Archive for ‘wine notes’
4 items.
Dec27
Have you ever heard of Cheapism.com? I hadn’t until a few weeks ago when I was contacted by one of their representatives about their findings for the best cheap champagnes. Of course, a true Champagne (from the right grape and region of France) is seldom if ever to be found “cheap,” but you can find plenty of lovely sparkling wines (the larger category that Champagne belongs to) in any price range.
Their suggestions?
Experts note that not all sparkling wines pass as a substitute Champagne, and champagne reviews discuss factors such as bubbles, sweetness, and taste. Topping Cheapism’s list of best champagne buys are Roederer Estate NV Brut, Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut NV, and Freixenet Cordon Negro Extra Dry — all priced at less than $20.
And if you try any of them to ring in the New Year, please let me know.
Todd and I prefer our sparkling wines on the sweeter side, so those Brut recommendations just don’t do much for us. We rang in 2011 with a couple of inexpensive Italian sparkling wines on the sweeter side: one white and one red.
Wait, red sparkling wine? Oh yes, my friends, it’s out there and it’s fabulous!
The red is Costarosa Sangue di Giuda Oltrepo Pavese and is, as best I can tell as the label is 100% in Italian, a blended red wine with just enough bubbles to keep things interesting. It was recommended by the guy in the liquor store when I said I wanted anything but Brut. Good call.
The white is Ca’D'Gal Lumine Moscato d’Asti. Moscato is very popular these days as more are discovering this sweet wine in both still and sparkling styles. I think Moscato is doing quite a lot to dispel the negative opinions many people have of champagne. And we just a bottle of Cupcake M0scato d’Asti with Thanksgiving dinner that was pretty fabulous, too.
And sweet champagne is nothing new–in Europe it’s always been available but not a lot made it to the United States as our palates were, somehow, not interested in sweet wines.
Thank goodness times have changed!
We haven’t decided, yet, what we’ll be sipping when ’11 turns to ’12, what about you?
Comment
Nov15
Chances are, if you’re new to wine, you’ve heard two things:
- Pairing wine with food is incredibly complex and takes years to master.
- Red wine with red meat, white wine with white.
While the first is somewhat true and the second is a good starting-point, here’s the advice I like to give the best:
Drink what you like.
And for us, that usually means red wine with anything, specifically Pinot Noir. So when the opportunity to sample a trio of Pinot Noirs perfect for Thanksgiving presented itself, what do you think I said? Yes please!
While you might normally pair a meal of turkey cutlets with a clean, crisp white (and be perfectly within your rights to do so), the reason reds work well with Thanksgiving, or any big, rich meal, is in the meal’s description: rich! A wine needs to complement the meal while holding it’s own, not merely match the color of the primary protein!
The first two bottles we tried side-by-side were The Crossings (from New Zeland) and Llai Llai (from Chile). Here are the notes that came with each (for those who find them interesting–I know I do!):
The Crossings Pinot Noir 2009 is said to be a fantastic wine to pair with potatoes; a Thanksgiving favorite. It’s finely poised aromas of red cherry, spice, raspberry, and gentle smokiness forms the perfect smell for the nose. The palate is vibrantly intense with a full rich and silky mid-palate which creates a very persistent finish. The resplendent ruby red goes through to the core of the wine and will harmonize the many flavors of the Thanksgiving meal. Recently named a Best Buy and Best Value for Pinot Noir by World Value Wine Challenge.
[Llai Llai] This light wine will blend in with the many foods of the holiday and allow guests to enjoy the flavors of both their drink and dinner. This Pinot Noir is hand-harvested, creating a deep, brilliant red color with a ripe and intense red fruit aroma. Llai Llai Pinot Noir has the perfect balance of alcohol and acidity creating a certain elegance and sweet earthy notes, perfect for harmonizing multiple flavors. The very ripe and soft tannins allow for a long, rich, and smooth finish which is necessary to preserving the moistness of the turkey. Recently named the Best Value Chilean Pinot Noir by World Value Wine.
