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Archive for the ‘Wine Reviews’ Category

A Report: 7 Thoughts on Last Night’s Brooklyn Uncorked

Posted in Regional Guide, Shameless Self Promoting, Wine Reviews on May 11, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the Brooklyn Uncorked event hosted by Edible Manhattan. I was especially excited because the theme of the evening was New York wines. A few weeks ago I was supposed to go to the North Fork for a weekend of tasting with a couple of GF’s but inclement weather kept us city-bound and dry.

The event was held at the gorgeous Brooklyn Academy of Music and, without further ado, lets get to it.

• The men of New York love pink. I know I shouldn’t have been surprised to see so many dudes swilling Rosé at a New York wine event (Rosé’s from Long Island were among the first NY wines deemed drinkable by the wine world at large), but I was bemused by the confidence with which so many guys stepped up and demanded a taste of the pink stuff.

• “Half and Half” is not just a dairy product. A lot of the wine makers were pouring Chardonnays that they were calling “half oaked”. These wines were half chardonnay that had been fermented in oak and half chardonnay that had been fermented in steel tanks. I can’t say that any of them were my favorite – they all tasted a little half baked but the concept was new and interesting.

• I didn’t see a single screw top. This struck me as really interesting especially because most of the wines last night were definitely being marketed as wallet-friendly and screw tops are an easy way to pass savings along to consumers. Perhaps this young wine industry is afraid of being construed as cheap and have stuck to cork in an attempt to seem old-school? Too bad I had at least one glass that came from a corked bottle last night…

• Gimmicks abounded. My favorite had to have been the wine called “Anomaly” that was being poured as a “white Pinot Noir”. Basically it was an non-sparkling Champagne (if the juice of Pinot Noir grapes is separated from the skins early on it will retain a white color – its only through prolonged contact with the skins that wines become red). Also, you’d think that in a post “white Zinfandel” world, you’d want to avoid calling your wine a “white Pinot Noir” or a “White Merlot”. Alas….

• One winery, called Channing Daughters, was serving a Friuliano – a fairly obscure wine made from the grape of the same name that hails from Northern Italy. It was a brave move and the wine was pretty good – also, their Rosé was one of my favorites.

• A quick note on the food: don’t serve giant fried batter-coated balls of fish-and-things-on-a-stick if you don’t want a lawsuit from someone who loses their sense of taste from trying to eat one. Cold pork belly does not taste good even if you serve it on a buttermilk biscuit. Minus any bonus points that would have been gained from the biscuit if the biscuit is hard. Do not pronounce “pistachios” as “pis-tass-ee-ohs” – you’re already serving Pâté, do you really have to convince us that you’re fancy? Lastly, although I feel bad that you’re standing behind a table of food that no one has touched all night, you’re the one that decided to serve liverwurst mousse.

• Finally, although I was really pulling for Long Island on this one, a lot of the wine from this region still has a long way to go. There was a lot of green wine (in the bad way), a lot of wine that was just too tight, and a lot of bitter aftertastes. Sadly, I found myself grimacing post-swig a little too often throughout the night. The exceptions were some really nice sparkling wines (my favorite was Sparkling Pointe’s Blanc de Blanc), some delicious Rosés, a delightfully smooth Cabernet Franc from a winemaker called Osprey’s Dominion Vineyards, and the Channing Daughters’ Friulano.


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Just a few of my favorite things

Posted in Absolutely Necessary Info, Wine Reviews, tagged , , on March 21, 2011| 1 Comment »

Often as soon as I mention to people that I write a wine blog, the first question asked is, “What’s your favorite wine?”. I hate that question. And not just because it puts me on the spot, but because, honestly, my taste for wine changes with my mood, with the weather, with what I’m eating – the variables are endless.

(Favorite Everyday Reds: )

However, I can say that there are wines that I return to and tend to defer to for special occasions. Generally, I’m a red drinker and generally I like wine that is far more masculine than my petite frame and girlish charms would seem to suggest. There are a few things that I look for depending on variety; I like spice in a Syrah, leather with a touch of vanilla in my Merlot, and muscle in my Priorat.

(Favorite Everyday Whites: )


I have a strange fondness for Beaujolais – a wine that lies on the complete opposite end of the spectrum as the wines I just mentioned. Beaujolais is a light wine, and it’s endlessly quaffable, but when it’s good it is sooo good and, I would argue, largely unappreciated. It can be delicate, poetic, and pretty at it its best, and the fact that it’s best served chilled doesn’t hurt it’s go-to status come summertime.

(Go-to gifting wines: )


When it comes to whites, I’m picky. I like clean, minerally and dry on one hand and floral, succulent, and crisp on the other. Pinot Noir is a tricky grape for my palate, and unfortunately I’ve found that – with a couple exceptions – I’m more inclined towards the expensive stuff as a matter of taste. I like a long lingering finish, firm structure and obscure flavors like lavender and smoke. All that being said, I’ve compiled a few short lists for my some of my favorite wines and categorized according to price. Next time someone asks me what my favorite wine is, I can simply direct them here.

PS. If you are eager to try any of the above or just want to copy me (don’t worry…it happens all the time – you’re not alone. My roommate copied my shampoo just the other week!) but you can’t find any of the specific bottles above just check out something from the same region, producer, or grape and let me know how you liked it…you can never have enough go-to’s when it comes to wine.

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A note on Italy

Posted in General Rambling, Varietal Info, Wine Reviews, tagged , , , , , on March 9, 2011| Leave a Comment »

When my friend and current roommate Jenna and I were looking for our first apartment in New York, one of the criteria we noted for every apartment we looked at was its proximity to a decent-looking wine shop. Given that there is an alarmingly high abundance of wine shops in this city (seriously, I couldn’t even begin to understand how they all stay in business), we should have known better than to thrill every time we found our potential apartment sharing a corner with a liquor store.

