Wines of the Week

Coopers Creek, New Zealand, Sauvignon Blanc 2010 $9 --Nice bouquet; drank drier than it smelled; nice wine.
Chalone - Pinot Blanc 2007; A favorite of mine; first time I have had the 2007; good blend of oak and fruit; $16
Termes 2004- Spain ; I have had this wine in my celler for several years; $23; Toro grape which is also called tempranillo, the grape of rioja. Big wine, not great but enjoyed. Not enough balance yet, probably could use another few years in bottle. I have a few more bottles. This wine gets raves from the critics.The WA gave it a 94 and says that it is currently selling for $90. Oh my.
Malvira Sagiletto 2008 Roero Arneis, $18,Piemonte, Italy -- Enjoyed this white wine. BTW Malvira appears to be a winery worth seeking. I have recently a few of their wines and have been impressed.

Several nights ago I finally ate at Lupa in NYC luparestaurant.com. A Mario Batali production in Greenwich Village. Had a good meal. The food is fresh and the prices are very reasonable. I had wild striped bass and started with clams mixed with something like cous cous, olives and spaghetti squash. Had caramel gelati for dessert which was so-so.  Flavor was good but it did not taste like gelati.

 The wine was a Brandini Langhe Nebbiolo 2003 $57. I must admit that I had the "wine person" choose the wine. After speaking with me about my likes she chose a very safe wine. Interestingly I said I wanted a wine under $50 and she rounded up to $57. Oh well. I could have said no.The wine was very good and we enjoyed it immensely. BTW when we arrived they told that we had to leave in 90 minutes and at the end of the meal they just gave us our check without asking. I guess Manhattan trumps Italy no matter how authentic a restaurant tries to be.