Dolce Drinks

Domaine Weinbach Gewurztraminer

2012-03-06T06:10:00.000-08:00

Gewurztraminer is a grape that you either love or you hate. Whenever Iinclude Gewürztraminer in my weekly tastings, I get mixed reviews. The sheerintensity of the bouquet is enough to enthrall some and repulse others. Ipersonally love Gewurztraminer and enjoy the full range of styles it has tooffer.

Originally from the village of Tramin in what is now the Italian Tyrol,the grape migrated north to the Alsace growing region of France and intoGermany’s wine regions. In Alsace the wine is made in a relatively dry stylefrom regular harvest. It is also made in a richer slightly sweeter style fromgrapes of a later harvest (Vendage Tardive) and a dessert style from lateharvested grapes (Selection de Grains Nobles). The German wines tend to be of aslightly sweeter style as is somewhat typical in most new world regions wherethe grape is grown.

The prefix Gewurz means “spice” in German. The name Gewurztraminer wasadopted because of the spicy perfumed nature of the wine’s bouquet. It is afamiliar fragrance like when you kiss your lovers neck and taste a hint of herperfume. The grape has an unmistakable heady aroma that is filled with a spicerack of scents and flavors. Specific spices tend to elude, and it is more of acompound of many olfactory nuances one perceives.

And what are those elusive spices? Hints of nutmeg, ginger and allspicewith perfumed floral notes all can be found in the wine. Fruit scents andflavors include lychee, apricot, and pear with notes of honey and roses.

Domaine Weinbach is situated on an historic Capuchins Monastery datingback to the 8^th century. In the 17^th Century the Capuchinmonks established Domaine Weinbach (wine brook) named after the small streamthat flows through the property. In 1898 Weinbach was purchased by the Faller brothers and has been withinthe family since. Weinbach makes a number of cuvee’s from Gewurztraminer fromspecific vineyard sites and harvest times.

The ReservePersonal Gewurztraminer is rich and full bodied while showing a delicatebalance of spice and fruit components. These show through in layers. Aromaticnotes of ginger and rose hips mingling with bright lychee, lush pear and honeynuances. The wine has a weight on the palate and alcohol (14%) that is presenton the palate but in a warming sense more than as heat.

Any serious Gewurztraminer lover will agree that Domaine Weinbach’s aresome of the best examples of the wine in the world. The wines do not come cheapbut if your purse can handle the price (between $25-$30 retail) it is wellworth the experience.

Summer Shrubs

2011-09-03T17:26:00.000-07:00

It is Labor Day Weekend and summer has flown by. I must admit that my summer has been filled with drinking a collection of unique cocktails. While all of my previous posts have been dedicated to wines, this summer I have imbibed less in wine than usual, favoring the cocktail. After all, my site is called “Dolce Drinks” and though I have an undying passion for wine, I love all crafted beverages.

Over this summer I was introduced to a colonial drink called the Shrub. This is a concoction that is based on fresh fruits, boiled down in sugar and then dosed with liberal amounts of vinegar. The vinegar sounds off-putting but it integrates well into the syrup and gives it a tart flavor balancing out the sweetness of the fruit and sugar.

In the 18^th and early 19^th century, a time with no refrigeration, the Shrub was one way to preserve fruit to be enjoyed outside of its normal growing season. It was added to water for a non-alcoholic drink that was in many aspects a pre-cursor to fruit juices from concentrate. It also was mixed with spirits (most often rum) to make them more palatable.

Hooked on these new / old recipes, I spent a number of hours in the kitchen creating various “Shrub syrups”. I started by making a strawberry Shrub which I mixed with a good quality Barbados rum and club soda. It had a strawberry daiquiri character but with a refreshing tartness that exceeds that of the citrus in a daiquiri. When fresh blackberries came into season, I made a blackberry Shrub syrup from them. Mixed with the same good rum and club soda, this created a richer drink than the strawberries but with the same refreshing tart edge.

Searching other recipe variations for the Shrub I came across one with a base of ginger. The ginger shrub syrup has an intense spicy/tart ginger flavor with excellent mixing potential. I selected Cruzan “Black Strap” Rum to mix with my ginger Shrub.

Cruzan Black Strap rum is amazing, it has a rich caramel and molasses flavor with a subtle smokiness. Mixed with the ginger shrub it is very distinctive. I have offered this version of the Shrub at the hotel this summer and it is one of those drinks you either love or hate. You have to like big flavors. It has and a kind of burnt sugar and graham cracker flavor enhanced by the ginger. The Cruzan Blackstrap rum also lends a certain creamy texture to the drink.

