Wine and Food Pairings for the Holiday!

Even non-wine drinkers find themselves with a glass of wine around the holidays. Many people will pick up a bottle for those bountiful holiday meals and social gatherings.

There is ample advice on which wine one should serve with turkey - remember Grape Sense Rule No. 1 – If you like it, drink it!

There are lots of great options. But, your wine selection for Thanksgiving dinner should not be limited to a discussion of just pairing wine with turkey.

“Usually I quiz people on what side dishes are being served and how is the turkey being prepared,” said Tena McClanahan, Wine Styles, Carmel. “If you have a turkey someone is deep frying and they’re injecting it with Cajun seasoning that’s a whole lot different than roasting it with carrots, onions and celery in the center.

“It’s generally all about the side dishes, personally I love Pinot Noirs. If somebody likes red wine I think Pinot Noir is the perfect Thanksgiving wine (for roasted turkey). If it’s Cajun injected turkey then maybe a Zinfandel. I’d avoid the really bold wines.”

McClanahan also has a great suggestion for white wine lovers. She recommends a dry Gewurtztraminer as a perfect pairing. Gewurtz is a spicy and often floral wine that is dynamite with food. There are dry and sweeter versions, but pick up a dry or semi-dry if you’re going to have it with dinner. You can find great Gewurtz from Germany and France! Don’t forget Indiana’s wineries because most make nice Traminette which is very similar to Gewurtz.

A dry Riesling is a great choice for Thanksgiving as well. If you go semi-dry to dry you’ll be happy with your choice. Washington State offers a lot of great Riesling choices. New York state Riesling is another good buy and good choice. Again, some of the Indiana Riesling is also tasty.

If you like white wine and want to make it a really special occasion, spring for a bottle of J.J. Prum Spatlese Reisling from Germany. You’ll only find it at better wine stores and it will be over $30 a bottle.

But you don’t have to spend much more than a third of the cost of Prum Riesling to find a great Riesling choice. Check out Dr. Loosen Riesling, Mirassou Riesling, and those great Washington state picks.

Some people can’t get away from Chardonnay with Thanksgiving and holiday turkey. But try something different that will make a better food pairing. Get to your favorite wine shop and ask for a Chardonnay which was aged in stainless steel and not in oak. The wine will be a bit drier normally and not nearly as rich. Instead you’ll get a clean crisp flavor that pairs great with roasted bird.

Tena was right on suggesting Pinot Noir as a great red wine selection. Pinot has more structure than most white wines but will not be over powering. And Pinot will probably pair better with most side dishes than the lighter white wines.

There are some good Pinot Noir wines under $15 easily accessible. Many supermarkets carry Mirrasou Pinot for about $10. In your wine store look for $10-$15 Pinot from Mark West, Dashwood, and Castle Rock.

And for those who want to make their red selection something special, try an Oregon Pinot Noir. Lange Willammette Valley 2007 Pinot Noir is available across Indiana at about $24.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Howard Hewitt, Crawfordsville, In., is a wine enthusiast who writes and blogs about wine. Check out his frequently updated wine blog at: www.redforme.blogspot.com Contact him with questions or comment at: hewitthoward@gmail.com

Some Recent Great Value Wine Finds

For many people who get into wine, a big part of the fun is the search! It’s about finding great wines at reasonable price points.

At the request of several readers, I’m going to offer up 3-5 great finds on a more consistent basis. The recommendations will always be wines I’ve purchased in Indiana. You can always send an email if you want to know where I bought a specific wine.

I’ve mixed up my buying lately trying to be a bit more broad-based in the wines I’m drinking. I have had a couple of really great bottles.

One of the best is a 2006 Creta Roble – a Spanish Tempranillo from the Rioja region. Many Rioja wines are blends with the dominant grape the noble Tempranillo. The Creta is 100 percent Tempranillo and a great representation of the iconic Spanish wine. This is a smooth and easy to drink red wine that is a bit juicy, a bit spicy, and an earthiness real wine lovers will enjoy.