Another factor under consideration during our apartment hunt was location – though on this small matter Jenna and I largely disagreed. Jenna was content to settle in uptown while I was rather stubbornly intent on finding a place somewhere south of 42nd street…until the only place our broker could find in our price range was in Times Square. To a resounding chorus of “aw, hell no!” (like in a rap voice) we shuffled into our broker’s air conditioned car and headed uptown without even looking at the place and I left all downtownly ambitions behind.

We ended up in on the 2nd Floor of an old tenement building on W. 88th squarely on the Upper West Side – a neighborhood I neither knew anything about nor had ever had any inclination to explore. As it turns it out, my neighborhood is great – especially for a wine geek. Due to its, ahem, more mature population (read: parents, parents of parents, and people about to become parents) there is an abundance of great wine bars all within easy walking distance from my apartment (score!) and each with a different focus and approach to their wine lists.

A couple of weeks ago, Jenna and I left the apartment to have a glass of wine for a change, and walked a mere block and a half north to Accademia Di Vino, which specializes Italian wines. Their wines-by-the-glass list was two pages long each for both reds and whites and offered something for every kind of wine drinker and from every major region. Our bartender was friendly (not to mention cute!) and gave each of us two different wines to try before we ordered – which meant that we both got to try four.

I was pondering whether to order a Sicilian wine that was a blend of Nero D’Avola and Syrah grapes or a single-varietal single-vineyard Montepulciano that was listed under the guise of a Rosso Conero from Le Marche, a region that occupies the eastern coast of central Italy.

Jenna, on the other hand, was torn between a Rosso di Montalcino, a single-varietal Sangiovese from Tuscany and a Barbera (made from the grape of the same name and always from Piemonte). As we tasted, Jenna asked what the difference was between the Sangiovese she had tried and a Chianti listed below it that also piqued her interest.

When I told her that they were actually both made from the same grape, but in different regions and in different styles, she, exasperated, asked why they had to make it so confusing!

In the end, I settled into a glass of the Sicillian wine, called ReNoto, in favor of the Rosso Conero. I was in the mood for a big challenging glass of wine and the latter was a bit of a fruit-bomb and too easy for me in that moment. Jenna however, found the Barbera too sweet and the Rosso di Montalcino not quite as delicious as the Rosso Conero I’d asked to try, so she ordered up a big glass of it.

While we were happily sipping and chatting we didn’t care what the red stuff in our glasses was called.  Knowing, however, that the second wine she almost tried was made from the same grape as that of the first wine she didn’t like, though the wine list made no mention of it, steered her away from another bad choice.

This story introduces a new project that I want to include you all in! The nomenclature of wine is hard enough (what with all those foreign pronunciations) without even beginning to broach the subject of the naming systems employed by various wine-producing countries. That said, I’m going to do my very best to elucidate the whole thing according to country in the coming days. Just knowing what something is called can help you sort this whole mess out a little better and perhaps even impress a cute bartender some day (*wink*).

Rosso Conero, San Lorenzo, Umani Ronchi, Marche 2006

Grape: Montepuliano

Region: Le Marche

Tastes like: The fresh and juicy flavor of wild cherries with a tinge of earthy wood notes       and an herbal quality that the menu listed as “liquorice” which made my roommate turn     her nose up at it at first.

Rosso di Sicilia, ReNoto, Feudo Maccari, Sicilia 2006

Grape: Syrah and Nero D’Avola

Region: Sicily

Tastes like: Rich, spicy, full bodied, with lots of ripe fruit without being fruity, a touch of smoke and a strangely savory note of  bacon that makes this wine deelish

Rosso di Montalcino, La Fortuna, Toscana 2007

Grape: Sangiovese

Region: Tuscany

Tastes like: On the verge of fruit-bomb but with big spice, bright acid, and a dry finish

Barbera d’Alba, Bussia, Giacosa Fratelli, Piemonte 2007

Grape: Barbera

Region: Piemonte

Tastes like: Medium-bodied and on the sweet side with predominant flavors of ripe strawberries, a streak of vanilla, and a soft but dry finish

 

 

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The Obligatory Valentines Day Post

Posted in Varietal Info, What to Drink When..., Wine Reviews, tagged , , , , , , , , on February 4, 2011| Leave a Comment »

 

Rather than lump everyone together in one post, let’s face it: Valentines Day is one of the most divisive holidays out there – it pits singletons squarely against couples. So, in honor of the holiday’s tendency to separate us into categories, I’ve crafted three distinct versions of the same post, all with the same pairing suggestions at the end:

• If you are attached this V-day please see section A

• If you are sad and single this year please skip down to section B

• If you are single and lovin’ it, head on down to section C

A. Whether you’re the bearskin-rug and glowing fireplace type of romantic or the trail of rose petals leading to the bed type (or, erm, like some of us, somewhere closer to shaving your legs for a change), wine can only enhance your Valentines Day.  As Cher Horowitz (ahem, Clueless – duh!) so famously put it, wine makes people feel like, sexy, and so should be the obvious choice. This may also explain wine’s usual starring role in any scene-right-before-they-do-it in any romantic comedy worth watching this V-day.

Chocolate is also a star player on this particular holiday – whether it’s making its cameo in a heart-shaped box or a pot of edible body paint (and god knows you’re gonna need some wine if you’ve decided to go the latter route). Luckily, wine and chocolate go together as perfectly as you and your honey. I’ve provided some great pairing options below (just skip on past all that babbling about single people…that’s not you this year!).

