We recently got my father a small wine fridge, which was quickly filled up. Here are some wines I've tried recently off the top of my head, good with the bad:
Cuneo/Bricco Two Rivers Bordeaux Blend 2004:
- Great red blend that was recently discontinued from my place of work because of a winery name change due to legal issues. That's a real shame because the 2004 is an improvement over the past vintage and the distributor recently put it on sale. Great buy, can probably find it around $18. 89 points
Irony Pinot Noir 2005:
- Ummm, gross. Maybe my palate is getting too educated, but I really couldn't drink this wine. It had decent fruit on the nose but there was something a little off. Very cola-y, but in a bit of an off-putting way. Yellow Tail Pinot Noir was better drinking in my opinion (see previous post).It was too earthy or minerally or something. Had a hard time finishing my glass. Retails ~$14. 75 points
Sokol Blosser Meditrina:
- Popped this open tonight. It's a blend of Pinot, Zin and syrah. I wasn't too impressed by it. Seemed to lack focus. I don't seem to like pinot blends too much I think. I want pinot delineated from the other grapes because to me they are about very different things. That said, I have some customers that just lap this stuff up. So when a customer asks me about the wine I tell them honestly it's a bit of a love/hate thing. Hard to really give a strong recommendation with that in mind. ~$15. 80 points
Liberty School Paso Robles Cab 2005:
- Had to let it breath for a few minutes, a bit of bottle funk hanging around. It was alright drinking from there but for $13 you can do much better in my opinion. Trying it the next day did not help at all, started getting grapey and had notes of sacramental wine. Would have been interesting to try when it was still a second label of Caymus. 82 points
Louis Martini Napa Cabernet 2004:
- Good Napa juice at the price point. Not too dry/tannic, good dark fruit on the nose and an aftertaste that goes for some time. I recommend this wine quite often. $18. 88 points
Chateau St Jean Sonoma Merlot 2004:
- ok, couldn't remember if it was an 04 or 03. This wine had notes of bell pepper, fairly distinct, which I had always thought of some wine BS since I had never really experienced it. A bit of fruit along with that and decent structure. I enjoyed it enough, but wasn't blown over by it. I got it for $12 (pricing error at other store, which is great because it costs them more than $12!) but it retails usually over $20. 86 points
That's all for now! Cheers...
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Wedding and Wine
I've somewhat recently been put in charge of procuring wine for my cousins wedding. This is a bit of an exciting task. So I've jumped into doing research about quantities (each wine drinking guest = 2 glasses with 4-5 glasses a bottle) plus champagne for the toast (each drinking guest 1.5 glasses with ~6 small glasses per bottle). Now it's time to test my skills of finding something that will fit the budget. My uncle (to whom this task has been delegated, moving then on to me) doesn't want to go under ~$10 a bottle, which is great and will make my life a lot easier. I was previously thinking on keeping it as inexpensive as possible because its a fairly young kid wedding, so I was thinking Hogue Chardonnay for the white wine (~$6/btl on sale, good mass wine) and kicking around ideas for reds (Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot, $9/btl, or Red Diamond ~$7). I would still recommend the Grand Estates, although the year is changing and I haven't had a chance to try it. So this is the task: They're thinking four different wines. Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio for the white drinkers, Zin and maybe pinot noir/cabernet for the reds. I personally think zinfandel is a great choice because so many people like it, it's approachable and has the best chance for a red that plays well with spicier foods (it's a bayou/new orleans themed food/music event). The wedding is about 60 days away, so it's time for me to really start reeling in those ideas and deals. This should be good.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Monday nights in Portland
Every Monday night at La Merde, the lounge at Montage restaurant hosts bingo night. The kicker? Half-priced bottles of wine! I discovered it through a friend who goes there with his coworkers practically every week and I've tagged along a few times myself. The number caller (bingoer?) dances, sings along with the music, gets crazy, has a few drinks and will probably freak you good. Good times to be had by all...