The wine comes from vineyards more than 70 years old. It has a little heat at 14.5 percent alcohol but is a bargain at $12.99. This is a wine that will hold up to a steak or any beef dish.

I love the new world wines from South American but Spanish wines and traditional old world wines still have much to offer. I don’t recommend a lot of French wines or Italian wines but I’m working to improve my knowledge base.

French and Italian wines are tougher to get your hands around because of labeling and the great number of wines available. Wines from both countries are known by their region and not the grape. The wines of France’s Cotes du Rhone region are often Syrah and Grenache wines and varied blends that are rich, earth and spicy.

Domaine Lafage Grenache Noir is a great way to try a Cotes du Rhone. It’s made without oak, as French winemakers take a hint from the New World vintners, so the tannins are very soft on the finish. It’s a rich full-flavored wine with a smooth finish you have to try to believe. You can find it in many Indiana wine shops around $12.

Try the Grenache Noir with pork and mild to medium flavored dishes.

One of my earliest columns was about the Malbec grape. There are lots of great Malbec wines available but none better than Susana Balbo’s Crios Malbec. Her 2008 Malbec is dark purple with a freshness you’ll really enjoy. You’re going to taste cherries and a hint of spice.

Balbo isn’t just Argentina’s best known female winemaker but one of the country’s best known international wine stars. She prides herself on making young wines that are ready to drink.

My last recommendation for is for those with a sense of adventure and those who like Italian wine. The grape is Uva di Troia from Italy’s central costal region. At the recommendation of one of my favorite wine retailers I picked up a bottle of Santa Lucia Vigna del Melogram Uva di Troia.

The wine is certainly a typically dry Italian wine but it has a fresh taste that lets the fruit shine. The tannins are soft with a long and enjoyable finish. This is a food wine that would pair well with hearty pasta or red meat. I paid $14.99 for this wonderful experiment in something new. Try this wine with yr spicy pasta dishes. It would also work well with other spicy and rich foods.

Tempranillo Super Value Red Wine Buy

There are so many great value alternatives to the traditional Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot but it’s hard to cover them all.

Malbec and Tempranillo are the first wines many people will recommend as a full-flavored red wine that is easy to drink and affordable.

Both are favorites with similar easy-to-drink characteristics with price points at $9-$14. Tempranillo (Temp-rah-NEE-yoh) is Spain’s noble grape. It’s a small black grape that makes a full-bodied wine planted also in South America, South Africa, Australia, Canada, and the United States.

Spanish wines are making a huge impact in the domestic market. “I guess what I really like about the Spanish wines is the great "bang for the buck," said Donna Lattanzio, manager of The Bottle Shop in West Lafayette. “The whites are clean and crisp and go nicely with light food or are great by themselves. I especially like Garnacha (Grenache) by itself or blended with Tempranillo, which makes it more complex and full-bodied.”

Tempranillo is often suggested as an alternative to Cabernet and other big wines. I’d suggest it as an alternative to Merlot or other milder red wines. Of course, if you buy one above the $20 price point that has significant oak aging then you’re going to get a bigger wine.
Tempranillo often combines the taste of dark berries, plum, vanilla, and herbs. It is a great match for beef, pork, even a steak off the grill. It is also a great wine to open with some mild to even stronger-flavored cheeses. Tempranillo usually won’t be as big as a Cabernet but much easier to guzzle down and enjoy!

Spain’s famous Rioja region is the primary growing area for the grape. The Rioja wines usually feature Tempranillo, often blended with Garnacha and occasionally other grapes.

One of the signature producers is Miguel Torres. You can find Torres’ wines in many Indiana wine shops. Lattanzio has visited Spain and had the chance to visit Miguel Torres Sr.

“He was quite a gentleman and shared that most of their employees had followed in their ancestor’s footsteps and worked for Torres,” she recounted. “We had master sommeliers with us every night for dinner and had fabulous meals, but I guess I was pleasantly surprised how nicely all the wines went with the various meat and vegetables tapas and paellas. The wines have a hearty yet spicy flavor to them.”

