Sipping the crisp and refreshing Novy Four Mile Creek White as I watch the 2012 NFL Draft. As usual, the SEC is dominating.
And speaking of the South, this time of year, it starts to get awfully warm. Not the oppressive, melt-your-face type of heat we endure mid-summer, but very warm nonetheless. Now, to be honest, when its 98 degrees out with 100 percent humidity, wine ain't my drink of choice. Agua is my preferred bevie. Not that I would turn down a crisp pale ale or even a lemonade...
The point is, this is the time of year when we spend a lot of time outdoors, and what better to accompany your time in the sun (or shade - it is pretty hot) than a light, refreshing vino. I'm relatively new to this style of wine, but am constantly impressed by their versatility and easy-drinking character. Lighter, acidic, unoaked (or barely oaked) whites pair extremely well with a lot of the foods that we like to eat this time of year: shellfish, white fish (think: speckled trout), fresh fruits and veggies, and artisinal cheeses. Crisp whites are pretty good on their own, too.
Not heavy or cloying, as some white wines can be, these wines hit you with apple, pear, honeysuckle, wet stone and spice flavors. Most are pretty well balanced, with a zippy acidity that finishes clean and refreshes the palette. Many of these wines have slightly lower alcohol levels (sub-14%) as well, so they won't weigh you down in the Southern spring heat. Lighter, balanced, lower alcohol wines have been a staple in Europe for centuries, and are starting to gain traction here in the New World. A recent weekend in New Orleans affirmed this as I was able to sip on Trimbach Pinot Gris and Hugl Gruner Veltliner while dining on flamenkuche and pulled pork at Luke Restaurant on a warm Saturday.
Some of my recent favorite wines of this refreshing style include: the aforementioned Novy Four Mile Creek White, Grey Stack Rosemary's Block Sauvignon Blanc, Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc, Trimbach Riesling, Dr. Loosen Riesling, Kilkanoon Riesling, Ponzi Pinot Gris, Alderbrook Pinot Gris, King Estate Pinot Gris, Chateau Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris, A to Z Chardonnay, Villa Maria Chardonnay, LinCourt Chardonnay Unoaked, Mer Soleil Silver, Morgan Chardonnay Metallico.
What are some of your favorite warm-weather whites?
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
A Nice Day for a Wine Wedding
Whew! That was one wine-derful weekend. I reflect as I savor the few remaining sips of my last bottle of MacPhail 2010 Rose (100% Pinot Noir = delicious)...
The Mrs. and I had the privilege of attending a relative's wedding in New Orleans - and all the associated events - over the weekend. It was one of the most interesting and enjoyable weekends for us in a while. My relative, the bride, was born and raised in Louisiana, but she has lived in Europe for eight years. Her groom is from Denmark, where the two met. During their courtship, the couple has lived in Copenhagen, Zurich and, most recently, Sao Paulo, Brazil...making friends along the way. The wedding guests and attendants were a fantastic 50-50 mix of foreigners and Southerners, and the ceremony and reception were a perfectly-designed blend of Southern U.S. and Danish traditions. The Big Man Upstairs also helped out on this holiest of weekends with some primo weather. Blue skies, temps in the low 80s, and nary a drop of humidity. For New Orleans in April, it doesn't get much better.
But this ain't one of those "wedding blogs". What gives?
Just setting the stage, my friends. To the wine!
First, we had an incredible meal at a newer restaurant with an interesting wine list, which will be the subject of my next blog...stay tuned.
And now...the rest of the wine story. My relative, after trying some of the California wines I brought to our family Thanksgiving dinner (Kunde Estates Chardonnay and Four Vines The Maverick Zinfandel), decided she wanted to serve hand-picked American wines at her reception (which included a three-hour, sit-down dinner) instead of the the standard caterer plonk. She asked me to send her several American Chardonnays and Zinfandels that she could ask her caterer to source, that would pair with a Euro-Louisiana dinner of gumbo, crab cakes, filet mignon, and cheeses. She also asked me about the caterer's sparkling wine offering, Cristalino Cava, which I promptly advised her to stick with (it's a consistently good value bubbly).
