Am I a sucker for advertising, or what? I freely admit that if the ad campaign works I will gleefully buy what I have been told to buy; not only because I am a trained American consumer, but I limit myself to sources that I trust. Lately, I have been enjoying my free issues of "Fresh", the advertising/recipe laden magazine you get gratis from Hannaford if you spend over 25.00. (Like I can ever get out of there without spending 200.00 with a family of four) This recent issue had a great recipe that I tried last week and had great success.
Garlic Lime Swordfish Kabobs. Sounds like a summer deck meal, doesn't it? First you create a strong marinade with olive oil, cilantro, garlic and lime juice...put it in ziploc bag and put in cubes of swordfish, pineapple and onion and let them marinate for three hours. Then the easy part...cook on the grill for 3 to 5 mins on each side. Done! Place on a bed of rice and serve with some veggie...I used asparagus. Based on the recipe suggestion, Hannaford paired Hogue Riesling so I purchased it out of curiousity (I was reading the recipe while I was in the store).
The sweet, light bodied Riesling balanced nicely with the sharp citrus marinade and the extra sweet Pineapple. The Hogue Riesling hails from Washington State. Riesling is a gift of the Germans to wine lovers, most of the very best of them come from the Saar and Mosel valleys. Some are very sweet, some are bone dry like slate, all are complex and pair well with lots of food. This domestic Riesling was simple, sweet, maybe a touch too soft, but easy to drink. Rhonda enjoyed hers and has liked other Washington Rieslings like Arbor Crest. For me, it was more of meal pairing. It worked well with dinner, but you won't catch me drinking Riesling otherwise. Hogue was ten dollars and well worth the money for an easy white. This wine would pair well with Chinese food also.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Chilean Value
Chilean and Argentine wines are so hot right now, and that's a good thing. Not only are they priced right, but they offer so much wine for the money. Dollar for dollar, a chilean wine will knock your socks off when compared to a domestic wine of the same varietal. And in this economy, that's a double score! I would like to share with you a new find from Chile that is worthy of your attention.
Recently, I had dinner at my mother's house and her husband selected a delicious red wine called Veo Ultima Cabernet Sauvignon. Her husband is notorious for selecting wine based solely on price and most always at the cheapest price point he can find. However, this dinner being a special occaision for us, he had to break his long standing tradition. Dinner was a hearty affair, starting with grilled marinated shrimp with orange wasabi sauce followed by filet mignon and mashed potatoes. The bottle of Veo stood out to me, mostly because I was unfamiliar with it. Curious, I poured myself a glass and enjoyed the aroma: fruit and earth covered lightly with wisps of wooden age. The first sip was tight (this wine would have loved 20-30 minutes to open up)but it showed off its character right away; light body but with a roundness that made it pleasant, dark tart blackberry on the tongue followed by a dusty oaken finish. Not an overly complex wine at all, but one that deserved contemplation in the glass with each sip. And as for the food pairing, well, it lifted the grilled flavors in the filet and continued its finish long after the meat was swallowed. A real delight and it turns out that it was only 11.99 (still a 4 or 5 dollar improvement on my hosts' normal wine budget). The Ultima is a 2007 reserve drawn from three different vineyards owned by Veo in the Colchagua Valley in Chile. Most of the soil these cabernet grapes came from is gravel or rock strewn; hearty vines make hearty wines I guess. The key to this wine is that it has been aged 14 months in French Oak, so a little patience went a long way with this affordable beauty.
If you haven't tried Chilean wines yet, there are plenty of 7.99 - 9.99 choices to dip your foot in the pool, so to speak. but if your willing to spend a few more dollars, you can really enjoy some flavor and finish.
Recently, I had dinner at my mother's house and her husband selected a delicious red wine called Veo Ultima Cabernet Sauvignon. Her husband is notorious for selecting wine based solely on price and most always at the cheapest price point he can find. However, this dinner being a special occaision for us, he had to break his long standing tradition. Dinner was a hearty affair, starting with grilled marinated shrimp with orange wasabi sauce followed by filet mignon and mashed potatoes. The bottle of Veo stood out to me, mostly because I was unfamiliar with it. Curious, I poured myself a glass and enjoyed the aroma: fruit and earth covered lightly with wisps of wooden age. The first sip was tight (this wine would have loved 20-30 minutes to open up)but it showed off its character right away; light body but with a roundness that made it pleasant, dark tart blackberry on the tongue followed by a dusty oaken finish. Not an overly complex wine at all, but one that deserved contemplation in the glass with each sip. And as for the food pairing, well, it lifted the grilled flavors in the filet and continued its finish long after the meat was swallowed. A real delight and it turns out that it was only 11.99 (still a 4 or 5 dollar improvement on my hosts' normal wine budget). The Ultima is a 2007 reserve drawn from three different vineyards owned by Veo in the Colchagua Valley in Chile. Most of the soil these cabernet grapes came from is gravel or rock strewn; hearty vines make hearty wines I guess. The key to this wine is that it has been aged 14 months in French Oak, so a little patience went a long way with this affordable beauty.
If you haven't tried Chilean wines yet, there are plenty of 7.99 - 9.99 choices to dip your foot in the pool, so to speak. but if your willing to spend a few more dollars, you can really enjoy some flavor and finish.
Monday, July 13, 2009
The Big Claw has arrived!
As a retailer, you have to look upon gimmic wine labels with a skeptical eye. You have to weigh several factors before deciding the fate of a wine with a whimsical label: How is the wine?, Is the label offensive?, Do I have customers who would be attracted to the label? What about the price? All of these factors weigh in differently at different times of the year. For instance, recently I picked up a label called The Sopranos. One is a chianti and the other a pinot grigio, the two most identified Italian wines. The label features the t.v. logo and silhouette handguns...pretty cheesy. Not to mention that the show has been off t.v. for two or three years. But then again, the chianti was decent; full, medium body, touch of tannic dryness and a splash of black cherry fruit finished off with some spice. And then I knew of two or three Italian heritage customers who were fans of the show. So I picked them up and they are selling well currently.
The newest of the gimmic wines to come my way is Big Claw. It's a wine purportedly designed to go "perfectly" with lobster. And just to make sure you understand that, there is a giant Maine Lobster claw gracing the label. The wine is a blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Colombard. It's sort of a classic French white Bordeaux styled blend with the colombard tossed in to give it a bright flash of citrus fruit.
I was skeptical, to say the least. it would be akin to finding a wine label that showed a cow's hindquarters on the label and was called Tender Hoof: the Perfect Steak wine. But I could see the value of finding a gimmic wine that took the guesswork out of pairing a wine with lobster. And priced at 11.99, it was in the right ballpark. So I decided to put it to the test.
On July 4th we hosted some long lost friends for the weekend to indulge in food and wine. While neither Rhonda nor I are big fans of lobster, we thought we could serve Big Claw with some mussels and get the same effect. We started by making a broth with half a cup of the wine, chopped onions, chopped garlic, chopped tomatoes, and cubed pepperoni. After bringing this savory stew to a boil we dropped the mussels in and covered the pot, letting the mussels absorb the steamy aroma of the broth. In just minutes it was done and we served them on a big platter, with plenty of the broth in the bottom for dipping with bread. The wine paired perfectly with the mussels and we all agreed that it truly would be perfect with lobster or shrimp. The wine had plenty of structure, almost too heavy in the mouth at first, but then the acidity sparkled through and carried the fresh fruit finish to all corners of the mouth. It was fine to drink on its own, but it was truly meant to be a food wine with plenty of power and finish to enhance seafood prepared in most any style. We actually tried two other white wines, but they paled in comparison to the Big Claw.
