Looking for a great wine to start the new year and decade? Here is my first-ever “Top Ten Wines of the Year” culled from a year of writing about wine.
I reviewed my blog (www.redforme.blogspot.com) to refresh my memory and offer up the “best of” list from all the wines I sampled in 2009.
I also used a little geography in creating the list. All of these wines were purchased in Indiana wine shops for less than $20. Several of them are widely available!
No. 10 - Domain Lafarge Catalan Cote EST – This is a fabulous French white for a paltry $11. It’s 50 percent Grenache, with Chardonnay and Marsanne to finish it off. It’s a light flavored wine with lemon and green apple flavor. It will remind you of a cross between Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
No. 9 - Turtle Run’s Dry Tortuga – I sampled a lot of Indiana wine this year and the best was Jim Pfeiffer’s Dry Tortuga for $15. It is a non-vintage Chardonel and Vignoles blend. The grapes come from Pfieffer’s property just east of Corydon. It’s great with food and has a hint of vanilla and orange. It will remind you of a dry Chardonnay.
No. 8 - Burgan’s 2007 Albarino – I fell in love with this grape over the summer. It’s a great alternative to the usual whites. This wine has strong hints of lemon with a little orange thrown in. It has an unusual – almost creamy – finish! Parker gave it 90 points – a heck of a buy for $12.
No. 7 - Dona Paula 2007 Malbec – I start wine newcomers, those emerging from supermarkets, off with Malbec or Tempranillo. This $13 bottle of Malbec is a beautiful wine with flavors of dark berries and it’s as smooth as a piece of chocolate.
No. 6 - Creta Roble 2006 – This 100 percent Tempranillo red wine rocks! It’s really smooth, easy to drink, with a bit of earthiness and a little spice. It comes from 70-year-old vineyards in Spain. It’s rather high in alcohol at 14.5 percent but very affordable at $13.
No. 5 - Pasanau Ceps Nous 2006 Priorat – This Garnacha, Merlot, Mazuelo, and Syrah blend was the best Spanish red wine I had this year. It’s a big mouthful of lively fruit with enough acidity for great balance. Robert Parker gave it 92 points! The wine retails around $19.
No. 4 - Milbrandt 2006 Traditions Cabernet Sauvignon – This Washington state Cabernet is great $16 wine. It is a blend of 75 percent Cab, 12 percent Merlot and a little Petit Verdot. It’s a big enough, but smooth enough Cabernet for any wine drinker.
No. 3 - Domain Lafarge Grenache Noir – Note this is the winery’s second appearance on the Top Ten! This $12 French Grenache has tons of “wow” for the price. It has big fruit with a rich feel at the mid palate. It’s a bit of a fruit bomb with some spice.
No. 2 - Klinker Brick 2006 Old Vine Zinfandel – This $17 bottle drinks like a $30 wine. It has an intense fruit-forward flavor of dark cherry and a bang of an alcohol finish at 15.8 percent.
No 1 - Patrick Lesec’s Cotes du Rhone Bouquet – This is my (drum roll please) 2009 ‘Wine of the Year.’ This $13 French wine is great alone or with food. It has herbal notes on the palate with a big, rich texture. You can almost taste the terroir (dirt) from the Rhone River Valley. Parker gave it an 89. But for a wine under $15, it makes the top of my list!
Thanks for reading Grape Sense. I’d love to hear from you with questions or comments!
Howard W. Hewitt, Crawfordsville, In., is a wine enthusiast. You can write him at: hewitthoward@gmail.com
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Stuff Wine Lover's Stocking With Glassware
Wine is a great holiday gift but for the wine lover there is another option that is sure to make them smile.
How about a great crystal wine glass to enjoy their high end wines?
Picking up a gift bottle isn’t tough if you know what your wine lover’s vino preferences. Of course, gift certificates are great way to hook up your friend or family member with a great bottle of their own choosing.
But it doesn’t necessarily have to be wine to put a smile on those purple lips!
Wine glasses, particularly nice ones, are a great idea for any wine lover! There are plenty of choices from discount to department stores, to crystal from stemware manufacturers.
But for a real wine lover there is nothing more intriguing than fine stemware made by the Riedel family from Austria. Riedel is the dominant name in wine glasses worldwide. The company is widely credited with demonstrating how wine is best enjoyed in a glass shaped for a particular wine.
As goofy as that may sound, particularly if you have not heard it before, it’s been proven true repeatedly by skeptics in blind tastings.
There are many fine glass and crystal manufacturers but Riedel is the standard for wine glasses. The company dates back 250 years. The Riedel family has continued the glass-making tradition through 11 generations.
Riedel products are easy to find online and in most fine wine stores. The Austrian company has glasses around $10 apiece up through their finest crystal at more than $100 a glass. They have a glass for almost every common wine.
If your wine lover is new, buy the affordable “O” series that doesn’t have a stem. It will introduce them to the concept of matching the glass shape to types of wine. If they are a bit more sophisticated in their drinking and don’t own fine wine glasses, I’d recommend the Vinum line which runs about $20-$30 a glass. I’d suggest the Bordeaux-Cabernet Merlot glass or the Pinot Noir glass. You get two for $59.00 online.