B. If you’re single this year, wine has the amazing ability to get you drunk – in style. Even if you’re at home shoveling ice cream while you clutch at the carton and watch cheesy movies on TV, as long as you’ve got a bottle of wine open on the coffee table, things just got classed up a notch. And you know what else? Drink just enough wine and you’ll feel great.

As long as you’re already indulging why not throw some chocolate into the mix? Chocolate and wine get along just swimmingly and they’ll both make you feel better about things…until the next morning. For tips on just how to pair your chocolate and wine, see below.

C. Alright so that whole Bridget Jones-esque scenario I just played out above? Screw it. If you’re single this year, take the opportunity to (oh, this is gonna sound so corny) appreciate yourself. Give a little love – to yourself. That’s right…I went there. And you know what’s a great way to appreciate yourself? Treating yourself to a nice bottle of wine because you deserve it. Maybe you’re planning a night with your friends this V-day – but that’s no reason not to indulge! Don’t skimp on the frills just because you’re not celebrating with someone who is going to have sex with you later.

While you’re at it, why not expand your horizons and blow your mind by bringing in wine’s (and V-day’s) ideal companion: chocolate. See my wine and chocolate pairing suggestions (all chocolate suggestions are available to order online) below for a fabulous and delicious night.

Pairing Wine with Chocolate

Note: If you want to try to go it alone, check out this nifty wine and chocolate pairing chart I stumbled upon at TheNibble.

 

Casanova Caramel Collection from Theo Chocolate: Ginger Rose Caramel, Grey Salted Vanilla Caramel, Lavender Caramel.

 

Pair with: This whole set begs to be paired with Pinot Noir or Beaujolais.

 

Try: Mossback Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2009 ($19) for its silky texture, notes of chocolate and caramel, and soft tannins. Also, a good bet would be the Chanrion Cote De Brouilly Beaujolais Domaine de La Voute Des Crozes 2009 ($16) with its rich body, floral perfume, and tasting notes of dark chocolate and a tinge of granite that would make the grey salt really pop.

CoCo Luxe Valentine’s Truffles: Champagne, Pure Devotion (pure dark chocolate), and Roses (white chocolate rose and honey ganache inside dark chocolate)

 

Pairs with: This is a set of truffles that could go well with either a Reisling or a Syrah depending on what flavors you want to bring out. If you choose a Reisling it will bring out the white chocolate and really emphasize the honey flavor of the Roses Truffle. A Syrah would be a better match for the Pure Devotion truffles, emphasizing the fruit and spice of the chocolate.

 

Try: Seven Hills Reisling Columbia Valley ($12) for its off-dry and on the sweeter side notes of honey and white peach. If you go the Zinfandel route, try Qupe Syrah Central Coast 2007 ($18 and one of my personal favorites) for its rich body, juicy flavors, and bright spice.

 

Gem Chocolates: 5-piece Sampler with Conquistadores (spicy citrus-flavored habanero chili, a hint of cinnamon in dark chocolate), Cha-Cha (cherry and chili in dark chocolate), Razzle (raspberry and vanilla white chocolate inside ganache), Masala (a blend of Indian spices in milk chocolate), and Praline (ground almonds and caramelized sugar in milk chocolate).

 

Pairs with: If you’re looking to turn up the heat on all the interesting spices in these chocolates, definitely go with Zinfandel.  If, on the other hand, you’re more interested bringing out all those fruity flavors, I’d suggest picking up a bottle of Merlot.

Try: Li Veli Orion Primitivo 2007 ($14) for its spicy nose, flavors of chocolate and cherries, and rich body.  For a Merlot, try Robert Keenan Carneros Merlot 2006 ($24 – another one of my personal favorites). With its silky mouth feel, notes of jammy berries and a tinge of cocoa, and subtle spice.

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Dedicated Post: Finding a great everyday Pinot

Posted in Regional Guide, Varietal Info, Wine Reviews, tagged , , , , , , on February 1, 2011| 1 Comment »

Growing up there were really only ever two kinds of wine to be found in our kitchen – Beaujolais Nouveau during the holidays and Kendall Jackson Chardonnay (which my mother, whose penchant for abbreviation was far ahead of her time, affectionately referred to as KJ). My childhood memories are peppered with the image of the wine’s label – a singular grape leaf perpetually in the midst of its autumnal color change.

Even as a teenager, I learned early on to avoid pinching the KJ and opted instead for the Kettle One in the freezer, surreptitiously replacing it with water that, whoops, froze after too may refills.

The one night a friend and I snuck off with a bottle of KJ, we only got about halfway through before we both started to feel sick – something I would much later attribute to the wine’s shockingly high sugar content. I couldn’t understand how my mom and her friends could knock the stuff back like juice – we were better off with vodka that we could dilute enough to be tolerable.

Fast forward a few years – my mom and her friends have, thankfully, graduated from KJ (though, I still see a bottle in the fridge every now and then) and have started to drink more and more pinot noir. My mom, who never thought she liked red wine had finally found one that was light enough for her palate and wasn’t of the same family as the monster reds my dad always drank that triggered her killer migraines.

They’ve found some good stand-by pinots that are good to grab for a pot luck or dinner party, but leaving these lovely ladies to their own devices, they’ve still brought plenty of bottles that evoke memories of retching after gulps of KJ. They’ve moved on from the big Chardonnays that came of age with them in the 80’s but with little direction.

My mother aches for a good every-day bottle of Pinot that’s on par with her beloved and not-quite-abandoned KJ, and has asked me to offer some helpful advice on finding the bottle whose image may grace the next chapter of my life’s memories.