So I will be carrying this wine at Foodstop, and not just because of the pretty label!
The newest of the gimmic wines to come my way is Big Claw. It's a wine purportedly designed to go "perfectly" with lobster. And just to make sure you understand that, there is a giant Maine Lobster claw gracing the label. The wine is a blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Colombard. It's sort of a classic French white Bordeaux styled blend with the colombard tossed in to give it a bright flash of citrus fruit.
I was skeptical, to say the least. it would be akin to finding a wine label that showed a cow's hindquarters on the label and was called Tender Hoof: the Perfect Steak wine. But I could see the value of finding a gimmic wine that took the guesswork out of pairing a wine with lobster. And priced at 11.99, it was in the right ballpark. So I decided to put it to the test.
On July 4th we hosted some long lost friends for the weekend to indulge in food and wine. While neither Rhonda nor I are big fans of lobster, we thought we could serve Big Claw with some mussels and get the same effect. We started by making a broth with half a cup of the wine, chopped onions, chopped garlic, chopped tomatoes, and cubed pepperoni. After bringing this savory stew to a boil we dropped the mussels in and covered the pot, letting the mussels absorb the steamy aroma of the broth. In just minutes it was done and we served them on a big platter, with plenty of the broth in the bottom for dipping with bread. The wine paired perfectly with the mussels and we all agreed that it truly would be perfect with lobster or shrimp. The wine had plenty of structure, almost too heavy in the mouth at first, but then the acidity sparkled through and carried the fresh fruit finish to all corners of the mouth. It was fine to drink on its own, but it was truly meant to be a food wine with plenty of power and finish to enhance seafood prepared in most any style. We actually tried two other white wines, but they paled in comparison to the Big Claw.
So I will be carrying this wine at Foodstop, and not just because of the pretty label!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
The "Wine Expert"
555 is the street address and name of a prestigious Portland restaurant that I had the pleasure to enjoy recently. Located on Congress Street in a very unassuming building, the dark, swanky atmosphere surrounded us as we were led upstairs to a commanding table overlooking the interior balcony setting that reminded me of an inner city vista, gazing down on a the diners below. The occaision was the 37th Anniversary of some very dear friends of ours and they asked us to join in their celebration: a party of ten vibrant old married souls.
The evening was perfect in that the company was talkative, attentive and lively. The food was near perfect and the wine list was seductively broad and adventurous. But before I get ahead of myself we all started with a cocktail...which meant all of the men selected a single malt scotch (and one of the wives indulged as well). To our delight, we had each chosen a different scotch without discussing our choices out loud. For me, Oban has been my scotch of choice when money is no object; Johnnie Walker black suffices in the interim.
While we were pondering our dinner choices I was asked to make the wine selection for the table. My gracious host asked for one bottle of red and one bottle of white. I was in a social dilemna. First of all, it is a lot of pressure to be asked to make a group selection, especially with people you don't see often. Secondly, since I am always conscious of the food pairings, how can you possibly choose only two wines that will match ten dinner plates? And then there are the other issues: how much does the host want to spend? will two bottles suffice with this crowd of tipsters?
I pored over the wine list and found it to be on the outside of ordinary. I was able to recognize many of the labels and I found a deep selection of grape varieties beyond the run of the mill ChardonnayMerlotCabernetPinotNoirSauvignonBlanc.
After a good fifteen minutes (remember we were talking and drinking scotch, two of my favorite pastimes) I asked everyone to tell me what they were planning to order for dinner. Only one person was eating beef. All others were having either pork tenderloin or some sort of seafood. Relief. I decided on the spot to order a light french style pinot noir and a chardonnay (after one woman told me her favorite wine was Yellow tail chardonnay....ugggggh) I decided on a Perrin et fils La Gigondas cotes du rhone and a chilean Casa Lapostolle Chardonnay; both were forty two dollars but I knew they were only twice the retail price whereas I saw several wines that were marked up triple the suggested retail.
I guess if I have one advantage as the wine selector, I know what the retail price markup is!
The wines were a hit, and I have to say I was relieved to hear people enjoy my selections. We ended up getting a second bottle of the Perrin, a delicate red that developed a soft rounded character as it lay opened on the table. The Casa Lapostolle chardonnay was balanced, with some deep wooden undertones that served to slice through the sauces and butter that came with the seafood dishes. I should tell you that the Casa Lapostolle family is related directly to the Marnier family in France, the same family that makes the exquisite orange liquer Grand Marnier. Last year, Wine spectator awarded them the honor of being the vineyard of the year.
In retrospect, I enjoyed being the "wine expert", but it is very nerve racking. I didn't want to impress people with my knowledge, I just wanted to pick some wine that everyone would enjoy. In the end, it was my knowledge of what wines would pair well with certain foods that won the day. Had I chosen a Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine would have bowled over all of the food save the beef; and had I chosen a Pinot Grigio, the heavy sauces that came with the seafood dishes would have buried the light grape.
Practice does make perfect, and I urge you all to explore food and wine pairings. It will make for a much more enjoyable evening out.
The evening was perfect in that the company was talkative, attentive and lively. The food was near perfect and the wine list was seductively broad and adventurous. But before I get ahead of myself we all started with a cocktail...which meant all of the men selected a single malt scotch (and one of the wives indulged as well). To our delight, we had each chosen a different scotch without discussing our choices out loud. For me, Oban has been my scotch of choice when money is no object; Johnnie Walker black suffices in the interim.
While we were pondering our dinner choices I was asked to make the wine selection for the table. My gracious host asked for one bottle of red and one bottle of white. I was in a social dilemna. First of all, it is a lot of pressure to be asked to make a group selection, especially with people you don't see often. Secondly, since I am always conscious of the food pairings, how can you possibly choose only two wines that will match ten dinner plates? And then there are the other issues: how much does the host want to spend? will two bottles suffice with this crowd of tipsters?
I pored over the wine list and found it to be on the outside of ordinary. I was able to recognize many of the labels and I found a deep selection of grape varieties beyond the run of the mill ChardonnayMerlotCabernetPinotNoirSauvignonBlanc.
After a good fifteen minutes (remember we were talking and drinking scotch, two of my favorite pastimes) I asked everyone to tell me what they were planning to order for dinner. Only one person was eating beef. All others were having either pork tenderloin or some sort of seafood. Relief. I decided on the spot to order a light french style pinot noir and a chardonnay (after one woman told me her favorite wine was Yellow tail chardonnay....ugggggh) I decided on a Perrin et fils La Gigondas cotes du rhone and a chilean Casa Lapostolle Chardonnay; both were forty two dollars but I knew they were only twice the retail price whereas I saw several wines that were marked up triple the suggested retail.
I guess if I have one advantage as the wine selector, I know what the retail price markup is!