There are a number of Shrub variations based on all kinds of fruit from stone fruits to citrus. I have yet to try raspberry and blueberry shrubs, both of which should be very pleasant. As well, there are a number of different recipes for the syrups; some require steeping fruit for extended periods, some do not.

I opted to simplify the process and have shared the recipes with you below. My recipe comes from a culinary sauce called a “Gastrique”. This is a quick method shrub syrup recipe used in today’s contemporary cooking. Yes the Shrub syrups are also good for salads, over roasted meats and for a variety of culinary applications.

I mix my Shrub in a tall Collins glass with 1 part shrub, 2 parts spirit and topped with club soda. Once you taste the Shrub you will come up with all kinds of fun variations. Dose a glass of white or sparkling wine with it. Mix it with your own blend of spirits and mixers. The possibilities are endless. Labor Day is here but summer does not have to end. Make up some Shrub syrups, enjoy them now, and put a few up for the cold months ahead.

Simplified Strawberry Shrub Syrup (aka gastrique)

(also good for blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, you name it!)

Ingredients

4 cups water

4 cups demerara sugar (plain white will do)
½ flat of fresh strawberries, stemmed and halved
2 cups apple cider vinegar (non-distilled)

Technique

Put sugar in water and boil until sugar is dissolved

Add fresh strawberries and simmer covered for 30 minutes
Add vinegar and bring to a boil
Boil for 15 minutes or until reduced by 1/4
Cool and strain syrup (pressing out strawberries)

Mix with your favorite spirit, water or club soda.

The base will freeze
Keep refrigerated

Simplified Ginger Shrub Syrup

Ingredients

4 cups water
4 cups demerara sugar ( if not demerara then 3 cups white and 1 cup brown)
2 cups chopped peeled ginger root (use a food processor )
2 cups apple cider vinegar (non-distilled)

Technique

Put sugar in water and boil until sugar is dissolved

Add chopped ginger and simmer covered for 30 minutes
Add vinegar and bring to a boil
Boil for 15 minutes or until reduced by 1/2
Cool and strain syrup (pressing out the ginger)

Mix with your favorite spirit, water or club soda.
The base will freeze
Keep refrigerated

Vinho Verde ~ A Summer White Wine

2011-07-01T11:20:00.000-07:00

This is the age of big powerful red wines and rich high-alcohol whites. It is a time when wines seem to be judged by their power and structure more than their subtlety and elegance.

To me, part of the joy of wine comes from their diversity in style and how different wines fit my different moods. My wine moods are driven by my choice of food, the season and temperature outside, the company I am keeping and a variety of whims. Sometimes my wine needs to be thought provoking and other times I want a wine that is beautiful by virtue of its simplicity.

If Vinho Verde had a mood it would be one of relaxed celebration, a carefree moment in life when one is able to let the worries of the day slip away. It is a wine to drink and not to ponder.

Vinho Verde comes to us from the Minho province of Portugal. The wine is made from grapes with names like Loureiro, Trajadura , Pedernã and Azal. Grapes whose names you can forget as they are seldom seen on their own. The grapes are grown and the wines are made by simple hard working people. They train the vines high off the ground so they can use the space below them for crops to feed their families. They are typically an assemblage of many small grower’s grapes fermented and blended by negociants.

Vinho Verde literally means “Green Wine” a reference to the fact that it is best served young in age. It is typically relatively low in alcohol (between 8-11% alcohol) and high in acidity. This acidity provides a refreshing component to the wine and is surrounded by wonderful citrus flavors. The wine is very light in body and has signature spritz to it; not quite sparkling but not quite still. The spritz gives it a slight, soda pop character that is ever so refreshing. What is truly unique about this wine is that it is amazingly thirst quenching. It is the kind of wine that you could drink after running a marathon (though I do not suggest this).

The important thing to remember when sourcing a Vinho Verde is to make sure it is VERY young. I am enjoying the 2010 Broadbent Vinho Verde as I write. Broadbent ships the wine in refrigerated containers to assure its freshness and quality, so that it tastes today as it would at home in Portugal.

Bartholomew Broadbent is the son of the noted wine writer and auctioneer, Michael Broadbent. He has a passion for the wines of Portugal and has assembled contract growers and oversees the wines production to his specifications.

Vinho Verde is an inexpensive wine with the Broadbent selling for around $8 to $10 a bottle. It is a wine that is perfect for a sunny afternoon or as an aperitif when keeping it light is desired. I dare say with the low alcohol and thirst quenching style, it is easy to empty a bottle.

