It’s said the third time is a charm.

Yet, we’d have to whole-heartedly disagree, because, frankly, the first time was quite charming itself.

Our regulars (dare I say, groupies?) will know. And for anybody who hasn’t experienced the boisterous laughter that infects a room of the Swirl Girls and their swirling guests, you have another chance to join the camaraderie and tasting!

We are thrilled to announce another Swirl Girls’ Swirl-Up: Café Chardonnay in Palm Beach Gardens, on Wednesday, Aug. 25, from 6-8 p.m.

We’ve got an intriguing selection of eight wines from vineyards across the globe that are sure to tantalize your palate and test your pronunciation of foreign languages.

The wines alone will be enough to make you salivate, but Swirl-Up temptations don’t stop there. Café Chardonnay will be serving paired appetizers with our chosen elixirs… go ahead, dream a sumptuous dream.

The upstairs level of Café Chardonnay in Palm Beach Gardens will be the site for the third Swirl-Up on Aug. 25. (Libby Volgyes/The Palm Beach Post)

The cost is $45 per person – a great value on its own, but even more impressive when you know $15 of that is going directly to a local charity, as determined by the Swirl Girls. There are only 24 spots for this Swirl-Up – so first reserved, first served.

If this Swirl-Up is like the previous ones (shhhh, we think it’s going to be even better…) then run for your phone! The others sold out within an hour of readers blinking the sleep from their eyes and seeing the Wednesday morning Food section story. Call the restaurant at (561) 627-2662 with your credit card in hand to reserve your spot now.

Of course, don’t let us influence you. The wines we’ll be serving should take care of that:

2009 Calera Rosé, Vin Gris of Pinot Noir, Central Coast

EARTHY: I like a label that describes its wine as “spunky and fun.”
I like spunky and fun. I’m not sure I would use those descriptors for this rosé, but I did feel comfortable using more unusual adjectives than normal.

Instead of the typical strawberry aroma, most prominent to me were stems and wet earth with an undertone of berries. On the palate, it was slightly heavier and creamier than many roses I’ve drank, but still crisp, and flavors of cherry and cranberry lingered on the finish. As with most rosés we’ve tried, Sweet and I described it like the lighthearted friend who doesn’t ask too much of you and is quick with a smile and a hug.

2008 Jean Ginglinger Pinot Blanc “Cuvée George”, Alsace

DRY: This was an SG favorite for the whites we tried at the pre-tasting. It had a light, breezy aroma of white flowers, honeysuckle, peach, sweet apple and pear. Those aromas were also present on the palate, but what made the wine really nice was a racy line of acidity that balanced its sweet, perfumed quality. The sweet fruits and high acidity levels found in wines from this region in France makes them easy to pair with everything from light seafood dishes to spicy Asian fare. These wines can taste almost sweet and fruity but they finish clean and dry.

2007 Adelsheim Auxerrois, Willamette Valley

SWEET: Adelsheim what? I know, you thought you were going to get a nice, simple white and a laugh hanging out with the Swirl Girls and here, rounding out our duo of different whites, is the unique Adelsheim Auxerrois. It’s a cross between a pinot noir and the ignoble grape Gouais blanc.

This light wine from the Willamette Valley in Oregon has a nose that conjures up one word: stone. It has a hint of peach and apricot and a strong minerality that reminded me of hiking through the Granite Mountains of New Hampshire and dipping my feet in the ice-cold rivers.

I loved this wine due to its hint of residual sugar that brought out the Sweet smile in me. No, it’s not a riesling or even a riesling-wannabe. It’s bizarre, obscure (only two places in the United States make it) and decidedly its own taste. I hope you’ll dig it as much as I do. And if not, you can totally impress every wine geek you know by bragging that you tried an Auxerrois.

2008 Bishop’s Peak Pinot Noir, Central Coast

EARTHY: This pinot carries a big cherry nose and a pinch of sweet earth. The body definitely favors fruit on the palate over some pinots that deliver more earth. It’s a lighter style pinot noir with almost non-existent tannins, but still manages a smooth medium-length finish. It’s a very likeable wine and will appeal to most red wine drinkers. Even you white wine zealots who think you don’t have a palate for reds just might be converted.

2008 Viña Cobos Felino Merlot, Mendoza

EARTHY: Most of the girls got berries, lots of berries, from this wine. Dry Gwen even likened it to the McDonald’s of berries when she scribbled “super-sized berries” in her notes. Bold came away with currants on the nose and a slight spice on the taste. This merlot presented to us all a dry, solid body with a beautiful balance of fruit and smooth, firm tannins. The label design, inspired by Argentina aboriginal art, with its primeval-looking creature, is a harbinger for the intense layers of black cherries, raspberries, oak and exotic spices.

2007 Château Haut-Monplaisir Cahors

DRY: Hold on to your hats, this is NOT an Argentine malbec! Welcome to Cahors, where malbec was king before ever touching South American soil. But don’t expect the big fruit and jammy wines we’ve come to know and love. This is an entirely different beast. On first whiff, I was reminded of walking through a thick, dark forest after a rainstorm. The aromas are reminiscent of wet leaves underfoot and a rocky minerality. Sure there is fruit, but it takes a backseat to a more earthy quality.

On the palate, the wine stays true to its earthy aromas and is very Old World in style. I did get a blueberry and black plum flavor as well, but it was more of the skin than the fruit. The wine is medium-bodied and as dry as dry can be. The firm, almost rustic tannins sucked every last drop of moisture from my mouth on the long finish. Rather than a cowboy, this wine is like a strong and earnest farm worker with sun-baked skin and calloused hands. It’s a little tough to drink alone, but would be great with a hearty meat and potatoes meal.

2008 M. Chapoutier, Domaine de Bila-Haut Occultum Lapidem, Côtes du Roussillon-Villages

DRY: Chapoutier’s Domaine de Bila-Haut Occultum Lapidem comes from the Côtes du Roussillon Villages, a subregion within the Roussillon considered to produce wines that are stronger in character and higher in quality than the larger region. The Occultum Lapidem is a blend of grenache, syrah and carignan from the commune of Latour de France. The wine had a lovely aroma of black cherry, cassis and plum as well as an earthy and grilled herb character. On the palate, the wine had a great balance of fruit and earth flavors, medium/full body, nicely integrated tannins for such a young wine, and a long, dry finish.

The Rare Wine Co., New York Malmsey Special Reserve

SWEET: For dessert, we get to offer you a Madeira from Sonoma County. If you haven’t yet been inducted into the Madeira club, Madeira is a fortified wine originally from Portugal that’s made in a variety of styles from not quite as sweet to sumptuously sweet. Of course, I picked the sweetest style to serve, the New York Malmsey Special Reserve.

This is not your mama’s Sauternes. It’s a masculine, sinfully rich, powerful dessert wine. On the nose, I picked up aromas of figs, crème brûlée and espresso. It’s very smooth in the mouth, slightly heavy and layers of taste leading to a medium finish that reminded me of spiced nuts at Christmas time.