#FLXWineDineDistill Part Two: Dinner #SLWT #WBC15

As a part of #WBC15, I was on an excursions to experience the wine and food of New York State's Finger Lakes.  The evening was an alchemy of senses, the perfect blend of four Seneca Lake vineyards, chef Scott Signori and his staff from #Stonecatcafe showcasing local food and the red wines of Seneca Lake.

Known as a region famous for its white wines, we were going off script - and experienced a rich, fragrant, and flavorful marathon of 12 unique red wines from four Seneca Lake vineyards paired with a three course local menu. 

Dinner was at Damiani Wine Cellar overlooking Seneca Lake.  The setting sun set the stage for us to sip great wine, eat delicious local food and hear about making wine in the Finger Lakes. Throughout the evening, we tasted wines from Damiani Wine Cellars, Hector Wine Company, Standing Stone Vineyards and Ventosa Vineyards.

Our host was up first: In the mid-90's, Phil Davis and Lou Damiani hand planted their first vinifera on land that was to become Davis Vineyard and Damiani Vineyard in Hector, NY.  Phil is an engaging man, who told us of his history of the area, the wines and his philosophy on farming, and making wine.

After Phil welcomed us, we heard from Standing Stone Vineyard's Marti Macinski - I had met Marti earlier that week at #FLXWineWomen
and it was exciting to hear her speak more on the evolution of Standing Stone, it's white wine pedigree, planting reds, including Saperavi, and making ice wine.

Flight 1: (Rare Seneca Lake Wines)

Each of the four wines served in this flight were rare and unique - not all are available to purchase.  These wines were a special start to dinner, paired with Leek & Lively Run Chèvre Tart with local greens and blueberry vinaigrette.  I also noted that we were being served dinner on MacKenzie Childs plates - a whimsical - yet heirloom quality local company that holds a special place in my heart.

chèvre

chèvre

Damiani's Pinot Noir Reserve `12 from the Davis Vineyard (Not yet listed for sale)- it was a fresh, fruity medium body wine that complimented the rich goat cheese. Did I taste a hint of truffles? Delicious.

Hector Wine Company Merlot `13  (sold out) - Merlot from Hector is a rare commodity - for this single varietal bottle to happen grapes are hand picked from a steep slope overlooking the lake on only on the years when the weather and yield cooperate. Conditions have to be perfect for this elegant, classic wine to be made.

 Standing Stone Vineyard's Petit Verdot `13 was an eye opener.  A single varietal that I had not yet seen in the Finger Lakes. With spice and elegance, I'd grab a bottle or two of this in a second if I could.

Wrapping up this flight was Ventosa Vineyards Pinot Noir`12 What a difference a lake makes!  Ventosa is on the west side of Seneca Lake, and  there is a cordial east/west rivalry between the shores - almost a left bank/left bank division of subtle taste differences. This isn't France - this is Finger Lakes, New World, classic style, innovative and delicious (without having to learn a new language to decipher the label).  This Pinot is a classic, that is easy to drink and really highlighted the blueberries in the blueberry vinaigrette.

Flight Two
This was when it really sunk in that we were going to be tasting 12 wines with dinner.  The rarity of our first flight led to the diversity of our second flight.  Two single varietals, and two blends that showed that New York is producing wine that is world class. 

Our main course was served, a plate of Stonecat's "Cult Classic" Slow Smoked Pork BBQ with cornbread, honey butter, fresh dill coleslaw and black & black posole.


Damiani Wine Cellar's Cabernet Franc `12 (sold out) Cabernet Franc is one of my favorite varietals, and this is a classic representation.  The rich smokiness paired perfectly with the pork, and a bit of the honey buttered cornbread with a sip of this wine was just MAGIC in my mouth.

Hector Wine Company Essence `13 this Bordeaux style blend of 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Cabernet Franc and 33% Merlot proves my point that french style red blends can translate into the new world.  This wine is well balanced, and held it's own against the dill and "vegginess" of the coleslaw.

Standing Stone Vineyards Saperavi `13 (sold out) I had never heard of Saperavi before. It is a ancient Georgian grape that now is thriving at Standing Stone.  I love it when vineyard owners do their research and bring us dark rich wine with many layers of flavor. This wine paired very well with the pork BBQ, but I can only imagine how it would pair with a juicy grilled steak - or classic Sausage and peppers - the whole time Marti was talking about this wine, I was designing menus around it.


Ventosa Vineyards Saggio-x This Italian style red blend (43% Cab Sauv, 26% Cab Franc, 22% Merlot & 9% Syrah) is Ventosa Vineyard's signature wine. It is smooth, easy to drink and at 13.5% ETOH it's a great way to elevate a special evening dinner - or even a tailgate for a big game.