A good number of restaurants will host half-priced wine nights on some of their slowest nights. Others have a no corkage fee, which is great if you have a bottle sitting around at home but don't want to pay the premium of enjoying that wine with dinner. Maybe I'll do a little research on what restaurants got this going on...
A good number of restaurants will host half-priced wine nights on some of their slowest nights. Others have a no corkage fee, which is great if you have a bottle sitting around at home but don't want to pay the premium of enjoying that wine with dinner. Maybe I'll do a little research on what restaurants got this going on...
Sunday, October 21, 2007
A recent wine pairing
The last few dinners this week have consisted of my new favorite wine/food pairing. Brats and red wine. When I first read on the back of a label that suggested said pairing I was at first a bit skeptical. I always thought of brats and brew. The end. Well, I suppose it makes sense in hindsight. Brats = awesomeness. Wine = awesomeness. Add them together for potent kick of double awesome. And let's face it, I'm certainly not breaking new ground with this post. So why the mention? Here's why (the reason behind):
When you think about pairing a food with a wine a good rule of thumb is red meat with red wine. That is partly because of the fat content of red meat. So when you bite into a juicy steak, brat or prime rib your mouth gets all happy. Then, you take a drink of the red wine and low and behold, the wine helps clean your palate. The tannins in the wine (compound that makes your mouth dry out in red wine) counteracts the fat. The end result is each sip of wine and each bite of your meat stays as good as the first (and hopefully even better!).
In other wine related news, I'll be going to a tasting of Iberian wines tomorrow and hope to share some insights on these hard to pronounce and sometimes even harder to find wines.
What I'm drinking right now (I hope to include this on all posts from here on out, because I'm inevitably always drinking something while posting):
Geyser Peak Winery, 2004 Cabernet, Alexander Valley
- Opened last night. Initial impressions of blackberries on the nose. A bit of oakiness noted. Medium bodied, fairly soft with a decent-good finish. Went great with the brat. Still holding up after 24 hours. Retails around ~$14 on sale. Not bad for the buck. Nothing super great about it, but not offending in any way.
When you think about pairing a food with a wine a good rule of thumb is red meat with red wine. That is partly because of the fat content of red meat. So when you bite into a juicy steak, brat or prime rib your mouth gets all happy. Then, you take a drink of the red wine and low and behold, the wine helps clean your palate. The tannins in the wine (compound that makes your mouth dry out in red wine) counteracts the fat. The end result is each sip of wine and each bite of your meat stays as good as the first (and hopefully even better!).
In other wine related news, I'll be going to a tasting of Iberian wines tomorrow and hope to share some insights on these hard to pronounce and sometimes even harder to find wines.
What I'm drinking right now (I hope to include this on all posts from here on out, because I'm inevitably always drinking something while posting):
Geyser Peak Winery, 2004 Cabernet, Alexander Valley
- Opened last night. Initial impressions of blackberries on the nose. A bit of oakiness noted. Medium bodied, fairly soft with a decent-good finish. Went great with the brat. Still holding up after 24 hours. Retails around ~$14 on sale. Not bad for the buck. Nothing super great about it, but not offending in any way.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Calimochas
My last post made me think of the last time I had Yellow Tail. I had got a free bottle from a wine training seminar. It was the Shiraz-Grenache blend (which, like the pinot noir, actually isn't half bad). I used it to make Calimochas. Now, as I understand it, calimochas are a popular drink in Spain with students. It's like a super poor mans sangria. You mix equal parts red wine and coca-cola. That's it. It's pretty nice on a hotter day when you want a chilled beverage but don't want white wine/beer/booze. Great use for cheap wine and would be pretty good for lubricating the masses at your next Spanish party. Because you know you want to throw one. Give in...
Tonight's Wine Steward Adventure!
Tonight I ventured out into territory you might not expect me too, being a wine professional and all (now that sounds weird, but I suppose it's true). Yellow Tail Land.