The results were some ol' reliables: Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Chardonnay and Bogle Old Vines California Zinfandel. The Chardonnay, with its tropical flavors, creamy-smooth texture, and crisp acidity was a decent match with the spicy duck and sausage gumbo, crab cake, and cheeses. The spicy, berry-vanilla Zin was an even better match for the gumbo, as well as the filet. For a reception dinner that required some reasonably-priced, representative, delicious U.S. wines that could be consumed in mass quantities, the Chateau Ste. Michelle and Bogle fit the bill.
We wrapped up our festive weekend with a classic Easter dinner with family and friends at the hacienda. Our Easter wines? The MacPhail Rose I'm finishing off now, and a 2008 Acacia Pinot Noir DeSoto Vineyard. The bottle of Acacia is a remnant from last summer's trip to Napa and Sonoma. I remember it well...sitting outside at the picnic table at Acacia winery...with a server who claimed to be a "super taster" (but refused a blind tasting challenge several times)...on a cool and windy afternoon. While we sampled A LOT of wines, and some details are...er...hazy, two wines still stand out: the 2008 Lone Tree Vineyard and DeSoto Vineyard Pinots. We couldn't take it and uncorked the Lone Tree months ago, but I've been coddling the DeSoto for a special occasion. Easter definitely qualifies.
Acacia Vineyard, located on the Napa side of the Carneros appellation, was acquired by the massive beverage conglomerate Diageo a few years ago. While the new owner has used the Acacia brand to push some massed-produced wines that aren't even made at the winery (see: "A" by Acacia), Acacia still makes some incredible single-vineyard Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays that are only available at the winery. The DeSoto Vineyard lies just East of the Acacia Vineyard, and enjoys the characteristic cool breezes and clay soils that give Carneros its identity. The wine smells of cherry, spice, and savory earth. Our bottle wasn't oxidized, but you can smell the ripeness of the wine. 2008 was an uneven year, climate-wise, but I find Carneros wines from this vintage are ripe and immediately approachable. The DeSoto was a mouthful of big, ripe fruit on the initial attack. Then, the classic loamy earth and mineral notes from Carneros take over. The fruit comes back on the finish, which was a little hot, probably due to the 14.8% alcohol, again indicative of a riper vintage. The "heat" from the alcohol kept the wine from being a memorable comrade to our meal of smoked ham, hashbrown casserole, and baked beans, but it was still pretty darn good. The rose also made for an excellent pairing, and was crisp and refreshing with our meal outdoors.
Stay tuned for more from my wine-derful weekend.
The Mrs. and I had the privilege of attending a relative's wedding in New Orleans - and all the associated events - over the weekend. It was one of the most interesting and enjoyable weekends for us in a while. My relative, the bride, was born and raised in Louisiana, but she has lived in Europe for eight years. Her groom is from Denmark, where the two met. During their courtship, the couple has lived in Copenhagen, Zurich and, most recently, Sao Paulo, Brazil...making friends along the way. The wedding guests and attendants were a fantastic 50-50 mix of foreigners and Southerners, and the ceremony and reception were a perfectly-designed blend of Southern U.S. and Danish traditions. The Big Man Upstairs also helped out on this holiest of weekends with some primo weather. Blue skies, temps in the low 80s, and nary a drop of humidity. For New Orleans in April, it doesn't get much better.
.JPG) |
| Just your usual Danish-Louisianian nuptials at the Montegut House in the French Quarter |
But this ain't one of those "wedding blogs". What gives?
Just setting the stage, my friends. To the wine!
First, we had an incredible meal at a newer restaurant with an interesting wine list, which will be the subject of my next blog...stay tuned.
And now...the rest of the wine story. My relative, after trying some of the California wines I brought to our family Thanksgiving dinner (Kunde Estates Chardonnay and Four Vines The Maverick Zinfandel), decided she wanted to serve hand-picked American wines at her reception (which included a three-hour, sit-down dinner) instead of the the standard caterer plonk. She asked me to send her several American Chardonnays and Zinfandels that she could ask her caterer to source, that would pair with a Euro-Louisiana dinner of gumbo, crab cakes, filet mignon, and cheeses. She also asked me about the caterer's sparkling wine offering, Cristalino Cava, which I promptly advised her to stick with (it's a consistently good value bubbly).
The results were some ol' reliables: Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Chardonnay and Bogle Old Vines California Zinfandel. The Chardonnay, with its tropical flavors, creamy-smooth texture, and crisp acidity was a decent match with the spicy duck and sausage gumbo, crab cake, and cheeses. The spicy, berry-vanilla Zin was an even better match for the gumbo, as well as the filet. For a reception dinner that required some reasonably-priced, representative, delicious U.S. wines that could be consumed in mass quantities, the Chateau Ste. Michelle and Bogle fit the bill.