The wines were a hit, and I have to say I was relieved to hear people enjoy my selections. We ended up getting a second bottle of the Perrin, a delicate red that developed a soft rounded character as it lay opened on the table. The Casa Lapostolle chardonnay was balanced, with some deep wooden undertones that served to slice through the sauces and butter that came with the seafood dishes. I should tell you that the Casa Lapostolle family is related directly to the Marnier family in France, the same family that makes the exquisite orange liquer Grand Marnier. Last year, Wine spectator awarded them the honor of being the vineyard of the year.
In retrospect, I enjoyed being the "wine expert", but it is very nerve racking. I didn't want to impress people with my knowledge, I just wanted to pick some wine that everyone would enjoy. In the end, it was my knowledge of what wines would pair well with certain foods that won the day. Had I chosen a Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine would have bowled over all of the food save the beef; and had I chosen a Pinot Grigio, the heavy sauces that came with the seafood dishes would have buried the light grape.
Practice does make perfect, and I urge you all to explore food and wine pairings. It will make for a much more enjoyable evening out.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Birthday prequel
It has been a few days since my last post due to a combination of Memorial Day weekend, increased business at the store and my birthday...yeah, I know, at my age it's really not a big deal, but I do get to enjoy my family more and I always get cool surprises.
Before I describe the birthday weekend I will quickly recap the wines I tried during the interlude. I enjoyed a little red blend called Lodi Red, a not very inventive name, but it was a delicious red gem for eleven dollars. It had some Cabernet Sauvignon and some Syrah and some other grapes I don't remember...it was just a yummy, touch of oak, spritz of fruit kind of table wine. A real powerhouse wine that I tried was Tobia Seleccion from the Rioja in Spain. Some time later I will pour out my love and knowledge of Rioja Tempranillo, but this wine was dynamite: cherries, spice, earthy loam and lingering finish; a classic Spanish profile, but it was very upfront with it's flavors and still had a light body that encouraged thirsty drinking.
Finally, continuing on my discovery of Portuguese wine, Rhonda and I cooked up an Iberian storm so that we could try a vinho tinto chilled for the warm Saturday afternoon on the 30th. I worked on a Spanish style pasta dish made with Orechiette (pigs ears) pasta (actually, I thought the pasta looked like little World War I helmets). While the pasta was cooking I heated oil in a fry pan, tossed in some crushed red pepper and sliced onion. When the onion was browned I added chopped garlic and prosciutto. Then after a few minutes I added Broccoli Rabe (It was kinda like Kale or Spinach, I guess) olives and squeezed lemon juice over it. By now the pasta was perfect, so I scooped a cup of the water (just teeming with starch from the pasta) and drained the pasta. I then poured the pasta into the fry pan with the starchy water and cooked it down for a few minutes. Finally you toss the whole mix into a bowl that has chunks of Feta just waiting for it to blend...let me tell you,it was fragrant colorful to look at. All during this time, Rhonda was pan searing a rack of Lamb to perfection with oil, salt, pepper and rosemary. We had fun and to top it all off, the chilled red wine complimented the meal nicely. Quinta de Alorna Vinho Tinto. If you recall,vinho tinto simply means red wine and this one was a blend of four grapes (which I have since forgotten) but it was bright and fruity, not soft at all, but showing a nice edge that cut through the olives and the Feta while enhancing the Pan seared Lamb. I strongly urge you to lightly chill your favorite red wine, especially if it is a more delicate wine, like,say a Pinot Noir. You will have an entirely different experience with a wine you thought for sure you knew very well. We ate that night on the deck (I live a charmed culinary life for sure)and I dreamed of cooking dinners like this every night. It was a perfect combination of being creative, being with the love of my life and enhancing it all with fine bottle of wine. What more could you ask for in life?
Before I describe the birthday weekend I will quickly recap the wines I tried during the interlude. I enjoyed a little red blend called Lodi Red, a not very inventive name, but it was a delicious red gem for eleven dollars. It had some Cabernet Sauvignon and some Syrah and some other grapes I don't remember...it was just a yummy, touch of oak, spritz of fruit kind of table wine. A real powerhouse wine that I tried was Tobia Seleccion from the Rioja in Spain. Some time later I will pour out my love and knowledge of Rioja Tempranillo, but this wine was dynamite: cherries, spice, earthy loam and lingering finish; a classic Spanish profile, but it was very upfront with it's flavors and still had a light body that encouraged thirsty drinking.
Finally, continuing on my discovery of Portuguese wine, Rhonda and I cooked up an Iberian storm so that we could try a vinho tinto chilled for the warm Saturday afternoon on the 30th. I worked on a Spanish style pasta dish made with Orechiette (pigs ears) pasta (actually, I thought the pasta looked like little World War I helmets). While the pasta was cooking I heated oil in a fry pan, tossed in some crushed red pepper and sliced onion. When the onion was browned I added chopped garlic and prosciutto. Then after a few minutes I added Broccoli Rabe (It was kinda like Kale or Spinach, I guess) olives and squeezed lemon juice over it. By now the pasta was perfect, so I scooped a cup of the water (just teeming with starch from the pasta) and drained the pasta. I then poured the pasta into the fry pan with the starchy water and cooked it down for a few minutes. Finally you toss the whole mix into a bowl that has chunks of Feta just waiting for it to blend...let me tell you,it was fragrant colorful to look at. All during this time, Rhonda was pan searing a rack of Lamb to perfection with oil, salt, pepper and rosemary. We had fun and to top it all off, the chilled red wine complimented the meal nicely. Quinta de Alorna Vinho Tinto. If you recall,vinho tinto simply means red wine and this one was a blend of four grapes (which I have since forgotten) but it was bright and fruity, not soft at all, but showing a nice edge that cut through the olives and the Feta while enhancing the Pan seared Lamb. I strongly urge you to lightly chill your favorite red wine, especially if it is a more delicate wine, like,say a Pinot Noir. You will have an entirely different experience with a wine you thought for sure you knew very well. We ate that night on the deck (I live a charmed culinary life for sure)and I dreamed of cooking dinners like this every night. It was a perfect combination of being creative, being with the love of my life and enhancing it all with fine bottle of wine. What more could you ask for in life?
Saturday, May 23, 2009
A special Portuguese treat
Let me tell you how lucky I am: to enjoy wine and its journey that it takes you on is well enough, but to be able to sample great wines at the invitation of others is quite a bonus. Just a few days ago, I received an invitation from National Distributors to attend a special Portuguese wine tasting at 288 Fore Street. This was a small focused tasting with few attendees (probably more because of the ninety day than the exclusiveness) There were six tables showing three or four wines from Portugal with the actual winemakers showing there wares. I have learned that anytime you get a chance to talk to the winemaker you get real insight into the wine you are drinking, the culture and the business of wine.
Lynne and I drank white arinto, dao, duoro and red touriga nacional and some other grapes I cannot remember. The wines were elegant, displayed intense fruit character and sparkled with great color. We both were stunned by Donna Marie Arinto which was smooth, creamy with a soft fruit palate...ideal for seafood dishes. All I could think of was serving a Lobster dinner and pouring this wine. Casa de Santar showed a reserve dao white which was a touch oakey, buttery and sweet with a tingle of minerality, it was a jem, but it was not cheap either. I couldn't see my store selling it, but I could easily see myself drinking it. The reds were all served slightly chilled, this was to emphasize the fruity, berry like character. The CARM red blend vinho tinto smacked of cherries and blackberries and was so refreshing cool. Lynne and I found all of these wines to be easy to drink and dangerously so. It's a wonder why Americans do not take to Portuguese wines: their value price and drinkability alone make them irresistible. Perhaps it's their Old World lables with Casa de ... and Quinta de ..... and vinho verde and vinho tinto.