Flight Three
By now, there is some palate fatigue. My tasting notes had been sloshed on, and I seemed to love EVERYONE in the room. Which was a sign that any semi-professional attempt at reviewing was out the window, and this became the most amazing Finger Lakes dinner party that I had ever been to. Good thing that the sun was setting, and dessert was being served. Dark Chocolate hazelnut torte infused with Finger Lakes Distilling Cassis Liquor and drizzled with a spiced Blueberry sauce - served on slate from a local waterfall. Rich, delicious and inventive.

Lenz Old Vine Merlot Unfiltered `07 $60.00

Word of mouth is a wonderful thing.  I was on a whirlwind trip to the North Fork AVA of Long Island with my friend Valerie from Wine Dog Review, we stopped in at Empire Cellars to check out some local wines, and a woman recommended that we swing by Lenz Vineyard and Winery in Peconic for a taste.  I never looked back. After enjoying flights of their Estate and Old Vine wines, I was hooked. It's a luxury to be able to taste and buy wine at the vineyard where it is produced, but I am a woman on a mission, I'm going to try to visit every Vineyard in the North Fork AVA... all 57 of them. It helps that I have an open invitation to cook in the Yaphank Test Kitchen on weekends which puts the North Fork AVA almost in my back yard.  Now, on to the Lenz Old Vine Unfiltered Merlot, a rich, flavorful Merlot with hints of Cabernet and Cabernet Franc.

This is another "Special Occasion Wine" at $60.00 a bottle, you want to share it with friends, pair it with an amazing meal, and just enjoy. When I drink really good American wine, I always think of Thomas Jefferson, and his passion to bring the qualities found in French wine to the nascent United States, Jefferson was a passionate farmer. Lenz's winemaker Eric Fry has made a very good Merlot that I easily could have tasted in Burgundy. This wine makes me proud of the work of our growers and winemakers - it's Jefferson's dream come true.

I paired the wine with a dinner of:
Spinach Salad with Pears, Walnuts and Goat Cheese (above)
Anatolian Roast Pork (pork roasted with butter, garlic, cinnamon, rosemary and thyme)
and
Chocolate Souffle

Shaya Verdejo DO `09 $14.99 ***

Tart is good.  Tart and crisp is yummy.  Tart, crisp with a lingering finish?  You have this 100% Spanish Verdejo, 13.5% ETOH. Minerality with a long grapefruit finish. Which is really strange because their tasting notes say crisp tart apple. hmm, I guess I just disagree on the flavors. It is flavorful, smooth and delicious.

I like it as a stand alone sipping wine (I am sipping as I type this) and also as a foil for heavier meats.  (we had it with leftover Superbowl BBQ, and it worked!)  But I imagine this with a thick slab of rich salmon or even a spicy seared tuna.

Either way, it is a good wine. A slug of flavor with each mouthful, a slowly dissolving citrus finish and a side of the tongue tingling minerality.  A really nice combination.

I am really liking the white wines from Spain's Roueda region. The full Spanish name for this wine is:Bodegas Y Vinedos Shaya Rueda Old Vines.  When they say old vines, they mean between 75 and 112 years old.  For $14.99, it is a great value.

Tiburzi Montefalco Colle Scancellato `09 IGT $10.99 ****

There is fresh new take on Italian red table wine and this Tiburzi Montefalco Colle Scancellato is it.

Umbria, the heart of Italy, at a vineyard owned by Gustavo Tiburizi, this wine was made by Tiziano Vistall. It is a blend of 80% Sangiovese, 20% Ciliegiolo.  Really the heart of Umbira, both of these varietals are bright, fruit forward and where the Sangiovese give a deep dark fruit taste, the Ciliegiolo brightens the wine and gives it life.  Some acid, very little tannin, 14% ETOH.


We've had this a few times now, first in the picture above with a leek and ham pie JPH recreated a delicacy that he had at the George & Falcon gastropub in Warnford Hampshire, UK in  September. It was perfect with the saltiness of the ham and the richness of the creamed leeks in the pie.  The fruit elevated the meal. S. and I agreed, this may be a new "house" wine for us.

Then the next day with lunch, we had it with BLTs on fresh baked bread.  Then, we brought a bottle to K's for a Sunday dinner of grilled NY strip steak and creamy potatoes.  It was excellent with the steak.  One guest (who knows his wine) was adamant that it was very similar to Chateau Simard Saint-Emilion - a Bordeaux Cabernet Franc/Merlot blend. That comparison just spoke volumes to me.  Here we had a lovely Italian table wine that was being compared to a classic French blend.  Sangiovese is no longer the wine of the worker.  It is being elevated by vineyards like Mr. Tiburizi's and winemakers like Tiziano Vistall.  In a blind taste test, I don't think that I would have pegged it as Italian. I think that we are looking at a new world of wine, where stereotypes are being thrown out of the window and are being replaced by wines that simply taste good.  (just wait 'til I review that Nebbiolo from Virginia!)


JPH is busy looking for a case of this wine- he already bought out Greenvale Grape's supply.

