When a windfall of highly rated and high-priced wines lands in your lap, there seems to be only one logical and charitable thing to do.

Call the girlfriends. (And they were all too pleased to answer the call.)

So I kicked off an evening of wine and women with a Sonoma pinot, an Italian brunello, a Napa cab and blend, and Beth, Holly and Linda.

While we didn’t plan any specific pairings (although I did make a mushroom risotto thinking it might be a good complement to the wines), we each made food to share and taste beside each of the wines.

First on our enviable list was the 2009 de Coelo Pinot Noir, Terra Neuma Vineyard, from Sonoma Coast ($75 benziger.com). "De coelo" in Spanish means "of heaven" and there could be no more fitting name for this wine. The nose is very fragrant, with more spice than fruit, but the fruit makes a sophisticated entrance on the palate. Linda picked up blackberry, along with the black cherry, raspberry, cinnamon and vanilla that we all swooned over. It’s so very soft and delicate, yet maintains a firm structure and complexity. Nibbling on olive toasts with Port Salut cheese brought out the earthy character of the wine and even more applause for it. And pumpkin ravioli, courtesy of Linda, proved another good partner with its savory flavors and crème fraîche.

Dry Gwen made these notes on the de Coelo in a separate tasting: "Made by Benziger winery with fruit sourced from the Demeter-certified biodynamic Terra Neuma Vineyard. A deep, ruby color, this wine has a full and aromatic aroma of sweet strawberry and red and black cherries and berries with herbal, cola and licorice notes. This is a big pinot with a soft and smooth mouthfeel and a long finish. A complex and very enjoyable wine."

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Final part of our three-part round-up. See part one: under $20 reds. See part two: under $20 whites.

From Earthy:

2009 Biltmore Reserve Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley ($24.99 online shop.biltmore.com/)

Now this is a pinot with sass, if there can be such a thing. Candied cherries and raspberries on the aroma, with cherry, oak and vanilla in a round and gentle body. It’s your comforting, upstanding friend with a slight tendency toward mischief. This wine’s got attitude, but it still remains a little reserved and subdued.

2010 Domaine Vacheron Sancerre, France (online from $23.99)

This French sauvignon blanc has a nose with a delicate floral scent, but also gives up lemon and freshly-mowed grass. The light-medium body has a crisp acidity and carries lemon and grapefruit, but it’s not overly tart. It actually has a delicate mouthfeel, a short finish and is so very easy to enjoy. A Sunday brunch kind of wine in my book.

From Sweet:

2009 Seghesio Old Vine Carignane ($28 at seghesio.com)

Big, dark, beautiful. Dark fruits, rich stewed plums and a touch of mint flavor this heavy wine. It was a touch alcoholic but it felt in character with the wine. It had a spicy, lingering finish. This is a brooding wine but not dangerous. Delicious with burgers, pizza, red sauces or a very hot day.

2007 Conn Creek Cabernet Sauvignon ($25 Total Wine)

This Napa Valley wine under $30 had a deep, rich raspberry smell, beautiful balance and nice, well-integrated tannins. The alcohol is a little bit high and the wine ran a bit hot. A heavy usage of oak made it a bit awkward now though that might change and smooth over with a few years in the bottle.

2009 Flora Springs Barrel Fermented Chardonnay, Napa Valley ($29.98 winelibrary.com)

If you close your eyes and imagine a well-crafted, very typical California Chardonnay, the Flora Springs Chardonnay appears. It has all the characteristics you’d expect out of a California Chardonnay – oaky, caramelly, toasty, and buttery with notes of apples and pears. This is a well-crafted wine – it doesn’t have faults of being overly-oaky or leave you feel like you’re gnawing on wood. Full, big, and creamy buy this for your inner chard lover.

From Bold:

2007 Conn Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, Collins Holystone Vineyard, Napa ($24.99 Total Wine; $23.95 Crown; $27.99 ABC)

This is a limited-production series that lives up to the expectations of something that’s ‘limited’ – it’s a big, juicy red fruit-forward wine on the nose, and a tasty, zingy, spicy mouth full of yummy (that’s what my notes say!). It’s got some nice undertones of earth and cola. I’d buy this to go with a pizza or a nice rack of lamb.

2008 Reginato Celestina Sparkling Rose of Malbec, Mendoza (online from $20.99)

This is a very pretty wine, with a cherry/strawberry color that smells faintly of cherry. It’s a soft sparkling wine with strong bubbles to tickle the nose, some sour cherry notes on taste, and it ends with a malbec-like darker fruit taste. It’s an interesting wine and would add some gumption and color to a holiday table.