Where to Start: Region

As I’ve said before, Pinot is a tricky grape to grow – she’s a diva who is inclined to give a less-than-thrilling performance if not pampered and indulged. Pinot had a sudden surge in popularity (thanks to, I wish I were kidding, the movie Sideways) that left a lot of winemakers, who had no previous experience with the grape, scrambling to cash in on the new market and bottle their own. Needless to say, for a long time, the result of all this inexperience was a lot of cheap Pinot Noir that really didn’t reflect the finesse and poetry for which the wine had been so celebrated in the movie that made it so popular.

This wasn’t, of course, the rule and luckily, in the past couple years, both veteran Pinot producers and some newbie game changers have stepped up their game to bring consumers some really stellar Pinot Noirs that are delicious and placed squarely within the everyday price range.

In particular, producers in California, Oregon, and Chile have some exciting wines that run the gamut of styles and flavors. Generally, finding a region that matches your particular preference for a certain kind of wine (assuming its one that grows in a wide array of places) is a good idea – knowing the basic qualities that come out of specific regions can help you to, time after time, pick the wine that’s right for you.

CALIFORNIA


Sonoma, Sonoma Coast: Sonoma provides the perfect micro-climate for growing Pinot Noir. Pinot noir likes cooler regions and benefits from growing in a region where it is exposed to fog. Growing it in a coastal region known for its thick coastal fog makes perfect sense for Pinot.

What to expect: delicate, light, bright red fruit, floral aromas

What to try: Sebastiani Sonoma Pinot Noir 2008 ($13/bottle), Blackstone Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2007 ($10/bottle), Heron Sonoma County Pinot Noir 2009 ($12/bottle), Purisma Canyon Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2008 ($14/bottle)

Looking for a splurge? Try Russian River Valley – the most highly regarded appellation within Sonoma County. It’s hard to find anything under $25 a bottle from this region but if you do stumble across anything from this region that’s on sale or otherwise affordable, give it a try!

Try: Willowbrook Sonoma County Pinot Noir 2008 ($20/bottle), Joseph Swan Cuvee de Trois Pinot Noir 2006 ($25/bottle – this is one of my favorites with a tawny color in the glass, really nice nose of strawberries, and a slight earthiness that makes it stand out)

Carneros: Nestled in a valley between Sonoma and Napa, this region acts as a tunnel through which cool air and fog funnel into Napa Valley from the coast, which makes it a good area for Pinot.

What to expect: Because this is a traditionally Chardonnay-growing region, wine producers are keen on oak in this area and love to imbue their Pinots with its smoky and full-bodied characteristics. Look for bigger pinots with medium bodies, creamy red fruit, and a touch of oak, smoke, or spice.

What to try: Castle Rock Winery Pinot Noir Carneros 2008 ($13/bottle), Annabella Pinot Noir Special Selection Carneros 2008 ($13/bottle), La Crema Pinot Noir 2007

Looking for a splurge? Fleur De California Pinot Noir Fleur de Carneros 2007 ($16/bottle), Etude Pinot Noir Carneros 2007 ($18/bottle), Acacia Pinot Noir Carneros 2007 ($20/bottle)

Monterey: Coastal, with cool afternoon sea breezes that keep Pinot nice and chilly.

What to expect: The watch-word for Monterey Pinot Noir is balance. More fruit-forward than upstate Pinots and with a tighter structure to support all that bursting fruit.

What to try: Irony Pinot Noir 2007 ($11/bottle),  Poppy Pinot Noir Monterey County 2009 ($12/bottle – and one of my favorites for easy drinking), Estancia Pinot Noir Pinnacles Ranches Monterey 2009 ($12/bottle)

Looking for a splurge? Kali Hart by Talbott Pinot Noir Monterey 2008 ($16/bottle), Chalone Pinot Noir Monterey 2008 ($20/bottle), Summerland Monterey Pinot Noir 2008 ($22/bottle and another personal favorite)

Santa Barbara: Similar to Napa and its various micro-climates, Santa Barbara has a distinct topography that allows for cool ocean breezes and fog to flow through the area’s coastal ranges and makes it one of the coolest places to grow wine vines in California.

What to expect: Elegant Pinot Noir that defy any previous notion of lightness without substance in Pinot Noir – these are beautiful Pinots that have complex structure that includes a medium body, bright fruit, and a smooth long finish where others just give out at the end.

What to try: Parker Station Santa Barbara Pinot Noir 2007 ($12/bottle), Martin Ray Santa Barbara Pinot Noir 2006 ($12/bottle)

Looking for a splurge?Anything with a Sta. Rita Hills appellation will most likely be dynamite and give you an example of California Pinot at its very best.  Melville Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills 2009 ($17/bottle) Sanford Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir 2007 (half bottle @ $18)

OREGON

Willamette Valley: Cool and moist thanks to its position between the Cascade Mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west (think of LA smog effect but replace dirty lung-clogging air with fresh cool and wet sea fog).

What to expect: Oregon Pinot Noirs tend towards the more Burgundian style in that they can get a little funky and earthy in an amazingly delicious way. They’ll be delicate and lighter in body but still carry flavors of fresh fruits like dried strawberries and blueberries rather than the raspberries and dark cherry flavors of California.