These are special occasion glasses for the person really into wine. They must be handled and cleaned with great care. Unfortunately, I have broken a couple. But as silly as it may sound, there is something special about drinking nice wine from fine crystal. It just tastes better!
There is no way to convince anyone on the concept of the value of a particular shaped glass for a particular wine until they try it. But any wine lover will grin when they remove the wrapping and see “Riedel” on the box inside.
Riedel also makes the most beautiful decanters in the world at prices out of this world. The prices range $49-$495.
My second gift recommendation is a decanter but you don’t have to buy Riedel at all. A decanter oxidizes the wine and allows some of the bitter tannins to soften before drinking. Decant young wines an hour or two before you plan on enjoying it and you’ll be surprised how much the wine changes.
You can find decanters in any home store, wine shop, or specialty store. I have two which I paid $10 and $20 for a few years ago. Both of mine do the same job as Riedel’s $495 decanter, just not as stylish!
Howard W. Hewitt, Crawfordsville, is a wine enthusiast. He updates his wine blog throughout the week at: www.redforme.blogspot.com Or, write him at: hewitthoward@gmail.com
How about a great crystal wine glass to enjoy their high end wines?
Picking up a gift bottle isn’t tough if you know what your wine lover’s vino preferences. Of course, gift certificates are great way to hook up your friend or family member with a great bottle of their own choosing.
But it doesn’t necessarily have to be wine to put a smile on those purple lips!
Wine glasses, particularly nice ones, are a great idea for any wine lover! There are plenty of choices from discount to department stores, to crystal from stemware manufacturers.
But for a real wine lover there is nothing more intriguing than fine stemware made by the Riedel family from Austria. Riedel is the dominant name in wine glasses worldwide. The company is widely credited with demonstrating how wine is best enjoyed in a glass shaped for a particular wine.As goofy as that may sound, particularly if you have not heard it before, it’s been proven true repeatedly by skeptics in blind tastings.
There are many fine glass and crystal manufacturers but Riedel is the standard for wine glasses. The company dates back 250 years. The Riedel family has continued the glass-making tradition through 11 generations.
Riedel products are easy to find online and in most fine wine stores. The Austrian company has glasses around $10 apiece up through their finest crystal at more than $100 a glass. They have a glass for almost every common wine.
If your wine lover is new, buy the affordable “O” series that doesn’t have a stem. It will introduce them to the concept of matching the glass shape to types of wine. If they are a bit more sophisticated in their drinking and don’t own fine wine glasses, I’d recommend the Vinum line which runs about $20-$30 a glass. I’d suggest the Bordeaux-Cabernet Merlot glass or the Pinot Noir glass. You get two for $59.00 online.
These are special occasion glasses for the person really into wine. They must be handled and cleaned with great care. Unfortunately, I have broken a couple. But as silly as it may sound, there is something special about drinking nice wine from fine crystal. It just tastes better!
There is no way to convince anyone on the concept of the value of a particular shaped glass for a particular wine until they try it. But any wine lover will grin when they remove the wrapping and see “Riedel” on the box inside.
Riedel also makes the most beautiful decanters in the world at prices out of this world. The prices range $49-$495.
My second gift recommendation is a decanter but you don’t have to buy Riedel at all. A decanter oxidizes the wine and allows some of the bitter tannins to soften before drinking. Decant young wines an hour or two before you plan on enjoying it and you’ll be surprised how much the wine changes.
You can find decanters in any home store, wine shop, or specialty store. I have two which I paid $10 and $20 for a few years ago. Both of mine do the same job as Riedel’s $495 decanter, just not as stylish!
Howard W. Hewitt, Crawfordsville, is a wine enthusiast. He updates his wine blog throughout the week at: www.redforme.blogspot.com Or, write him at: hewitthoward@gmail.com
Friday, December 4, 2009
What's All the Fuss Over Beaujolais Nouveau?
Increasing wine knowledge requires stretching personal limits and tastes. The best advice received and repeated is to try different wines. Don’t hesitate to pop a cork on something new and embrace it!
And so that was my approach to France’s great gift to the holiday season, Beaujolais Nouveau. Any conversation about French wine starts with geography and ends with regulations – the French are really big on both!
The Beaujolais designation is north of Lyon, France, but very small. The region is just over 30 miles long and up to nine miles wide. But this tiny area packs in nearly 4,000 growers who nurture and harvest the Gamay grape.
Beaujolais Nouveau is a very light-bodied, fruity wine made to drink very young. The bottles on the shelves of your local wine retailer are made from the 2009 vintage and picked just a few weeks ago. By French wine laws, the wine is shipped and available for sale on the third Thursday of each November.
The wine’s selling point is its flexibility and drinkability.