I feel if I could only get these bottles into peoples hands they would catch on like wild fire. Until then, I guess they'll hide in secrecy on my shelves waiting for the right adventurous drinker.
Before I leave, a quick note about Carlos from Casa de Santar. He is a pleasant middle aged man who looked more like a balding High School Principal than a winemaker, but Lynne and I enjoyed talking to him. I think he liked having people who were patient with his broken english. At one point he told us he had to go to Angola to tout his wines there and I blurted out..."oh, 'cause Angola used to be a Portuguese colony." and he just rambled from then on. He got quite excitable and insisted that I travel to Portugal and be guests of Casa de Santar for a week...you see how lucky I am...
Of course, all I have to do is get the time and money to do it.
Lynne and I drank white arinto, dao, duoro and red touriga nacional and some other grapes I cannot remember. The wines were elegant, displayed intense fruit character and sparkled with great color. We both were stunned by Donna Marie Arinto which was smooth, creamy with a soft fruit palate...ideal for seafood dishes. All I could think of was serving a Lobster dinner and pouring this wine. Casa de Santar showed a reserve dao white which was a touch oakey, buttery and sweet with a tingle of minerality, it was a jem, but it was not cheap either. I couldn't see my store selling it, but I could easily see myself drinking it. The reds were all served slightly chilled, this was to emphasize the fruity, berry like character. The CARM red blend vinho tinto smacked of cherries and blackberries and was so refreshing cool. Lynne and I found all of these wines to be easy to drink and dangerously so. It's a wonder why Americans do not take to Portuguese wines: their value price and drinkability alone make them irresistible. Perhaps it's their Old World lables with Casa de ... and Quinta de ..... and vinho verde and vinho tinto.
I feel if I could only get these bottles into peoples hands they would catch on like wild fire. Until then, I guess they'll hide in secrecy on my shelves waiting for the right adventurous drinker.
Before I leave, a quick note about Carlos from Casa de Santar. He is a pleasant middle aged man who looked more like a balding High School Principal than a winemaker, but Lynne and I enjoyed talking to him. I think he liked having people who were patient with his broken english. At one point he told us he had to go to Angola to tout his wines there and I blurted out..."oh, 'cause Angola used to be a Portuguese colony." and he just rambled from then on. He got quite excitable and insisted that I travel to Portugal and be guests of Casa de Santar for a week...you see how lucky I am...
Of course, all I have to do is get the time and money to do it.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Tempranillo Torres Style
One thing I have discovered that I am sure of during this journey into wine exploration: I LOVE Spanish wine. I was intrigued by it when I began to get serious about my education in wine and I continue to be enthralled by its flavor, body and adaptability. Perhaps it has to do with my affinity for the foods which crave the bravely fruity, yet mysteriously spicy and leather like wines I discover on a continuing basis.
At first, we all check out wine from Spain because of its enticing price point (most fall in the 10 dollar range and several top level choices can be had for under 30) but the journey can be difficult with many of the labels sporting the old world names, the Spanish language and the unfamiliar grape names. Miguel Torres is a world wide respected wine maker and his wines are an excellent start to a discovery of good Spanish wine. Sangre de Toro, his ordinary table version of Grenache is the most balanced and consistent wine we sell at Foodstop. Someday I will write a blog about that wine (its one of our top sellers), but today I'm writing about Torres' new entry. Banking on the name of Sangre de Toro, they have released a Tempranillo under that label. Tempranillo is the master grape of Spain and one of the giants in the wine industry. Very resilient and maleable in the hands of a good winemaker, Tempranillo (Temp*Rah*Nee*Oh)can develop well aged,blended or on its own. This particular bottle is quite simple; about 20% of it is aged in American oak and it is blended with unaged grapes. The result was a fruity, slightly structured red wine that was delicious upon first opening but then, as the oxygen opened it up, it became a full, jammy sweet wine...not my taste. I never seem to like the real fruity-smooth wines, like beaujolais, so I didn't finish the bottle. But I realize that there are people who like a relaxed red wine that is sweet and easy on the mouth. Ah well, I can't love 'em all!
At first, we all check out wine from Spain because of its enticing price point (most fall in the 10 dollar range and several top level choices can be had for under 30) but the journey can be difficult with many of the labels sporting the old world names, the Spanish language and the unfamiliar grape names. Miguel Torres is a world wide respected wine maker and his wines are an excellent start to a discovery of good Spanish wine. Sangre de Toro, his ordinary table version of Grenache is the most balanced and consistent wine we sell at Foodstop. Someday I will write a blog about that wine (its one of our top sellers), but today I'm writing about Torres' new entry. Banking on the name of Sangre de Toro, they have released a Tempranillo under that label. Tempranillo is the master grape of Spain and one of the giants in the wine industry. Very resilient and maleable in the hands of a good winemaker, Tempranillo (Temp*Rah*Nee*Oh)can develop well aged,blended or on its own. This particular bottle is quite simple; about 20% of it is aged in American oak and it is blended with unaged grapes. The result was a fruity, slightly structured red wine that was delicious upon first opening but then, as the oxygen opened it up, it became a full, jammy sweet wine...not my taste. I never seem to like the real fruity-smooth wines, like beaujolais, so I didn't finish the bottle. But I realize that there are people who like a relaxed red wine that is sweet and easy on the mouth. Ah well, I can't love 'em all!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Because all good things must
All good things MUST come to an end, and yesterday signaled the end of the wine tasting spree that began in earnest in March. Mariner Beverages hosted their first large format, traditionally styled wine tasting at DiMillo's Restaurant and managed to surprise and satisfy me. Not that I have anything against this wholesaler: in fact I find their approach to business fresh, young and energetic. But looking at their wine portfolio, I simply did not expect to find anything worth picking up this time around. I went into this show basically curious but really just wanting to show the flag and support Mariner's "Big Kahuna", Tim Wisseman.
Standout tables featured the Thunder Stone wines and its newer additon: Big Claw, a clean crisp white that features a Large Lobster Claw on its label...so you'll know what to pair it with. Crossroads wines from New Zealand also showed off the same old Sauvignon Blanc/Pinot Noir set, but they were surprisingly complex and defied the same old taste profile. When you go to shows like these and taste 35 - 50 wines, it's nice to be surprised sometimes...It's also nice to have your expectations met as well, so you really have to weigh a lot factors when tasting these samples. There is so much good wine out there that you begin to look for a definition of style that fits what you want to sell. For instance, I already have three excellent New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs that jump out like a basket of fresh grapefruit, now I can offer this Crossroads Sauvignon Blanc that is more mineral, grass and fruit...I guess I'm diversifying. The problem as a retailer becomes: But most customers have a profile in mind when searching for a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, so won't I just confuse them? Hopefully they will be adventurous enough to want to seek out the differences. Time will tell.