That's right, Yellow Tail, the monster of an Australian brand was brought back home for the lovely price of $6.99. I've tried the other members of the Yellow Tail lineup. Let's say they are not really my style, kinda sweet/Kool-Aid-ish. However, tonight's bottle was a new member to their lineup and I think it definitely has some potential. Yellow Tail now has a Pinot Noir.
I was intrigued just at the thought of a YT Pinot Noir. I didn't know what to expect for $7. I mean, finding an Oregon pinot for under $10 is hard enough no matter how terrible it might be. So here's what I found out...
It was very drinkable. Light, but not as light as other pinots I've had before, a bit darker in color. The nose made me think of cola and raspberries, maybe, just maybe, a bit of coffee/cocoa (although quite debatable). On the palate it followed up on the light raspberry flavors with a shorter finish. Of course, not a lot of depth here. But who are we kidding! It was seven-freakin-dollars! Really not bad at all. If you want a cheapo-pinot, this is probably your best bet at the supermarket. Besides, who can afford Oregon pinots every night? That starts hurting the wallet pretty fast.
In a final word, I'm giving the Yellow Tail Pinot Noir a thumbs up.
That's right, Yellow Tail, the monster of an Australian brand was brought back home for the lovely price of $6.99. I've tried the other members of the Yellow Tail lineup. Let's say they are not really my style, kinda sweet/Kool-Aid-ish. However, tonight's bottle was a new member to their lineup and I think it definitely has some potential. Yellow Tail now has a Pinot Noir.
I was intrigued just at the thought of a YT Pinot Noir. I didn't know what to expect for $7. I mean, finding an Oregon pinot for under $10 is hard enough no matter how terrible it might be. So here's what I found out...
It was very drinkable. Light, but not as light as other pinots I've had before, a bit darker in color. The nose made me think of cola and raspberries, maybe, just maybe, a bit of coffee/cocoa (although quite debatable). On the palate it followed up on the light raspberry flavors with a shorter finish. Of course, not a lot of depth here. But who are we kidding! It was seven-freakin-dollars! Really not bad at all. If you want a cheapo-pinot, this is probably your best bet at the supermarket. Besides, who can afford Oregon pinots every night? That starts hurting the wallet pretty fast.
In a final word, I'm giving the Yellow Tail Pinot Noir a thumbs up.
Friday, September 28, 2007
My Wine Prediction
Things are constantly peaking and falling in the world of wine, much like in everything. A certain region will get really hot then cool off down the road. Certain grapes (read: riesling) will become synonymous with making poor quality, cheap wines to being worthy of becoming possibly one of the next darling grapes of the critic community. And certainly riesling seems to be getting it's fair share of attention. Two weeks in a row the local paper has featured articles about that exact grape, and this is not too long after writing up a previous one a few weeks back. There just seems to be some excitement behind the wine now, and rightfully so. Well, I am not here to continue this conversation about how "Gosh, riselings CAN be good wines these days! Seriously! Just listen!". I'm kinda getting sick of it anyway. No, I am here to make my prediction of what will be the next "riesling" storyline in the world of wine. And I've got to say...
Southern Oregon.
Ok, maybe it won't get a ton of national reviews or anything, but to me this is an up-and-coming wine growing area. There's some potential down there (seen by vineyards like Abacela and Del Rio, who sources much of their grapes) and other vineyards, like Rex Hill who released a really yummy Southern Oregon Pinot Noir Cuvee' last year, have tapped into that. To me it's the next area to explore in Oregon. The potential just needs to be honed in and given some time and the right winemakers. We've already proved to people we can make good pinots in the willamette valley. So I think in the next 5 years you'll be hearing more about what's happening in between Willamette Valley and California.
Looking to try a southern Oregon wine tonight? I like Abacela Vintner's Blend #8, which recently hit the market (skip blend #7, it's underwhelming). A blend of all around 8 grapes it is very acceptable at ~$15 with good fruit flavors. Abacela also makes some tempranillos and most recently, an albarino, which has garnered some nice reviews. Cheers!
Southern Oregon.