What to try: Spruce Goose Pinot Noir 2006 ($11/bottle), Rascal Pinot Noir 2007 ($12/bottle), Primarius Pinot Noir 2007 ($14/bottle)

Looking for a splurge? Look for “Dundee Hills” – a sub appellation of Willamette Valley that produces stellar Pinots. Try: O’Reilly’s Pinot Noir 2009 ($17/bottle),  Belle Pente Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2008 ($23/bottle), Benton Lane Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2008 ($22/bottle)

CHILE

($10/bottle), Chilensis Pinot Noir 2008 ($10/bottle), Montes Pinot Noir 2008 ($13/bottle)

Looking for a splurge? Ritual Pinot Noir 2008 ($18/bottle), Montes Alpha Pinot Noir Leyda Valley 2007 ($19/bottle)

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Forget Franzia

Posted in Wine Reviews, Wine Trends, tagged , , , , , , , on January 30, 2011| 2 Comments »

The wine world is one that embraces the esoteric and often shuns the everyday or, god forbid, the ubiquitous. So it’s no surprise that many of the industry’s most formidable palates have shunned unconventional wine packaging from screw tops to tetra paks. Uh-oh, I’m starting to sound like them. I lost you at tetra paks, didn’t I?

If you’ve been near a wine shop in the last ten years you’ve seen screw tops — and with good reason. They’re better than cork at protecting wine from the elements and they eliminate the possibility of opening that prized bottle only to be met with the dank, mildewy smell and musty taste of corked wine (sometimes called cork taint or cork rot).

Wine is a fickle creature and to make wine means to take chances — the slightest adjustment in soil or climate can affect wine from one year to the next in profound ways. With all the chances wine-makers take, screw tops are one step in the process where they can breathe easy; a particular vintage sealed with screw tops will be more consistent from bottle to bottle.

Now let’s talk about tetra paks and wine packaged in boxes. Once respected wine makers started to do away with the cork, the bottle came under scrutiny, too. It’s not surprising — glass bottles aren’t very efficiently recycled and require a lot more energy for production. Not to mention they’re not good for storing wine once they’ve been opened.

Taking these factors into consideration, a ton of French wine-makers have opted to package their wine in tetra paks, a cardboard carton-like container that’s easily recyclable, great for travel, and cheaper. A tetra pak will also store wine better than a bottle after it’s been opened. True, you’re not going to store your boxed wine in the wine cellar and age it for a decade, but for wines you open quickly it’s hard to argue against the tetra pak.

The French are really at the forefront of organic farming in general, and especially in organic wine production. The tetra pak takes that eco-friendly ethos one step further. It looks like an oversized juice-box and is usually used for wines sold in 500 ml or 1-liter volumes as opposed to the 3-Liter bag-in-box approach. Value is also important and plays a role in the decision to package wine in a tetra pak or bag-in-box — packaging costs are reduced by 80% compared to similar costs for traditional bottles and winemakers are able to pass those savings along.

Ready to be impressed by boxed wine? Here are some of my favorite wines that comes in alternative packaging:

Black Box Pinot Grigio ($21.99 for 3-liter box)
This white wine is just what a summer afternoon calls for.  The pinot grigio is a light white with bright acidic fruits and a nice sweetness.

Bandit Cabernet Sauvignon ($7.99 for 1-liter tetra pak)
With packaging that evokes a giant juice box, it might be hard to resist sticking a straw in the top and slurping up this ripe fruity wine instead of pouring it into a glass. These wines are made under the producer of Three Thieves wines, which falls under the direction of famed Napa winemaker Joel Gott.

Y+B Wines Torrontes ($12 for 1-liter tetra pak)
Torrentes is a white-wine grape that has flourished in Argentina. It’s a nice round wine with a fruity apricot nose, fresh notes of pears and peaches, and a refreshingly minerally finish. Y+B wines are all organic, so in addition to tasting good, you can feel a little better about drinking them.

Le Petite Frog Picpoul de Pinet ($25 for 3-liter box)
Although the French are at the forefront of organic wine, it’s much harder to get your hands on it all the way out here in California so we were especially excited to find this wine. Picpoul de Pinet is the varietal, a lesser known French white grape that’s gaining popularity with its full body, notes of grass and lemon, and a high acidity that makes it great for pairing with food.

French Rabbit Merlot ($7 for 1-liter tetra pak)
Another organic wine maker, French Rabbit sources all of its grapes from sustainable farms in the Languedoc region of France. This region is known for its hearty, robust, and rustic wines and the Merlot is a great example of this. Nice spice, ripe cherry notes, and a soft finish make this wine particularly good with BBQ.

Badger Mountain Pure Red, Meritage ($24 for 3-liter box)
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sirah, and Merlot grown in Washington’s Columbia Valley, this wine is not only organic but a great deal. This is a rich jammy wine with hints of spice and a long rich finish.

Bota Box Malbec ($16 for 3-liter box)
Malbec is a bigger red wine that’s dryer and more tightly structured than a Cabernet or a Merlot. It’s a wine that can get aggressive and is often used as a blending grape in French wines but can stand on its own in certain wine-making regions. This particular Malbec is softer with ripe fruit and hints of roasted coffee.

CalNaturale Chardonnay ($14 for 1 liter tetra pak)
A lightly toasted oak gives this chardonnay a full mouth-feel. It’s a rich and nutty chard that doesn’t have the tropical fruit flavors that come in a lot of other California versions. This particular wine has a much more French flavor profile of hazelnuts and vanilla.

* Also of note is the website for Octavin Home Wine Bar, which packages wine from small and “artisan” producers in tetra paks.

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Inelegant and everyday wine pairings

Posted in What to Drink When..., Wine Reviews, tagged , , , , , , on January 26, 2011| 2 Comments »

One of the coolest parts about writing about wine is that I get to tell people I write about wine. Regardless of how the preceding conversation has gone, no matter how clumsy or bumbling I may have been, as soon as I mention that I write a wine blog,  I get taken just a little bit more seriously.