Finally, getting back to the show, there was a table of just Spanish wines, and all of the red wines were good, some were excellent, and all were enjoyable. Although we could have stayed another 45 minutes, after drinking those Spanish labels we unanimously decided to finish with some port and go home.
It was a great way to finish the tasting season and now I will have to wait until the fall for more opportunities.
Standout tables featured the Thunder Stone wines and its newer additon: Big Claw, a clean crisp white that features a Large Lobster Claw on its label...so you'll know what to pair it with. Crossroads wines from New Zealand also showed off the same old Sauvignon Blanc/Pinot Noir set, but they were surprisingly complex and defied the same old taste profile. When you go to shows like these and taste 35 - 50 wines, it's nice to be surprised sometimes...It's also nice to have your expectations met as well, so you really have to weigh a lot factors when tasting these samples. There is so much good wine out there that you begin to look for a definition of style that fits what you want to sell. For instance, I already have three excellent New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs that jump out like a basket of fresh grapefruit, now I can offer this Crossroads Sauvignon Blanc that is more mineral, grass and fruit...I guess I'm diversifying. The problem as a retailer becomes: But most customers have a profile in mind when searching for a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, so won't I just confuse them? Hopefully they will be adventurous enough to want to seek out the differences. Time will tell.
Finally, getting back to the show, there was a table of just Spanish wines, and all of the red wines were good, some were excellent, and all were enjoyable. Although we could have stayed another 45 minutes, after drinking those Spanish labels we unanimously decided to finish with some port and go home.
It was a great way to finish the tasting season and now I will have to wait until the fall for more opportunities.
Monday, May 11, 2009
A touch of Wine Snobbery
It was Mother's Day, after all, and I really wanted to make something special for Rhonda, so you will forgive my indulgence in an opulent choice of wine pairing.
But reader, let me tell you, this wine was a perfect pairing like Streisand with Redford, or Tracey with Hepburn. Let me rewind a bit and give you the menu breakdown so you can appreciate what I am talking about.
I worked Sunday from 6am until 1pm and from there I would go home and offer to cook dinner for Rhonda at any time she would prefer. Normally, she is an early eater and it was quite possible that she would ask for Sunday dinner @ 4pm, but today she was willing to eat between 5 and 6pm. Now I had already purchased everything I would need on Thursday, so I relaxed until 3:30pm when I finally jumped into action in the kitchen.
I prepared a salad which I have dubbed "Salad Rhondalaise" a romaine based light salad of Feta, pecans, craisins, with a touch of mushroom and cherry tomato with a splash of Balsamic Vinaigrette. This sweet and nutty intro was followed by the main course: Pan-seared Pork medaillions with Dijon mustard cream sauce supported by Red skinned mashed potatoes and fresh steamed green beans and soft rolls.
Talk about a classic French country meal, I was actually excited making the cream sauce and testing it out with pieces of pork (and so was my son, David)
Now to the good stuff. I had thought this out a week before, believe it or not, and decided to go with the French theme I had kind of come upon with the menu. I really wanted a red Burgundy and one that would shine with this kind of meal. I selected Joseph Drouhin's Gevrey-Chambertin. That's just a fancy way of saying: "I selected a French Pinot Noir that retails for about $44.00".
With Burgundy wine you will either drink white, which is solely Chardonnay, or red, which is solely Pinot Noir. But with few exceptions, you will not see the words Chardonnay or Pinot Noir printed on the label; instead, you will find the name of the village in the Burgundy region from which the wine was grown. With these particular wines I had the pleasure of attending a wine luncheon with Laurent Drouhin from the Joseph Drouhin family (you see why I called this post wine snobbery?) During this lunch we opened with the LaForet red, their basic table version of Pinot Noir and then followed it up with Chorey-les-Beaune, a twenty-three dollar Pinot and finished a rack of lamb with the Gevrey-Chambertin.
So I knew which one would pair well with the pork and deliver the knock-out punch for Mother's Day.
The Gevrey-Chambertin starts out with a strong, wooden feel on the tongue and then finishes with bright vibrant, almost too intense fruit. All of this is going on in a wine that is still quite delicate and light to the mouth. This created a devastating attack upon the pork entree and made the meat come alive. Again, Rhonda rose to the occaision and sampled the red although I held a Chilean Chardonnay in reserve, but she agreed that the Pinot Noir was delicious and she enjoyed the red grape with her dinner.
Dinner was a success and I logged it on my computer as a menu to save for future use.
If anything, I felt very confident in making the correct wine choice for a special dinner and to be able to do that for the love of your life is something worth noting. I hope you all try to find the "perfect pair" of food and wine and enjoy what a complete dining experience is all about.
But reader, let me tell you, this wine was a perfect pairing like Streisand with Redford, or Tracey with Hepburn. Let me rewind a bit and give you the menu breakdown so you can appreciate what I am talking about.
I worked Sunday from 6am until 1pm and from there I would go home and offer to cook dinner for Rhonda at any time she would prefer. Normally, she is an early eater and it was quite possible that she would ask for Sunday dinner @ 4pm, but today she was willing to eat between 5 and 6pm. Now I had already purchased everything I would need on Thursday, so I relaxed until 3:30pm when I finally jumped into action in the kitchen.
I prepared a salad which I have dubbed "Salad Rhondalaise" a romaine based light salad of Feta, pecans, craisins, with a touch of mushroom and cherry tomato with a splash of Balsamic Vinaigrette. This sweet and nutty intro was followed by the main course: Pan-seared Pork medaillions with Dijon mustard cream sauce supported by Red skinned mashed potatoes and fresh steamed green beans and soft rolls.
Talk about a classic French country meal, I was actually excited making the cream sauce and testing it out with pieces of pork (and so was my son, David)
Now to the good stuff. I had thought this out a week before, believe it or not, and decided to go with the French theme I had kind of come upon with the menu. I really wanted a red Burgundy and one that would shine with this kind of meal. I selected Joseph Drouhin's Gevrey-Chambertin. That's just a fancy way of saying: "I selected a French Pinot Noir that retails for about $44.00".
With Burgundy wine you will either drink white, which is solely Chardonnay, or red, which is solely Pinot Noir. But with few exceptions, you will not see the words Chardonnay or Pinot Noir printed on the label; instead, you will find the name of the village in the Burgundy region from which the wine was grown. With these particular wines I had the pleasure of attending a wine luncheon with Laurent Drouhin from the Joseph Drouhin family (you see why I called this post wine snobbery?) During this lunch we opened with the LaForet red, their basic table version of Pinot Noir and then followed it up with Chorey-les-Beaune, a twenty-three dollar Pinot and finished a rack of lamb with the Gevrey-Chambertin.
So I knew which one would pair well with the pork and deliver the knock-out punch for Mother's Day.
The Gevrey-Chambertin starts out with a strong, wooden feel on the tongue and then finishes with bright vibrant, almost too intense fruit. All of this is going on in a wine that is still quite delicate and light to the mouth. This created a devastating attack upon the pork entree and made the meat come alive. Again, Rhonda rose to the occaision and sampled the red although I held a Chilean Chardonnay in reserve, but she agreed that the Pinot Noir was delicious and she enjoyed the red grape with her dinner.