2008 Antinori Guado al Tasso Il Bruciato, Bolgheri, Italy ($24.99 online)

This blend of cabernet sauvignon (50 percent), merlot (30 percent) and syrah (20 percent) is from close to the Tuscan coastline. It’s aged 8 months in oak and 4 months in the bottle. The garnet-colored wine has a nose of slight cocoa and dark fruits. It was a bit tannic with dark cherries and blackberries on taste and a nice, smooth, long finish. This is a drink-with-meals wine and won’t disappoint on the table.

Part two of our three-part round-up. See part one: reds under $20.

From Earthy:

2010 Rodney Strong Charlotte’s Home Sauvignon Blanc, Northern Sonoma ($10.99 Total Wine and ABC)

A pale yellow color with aromas of lime and grass, it actually smelled juicy. It’s got a bright, yet tame acidity with citrus flavors, predominantly grapefruit. This is a friendly, appealing wine, and while its subdued acidity makes it a great match for food, it’s just as good for sipping by itself. And that price makes it an even better as an everyday sipper.

2010 Biltmore Reserve Viognier, North Carolina ($15.99 online at shop.biltmore.com)

Its color is enchanting: a pale yellow body with a pale green cast that shimmers in light. An aroma of pear, honey, and a little bit of orange that’s so elegant, it’s reminiscent of the intrigue of early evening scent of a woman who walks by and just a few seconds later you catch the air of her perfume.

The Biltmore has an almost airy feeling on the tongue, but finishes long with citrus and unripe pear; it’s almost sour here, but not in an unpleasant manner. It’s not as rich or honeyed as other viogniers I’ve tried from France and California.
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The Swirl Girls seem to be able to make a holiday out of just about any occasion that calls for gathering family and friends around home-cooked meals and exquisite bottles of wine. So when the holidays themselves roll around, we like to think we’re at the top of our game.

And what better way to celebrate our festive indulgences, those dear to us and the plethora of holiday parties now upon us than with the allure of sparkling wine?

We gathered recently to diligently ferret out the best in bubbly from a slew of wines we’ve received for review.

Whether you’re hosting your own soiree, attending a Christmas dinner or swirling and twirling as 2011 fades to 2012, we’ve got suggestions for the perfect pour to add sparkle and merriment to your holiday season.

Segura Viudas Brut Reserva Cava, Spain ($7.99 Total Wine; $10.99 at Publix): Spain’s contribution to sparkling wine is cava. The Segura Viudas didn’t wow us, but at that price it’s a great value for a respectable wine, especially if you find yourself in need of a case of wine for your party. It’s got citrus and apple and is a little minerally on the palate, but its winning way is that it’s not excessively dry, so it should appeal to a varied crowd.

La Marca Prosecco, Italy ($14.99 at Publix, ABC): A regularly celebrated drink in Italy, prosecco is the Italian homage to sparkling wine. The La Marca has big bubbles that produce a bright mouthfeel. It has a light, fruity aroma – almost sweet, even – of apples and citrus.

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We’ve been very busy swirlers over the last couple of months. So busy that our latest round-up of the wines that have been sent to us for review has to be divided into three parts. Today we present red wines under $20, and the other parts in the coming week will offer whites under $20, and reds and whites $20 and over.

Happy swirling!

From Earthy:

2009 Erath Pinot Noir, Oregon ($14.97 Total Wine; $19.99 ABC online; $17.97 Crown online)

The Erath pinot is a light shade of garnet and has a lovely sweet aroma with cherry and cinnamon. Like a cherry pie just removed from the oven.

It has a light-medium body with soft earthy notes up front and cherry and raspberry on the back end. There were sweet spices and more cinnamon… mmmmm. All of the flavors were propped up with a gentle dose of acidity. That $15 price tag is a tremendous value for such an impressive pinot. This is one I’d want multiple bottles of in the cabinet – for an unexpected guest, for a dinner party, as a gift, and best of all, for swinging in the backyard hammock.

2008 Casa Silva Los Lingues Gran Reserva Carmenere, Colchagua Valley, Chile ($17 – $24 online)

This carmenere has a deep garnet color and is virtually opaque when looking through the glass of wine. It’s a rich and powerful aroma of blackberries, currants and chocolate. The power comes through on the palate, too, with juicy blackberries, blueberries and raspberries, more chocolate, allspice and oak. But this power broker is a smooth operator. The tannins are tamed, and the body is full, balanced and satiating. This is your night at the opera: full of drama but with finesse, character and skill.
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I felt like Cinderella.

Each time one of my fellow Swirl Girls breathlessly described the wine dinner she was attending that night, and then practically grand jeté’d right out the office door to primp for it, I would pity myself without the vegetarian invitation.

