Special Events: Southern Arizona Music and Wine

Our daughter came home for the week from California last Friday. We had a very enjoyable weekend with her here. We had our favorite Peking duck at the Old Peking restaurant. We met some friends in Tubac (south of Tucson). Then we had a terrific summer wine tasting at The Grill on the Green at Canoa Ranch in Green Valley. We discovered a couple of very good wines at the tasting, and at excellent prices. We always enjoy discovering new wines, and these tastings also have a variety of delicious things to nibble. In this tasting, I was impressed at how descriptive and accurate the write-ups of the wines were; I could almost taste them before I actually sipped them.

We liked the sparkling wine from Saint-Hillaire, France. We ordered several bottles of it; it's so fresh, lively, and crisp, great for summer afternoon sipping. At a fraction of the cost, this to us is a better buy than real champagne. We also liked an Argentine wine Torrontes, from La Linda Mendoza. The following is a great description of the wine (which we ended up ordering also). “Clear yellow-greenish color, has floral aromas related to rose, globeflower, and some lavender. The first impression in the mouth is sweet with balanced acidity; white peaches are perceived and hints of sugar coated orange skin. Excellent balance between floral and fruity characteristics. Pair with white meat and humita pies (Argentinian corn pies).” We agreed and found the wine very well balanced.

In another wine tasting we recently attended at McMahon's Prime Steakhouse, we also ordered a couple of bottles that we especially liked. These are Layer Cake's Primitivo from Puglia, Italy and the Shiraz/Cab blend, Brothers in Arms from Langhorne Creek, Australia. Our friends from England recommended wines from the Bogel Vineyards, California. We have tried a couple of bottles and liked them too. So we have been discovering and tasting new wines for the last few months.

Another Wine Tasting and Music event will be at the Hacienda del Sol Guest Ranch on Sunday May 31, 2009, from 4:30 – 5:30pm. The Hacienda del Sol Guest Ranch Resort is located at 5601 N. Hacienda del Sol Road, in the Tucson Foothills. This wine tasting features wine provided by the Robertson Winery. It is $10 per person, which includes tasting of wine, or choice of beer or soft drink, and light hors d'oeuvres. If you would like to attend, please call (520) 529-3500 for reservations. We will be there with another friend. So come to learn, taste, and appreciate the featured wines; come also to learn how to listen more deeply and sensitively to the great music of our civilization. Renowned composer Daniel Asia, Professor of Composition and Head of the Composition Department of the U of A, will be there to celebrate music of an intimate sort that was written for the piano