Wine Outlook

Sometimes when choosing a wine to go with a meal, it’s not about the main ingredient so much as everything that surrounds it. When I decided to make a portobello sandwich, my initial choice would have been a Pinot Noir or an Italian red. But with the preparation of roasted red peppers and chive goat cheese, I decided to go for my old stand-by of Sauvignon Blanc, especially since the mushroom was marinated in a balsamic vinaigrette. And when coupled with a simple salad with olives, tomatoes, garlic, and oil & vinegar, the pairing was just right.

The wine: 2005 Giesen Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough in New Zealand, one of my favorite places for SB. (Usually not too expensive–this one was $10) On the nose, grapefruit and freshly cut grass. Upon tasting, more yummy grapefruit, pomegranate, and dill. As expected, very crisp and acidic, which worked well to cut through the goat cheese and stand up to the salad. The slightly vegetal quality was complemented by the red bells. Overall, exactly what I was looking for and a very nice meal to have been thrown together in minutes.

2005 Giesen Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc pairing

The day was bad for too many reasons to list, and I was feeling lazy and ready to drink.

The wine of choice was the 2003 Biale Zappa, a blend of 65% Zin, 18% Petite Sirah and 17% Syrah. Reasoning included: A) the need to go ahead and drink it before it passed its prime, B) hopes that those burly grapes would overpower my mood, and if not B, then C) the zappa is a tool used to remove weeds from around vines…essentially a hoe, and maybe I could clear out some of my own problems. While no Black Chicken, it still hit the spot. Pepper, blackberry, tiny bits of chocolate, cinnamon, and vanilla. Very smooth, and I hardly noticed the 15.7% alcohol. (It simply helped to numb the pain.)

The food (melodrama aside): a BBQ chicken pizza from Trader Joe’s. It was good, though the presence of cilantro, which I’ve only recently come to accept as adding more flavor than just soap, was fairly prominent. To make up for my laziness, I whipped up some caesar dressing for mixed greens and a bourbon BBQ sauce, courtest of Emeril. Despite our shared southern culture, I’ve never been his biggest fan. But this recipe was right-on (with minor changes to adjust to what I had on hand). The sweetness of the honey melded with the heat of cayenne pepper was a perfect match for the pepper and fruitiness of the wine.

BBQ sauce, Zinfandel food pairing, Biale Zappa

Wine Blogging Wednesday is already upon us. Luckily, the category of New World Syrah was an easy one to fill. Though I already had several Syrahs from California (and just recently bought two more on my Napa day trip), I decided to fight the onset of cellar palate and go outside the States. And as France was out….

The first was the 2004 Eventide Cellar Shiraz ($15 from K & L) from Wellington, South Africa.(100% Shiraz, 12 months in American oak) It was pleasant enough, with aromas and flavors of pepper, raspberry, clove, and eucalyptus. Perhaps part of the problem was my lackluster meal, but I wasn’t extremely excited about this one. Less than 24 hours later, I retasted to find the wine smoother, with more spice and the suggestion of cocoa.

The other wine I reviewed was The Black Chook ($17 from Beltramo’s), a NV sparkling Shiraz from Southeastern Australia. From what I could find, it’s made by Woop Woop Wines, and much of the fruit comes from the McLaren Vale. No info on percentages, except that it was made from mainly 3-yr-old Shiraz, with a bit of newer grapes to add generous helpings of fruit. When trying to make sure this was mostly Shiraz, I discovered ‘chook’ means ‘chicken,’ which seems rather appropriate considering my obsession with the Biale Black Chicken Zin.

*I should probably begin this by saying I adore sparkling reds and tend to be less critical of them due to my enthusiasm and the rare occasion of drinking them. They are always such a surprise: the combination of heavy and light… bubbles and rich, red colors. This particular bubbly smelled of raspberry jam and chocolate and leaned toward being a good breakfast wine with its flavors of raspberry muffins and coffee. (more…)

Just an ordinary night, cooking up a little something that turned out to be quite the treat. I had some shiitake mushrooms left over from my trip to the market and decided to make Veal Marsala, loosely based on one of my favorite Bravo! dishes. That, along with some garlic-sauteed spinach and Yukon Gold potatoes, which were oven-roasted and then finished with white truffle oil, well…..all I could say was YUM.

I didn’t want to open any of the Pinot Noirs I already had, so I opted for the 2002 Viansa La Nebbia Nebbiolo, which I bought when visiting a friend who used to work there. And it turned out to be a very sound choice. On the nose I got a hint of bacon (BLT’s came to mind, actually) and strawberry. Then when I took the first taste, it seemed hot initially (with 13.5% alcohol: not too high), but that soon faded into more strawberry. The wine was rather light, with low tannin, which might not seem to stand up to a cream-based sauce, but the earthiness was a great match for the nutty character of the Marsala, as well as the drizzle of truffle oil. (more…)

Over at Wannabe Wino, Megan asked about whether people plan dinner around wine or wine around dinner. I think my response to her was something to the effect that I do both but usually have most success when picking the wine first.

