Favorite Wines of the Year - So Far

We are nearing the half way point of 2014.
Hard to believe.
So I thought I would wander the isles of the Balaban's wine racks, and see what my favorites have been so far this year.
All in all, it's been a great year for value wines - especially Pinot Noir from California and Oregon.
All the wines below are still available here, so, if you want to give any a try, please stop by.

Value Wines
2012 Annabella Chardonnay - $16
2012 La Scolca Gavi - $17
2011 Chapoutier Bila Haut Cotes du Rousillan (red blend) - $13

Upper Level Wines
2012 Roar Pinot Noir - $44
2007 Guigal Chateauneuf du Pape - $48
2008 Egelhoff Cabernet Sauvignon - $75

Here's to more great wines in the second half of the year.
Have a great weekend!

Tom

Wine and Food? Or is it Food and Wine?

What came first, the chicken or the egg?
I.  Don't.  Know.
What came first, the food or the wine?
Most of the time, it's the food. And then a decision is made on an appropriate wine pairing.
But if you're like me, sometimes you're craving a particular wine and then the food follows.
Here are some basic guidelines:

• Rich whites like oaky/buttery Chardonnay or Burgundy: Meatier “other white” meats like pork, veal and chicken, in richly flavorful sauces.

• Crisp whites like Sauvignon Blanc, Albariño, Pinot Grigio or Verdelho, and most sparkling wines: Foods with matching degrees of acidity, such as seviches, or salads in mildly sharp vinaigrettes, or mixed with sharp/earthy cheeses like goat cheese or feta.

• Slightly sweet, spicy and fruity whites like Riesling, Viognier and Gewürztraminer: Seafoods prepared with slightly sweet, sour, salty, and even spicy-hot sauces and ingredients.

• Soft reds like Pinot Noir, Grenache, and lighter styles of Zinfandel or Merlot: Soft but meaty textured, full flavored red fish, like salmon and tuna.

• Zesty, pungent, earthy/foresty red wines like Sangiovese or Tempranillo: Zesty, Italian influenced dishes which make use of pasta, tomato, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, and resiny herbs like oregano and rosemary.

• Higher tannic reds like youthful Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and heavier Petite Sirahs: Stronger red meats prepared with slightly bitter peppercorns, vegetables, or char from wood grilling.

• More brightly fruited, zesty, jammy or sweetly scented red wines like most Zinfandels, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Barbera and Grenache: Fatty meats in zesty, sweet or even spicy sauces and marinades like barbecued or even teriyaki style beef or pork ribs.

• Big, herbaceous, richly oak flavored Cabernet Sauvignon or blends of Cabernet Sauvignon: Fatty red meats in sauces reduced with aromatic green herbs, mint, thyme or sage, etc.

• Sweet, high acid, intensely fruity “late harvest” whites: Sweet desserts made with fruits retaining natural fruit acidity like berries, pear, apple, and stone fruits such as cherry, peach or apricot.

• Sweet, full bodied wines like Tawny Port or French Sauternes: Blue cheeses such as Roquefort, Gorgonzola and Maytag Blue.

• Sweet, full bodied, fortified reds like Vintage Port:  Bitter/sweet chocolate desserts or truffles.

Slightly (and shamelessly) paraphrased from an article in the Wall Street Journal.

Have a great weekend!

Tom

The Chicken AND the Egg!

Great Wine and More for Father's Day

Let's say my wife is getting me a $250 gift card to Balaban's for Father's Day.
This is pure fantasy, of course. There's no way I'm getting a $250 gift card to anywhere.
But IF I got this gift card, here is what I would get:
Stone Brewery Mixed 22oz Four Pack - $19 (Yes, I like beer)
Angel's Envy Port Aged Small Batch Bourbon - $42 (Yep - Bourbon too)
Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Champagne - $37
2010 Billaud Chablis Premier Cru Montee de Tonnerre - $46
2009 Vietti Barolo Castigleon - $49
2010 Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon - $70
These would make great gifts for any dad this year.
So Judy, since you always read my blogs, and if you were to get me only one of these items, I believe there is a Cab on the rack with my name on it.
Ain't too proud to beg.
Have a great weekend and HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Tom

How is Wine "Complex"?

"A whole made up of complicated or interrelated parts". That's how Webster defines "complex".

I've used "complex" to describe many wines in these blogs.
And the major critics absolutely love it when a wine shows complexity in its character.
But, what do I really mean when I use the word complex in relation to wine?
Layers.  When I say a wine is complex, I'm referring to the layers of expression on both the nose and the palate. The various layers of scent and taste evolve as the wine sits in the glass and breathes,  revealing new and ever-changing sensations over whatever amount of time you are tasting the wine.
I think that's pretty cool.
It's also what makes good quality, "complex" wine really special.
Here's a great example of an excellent "complex" wine that I've enjoyed recently:
2011 Loring Rosella's Vineyard Pinot Noir, 91 Points Wine Spectator - $37 at Balaban's
The pure ripe plum and black cherry fruit joins spice and wilted rose notes for a complex, delicate mix of flavors, gaining on the finish. (Wine Spectator Description)

Have a great weekend!