Spain is the world’s third-largest wine producer with more than 4 million acres of vineyards. More California wineries are taking on Tempranillo each year.

Howard’s Picks:
Creta Roble 2006 – This is a 100 percent Tempranillo bottling that is smooth on the palate with a delightful hint of earthiness. The alcohol is 14.5 percent. Look for it at a number of wine shops in the $12.99 range.

Vina Salceda Rioja Crianza – This is a blend of 90 percent Tempranillo with two other Spanish grapes. This wine is aged for 15 months making it a little bigger with better structure than some young Spanish wines. You can find it at $12-$15.

Twisted Oak – This is a California winery with a sense of humor and great wine-making skills. Its Tempranillo is one of the best I’ve tasted. It’s slightly above the usual price point (just over $20) but well worth it!

Howard Hewitt, Crawfordsville, is a wine enthusiast writer and blogger. Read his wine blog at www.redforme.blogspot.com

1 Year of Wine Writing - What I've Learned

One year of writing wine columns, blogging, and other wine experiences has been enlightening. It’s never been boring. It’s never felt like a burden.

It’s easy then to suggest following an interest often pays big dividends even if there is no financial reward.

I’ve probably learned as much about wine in the past 12 months as I had in several of the preceding years. I forced myself to drink a lot more white wine than I ever have before. I took on an additional wine challenge and spent the better part of a month tasting Portuguese wines which I probably would not have done without the added incentive.

Most of the white wines were more enjoyable than expected. Portugal’s wines are a different taste characteristic that’s really interesting.

So, put that Merlot and Chardonnay down and try something different!

This column runs in eight Indiana newspapers or their websites. The combined circulation of those papers is just over 90,000 households by the latest circulation numbers I could find. My wine blog - Grape Sense - A Glass Half Full - generates interesting feedback. I update it 2-3-4 times a week. I might get anywhere from 10-50 hits a day. From the blog, I’ve been asked to do wine tastings, promote sales of chocolate (which I declined), received wine samples, asked where to find certain wines, and a host of other interesting responses.

I mentioned an “additional wine challenge” which is Palate Press. That is a new national online wine magazine that has rounded up bloggers from across the nation and world. I am a contributor, meaning I’ll write something exclusive for them about once a month.
But this column is for the readers, not me. Some of the things I’ve learned or become more convinced of that might help you include:

- Talk about what you’re drinking. Whether it’s with your spouse, a friend, or in a group, talk about the flavors, the acidity, how it feels in the front or back of your mouth. Then think about what you really liked about that wine.

- It really helps to make a few notes about the wines you like. I blog about almost every wine I drink and that’s an extreme, of course. But I’ve also found it really helps me in future purchases.

- Try new wines. Don’t be afraid to pick up something new off the supermarket or wine shop shelf. I’ve found that many wine drinkers will try something new only to learn they like it much better than what they had been drinking the past 2-3 years.

- This column remains about value wine from $15-$20 and under. But I’d also recommend you buy a bottle for a special occasion that costs $5-$10 above your normal limit. Get a recommendation and try a little bit better wine. It helps you establish some parameters to guide your palate. If you like Merlot, buy one that is $10 higher from a name you’ve heard of before but never tried.

Future columns will explore more wine regions, a few planned wine experiences, and I want to do more frequent columns on good value buys – specific wines you can look for in your wine shop.

I’m always thinking about new ideas. Please visit the blog and leave a comment or write me with suggestions, your question, or a comment at hewitthoward@gmail.com

Portugal's Table Wines Becoming Widely Available

There are many different journeys to the world of wine. Some people grow up with it, some become enamored with the lifestyle, and yet others make it a career.

Jill Ditmire, a Logansport native, is an Indianapolis wine shop owner who has an interesting career in wine and media. Some people would recognize the name or face from years working the Indianapolis television markets. She also has worked extensively in public television hosting and producing shows about wine and food for WFYI, Indianapolis.

