by Lorri | Jul 27, 2011 | UnCorked
If you think of how each person has such different likes and dislikes in food, it’s not surprising that we enjoy different wines. Some like the zip of a crisp white wine, while others prefer the smooth softness of low-tannin red wine.
The key to finding new wines you like is a better understanding of what you enjoy about a specific wine and being able to discern exactly what you dislike. Being able to articulate your preferences will enable you to become a smarter buyer in the retail shop and offer you more confident choices while dining out.
ACIDITY
If you enjoy the sharp, puckery sensation of biting into a Granny Smith apple, most likely you enjoy light-bodied wines with vibrant acidity. The most piercing style is New Zealand sauvignon blanc. For less zest, consider sauvignon blanc from California or France’s Loire Valley.
THE VALUE
- 2010 Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc, California (about $12 retail)
THE SPLURGE
- 2010 Kim Crawford Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand (about $19 retail)
SMOOTH AND SOFT
There is a reason merlots and chardonnays are the bestselling crowd-pleasing wines on the market. A wine being smooth, neither tart nor tannic, is one of the most sought-after qualities for many wine drinkers, from novice oenophiles to seasoned connoisseurs. This style of wine is usually medium-bodied, with less tannic bite for reds and less oak for whites.
THE VALUE
- 2010 Lindemans Cawarra Merlot, Australia (about $10 retail)
THE SPLURGE
- 2009 Gloria Ferrer Merlot, California (about $22 retail)
SWEETNESS
If you enjoy sweet wines you’ll want to be able to distinguish between the styles. (Asking a sommelier for the best sweet wine by the glass could end in a $40 Sauternes versus a $4 white zinfandel.) A wine becomes sweet from added sugar or a natural viticulture process. A wine obtaining its sweetness in the winery involves fermenting a wine to dryness and adding a sweet reserve juice, grape must or grape concentrate back into the wine. When Mother Nature has her hand in the process it results in a luscious sweet wine with a higher price tag.
THE VALUE
- 2009 Hogue Cellars Late Harvest Riesling, California (about $15 retail)
THE SPLURGE
- NV Jackson Triggs Riesling Ice Wine, Canada (about $55 retail, 375 ml)
OAK
It’s not always easy to know whether oak has been used in a wine style, but scents of vanilla, toast or grilled nuts are often reliable clues. If you enjoy a full-bodied wine, most likely you will like a wine that has been in contact with oak during winemaking or aging. The most familiar is Chardonnay, with the soft, rich, buttery and creamy style so many consider a favorite.
THE VALUE
- 2009 Kendall Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay, California (about $15 retail)
THE SPLURGE
- 2009 Silver Oak Napa Valley Chardonnay, California (about $24 retail)
FLORAL
Aromatic qualities of floral are more common in white wines than red. Certain grapes offering layers of this pronounced sensory explosion for your nose are Gewurztraminer, viognier, Riesling and torrontes.
THE VALUE
- 2010 Bonterra Vineyards Viognier, California (about $19 retail)
THE SPLURGE
- 2010 Calera Mt. Harlan Viognier, California (about $37 retail)
by Lorri | Jul 20, 2011 | UnCorked
As temperatures reach sweltering levels many readers are asking similar questions when it comes to summer heat and wine.
Can you drop a few ice cubes into your wine to give it a quick cool-down?
It seems the perfect solution to quickly cool a glass of wine, but it can alter the taste and balance. Wine, unlike other beverages, has a perfect balance of water, sugar, acid, tannin and alcohol. Adding ice disrupts this balance.
What is the fastest way to cool a bottle of wine?
Place the bottle in a half water, half-ice solution for 10 minutes or a quick freezer chill for 10 to 20 minutes.
Will leaving a bottle of wine in the car on a hot day make it go bad?
I consider myself a wine rule follower but last summer I forgot a bottle in my trunk in sweltering 100-degree temperatures. Not only did the cork start to push out and spew wine in my shopping bag but, worse, it tasted stewed. When wine is subjected to temperatures over 100 degrees, you can be sure its quality will be jeopardized. This can happen in a relatively small amount of time in cars with excessive inside temperatures. I like to treat wine as I would milk and ice cream. You wouldn’t leave these items in the car while you take on an afternoon of errands in summertime heat.
Can red wines be refreshing during the summer months?
