Almez Garnacha `09 as Sangria (not TJ's) $7.99 ***

Just a few months ago, in the snowy depths of  February we tried this cheap & cheerful Almez Garnacha  (original review); it made me dream of Sangria. It is good wine.  In anticipation of Summer, S. & JPH laid in a few bottles (ok, half a case, sadly, now down to one lonely bottle). Now, we are in the early days of summer, winter is long gone and this Almez Garnacha is kicking off Sangria Season.

Here is my Almez Garnacha Sangria report:
I've made it three times in the past three weeks using a classic sangria recipe from the Feast of Santa Fe Cookbook.  It is very simple, using just orange, lemon, sugar and triple sec; each time I make it, it gets better and better.

First Batch:  The Great Hudson River Revival, Clearwater.  I made it at home in the morning, put it in a 2 litre plastic carafe then stowed it away in a cooler.  That night, my friends and I  drank it without diluting it (which is a good thing since I had brought sparkling wine to "dilute" it with....)  Even without the added bubbly, it was fruity, strong, and perfect for the occasion.  A friend generously said "it is just like I am back in Mexico".

Second Batch:  We made it one afternoon and started in drinking it before dinner.  We made it lighter by adding seltzer water, but I made the mistake of adding too much citrus, not letting the wine macerate long enough and using lemon flavored seltzer.  All were bad choices.  It made the wine very acidic.  Of course we went through two bottles, but it could have been much better.  On the third attempt, it was.

Third Batch:  The night before, I mixed a bottle with the fruit, covered it with saran wrap and put it in the refrigerator.  The next morning, I added the triple sec and sugar.  In the late afternoon, as we were cooking, I hauled it out, poured a half a glass over ice and filled the other half with plain seltzer water.  It was light, fruity and refreshing.  A perfect spritzer.  By the evening, it had been mellowing for a day, and transformed into a smooth and delicious Sangria.  At dinner, one guest who had been waxing on about Paella and Sangria when in Spain insisted on a glass and decided that she wanted it straight up with  no seltzer water and just a bit of ice.  Her glass was empty quite quickly.  Given enough time, the wine, fruit, sugar and triple sec had mellowed and  morphed into a lush, fruity drink that packed a punch.

Conclusion:  This Garnacha is adaptable.  By varying the fruit, sugar and maceration time, along with how you "cut" it, (I prefer plain seltzer) it can either be refreshingly light, or seductively lush and hangover inducing (so I have been told).  We'll be trying a whole bunch of wines for sangria this summer and this Almez has set the bar pretty high.

I took a lot of pictures at Clearwater, but none of the Sangria. 

Here is one of my favorite memories, 

being barefoot, sailing the Hudson River on the Mystic Whaler, 

listening to Uncle Tiki's rendition of  "Into the Mystic".

Almez Garnacha `09 $7.99 (not TJ's) ***

I love the idiom "Cheap & Cheerful". It makes me happy.  It makes me think of London. And on first sip, it is how I describe this wine.

Hello Almez Garnacha!  It is like a glass of juicy, unsweetened Raspberries with up front Tannins. It is dry and this wine is screaming to be made into a delicious Sangria! Really, it screamed.  Right in my ear. (ok, maybe not)

There is nothing complex about this wine.  It is a simple, straightforward, honest bottle of flavor with a kick. We had it with left over Elk Ribs repurposed into a tomato based pasta sauce and sauteed spinach. It added a fruity height to the rich meat in the dense Gemelli.  I wouldn't tout this as a winter wine, just because the freshness is a bit disconcerting after you have been drinking dark, full bodied wines all winter, BUT this wine is well worth the $7.99 investment.

We will be having it again.  JPH promised to lay in a few bottle so that in the summer, we can make it into sangria for suppers al fresco.  You can't help but dream about eating outside in warm summer evenings when the house is still blanketed with 18 inches of snow and ice.

This wine is from Spain, specifically, the North East in the Aragón, ancient birthplace of Catherine of Aragón, the surviving wife of Henry VIII. I am thinking that this old world region produces some hardy stock in their wine and in their women.  It is a Garnacha/Grenache varietal that is known for its straight forward flavor. I'll re-review this wine when we make Sangria over the Summer.  I have very high hopes! 

I'll leave you with someone who was also Cheap and Cheerful.  

The man who created Poor Richard, 

and had countless other cultural and historic political influences.  

He said it best when he said:

 "Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, 

with fewer tensions and more tolerance."

and he cautioned:

"Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing."

  --  Benjamin Franklin

La Posta Cocina Blanco de Blancos `09 (not TJ's) $21.99 ***(*)

It is all things Argentina for today's Sangria (Argentina and Mexico are facing off in the World Cup as I type this).  Of course, this bottle normally sells for around $15.00 (still too much for Sangria) but, I am on the Gold Coast of Long Island this weekend, and well, you have to pay the Locust Valley Premium.

Now for the wine.  It is a good crisp screw top white wine.  Refreshing, tart apple, crisp finish.  70% Chardonnay, 15% Sauvignon Blanc, 15% Torrontes. It is the Torrontes (Argentinian grape) that gives this wine an interesting undertone (maybe lime? Citrus??). I'd love to try this wine with fish, but today's menu is all American Hamburgers and Hot Dogs.  It is 90 degrees here and we wanted a white sangria before we start dinner.

It is a solid three star wine for $21.99 if it were not bought for a Gold Coast Premium, I would make this a four star wine.  It certainly makes a GREAT yet expensive White Sangria!

Sangria:  Wine, sugar, Orange, Grapes, Asian Pear, White Peaches, Lemon Lime Seltzer

Menu:
Hotdogs (Karl Ehmer)
Cheeseburgers
Caprese Salad
Orchietti with Pesto
Caesar Salad

Clos Mimi "Petite Rousse" Paso Robles Syrah `06 (not TJ's) $15.99(*)

Always a warning sign when a label tells a story (to me at least and this has a very elaborate story). This was originally bought for a birthday party, and there was almost a case left over (gee, I wonder why??). So, on a 90 degree Friday afternoon, we decided to make our first pitcher of Sangria for the season.

Let's start with my thoughts on the wine before it was diluted with fruit.  To me, it was dense and slightly sour.  I didn't have the vinturi to see if it would make it any better to decant it, but I do have another bottle, so I can update another time.

This is a smoky, fruity wine. It was still a bit heavy for the sangria.  We sliced peaches, apples, a lemon and oranges, added a bit of sugar and stirred. It still tasted heavy.  Then I threw in some ginger-ale.  WOW! It opened the sangria right up, we added some ice and had a fruity refreshing drink with a hint of spice. Not the best sangria in the world, but good enough for the afternoon.

UPDATE: November 2010

We found the second (and third bottles in the wine rack) and figured.. 'Why not"  Shudder.  Sour Raspberries.  ugh.  I dubbed this "The wine that never made it to the table".  But S had a good idea.  Maybe we should try mulling it.ummm.  NO.  It s a sour raspberry wine, and it really is terrible. This was a wine that never even made it to the table.