May 1st in Europe is equal to the USA Labor Day holiday. Any day that is a holiday is a good day to drink wine.
With so many countries and wines to suggest for this Euro Holiday it is a hard choice. I don't think Euros barbque, and they don't stay inside and watch TV. They love to discuss. What wine causes discussion? Ahh, one of my earliest memories of wine school in Germany is the story of meeting the policeman. Teacher told me, "German wines are so low in alcohol, you can drink a bottle, meet the policeman on the road and you are the winner of the discussion!" Now I never ever would encourage drinking and driving, and since this is a holiday, you wouldn't drive, but you would stay at home and discuss. J.J. Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett 2002 at $19.99 is perfect. About 7% alcohol, the same strength as many German beers, it is light, almost dry and positively delicious and refreshing. Perfect for conversation. Even politics. Ack. Prums wines disprove the notion that white wines must be drunk young. The high natural acidity of this wine holds it together perfectly and allows amazing aromas and flavors to develop, that only time can create.
This is special stuff at a great price.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
April 30
See that comment on the side of the blog, I taste all the bad wines so you don't have to.? Today was a bad day. I tasted more cruddy wines today, really bad stuff, that my tongue wanted to slap me silly. But I perservered.
Mozafresca, sounds like a soda pop, is a tasty inexpensive dry white blend from Spain. The 2008 at $9.99 a bottle is a blend of two local varieties of grapes, Dona Blanca and Godello. I don't know much about the Dona Blanca yet, but the Godello is an up and coming grape. The wine is dry light and crisp in the Pinot Grigio style, but it has more flavor that is kind of hard to put your tongue on, so let's just say a hint of earth, spice and fruit. Just a hint though. I could see this wine served with assorted tapas, apps or grilled seafood. Even a tuna sandwich would work. Nice wine to have in the fridge for impromptu anything this summer.
Mozafresca, sounds like a soda pop, is a tasty inexpensive dry white blend from Spain. The 2008 at $9.99 a bottle is a blend of two local varieties of grapes, Dona Blanca and Godello. I don't know much about the Dona Blanca yet, but the Godello is an up and coming grape. The wine is dry light and crisp in the Pinot Grigio style, but it has more flavor that is kind of hard to put your tongue on, so let's just say a hint of earth, spice and fruit. Just a hint though. I could see this wine served with assorted tapas, apps or grilled seafood. Even a tuna sandwich would work. Nice wine to have in the fridge for impromptu anything this summer.
Monday, May 3, 2010
April 29
First there was KFC.
Then there was KCC.
KCC is mine and one of my favorites.
For those of you that have not been in the store, I like to write on 5x8 cards and offer comments about the wines I sell. I try to be funny. One of my all-time favorite comments about wine is if it is good with KCC. Ketchup Covered Cuisine. Wicked funny and almost an aliteration.
Although not a big fan of California Red Zinfandel, I have found another one that I like. Brazin, nice name too, is a tasty complex Zin that works with ketchup and barbque sauce on red and white meats. Price in the mid teens, I forget exactly, maybe one of these days I will get a computer for the store, it has both good fruit and good spice flavors, but not extreme in either way. Balanced would be a good wine term for that. It is rich and a tad high in alcohol, so a chill would not be out of the question, and a designated driver would be a great idea.
And yes, I would serve it with KFC Original Recipe.
Then there was KCC.
KCC is mine and one of my favorites.
For those of you that have not been in the store, I like to write on 5x8 cards and offer comments about the wines I sell. I try to be funny. One of my all-time favorite comments about wine is if it is good with KCC. Ketchup Covered Cuisine. Wicked funny and almost an aliteration.
Although not a big fan of California Red Zinfandel, I have found another one that I like. Brazin, nice name too, is a tasty complex Zin that works with ketchup and barbque sauce on red and white meats. Price in the mid teens, I forget exactly, maybe one of these days I will get a computer for the store, it has both good fruit and good spice flavors, but not extreme in either way. Balanced would be a good wine term for that. It is rich and a tad high in alcohol, so a chill would not be out of the question, and a designated driver would be a great idea.
And yes, I would serve it with KFC Original Recipe.
April 28
Unless I find another rose that knocks me out, this will be the last Rose blog of the year here.