Many people serve red wines entirely too warm, especially in the summer. If the bottle of wine is sitting out in your home it most likely will be warmer than if it was tucked away in a cool cellar. The tradition of drinking red wines at room temperature does not apply to consumers in sweltering heat. The ideal temperature for a red wine is best between 58 and 65 degrees. If your bottle feels too warm, pop it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Don’t leave it in too long or you’re left with a glass devoid of fruits and packed with tannin overload.
Is there one wine style you recommend for summer?
Rose, rose, rose (ro-zay). This perfect summer wine offers the cool, refreshing characteristics of white wine. I will stay on my rose wine soapbox until I am confident that wine lovers have given them a fair try. Many people still associate rose with its 1970s reputation: cheap, sweet, slightly fizzy — the pink drink at an afternoon cookout, wedding reception or even, unforgivably, a dinner party. The truth is a quality rose wine is neither sweet nor fizzy and in most cases bone dry, refreshing with beautifully aromatic characteristics ideal for summer menus.
by Lorri | Jul 13, 2011 | UnCorked
When walking the long aisles of a wine shop, you’ve probably had moments of discouragement, not because of an inadequate selection of wines but from the humdrum feeling you experience reading the routine labels one after another — cabernet, cabernet, cabernet; merlot, merlot, merlot; chardonnay, chardonnay, chardonnay.
Every once in a while a snazzy label jumps out at you and for a split second you are drawn to the shelf, only to resume chanting the familiar “Cabernet … cabernet … cabernet.”
There is no need for the monotonous wine search when more than 150 different commonly grown varietals await your palate. For a head start on stepping out of the box consider exploring these refreshing summer favorites.
Snubbed almost as often as white zinfandel, Rieslings may be the most under-appreciated white grapes in the world. That’s usually because of the continued misunderstood image of all Rieslings as sweet, the cumbersome, confusing labels or simply because people have not explored the surprising and racy crispness of dry Rieslings.
In its youth it is crisp, light, apple-y and refreshing. With age, fine Rieslings take on aromas of petroleum (in a good way) and become richer on the palate.
THE VALUE
- 2010 Cupcake Dry Riesling, California (about $12 retail)
THE SPLURGE
- 2009 Spy Valley Riesling, New Zealand (about $24 retail)
If you enjoy New World chardonnay, you’ll love the unique taste of Viognier. Traditionally grown in France’s northern Rhone region, California’s Rhone Rangers are beginning to master this rich, perfumed grape. At its best it’s a dry, opulent, rich, mouthwatering wine with layers of aromatic flowers.
THE VALUE
- 2010 Yulumba Y Series Viognier, Australia (about $12 retail)
THE SPLURGE
- 2010 Bridlewood Viognier, California (about $23 retail)
Albarino is produced and grown in the Rias Baixas region of northwest Spain. The climate in most of Spain can best be described as hot, hotter and unbearable. This area offers much cooler temperatures and has an abundance of rainfall, all contributing to Albarino’s delicate, lively, aromatic characteristic. For centuries, its following was in the local Spanish market, but since its release to the rest of the world, it is emerging with cult status in limited quantities.
THE VALUE
- 2009 Martin Codax Albarino, Spain (about $14 retail)
THE SPLURGE
- 2009 Laxas Albarino, Spain (about $20 retail)
by Lorri | Jul 6, 2011 | UnCorked
As the temperatures rise, summer menus lighten and we look for unique, refreshing ideas and tastes. The following are some of our favorite summer wines, along with food pairing suggestions.
Wines from Gruner Veltliner grapes are a great match with fresh herbs. Many of our dishes are simple and fresh during the summer months. Gruner Veltliner offers a balancing act with the herbs’ freshness and the simplicity of lighter meals.
THE VALUE
- 2010 Michlits Stadlmann Gruner Veltliner, Austria (about $18 retail)
THE SPLURGE
- 2010 Hirsch Gruner Veltliner, Austria (about $21 retail)
Pinot grigio shines with the catch of the day. Fish is a staple in the kitchen during the summer, and pinot grigio is the aristocrat of the white fish pairing — dry, crisp and austere. Keep in mind this pairing is at its best with fish’s simplest preparation, without heavy sauces and toppings, and without the flavor of a charcoal grill.
THE VALUE
- 2010 Loredona Pinot Grigio, California (about $8 retail)
THE SPLURGE
- 2010 Kris Pinot Grigio, Italy (about $15 retail)
Moscato d’Asti is the goto wine for fruity summer desserts. This summer pairing can be as simple as fresh peaches and ice cream.