Peter Lehmann of the Barossa Shiraz `08 $12.99 ***

It is unofficially Fall.  We've had gallons upon gallons of rain dumped on us and the sun finally decided to peek out from behind the clouds to say hello. We've been craving comfort food.  For S & JPH, that would be Chanterelles  (opening the box below made me go weak in the knees) and Andouillette (an S. & JPH favorite:  French Tripe Sausage... I agreed to try one bite).

As the smell of sauteing Andouillette filled the kitchen, JPH suggested that I grab a "BIG" bottle from the rack to have with dinner.  We agreed on this Peter Lehmann Australian Shiraz from a mixed case bought at Coves Discount .  I love mixed cases -  there is a discount (JPH declared this case averaged $12.00 per bottle), we get to try some new selections, and have some old favorites.

This Barossa Shiraz is now in the latter category - we will be having more in the future.  At 14.5% ETOH, it was bound to be a prize fight in a bottle, and at first, it was.  First pour straight after unscrewing the top, it was rugged; all you get is a punch in the mouth of flavor and an after-burn. As we cooked, it sat for a while. I didn't get a chance to aerate it, but time did the trick anyway.  Between having time to "breathe" and a swirl in the glass, the magic of natural aeration had a chance to release the rugged concentration in the wine.

Our plates were filled with the powerful flavors of Andouillette with spicy mustard, fresh baked white bread, chorizo potatoes and garlic & bacon dressed with spinach (I called the meal "Pork Three Ways").  Paired with this Shiraz, the flavors worked really well together. By the time S. joined us at the table, it had become a robust, smoother wine - still with a punch of flavor, predominantly chocolate - but blackcurrant was there too.  S. took a sip and declared it a good wine. It became a fruity, chocolaty Shiraz that tamed the wild beast of tripe sausage (well, my one bite at least).  Between the three of us, the bottle was finished before the plates were empty.


Thank you Peter Lehmann, for being the champion of the Barossa Valley.  In 1979, he saw an over production of grapes and a need for wineries.  The original consortium was named Peter Lehmann Wines, and now, 31 years later, Barossa Valley is on the wine map and on my list of places to visit. This is a good Shiraz for a fair price. When you pair it properly and treat it with respect (let it get some air), it will make you very happy.

Gerard Metz Gewurztraminer AOC `07 (Not TJ's)$22.00 ***

Wow, a big mouthful of fruit, with a dry, yet sweet aftertaste.  Crisp. A couple of weeks ago I popped in at Greenvale Grapes, announced what I was planning to cook for dinner and picked up this recommended bottle.  (Then I went to Leonetti's for pastry & bread)

It smells fruity, tastes fruity (crisp pear) and has a dry finish.  Perfect for a spicy food, but not cheap @ $22.00. You should buy this wine as a pairing for some exotic Thai take out that you are having to impress someone with.  This is classic AOC French  Gewurztraminer; if this wine were a person, it would be Elton John: White, rich, fruity, a bit on the heavy side with a little spice. 

Domaine Gerard Metz is almost artisanal: Hand picked grapes, made in a rich tradition, following all of the rules. A lot like listening to Benny and the Jets or Crocodile Rock from Elton John's Greatest Hits.  Songs I love because they don't surprise me, and on certain days, when the timing is right, I listen to them and it is just perfect. 

I had it with a fake Paella:  Sauteed Chorizo and rock shrimp with onion, garlic, spinach and rice.

On Friday morning, I was outside with the dog .  

The dew was on the flowers in S's garden 

and I was lucky that I had my camera handy in the kitchen.  

This is what a beautiful Spring morning looks like in my world:

Javier Sanz Villa Narcisa Verdejo `09 D.O. $17.99 (Not TJ's) ****

I was conflicted today.  I knew that we were having leftover risotto as a main for dinner, but I had no clue as to what we would have for sides. JPH came through by choosing mushrooms & fennel, both to be sauteed separately.  Then it came time to choose the wine...  He and S. had been to Marquis Wines and Spirits to stock up the wine rack last month and this Verdejo was right there -  with its green labels and neon green plastic cork, it was screaming to be picked from the rack.  (Ok, we didn't know that the cork was neon green until JPH unwrapped the foil, but a neon green plastic cork was a first for us...)  JPH grabbed the bottle from the rack and I quickly splashed it down, sleeved it and threw it in the freezer for a quick chill.

First sip:  This is a complex Spanish white wine.  What do I mean by complex?  When you first sip it, it has an acidic bite, JPH noted that it would be really good with Spanish Olives - WOW, would it ever.  But then, in the middle, you get an exotic fruitiness, I would go so far as to say mango, and then boom, the sweet finish that leaves you wanting more. Javier Sanz @ Villa Narcisa, well done.  You make a great white wine. By the third glass, it was just as complex and very easy to drink.

100% Verdejo, a Spanish grape that originated in North Africa, and had been used in a heavier way (historically in Sherry), suddenly, in the 20th Century became a lovely, crisp, complex white wine that has no oak.  (always a hit in my books)  Awarded a DO for being up to national standards in Rueda, Spain, this wine is an excellent ambassador. We'll have it again. 

