chicken dusted with spices to give it some heat.
2020 Hauts Baig Les Pentes
This wine has a juicy start with loads of primary berry and florals and herbal notes. It is 80 % Cabernet Franc and 20% Grolleau. It has a fine spice note on the mose and on the finish. This is Bistro wine. Medium bodied and food friendly, enjoy it with anyting from a charcuterie board to quiche to roasted chicken.
2020 Miguel Torres Sangre de Toro
We included an extra Spanish red because our other Select red was a little late in arriving...ok, my fault, but I am only human! If you got this one, it is a delicious dark ruby red with fragrant and seductive aromas and spicy undertones. There is a wonderful clove aroma that makes me want to chef up some slow cooked pork and rice and beans.
2021 Estrada Palacio Sentif Rojo
This is a new wine for us, but one that we are excited to have. This is another small family run, independent winery below the Pyrenees Mountains in Northern Spain. This family has been farming for generations, and wine has always been a part of that family tradition. YOu have had the Vispuis, I am certain, but the Sentif is just now available to us. The red is a blend of Tempranillo, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, all aged in neutral French oak barrels. It has intense cherry notes with a dark color and a ripe forward fruit that is balanced by an earth backbone and sweet spices that linger while also offering voluptuous tannins. It is a food friendly wine, and would pair well with meats on the grill and those wonderful Harisa spices
Collector’s Wines
2023 Tipsy Rose Mourvèdre
The 23 vintage in California was marked by temperate moderate weather and temperatures. Fruit ripened slowly while maintaining its freshness and holding on to its color and flavor. My Mourvèdre was a favorite of mine because of the depth of character that was the result of good careful, sustainable farming. The truth is, when you begin wine making with good fruit, you just have to keep a watchful eye, and don’t mess it up!
I brought the grapes in late in October, at just above 23 Brix. I let the fruit rest for a day in the cold room before I began foot stomping and left half the fruit whole cluster to allow it to ferment slowly. It did just that. Treading the fruit 2-3 times a day, gently, so as to keep the cap healthy but not overly extract.
The wine took nearly three weeks to finish the primary fermentation, then I went to press and barreled down in neutral oak for malolactic fermentation and aging in the barrel room at 58 degrees.
In good company with other wines that can handle some spice, the Mourvèdre calls for a little heat. It has a rich forward fruit palate with brambly fruit, fennel, and spice. The acidity balances all that fruit and gives it freshness. The tannins are inherent in this rustic grape, and it needs them to allow for some aging. This wine could lay down for a few years and will reward you if you can be patient.
This is a full bodied red and it calls for rich foods with lots of umami like beef short ribs, lamb, or grilled pork. If you want a vegetarian option think about lentils, wild rice and shitake mushrooms sauteed with leeks and thyme. Yes, that raspberries el hanout on those mushrooms will be amazing!
2022 Estrada Palaccio Sentif Blanco
From the winery “At the foot of Guara’s Sierra, on the right riverside of the Alcanadre River, where vineyards alternate with wheat, barley and olive tree fields and small holm oak forests, more than one hundred years ago our grandfather Martín Palacio continued with his ancestors tradition of growing vines and making wine in the Family House in Bespén.
Our father Francisco Estrada kept on farming the land and traditionally producing wine in the old subterranean cellar and it is in the year 2006 when the three young Estrada Palacio Brothers, gathering a long tradition of quality wine making, create the actual winery which emerges as a very artisanal, cared about , familiar and very personal project.”
The Sentif Blanco is a new project for the winery, and it is a wine that truly knocked my socks off at the latest tasting. It has extraordinary character, delicate tropical fruits, orchard fruits—apple and pear, with a subtle white tea notes. It is fruity and fresh with a savory note and loads of minerality on the finish.
It would be delicious with some grilled or pan roasted salmon!
Focaccia
Want to make that Focaccia? Follow me on Instagram @newportwinenchz and watch for my live demo!
What you will need: Good Quality AP Flour, Yeast, Olive Oil, Hot Water & Kosher Salt.
Optional ingredients for the top: Za’Atar, Thinly sliced Potatoes & Shallots.