But her varied career doesn’t end there. She is a nationally recognized judge for wine competitions. She also had participated and led wine tours to various parts of the world. It’s that experience I drew on recently for added knowledge about Portuguese wines.

Portugal has long been known for Port – a fortified wine or sweet dessert wine. But many winemakers in the coastal country are now using the same grapes to make interesting table wines at very affordable prices.

I knew Jill had traveled Europe extensively but had no idea she had visited Portugal. I wrote asking for some comment on Portuguese wines, which she carried in her Massachusetts Avenue shop, and learned she visited the country in 2007.

“I went to Portugal on a whim,” she replied. “I was asked last minute by a journalists group and, though I don’t know much about or truly appreciate Port. I decided to go. Wow - probably the last best thought I've had this century.”

Portugal’s wine country encompasses 13 growing regions from the northern areas of the country bordering Spain to the southern most areas. The Douro River valley is the country’s most prominent wine producing area in the north near Spain.

The wines featuring native red grapes are made mostly from Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, and Tinta Roriz. Douro’s Touriga Nacional is the primary grape used to make the sweet Ports.

Ditmire talked about visiting the vineyards and cork forests and how the younger winemakers are enriching the area’s history by using Port grapes to make great table wine.

“This handful of winemakers come from generations of wine, farming, and port making families,” she said. “But now, this generation is using money and knowledge to produce outstanding wine. “They blend bold, rich, lush red wines that are bursting with opulent red raspberry, black cherry, black pepper, and chewy tannins.”

Indeed, they are big flavored wines. They can be generally described as very ripe in flavor with spicy characteristics. They are also going to have a tannic finish.

The other outstanding region is the Vinho Verde where the Alvarinho – or albarino – grape is grown which I wrote about in my last column. The Vinho Verde wines can feature other grapes but are usually made from Albarino. The grape is a beautiful contrast to traditional Sauvignon Blancs and again, widely available.

You might have to look awhile to find Portuguese red wines but I have found some available in several Central Indiana wine shops. The flavor profile is different with an earthier and overly ripe feel on the palate. But if you want to try something new, try some Portuguese red wine.

You can find Jill on Facebook, Twitter, and she is currently re-building her homepage for Mass Ave Wine.

Howard’s Picks:

Quinta Do Alqueve 2006 Tradicional – This red is a classic blend featuring primarily Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz. It’s a good introduction to the wines. This wine will have you thinking is it more like a Cab, Merlot, or maybe even a Pinot? ($11)

Grillo 2007 Vinho Tinto – This earthy wine is 75 percent Touriga Nacional with a huge nose and mouthful of flavor. It was very smooth drinking with moderate alcohol. ($13)

Turtle Run's 'Picasso' Making Interesting Wines

Situated along the Ohio River and Interstate 64 are seven new or relatively young Indiana wineries. The seven push the ever-growing number of Hoosier winemakers past the 40 mark this year.

I took a two-day vacation in late July to drive the Ohio River and make some winery stops. One easy conclusion is Indiana wines are improving. It was just a few years ago the Concord, Niagara, and Chambourcin based wines were too sweet or too bitter or just not balanced. It’s great to be able to report I tasted far fewer bad wines than anticipated.

I visited Winzerwald Winery, Bristol, Blue Heron Vineyards, Cannelton, Scout Mountain Winery and Turtle Run Winery, both near Corydon, Best Vineyards, south of Turtle Run, and Indian Creek Winery, just north of 64 in Georgetown. You can find them all with a simple internet search.

The boom of Indiana wineries, with more to come, is good news for most Hoosier vintners.

“Would you know of Napa Valley if there was only one winery,” Turtle Run’s Jim Pfeiffer asked. “If you go to a large city and you’re looking for a restaurant, have you ever noticed how restaurants align together? There is a synergy when you have them together, it builds a market. Right now it’s building and helping the market, not hurting it.”

Pfeiffer is a young breed of winemaker who laughs loud, shares his wine passion, and thinks of himself as a wine Picasso.

