Prickly Pears

Prickly Pears Has Wine!

Winelines
“Prickly Pears Has Wine!”
by John Mazzanovich ©2003

Prickly Pears is located on the corner of Hwy 98 & 36th St. in Mexico Beach. Their phone number is 850-648-1115.

So another week, another wine tasting, another good time. This time it was a Saturday afternoon at Prickly Pears in Mexico Beach. For those who may be unaware, Prickly Pears is a gourmet/gift/specialty shop (or “Gourmet Gallery”) that has recently acquired a wine/beer license. The owner, Dolores Lowery, has not only done a great job getting her business off the ground, she’s providing a great service to those of us desperately seeking a source for reggiano and other hard-to-find delectables! You may also want to check out her selection of local art, hand-made chocolates and the incredible assortment of gourmet foods, including cheeses, oils, salsas, hot sauces, herbs, spices, mushrooms, jellies, mustards and more.

Tell me, where else along the Forgotten Coast can you find would-be mainstays like reggiano parmesean, shiitake mushrooms and herbs de Provence, as well as exotic curiosities such as wasabi lime mustard, fresh garlic jelly and jalapeno chocolate? To fill in the picture, imagine a broad selection of herbs and spices (many organic) from marjoram and basil to saffron and whole vanilla beans. Flavored balsamic vinegars of all types—raspberry, pear, champagne and more. Cheeses like goat, mascarpone, sap sago and bleu, not to mention the fabulous hand-made cheeses of the Forgotten Coastline—asiago, mozzarella, pepper jack, sharp cheddar and the latest, habenero cheddar.

Craig Merriam of Craig’s Forgotten Coast Cheeses was on hand sampling his wares, as was Jeffery Lenderman, District Manager for Southern Wine & Spirits, who was pouring the wines. Local artists Chuck Creasy, Sam Kates and Sue Haddox were also on hand to promote their works.

Starting with the whites, the sweetest was “Obsession” by Ironstone Vineyards in California. This is a very sweet wine, but not syrupy like a dessert wine (although you certainly could have it with dessert). White Zinfandel lovers would do themselves well to check out this wine. This is also a great beach/picnic wine—it goes GREAT with sunshine! I also think it would make for a great spritzer. Very affordable, as well.

Two dry Rieslings were present, from Bonny Doon and Jacob’s Creek. The Pacific Rim Riesling from Bonny Doon is always a winner. It’s light acidity and copious fruit on the nose makes it a crowd pleaser and a great “sipping wine”. It’s also a terrific package to look at (Bonny Dune is the king of progressive marketing). Jacob’s Creek Reserve Riesling was my favorite white wine at the tasting (don’t let the screw cap fool you, you’ll be seeing more and more great wineries using them). Even drier, with much higher acidity and classic notes of peach and melon, the only thing that separates this from the classic German Rieslings is the absence of earth—in this case, that wonderful mineral flavor and texture (think “tongue on stone”). An excellent wine, in my opinion.

Ferrari-Carano and Geyser Peak represented the Sauvignon Blanc category and both showed very well. The Ferrari-Carano is a little more expensive and, at least in this case, you get what you pay for. Both are varietally correct, showing lots of crisp acidity and grapefruit.

The other two whites were Kris Pinot Grigio and Dunnewood’s Signature Chardonnay from Carneros. The Pinot Grigio will make Pinot Grigio lovers very happy. It’s very easy to drink, light on the palate and the head! The Signature Chardonnay had obviously gone through a substantial amount of malolactic fermentation and spent quite a lot of time in French oak. Lots of vanilla and butter with a very creamy texture.

Four reds were on hand. Ripassa Valpolicella delivers what it should, a very soft “raiseny” wine (Valpolicella is famous for their wines, the grapes for which a partly dried in the sun before the wine-making process). Also easy to drink was the Marques de Riscal Reserve Rioja from Spain. Ligher bodied than the Ripassa, moderate acidity makes this wine very accessable and the strong presence of mushrooms is typical for wines from the Rioja region.

The other two reds were bolder in style. Bonny Doon’s Big House Red is a perinnial favorite of mine, and this year’s edition is a blend of 11 different varieties. Syrah predominates only slightly, as the blend of Rhone, Bordeaux and Italian varieties makes for a very balanced and well rounded wine. Cherries and blackberries are most evident, with floral notes apparent. Merlot lovers, check out this wine. (Again, don’t let the screw cap fool you!)

The big dog red of the tasting (and my favorite red) was Geyser Peaks Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Built to last, I can see this wine again gracefully for 15 years, with it peaking in 10. Classic French oaked Sonoma Cabernet, it’s a very rich wine with loads of tannin, giving it a hearty backbone. Cedar, cherries and dark chocolate predominate. Very stout wine and very well made.

Drop in and check out Prickly Pears and get a glimpse of the future of Forgotten Coast specialty retail today!

John Mazzanovich can be reached at 899-3600 or

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