Ok, maybe it won't get a ton of national reviews or anything, but to me this is an up-and-coming wine growing area. There's some potential down there (seen by vineyards like Abacela and Del Rio, who sources much of their grapes) and other vineyards, like Rex Hill who released a really yummy Southern Oregon Pinot Noir Cuvee' last year, have tapped into that. To me it's the next area to explore in Oregon. The potential just needs to be honed in and given some time and the right winemakers. We've already proved to people we can make good pinots in the willamette valley. So I think in the next 5 years you'll be hearing more about what's happening in between Willamette Valley and California.
Looking to try a southern Oregon wine tonight? I like Abacela Vintner's Blend #8, which recently hit the market (skip blend #7, it's underwhelming). A blend of all around 8 grapes it is very acceptable at ~$15 with good fruit flavors. Abacela also makes some tempranillos and most recently, an albarino, which has garnered some nice reviews. Cheers!
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Quick thought...
Barefoot wine is a inexpensive (read: cheap) wine you have probably seen around most grocery stores. Their bottles are usually covered with a series of stickers proclaiming how great their wines are (gold medal this, 88 points that, etc). Recently, a new sticker has appeared, which reads "Official wine of the American Volleyball Player Association". What the hell does that mean? The most I can figure is that volleyball players are cheap dates.
Monday, September 10, 2007
The Heavyweights!
OK, seriously. Now the big boys from the tasting. They deserve their own post. I'll skip most of the Nickel & Nickel cabernets (Sullenger and Vogt vineyards were my favs from their portfolio, ~$85 each), but let's talk about Insignia and Staglin Rutherford.
I've never had any of that real expensive wine. I've had some Italian Brunellos that certainly weren't cheap, but nothing getting up around $150 a bottle. I was excited.
It was a classic heavyweight cabernet bout. Staglin Rutherford 2004 in the left corner, Insignia 2004 in the right. Both crafty veterans with long track records. Both of these wines can be cellared (and would probably best benefit from that) for some time. I tasted them back to back. For me, Staglin was the winner. It was super rich, was really fruity (but not in a bad way), really complex and had impressive length. That would be the life, drinking Staglin at the steakhouse with you prime dry aged porterhouse. Would I say it's worth the probably $175 you would pay at the store, upwards of maybe $275-300 in a restaurant? Can I even answer that? Let me just say this. Best wine I have ever tried. Period. I was falling in love with the juice, then and there. It was showing excellently, which really surprised me because from what I had heard about these super big California cabernets is that they have got to age. This one will only get better with time and would be so exciting to try in 5 years or 10 years. Don't get me wrong, the Insignia was good (~$215) but Staglin had my heart. I will give a nod to Insignia and say that might have better aging potential. A friend of mine recently had a 1996 Insignia and said it was amazing. You could tell it was getting towards its optimal drinking time. That's 10 bloody years and it's still going strong! That is awesome.
Those of you who know me know that I am not a big spender. I still roll my 1996 Dodge Minivan with no shame (actually some pride...even with the ducktape marks on the bumper). I live at home (hey, I'm working on it...) and the only suit I own was purchased at Goodwill for $10. That said, I'm not afraid to spend some money on consumables (i.e. good food and drink). Real parmesan cheese from Italy, microbrews and lately Belgium beers, quality ice cream and of course wine. Does that mean I'll buy a bottle of Staglin? Honestly, I might do it. I'm surely not made of money but we only live one life. We should treat ourselves every once in a while. Or in this case once in a very long while. I'll go halves on a bottle with anyone who wants. Are you in?
I've never had any of that real expensive wine. I've had some Italian Brunellos that certainly weren't cheap, but nothing getting up around $150 a bottle. I was excited.
