Wine Review: Celebrating America’s 250th with wine

We are about to be witness to the biggest, loudest, most festive Fourth of July celebration in a very long time as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our country.

There will be fireworks displays in most of our cities, with personal fireworks afterwards. The events will be coupled with some gala feasts and family celebrations galore and, where there are celebrations, most assuredly there will be wine.

The question now arises, what wine? I believe that for this year's celebration, the dark red wines are the order of the day and the deeper and darker the wine, the better that it will fit in with the festivities. To aid the reader, I have selected several red wines that I feel will fit and honor this memorable occasion.

Quinta do Ataide Doc Douro Red 2017 ($26)
This extra dark red wine has been made with grapes that are mostly indigenous to Portugal. The aroma offers black fruit and an aroma similar to that of pine needles, coupled with vanilla and a hint of oak. The finish of this wine is also very Portuguese, stressing the dark fruits and that indefinable flavor that permeates the Portuguese red wines.

Bourbon Barrel Aged Cabernet Sauvignon ($23)
Take a well-made cabernet sauvignon and give it three months of extra aging in a recently emptied bourbon barrel and you have a masterpiece of winemaking. To eliminate a question which is often asked about wines aged in bourbon barrels, the answer is that there is no increase in the alcohol content of the wine. What bourbon barrel aging does impart is a warmth and softness with just the barest hint of the flavor of bourbon, which melds beautifully with the flavors and aromas of blackberry, plum, cherrychocolate, vanilla, coffee and a suggestion of spice. This is another wine that will nicely accompany anything that can be grilled or served or as an aperitif when entertaining guests or when reading a good book.

Dry Creek Vineyard Heritage Vines 2022 Zinfandel ($44)
It appears that Sonoma County's Dry Creek Vineyard is the “in” place to grow quality zinfandel wine grapes, and this wine will prove the truth of that statement without any doubt. This very dark red wine has been made from 20-year-old vines, and it explores the depth and intricacies of the variety it is famous for. The dominant flavors are boysenberry, cranberry, cherry and raspberry, which are there in abundance. There is also the red wine's telltale aroma and flavor of black currants. The aroma is rich, offering black cherry, blackberry and the zinfandel signature raspberry, ending in a suggestion of chocolate and spice. True to the tradition at Dry Creek Valley Vineyards, this wine is well made and, in my opinion, is an exceptional representative of the intricacies of a zinfandel wine.

Riva Leone 20212 Piedmonte Barbera ($20)
Two things on the label stood out to me, that the wine was a barbera and that the grapes were from Piedmont, Italy. Piemonte, in northwestern Italy, is one of the finest grape-growing districts in Italy and is noted for its barbera grapes. This wine presents a cherry and berry aroma that seems to continually expand as it sits in the glass. The flavor is fruity with a positive, but not objectionable, oak background and a hint of spiciness. It is the ideal wine to accompany Italian foods made with white sauce, the favorite sauce of northern Italy.

Please dear reader, enjoy the 250th Fourth of July celebration and all that it stands for, but do so without overdoing the libation. Use care and good sense in the handling of fireworks so that you may enjoy the holiday and many others in the future.

Wine columnist and Nixa resident Bennet Bodenstein can be reached at frojhe1@att.net.