Dinner was a success and I logged it on my computer as a menu to save for future use.
If anything, I felt very confident in making the correct wine choice for a special dinner and to be able to do that for the love of your life is something worth noting. I hope you all try to find the "perfect pair" of food and wine and enjoy what a complete dining experience is all about.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
South African Rose?
I worked a full day today and felt that I deserved a treat...I often do that. but to be fair, I also had a dinner plan in mind for my wife and I had an inkling of what to drink with it. In the end, my sense of "treat" and the feel of a summer day in the air led me to the cooler case in the wine room and I grabbed Juno Rose. Now, I'm not a big fan of rose, and I'm willing to bet you aren't either. Rose evokes bad wine advertisements from the seventies, bad porch parties with rebel ladies holding a pink wine glass and a Virginia Slim...."You've come a long way, baby!"
But truth be told, its Rose that's come a long way. There are many more options of rose to be sampled and some of them carry delicious notes of fruit and a touch of complexity that just add to the fun of drinking a chilled wine that almost goes down like Kool - Aid.
Kool - Aid was what I was craving, something refreshing and drinkable and not to complex, just fun. The Juno rose is actually made from the pinotage grape, that funky indigeonous grape of South Africa. If I explained pinotage to you it would take the entire post and it would leave you unsure about ever tasting it...it's just an acquired taste that I don't care for. But as a Rose? it's amazing! No soft watermelon strawberry wine here, this rose has character, a little dry, tart berry flavors and oh-so-easy to drink.
And did I say it's only 10 bucks?
Oh yeah, about dinner. I whipped up some crepes and added herbs to the batter. Made the crepes and rolled them with a duxelle paste, chicken and spinach. Topped those babies with alfredo sauce and served them with broccoli. The crepes were to die for, and the rose floated along for the ride, providing a light dry wash. It really got lost in all that flavor, so I really didn't do a good job pairing wine with the food, but that's what this neverending wine adventure is all about. Sometimes I miss, but I promise I will write about it all the same.
I am going to make this meal again, if anything, just to smell the duxelle cooking on the stove, and I will serve a full bodied French Chardonnay, like a Burgundy.
...but I will start the meal by serving the Juno rose to get the party started.:)
But truth be told, its Rose that's come a long way. There are many more options of rose to be sampled and some of them carry delicious notes of fruit and a touch of complexity that just add to the fun of drinking a chilled wine that almost goes down like Kool - Aid.
Kool - Aid was what I was craving, something refreshing and drinkable and not to complex, just fun. The Juno rose is actually made from the pinotage grape, that funky indigeonous grape of South Africa. If I explained pinotage to you it would take the entire post and it would leave you unsure about ever tasting it...it's just an acquired taste that I don't care for. But as a Rose? it's amazing! No soft watermelon strawberry wine here, this rose has character, a little dry, tart berry flavors and oh-so-easy to drink.
And did I say it's only 10 bucks?
Oh yeah, about dinner. I whipped up some crepes and added herbs to the batter. Made the crepes and rolled them with a duxelle paste, chicken and spinach. Topped those babies with alfredo sauce and served them with broccoli. The crepes were to die for, and the rose floated along for the ride, providing a light dry wash. It really got lost in all that flavor, so I really didn't do a good job pairing wine with the food, but that's what this neverending wine adventure is all about. Sometimes I miss, but I promise I will write about it all the same.
I am going to make this meal again, if anything, just to smell the duxelle cooking on the stove, and I will serve a full bodied French Chardonnay, like a Burgundy.
...but I will start the meal by serving the Juno rose to get the party started.:)
Monday, May 4, 2009
Starting over with a pizza
It has been a few days since my last post, and for that I apologize: a routine hernia surgery put me down for a few days, but more importantly, I was unable to drink of the vine and use the wonderful painpills the whitecoats prescribed me.
...that is until tonight. I actually worked for a few hours today and I have a couple of wine events scheduled in the next ten days, so I thought I might climb back into the saddle and have a glass (and skip the hydrocodone!) Now, I don't know about you, but when I have a real hankering for an easy glass of wine I think about pizza. After all, I have been making pizza for over 20 years and mediterranean wines pair so well with the ever versatile mediterranean meal we Americans have claimed as our own. On a regular evening I would have gone down into my basement and pulled a bottle of Sangre de Toro, or Renatto Ratti Dolcetto d'Alba, or any old Chianti to pair with a pizza, but since I am writing this blog and have recently added so many new labels to the store, well, I thought it my Merchant's Duty to select one of the new bottles and share. A good pizza wine, by my definition, is a red wine, dry perhaps, acidic enough to cut through the sauce, just fruity enough to bring out the tomato flavor, and a little spicy to give my meat toppings a "zing".
Oh, and the wine should be fairly inexpensive: cut off the price at 10 bucks, you're eating pizza folks, save the better juice for the better food!
Tonight I went Portuguese and drank a light, dry vinho tinto called Castello do Sulco Reseve Red. This blended red is part Tinto Nacional and Tinto Roriz, like most Portuguese vinho tinto's, but it also was 30% Syrah and that, along with 3 months aging in wood, gave it some spice and a nice finish. vinho tinto is always so light with bright fruit, maybe a little too tart, but PERFECT with a pepperoni hamburg pizza. The spicy fruit surrounded the pepperoni and made it last a lot longer in my mouth. And all that for $9.00. You'll find that Portuguese wines are very affordable and provide light easy drinking with surprising finishes.
So next time you think pizza, forget the beer, or the soda, and pick up an affordable red table wine and let your taste buds feel the pizza explode in flavor
...that is until tonight. I actually worked for a few hours today and I have a couple of wine events scheduled in the next ten days, so I thought I might climb back into the saddle and have a glass (and skip the hydrocodone!) Now, I don't know about you, but when I have a real hankering for an easy glass of wine I think about pizza. After all, I have been making pizza for over 20 years and mediterranean wines pair so well with the ever versatile mediterranean meal we Americans have claimed as our own. On a regular evening I would have gone down into my basement and pulled a bottle of Sangre de Toro, or Renatto Ratti Dolcetto d'Alba, or any old Chianti to pair with a pizza, but since I am writing this blog and have recently added so many new labels to the store, well, I thought it my Merchant's Duty to select one of the new bottles and share. A good pizza wine, by my definition, is a red wine, dry perhaps, acidic enough to cut through the sauce, just fruity enough to bring out the tomato flavor, and a little spicy to give my meat toppings a "zing".
Oh, and the wine should be fairly inexpensive: cut off the price at 10 bucks, you're eating pizza folks, save the better juice for the better food!
Tonight I went Portuguese and drank a light, dry vinho tinto called Castello do Sulco Reseve Red. This blended red is part Tinto Nacional and Tinto Roriz, like most Portuguese vinho tinto's, but it also was 30% Syrah and that, along with 3 months aging in wood, gave it some spice and a nice finish. vinho tinto is always so light with bright fruit, maybe a little too tart, but PERFECT with a pepperoni hamburg pizza. The spicy fruit surrounded the pepperoni and made it last a lot longer in my mouth. And all that for $9.00. You'll find that Portuguese wines are very affordable and provide light easy drinking with surprising finishes.