The other night was no exception. The wine I picked was one I purchased back home, probably two years ago. The first time I had Robert Biale Zinfandel, I fell madly, deeply in love. So much so that I’ve been hesitant to drink my 2003 Black Chicken because I haven’t seen any out here. But you don’t want to hold on to a Zin full of huge fruit and high alcohol for too long. Opening the bottle was one of the best decisions I’ve made in a while.

My first reaction to the gorgeous nose of subtle pepper, bright raspberry and black cherry was, “Please, god. Have it ask me on a date.” And though it tasted a little hot at first sip (16% alc!) that melted into more raspberry and pepper, with some cinnamon and vanilla. YUM, though now I’m sad that it’s gone…. (more…)

For Wine Blogging Wednesday #29: Thanks to Fork & Bottle for hosting.

Not too long ago, our winemaker asked me to help him with a letter to his Martella club members, concerning his attraction to biodynamic wines and decision to make more of them. So I read Hugh Courtney’s 40+ page introduction to What Is Biodynamics?: A Way to Heal and Revitalize the Earth : Seven Lectures to get an idea of the practice. While it’s often likened to organic farming, it goes much deeper than that.
In Courtney’s own words:
…the biodynamic attitude toward the Earth as a living being…traditional agriculture and even individual organic or chemical farmers may also have that attitude. While that may be true, the attitude in other forms of agriculture is confined to the realm of feeling, while the biodynamic farmer puts his feelings specifically into actual physical world practice through the use of the biodynamic preparations.

Well, those preparations might make some people shiver just a bit. Ingredients for the nine preparations range from rather basic chamomile,yarrow, and cow manure to the more out-there vessels for holding them: cow horns, a stag’s bladder, and the fresh skull of a domestic animal. However, the use of these preparations has been known to help make for an earlier harvest, increase topsoil, and provide relief in drought conditions.

And as long as I don’t think too much about the how of it, I can appreciate the why, as well as the results.

Since Michael Martella inspired my interest in the first place, I’ll review the 2003 Martella Mendocino ‘Fairbairn Ranch’ Syrah first. It’s made with Demeter-certified grapes that come from a vineyard owned by Joe and Julie Golden, including 5% Petite Syrah. I love this wine because it’s always changing. Sometimes I get black pepper, raspberry, and plum. Later I might get a little tobacco and cedar. Then another time I’ll find licorice and tea. Whatever flavors jump out, the strong tannins are consistent– making this one that you want to drink half the first night and save the rest for later–to see what else you can find. (more…)

Wine Blogging Wednesday #29, 2003 Martella Mendocino ‘Fairbairn Ranch’ Syrah

When I returned from my trip home, involving much wine consumption, I vowed to join or start a tasting group. Mission accomplished, and very well, I should say.

Thanks to a co-worker (the cellar rat) and his charming wife, for getting the ball rolling and for hosting, we had a lovely evening of wine and cheese. The first in what I hope to be a long series, we decided to bring whatever we desired in both categories. Everything was just so, with the wines hidden in clean (trust me, we asked) socks and sheets with ample room for notes. Also plenty of bread on hand, helpful in neutralizing the palate somewhat between tastes.

Everyone dove right in–swirling, smelling, sipping, scribbling. I had no moment of panic, that fear that no flavors or aromas will make themselves known. At one point, I asked a friend to pull out an aroma card I had printed for some of us, courtesy of Alder over at Vinography because I had forgotten mine, but it was after we had already started the discussion and unveilings. (more…)

I just pulled tasting notes from dinner a few nights ago out of my purse. A little worse for wear, with water stains, drops of wine, and what looks to be a bit of sauce, but at least they’re readable. The whole experience was one of the best I’ve had all year, winewise and otherwise, so I thought I’d share the reviews and assessments.

The sommelier and I met up at Bravo, where she works and I once did, for dinner with two other friends. After much discussion (i.e. pouring over the 400-bottle wine list), we decided to begin with the 1994 Domaine Zind Humbrecht ‘clos hauserer’ Riesling from Alsace. It was one of those situations that makes the search worthwhile. You read about older Rieslings giving off the aroma of petrol, but until you have the chance to drink one, you’re not really sure how it works. As soon as I put my nose in the glass, there it was—a lightbulb went off. On the palate were spritzy flowers, slightly sweet in the middle, and crisp on the finish. Fantastic pairing with the rosemary-infused mushrooms over crispy polenta.
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1994 Domaine Zind Humbrecht ‘clos hauserer’ Riesling

After plowing through the nearby grocery store, me and the sommelier headed over to her apartment to cook, drink, and catch up, not necessarily in that order.

