Traditional Pairings
Lately, it seems like whenever you ask an expert for wine pairing recommendations for turkey or chicken they encourage you to try Pinot Noir or syrah. Yes, they both can go wonderfully with turkey, but because there are syrahs that are more powerful than some Cabernets and some Pinots that are too sweet or too thin, it takes a lot of sampling to find just the right one.
Unless you’ve already experimented ahead of time, why guess? Make dinner an enjoyable experience for everyone. Serve traditional pairings for you feast.
Traditional wines that go best with roast turkey are dry Riesling and – of course, Champagne.
Pinot Grigio is a mild wine that will also go well with roasted turkey. Chardonnay can be a good match, but remember, the less oak, the better.
If you are serving ham, choose a sweet, spicy pinot noir to stand up to the rich flavor of the meat.
For those who have room for pumpkin pie, a cream sherry or late harvest Riesling will complement the spiciness of the pie.
Last, but not least, the old standby, Moscato d’Asti, which is fun and low in alcohol – usually around 5.5%, goes well with pumpkin or apple pie.
Some recommendations:
Clean Slate Riesling, Germany
See Twisting Vines review.
La Caudrina Moscato D’Asti
See Twisting Vines review.
Perrier-Jouët “Grand Brut” Champagne
Pale gold color. Aromas of pineapple, orange with hints of yeast. Flavors of pear, green apple and citrus with hints of brioche and spice. Nice balance. Clean finish.
90 points Wine Spectator: “A toasty version, displaying a polished texture and flavors of Golden Delicious apple, pastry and spiced orange peel. This is lively, with a pretty floral note running throughout. Drink now.” $35 at K&L.
Bon appetit!
Tags: pumpkin pie, thanksgiving, turkey
Paso Robles Zinfandel
Opolo Vineyards was started by two wine lovers who lived next door to each other in Camarillo, CA.
In 1999 Dave Nichols and Rick Quinn produced their first commercial crush under the Opolo label. Their first wines were Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, and Muscat Canelli. Opolo now has 270 acres of estate vineyards in the east and west side of Paso Robles.
If you are thinking about a road trip to Paso Robles any time soon, plan to visit the winery. You might also want to consider spending the night at the Quinn’s family run Inn at Opolo, their small B & B overlooking the vineyard. The total wine experience.
2007 Opolo Summit Creek Zinfandel
Ruby color. Aromas of ripe berries and plum with hints of leather, licorice and cocoa. Surprised by the intense fruit flavors but wouldn’t call it a fruit bomb. First taste is of dark cherry and prune with hints of pepper, tobacco and licorice. Well balanced and full bodied, but be aware of the high alcohol content – 16.4. A nice fruity finish. Open a half hour before drinking. Everyone really enjoyed this one. Goes great with grilled sausage. We found it at Costco for $15.
Tags: California, paso robles, zinfandel
It’s Not Just The Weather
The 2010 growing season is now being called the worst-ever harvest. Sonoma seems to have gotten the worst of it. Because the fruit was on the vine longer than normal, and the rainy season has begun, a lot of the fruit has suffered from mold. Some vineyards have suffered 100 per cent loss – mostly those on the valley floor. Vineyards on higher ground fared better.
But the weather is only half the story. Because of the meltdown in the economy, a record number of wineries have gone into foreclosure. A bad situation for family owned businesses – but good for the new owners who have been able to buy quality properties at reduced prices.
The newest winery mogul in the making is Bill Foley.
After retiring three years ago as CEO of Fidelity National Financial, the nation’s largest title insurance company, the billionaire has been on a buying spree. Quickly becoming a major player in the wine industry, his Foley Family portfolio is already quite impressive.
The Foley Family’s most recent purchase, just last week, was the EOS Winery in Paso Robles. Earlier this year Foley bought Chalk Hill Winery – along with the home and 500 acres of personal property of Chalk HIll’s founder, Fred Furth.