New ~ Old Varieties ~ Avanthia Godello from Bierzo

2011-04-23T11:40:00.000-07:00

It has been over a month since I have written a post. In the time that I have been silent of prose for this blog, I passed the Court of Master Sommeliers, “Certified Sommelier” exam. It was challenging and something I am happy to have done, if only for my own edification. It also opened my eyes to just how big a world I have been studying and preaching for the past 30 years. So many grapes and so little time!

Each week I find new wines from obscure grape varieties that are interesting and vastly different from the mainstream of “classic varietals” (Chard, Cab, Pinot… you get the idea.) This week I tasted a white wine from the Bierzo region of Spain, made from the Godello grape. The wine was outstanding and expressed an individuality of style and character.

The Avanthia winery is located in the Galicia region of Spain. Godello is a grape that went to near extinction and was brought back from the brink by a few dedicated vintners. Avanthia winery is a collaboration of those individuals. The amazing wine they make is living proof of why this grape variety needed to be saved.

The 2009 Avanthia Godello has a wonderful peach and green apple bouquet. It is one of those wines that when you first taste it you don’t want to swallow, fearing you might miss something. On the palate, it has lush fruit flavors that have nectar like weightiness. The wines fruit comes in layers of pear, pineapple and papaya, each hovering independently, surprising one with each sip. The wine was aged 14 months in new French Oak. That gives it subtle oak notes and provides the wine with a creamy texture and sweet vanilla component. Lushness and body are supported by a firm acidity which keeps all the fatter components of the wine in balance.

It is always a treat to add a new grape variety to my repertoire, especially one that can produce a wine of such exceptional character. The down side is that the wine is not cheap (between $26-$30 a bottle). At that price most people will steer towards something that is more familiar. If an adventurous mood strikes you, and you can find it, give it a try. The rewards the 2009 Avanthia Godello offer are well worth the cost.

Barossa Jack Shiraz

2011-03-11T18:06:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while I come across a wine that is so intense I lose myself in it. I am mesmerized by the essence of its body, the thumbprint of its origin and beauty of its purity. The 2008 Barossa Jack Shiraz is that kind of wine.

The wine comes from the brilliant hand of Jayson Woodbridge, investment banker gone winemaker. Jayson is the mastermind behind Napa’s cult wine Hundred Acres and makes wine around the globe with a scary knack for squeezing every drop of richness out of grapes that can be had. More accurately, he selects a plot of land and nurtures it to its fullest potential. His wines have a sense of place and reflect the terroir from which the wine was born.

HUGE scents of blackberry and brambly fruit waft up from the glass the instant the wine is poured. It has this kind of blackberry jam character that warms the soul. This wine is like a rubenesque woman: -beautiful, soft to the touch but so full figured. The wine rolls around your palate with ample tannins balanced in perfect harmony to luscious black fruits. As I poured glass after glass I kept finding new delights; chocolate, blueberry, hints of licorice, subtle notes of oak and sweet tobacco.

Barossa Jack Shiraz delivers so much in one glass that it is addictive and it is an addiction I can afford priced at around $15 a bottle. It is a steal for what you will get. The wine is a total sensory experience. It tickles your nose, dances on your tongue, and warms your belly. The only thing that could make it better is if Jayson offered a couple of Fred Flintstone jelly jar glasses to drink it from. Find it, buy it. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

The Beauty of Age

2011-03-05T12:31:00.000-08:00

We live in a society that desires instant gratification. We want it now. We have fast food, express lanes, cell phones, the internet, social media and a vast array of advantages that make life an instant experience. When it comes to wine we are the same.

Typically the American public does not have the patience to give wine a chance to age and develop to its full potential. Wine is a living, breathing thing that matures just as we do. While it can be exciting and vivacious in its youth, it can evolve over the years and show a certain grace in its age that youth cannot provide.

I am as guilty as the next person when it comes to drinking my wine too young. It is a hazard of my trade. I taste young wines every day to evaluate them for my weekly tastings. I offer these wines to a thirsty audience often with the advice to hide a few bottles of the age worthy ones away for the future. Some follow this advice but most often the urge to pop the cork early prevails.

Now all wines do not have the ability to age. Red wines have a greater ability to age than whites. Part of the age ability of a wine is derived from the way they are made, how they are stored and the grape varieties they come from. This can get really complicated.

