My first day of Spring is the annual Cape Cod Wine Tasting Show held in the beautiful Chatham Bars Inn. In my foolish youth, I tried to taste all the wines at the show, this year close to 700, but like fine wine, my age has made me better. 200 wines tasted in about 3 hours is my limit now. Here are the few winners that I ordered for the store. They should, repeat should, arrive within the next two weeks, hopefully in time for Easter. This short list further proves, that I taste all the bad wines so you don't have to. These wines are in no particular order, they are just good and good value.
Casillero del Diablo 2006 "Riserva Privada" Cabernet/Syrah blend $17.99
Big, luscious and yummy
A.A. Bastianich (yes, that family)2007 Malvasia $39.99
Hole in the head wine, I don't need it, but it was a stunning dry white and I had to have it.
Josh Cellars 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon "Amber Knolls" $19.99
Just what you want in California Cab.
Lioco 2007 Unoaked Sonoma Chardonnay $19.99
Surprisingly rich flavors for an unoaked Chard.
The Wishing Tree 2008 Chardonnay AND 2006 Shiraz $11.99 each
From Western Australia, more acid, less over-ripe flavors, well done.
Angeline 2006 Chardonnay Russian River $14.99
Great value for classic California style
Angeline 2006 Merlot Russian River $14.99
Way too tasty and smooth for its price point!
Martin Ray 2006 Pinot Noir Santa Barbara $19.99
Only wine I tried that I inquired about buying the entire Mass. allotment.
Ken Forrester Petite Pinotage 2008 $9.99
Hate-Love, Hated this wine for years. Love this vintage!
De Trafford Shiraz "Blueprint" 2005 $39.99
BIG , enjoyable, cellarable, for a leg of lamb. Very limited!
Corte Rugolin Valpolicella Classico 2007 $14.99
Too good for red sauce!
Graham Beck Chenin Blanc "Gamekeeper's Reserve" $14.99
Tired of Chardonnay? Drink this!
Vinos Sin-Ley M5 (Monastrell) 2007 $14.99
Big, smooth, smokey, perfect for Catsup covered cuisine.
Vinos Sin-Ley Puntazo Rose' 2008 $9.99
A snoutful of fresh strawberries in a dry pink wine. Bring on Summer!
Typical average results, 7.5% worthy, 92.5% I don't want you to taste.
Blisters on my tongue healing until the second Cape show in 10 days and I get to do it all over again. New wines of course.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
WWW-Wine Wont Work
Happy St. Patrick's Day! Wine won't work with corned beef and cabbage. The saltiness of the corned beef desensitizes your taste buds, plus all that salt makes you thirsty, so pour a couple of cold beers, green color optional, and enjoy your gourmet kinship with the Irish. And it is beer to be served whether your corned beef is pink in color, the NY style, or grey, the New England style. Another battle between New York and Boston. Again, there are no wrong answers, just your personal preference. If you find a butcher that makes his own New England style corned beef, ask a couple of weeks in advance if he will make you corned spare ribs! Then make sure your next appointment with your doctor is in the far away future so you dont get yelled at.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Wine Mythbuster
Rule # 1. If you like the wine, it's good wine.
Rule # 2. If the wine tastes good to you with the food you are serving, it's the right wine to serve.
Chianti does not go with red sauce! In fact almost all red wine from Tuscany, Chianti the most famous, does not go with red sauce.
Tuscany is home of white beans, olive oil and Sangiovese. Sangioves is the dominant grape of Chianti. It has a slight sour cherry, Morello, flavor. So would you put sour cherries in your red sauce? Nope. Other than a homemade pasta called Picci, you do not see pasta in Tuscany except in tourist places. The nickname for the people of Tuscany, and I apologize in advance for the spelling, is Mangiafagioles, The Beaneaters. For you Boston Red Sox fans, that was the name of the Red Sox, before Red Sox. Tuscans pour olive oil on their dishes like American kids pour ketchup on their fries! The cloyingness of the oil is a perfect foil for the high acid of the Sangiovese grape. The best steaks are to be found in Tuscany too. Chianina, again spelling apologies, is the local best breed of cow for meat. It is high in fat content, cooked rare on a wood fire and is yummy with Chianti and other Tuscan reds. The beef is so rich that it is common to liberally apply Kosher salt and lemon juice to a Tuscan steak. The Tuscans also love grilled game birds and wild boar stews. These foods taste terrific with Tuscan reds. Secret ingredient in stew from Tuscany, a spoonful of unsweetened cocoa powder at the finish! You will not believe how it enrichens the colour and flavor of stews.
Southern Italian red wines are the perfect foil for red sauce. The acidity from the tomato and the low acid from grapes like Primitivo, Negroamaro and Nero d'Avola compliment each other for some sure-fire tasty combos. In addition, those three grapes make great inexpensive wine! And in this economy, inexpensive and delicious is a great match.
Rule # 2. If the wine tastes good to you with the food you are serving, it's the right wine to serve.
Chianti does not go with red sauce! In fact almost all red wine from Tuscany, Chianti the most famous, does not go with red sauce.
Tuscany is home of white beans, olive oil and Sangiovese. Sangioves is the dominant grape of Chianti. It has a slight sour cherry, Morello, flavor. So would you put sour cherries in your red sauce? Nope. Other than a homemade pasta called Picci, you do not see pasta in Tuscany except in tourist places. The nickname for the people of Tuscany, and I apologize in advance for the spelling, is Mangiafagioles, The Beaneaters. For you Boston Red Sox fans, that was the name of the Red Sox, before Red Sox. Tuscans pour olive oil on their dishes like American kids pour ketchup on their fries! The cloyingness of the oil is a perfect foil for the high acid of the Sangiovese grape. The best steaks are to be found in Tuscany too. Chianina, again spelling apologies, is the local best breed of cow for meat. It is high in fat content, cooked rare on a wood fire and is yummy with Chianti and other Tuscan reds. The beef is so rich that it is common to liberally apply Kosher salt and lemon juice to a Tuscan steak. The Tuscans also love grilled game birds and wild boar stews. These foods taste terrific with Tuscan reds. Secret ingredient in stew from Tuscany, a spoonful of unsweetened cocoa powder at the finish! You will not believe how it enrichens the colour and flavor of stews.
Southern Italian red wines are the perfect foil for red sauce. The acidity from the tomato and the low acid from grapes like Primitivo, Negroamaro and Nero d'Avola compliment each other for some sure-fire tasty combos. In addition, those three grapes make great inexpensive wine! And in this economy, inexpensive and delicious is a great match.
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