We wrapped up our festive weekend with a classic Easter dinner with family and friends at the hacienda. Our Easter wines? The MacPhail Rose I'm finishing off now, and a 2008 Acacia Pinot Noir DeSoto Vineyard. The bottle of Acacia is a remnant from last summer's trip to Napa and Sonoma. I remember it well...sitting outside at the picnic table at Acacia winery...with a server who claimed to be a "super taster" (but refused a blind tasting challenge several times)...on a cool and windy afternoon. While we sampled A LOT of wines, and some details are...er...hazy, two wines still stand out: the 2008 Lone Tree Vineyard and DeSoto Vineyard Pinots. We couldn't take it and uncorked the Lone Tree months ago, but I've been coddling the DeSoto for a special occasion. Easter definitely qualifies.
 |
| One tasty Easter vino |
Acacia Vineyard, located on the Napa side of the Carneros appellation, was acquired by the massive beverage conglomerate Diageo a few years ago. While the new owner has used the Acacia brand to push some massed-produced wines that aren't even made at the winery (see: "A" by Acacia), Acacia still makes some incredible single-vineyard Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays that are only available at the winery. The DeSoto Vineyard lies just East of the Acacia Vineyard, and enjoys the characteristic cool breezes and clay soils that give Carneros its identity. The wine smells of cherry, spice, and savory earth. Our bottle wasn't oxidized, but you can smell the ripeness of the wine. 2008 was an uneven year, climate-wise, but I find Carneros wines from this vintage are ripe and immediately approachable. The DeSoto was a mouthful of big, ripe fruit on the initial attack. Then, the classic loamy earth and mineral notes from Carneros take over. The fruit comes back on the finish, which was a little hot, probably due to the 14.8% alcohol, again indicative of a riper vintage. The "heat" from the alcohol kept the wine from being a memorable comrade to our meal of smoked ham, hashbrown casserole, and baked beans, but it was still pretty darn good. The rose also made for an excellent pairing, and was crisp and refreshing with our meal outdoors.
Stay tuned for more from my wine-derful weekend.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Wine and Southern Cuisine: Barbecue Pork
For those familiar with contemporary Southern culture, you know our lives are largely governed by The Four F's: faith, family, football, and food. These societal pillars form the foundation of our daily lives; this blog touches on them all, and how wine can be complementary to them (yes, wine and Christian faith can go together - there are actually several parallels...that's another blog).
This "Wine and Southern Cuisine" series focuses on the "food" pillar, and which wines pair best with the choicest of classic Southern dishes. For me, this MUST include pork. It could be a societal pillar all to itself...or at least a flying buttress to the food pillar. Needless to say, I dig pig. Bacon for breakfast, ham for lunch, cracklins for snack, and pork roast/shoulder/ribs/you name it for dinner. Ahhhh....heaven. And probably my favorite pork dish is good ol' barbecue ("BBQ" for finger endurance). Before we go any further, don't even try to bring your weak BBQ beef argument in here. Not even close (take that, Texas).
Whether it's pork sausage, pulled pork shoulder, or fall-of-the-bone babyback ribs, you just can't beat that smokey-sweet-spicy flavor. I prefer mine smoked with a Memphis-style dry rub, and then absolutely bathed in a thick, sweet and spicy, tomato-based sauce. I know different folks like their BBQ different ways, but this is my blog. Start your own if you want to pair wine with that weird "white" BBQ sauce from Carolina or some such.
Anyway, there are a few wines that I find pair well with BBQ pork. My two favorites are California Zinfandel and Riesling. With its jammy, bold fruit flavors, and spicy undertones, Zinfandel is a nice accompaniment to the smokey-sticky-spicy-sweet flavors of BBQ. Its oft-reasonable price tag also makes it a wine you don't mind popping open to wash down your pulled pork sandwich, or share en mass with friends at a backyard BBQ. I like to find Zins with at least a touch of acidity to balance out the fruit and refresh the palate between lip smackings and finger lickings. Some of my favorite easy-to-find Cali Zins include Bogle, Buehler, Cline, Four Vines, Ravenswood, Valley of the Moon, Kenwood, Frei Brothers, and Sebastiani. If you forced me to pick a fave from this lineup, I would probably choose Four Vines The Maverick Amador County. It is quite rustic and complex, with ripe fruit and zesty spice, but a lively streak of acidity to keep the clean, peppery finish going. For fifteen bucks, it's a lot of wine.