In simple terms a grapes pulp is comprised of water, sugar, acids and various phenolic compounds that are generally leeched from the skins of the grape. Sugar and acids lend to greater age ability. Tannic acid in particular is a great preservative in wine. This is the astringent stuff that makes your mouth pucker and dry in young red wines. Tannin comes from the skins, stems and pips of a grape and can also be introduced to the wine through oak barrels used for aging. The skins of grapes have tannic acid and a large range of complex phenolic compounds that add to the age ability of a wine. White wines are typically made from the juice of pressed white grapes without skin contact. Removing the skin from the fermentation process takes away a significant amount of phenolic components including tannin. This is in the simplest terms why red wines age better than whites.

Most whites are best consumed young though there are some white wines that can benefit from time in the bottle. Certain white grape varieties (i.e. Chardonnay and Roussane) have the ability to age depending on how they are made and the quality of the vintage. If a winemaker leaves the white grapes skins in contact with the fermenting must (juice) there will be a greater extract of phenolic compounds thus giving these white wines greater age ability. Barrel fermentation and oak aging a white wine will also supplement tannin and phenols to increase their age worthiness.

How can you tell which white wine is age worthy? They are typically full bodied whites with oak aging. I have enjoyed Chardonnays that where between 5 and 20 years of age. They trade off their youthful fruit for a different set of complex flavors. Their bouquet sometimes shows a unique whiff of butterscotch and honey. The flavor on the palate is somewhat softer from the reactions that age brings in perceived acidity. When they age well they can be a unique tasting experience second to none.

When talking about white wines that are age worthy I cannot pass over dessert wines. These are late harvested wines that have a considerable amount of natural residual sugar left after fermentation. These wines are comprised of mostly sugar and acid both of which act as preservatives. Because of their make-up, dessert wines can be some of the longest lived wines in the world. The Hungarian Tokay wines have been tasted at 200 years of age and where still alive and well. The best of these sweet wines are most often a safe bet to lay down for long term aging.

Most red wines have some ability to age. Again much of this is determined by the grape and the way the wines are made. Maceration is a term in winemaking for the time the juice of the grape is steeped in contact with the skins. The longer the maceration time, the greater the extract of components in the skins, that lend to a wines age worthiness.
Aged red wines gain certain roundness to them. They have a multi-dimensional character perceived in layers of fruit and subtle earthy notes on the nose and palate. The wines change in color from their early hues of purple to softer shades of brick and red. Tannins will form larger molecular chains which will become too heavy to stay in suspension and form sediment in the wine. Sediment has no ill effects on the wine other than clouding it and is typically removed by decanting.

How long a wine is able to age and when wine reaches its peak is subjective and also subject to many variables. Storage temperatures are critical to the aging process. A wine stored at proper cellar temperature of 55 degrees will age slower than one aged at higher temperatures. Ambient light and vibration can also accelerate the aging process. All things equal one would have to taste a wine every day of its life to determine that moment in time when the flavors and character of the wine were in perfect harmony for one’s own palate. Remember that wine is living and breathing and changing every day of its life.

Last night I enjoyed a bottle of the 2001 Truchard Zinfandel. This wine at 10 (really 9+) years of age was exceptional. The nose showed earthy notes of mushroom and the typical peppery spice associated with Zinfandel. The fruit in the wine was rich and had flavors of blackberry and plum. There were subtle tones of vanilla and toffee on the palate that would not have been developed in the wine at an earlier age. It brought me back to how much I appreciate the evolution a wine goes through as it ages.

I have been blessed over the years to drink many fine wines and a fair selection of wines that have had 20 years plus of aging. I was able to drink wines from my birth year (1959) on my 30th and 40th birthdays. Now I am laying wines down for my grandson so that he will be able to appreciate them on landmark birthdays in his life.

We live in a time where things move fast and we sometimes do not take the time to appreciate what the effects of time can bring. If you have the wherewithal to take some age worthy wines and set them aside, do it. You will glad you did when you finally reap the rewards of your patience.

Mocali, Rosso Toscano ~A Great Tuscan Value

2011-02-15T11:46:00.000-08:00

I have been studying wine for over 30 years and Italy still scares me when it comes to understanding its wines. Virtually the whole country is a vineyard and there are so many grape varieties and wines it can be daunting. Pushing that fear aside I am excited by all the great wines I have recently tasted from Italy and the strong run of exceptional vintages they have had in the past 10 years.