I’m much more of a wine geek than the sophisticate they may have momentarily imagined dining on caviar and not deigning to drink anything less than Latour.

Honestly? I’ve never had a sip of Chateau Latour (hardly unbelievable given the minimum $1,000 price tag) and I’m not really one for caviar. Oh sure, I probably spend more than most on my day-to-day wine but that’s just because I’d rather imbibe those calories blissfully than guiltily and, well, I am attempting a wine blog…

But as far as food goes (another area in which I am queen of the nerds), I’ll let you in on a dirty little secret: some of my favorite food, for which I have an incessant craving, is best served in a Styrofoam container.

That’s right — I’m talking take-out. So what better way to marry my two great culinary loves than to pair great wine with greasy goodness? You may think it doesn’t make sense to waste good wine on cheap food, but, oh, the pleasures that await you!

I realize that pairing wine with food often presents a daunting task for even the most devoted of oenophiles. It’s hard enough understanding wine all by itself without trying to match it, like a puzzle piece, with its perfect mate — the dish that will enhance the wine and bring out its best flavors while, in turn, being elevated by its alcoholic companion.

My favorite strategy for pairing food with wine comes from Karen MacNeil, author of the celebrated Wine Bible. Macneil suggests that you use wine as a mirror and hold it up against the more pronounced qualities of a dish. Pair spicy with spicy, sweet with sweet, earthy with earthy, and so forth.

If you run into a flavor profile that doesn’t quite have its match in a wine, look to texture — is it rich? You can match it with an equally rich wine and languish in velvety mouth-feels or you can pair it with something bright and full of flavor that will match the intensity of your meal but cut through the richness with some acidity. This is one of the reasons that lobster pairs so well with chardonnay and salmon goes so swimmingly with pinot noir.

For each of my favorite take-out dishes, I’ll go through why I pair each dish with its particular wine and hope to enlighten you through example. Once you’ve successfully paired something as low-brow as Panda Express, there’s no turning back from full-on wine geekdom.

Pad Thai with Tofu: Voignier
Great pad thai is tangy, savory, and a little sweet. The tamarind-based sauce gives it that fruity acidic taste that leaves us hungering for more. Voignier is a grape that is often described as “luscious” and has a characteristic honey aroma. The grape is inherently low in acidity which makes it a perfect match for pad thai, already so tangy, and often has flavors of ripe peaches, tropical fruits (ahem, tamarind), and fresh orange peel.
Try: 2008 K Vintners, $20

Yellow Curry with Shrimp: Grüner Veltliner
Yellow curry is sweet and delicately spiced. It’s the mildest of Thai curries and the most redolent of coconut milk. The complex and delicate broth requires a wine that accents the spice without overpowering. Grüner Veltliner is an Austrian white grape that yields a sweet wine that is noted for the characteristic rush of white pepper on the finish. The combination of sweet and spicy makes it an ideal match for Thai curries.
Try: 2008 Hiedler, $16

Pad Kee Mao with Chicken: Savignon Blanc
Aka “drunken noodles,” this dish is one of my personal favorites among Thai cuisine. You get spice from the chilies, an herby fresh flavor from the mounds of Thai basil that the noodles are tossed with at the very end, and the grassy flavor that comes from bell peppers only cooked slightly. Sauvignon Blanc, especially from New Zealand, with its bright acidity and grassy herbaceous notes is a perfect match for this bold noodle dish.
Try: 2008 Jules Taylor, $15

Chicken Tikka Masala: Côtes du Rhône
The dish is rich, creamy, sweet, and redolent of spices without being spicy. The wine has a good deal of sweetness and spice as well — with a rich, smooth mouth feel that complements the creaminess of the sauce.
Try: 2008 Domaine Alary, $16

Lamb Vindaloo: Dolcetto d’Alba
Another tamarind-based spicy dish, but this time with gamey lamb and heavy heat, this dish calls for something with a lot of fruit, good spice, and a brightness to match the tang of the tamarind. Dolcetto is one of my favorite grapes — I’m tempted to describe it as the Beaujolais of Italy. It’s a lighter wine with nice acidity, lots of fruit like raspberries and cherries, and a spicy finish.
Try: 2006 Moccagatta, $16

Sweet and Sour Chicken: Albarino
Ah, the old standby. Sweet and fruity one minute and pungent the next, this is a great opportunity to get creative. Albarino has a zing to it that makes me love it for sweet and sour chicken — it also has a tendency toward sweetness and an almost unbearable lightness that lets it shimmer on your tongue instead of weigh down your taste buds.
Try: 2006 Morgadio, $13

Beef with Broccoli: Bordeaux
This traditional favorite is salty soy-goodness at its best. The good kind will also have a nice ginger and garlic flavor that is well matched by this rich red wine. The wine has notes of ginger, very soft tannins, and a velvety mouth feel that makes it easy to drink.
Try: 2005 Chateau Guiraud-Cheval-Blanc, $14

Moo Shu Pork: Priorat
Priorat is the name of the region in Spain that makes robust and earthy red wines that go well with Moo Shu Pork. Look for a blend that features syrah as the dominant blending grape — it will lend a gamey, almost funky ,quality to the wine that will accentuate the woodsy mushrooms in this dish.
Try: 2007 Joan D’Anguera La Planella, $19

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Pinot weary?

Posted in Varietal Info, Wine Reviews, tagged , , , , , on January 20, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Pinot Noir is a tricky little grape – and to write about the wine, I’d need to have an entire blog solely devoted to it. Pinot Noir is one of those wines that attracts uneasy wine drinkers and connoiseurs alike. For the former it’s a “lighter” red wine that is infinitely more drinkable than a challenging glass of Cabernet or Syrah and for the latter, a good glass of Pinot can be a revelation. However, this blog is for the former, and after so many glasses of Pinot Noir, enough is enough.

