The Chook Shiraz-Viognier `10 $12.99 **(*)

This is a very interesting light, bright and peppery wine. It is interesting because it's a blend of 95% Shiraz and 5% Viognier. So it's a robust, full flavored red wine with a hit of fruity white Viognier.  Ben Riggs, famed Australian "Flying-Winemaker" is known for his beloved McLaren Vale Shiraz .  I bumped this an extra star because it is a pretty straightforward representation of a good Shiraz blended to be lighter and well, "interesting". We all need to shake it up every once in a while and think outside of the box.  Thank you Mr. Riggs.

The wine paired well with Veal Paprikash, from The Old World Kitchen: The Rich Tradition of European Peasant Cooking by Elisabeth Luard; with truffled mashed potatoes and asparagus.

Barth Rene Pinot Blanc Vignoble de Bennwihr `04 AOC $12.99 (not TJ's) ***

For the past few days, it has been all things mountainous.  It was fitting, now that we were back at sea level, to have this bottle of Vin d'Alsace. 

Arriving after a 5 hour drive that involved a hot-dog, apple cider doughnuts and Mountain Dew, we were greeted with amazing meal of Veal Paprikash, Spätzle, warm spinach salad and an open bottle of Barth Rene Pinot Blanc.  What a great way to end a road trip!

This bottle is a modern take on a crisp, classic wine.  It had a slightly acidic green apple flavor, with an after taste of pear.  Not too sweet, but it has a finish that lingers (that is, until you have your next sip).  As we were eating at Granny and Grandpa's, I was too distracted to study the label. (After S. & I finished off the second bottle, by then, I wasn't really ready to start dissecting the label AT ALL.)

Tipsiness not withstanding, I can assuredly say that this is a great "alternative" white wine - alternative to run of the mill chardonnay that is. Yes, it is a screw top but that helps you to save money - if it had a cork in it, it would have much more and the taste would be the same. I am all about the convenience and taste.  Let's leave the ceremony of uncorking for formal meals. It is variety and pairing that shine in this wine.  With our delicious dinner, we had a bit of France on the table.  It wasn't overly expensive, it balanced the subtlety of the veal quite well, with a slight acid that enhanced the spinach, and well, it was easy to drink.

As I was reading about this wine, I found that it is a family business.  The current winemaker is Michel Fonné who took over the vineyard in Bennwihr, Alsace from his uncle, René Barth.  I think that he has tapped into the American market with quality and price point.  I can't wait to try more of his wines. 

Here is the sunset that preceded our dinner.  

As we were speeding down I-91S, I looked to my right and saw this.  

There was just enough time to grab my Blackberry and snap a picture. 

Livio Felluga Pinot Grigio $22.00 (Not TJ's) ***

I was charged with doing the dinner shopping.  Veal, sausage, pancetta, sage, fingerling potatoes, spinach and dry white wine. (There may have also been some Christmas shopping involved as well... 'tis the season and all that.)

Well, meat was simple.  Karl Ehmer Quality Meats had everything protein that we would need and great service to boot. Then for the wine.  I like being a neophyte.  At Greenvale Grapes I asked "What do you have in a dry white - for both cooking and drinking?"  My accomplice and I were walked to the Pinot Grigio wall and were given the rundown on the featured bottles. For me, it was a toss up.  There was a $14.00 bottle that was a contender and this $22.00 bottle that the manager had listed as his favorite.  I left it to my accomplice to choose. She went for this Livio Felluga Pinot Grigio.  The manager was horrified that I would think to cook with it.  We had a discussion, and I assured him that it was well worth cooking with good wine. I live by the Julia Child ethos which includes this gem:

"I enjoy cooking with wine, sometimes I even put it in the food I'm cooking."

And that is just what I did.  As JPH was preparing Skewered Veal Cubes and Pork Sausage Pan-Roasted with Sage and White Wine from Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cookery (a well used cookbook in this household); I grabbed the wine from the fridge and poured a glass.  After all, it was my job to roast the potatoes, then cook the spinach with rendered pancetta & garlic - I should start reviewing the wine in my head as soon as I pulled the pan from the drawer, right?!?

I have written about grassy wines in earlier posts.  The main note of this wine on first sip is its subtle elegance. It did not have any overwhelming flavor to me.  If I were to use the grassy taste, this wine is a finely manicured golf course.  Just enough freshness to be palate cleansing, and a fine mineral depth that gave it a foundation, but no extremes.  It is a very easy drinking wine. JPH took his required 1/2 cup for the final simmer of the skewers, and when the spinach was almost done, I splashed some into the pan. (S. & I still had plenty to have with dinner).

With food, this is a sublime wine.  It went very well with the subtle flavors of the sage and veal.  The sausage added a peppery highlight, and this wine was an excellent foil for the pepper.  I do think that this is more of a seafood wine, but it still works.

I don't have much experience with Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris. My first review of a Pinot Grigio was singelhandedly the worst wine I had tasted in the early days of this blog Bandit Pinot Grigio. Pinot Grigio/Gris is yet another mutation of the Pinot Noir grape, and well, I am partial to genetic mutations, since I am one myself (Polycystic Kidney Disease).  I am looking forward to trying more of this dry white wine in the future.

'tis the season for decorations to start coming out!!!  Christmas in this house comes with a warning label:

Chateau d'Escurac Medoc `05 AOC (Not TJ's) $23.99 ***

Easter dinner is takeout from La Bussola Restaurant in Glen Cove.  Tonight's wine is this blend from Bordeaux.  Both dinner and wine are brought to you by our sponsor the mysterious man in the yellow Easter tie.

This is a dry wine with deep black current undertones and tannins an interesting flavor for being 50% Merlot, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon.  I never quite understood the draw of black current when I lived in London, Ribena (The blackcurrent drink) was sweet yet tart.  In wine, the black current is dark and substantial. It is fruity, but concentrated, like dry fruit.  I am not at home, so I didn't have a chance to run it through the vinturi, but I now know what to bring as a hostess gift the next time I am in Glen Cove!

Menu:
Caesar Salad
Penne a la Vodka
Green beans with roasted garlic
Veal with Gorgonzola
Linguine fileto pomodoro (sp - it is off the menu only for insiders)

This is a great big THANK you to my hostess, my dining companions, Notorious Nick the Snowboarder, Alex "I want a better i-Touch" (32 gig isn't enough) and our sponsor, the mysterious man in the yellow Easter tie!