This week I tasted a great Tuscan wine from the Mocali estate. The 2008 Mocali, “I Piaggioni” Rosso Toscano is a wine made of 100% Sangiovese. This wine has bright fruit flavors with a mouthwatering acidity that is balanced and attractive. The wine is delicate without lacking richness and has lovely ripe cherry fruit with subtle hints of licorice and cedar on the nose.

Mocali is a producer of Brunello di Montalcino, a wine that is among Tuscany’s best, and typically very pricy. The I Piaggioni is Mocali’s budget wine and is comprised of Brunello (Sangiovese Grosso) grapes but aged for a shorter period of time in oak. This makes the wine approachable at an earlier age and much more affordable than the Brunello di Montalcino.

The rules for production of Brunello di Montalcino require that the wine be aged a minimum of two years in cask (though most are aged longer) and 4 months further in bottle before release. Brunello is the name used in the town of Montalcino for a clonal variation of Sangiovese that yields wines of great concentration and depth with age ability. The grapes used in the I Piaggioni Rosso are the same clonal selection and are sourced from the same vineyards. Though the extended aging of Brunello adds a greater depth and body to the wine, the I Piaggioni is a beautiful wine at 1/3 the price (around $15) of its older counterpart. Perfect with cured Italian sausages and antipasti or your favorite grilled meat dish.

Errazuriz, Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc

2011-02-05T15:16:00.000-08:00

There is nothing as good after a meal as a great dessert wine. The problem is that great dessert wines can be really expensive. There is a huge risk in leaving grapes on the vine for late harvest and beyond that risk each grape only yields a small drop of fermentable juice. These two factors make all late harvest wines pricier than ordinary table wines.

Last year when I was looking for a dessert wine for a tasting I was hosting, I came across the 2006 Errazuriz, Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc from Chile. I bought a few bottles on the reputation of Errazuriz, as I have always enjoyed their wines. The wine was inexpensive for a dessert wine (around $15.00 for the half bottle). What I expected for my money was to get a sound wine that would be pleasing to the group. Tasting the wine I was quite surprised to find that not only was the wine sound, it was truly exceptional.

I liken this wine to great Sauternes but at a small fraction of the price. Sauternes is a dessert wine made from primarily the Sauvignon Blanc. The grapes are late harvest and laden with sugar. They also are affected by something called Botrytis Cineria, also know as “the noble rot”. It does not sound pretty but it sure makes late harvest wines special. The Errazuriz is like Sauternes in that it is comprised of primarily Sauvignon Blanc and it is Botrytis-affected.

Botyrtis is a fungus that forms on the grapes and bores holes in the skins allowing the water to escape leaving nothing but a concentration of sugar and acidity. These ugly little shriveled grapes yield but a few drops of liquid gold.

The Errazuriz LH Sauvignon Blanc is rich and syrupy sweet without being cloying. It has wonderful notes of dried apricots and honey. The wine lingers on your palate and has the quality of making you want to sit and savor it’s richness.

Errazuriz was founded in 1870 by Don Maximo Errazuriz and has been family owned and operated for 5 generations. Today Edward Chadwick takes the reins and continues to produce a wide range of excellent wines from the family’s extensive vineyard holdings.

Love Sauternes but can’t afford them? Seek out the Errazuriz, Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc. You won’t be disappointed.

A Heavy Weight Red with a Knock Out Price!

2011-01-22T18:12:00.000-08:00

2007 Heavy Weight Red

The cold weather is driving me back to my taste for big red wines. To me, cold weather means savory food and wines that equal the richness of these meals. The 2007 Heavy Weight Red is a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Syrah and 10% Zinfandel from Lodi, California. Typical of Lodi fruit, the wine has a HUGE berry character and is full on the palate. It is big without being overloaded with tannin and picks up some nice spiciness from the Zinfandel and Syrah in the blend.

The Heavy Weight red is a budget wine that offers more character than the price would suggest. It comes the from an old Italian family, the Scottos, that started selling wine in the streets of Brooklyn in the 1940’s. Today they own two wineries in Lodi and produce a whole range of great wines.

This bottle is perfect with a rich beef or lamb stew or a simple burger on a weeknight after work. It should sell around $10 ~ $12 a bottle and is well worth the price.

New World Wine~ Old World Style

2011-01-16T10:52:00.000-08:00

Over the past few years I have been seduced by the big rich style so prevalent in new world wines. I am constantly surrounded by powerful Zinfandel from Lodi, lush Grenache from Australia, huge Malbec from Argentina. These wines are all high alcohol and packed with big berry characters and mouth-filling textures. I do enjoy the big flavors afforded in the new world wines but feel I am losing my lust for the beautiful simplicity of the classically styled wines.