So next time you think pizza, forget the beer, or the soda, and pick up an affordable red table wine and let your taste buds feel the pizza explode in flavor
Thursday, April 23, 2009
...Like chilled butterscotch
Tonight, my wife and I shared a bottle of Rutherford Ranch Chardonnay with dinner and the result was better than the day I sampled this Napa chard at the Nappi Distributors wine show. Dinner was a simple, flavorful affair of broiled scallops, lightly seasoned and swimming in fresh lemon and butter. Add a side of steamed brocolli and cauliflower along with some rice pilaf and you have a healthy, tasty dinner. The Rutherford Chardonnay simply tipped the scales. Like most of us, I served the Chardonnay straight from the fridge, overchilled, but I gotta tell ya, with this wine it was dynamite. From start to finish, this wine attacked my taste buds and its oaken background created a creamy mouthful that combined with the sweet fruit to create the sensation of chilled butterscotch. And all of that flavor for only 12.99??? This wine is a steal and it paired so well with dinner. My wife approved of its taste so well that she poured a second glass ( a rare occurence and surely a sign of its value!!!)
Truth be told, Rhonda had discovered this bottle at the Nappi show and was anxious to show it off to Lynne and myself. I had to concur with her gut instinct that this was a special wine regardless of the price...but the pricepoint was a nice feature. It was nice to be able to put it to the dinner test a few weeks later and confirm what our taste buds had told us back then...this wine is awesome.
You would have to spend 25.00 or more to get more out of wine than this!
Truth be told, Rhonda had discovered this bottle at the Nappi show and was anxious to show it off to Lynne and myself. I had to concur with her gut instinct that this was a special wine regardless of the price...but the pricepoint was a nice feature. It was nice to be able to put it to the dinner test a few weeks later and confirm what our taste buds had told us back then...this wine is awesome.
You would have to spend 25.00 or more to get more out of wine than this!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
The annual spring wine show at the Holiday Inn hosted by National Distributors was a great success. I attended this year's show with Lynne and Fred, so all of Foodstop's management was present. We had more fun than we probably should have, but it also yielded some great wine selections for the store.
By far, the best table to visit was Bruce Cole's table representing Dreyfus/Ashby importers. We sampled Chateau Campuget French bistro styled wines, Santa Digna's Carmenere, Cloudline from Oregon, Drouhin from Oregon and the best value/retail sale item: Enrique Foster Ique Malbec.
I will go into length about these wines as I try them at home, but clearly many of the Dreyfus/Ashby wines will make it to Foodstop's shelves.
Another big hit was the Eberle table. Eberle wines from Paso Robles California are powerful and intense wines...nothing delicate about them at all. We tried them last year and felt that we were not ready for such wines at a price point of 17- 20 dollars. Well, we are ready for them now, and we were excited to try them.
Concha y Toro's Mike Sullivan showed us some terrific Chilean values, including the Caselliero Privada which was devinely powerful and the Palo Alto Red which had a great finish and sold for ten bucks. There were other tables we visited, but I won't bore you with everyone here.
The Holiday Inn once again came through with a large spread of food: Cheeses, crackers, breads, Steamship Roast and Turkey carver, oh and a pasta steam tray with choice of sauce. Factor in the beautiful...people...and it was a feast for all of the senses.
Next week, Foodstop will make its choices for new additions to the wine room and National will probably win...again!
By far, the best table to visit was Bruce Cole's table representing Dreyfus/Ashby importers. We sampled Chateau Campuget French bistro styled wines, Santa Digna's Carmenere, Cloudline from Oregon, Drouhin from Oregon and the best value/retail sale item: Enrique Foster Ique Malbec.
I will go into length about these wines as I try them at home, but clearly many of the Dreyfus/Ashby wines will make it to Foodstop's shelves.
Another big hit was the Eberle table. Eberle wines from Paso Robles California are powerful and intense wines...nothing delicate about them at all. We tried them last year and felt that we were not ready for such wines at a price point of 17- 20 dollars. Well, we are ready for them now, and we were excited to try them.
Concha y Toro's Mike Sullivan showed us some terrific Chilean values, including the Caselliero Privada which was devinely powerful and the Palo Alto Red which had a great finish and sold for ten bucks. There were other tables we visited, but I won't bore you with everyone here.
The Holiday Inn once again came through with a large spread of food: Cheeses, crackers, breads, Steamship Roast and Turkey carver, oh and a pasta steam tray with choice of sauce. Factor in the beautiful...people...and it was a feast for all of the senses.
Next week, Foodstop will make its choices for new additions to the wine room and National will probably win...again!
Monday, April 20, 2009
Crucero Sauvignon Blanc
One of the strategies I used to follow when building the wine inventory at Foodstop was to couple a successful label with one of its sister labels. For example, if the Bogle Merlot was selling well, why not partner it on the shelf with the Bogle Cabernet or Zinfandel. My reasoning was, if one offering from a vineyard is solid, their other offerings are probably safe bets as well. Besides, in my hard-lines retail experience, nothing sells well all alone on the shelf, the human eye likes to see a grouping, a billboard, a pattern, etc.
Well, in the world of wine, I have discovered that this isn't always the case. As I have come to understand the effects of weather and soil on the grapes (the terroir, as the French say) I have learned that many vineyards cannot necessarily be good at all things. Think if you will, about the grapes that grow well in rocky soil with plenty of sunlight and the ones that thrive in cool, deep shady hillsides...how can they exist together?
True, you can grow Cabernet, Merlot, and Syrah together and many others, but for a rule of thumb, you cannot always depend on the same label being great with all grapes, you need to know where the wine comes from.
So I approached the Crucero Sauvignon Blanc with some wariness, only because I had to remind myself: "Just because the Crucero Carmenere is decent, doesn't mean the Sauvignon Blanc will be " And sure enough, the Sauvignon did not meet my expectations. Like most Chilean Sauvignon Blanc, this one tended towards the grassy, acidic scale, but it was the aroma that turned me off. It didn't smell right, and it's flavor was somewhat undistinguished.
Suffice to say that there are plenty of Chilean Sauvignon Blanc's that deliver complex flavor and terrific aromatic qualities for the same price or LOWER (8 - 10$) that I decided NO to this one. Caselliero del Diablo, Root 1, Chilensis, and some others I cannot recall off the top of my head are far more remarkable in value than this one.
...but I don't want to end on a negative note, so I will tell you that Crucero makes a decent 10$ Carmenere that serves well as an introduction to the mysteriously deep and flavorful Chilean grape. There are cheaper ones on the market, but this one delivers flavor, finish and some body for 10 bucks, so give it a whirl!
Well, in the world of wine, I have discovered that this isn't always the case. As I have come to understand the effects of weather and soil on the grapes (the terroir, as the French say) I have learned that many vineyards cannot necessarily be good at all things. Think if you will, about the grapes that grow well in rocky soil with plenty of sunlight and the ones that thrive in cool, deep shady hillsides...how can they exist together?
True, you can grow Cabernet, Merlot, and Syrah together and many others, but for a rule of thumb, you cannot always depend on the same label being great with all grapes, you need to know where the wine comes from.