Its true that Pinot falls on the lighter end of the spectrum. That’s not to say that it doesn’t have complexity and character – it wouldn’t be one of the most sought-after wines in the world if it didn’t have both of those qualities. Pinot Noirs come in as many styles as there are places it is grown – from California to South Africa and lots of unexpected places in between. Pinot Noir can be a fruit bomb in a glass – an explosion of ripe red fruit that will knock you off your bar stool. It can be delicately floral or funky with hints of mushrooms and earth on the nose. A bad glass of Pinot is either syrupy sweet or so light it goes down like water with just as much of a finish.

All that having been aired out, if you find yourself confronting the fact that maybe just maybe you don’t actually love Pinot Noir as much as you think you’re supposed to the good news is that you have options. There are plenty of wines out there that are still “lighter wines” and easy to drink without all the politics behind Pinot Noir.

Mencia: Spanish

Grown mostly in the northern region of Spain known as “green Spain”, this is a semi-obscure grape that makes a truly delightful little red wine. It’s similar to some Pinot Noir’s in its flavor profile of rich red fruits and nice acidity. These wines, like the best Pinots also have a nice long finish that’s easy-going and smooth.

Try: Benaza Mencia  2009 at $9 a bottle at The Wine Buyer

Plavac: Croatia

Plavac is an ancient grape that is grown widely in Croatia and is rumored to be a distant cousin of the Zinfandel grape. Plavac is a grape that can pack some nice spice and tight structure that holds up a bouquet of strawberries and raspberries. It’s got more grip than your average Pinot but its still firmly in the lighter column. Not to mention its from Croatia which gives it a little bit of that Eastern European romance and intrigue…

Try: Dingac Plavac 2007 at $13 a bottle at Plonk

Dolcetto : Italian

Ah, Dolcetto. This was one of the first wines that I ever drank and thought was simply delicious. It’s the table wine of Piedmont, one of Italy’s most revered wine making regions that also produces Barolo and Barbera. Although the name implies sweetness, Dolcetto is a light and spicy little grape with ripe fruit, silky tannins, Moand a juicy quality that makes it especially amenable to accompanying a meal.

Try: Cascina Degli Ulivi Monferrato Dolcetto “Nibio” 2006 at Astor Wines

* Also, see my post on Beaujolais!




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Beaujolais: The Starter Wine

Posted in Regional Guide, Varietal Info, Wine Reviews on January 18, 2011| 5 Comments »


I’m young, broke, and in love with wine. The same was true a little more than a year ago when I was studying abroad in gloomy Edinburgh. The pervasive gray underfoot and overhead was threatening to turn me into a chain-smoking, sun-starved zombie, so I planned a three-week jaunt across the continent. I had a good friend studying in Paris at the time, so we joined forces and ventured into the French countryside, searching for sunnier pastures — and vineyards.

Rendered practically destitute by the weakness of the dollar against the Euro, we nixed the pricey train to Bordeaux and set out in a rental car for famed Burgundy. With nothing more than some faded Mapquest print-outs to guide us, we ended up in a small town in the northwestern corner of the Beaujolais region. See also: not Burgundy.

I’d been looking forward to drinking good wine and the general opinion of Beaujolais is that it is a simple wine; the table wine of Parisian bistros — light, fruity, and easy to drink. My only encounters with the variety came from a Christmas tradition: my mother, who drank nothing but cheap California Chardonnays, bought a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau every year around the holidays.

Although we were disappointed, we’d spent most of the day getting hopelessly lost so we called it a day and hung up our hats. The countryside was breathtaking, our B&B came with chickens, donkeys, a claw-footed tub in our gorgeous room, and the little town was effortlessly charming. I doubted I’d find anything revelatory in our travels but I was relieved on behalf of my friend, a white-wine purist so, Beaujolais, I figured, might actually be a good compromise.

After the first sip it became clear that my disappointment had been uncalled-for. Delicate, floral, tightly structured, and redolent of fresh raspberries and strawberries, this was some delicious wine. At tasting after tasting, wild roses, violets, and peonies perfumed my glass while the wine’s acid woke up my tongue and, for the first time, I tasted the pleasant tang of granite. Light but velvety, the wine had none of that sticky, saccharine aftertaste I’d come to expect from Beaujolais Nouveau.

Beaujolais is the name of the region, but the wine is actually made from a grape called Gamay. The Gamay grape is not a diva; it’s relatively easy to grow, rigorous, and versatile. Her flavor is delicate but not often considered as elegant as her cousin, Pinot Noir. It’s naturally high in acidity and low in tannins; although it may dance on the tongue, it won’t cloy.

The region itself is large and can be easily split along the North/South divide by soil type (rocky and dry in the North and richer clay in the South). The southern parts produce wines that fall under the appellation of plain-and-basic Beaujolais and are generally lighter and fruiter — this is where the grapes that go into Beaujolais Nouveau are grown.

The Northern half produces wine under two different appellations: Beaujolais Villages and Cru Beaujolais. The former is usually of higher quality than plain Beaujolais, but not as highly regarded as the latter. Cru Beaujolais are broken down even further into ten specific appellations, each representing a distinct area and usually named after a nearby town. From North to South these appellations are: Julienas, Saint-Amour, Chenas, Moulin a Vent, Fleurie, Chiroubles, Morgon, Regnie, Cote de Brouilly, and Brouilly.