But, lo, my Prince Charming finally arrived — two of them, actually, and did they have Rhythm!

For their last wine dinner of the year held last month West Palm Beach’s Rhythm Café co-owners Dennis Williams and Chef Ken Rzab plated five vegetarian courses to pair with ZD and Frog’s Leap wines. (Forty-eight guests paid $65, tax and tip included, to indulge in five wine pairings.)

Rhythm has long been a favorite of mine for delectable vegetarian options and an impressive wine selection, housed in a quirky, cozy atmosphere. (Be sure to check out the wall of old prom photos in the restaurant.) Read the full story

Swirl Girls readers are getting such a great deal at this year’s Lexus Taste at Downtown at the Gardens that we wanted to remind you today is the last day for a discounted advance admission ticket!

The “Taste Pass” is available to you for $35 — that’s 30 percent off the advance ticket price of $50. (If you wait to buy a ticket at the gate, it will cost you $75.) Just head over to the Lexus Taste at Downtown web site at www.tasteatdowntown.com and use the promo code SWIRLGIRLS when you make your purchase.

For more information and to see what we’re pouring, check out the previous story here.

Bold and I boasted so much about the fun we had pouring wine at the Lexus Taste at Downtown at the Gardens last year that Sweet and Dry have made sure to clear their calendars this year so they don’t miss out again.

We’re honored to have been invited to participate in this food and wine event that raises money for the Big Heart Brigade’s Thanksgiving Dinner Drive, which provides holiday meals for the less fortunate. On November 10, from 5:30 – 9:00 p.m., Downtown at the Gardens in Palm Beach Gardens will transform into a party venue with a plethora of culinary treats and libations, in addition to live music and a fireworks show.

However, the real thrill is, you get a discount on your advance ticket purchase because you’re a Swirl Girls reader. The “Taste Pass” is available to you for $35 (that’s 30 percent off the advance ticket price of $50!) Just head over to the Lexus Taste at Downtown web site at www.tasteatdowntown.com and use the promo code SWIRLGIRLS when you make your purchase.

If you need a little prodding to get out there and join us, we’ll be pouring a great selection of wines — something for every palate:

Wonderful whites:
Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut
Columbia Winery Cellarmaster’s Riesling
Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc

Ravishing reds:
Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Village
Oyster Bay Pinot Noir
Querceto Chianti Classico Reserva
Artesa Elements Cabernet Sauvignon
Brazin Old Vine Zinfandel

We’re looking forward to seeing you there and sharing a sip!

Summer is the season for whites: white sun dresses, white sandals, white linens… and certainly white wines. While you’d probably be hard pressed to find “earthy” white wines, this Earthy has some she’d like to share (with a couple of rosés thrown in for a little color) from the bounty that has been sent to the Swirl Girls for review.

2010 Bodega Tamarí Reserva Torrontés, La Rioja, Argentina ($9.99 at Crown online)

I’m having a love affair with an Argentine that started two years ago and I just can’t quit. With scents of citrus, tangerine and flowers, that make me think of the crisp, early days of spring as they begin to lengthen into summer, is it any wonder I’m addicted to the torrontés grape?
In addition to those aromas, the Bodega Tamarí has a gentle acidity with citrus and apples notes, and more of an off-dry palate than a super-crisp, dry one. Still a dreamy date for a late afternoon spell on the front porch…

2009 Snoqualmie Winemaker’s Select Riesling, Columbia Valley, Wash. ($8 on Snoqualmie web site)

Just like the honey-yellow color in the glass, the ample aromas of this semi-sweet riesling are of honey and peach. The sweet smell of fruit carries over to the palate with more honey and peach. It’s soft and flavorful with a juicy richness, like biting into an overripe peach with juice that drips from your chin. There’s a slight crispness in the mid-palate that helps balance the candied flavor. White zinfandel drinkers: take note and take a step away from the pink! This one will satisfy that sweet tooth, but also introduce you to complexity in wine and winemaking. Read the full story

Another July, another visit to my sister and her family in upstate New York and, yes, the now-requisite jaunt into the Finger Lakes wine region for a little northerly swirling.

But instead of sharing tasting notes with such mundane phrases as “smells like cherry,” proclaiming silly superlatives from the five wineries we visited along Seneca Lake makes for a much more entertaining exercise. (Besides, we were having way too much fun to do any serious contemplation about aroma and taste.)

So, from the tasting rooms of Damiani Wine Cellars, Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars, Rasta Ranch Vineyards, Red Newt Cellars and Standing Stone Vineyards come Earthy’s highly unscientific, ridiculously opinionated “Superlatives of the Finger Lakes”: Read the full story