So I approached the Crucero Sauvignon Blanc with some wariness, only because I had to remind myself: "Just because the Crucero Carmenere is decent, doesn't mean the Sauvignon Blanc will be " And sure enough, the Sauvignon did not meet my expectations. Like most Chilean Sauvignon Blanc, this one tended towards the grassy, acidic scale, but it was the aroma that turned me off. It didn't smell right, and it's flavor was somewhat undistinguished.
Suffice to say that there are plenty of Chilean Sauvignon Blanc's that deliver complex flavor and terrific aromatic qualities for the same price or LOWER (8 - 10$) that I decided NO to this one. Caselliero del Diablo, Root 1, Chilensis, and some others I cannot recall off the top of my head are far more remarkable in value than this one.
...but I don't want to end on a negative note, so I will tell you that Crucero makes a decent 10$ Carmenere that serves well as an introduction to the mysteriously deep and flavorful Chilean grape. There are cheaper ones on the market, but this one delivers flavor, finish and some body for 10 bucks, so give it a whirl!
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Viva Torrentes!
As I continue to race through several wines, selecting new labels for my wine room at the store I got my hands on a nice Torrentes from Argentina. If you are not familiar with Torrentes, you are not alone. I discovered this grape about three years ago and have found it to be refreshing and somewhat of a gamble. An indigeonous grape to Argentina, Torrentes is very aromatic, a sweet grape and floral nose that awakens vigourously when swirled. It is light in body and in some cheaper bottles, it can taste a little too much like bitter grass or too sweet like grape juice. This particular one, from Gimenez Rili in Mendoza, was very nicely balanced for easy drinking, yet complex enough to sip and enjoy a clean,yet lingering finish. It was a bit creamy in the mouth, which suggests some acidity, but it was very pleasant and still light enough to drink as a refreshing summer quaff or paired with fruit and cheese. If you like "porch wine", as I call these summer refreshers, you should ditch the heavy Chardonnay or the pedestrian Pinot Grigio and give Torrentes a try, ask your wine merchant which they prefer and why then serve chilled with friends. Wouldn't you know, I forgot to ask what the retail price on this bottle was, but my guess would be about 10 dollars. Most Torrentes is between 8 and 11 dollars.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Celeste
Last night I revisted an old aquaintance: Celeste from Torres. A red wine from the region of Ribera del Duero, Celeste is a standout in the Spanish section of Foodstop with its silver and blue label featuring a celestial (!) map of the Little Dipper constellation. This wine has a lot going for it, and it should at 25.00 a pop. But I have an affinity for Spanish Wine so my palette is open to all comers.
Celeste is earthy, with a hint of dark berry to the nose, but you really have to search for it. I had the sensation of smelling berries mixed with earth in my hands, and that was not unpleasant. The taste is long and satisfying. The best I could describe it is heavy on wood and toast with a creamy vanilla finish. This wine would, as all good Spanish wines would, rise to the occaision with roast lamb or pork, but would also do well with a beef stew or pot roast.
....and it was pretty damn good by itself last night.
Celeste is earthy, with a hint of dark berry to the nose, but you really have to search for it. I had the sensation of smelling berries mixed with earth in my hands, and that was not unpleasant. The taste is long and satisfying. The best I could describe it is heavy on wood and toast with a creamy vanilla finish. This wine would, as all good Spanish wines would, rise to the occaision with roast lamb or pork, but would also do well with a beef stew or pot roast.
....and it was pretty damn good by itself last night.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Mixed Easter Blessings
I have every intention of sharing my reactions to first time tastings of wine, or of any wine event that bears a reaction. I hope to entertain and educate, both you and myself as i wander through the world of wine with few guides, but many opportunities.
this first blog, however, will be dominated by my attempt to impress/entertain my guests at Easter dinner with a few selected wines. My family has come to expect good wines from me and I enjoy the challenge of delivering on their expectations.
Easter dinner was, by and large, a great success. My wife and I hosted this year's dinner and served baked ham, potatoes (mashed and scalloped), carrots, green bean casserole, and rolls to 13 eager mouths. I was in charge of the wine and I made a serious error of which I am not ashamed to share. I had selected a riesling to pair with the ham, and it should have been a perfect pair, but the wine had gone bad! Talk about bad form. What a nightmare! I had two bottles of Francis Ford Coppola's encyclopaedia riesling and they were both passed. Of course, I had some back up wine down in the basement, a few nondescript unoaked Chardonnay's, but my mother and her husband had already quaffed half a glass of the syrup. I discreetly mentioned that the wine might not be up to standard, but they both disregarded me and continued drinking.
I was not only horrified over my bad wine selection, but the realization that my parents would not of even noticed. No Drouhin Chassagne-Montrachet for them!
Despite the white wine faux pas, my choice of the Drouhin Laforet Pinot Noir went over well with my sister and her husband. It's light body, fruity character and beautiful ruby color was perfect for a red choice with the ham. When we ran out of the Pinot Noir, I pulled a bottle of Renato Ratti dolcetto, a light, fruity Italian red, to take its place. All in all, the dinner wines worked...to a degree.
Dessert unveiled a 30 year Sherry, Pedro Ximenez from Noe. It was syrupy, sweet and fragrant. The younger table guests did not care for it, but my step father, uncle and brother in law enjoyed it with me. To please the younger crowd, I opened a bottle of Trentadue chocolate Port: easy candy for the unitiated.
So what did I learn on Sunday? test the wine. for God's sake, don't serve wine you are not sure of. Now I know why the riesling was selling for 9.99 at Hannaford's.
this first blog, however, will be dominated by my attempt to impress/entertain my guests at Easter dinner with a few selected wines. My family has come to expect good wines from me and I enjoy the challenge of delivering on their expectations.
Easter dinner was, by and large, a great success. My wife and I hosted this year's dinner and served baked ham, potatoes (mashed and scalloped), carrots, green bean casserole, and rolls to 13 eager mouths. I was in charge of the wine and I made a serious error of which I am not ashamed to share. I had selected a riesling to pair with the ham, and it should have been a perfect pair, but the wine had gone bad! Talk about bad form. What a nightmare! I had two bottles of Francis Ford Coppola's encyclopaedia riesling and they were both passed. Of course, I had some back up wine down in the basement, a few nondescript unoaked Chardonnay's, but my mother and her husband had already quaffed half a glass of the syrup. I discreetly mentioned that the wine might not be up to standard, but they both disregarded me and continued drinking.
I was not only horrified over my bad wine selection, but the realization that my parents would not of even noticed. No Drouhin Chassagne-Montrachet for them!
Despite the white wine faux pas, my choice of the Drouhin Laforet Pinot Noir went over well with my sister and her husband. It's light body, fruity character and beautiful ruby color was perfect for a red choice with the ham. When we ran out of the Pinot Noir, I pulled a bottle of Renato Ratti dolcetto, a light, fruity Italian red, to take its place. All in all, the dinner wines worked...to a degree.
Dessert unveiled a 30 year Sherry, Pedro Ximenez from Noe. It was syrupy, sweet and fragrant. The younger table guests did not care for it, but my step father, uncle and brother in law enjoyed it with me. To please the younger crowd, I opened a bottle of Trentadue chocolate Port: easy candy for the unitiated.
So what did I learn on Sunday? test the wine. for God's sake, don't serve wine you are not sure of. Now I know why the riesling was selling for 9.99 at Hannaford's.
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