Dinner Menu: (it was a GREAT leftovers night!)
Marcella's Sauasage Risotto
Marcella's Braised Fennel (yikes, I just saw in their picture @ Pomodori e Vino that I was supposed to caramelize it... oops, it was yummie anyway!)
Sauteed Mushrooms

Banfi Chianti Classico Reserva `07 DOCG $17.99 ***

We've been drinking a lot of Banfi ever since S. & JPH  went to a tasting dinner in January.  I had to try this wine three different times before I figured out what I really like about it. I am not really a fan of Chianti or Sangiovese for that matter, BUT this wine was good and it was great with lunch.  Proper paring can really elevate a meal.

This post is all about the North Shore of Long Island, and the Italians that have made it home for the past century. Razzano's is an Italian Salumaeria is just a mile or so from The Banfi Estate (importers of this Chianti that is made by them in Tuscany). It was fitting that I have a glass of their rustic, full bodied Chianti Classico to accompany the amazing Meatball Parmesan hero that JPH & I split from Razzano's. (I challenge ANYONE to eat a full sized one at one sitting!)

Banfi Chianti Classico Reserva `07 is full of flavor - dried blackberries and a bit of raspberry with an undercurrent of earthiness (translation, there is a slight roughness about it).  What made those flavors perfect was the fact that as I was sipping, I was chewing on an amazing juicy veal/pork/beef meatball, with homemade tomato sauce in a freshly baked roll.  I asked for some additional red pepper which made my mouth tingle and my lips a bit numb.  It was the fruitiness and subtle roughness that just tasted great together.  The fresh bread roll was slightly sweet, crusty and softly saturated with the tomato sauce. The wine was an intense mouthful of flavor that made me realize that the Italians know flavor. It was a delicious Italian/Italian lunch that just proved to me that the right wine with the right food can be make a great meal almost perfect.

As a reminder, everything I write about is paid for - retail.
I am running on and on about Razzano's (NY Times review)
because I am a huge fan.
I am writing a series on Banfi because theirs is an amazing story,
and they are right next door.

If you ever find yourself in Glen Cove NY, give Razzano's a try
you won't be disappointed!

Banfi Tasting second course:  Banfi San Angelo Pinot Grigio `09 $18.49 (not TJ's) ***
Banfi Tasting third course:  Banfi Centine Rosso `07 $10.89 (not TJ's)
Banfi Tasting fourth course: Banfi BelnerO `05 $35.99 (Not TJ's) ****

Banfi Centine Rosso `07 $10.89 (not TJ's) ***

Over the past month, we drank three bottles of this before I reviewed it. I think that is a first. The `08 version of this wine was served @ S. & JPH's Banfi Estate Tasting Dinner as the third course: Penne with Merguez Sausage and Garlic & Broccoli Rabe.

I had it on a quiet Sunday night at home with a dinner of French Sausage, Brie and a Granny Smith Apple.  I also got the Truffled Almonds out of the cupboard.  It was a good, flavorful, "nibbly" dinner. This wine was perfect for the evening. (the picture on the right is from the next day's lunch)

A "Super Tuscan" blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, this is a juicy wine with a smooth yet rich taste.  I like it when a blend is done right.  It had the taste of dried currant with fresh raspberry undertones and maybe a little hint of ripe cherry. It is a very easy wine to sip.

Then the next day, I had a glass from the leftover bottle.  What had been a delightful wine the night before didn't age very well.  Even though I had vacuum sealed it, it was just a bit bitter, and dryer. The juiciness had been replaced with a leather undertone. Moral of the story:  Open the bottle, pour and enjoy.  NO LEFTOVERS! It still worked with my impromptu lunch of Chili with cheese over rice.  Due to an unexpected snowstorm, I had been shoveling and running the snow-blower that morning and a heavy carbohydrate lunch was perfect for my frozen exterior. I ate from the cupboard/freezer - I wasn't driving ANYWHERE. The dog, cat and I have been left to our own devices for the week. (Note: cats are useless when it comes to snow removal, but dogs like to follow along and "supervise").

And if you noticed in the photo above.  I had a moment of girlie weakness, 

and bought a leopard print Bedazzled Blackberry case... 

It won't last long 

(I don't see it working in a meeting with the NYC OEM ...)

BUT  for now, it is a guilty pleasure.  

That is the slacker cat in the picture

who wouldn't even deign to go out in the snow, 

let alone walk behind me and give encouragement as I shoveled! 

Banfi Tasting second course:  Banfi San Angelo Pinot Grigio `09 $18.49 (not TJ's) ***

Banfi Tasting third course:  Banfi Centine Rosso `07 $10.89 (not TJ's)

Banfi Tasting fourth course: Banfi BelnerO `05 $35.99 (Not TJ's) ****

La Rioja Alta Vina Alberdi Reserva Tinto `03 (not TJ's) $44.00/$20.00 ****

My 200th Post!  So much has changed in my life since the Christmas Eve when I sat in my dialysis chair and wrote my first review. It s fitting that I started with a Tempranillo. I didn't even know what it was, let alone that it would grow to be one of my favorite varietals.  It is fitting that my 200th be another Tempranillo - but this one was shared with friends, after all, isn't all the BEST wine the wine that you have with friends?