It was a classic heavyweight cabernet bout. Staglin Rutherford 2004 in the left corner, Insignia 2004 in the right. Both crafty veterans with long track records. Both of these wines can be cellared (and would probably best benefit from that) for some time. I tasted them back to back. For me, Staglin was the winner. It was super rich, was really fruity (but not in a bad way), really complex and had impressive length. That would be the life, drinking Staglin at the steakhouse with you prime dry aged porterhouse. Would I say it's worth the probably $175 you would pay at the store, upwards of maybe $275-300 in a restaurant? Can I even answer that? Let me just say this. Best wine I have ever tried. Period. I was falling in love with the juice, then and there. It was showing excellently, which really surprised me because from what I had heard about these super big California cabernets is that they have got to age. This one will only get better with time and would be so exciting to try in 5 years or 10 years. Don't get me wrong, the Insignia was good (~$215) but Staglin had my heart. I will give a nod to Insignia and say that might have better aging potential. A friend of mine recently had a 1996 Insignia and said it was amazing. You could tell it was getting towards its optimal drinking time. That's 10 bloody years and it's still going strong! That is awesome.
Those of you who know me know that I am not a big spender. I still roll my 1996 Dodge Minivan with no shame (actually some pride...even with the ducktape marks on the bumper). I live at home (hey, I'm working on it...) and the only suit I own was purchased at Goodwill for $10. That said, I'm not afraid to spend some money on consumables (i.e. good food and drink). Real parmesan cheese from Italy, microbrews and lately Belgium beers, quality ice cream and of course wine. Does that mean I'll buy a bottle of Staglin? Honestly, I might do it. I'm surely not made of money but we only live one life. We should treat ourselves every once in a while. Or in this case once in a very long while. I'll go halves on a bottle with anyone who wants. Are you in?
Trade tasting season is now open...
Apologies (and love to the one and only Montastic) for the hiatus. But now it's getting near tasting season. Lots of good shows will be taking place over the next few months and I'll try to get on here and let you know what I find. Any tasting notes here are just from what I remember...
Today was California through one of my distributors. There were a few big names present, most notably Joseph Phelps (Insignia included!), Nickel & Nickel and Staglin. Here are some wines I felt are worth picking up or even searching out. In depth post to follow about Staglin and Insignia.
Joseph Phelps, Le Mistral 2005: This is a red blend of multiple grapes (syrah, grenache, mouvedre and a few others) which is a typical style of southern France (I think, French wines are my weakness...and I don't mean I'm crazy about them, I just don't have much exposure to them). A nice get away from straight varietal wines. Retail ~$40
J. Lohr Valdiguie 2006: This was one wine I have never heard of (meaning the grape). A fairly obscure grape from France that makes a lighter style wine. Nothing crazy good about it, maybe an interesting note of liquorice and red fruit (think kinda pinot noir-ish) but would be a good bottle when retailing ~$8.50
Nickel & Nickel Zinfandel Bonfire Dry Creek 2005: No real tasting notes on this, but it was my favorite zin there. It should be at $52
Hahn Cab Franc 2005: There's not a whole lot of cab franc options out there it seems and most at this price point can't compete. Good value when looking for something different. ~$12
Cycles Gladiator, most varietals: Not bad juice at the price. Wasn't crazy about the merlot, though. I thought the syrah was notable. From ~$7.50 (syrah)- $14 (pinot)
Today was California through one of my distributors. There were a few big names present, most notably Joseph Phelps (Insignia included!), Nickel & Nickel and Staglin. Here are some wines I felt are worth picking up or even searching out. In depth post to follow about Staglin and Insignia.
Joseph Phelps, Le Mistral 2005: This is a red blend of multiple grapes (syrah, grenache, mouvedre and a few others) which is a typical style of southern France (I think, French wines are my weakness...and I don't mean I'm crazy about them, I just don't have much exposure to them). A nice get away from straight varietal wines. Retail ~$40
J. Lohr Valdiguie 2006: This was one wine I have never heard of (meaning the grape). A fairly obscure grape from France that makes a lighter style wine. Nothing crazy good about it, maybe an interesting note of liquorice and red fruit (think kinda pinot noir-ish) but would be a good bottle when retailing ~$8.50
Nickel & Nickel Zinfandel Bonfire Dry Creek 2005: No real tasting notes on this, but it was my favorite zin there. It should be at $52
Hahn Cab Franc 2005: There's not a whole lot of cab franc options out there it seems and most at this price point can't compete. Good value when looking for something different. ~$12
Cycles Gladiator, most varietals: Not bad juice at the price. Wasn't crazy about the merlot, though. I thought the syrah was notable. From ~$7.50 (syrah)- $14 (pinot)
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Ratings, articles and buying habits...