The other day I was brought back to my roots when I sat down to a bottle of 2008 Clos de la Siete from Argentina. The wine is the brainchild of Michel Rolland, famous French eonologist and consultant. Michel has significant holdings in Bordeaux and has his hand in nearly every wine region in the world.

Clos de Los Siete is the anchor of an ambitious $60 million project in Argentina. Rolland has put together six partners (himself being the seventh thus “Siete”) to create 5 individual state of the art wineries just south of the city of Mendoza in Tunuyan, Argentina. Each of these individual five wineries vineyards contributes a portion of grapes each year for the blend of Clos de los Siete.

This wine is reasonably priced (around $18~$20) and gives a big bang for the buck. The 2008 is a blend of 56% Malbec, 21% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Syrah and 2% Petit Verdot. It drinks like classic Bordeaux having a rather lean structure and the dusty tannins of an old world wine. The wine’s fruit is not the typical over-ripe style that is so common with Malbec dominant wines of the region. It is restrained and has layers of black fruits with a nice spiced component and subtle oak. It should age fairly well though it is very approachable now.

It is a refreshing new world wine with the structure and style of an old world Bordeaux. If you like the classic style of Bordeaux but are shy the dollars for the top wines of the region, give Clos de los Siete a try. It brought me back to the style of the wines that I first came to love.

Blueberry Motor Oil

2011-01-08T17:41:00.000-08:00

The other day I tasted a 2008 Petite Sirah from Villa San~Juliette Winery in Paso Robles. I absolutely love this wine. It has a wonderful rich berry (yes blueberry) character, and lush texture on the palate. Under this big fruit I also found lots of subtle flavors of bittersweet chocolate and toffee. The wine is predominantly Petite Sirah (80%) with a small blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Mourvedre. It is aged 16 months in a mix of new and used French Oak.

Now I have heard a lot of weird descriptors for wine but this one tops them all. Winemaker Adam LaZarre jokingly refers to this wine as “blueberry motor oil”. I only wish that I came up with that line before him. We never really think of wines as being thick, but this wine has a viscosity that is as close to thickness as any other wine I have ever had.

I was introduced to the wine by Susan, a friend and wine distributor, who brought the bottle in from the trunk of her car on a chilly winter day. I pulled the cork and stained my hand purple from the wet side of the cork. From the wine clinging to the underside of the cork it almost appeared as if the wine was thick as syrup. We tasted the wine far too cold but that cold temperature added to the wines viscous nature. It did have big blueberry flavors and it was thick, well maybe not quite as thick as motor oil, but thick.

Now for a little background on Petite Sirah (or Petite Syrah). This grape makes wines that are far from petite (in body). The wine is also not Syrah. Petite Sirah is a grape variety that is a cross between the Syrah grape and the Peloursin grape. It is known in France as the Durif grape and there is still some conjecture as to whether all Petite Sirah is really Durif or some other clonal variation of Syrah. That said, it is often mistaken for “true Syrah”. When the best made bottles of Petite Sirah are put side-by-side with top quality Syrahs most are hell bent to tell the difference in the two.

I followed my first tasting of this wine with a few bottles one evening that I served with BBQ pork ribs (Kansas City Style) and the wine was a wonderful partner to the smoky ribs mopped in a sweet tangy BBQ sauce. No fear pairing this wine with BBQ sauce, it is big enough to hold its own.

If you find the wine, it should sell for somewhere around $15-$18 and is well worth the price. There were only 3900 cases made so it will disappear fast. If you try it and like it and want to delve more into Petite Sirah check out the web site www.psiloveyou.org. They are a group dedicated to Petite Sirah and a wonderful resource for other wines made from the same.

Lobster Wine Results

2011-01-01T15:54:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a great holiday. As promised I am following up on my last blog, “Lobster Wines”. It was the challenge of whether a quality half dry German Riesling from Schloss Vollrads would pair best with our butter dipped crustacean or a young Meursault, “Les Chevalieres” from Theirry et Pascale Matrot would be best suited to the meal. We opened both wines and tasted them side-by-side.

The Schloss Vollrads was just as I remembered it, fruity but not too sweet with a mineral component from the slate in the vineyards. The acidity in the wine played well against the fattiness of the lobster and butter. The lactic acid in the butter softened the Rieslings acid levels and brought up the fruit character of the wine making it appear sweeter. All in all a beautiful wine and a perfectly acceptable match to the meal.