The first victim was Champagne—a ’98 Duval Leroy Blanc de Chardonnay. Delightfully dry and crisp, it went beautifully with my olive dip and went into the champagne vinaigrette I was making for the salad of pink grapefruit, avocado, and goat cheese.

Now, had there been any left by the time we ate (the two of us never could have dinner on the table before 10), it would have been a perfect pairing. Unlike the Cook’s that I opened to see how it might have been. Yes, Cook’s, even though there was Sauv Blanc in the fridge. (more…)

Last night was all about wine. And seeing one of my best friends (the sommelier) for the first time in ages. With her, it’s always all about wine. I told her it’s funny that living in California I still haven’t found anybody to drink wine with how we used to drink wine together.

While we were eating, she pulled out her little journal, in which we would record tasting notes and reactions to bottles. For every entry there were at least 2 or 3 bottles that were consumed in restaurants, at someone else’s place, or when we were just too drunk or busy to put pen to paper.

Here are some of my favorites: (more…)

I received samples from El Jefe over at the Twisted Oak Winery last week and finally psyched myself up to review one of the bottles. If you’ve been reading along, you may have picked up on my palate insecurities. But I’m getting better, so here goes.

Someone who’s relatively new to this (say, me) might worry that the very first samples could be not-so-good wine and then no one will send that someone (again, me) bottles to review again.

Not to worry with the 2004 Twisted Oak Petite Sirah from the Silvaspoons Vineyard. As appropriate for a PS, the color was deep and dark, and the nose was big and beautiful, promising blueberry and black pepper. There was also something there which reminded me of soy sauce, leading to my decision to make a quick version of Lo Mein.

After enjoying the aromas, the taste did not disappoint. More blueberry and spice, with the subtle presence of oak, demonstrated with hints of vanilla. Moderate tannins allowed it to go down easy, and the alcohol was not searing, despite the grapes being sourced from Lodi, where it can get pretty warm. Despite the recommendation of Corn Flakes on the bottle (those kids over in Calaveras County really are twisted!), I had mine with those noodles and a steak seared with a little of the wine, salt, pepper, and garlic. Yum.

…By the way, the rubber chicken who accompanied my wine package tried to help himself to a glass until I took it from him. I was too slow, though, to stop him from helping himself to a piece of meat…

Stay tuned for the Viognier.

….Farley Walker

I’m excited to be a part of Wine Blogging Wednesday, especially since this month’s topic is sparkling wine: one of my all-time-favorite all-purpose wines. It cheers me up when I’m sad, makes me happier when I’m in a good mood. Something about the bubbles… whether they make the alcohol hit you faster or not, it’s the feeling of festivity that gets me every time. Some people think they need a special occasion to open a bottle, but it just isn’t the case. I say, “Let the wine be occasion enough.”

Plus, any wine that can go with appetizers, salads, pizzas, entrees, and desserts must be for me. With that being said, I will share just how much I truly appreciate this stuff with a poem I wrote summer before last. (more…)

In all the election excitement, I almost forgot my earlier promise. But if I stand a chance at wooing Food Network, I gotta get crackin’. As I told you I would, the other night I prepared a meal to go with a specific wine. First step: I whipped out The Wine Lover’s Cookbook by Sid Goldstein.

Since I was in a mood for a big red, I chose the Penne with Sausage, Porcini and Portobello Mushrooms, and Syrah. Although a couple years ago, that would have been my last choice. It’s only recently that I’ve rediscovered pork, and the reunion has been quite favorable.

As the recipe called for a pairing with Syrah or Zinfandel, I felt comfortable subbing a Petite Sirah, distant relative to Syrah and definitely material for a future post, as it’s one of my most cherished varietals. (more…)

A month or so ago, I went to Napa to hang out at a friend’s house. I’d been hinting at an invitation for a while, as his family is Italian with a huge garden, lots of traditional homecooked meals, and, ok, they make their own wine.

We decided to hit a couple of wineries. Since we were there. After first stocking the bubbly supply over at Mumm, we drove up the Silverado Trail and back down Highway 29. As we were passing the vast institution which is Beringer, it struck us that we might as well give it a go.

Now, Beringer may be best known by many for its white zin. Sad, because there is many a tasty (and often pricey) Cab Sauv to leave that production line. When we were there, I steered us directly to the reserve tasting room (ah, the perks of working in the business). The three of us each tried a different menu and shared. And while the Cabs were quite good, I left with a Pinot Noir in tow.
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