Domaine de Houchart, as in Who Shot Liberty Valance, 2009 rose from Provence at $9.99 is waiting to be thrown into the nearest ice bucket. Light dry fresh with a gorgeous pink colour, color for when the color is good, colour when it is wonderful, this screams to be served pool-side, beach-side anywhere but inside on a hot day. I love it with a tuna sandwich. Or sushi, or grilled tuna steaks rare as can be. It also works nicely with scampi and of course Niciose salad.
Now all I need is some wrinkly white linen pants and a 50' yacht and I will look cool. NOT
Domaine de Houchart, as in Who Shot Liberty Valance, 2009 rose from Provence at $9.99 is waiting to be thrown into the nearest ice bucket. Light dry fresh with a gorgeous pink colour, color for when the color is good, colour when it is wonderful, this screams to be served pool-side, beach-side anywhere but inside on a hot day. I love it with a tuna sandwich. Or sushi, or grilled tuna steaks rare as can be. It also works nicely with scampi and of course Niciose salad.
Now all I need is some wrinkly white linen pants and a 50' yacht and I will look cool. NOT
April 27
Need a red wine for changeable Spring weather and menu items? Renato Ratti, strange isn't it, Raats and Ratti the same day, 2008 Dolcetto for $15.99 is a winner. This overlooked Piedmont red is perfect for Spring and Fall, not too heavy, not too light, it's a dry red wine with some red fruit flavors, some earthy barnyard flavors and goes with food. You can serve it slightly chilled or room temperature. I don't like it with red sauce. This is a northern Italian red. It is delicious with a salami and cheese plate for snacking, but has enough weight for red meats.
I have a weakness for sausage, onion and pepper subs with Fontina. If you can get the real Fontina from Val d'Aosta, you will be very happy with the sub and the Dolcetto. Very Happy.
I have a weakness for sausage, onion and pepper subs with Fontina. If you can get the real Fontina from Val d'Aosta, you will be very happy with the sub and the Dolcetto. Very Happy.
April 26
After the Raats dinner, we adjourned to the courtyard and tasted some other Cabernet Francs, cuz I wanted to get the expert's opinion.
We started with the 2006 Insoglio de Cinghiale, a super-Tuscan from Maremma that is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Syrah. At first, he said nothing, but I could tell it was not his cup of tea. A half hour later, he turned to me and said that he couldn't believe how much better it got in the glass over time. When I told him the wholesaler had dropped the price from $35 a bottle down to $25 a bottle, he told me, he would drink it at that price. Another rib-eye to be consumed soon.
Tony Soter is one of California's best winemakers. I have tasted his Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon and been impressed. I have never tasted his Cabernet Franc til the Raats dinner. At $70 a bottle this is flashy red wine. Lots of sweet new oak flavors are not my cup of tea. Raats thought the wine was correct but needed more time for the oak to calm down, but if you like those big showy California Cabs. this wine will work for you now.
And from out of the cellar I found the 1996 Beringer III Century Cabernet Franc! Spectacular! Also sold out. I dont think Beringer makes this anymore. The grapes were from Howell Mountain. Raats apprenticed at Cakebread Cellars for a while and told me that he learned that he would only grow Cabernet Franc on Howell Mountain or Chalk Hill because of the soil. This wine proved him correct.
We started with the 2006 Insoglio de Cinghiale, a super-Tuscan from Maremma that is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Syrah. At first, he said nothing, but I could tell it was not his cup of tea. A half hour later, he turned to me and said that he couldn't believe how much better it got in the glass over time. When I told him the wholesaler had dropped the price from $35 a bottle down to $25 a bottle, he told me, he would drink it at that price. Another rib-eye to be consumed soon.
Tony Soter is one of California's best winemakers. I have tasted his Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon and been impressed. I have never tasted his Cabernet Franc til the Raats dinner. At $70 a bottle this is flashy red wine. Lots of sweet new oak flavors are not my cup of tea. Raats thought the wine was correct but needed more time for the oak to calm down, but if you like those big showy California Cabs. this wine will work for you now.
And from out of the cellar I found the 1996 Beringer III Century Cabernet Franc! Spectacular! Also sold out. I dont think Beringer makes this anymore. The grapes were from Howell Mountain. Raats apprenticed at Cakebread Cellars for a while and told me that he learned that he would only grow Cabernet Franc on Howell Mountain or Chalk Hill because of the soil. This wine proved him correct.
Passion
Think of all the hits I will get with that title.