We had dinner in 1974 last night.  Magical, retro, classic Sardi's, an iconic Broadway restaurant that has endured... through the years of Oscar and Hammerstein, through the years of Shrek on Broadway, Sardi's still stands. (and the menu hasn't changed much either! - in a good way) 

S., K., & I sat at the bar while we waited for JPH and the rest of the party (we were 8).  We checked out coats with the coat check girl; then stepped over to the deceptively large Bar, where they serve shelled peanuts and Ritz Crackers with a cheddar spread to accompany your cocktail.  I knew that we were in for a great night when I spread that first glob of cheese product on to a perfect Ritz Cracker. The redjacketed, fresh faced bartender was knowledgeable and he made me my very first "Side Car"; I liked it.  Because my glass was empty well before her trendy pink Cosmopolitan, K. commented "Did that come with a straw?". S. perused the port selection, selected from one of the three bottles offered and sipped her glass as she caught up on the comings and goings of her sister in law. It was a the perfect way to wait for JPH and the ducklings to arrive.

Soon enough, there they were, chilled from the cold of a NYC winter. We were shown to our table. The room was packed with pre-theater crowd out on a Friday night, with caricatures of countless celebrities covering the cranberry walls. I've written before about my indecisiveness when it comes to restaurant wine lists, and I was very appreciative when JPH selected this `03 Tempranillo.

Our waiter doubled as a sommelier and commented on the lightness and versatility of this wine. He poured the first glass and mistakenly, it was mine.  JPH reassured him, "You were right, she's the wine blogger." I sipped. This was the lightest, most ethereal Tempranillo that I have ever had.  It had distinct layers.  The first sip was light, almost watery, and then there was a heaviness of flavor.  Berries and leather with a bit of a burn.  It was 1974. I was on Broadway at Sardi's.  I was half expecting a white staircase to open and a gaggle of showgirls and tuxedoed dancers to descend into the crowd, but instead, the theatrics were left for our dessert.

I sipped my La Rioja Alta Vina Alberdi Reserva Tinto as I nibbled on a roll with fresh butter. Then my starter of Corn Chowder arrived.  It was creamy and delicious.The wine was delicious and was perfect for the occasion and the meal. Interesting enough to drink alone, with a few bites of buttered roll, soft enough not to overcome the creaminess of the corn chowder, but substantial enough to hold up to the Mushroom and Pork that were my main course.

S. had the Sardi's Shrimp.  It was garlicky goodness.  JPH was the rebel in the group.  He started with a glass of the Reserva Tinto, and then when his Crab Cakes arrived, he switched to a delicious glass of  Sauvignon Blanc, I'll admit to sipping the Sauvignon Blanc and thinking that it was delicious and thoroughly enjoying it with the dollop of crab cake he placed on my bread plate. But, by then, the sidecar had kicked in and the two glasses of Tempranillo were fighting their way into my blood stream.  The reviewing was over and the sheer pleasure had begun.

We all had starter portions for meals.  I moved on to Cannelloni au Gratin - a combination of Beef and Pork with Porcini Mushrooms rolled in a French Crepe with Supreme Sauce.  It was good that I didn't have my transplant clinic visit for a few days, after this meal, I had a lot of dietary repenting to do.

We ate, we laughed, we played spot the celebrity picture on the wall.  (MEH sat under Mark Hamill... we had to explain that he was Luke Skywalker... for a moment, I felt old.)

By the time dessert came, we were all enjoying our trip to 1974.  Our meals were finished, the empty bottle had been taken away, and soon, our redjacketed career waiter came to our table with Baked Alaska.  A flaming desert fraught with drama, brandy some good old flames. JPH snuck in an amazingly sweet and pineappley glass of Pacific Rim "Vin de Glaciere" Riesling to end the evening with...but that is for my 201st review!

Here it is, our flaming dessert:

Graffigna Centenar Malbec `07 $9.99 (Not TJ's) ****

$9.99 @ the New Hampshire State Liquor Store on my way back from Thanksgiving at home in Maine.  WOW.  Little did I know what was lurking in the wine-rack waiting to be opened.

We had an ice storm over the past couple of days, and JPH made winter weather comfort food:  Pulled pork Enchiladas with a homemade red sauce.  When I got home from work he told me to pick a bottle to go with dinner.  I was thinking flavorful and rugged enough to stand up to chili sauce, so I went with Malbec.