Some recent acquisitions:
2009
- Sabastiani Vineyard and Winery in Sonoma
- Kuleto Estate in Napa
- Vavasour winery in Marlborough New Zealand
2008 - Three Rivers Winery in Walla Walla, Washington
2007 - Firestone Vineyard Santa Barbara
In addition to the wineries, in October, Foley purchased the Les Mars Hotel in Healdsburg, California. Word has it that Foley is still looking for another flagship winery along Highway 29.
Sebastiani 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley
85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 3% Petite Verdot. Ruby color. Aromas of dark cherry and blackberry with hints of toasted oak and earth. Flavors of plum, dark cherry, current and vanilla with hints of mocha and cedar. Full bodied with mild tannins. Silky finish. Open at least a half hour before serving. Double Gold winner at Sonoma County Harvest Fair. Available at Wine Exchange $25
Tags: cabernet, California, harvest, wine business, wineries
Not Just Any Blend
The world of wine is changing and like everything else, we enjoy wine trends. I’ve recently noticed that blends are becoming more popular. There are different reasons. For one, they can be more cost effective to produce than varietals – something the industry is thinking about these days.
But the main reason is how winemakers have really turned blending into an art.
With the cool weather and the holidays approaching, we’ve begun bringing out the reds we’ve been saving all summer, to enjoy with our autumn meals. Some of our favorites are blends.
A Meritage is a blend of at least two traditional Bordeaux grape varieties. No single variety can make up more than 90% of the blend. The wine must be produced and bottled by a U.S. winery from grapes that carry a U.S. appellation. The word is trademarked and wineries pay a fee to use it. Also, a Meritage release cannot be mass marketed – it must be under 25,000 cases.
Last year, Sunset Magazine had an article on perfect wine pairings. One of the pairings was a grilled Teriyaki Tri-Tip with a Hahn 2007 Meritage. What’s not to like about steak and red wine?
The reason this pairing works is the blend – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec – traditional Bordeaux grapes that are dark and full-flavored which are great with heavily marbled, hearty cuts of meat.
The tri-tip is marinaded in soy sauce which adds salt and the charring from the grill adds a sweet, smokey flavor – both which enhance the flavors of the wine.
Hahn 2007 Meritage
Dark purple color. Aromas of black cherry, currant and blueberry with hints of oak and vanilla. Full bodied and good balance with flavors of black cherry and plum with hints of chocolate and tobacco. Open bottle at least 45 minutes before serving. $11.95 from Napa Cabs.
Recipe: Teriyaki Tri-Tip
Prep and cook time: about 30 minutes. Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Marinate tri-tip for at least 2 hours. For the most flavor, marinate overnight.
Ingredients
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1 cup washed raw cane sugar or 1/2 cup granulated sugar plus 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup thinly sliced onion
• 1/2 cup sake
• 1/2 cup mirin (sweet sake; or 1/2 cup additional regular sake plus 1 teaspoon sugar)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse-ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 beef tri-tip (1 1/2 to 2 lb.), fat trimmed, rinsed, and patted dry
Preparation
1. In a one gallon zip-lock plastic bag, pour in soy sauce, sugar, onion, sake, mirin, garlic, ginger, pepper, and mustard. Hold bag closed and shake until sugar is dissolved. Add beef; seal bag. Chill at least two hours or up to 1 day, turning occasionally.
2. Lay tri-tip on a lightly oiled barbecue grill over a solid bed of medium coals or medium heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level only 4 to 5 seconds); close lid on gas grill (discard marinade).
Cook, turning every 5 minutes, until rare in center of thickest part (cut to test; 125° to 130° on a thermometer), about 25 minutes, or until as done as you like.
3. Transfer tri-tip to a cutting board. Let rest about 5 minutes, then cut across the grain into thin, slanting slices.
A Crazy Year for Wine
Just like California and Oregon, the Washington State wine grape harvest has been delayed – by about 2 weeks. The harvest reports that have come in are all very positive. The cooler temps, and longer time on the vine have made for very flavorful fruit.
