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.
Showing posts with label Cabernet Sauvignon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cabernet Sauvignon. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
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?
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