Graffigna Centenar Malbec:  On my first sip, I was thinking that I chose wrong.  This is an amazingly smooth wine that it is more like a refined  Pinot Noir than an alcoholic Malbec.  Smooth, and 14% ETOH, makes it a really nice, easy drinking wine. I think that in my "Malbec Tasting Experiment" this is my favorite so far. Smooth, berries, slight tannin, dry, subtle. Dried cherry/blackberry with a smoky undercurrent.  It seems like this is an Ivy League Malbec with a foot in both worlds, Old and New; well read, refined, disciplined, but still ready for some down and dirty fun.

After aeration:  I used the Nuance and it lightened the wine, but it also flattened it a bit.  It opened up to some more complexity (oak and a hint of tobacco).  I am on the fence as to aerate it or not.  But that could be because the levels of complexity were blown out by the spiciness of the chili sauce.  JPH had beer and I think that he made the wise choice for this meal.  S. enjoyed the wine, but she also has a more developed/asbestos lined palate.

I am from Maine.  We like our food white there.  Lobster meat, potatoes, cod... you don't get much color in those. (I like to think that we save out color for sunrise on Seal Bay, Maine and Fall Foliage)  When I was growing up, garlic was considered exotic.

JPH & S. LOVE their chilis, they have exposed me to whole new world of endorphin raising capsicum. I just haven't adapted my palate to be able to taste wine AND hardcore chili peppers. I went running for the sour cream after my first bite of Red Chili Sauce, and well, my mouth never had a chance to recover. It was delicious, but also sweat inducing (which is just a sign that something's really, really good.)

In homage to their love of all things Southwest, 

here is last year's Chili Pepper Christmas wreath:
 

Brothers in Arms Langhorne Creek No. 6 Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon `04 $14.99 (not TJ's) ***

I was told to pick a bottle.  After a run to Coves Discount, we had just restocked the wine rack, I had a lot to choose from. I picked this Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon (85%/15%) blend. Innovative "New World" label. (check)  Screw Top. (check) Australian.(check) I knew that I was in for an adventure.

First sip.  Wham, it was like being punched in an all out flavor bar fight - it was like the cherries, blackberries and bittersweet chocolate were in brawling in my mouth (in a good, adrenaline filled way).  And there was an after burn. I laughed: "This is gonna work with the ham steak!"

JPH grabbed the bottle "14.5% ETOH... leave it to the Australians...." And then our whole conversation turned into one massive stereotype of manly Australian musings. None of which I remember, but each was hilarious at the time - maybe something about this wine putting hair on your chest. I may have challenged a Pouilly Fuissé to a fist fight. (S. is in Asia, so she couldn't roll her eyes at us for being silly).

Really, this is a fun wine.  It packs a lot of flavor into it.  If you are having juicy steak marinated in garlic, this would be your wine. There is an after burn - which is less and less noticeable as you drink it.  (I would say that the 14.5% ETOH kicks in pretty fast).

After Aeration:  I used the Nuance.  It smoothed it out, but made it less interesting.  My favorite part of the wine is the initial overpowering taste of bittersweet chocolate. After I ran it through the nuance, it seemed not to be as intense. I drank it with our dinner of ham steak with honey mustard, double baked potatoes with cheddar & sour cream, and roasted cherry tomatoes in garlic with wilted baby spinach and chickpeas. JPH drank beer.

I really liked reading the story behind this wine.  I know that it is all marketing, but I bought into it.  New World wine is amazing.  And reading about the budding wine region of Langhorn Creek area south of Adelaide, and the producer Brothers in Arms (sixth generation on the farm - hence #6) well, you got me.  Ana you got me with your wine region running a 2011 photo contest.  I'm not a very good photographer, and I don't plan on being in Australia this year (maybe next year) but I think that this is a great way to promote your region and your wine! 2011 Langhorne Creek Wine Region Photography Competition

I don't think I'd serve this wine at a formal Sunday dinner.  BUT at a Bar-B-Que?  Oh yes! At a ski house in front of a fire while eating bacon wrapped scallops and watching the kids sled over the cliff of dread?  Definitely.

Thank you Australia's Langhorne Creek, for giving us a wine that is unpretentious, big, bold, flavorful, and a lot of fun.

And as much as I'd like to end this review with a clip from my favorite Australian movie 

"The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert", 

it would not be fitting for this brawny, rough and tumble wine.  

So, I will end it with a scene from Vermont.  

Here is that "cliff of dread" that I was writing about.... 

Campo Viejo Tempranillo Reserva `05 $17.99 (Nt TJ's) ***

The scent of pork butt braising in fennel and aromatics makes my mouth water. There is just something about it.  When I wandered into the kitchen, JPH uncorked this bottle.  I grabbed the truffled almonds from the cabinet and the night began.

Maybe it is the pairing.  Maybe it is the fact that this is a BIG, chocolaty, plummy wine that has an undertone of leather.  Maybe because it is so complex yet easy to drink.  Maybe because well seasoned Pork and Tempranillo just work together - or all of the above.

Campo Viejo = old field (with a flashy website). I just want to say thank you to the Spaniards who make this wine and continue to produce those complex, robust flavors that just make me happy. This wine is a blend of Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo (also known as Carignan).

