Every Wednesday, Robert talks with Jeff Sweatman about all things wine on The Corner 106.1 radio station. The piece airs between 4:00 and 4:30 pm. For your convenience, and driving safety, we post a list of the wines discussed here. Click the link above to listen to the podcast of this and past discussions.

For more great information from Robert Harllee regarding organic wines, read his article from Flavor magazine.

La Cappuccina, Soave 2009

La Cappuccina, Rosso Veneto "Madégo" 2009

Meinklang, Pinot Gris 2008 $16.99
100% Pinot Gris; Austria (Demeter)
Meinklang, Pinot Noir 2008 $16.99
100% Pinot Noir; Austria (Demeter)
Angela and Werner Michlits farm certified organic vineyards by Lake Neusiedl in Burgenland,
Austria, close to the Hungarian border. Meinklang means “my harmony”— in this case, their
harmony with the land, or organic winemaking. The Pinot Gris is rich and full on the palate, very
much Alsatian in style, with almond, yellow apple, and poached pear aromas and flavors. The
Pinot Noir is classically Burgundian with dark cherry, strawberry, and earth aromas followed by
a palate filled with a fruit-driven texture and an intriguing complexity. These wines are somehow
unusual—layered, complex, flavorful, and fascinating—in ways that draws one in and
holds the interest. I attribute the dynamism of both wines to the vineyard and the Michlitses.

Mas de la Dame, Les Baux Provence Rouge "Cuvee Gourmande" 2007, $16.99
Van Gogh painted this winery bathed in the "sunlight and blue skies" of Provence. Nostradamus predicted the tidal wave to end the Western World would stop at the gate of Mas de la Dame. How convenient. Either they have a great publicist, or they have made great wine for centuries. I can testify to their 21st century quality: stellar all organic and classic robust provençal reds and a delicate dry rosé with an amazing olive oil to boot. Blended from the usual provençal suspects of Grenche, Syrah, Carignane, and Mourvedre, this friendly red comes in the squat old-style bottle of Provence. The inviting redfruit, spice, pepper and dried Provencal herb-scented nose is but a preface to the fleshy, ripe flavors of red and black fruits that make a perfect complement to grilled duck, chicken, or sausages.

La Bastide Saint Dominique, Cotes du Rhone Rouge "Jules Rochebonne" 2008, $16.99 (normally $19.99)
(80% Syrah, 20% Grenache; Rhone Valley, France)
Winemaker Eric Bonnet and his family live and work their vineyards just west of the village of Courthezon in the appellation of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. This classic red Cotes du Rhone is blended from the usual (Rhone) suspects of Grenache and Syrah in an ununsual blend of 80% Syrah and 20% Grenache that is a reverse of the standard. The Syrah shows black fruits and shot with black olive and black pepper. The Grenache adds lovely, intense red fruits with a bit of the garrigue (the “heather” or herbs that grow wild in the hills: rosemary, sage, thyme, lavender…) underneath. It is richly fruited on the palate, smooth on the finish.