Being a Wine Steward in the retail/grocery business is interesting to say the least. What I'd like to talk about is the power of ratings and articles to influence buying habits. I had one of my first encounters just last week.
Matt Kramer, who writes a weekly wine column for The Oregonian, generally goes on about wines that are practically impossible to find. We're talking quasi-obscure wines where maybe 500 cases were made, etc. He is fairly well followed. And let's not kid ourselves, it's always fun reading about a wine from an expert. He describes it, talks about the region, the aromas and so on. When we surely can't find whatever wine he's talking about (generally the case for the at least casual wine drinker) we can still live vicariously through him. Last week, however, he wrote about a wine that is actually fairly well distributed (i.e. in my store). Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages 2005. It;s a french table wine which retails around $10. The article came out Sunday and by noon that day I had sold through my stock (a measly 6 bottles, but all purchased by one person). It wasn't until another customer mentioned the article to me and we went rustling through an Oregonian near the check stand did I figure it out.
It was just intersting to see what kind of influence he has over consumers. He writes one article and I'm sure most Safeways/Freddy's/Alberston's were sold out that day by consumers looking for a solid deal.
In closing, I'd like to throw a couple of my current value picks out there for the internet world. These are a few of my under $10 choices of the moment:
- Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc 2005 (New Zealand)
- I know I mentioned it already in my first post, but I think it bears repeating. A crisp white wine that goes great with salmon. Really zesty nose and clean finish. This wine made me believe in sauvignon blanc after a good number of bad experiences... I suggested it to one customer and he came back the next week and bought six because he liked it so much. Matty like...
- Sagelands Four Corners Cabernet (also Merlot) 2003 (Washington)
- really solid choices. Some say the Merlot drinks a bit bigger than other Merlots but I wouldn't necessarily go that way. Both are solid varietal interpretations and great value under $10
- Rosemount Southeastern Australia 2005 Merlot
-Another solid merlot for $10. Good finish, nice nose which translates into very acceptable flavors. Nice if you want to go with an import. Great food wine, too.
Matt Kramer, who writes a weekly wine column for The Oregonian, generally goes on about wines that are practically impossible to find. We're talking quasi-obscure wines where maybe 500 cases were made, etc. He is fairly well followed. And let's not kid ourselves, it's always fun reading about a wine from an expert. He describes it, talks about the region, the aromas and so on. When we surely can't find whatever wine he's talking about (generally the case for the at least casual wine drinker) we can still live vicariously through him. Last week, however, he wrote about a wine that is actually fairly well distributed (i.e. in my store). Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages 2005. It;s a french table wine which retails around $10. The article came out Sunday and by noon that day I had sold through my stock (a measly 6 bottles, but all purchased by one person). It wasn't until another customer mentioned the article to me and we went rustling through an Oregonian near the check stand did I figure it out.
It was just intersting to see what kind of influence he has over consumers. He writes one article and I'm sure most Safeways/Freddy's/Alberston's were sold out that day by consumers looking for a solid deal.
In closing, I'd like to throw a couple of my current value picks out there for the internet world. These are a few of my under $10 choices of the moment:
- Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc 2005 (New Zealand)
- I know I mentioned it already in my first post, but I think it bears repeating. A crisp white wine that goes great with salmon. Really zesty nose and clean finish. This wine made me believe in sauvignon blanc after a good number of bad experiences... I suggested it to one customer and he came back the next week and bought six because he liked it so much. Matty like...
