In the late 1800s, successful wine brokers the Flegenheimer Bros. had 12 wine stores in New York City. Does that name ring a bell?
Just for your information and because we like dirty little tidbits, one of the most maniacal killers during the Prohibition era was Arthur Flegenheimer, better known to the world as Dutch Schultz; bootlegger, racketeer and founder of the infamous numbers racket. Dutch Schultz departed us in typical gangland fashion, shot to death in 1935, thus ending a long and violent carrier.
We have checked and the names seem not to be connected. However, we are not absolutely sure, and the use of the family name stirs the mind and brings back pictures of a wilder bygone time.
Flegenheimer Bros. 2010 Reserve Red Wine ($30)The wine bares a label designed in the artistic mode of the 1890s, portraying a typical buxom turn-of-the-century girl draped with several American flags and surrounded by wine barrels and a still.
Inside the bottle is a deep red-colored wine made from Australian grown shiraz and petite sirah grapes. Dark summer berries and chocolate dominate the aroma and flavor with obvious hints of vanilla and oak. The finish is long and laced with the impression of cracked black pepper.
OK, so we got carried away with the Dutch Schultz stuff, but this is a really good wine and deserves your attention.
Banrock Station 2012 White Moscato ($8) Another interesting set of wines that also come from Australia and help cool the summer heat are the Banrock Station 2012 White Moscato and Banrock Station 2012 Pink Moscato.
The Banrock Station 2012 White Moscato adds an additional layer of enjoyment to the wine by making it slightly petulant (bubbly). The wine is not bubbly enough to be classified as a sparkling wine, so it isn't subject to the higher federal taxation reserved for sparkling wines.
This wine is alive with the aromas of lychee, pear and summer flower aromas and flavors, and is a perfect accompaniment for just about everything you may serve.
Banrock Station 2012 Pink Moscato ($8)Another song on the same theme, this light pink-colored wine has been blended with some red wine to give it the strawberry/raspberry flavor and aroma element.
This is a nice wine and a chance to see what the Australians can do with a very popular grape variety.
Bridlewood Estate Vineyards 2011 Monterey County Chardonnay ($15)If you are a fan of the heavier wines, Bridlewood Vineyards has just released two excellent burgundian style wines - a chardonnay and a pinot noir.
This chardonnay is a bright and crisp wine, which possesses an almost perfect balance between the fruit flavors and fruit acid.
The traditional California chardonnay aromas of pineapple, apple and citrus carry over to the flavor, where they mingle with vanilla and soft oak. The wine also has a creamy mouth feel and manages a bit of summer fruit flavor in the finish.
This wine proves a nice complement to roasted poultry, grilled seafood, veal based dishes and lighter pasta dishes.
Bridlewood Estate Vineyards 2011 Monterey County Pinot Noir ($18)The wine has a deep ruby red color which announces a complex aroma of fruit, accenting cherries, raspberries and oak.
Below the surface there is a swirling, kaleidoscopic array of dark summer fruits and berries, along with that indefinable incense-like aroma that, to us, marks a truly great pinot noir.
The flavor is as multifaceted as the aroma, presenting a host of cherry and berry flavors, all of which are wrapped in that pinot noir velvet softness. The finish is long and as interesting and complex as the aroma.
To be very honest, this wine is reminiscent of the great burgundies of the 1960s, and take our word for it, they were great pinot noirs.
This is the perfect wine for those outdoor barbecues that can accompany almost anything that you serve off of the grill.
Nixa resident Bennet Bodenstein is a wine columnist and helps manage ArticlesOnWine.com with his wife, Sheila. He can be reached at frojhe1@att.net.