Tom

Six Wine Flaws and How to Deal With Them

I've written before about flaws you can experience when you open a bottle of wine, but the recent issue of Wine Enthusiast had a nice summary of different issues you can encounter with your wine.
So, if you open a bottle and something doesn't seem quite right, look for these potential problems:

• Cork Taint: this is a chemical problem that can occur in any wine sealed with a cork. Look for scents of wet cardboard or wet newspaper. Unfortunately, this condition only gets worse after you open the wine. Dump it, or, try to return it to where you bought it. Good wine shops will exchange the wine for another bottle.
• Too Tight: If you can't smell or taste much after you open your wine, then it's in a tight phase of its life, or, it's just too young. Decant the wine or run it through one of the many aerateors that are available. This wine needs air and time, but it should come around.
• Too old: I guess it happens to all of us. With wine, look for orange color in both whites and reds. Whites will have flavors of vinegar and reds will take on flavors of wet mushrooms and prunes. The British supposedly prefer older wines that have these characteristics. I will be dumping my wine and reaching for another bottle.
• Oxidized: This is very similar to a wine being too old but occurs because a wine was exposed to too much air either because of a bad cork, or from being open too long. Dump it.
• Sulfur spoil: Hard to miss the smell of rotten egg. This is a winemaking issue. Sulfur dioxide is often added to wine to prevent spoiling, but too much causes a problem. Before you dump the wine, try decanting it with a clean copper penny in the decanter. The copper supposedly counteracts the sulfur dioxide compound in the wine. I've never tried this, but I've known about it for years, and it's supposed to work.
• Brett: this is a naturally occurring yeast that comes from the barrels that wines are aged in. A little brett will give wine notes of damp earth, raw meat and wet grass. If you're getting horse manure, band aid and high school locker room instead, you might have too much brett in your wine. Decant the wine. The brett will often, but not always, blow off.

These conditions are really pretty rare, and you may never encounter them. But, when you are first opening a bottle, especially in a restaurant, where prices are marked up, look for these potential flaws in your wine.

Tom

What Temperature to Serve Your Wine

Reds at room temperature and whites ice cold, right?
NO!
Most reds are served way too warm and many whites are served so cold that you can barely taste them. I even encounter this problem in restaurants - fine dining restaurants.
Here are some good guidelines from Wine Spectator with some personal commentary added from yours truly.

• Light dry white wines and sparkling wines: Serve at 40° to 50° F to preserve their freshness and fruitiness. Think crisp Pinot Grigio and Champagne. For sparklers, chilling keeps bubbles fine rather than frothy. This is also a good range for white dessert wines; sweetness is accentuated at warmer temperatures, so chilling them preserves their balance without quashing their vibrant aromas.

Wine Spectator includes Rose's in this group, but I disagree. I would include Rose' in the following category:

• Full-bodied white wines AND ROSE:  Serve at 50° to 60° F to pick up more of the complexity and aromatics of a rich Chardonnay. Rose's are almost always made from red grapes, so the warmer temperature, while not warm by any means, brings out the nuances and complexities of the grapes used in the Rose'
• Full-bodied red wines and Ports: Serve at 60° to 65° F—cooler than most room temperatures and warmer than ideal cellaring temperatures—to make the tannins in powerful Cabernet or Syrah feel more supple and de-emphasize bitter components. I prefer my Ports and Pinot Noir cooler than my bigger reds, but no red should be served at room temperature, which is usually around 72°.

This is all easy to manage at home, but if you end up with a red that's too warm or a white that's too cold at a restaurant, just ask them if they can warm or chill as appropriate. I do it all the time.

Have a great weekend!

Tom

It's Official - I'm on a Rose' "Kick"

I wrote a blog earlier about Rose' wine, so it's no secret that I enjoy the style. But this Memorial Day weekend really got me going on Rose'. For me, this just might be the perfect wine to go with foods off the grill.
Now, I'm not suggesting Rose' with Filet Mignon or hearty/earthy fare, but for most holiday grilling it works just fine.
For example:
Saturday: brats, baked beans and coleslaw. The wine: 2013 La Manarine Cotes du Rhone Rose' - $16
Sunday: pork steaks, grilled veggies and corn on the cob. The wine: Domaine Caboche Vin de Pays Rose' - $12
Both wines were refreshing, had wonderful fruit yet had enough complexity and acidity to pair well with both meals.
And you drink Rose' cold so it works great as an aperitif before dining - especially on a hot summer day.
Both of these Roses happened to be French, but you can get Rose' from any wine producing country, including the USA.
And you can get Rose' from almost any red grape. I've had Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Syrah, Merlot, Sangiovese and Nebbiolo Rose', as well as many fine blends of these same grapes.
Ok. I'm done writing about Rose' for a while. But I'm certainly not done drinking it.
Maybe tonight ...

Tom