Taking Flights at Uva Wine Bar

Last month we reported on Uva, the new self-service wine bar in Mashpee, [Cape Cod] which opened after two years of construction and permitting delays. This lively spot is a welcome addition to the less-than-stellar wine offerings in our part of the Cape, and it’s giving the traditional cafe and wine bar Trevi a run for its money.

Lisa’s one gripe about Uva was the lack of suggested wine flights for the curious customer. It seems the self-service format is ideal for 2-oz pours of wine across a a single vintage, grape, terroir, or region. So we returned to Uva and set up our own flights–Gary with bold reds and Lisa with Sauvignon Blanc. We ordered a build-your-own cheese board and a few appetizers and set up an eight-wine VinoDuo tasting right at the table.
SAUVIGNON BLANC FLIGHT
Lisa selected two sauv blancs from the Loire Valley, and one each from New Zealand and Washington. Her rankings, from best to worst are:

1. Domaine de l’Epinay, Sauvignon Blanc ‘Primula,’ Loire Valley 2023 $24 MUST BUY
2. Decibel Wines, Crownthorpe Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Hawkes Bay, NZ 2023 $22
3. Jaine, Evergreen Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Columbia Valley, WA 2022 $22
4. Domaine Paul Cherrier, Sancerre, Loire Valley 2022 $25

As with all varietals, Sauvignon Blanc’s flavor profile varies from region to region and winemaker to winemaker. Lisa’s #1 pick was the Primula from the Loire Valley. And her least favorite was the Domaine Paul Cherrier–from the Loire Valley.

The Primula was pale blonde, with honey on the nose [Gary noted a salt water taffy aroma], grapefruit on the palate, and long finish. “Fresh, bone dry, and easy to drink.”

The Cherrier was “thin” but, paradoxically also “in your face.” Of the other two wines, Lisa found the Hawkes Bay, New Zealand SB “surprisingly restrained” [as compared with the aggressive flavors from Marlborough, NZ sauv blancs] with a round mouth feel and limestone and lychee on the palate. The Evergreen from Columbia Valley, WA was a bit “tinny,” but with “cinnamon and peaches” on the palate.

BOLD RED FLIGHT
Gary went to the four corners of the globe to select his four bold reds: Spain, France, Australia, and California.

1. Kermit Lynch Cotes du Rhone Villages, Rhone Valley 2023 $15 MUST BUY
2. Michael David Winery, Earthquake Zinfandel, Lodi, CA 2021 $24
3. First Drop Winery, Mother’s Milk Shiraz, Barossa Valley, AU 2021 $22
4. Vinícola del Priorat, Onix Classic, Catalonia, SP 2021 $30

His favorite by a mile was the Cotes du Rhone, which at $15 a bottle is an absolute steal. Dark garnet color and medium bodied, the Villages offers “toasted caramel on the nose, with hints of leather.” Gary noted the wine’s “excellent structure and complexity” and was wowed by “spicy licorice and black currants” on the palate.

The Zin from Michael David Winery was a deep, dark purple, with baking spices and and leather on the nose, black fruit on the palate, and a “finish that goes on and on.” Slightly “grippy tannins give the wine complexity.” The Shiraz and Priorat were both disappointing, but that’s the beauty of a “self-serve” wine bar. Paying a few dollars for a 2 oz pour beats dropping $20 on a glass of something you wind up not liking.

We’re excited Uva has moved in to our neighborhood on the Cape and look forward to a summer of wine discoveries, two ounces of wine at a time!