- Sagelands Four Corners Cabernet (also Merlot) 2003 (Washington)
- really solid choices. Some say the Merlot drinks a bit bigger than other Merlots but I wouldn't necessarily go that way. Both are solid varietal interpretations and great value under $10
- Rosemount Southeastern Australia 2005 Merlot
-Another solid merlot for $10. Good finish, nice nose which translates into very acceptable flavors. Nice if you want to go with an import. Great food wine, too.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Alternative summer red wines
Are you looking for something different to drink as the weather gets better (i.e. hotter)? Sure, there are plenty of good white wines out there to quench your thirst but when you just don't feel like white consider this:
port or lambrusco
Port: What you can do is throw the bottle of port in the fridge/ice bucket/whatever cooling device you've got hanging around. It's quite refreshing and is one of the few red wines that will go well with spicy barbeque sauces (as long as you have it well chilled). If you think port is too "alcoholy" for you try it this way. When you cool the port down it significantly numbs the amount of the alcohol that gets play in your mouth. Instead it will evaporate once you've swallowed it. And the great thing about port is once you open it you don't have to worry about it going bad like other red wines. It will stay good long enough. So pop open a bottle and keep it around...
Lambrusco: This semi-sparkling (fizzy) red Italian wine is very popular in the center to center-south part of Italy. Generally very soft and approachable they can be served chilled to good results. Nothing too complex or honestly exciting, but a great fall back. Also, goes real well with spicy barbeque. Won't cost you an arm and a leg, either...
port or lambrusco
Port: What you can do is throw the bottle of port in the fridge/ice bucket/whatever cooling device you've got hanging around. It's quite refreshing and is one of the few red wines that will go well with spicy barbeque sauces (as long as you have it well chilled). If you think port is too "alcoholy" for you try it this way. When you cool the port down it significantly numbs the amount of the alcohol that gets play in your mouth. Instead it will evaporate once you've swallowed it. And the great thing about port is once you open it you don't have to worry about it going bad like other red wines. It will stay good long enough. So pop open a bottle and keep it around...
Lambrusco: This semi-sparkling (fizzy) red Italian wine is very popular in the center to center-south part of Italy. Generally very soft and approachable they can be served chilled to good results. Nothing too complex or honestly exciting, but a great fall back. Also, goes real well with spicy barbeque. Won't cost you an arm and a leg, either...
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Thoughts from the tasting
Thursday marked my first actual wine tasting through my job. We had four different wineries/businesses come through and present and taste us on different wines. We had 1) Yellow Tail, 2)King Estates, 3)Willamette Valley Vineyard and 4) Pernod Ricard (french champagne and Mumm's). Here are my picks from each group.
1) Yellow Tail
- You have to give Yellow Tail credit, these people run a tight ship. They've expanded their business throughly in the last 6 years. Most importantly, they've brought in scores of people to the wine drinking world. Inexpensive, easy to drink and colorful labels all adds up to a hit. While not a huge fan of all of their offerings (I just think you can do better for a few bucks more) the one that stood out to me was their Shiraz-Grenache. Just a little more going for it then the other offerings. Perhaps not as sweet as the other ones too. It was fine on its own, but I even used it to make calimochas, (I think that's what they're called) a Spanish drink of fruity/sweet wine with coca-cola. No complaints there.
2) King Estate
- A solid offering for their new Pinot Gris. Great for a nice hot day, probably retails around $13.
3) Willamette VV
- My new riesling pick is the 2006 WVV. I'm slowly getting more into rieslings and this one is just fine. Sweet, but enough acid to not make it that cough syrup sweet. The thing that really did it for me though was the bit of tartness on the end, like that apple that gives you a bit of the sweet and tart. It was the perfect palate closer to the sweetness of the wine.
4) French Champagne Guys
- We did get tasted on Fleur Perrier Jouet champage, which comes in a sweet bottle and retails somewhere around $105, but it wasn't my personal favorite. I lean towards the more berry focused sparklers, not the yeasty/biscuity ones. A solid choice would be Mumm's M, which has a blue label.