I'll leave you with a picture of my dinner: 
Slow roasted pork and roasted potatoes. 

(at some point, the bread and salad made it to my plate,
but by then, I had forgotten all about pictures!)

Allegrini Palazzo della Torre `07 IGT $19.00 (Not TJ's) ***

The best part of being given wine for Christmas is sharing it with the people who gave it to me. One Friday, I grabbed the bottle from The Winery Allegrini, stopped at Waldbaums for the ingredients to "Edie's Man Catching Dinner" (what can I say, there is a theme in my life) and motored into the city to cook and enjoy some time with my friends (including a cooking session with my youngest sous chef).

This is a deep, fruity, flavorful, rich red wine.  It is sophisticated in a way that is foreign to me.  I have never tasted Amarone but I imagine that this wine is similar to it.  There is a uniqueness to the process of making this wine.  It is called Ripasso, a form of extended maceration.

What did this mean to me?  This wine is like a Ph.D in a glass.  It tastes like there has been a lot of effort put into it. All of that time spent drying from September to January for those grapes that make up the raisin like depths of this wine, to the fresh layer of fruitiness that comes from the original grapes pressed;  it is an amalgam of flavors that is so unique, it stands head and shoulders above regular plonk in complexity.  When thinking about a Cabernet or Tempranello or any other complex red wine, it is apples to oranges.  This is a stand alone type of wine, unique to the Valpolicella region of Italy. (at least I have not yet encountered anything like it in my 200 bottles of drinking & blogging!)

Varietal: Corvina and Rondinella There is a steep learning curve for me with this wine. I didn't have a chance to try this aerated, but I think that because of the complex flavor, it would shine.  The internet recommends that this wine be aerated for an hour before drinking, so, I think that a run through the Nuance or Vinturi would be worth it.

Sharing a meal with people that you love is one the highlights of my life.  From a simple lunch with S. and JPH, to a quick visit that includes cooking, or more extended trips to Maine or London, sharing good food is just an expression of love and appreciation in my life, and well, wine is simply the icing on the cake.

We had fun cooking dinner. Because we were a diverse crowd, adults, children, and a 9 year old vegetarian, the menu was mixed.  P. my Sous Chef insisted on making french fries (baked) and after I put them through the slicer, I put him to work prepping the baking sheet, oiling & salting them, and finally, laying them on the pan.

Here he is hard at work
(well, as hard as I want to work a 3 1/2 year old Sous Chef):

Colosi Nero d'Avola Sicilia IGT `09 IGT $12.99 ***(*)

JPH had to talk me into this wine.  Pretty label,  Nero d'Avola, good price point, Sicilian... what's not to love?  I was critical on first sip.  I said, "the finish is sour".  He said "no, it is rustic". I said, "it makes my tongue furry".  He said, "That is tannin, it's the skins - imagine all those women stomping grapes".  I laughed to myself as I mentally thought of Lucille Ball. I sipped and thought, "Ok, rustic, fruity, rough finish, but it is not THAT bad".  As JPH said "Not bad grape juice".  I ran upstairs and got the camera.

Dinner was on the table:  Mixed field green salad in red wine vinaigrette, cibatta, and bomboloni in sausage cream sauce.  I slowly sipped my wine, and said "It's not bad when you just take small sips." JPH said "nah, just drink it".  I grabbed the nuance from the counter and poured myself an aerated second glass.

After aeration:  AERATE THIS WINE. I was stunned.  The look on my face said it all.  JPH tried a glass of the aerated wine.  "Wow! It just exploded with flavor".  I simply nodded, because my mouth was full. He was right, and the aeration simply proved how right he was.  This wine blossomed, smoothed out and became a totally different, elegant wine. S. was on a conference call, so I couldn't solicit her opinion in the comparison.  If she hadn't been preoccupied in another room, tonight would have been Aerator Death Match Round Two, but I can't run a proper Death Match without S.

Blackberrys and almost overripe cherries with a subtle undertone of herbs.  Like you are busy chewing away on some delicious blackberries and by mistake, you chew a leaf as well. (comeon, I am not the only person that has done that!)  This is a really good wine.  If you don't aerate it  - pour it into a decanter or swirl it - even then you will see the difference.  This isn't an ad, I am honestly saying, this wine is what those commercial aerators are for.  You could get the same results with time, but for opening and drinking, (and instant satisfaction) I simply grabbed the Nuance (my latest aerator of choice - and I have tried three aerators so far).  It brought this from a wine that I had to be talked into to a wine that I would give to friends (and then laugh at their reactions after I watched them try it before and after aeration).

Because this wine brought out the Lucille Ball in me,
I will leave you with my favorite clip:

Owen Roe Sharecropper's Cabernet Sauvignon `07 $19.99 (not TJ's) ***

Washington State.  In wine parlance, it is "New World" and with that comes a lot of new development, creativity and whimsy.  If France is the grandfather of Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington State is the prodigal grandchild who cast aside the dusty accoutrement of collected generations of antiquities and kept the core of the family tree.  In this case, good wine that is true to the flavor profile.  The label and name may be whimsical and iconoclastic but the taste of this wine is classic, and good.