While California growers worried about getting the grapes in before the start of the rainy season, Washington State growers were concerned with an early frost. All along the coast, the pickers have been working feverishly to complete the harvest in record time. It looks like their hard work is going to pay off.
Meanwhile in Italy, winemakers aren’t smiling. The combination of extended heat waves and severe hail storms in the Barolo region, the weather has taken it’s toll on the vines. Instead of a late harvest, Italy had to begin their harvest several weeks early – the earliest in 30 years. The warm weather in March and April caused vines to germinate two weeks in advance of “normal” years and the continuing high temperatures caused vines to flower 20 days earlier than usual. Hopefully, next year will be better for Italy.
Brian Carter Cellars 2007 Byzance, Columbia Valley
Brian Carter is a blend master. His Byzance was a double gold medal winner at this year’s Washington State Wine Competition. The 2007 Byzance is a crafted blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre grapes. Deep Garnet color. Aromas of dried cherries, flowers, white pepper and spice. Flavors of blackberry and dark cherry with a hint of spice and vanilla. Well balanced with a smooth finish. This wine goes great with grilled lamb chops – see recipe. Still available from the winery. $30
2010 Could Turn Out to be One of the Best California Vintages in Years
It was touch and go in August and September when vineyards were reporting that grapes were not ripening due to the unusually cool summer. Growers were worried that leaving the fruit on the vine until October could be disastrous if the rainy season started early.
Then, suddenly, right before normal harvest time, there was a heat wave in California.
The fruit began ripening and the brix readings increased a little each day. In a few places, where some growers had thinned the leaves to help the fruit get needed sunshine, some of the grapes got scorched. Thank goodness it was only a small portion of the harvest.
The grape harvest might be a bit smaller this year, but the fruit, it’s reported from the vineyards, is superb.
Reports are coming in that the grapes have intense flavors, high acid and low sugar which means lower alcohol. Perfect. White grapes are still being harvested – 2 to 3 weeks later than average and they’ve just started bringing in the cabernet sauvignon. We are looking forward some great wines for 2010.
Raymond Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
Deep garnet color. Aromas of blueberries, raspberries and cherry. Hints of leather, clove and cocoa. Flavors of dark fruit, berries and chocolate, with hints of tobacco, spice and vanilla. Full bodied and balanced with a warm, smooth finish. Open 45 minutes before serving. Will age well 10+ years. We love this wine with grilled steaks – rib eyes, what else? Good with pasta dishes and red sauce. Reduced price at Costco – $24 $22.
Tags: California, harvest, Napa, summer, vineyard
Cocktail Time
You may have noticed the shelves of your favorite wine emporium (or big box store) have been stocking their shelves with more champagne to get ready for the holiday season. While the weather is still on the balmy side we don’t have to think about the holidays in order to enjoy some bubbly.
The perfect sunset-on-the-patio drink – a Champagne Mojito.
Champagne Mojito Recipe
Serves: 1
1 1/2 ounces white rum
1/2 ounce simple syrup or Grand Marnier
1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
8-10 mint leaves
Splash or two of Chandon Brut Classic NV
Mint sprig for garnish
Place simple syrup and mint leaves in the bottom of a tall glass. Press gently with a muddler. Fill with cracked ice. Add rum and lime juice. Stir gently and top off with Chandon Brut Classic. Garnish with a mint sprig.
From BBC News
30 September 2010
French thieves steal entire Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard
Thieves in France have broken into a vineyard and stolen an entire crop of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, say police.
They struck in Villeneuve-les-Beziers on Sunday night, taking advantage of a full moon and using a harvesting machine to seize 30 tonnes of the crop.
Farmer Roland Cavaille said similar crimes had taken place before in the Languedoc-Roussillon, one of France’s best-known wine growing regions.
He said the theft amounted to a year’s work and about 15,000 euro (£12,900).