We were lucky enough to stumble right into the heart of this Northern region, so we were tasting the best that Beaujolais has to offer. Just like people, grape vines reflect the way they were brought up; the Gamay vines that are grown on the rocky and acidic soil of these northern areas have to struggle a little more to produce fruit. That struggle is reflected in the fruit and manifests itself as a more complex and structured wine.

Beaujolais is an excellent starter wine; it’s not intimidating, not meant for aging, and you can find a great bottle for a wonderful price. If you’re mostly a white drinker, it’s a nice red to ease you into the heavier stuff. More experienced drinkers will appreciate the subtleties of this delicate wine – it’s a pleasant surprise in such a “light” wine.

By the end of our trip, we were both loyal Beaujolais drinkers. My friend swore off the whites and began diving into deeper, heavier profiles. For my part, I finally found something to take the edge off that gloomy Scottish fog.

Try These:

Fleurie is commonly referred to as the most feminine of the Cru Beaujolais; with the most floral nose, often of violets, ripe red fruit, and a velvety finish (Chateau des Deduits Fleurie Beaujolais 2006 $16.95, Terres Dorees Fleurie 2008 $18.99)

Morgon wines are the darkest and richest of the Cru Beaujolais and are most similar to Burgundian wines; a peachy nose, earthy taste, and silky texture (Maison Louis Tete Morgon 2007 $14.99,  Domaine Georges Descombes Morgon 2007 $19.99)

Cote De Brouilly is somewhere in between —  not as earthy as Morgon wines but richer than a typical Fleurie (my personal favorite is the smoky 2006 Chateau de Thivin at $14.00 but also good is the more lively 2008 from the same winemakers at $18.00 and Daniel Bouland’s 2008 at $20).

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Chardonnay: Big Hair, big shoulders, big wine

Posted in Varietal Info, Wine Reviews, Wine Trends, tagged , , , , , , on January 18, 2011| Leave a Comment »

One sip of Chardonnay and my mind’s eye invariably conjures an image of the tragically coiffed and shoulder pad-wearing career women who inhabit my favorite romantic comedies from the 1980s. If one were to solely look to popular romantic comedies of the era as a cultural reference point (which, obviously, I don’t) it would be easy to conclude that these women worked their asses off and struggled against the patriarchal power structure of corporate America just so they could sit down to a nice cold glass of Chardonnay at the end of the day.

I’m sure the working women of the decade curled up with a big glass of Cabernet Sauvignon often enough, too, but the 1980s was the decade of Chardonnay. It was the first major varietal grown on American soil to yield an internationally recognized wine and established Napa Valley as a “serious” wine region after the famous “Judgement of Paris” in 1976. The “Judgement” — which you can see depicted in the 2008 film Bottleshock — used blind tasting and eleven extremely discerning judges to measure California wines against French ones. California rocked it.

Perhaps for all those career women who fought to crash through glass ceilings and garner respect in the workplace, drinking a wine that had broken so many staid conventions in the viticulture world was all too appropriate.

Napa has been producing wine since the early 19th century, but until that tasting in 1976, it seemed as though Americans just couldn’t break into the wine world. No one would take a California bottle seriously — they wanted old vines and French labels. But as soon as Chateau Montelena’s Chardonnay bested the best of Burgundy, west coast winemakers made a mad dash to grow their own chard vines and take advantage of a rapidly growing market. In an era of unabashed patriotism, national strife, and culture shock, Americans were eager and proud to embrace the wine that put them on par with the greatest vineyards of France.

Perhaps for all those career women who fought to crash through glass ceilings and garner respect in the workplace, drinking a wine that had broken so many staid conventions in the viticulture world was all too appropriate. It’s easy to forget, when considering Chardonnay, that “the California style” is a relatively modern invention.

The California wineries that pioneered the style were, at first, producing strictly classic renditions of the Chardonnays produced in Burgundy. These French Chardonnays can range from the dry, crisp, and minerally versions made in Chablis to the rich, nutty wines of the Cote d’Or. Eventually California winemakers got bolder and crafted bigger and bigger wines that were intensely buttery, redolent of oak, and often laced with tropical flavors.

California-style Chardonnays often sacrifice food-friendliness for size and so, while they’re great to drink on their own, they can coat the tongue and leave diners groping in a fog of oak for any other flavors. Many winemakers are starting to turn away from this massive style and opting to craft more food-friendly Chardonnays that retain the flavor profile of the classic California style but have a lighter mouth feel and higher acid content.

This particular difference boils down to a simple process called Malolactic fermentation that’s usually used to change the naturally occurring tart-flavored malic acid (think green apples, nectarines, and pears) into softer-tasting lactic acid that gives a rounder mouth feel.

Chardonnay is one of the most malleable wines — it can be manipulated through a vast variety of other factors that can all be gone into with great detail (but you’re spared this time around). For the time being, lets focus on a solid example of a few different popular styles so that whatever you’re going through — a fit of Francophilia, a rash of ’80s nostalgia, or a surge of American pride — you’ll know exactly what kind of wine to pair with your mood.

Try These:

Classic California-style (oaky, buttery, and big): Robert Mondavi Solaire (California), 2006, $14

Tropical and Fruity: Jekel Chardonnay (California), 2007, $11

Chablis (dry, crisp, and fruity): Chateau de la Greffiere (France), 2008,  $17

Cote d’Or: Verget Bourgogne Blanc (France), 2006, $19

Unoaked: Plantagenet Omrah (W. Australia), 2008, $16

Nouveau California (minerally, acidic, green fruits): Joel Gott Chardonnay (California), 2008, $15

Well-rounded and easy to drink: Chateau Ste. Michelle Cold Creek Vineyard (Washington), 2007, $17

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