Both are available under $20 a bottle , so excellent options for the budget-conscious (and, let’s face it, who isn’t these days?). We found Crossings to be slightly sweeter than Llai Llai, each a medium red color and a fine flavor. There’s definitely no harsh aftertaste that you might find from a stronger red, these are both nice and easy table wines. The Llai Llai was slightly more mellow, according to Todd, but it was tough for either of us to pick a favorite.
A few days later we got a chance to try a California Pinot Noir, from the Sonoma Coast Vineyards. This one’s a bit pricier at an SRP of $39.99 but, after sampling it, I have to say it’s worth every penny. Let’s start with the “liner notes:”
Sonoma Coast Vineyards Freestone Hills Pinot Noir 2008 is perfect to pair with the heavy foods of Thanksgiving. The mixture of dark black cherry and ripe rich black raspberry fruits plus pomegranate will insistently enhance any fall celebration and we think it is perfect to pair with a Thanksgiving turkey! It’s fruity enough to bring together the different flavors of the meal while creating a fresh taste.
Two things right off: deep red color and a velvety mouth-feel; amazing. Todd thought it was a little oakier than he prefers, and I can see that (I suppose).
But I? Well, let’s put it this way: I could have easily finished the bottle in one night, on my own. I didn’t! But I could have. And remember how I said pairing wines with food is about richness? The Sonoma Coast held it’s own with a sinfully rich crawfish bisque last night, so turkey, dressing and all the trimmings would pair equally as well.
Whether it’s your own table or you’re invited to a friend’s home for dinner this year, I highly suggest the Sonoma Coast Vineyards. Even after the holiday this is a great wine to have on hand for anytime you need to unwind.
FCC Disclaimer: I was provided bottles of wine on which to base this review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own, unless otherwise indicated.
Oct26
Mavrodaphne of Patras
On Friday night, Todd and I headed out to the Holy Mother of God Greek Orthodox Church and the annual Greek Food Festival.
I gave a fairly complete picture (or, rather, several of them) of the night over on Nibbles, yesterday, but I glossed over our wine selection–on purpose! I was saving a little something for Sips.
In previous years we haven’t gone into the Taverna for whatever reason but this year it was on my definite to-do list. We weren’t much interested in the beer or ouzo, but I wanted to see what was different about Greek wine.
Well, they weren’t doing actual tastings and even though the $4 a glass price wasn’t too bad, tasting 4 wines at the end of the night probably wasn’t the best idea. So we chatted with the guy manning the counter and he was pushing us a bit towards the whites (one of which had a piney taste? I’ll stick to gin for drinking trees, I think) but when we saw the sales sheet listed a sweet red, I just had to try it.
Our would-be wine steward wasn’t sure I knew what I wanted, though, and insisted I take a little sip before he poured me an actual glass.
Oh. My. Yes.
The wine is Mavrodaphne of Patras Kourtaki and the first thing my tongue told me was Yum! The flavor is described as dried fruit–figs, prunes, raisins–and reminds me of some ports I’ve tasted, yet it doesn’t appear to be a fortified wine. It’s definitely sweet, a great dessert choice and one that you’ll want to sip slowly.
I know I’ll be checking my local wine shops to see if they carry it, this is one I want to keep on hand!
Jul04
Whiskey Run Creek (image borrowed from their Facebook page)
No, not quite.
The words St Croix on a bottle of wine from Whiskey Run Creek Vineyard & Winery refer to a hardy type of grape, one of several that can withstand Nebraska’s cold winters.
Who knew?
On a recent trip to Nebraska we didn’t have time to visit any of the 20+ wineries in the are but we were treated to a wonderful dinner at Todd’s mom’s home that included opening a bottle of 2006 St Croix.
The wine was a deep, dark red–almost like a port in color–with a hint of oak on the nose but very little of that woody taste in the wine itself. The website describes it as having notes of cherry and plum–no disagreement here–and we can attest that it is absolutely divine with a good steak. It was a pleasure to drink and we hope to try it again on our next trip. (Unfortunately, Florida’s wine import laws are so draconian that they cannot ship wine to Florida. Harrumph.)
