March 2018 Wine Review: be ready for Easter! - Vintips til Påske 2018!

Easter holidays are around the corner, Spring is coming soon with its sun, its barbecues and nice wines! It is time for you to discover new wine combinations. 

At Hibiscus Dinners, we like to make you taste new and original wines that you are not used to drink in your daily life. We love to try wines from a wide range of countries: France, Spain, South Africa, USA… 

Here is our selection for the upcoming spring season, as usual we like to propose you unique and delicious wines.

Suenen Oiry Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Extra Brut 2013

If you want to try an amazing champagne, the one produced by Aurélien Suenen is for you! They produce champagne respecting the land and tradition. This Blanc de Blancs is 100% Chardonnay, representing perfectly the Côte des Blancs specificities.

Less than 20.000 bottles of this grand cru are produced each year. We love the brisk and fresh nose with citrus notes along with a clean and mineral finish. We really enjoy extra brut or brut nature champagne for their low input of sugar, this gives the full singularity of the grapes used. 

You can find this bottle at Vinmonopolet for 499,90NOK. Not sold in Norway but worth trying if you are traveling in France and more specifically in the Champagne region, their MBDA vintage is fabulous (Chardonnay and Pinot Noir alliance).

Olivier Rivière - Gabaxo 2016

A French wine maker in Spain, how unusual! Olivier Rivière came in the Rioja region in 2006, deciding to produce organic and biodynamic wines. Back in the days it was a bold choice as Spain mostly produced quantity over quality.

The Gabaxo wine is Olivier Rivière's only wine that blends grapes from different parcels within Rioja. It is a alliance of Tempranillo and Garnacha coming each from 500 and 600 meters plateau in Rioja. It is a fresh red wine yet full bodied with hints of black berries and leather. A great wine to pair with a beef tartare or a roasted lamb rack.

You can find this red wine at Vinmonopolet for 219,90NOK.

Craven Karibib Chenin Blanc 2016

Our third biodynamic wine selection in this review! Why drinking conventional wines when the organic ones are as good? It is good for the planet and good for you. This Chenin Blanc is produced on the coastal region of South Africa in a biodynamic parcel.

The grapes are whole-bunched pressed and let 5 months for a wild ferment and natural malolacto fermentation. The wine is slightly cloudy, has pear and ripe apple aromas with a fresh palate finishing with a nutty note. It will fit brilliantly with a scallop dish or a whole roasted seabass, you could also try it with an aged comté.

You can find this South African white wine at vinmonopolet for 259,90NOK.

March Wines: Spring is coming! - Mars Vintips: det er neste vårtidet!

Spring is around the corner and so are our wine recommendations! We are now enjoying longer and sunnier days, soon we will be all on our balconies, terraces and in the large parks of Oslo enjoying fresh, seasonal food. If you are making a delicious dinner, you need great wines!

As usual, we are trying to give you affordable yet delicious and original wines to pair with a wide range of dishes. 

Crémant de Bourgogne Charme Extra Brut 2014 - Jean-Paul Brun

Jean-Paul Brun Crémant

In the south of the Beaujolais region, about 30min drive from Lyon, you will find the domain of Jan-Paul Brun. This winemaker is mostly producing Beaujolais, from the typical Gamay grape one to the unusual sparkling red wine! Unless most of the Beaujolais winemaker, Jean-Paul Brun uses only the indigenous yeast found on his property, nearly never chaptalize his wines except necessary and reduce the use of sulfites to the strict minimum.

So Jean-Paul Brun is making great authentic natural wines at its best! The Crémant he produces is very well balanced: fresh and rounded. Has some hints of citrus as well as white fruits. This wine will fit perfectly with some fresh oysters, a meunière sole or a chicken prepared in a supreme sauce. 

This crémant is as good as a champagne. The value is, therefore, amazing! You can find this crémant for 199,90nok at Vinmonopolet. Don't hesitate to check his other amazing wines, including the Beaujolais Nouveau 2016, the Fleurie 2015 or the Moulin à Vent 2013; all are proposed at an attractive price for the value they represent.

Occhipinti SP 68 Bianco 2015

Occhipinti SP68 Bianco

This is a delightful and original Sicilian white wine. Produced by Arianna Occhipinti in the south of Sicily, she is making natural and organic wines since 2004. This particular wine is made out of 50% Albanello and 50% Zibibbo (also known as Muscat of Alexandria). All the wines Arianna produces are made with indigenous yeast and a minimum of sulfites; most of the process is let to nature so the wines truly express the identity of the land the grapes grow on.

This white wine has a golden color, has almond, orange blossom flowers, and honey nose. You taste   a really fresh, fruity and deep white wine with a slightly bitter finish. It gets even better after some time in your glass. 

This wine could be very well enjoyed by itself before a meal, a nice fresh cheese, summer grilled vegetables or with a white fish dish. You can find it at Vinmonopolet for 224,90nok.

OMA Barbera D'Alba 2015

OMA Barbera D'Alba 2015

To start the spring well, we are going to the north of Italy; try this great and classic Barbera d'Alba blended especially for the Norwegian market by Ole Martin Alfsen. 

This red wine has the typical Barbera flavors: sour cherry, licorice, and blackberries. It is a balanced wine with a pretty long finish and a hint of herbal taste.

It will fit well with a pork saltimbocca, a roasted chicken or a 6-months aged Comté. You can find it at Vinmonopolet for 154,90nok.