The Meursault was classic in character with a lightly toasted nose, creamy texture and honeyed Chardonnay fruit. Because of it’s youth the wine did show some citrus notes that provided a pleasant cut to the fat in the meal. The wine was fuller in body than the Riesling. For me, the body of wine was better paired to the texture of the lobster meat. The lobster and butter brought out the fruit in the wine as well as that typical buttery nature of Meursault. Again a wonderful wine perfectly suited to the meal.

I preferred the Meursault with the meal. I love fuller bodied white wines and particularly old world Chardonnays like Meursault so I was bias going in. My Daughter-in-Law Kelly preferred the Riesling and how the lobster brought out the fruit characters in the wine.

The meal was wonderful, the company grand and the evening a complete success. Our final conclusions were that either wine would suit the dinner. If you prefer a more delicate wine with crisp acidity and a subtle sweetness, go for the Riesling. If you prefer wines that are richer with a bit of oak then the Meursault is the wines for you.

Since I posted the last blog, I received comments from people about their favorite wines with lobster. Two wines that stand out in those comments are French Chablis and any kind of dry sparkling wine or Champagne. Both are wonderful with Lobster and worth a try.

I like to pair wine to food in two’s, playing with different flavors and textures. Next time you are having a dinner party or enough people to share two bottles of wine with, make it a tasting by offering two different wines with the meal. It makes for great conversation, great drinking and great memories.

Lobster Wine

2010-12-18T16:49:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve I am serving Maine lobster with drawn butter. Conventional wine wisdom says that a wine made from Chardonnay is the best match, marrying the richness of the lobster meat to the wines rich nature. Chardonnay also has a natural affinity to butter.

Others suggest that Sauvignon Blanc with Lobster is a better pairing. The basis for this pairing is that Sauvignon Blanc has a high acidity that provides a contrast and a “cut” to the fattiness of the butter (think of vinegar and oil). I accept the idea of using a high acid wine as a contrast to the butter but feel that Sauvignon Blanc is too herbaceous for the dish and will overpower the beautiful simplicity of the lobster bathed in butter.

I am going to serve two different wines with the lobster and hedge my bets. I love having a tasting at the table and comparing each wine to the meal.

I like the idea of having a wine with high acidity and the logic behind using Sauvignon Blanc but want a crisp wine without the “green” characteristics in Sauvignon Blanc.

This in mind I selected the 2006 Schloss Vollrads Riesling Kabinett, Halbtrocken from the Rheingau region of Germany. This wine has a beautiful acidity, slight mineral edge and delicate fruit flavors that should show well with the lobster. The “halbtrocken” (half-dry) style is appealing to me as Riesling can be a bit sweet in a regular “Kabinett” offering.

Now I know many of you think of Riesling as a sweet fruity wine with a light body and often devoid of complexity from the days of Blue Nun and Zeller Schwartz Katz, but this wine is far from those simple mass produced bottles.

Schloss Vollrads is one of the oldest wineries in the world producing wine since the 13th century. They make only Riesling and they make it well. The soil of the region is comprised of Marl, Clay and Slate. The Slate imparts an appealing mineral edge to the wine. The “Halbtrocken” style showcases the fruit characters of the Riesling grape without being markedly sweet.

The second wine I have selected is the recently released 2009 Meursault, “Les Chevalieres” from Theirry et Pascale Matrot. This is a white Burgundy from France comprised of 100% Chardonnay. Meursault is a wine with a characteristic “buttery” flavor. The wine has a very subtle oak and a because of its youth the acidity is a bit higher fitting the bill in providing a “cut” to the richness of the butter. This wine will work to match the texture of the lobster where-as the Riesling will work to contrast the fat with acidity.

So the wines are selected, the table set and on Christmas Eve we will serve the two wines with the lobster and come up with our conclusions. One of the greatest joys of serving wine is the diversity of flavors they provide and the range of enjoyment they offer in a subjective fashion.

I will follow up after the holiday and let you know how we felt each wine worked with the meal. If anyone has particular wines that they enjoy with lobster I would be interested in hearing from you about them. I wish you all the best of holidays and I look forward to writing with the results next week.

An Amazing Pinot Gris!

2010-12-11T16:22:00.000-08:00

Marcel Deiss Pinot Gris, Beblenheim 2003

I must admit that Pinot Gris / Grigio has never been one of my favorite grapes. The light and crisp Italian style of Pinot Grigio just never seems to have enough character for me. Oregon makes some good Pinot Gris but the wines are all over the map from light and fruity to bone dry with big mineral character (thank you David Lett of Eyrie Vineyards ~ father of Pinot Gris in Oregon).