Cheers!
1) Yellow Tail
- You have to give Yellow Tail credit, these people run a tight ship. They've expanded their business throughly in the last 6 years. Most importantly, they've brought in scores of people to the wine drinking world. Inexpensive, easy to drink and colorful labels all adds up to a hit. While not a huge fan of all of their offerings (I just think you can do better for a few bucks more) the one that stood out to me was their Shiraz-Grenache. Just a little more going for it then the other offerings. Perhaps not as sweet as the other ones too. It was fine on its own, but I even used it to make calimochas, (I think that's what they're called) a Spanish drink of fruity/sweet wine with coca-cola. No complaints there.
2) King Estate
- A solid offering for their new Pinot Gris. Great for a nice hot day, probably retails around $13.
3) Willamette VV
- My new riesling pick is the 2006 WVV. I'm slowly getting more into rieslings and this one is just fine. Sweet, but enough acid to not make it that cough syrup sweet. The thing that really did it for me though was the bit of tartness on the end, like that apple that gives you a bit of the sweet and tart. It was the perfect palate closer to the sweetness of the wine.
4) French Champagne Guys
- We did get tasted on Fleur Perrier Jouet champage, which comes in a sweet bottle and retails somewhere around $105, but it wasn't my personal favorite. I lean towards the more berry focused sparklers, not the yeasty/biscuity ones. A solid choice would be Mumm's M, which has a blue label.
Cheers!
Sauv Blanc and Salmon
On tonight's menu:
-brown rice and salmon steaks, with mexican tartar sauce
- mixed greens salad with ginger-mustard dressing, gorgonzola crumbles and toasted hazelnuts
- garlic bread
All tied together with Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc, from New Zealand. A very nice, light, crisp sauv blanc, it went perfect with the salmon. I had been waiting to try this wine out with salmon after having it recommended to me by another wine steward. It works perfect. Light and acidic enough to cut through the creaminess of the salmon. With a white wine like chardonnay you would easily risk overworking the creaminess of the fish with the creaminess of the wine. Here, the wine acts like a palate cleanser and makes each bite of salmon just as yummy and interesting as the first. Nice citrus notes on the nose, too (grapefruit and lime, for me). Plus, it's a great buy for under $10 at your local Safeway. A delicious meal, made even more delicious by the right wine. That's what I love about pairing food and wine. You find the right combo and it just makes it that much better. And, as you can see with the price point, it doesn't have to cost you a fortune.
Cheers!
-brown rice and salmon steaks, with mexican tartar sauce
- mixed greens salad with ginger-mustard dressing, gorgonzola crumbles and toasted hazelnuts
- garlic bread
All tied together with Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc, from New Zealand. A very nice, light, crisp sauv blanc, it went perfect with the salmon. I had been waiting to try this wine out with salmon after having it recommended to me by another wine steward. It works perfect. Light and acidic enough to cut through the creaminess of the salmon. With a white wine like chardonnay you would easily risk overworking the creaminess of the fish with the creaminess of the wine. Here, the wine acts like a palate cleanser and makes each bite of salmon just as yummy and interesting as the first. Nice citrus notes on the nose, too (grapefruit and lime, for me). Plus, it's a great buy for under $10 at your local Safeway. A delicious meal, made even more delicious by the right wine. That's what I love about pairing food and wine. You find the right combo and it just makes it that much better. And, as you can see with the price point, it doesn't have to cost you a fortune.
Cheers!
Welcome to the Wonderful World of Wine
This blog will be a mix of reviews of wine, thoughts on the wine industry and anything else that pops into my head about wine. So who am I? I'm That Wine Guy, a new Wine Steward in the grocery business. Basically, I'm a wine sales specialist. I'm there in your friendly local grocery store to help find you a wine. Anything from a special occasion wine to just an inexpensive, decent bottle of red to drink with dinner. So check this place out for musings about wine, what the good deals are at the moment and my own wine experiences. Cheers!
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