“I tell people it’s a young vibrant, juicy fruity wine,” said Philip VanDuesen, proprietor of Pairings near Castleton Mall at Indianapolis. “If they approach it that way and not expect world-class wine they’ll enjoy it. It’s fun to drink with vibrant fruit and a deep dark purple color.
“It’s fresh and zingy and it has bright acidity. It’s beautiful with all types of food. It works well with all the holiday dishes. It has enough fruit to stand up to the cranberries and acid for the gravies but enjoy it with anything. It’s a fun beverage wine.”
Some suggest, not all agree, that Beaujolais Nouveau is a preview of each growing season’s grape crop. The word from many French vintners through various trade publications is 2009 is shaping up as a great vintage. Some Beaujolais reviews have called the 2009 less fruity but still a must buy for the holiday season.
The wine is low in alcohol, easy to drink, and affordable. It’s unusual to find one that isn’t in the $10-$12 price range.
Not only does the wine pair well with holiday meals of fowl and side dishes, it’s also a pretty good introduction to more serious wine for the wine novice.
The wine gets its easy-to-like characteristics from a different style of wine making. Do you wish to talk about carbonic maceration or whole berry fermentation? What that means is the process does not draw the tannins from the grape skins so you get a very refreshing wine.
Beaujolais producers also use the Gamay grape to make more traditional wines with a little aging and a little oak. I’ve recommended one of each below. Georges Duboeuf is the biggest producer in the region. His family has been involved in the wine business for more than 300 years. He works with more than 400 growers and produces about 30 million bottles of Nouveau annually.
Howard’s Picks:
George Duboeuf 2009 Beaujolais Nouveau – This is the most popular and easiest to find of all Nouveau. It generally sells for $10-$12. The wine has a nose and taste of grape, not quite the Concord grape flavor of your youth but definitely grape. If you’re not sure your guests enjoy wine, Nouveau is a safe bet.
Louis Jadot Beaujolais Villages 2008 – This is not a Nouveau but it is the Gamay grape. This is a better pairing with food if your guests are wine drinkers. It has the freshness of the Nouveau but has very mild tannins and a little more acid than the younger wine. This is a nice bottle of $13 wine.
And so that was my approach to France’s great gift to the holiday season, Beaujolais Nouveau. Any conversation about French wine starts with geography and ends with regulations – the French are really big on both!
The Beaujolais designation is north of Lyon, France, but very small. The region is just over 30 miles long and up to nine miles wide. But this tiny area packs in nearly 4,000 growers who nurture and harvest the Gamay grape.Beaujolais Nouveau is a very light-bodied, fruity wine made to drink very young. The bottles on the shelves of your local wine retailer are made from the 2009 vintage and picked just a few weeks ago. By French wine laws, the wine is shipped and available for sale on the third Thursday of each November.
The wine’s selling point is its flexibility and drinkability.
“I tell people it’s a young vibrant, juicy fruity wine,” said Philip VanDuesen, proprietor of Pairings near Castleton Mall at Indianapolis. “If they approach it that way and not expect world-class wine they’ll enjoy it. It’s fun to drink with vibrant fruit and a deep dark purple color.
“It’s fresh and zingy and it has bright acidity. It’s beautiful with all types of food. It works well with all the holiday dishes. It has enough fruit to stand up to the cranberries and acid for the gravies but enjoy it with anything. It’s a fun beverage wine.”
Some suggest, not all agree, that Beaujolais Nouveau is a preview of each growing season’s grape crop. The word from many French vintners through various trade publications is 2009 is shaping up as a great vintage. Some Beaujolais reviews have called the 2009 less fruity but still a must buy for the holiday season.
The wine is low in alcohol, easy to drink, and affordable. It’s unusual to find one that isn’t in the $10-$12 price range.
Not only does the wine pair well with holiday meals of fowl and side dishes, it’s also a pretty good introduction to more serious wine for the wine novice.
The wine gets its easy-to-like characteristics from a different style of wine making. Do you wish to talk about carbonic maceration or whole berry fermentation? What that means is the process does not draw the tannins from the grape skins so you get a very refreshing wine.
Beaujolais producers also use the Gamay grape to make more traditional wines with a little aging and a little oak. I’ve recommended one of each below. Georges Duboeuf is the biggest producer in the region. His family has been involved in the wine business for more than 300 years. He works with more than 400 growers and produces about 30 million bottles of Nouveau annually.
Howard’s Picks:
George Duboeuf 2009 Beaujolais Nouveau – This is the most popular and easiest to find of all Nouveau. It generally sells for $10-$12. The wine has a nose and taste of grape, not quite the Concord grape flavor of your youth but definitely grape. If you’re not sure your guests enjoy wine, Nouveau is a safe bet.
Louis Jadot Beaujolais Villages 2008 – This is not a Nouveau but it is the Gamay grape. This is a better pairing with food if your guests are wine drinkers. It has the freshness of the Nouveau but has very mild tannins and a little more acid than the younger wine. This is a nice bottle of $13 wine.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
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
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
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
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.
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.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
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
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
Friday, October 9, 2009
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
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)