We had just come home from seeing Al Pacino on Broadway as Shylock in the Merchant of Venice (a Broadway adaptation of a classic, a lot like Washington State wine).  The play was edited heavily to humanize Shylock, but I was still stunned by the production; the words of Shakespeare rang true. (Even if 1/3 of the plot was cut out). 

When we got home, I scurried to feed the dog, cat and then the humans.  We had leftovers:  Game pie, chickpeas, chorizo & spinach, and a partial loaf of bread. I was perusing the wine-rack when S said, "Why don't we have this" and she pointed to the bottle of Sharecropper's on the counter. "Why not?" and I ran to get the camera.

Owen Roe Sharecropper's Cabernet Sauvignon `07 was a surprise.  I don't know how it came to be on the counter.  It has a cute label, a horse pulling a cart loaded with a wine barrel, I take it to be a riff on the Conestoga wagons that brought pioneers to the Columbia Valley.  Is Own Roe a wine pioneer?  Yeah, I think so.  I would never have guessed this to be a "New World" Cabernet had it been a blind tasting.  It has all of the hallmarks of a solid Cabernet, a dried cherry/black current taste, intense, a bit juicy, but not overpowering.  A dry(ish) tannin finish, and a smell that is not exactly fruity, but not totally spicy.  It is very distinct, maybe a hint of earthiness?

After aeration (Nuance): This wine became smooth... oh so very smooth.  The tastes were still there, (notably dried cherry) but the smoothness was delightful.  I love the change that aeration creates in wine.  It is like unwrapping a present:  sometimes you get an iron and ironing board and sometimes you get chocolate or an iPad! (what can I say, it was a good Christmas!)

After dinner, we ended the day by watching "Annie Get Your Gun". Although I am not a fan of the message that AGYG sends, (I'm not a fan of how Shakespeare wrote Shylock either); But I am a fan of entertainment, both were entertaining, and spurred some interesting conversation, over a some very good wine (and Port!)

Since I can't seem to find a clip of Barbara Hutton singing "Anything you can do, I can do better", I'll just end today with a nod to Mr. Pacino.  He really was an amazing Shylock.

If you prick us, do we not bleed? 

If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die?
And if you wrong us, do we not revenge? 

If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that.
The Merchant Of Venice Act 3, scene 1, 58–68

Diseño Malbec `09 $12.49 (Not TJ's) ***

As I am just digging out from a big snowstorm and thought that today would be a fitting day to open one of the bottles I bought while I was at home for Thanksgiving. Holly and I were shopping for a party and I went to check out the wine aisle @ Hannaford Supermarket in Belfast, Maine. After a while perusing, I came back to the cart with this Malbec in hand.

I have to say that I am always impressed by the variety of wine that I find when I am mid-coast. (hmm, could that be an indicator of per capita high consumption?)  After opening this bottle, I was impressed by the quality as well. (High consumption & good taste - that is why I am proud to call Waldo County home - I'll add London & NY to that mix too. I belong to any place that has good wine and unconditional love).

Malbec:  A week of  tasting -  Review One
I chose Malbec to drink for a week because I want to get to know the varietal better.  I have a whole range of Malbec as far as price goes and was given one just off the plane from Argentina last week to add to the line up.

This was a great wine to start the week with.  On first pour, it was good.  Smooth, robust, slightly fruity (blackberries) with a hint of sweetness of chocolate in the finish. Very subtle tannins, I like it a lot. After the Vinturi:  don't do it.  This wine does not need to be aerated.  It made it bitter, still drinkable, but with a bite.  Just pour and swirl in you glass a bit and there you have it. 

This is a good sipping wine and a good dinner wine - for a flavorful dinner that is -  a wine like this could easily overpower something subtle, so serve it with burgers or steak or something substantial.  I keep reading that you should pair wine with food from the country of origin, so I guess that steak and chorizo are on the menu for this week.  Since the dog, cat and I are snowed in, I had to adapt some recipes for what ingredients I had on hand.  I Googleed to see if I could serve a Malbec with a cream sauce and I stumbled across an excellent food and wine pairing post by www.vinovixenz.com.  I made sausage and mushrooms in cream sauce, polenta and spinach with pine nuts for dinner.  It was great warming comfort food for a day of fighting with the snow-blower and shoveling.

Meanwhile, back to Diseño Malbec:
As I was researching this wine.  (yes, I research after I drink - I use the word research as a pretentious form of "Googled") I came across this review of the wine in the Memphis Review.  This is a production wine.  Not from any one vineyard, simply a producer that bought some grapes from two vineyards and made a good, cheap table wine.Well done Argentinian winemaker, buying your bottle in Belfast, Maine and then driving it down to Long Island made the final consumption even better.  (Sorry global warming, I owe you one!)

Here is the 12/26/10 Snowstorm, 

Before and After