Had dinner with one of the most passionate, good guy winemakers in the world the other night, Bruwer Raats of Raats Family Vineyards of South Africa. He makes what he likes and he makes them world class and keeps the price to quality ration extremely consumer friendly.
He loves Chenin Blanc for white wine. He loves Cabernet Franc for red wine. He makes two Chenin Blancs. An un-oaked version that retails for $14.99 has perfect balance between fruit and minerality. What does minerality taste like? Try his Chenin Blanc! This is the ideal wine for summer sipping on hot days with a variety of salads and finger foods. Take time to smell the glass when empty, the aroma of golden delicious apple in harmony with peach is amazing.
His slightly wood aged Chenin Blanc retails for $24.99. This has some additional aromas and flavors of earth and mushroom with the apple-peach minerality. It was served with a 4 different appetizer plate. Any wine that can handle rhubarb, chicken livers, Andouille sausage and spicey calamari can handle just about any dish. It fits nicely in between over the top Chardonnay and refreshingly light Sauvignon Blanc. It lets the chef get credit for his food, but the wine stands up on its own.
Raats Family Cabernet Franc is $34.99. You can drink this or, for $349.99, you can drink Cheval Blanc. At a recent "brown-bag" even, I couldn't tell them apart. So either I stink as a wine taster, or the Raats is wicked good. At the dinner, it was served with a pan seared Rib-eye steak. Awesome! The 2007 in the market now is a bit rougher around the edges. With food it was perfect. I have put a few bottles in my cellar waiting for time to smooth out the wine. The 2006 is already smooth.
Now if you do want to spend a lot of money, Raats makes a wine in partnership with his friend Mvemve, the first black winemaker college graduate. The have a wine called MR de Compostella. Rough translation, compostion of the stars. They take the 5 great grapes of Bordeaux, vinify them separately, and then create a blend based not on quantity that they bought, but on the QUALITY of each individual barrel. The final blend is never the same. Each vintage is unique. There are only 400 cases of this wine. It ages amazing. At the event we drank the 2004. It has won a bunch of awards around the world. If you can find any of them, buy them. I am sold out. I begged him for some more. Time will tell if grovelling works.
Had dinner with one of the most passionate, good guy winemakers in the world the other night, Bruwer Raats of Raats Family Vineyards of South Africa. He makes what he likes and he makes them world class and keeps the price to quality ration extremely consumer friendly.
He loves Chenin Blanc for white wine. He loves Cabernet Franc for red wine. He makes two Chenin Blancs. An un-oaked version that retails for $14.99 has perfect balance between fruit and minerality. What does minerality taste like? Try his Chenin Blanc! This is the ideal wine for summer sipping on hot days with a variety of salads and finger foods. Take time to smell the glass when empty, the aroma of golden delicious apple in harmony with peach is amazing.
His slightly wood aged Chenin Blanc retails for $24.99. This has some additional aromas and flavors of earth and mushroom with the apple-peach minerality. It was served with a 4 different appetizer plate. Any wine that can handle rhubarb, chicken livers, Andouille sausage and spicey calamari can handle just about any dish. It fits nicely in between over the top Chardonnay and refreshingly light Sauvignon Blanc. It lets the chef get credit for his food, but the wine stands up on its own.
Raats Family Cabernet Franc is $34.99. You can drink this or, for $349.99, you can drink Cheval Blanc. At a recent "brown-bag" even, I couldn't tell them apart. So either I stink as a wine taster, or the Raats is wicked good. At the dinner, it was served with a pan seared Rib-eye steak. Awesome! The 2007 in the market now is a bit rougher around the edges. With food it was perfect. I have put a few bottles in my cellar waiting for time to smooth out the wine. The 2006 is already smooth.
Now if you do want to spend a lot of money, Raats makes a wine in partnership with his friend Mvemve, the first black winemaker college graduate. The have a wine called MR de Compostella. Rough translation, compostion of the stars. They take the 5 great grapes of Bordeaux, vinify them separately, and then create a blend based not on quantity that they bought, but on the QUALITY of each individual barrel. The final blend is never the same. Each vintage is unique. There are only 400 cases of this wine. It ages amazing. At the event we drank the 2004. It has won a bunch of awards around the world. If you can find any of them, buy them. I am sold out. I begged him for some more. Time will tell if grovelling works.
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