“They used a harvesting machine to gather grapes. This means there was no need to have lots of people, two people would have been enough,” Mr Cavaille told Le Parisien newspaper.
“The area was quite isolated, it is a a few kilometres from the village and near a river. So the thieves were able to work safely.”
One witness reported hearing engine noises in the early hours of the morning and police have been examining footprints left at the scene, said the newspaper.
But Mr Cavaille said the thieves were clearly professionals who could easily sell on the grapes.
He said there had been a similar grape theft had been reported in the area four years ago and that another complaint had also been filed this year.
While his vineyard was insured, it did not cover the loss of the grapes themselves.
Mr Cavaille told Europe1 news he had no idea who had taken the grapes but that he was angered and surprised by the theft, as he believed there was a “degree of solidarity” between winemakers.
Boz Scaggs in Napa Valley
One of my favorite singers is also a winemaker – who knew. A career that began with moderate success, Boz Scaggs hit the big time when he teamed up with Toto in 1976 to record the smash album Silk Degrees.
Today, Scaggs is touring the US with Michael McDonald and Donald Fagen. The trio will be at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles on September 29th. When he’s not performing, the singer is busy overseeing operations at the Scaggs Vineyard.
From the Napa Valley Register:
Scaggs and his wife, Dominique, launched Scaggs Vineyard wines — a rosé and a blend of aromatic Rhone varietals — at a recent celebratory wine dinner hosted by Bardessono executive chef Sean O’Toole. The wines are made by a respected member of the local wine industry, Ken Bernards, the force in the cellar behind Ancien.
The two wines are made from Rhone varietals planted on 2.5 acres at the northernmost reach of Mount Veeder along the Mayacamas Ridge, at an altitude stretching from 1,100 to 1,400 feet.
Planted over a period of three years starting in 1998, the hillside vineyards contain syrah, mourvedre and grenache. In 2007, the couple added a small amount of cunoise. Since 2005, the vineyards, fruit and olive orchards at Scaggs Vineyard have been certified organic.
At the recent Bardessono dinner where the two wines were launched, Boz said his intent was for both wines to be “New World expressions” of classic Rhone wines.
The elegant Scaggs rosé has lovely floral notes, alternating aromas of roses and strawberries, and offers both strawberries and spice on the mid palate, finishing with a hint of Bosc pear. Production was 120 acres, with a retail price of $25.
The heady Scaggs Rhone blend features a mouthful of ripe blackberries, with hints of both blueberries and raspberries on the delightfully long finish. It retails for $75. Production was 250 cases.
Additional information about the wines and purchases is at scaggsvineyard.com.
Tags: California, celebrity, Napa, rose
Wine Harvest Begins
While California’s wine harvest is in high gear, the folks on the east coast are batting down the hatches in preparation of the pending hurricane.
From South Coast Today:
Earl Threatens a Rare Year Ripe for Pinot Noir
September 02, 2010
WESTPORT — On a broiling morning under a cloudless sky, Bill Russell of Westport Rivers Vineyard and Winery spoke about producing large quantities of red wine, from his own grapes, for the first time in the farm’s history. But for this to happen, the grapes must survive Nature’s wrath.
“I mean we’re talking two weeks away, maybe three weeks away, from actually accomplishing it,” Russell said. “We’re not popping bottles of Champagne to celebrate, but it’s hard not to sort of be a little bit excited.”
However, Russell has been down this road before.
“The last time we had a year where we expected to maybe make red pinot noir was 1991, and Hurricane Bob ended that,” he said, describing how the storm left the vineyard with broken and rotting grapes. “We had an infestation all of a sudden of insects, including fruit flies and yellow jackets, and they were everywhere.”
That year, Russell was in his mid-20s. At this rate — if Hurricane Earl sours an otherwise splendid season — he’ll be in his 60s before conditions are ripe again for red.
Tags: harvest, pinot noir