Riesling is also a nice match with BBQ pork and, although it is an entirely different type of wine, its strengths lend themselves to BBQ glory in a very similar way to Zins. Riesling is light and delicate, with crisp apple and pear and zippy acidity. However, the better Rieslings also contain smoke, mineral, and pepper characteristics that match especially well with smoked pork. I like to find a slightly sweet style (off-dry) to match the sweetness in BBQ sauce, freeing up the savory notes to run wild. A good, off-dry Riesling really makes dry-rubbed pork sing. Like Zin, Riesling has several good, affordable examples from which to choose. Some of my favorites that your local market or wine shop might carry include Chateau Ste. Michelle (off-dry), Pacific Rim, Kung Fu Girl, Firestone, Covey Run, Columbia, Trimbach, Dr. Loosen, and Yalumba. None of these will cost you more than an Andrew Jackson (a voracious BBQ eater himself, I'm sure).
So, go enjoy your swine with wine! And don't forget the wet naps...
This "Wine and Southern Cuisine" series focuses on the "food" pillar, and which wines pair best with the choicest of classic Southern dishes. For me, this MUST include pork. It could be a societal pillar all to itself...or at least a flying buttress to the food pillar. Needless to say, I dig pig. Bacon for breakfast, ham for lunch, cracklins for snack, and pork roast/shoulder/ribs/you name it for dinner. Ahhhh....heaven. And probably my favorite pork dish is good ol' barbecue ("BBQ" for finger endurance). Before we go any further, don't even try to bring your weak BBQ beef argument in here. Not even close (take that, Texas).
Whether it's pork sausage, pulled pork shoulder, or fall-of-the-bone babyback ribs, you just can't beat that smokey-sweet-spicy flavor. I prefer mine smoked with a Memphis-style dry rub, and then absolutely bathed in a thick, sweet and spicy, tomato-based sauce. I know different folks like their BBQ different ways, but this is my blog. Start your own if you want to pair wine with that weird "white" BBQ sauce from Carolina or some such.
Anyway, there are a few wines that I find pair well with BBQ pork. My two favorites are California Zinfandel and Riesling. With its jammy, bold fruit flavors, and spicy undertones, Zinfandel is a nice accompaniment to the smokey-sticky-spicy-sweet flavors of BBQ. Its oft-reasonable price tag also makes it a wine you don't mind popping open to wash down your pulled pork sandwich, or share en mass with friends at a backyard BBQ. I like to find Zins with at least a touch of acidity to balance out the fruit and refresh the palate between lip smackings and finger lickings. Some of my favorite easy-to-find Cali Zins include Bogle, Buehler, Cline, Four Vines, Ravenswood, Valley of the Moon, Kenwood, Frei Brothers, and Sebastiani. If you forced me to pick a fave from this lineup, I would probably choose Four Vines The Maverick Amador County. It is quite rustic and complex, with ripe fruit and zesty spice, but a lively streak of acidity to keep the clean, peppery finish going. For fifteen bucks, it's a lot of wine.
Riesling is also a nice match with BBQ pork and, although it is an entirely different type of wine, its strengths lend themselves to BBQ glory in a very similar way to Zins. Riesling is light and delicate, with crisp apple and pear and zippy acidity. However, the better Rieslings also contain smoke, mineral, and pepper characteristics that match especially well with smoked pork. I like to find a slightly sweet style (off-dry) to match the sweetness in BBQ sauce, freeing up the savory notes to run wild. A good, off-dry Riesling really makes dry-rubbed pork sing. Like Zin, Riesling has several good, affordable examples from which to choose. Some of my favorites that your local market or wine shop might carry include Chateau Ste. Michelle (off-dry), Pacific Rim, Kung Fu Girl, Firestone, Covey Run, Columbia, Trimbach, Dr. Loosen, and Yalumba. None of these will cost you more than an Andrew Jackson (a voracious BBQ eater himself, I'm sure).
So, go enjoy your swine with wine! And don't forget the wet naps...
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