I love the wines of Alsace, but typically do not pick Pinot Gris as my “go to” varietal. I have always been enamored with great Alsatian Gewurztraminers for their depth and rich spice. That being said, last month I conducted a tasting on “Turkey Wines”, those that would compliment your Thanksgiving Day table. I chose my Gewürztraminers for the tasting as well as a Pinot Noir and Moulin~A~Vent (Cru Beaujolais). I needed to find another selection and came across the Marcel Deiss Pinot Gris “Beblenheim”, from Alsace. I went for it on reputation without first tasting the wine. When it arrived, to my surprise it was a 2003 vintage.

Now I am a lover of older white wines and was confident that the 03 vintage would be in good condition, but I was not going to walk into a room of 46 people without knowing what I had. I opened a bottle pre-tasting and was amazed at the color when I poured it. The wine was deep gold with an almost orange hue. The color scared me a bit being darker and more mature looking than I expected, but when I put my nose in the glass I knew this was a special wine. The nose had hints of caramel and honey. On the palate the wine had incredible weight and a lushness that was exceptional. Amazingly rich flavors of pear gave an impression of residual sugar but that impression really was just the intensity of the fruit. I sat over the glass for an hour savoring ever last drop of what was best described as nectar.

On Thanksgiving I opened my second bottle to enjoy with the wide array of flavors surrounding our beautiful turkey. My family was a bit confused by the wine. “Too intense” was one of the comments and I did not try to justify the style of the wine which was unfamiliar to their palates (as to most American palates~no offense). My sister’s boyfriend jumped in and had a glass but everyone else ran for the red wine. No worries we had no problem finishing the wine and it was as perfect a wine for thanksgiving as I have ever set on any turkey day table.

To give a bit of background on the wine, Deiss produces his wines from Bio-Dynamic vineyards and does not fine or filter the wine before bottling. What ever Mr. Deiss does, he does it well and though this was my first experience with his wines, it will not be my last.

A Big BBQ Red

2009-09-12T20:35:00.000-07:00

It has taken me a while to get used to the contemporary style of highly extracted, big alcohol red wines that have taken hold in the past 10 years. In the 70's & 80's when I first started learning about wines, red wines of 14 & 15% alcohol were rare. Today they are common place. Now, I still have a personal preference to the subtle classic style red wines with less punch and more elegance, but I have come upon some of these big boys that I really like and Yangarra "Old Vines" Grenache (2006) from Mclaren Vale is one of them. This wine has deep rich jammy fruit that fills the mouth. While I have always liked Grenache for it's big fruit character, this wine is just lush with really ripe flavors. Back that up with a pronounced but well integrated tannin and 15% alcohol you have a really big wine that cries out for food, big food! This is a wine that will hold up to the flavors on a plate of ribs slathered in a Kansas City style BBQ Sauce (Carolina Sauce is too acidic for wine) or Smoked BBQ Brisket. Whatever big flavored food you have on the grill should pair nicely to this wine. Give it a shot. The wine is priced around $25.00 but well worth it.

My New Friend Torrontes

2009-08-29T21:07:00.001-07:00

Have been deluged with wines from all kinds of grape varieties new to the market lately. Torrontes from Argentina is a grape that I am still not 100% sold on but I keep coming back to taste the unique flavors and like it more & more. The particular wine I have been enjoying is Trivento Torrontes from Argentina. To me; it tastes like a cross between a Sauvignon Blanc and a Gewurztraminer. The stuff is also really easy to pair to green veggies and quite reasonable ($ around 8~10 a bottle).

Time to Share the Wine

2009-08-28T15:30:00.000-07:00

This is a new step for me. I drink. I drink wine. I teach wine. In the course of the year I taste 500+ new wines. I have gained a wealth of practical tasting knowledge from these opportunities and I have also been able to see the wines through the eyes of those that I share them with in my weekly tastings. It is time to share them with others.

1st wine tip~ Let us start easy; If you like big rich Chardonnay's with a nice subtle supporting oak character like Rombauer or Mer Soeil but don't want to foot the $$$ try Errazuriz, Wild Ferment Chardonnay from Chile, vintages will vary slightly but the style and character of the wine are far beyond the price tag (Probably between $15 & $18).
The wine has lush tropical fruit flavors with that sweet vanilla and caramel that shows from the barrel aging and partial malolactic fermentation

If you can find it give it a shot and tell me what you think

more to come