“Wine allows you to be creative,” he said with a really contagious enthusiasm. “Do you want to create the Merlots and Chardonnays of the world? No, that’s what everybody is doing. Or do you want to do the ‘one offs’ with some unique varieties that have some character? We do a lot of ‘one offs.’ We’re blendaholics.”

Indeed, during an afternoon visit he had several winery visitors watching him do a white wine blend. It was part Picasso and part mad scientist.

Turtle Run is like any Hoosier farm but instead of tobacco Pfeiffer grows grapes. He has a wine he calls “Red My Mind” which is part Merlot and Chambourcin that will remind you of a Pinot Noir. If you like white wine, try his dry Tortuga. It’s a blend of Chardonel and Vignoles that tastes more sophisticated and unlike anything you’ve had from other Hoosier wine makers. There’s his Summer Solstice white or Catherine’s Blend which are also a bit different.

Indiana winemaking legend Bill Oliver, Oliver Wrinery, mentored Pfeiffer through his early efforts in 2001. Pfeiffer is now up to about 4,000 cases of wine each year and hoping to hit 10,000 in the next few seasons. He and Ted Huber of Huber Winery are now often the mentors for the newcomers in their region.

“When you see an explosion of wineries the question becomes the due diligence side of knowing what the heck you’re doing in the winery,” Pfeiffer said. “We want to coach the wineries which need some additional assistance. But we get someone in every other week who wants to start a vineyard and winery. We give them a little bit of encouragement and discouragement.

“We see people walk in who just don’t think they are going to do the work and studies. They’re going to open a winery and be in way over their head. Great wine just doesn’t pour from containers.”

Albarino Will Rock Your White Wine World

Summer is the time for white wine and lighter flavors.

If you have spent your summer sipping Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and perhaps Riesling, then it’s time to try something different. Spanish and Portuguese Albarino is a varietal you aren’t going to find in any supermarket but should find at any good wine shop. Most Indiana shops will have one or two, many will have several.

Albarino has become a new personal favorite. It is a ripe-fruit flavored wine with a clean taste, very crisp and refreshing. It is a dry white wine with moderate to high alcohol levels. Some Albarino will have more acidity or citrus flavors than others, but I’ve yet to have a bad one.

Spain grows a significant amount of the world’s Albarino in the Rias Baixas region, the northwest coastal corner of the country just north of Portugal. It is also found across the border in the Vinho Verde region of Portugal. For many years the grape was used to create blends with other lesser known white grapes but has emerged more recently as a white wine that pairs nicely with seafood and is great served cold on a hot day.

The wine has a big beautiful nose for a white. If you pick up a bottle you’ll read that it will have hints of peach, apricot, or floral characteristics. There are a few Albarinos aged in oak but the vast majority is aged in stainless steel producing the clean and crisp characteristics.

The wine, like most grapes, is grown in other places around the world. But I’ve found if you start your experimentation with a new grape at its origin, you’re going to appreciate the variations of it even more when you drink one from Australia or California.

The climates in Spain and Portugal where Albarino is grown are cooler areas of those countries allowing these finicky, thick-skinned grapes to mature. Albarino put Spain’s white wines on the world map.

Try Albarino with seafood off the grill, particularly white fish and shrimp. Asian foods would be another perfect pairing. Or, chill the wine a bit more than normal and take it outside to enjoy on a warm evening.

Albarino is a very affordable experiment. You can find value bottles in the $9-$12 range in wine shops.

Howard’s Picks:
Salneval Albarino – 2007 Albarino from Spain has a seductive nose that makes it hard to put down. You’ll pick up some minerality and floral notes. This wine consistently scores well with national wine critics. ($9-$13)

Burgan Albarino – Also a 2007 selection, the Burgan Spanish Albarino is a bit more fruit forward than the Salneval. I thought it had a lemon flavor with perhaps an unusual hint of orange. It also had a bit of a creamy texture to it. Wine critics tend to really like this one. It’s going to be less acidic than the Salneval. ($12)