THE VALUE
- 2010 Michele Chiarlo Moscato d’Asti Nivole, Italy 375 ml (about $14 retail)
THE SPLURGE
- NV Marco Negri Moscato d’Asti, Italy (about $20 retail)
Dry rose is summer’s perfect companion. Dry roses maintain summer’s laid back attitude, not needing detailed analysis or cellar notes to be enjoyed.
Simply grab a glass and begin the exploration. A few of my favorite pairings are tomatoes, mozzarella and fresh basil drizzled in olive oil, salad Nicoise and grilled vegetables.
THE VALUE
- 2010 Chateau Bonnet Rose, France (about $13 retail)
THE SPLURGE
- 2010 Turkey Flat Rose, Australia (about $20 retail)
by Lorri | Jun 29, 2011 | UnCorked
Both popular and scorned in the 1970s and ’80s, boxed wines are making a comeback.
Many still associate boxed wines with poor quality in much the same way many of us associated screw tops with cheap wine. And it’s true, an enormous amount of poor-quality wine did come in a box. But with more and more vintners embracing the concept, excellent boxed wines are showing up on the market.
No splurges this week, only exceptional values in a box. But don’t let the boxed-wine makers make you feel too guilty about drinking from a bottle — glass is recyclable, too.
- 2010 The Big House White, California (3 liters, about $19 retail)
A staple in our house, The Big House White may be one of the best white wine values in a box. The winery is located in Soledad, Calif., a mere “ankle iron’s toss” from the Soledad Correctional Facility aka “The Big House,” which explains the vibrant prison-themed labels. This year’s blend is a mix of 11 nontraditional grape varieties. Not only can the wine compete side by side with many $13 bottles, but its use of nontraditional grapes are a treat for your palate with a unique, refreshing taste.
- 2010 Three Thieves Bandit Merlot, California (1 Liter, about $7 retail)
“It’s what’s inside the bottle that counts. So, we got rid of the bottle.” Three Thieves winery is committed to bringing not only quality but also sustainability to its boxed wines. The idea came from one of the “thieves,” Charles Bieler, when traveling in Italy. He saw Italian shoppers throwing Tetra Packs of wine into shopping carts along with their other groceries. The comparison he made was that the packaging was accepted as a new way to buy milk and juice, so why not wine? The Bandit’s packaging is similar to products holding soy milk or chicken broth. The 1 liter boxes are recyclable, and you’re getting 33 percent more wine (250ml) than a traditional 750ml bottle holds.
- 2010 Bota Box Old Vine Zinfandel, California (3 Liters, about $20 retail)
For those looking to stay green, The Bota Box distinct statement, “Great Wine Shouldn’t Cost The Earth” will guide you in your purchase. They use the Tetra Pak that’s 100 percent recyclable, unbleached, post-consumer fiber printed with soy-based ink. Bota Box offers eight varietals, but the zinfandel continues to be my favorite.
by Lorri | Jun 22, 2011 | UnCorked
If there is a wine synonymous with Rome, it’s Frascati. For more than 2,000 years this refreshing dry white wine has graced tables throughout the world.
At the height of its popularity it was famously referred to as the “Wine of the Popes” and was served in almost 100 taverns in the hilltop town of Frascati, for which the wine is named. Fast-forward to today and many will agree, somewhere along the line Frascati fell from its noble popularity into a wine sometimes described as bland and dull.
Over lunch with Mauro Merz, director and head winemaker for Fontana Candida, I gleaned insight into what happened to this once popular wine. Merz considers himself an ambassador for the wine, determined to restore Frascati’s reputation as exciting and vivacious.
He believes the main cause for its popularity plummet was declining quality caused by massive overproduction. Today the moving force is toward better-quality wines. In the 1980s, Frascati producers, led by Merz, began a renewed emphasis on quality winemaking with strict control of yields, requiring numbered bottles and banning bottling outside the region. This quality control also meant going back to the base of great Frascati, the malvasia grape, and restricting certain poorer quality clones used in the past.
What has remained constant through centuries of Frascati’s up-and-down journey is terroir. The vineyards are cooled by maritime breezes and are on nutrient rich volcanic soil, thanks to Lazaile, the nearby volcano. These lower temperatures matched with rich soils make for strong, healthy vines.
After tasting Fontana Candida’s Frascati bottlings my palate can praise with confidence an affirmation to Merzs’ intentions of once again making a vibrant and vivacious white wine. If in the past you were turned off because of quality, now is the time to give Frascati another try.
THE VALUE
- 2010 Fontana Candida Frascati, Italy (about $8 retail)
THE SPLURGE
- 2009 Fontana Candida Luna Mater, Italy (about $25 retail)
