Christmas Fish and a French Sancerre

Christmas Eve always means seven fishes at the Oliva's. For as far back as I can remember we have been keeping this Italian tradition. Why seven fishes? It's unclear why seven fishes rather than any other number but many feel the number seven represents the seven sacraments of the Church or possibly the seven days of creation in the Book of Genesis. Whatever the reason, it's a great way to celebrate Christmas Eve with the family. As you can see from the photo, one of the dishes was a beautiful bowl of steamed muscles in a red sauce. To compliment the muscles, I served a 2006 Benton Lane Pinot Noir. I had served this at Thanksgiving with a tremendous result. See my past post. This 2006 Pinot is a particularly good vintage in that the growing season in Oregon was extremely hot. This added an amazing lushness and depth to this already excellent wine.

The next dish Mary served was a large bowl of vermicelli and home made clam sauce. To go with this, I served a French Eric Montintin 2007 Sancerre . I didn't go with our usual New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. I wanted to test Eric's last post in which he highly recommended the French Sancerres over the New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs. We were all happy we followed Eric's advice. Dave's fiance, Angela, said she "had never tasted a wine quite like this." Mary agreed that it was superb. It had a strong but not overwhelming bouquet of citrus with a pleasing color and a smooth, well-balanced body. It was dry and had citrus hints (mostly grapefruit to my taste)up front with a long and pleasing finish. The rest of the meal consisted of Alaskan Salmon, Fillets of Sole, Shrimp, and Crab and Cod cakes. We unanimously stayed with the Sancerre! A testament to its superior quality.

Christmas Eve dinner was a great success thanks to Mary's superb culinary talents, Eric's wine suggestions and great company. To learn more about Sancerre go to this site: The New York Times.

According to the Novovino Wine Company "Eric Montintin Domaine is located in the small town of Savigny-en-Sancerre, just 10 km north from Sancerre town. Eric started very small 10 years ago after returning from s stint as a wine buyer at a UK wine merchant. Today he owns a small 1.5 hectares vineyard in Sancerre and a couple more in Quincy and Menetou Salon. His Sancerre vineyard is entirely farmed organically and every grape from that vineyard was picked per hand."

Thanks Eric and on to New Year's Eve!

Bob

1990 Vintage

Adele and I remember vividly the summer of 1990 in Europe. We traveled through much of France in extremely intense heat. The temperature in the Loire Valley was in the upper 90s and reached 104 when we arrived in Bordeaux. A few days later, when we stayed in a hotel in Carcassone without air conditioning, some guests slept with their doors open. If the heat debilitated people and made sightseeing onerous, it was certainly beneficial for the grapes. 1990 was the sort of vintage that occurs only once every 20 or 25 years, in which outstanding wines are produced in nearly every European wine region. It was probably the best vintage of the 1990s for Red Bordeaux, a milestone in modern Red Burgundy, superb in Tuscany and the Piedmont, excellent in Rioja. Yet, perhaps no wine region had more exceptional results than the Mosel region of Germany. In 1990 its Rieslings had a purity of concentrated fruit combined with high but refreshing acidity that is more commonly associated with years of less extreme heat and sunshine. The balance of these qualities is what distinguishes most 1990 Mosels from those of other fine years. Excluding 1971, which for many lovers of German wines remains the standard by which great vintages and wines are measured, I consider 1990 my favorite Mosel vintage of the last half century (Verdicts are still out on 2001 and 2005). I was reminded just how wonderful these wines are last night. After dinner Adele and I shared a 1990 Erdener Teppchen Auslese from Meulenhof, whose wines have been imported to the US for many years by Terry Theise. Its color was deep yellow, almost orange, It had an enticing fruity bouquet (apricot?, peach?, pineapple?), a taste of very rich fruit allied with that strong streak of acidity, and a long finish that reminded us of citrus fruit. When I first tasted this wine, in 1992, it was exceedingly sweet. Now, over 16 years later, it tasted virtually dry. Adele remarked that it would have been perfectly appropriate to serve it with a meal.

Eric

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc

New Zealand has been producing the best Sauvignon Blanc since the 1970s. Once an unknown in the wine world, for the past 20 plus years it has taken the wine world by storm. Robert Mondavi did a great job with his Fume Blanc and the French certainly do a good job. But it is in New Zealand that this forgotten grape has made its mark. I started drinking Sauvignon Blanc just a few years ago. If memory serves me I was on the prowl for an interesting white to go with a summer dinner party Mary and I were planning. I picked up a Goldwater New Dog, probably a 2004 or 05 vintage. Mary and I were, as we used to say, blown away. It had a strongly lush nose and lime front with a long delicious finish. It was minerally and nicely textured with a rather full body for a white wine.

The second Sauvignon Blanc we've been tasting is Coopers Creek. It's full of grapefruit and nectarine that's in your face. It has great balance, is refreshing with a long lush finish. Coopers Creek is a classic New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. I have found it to be especially good in the warm months of Summer. It's brisk, fresh acidity is uplifting on those long hot days. We have added Villa Maria, Kim Crawford and others to our repertoire. These Sauvignon Blancs make wine tasing exciting. They can be brash and in your face. I am rarely so excited when drinking wine as I am with a New Zealand SB. It is a unique wine tasting experience to savor a fresh, crisp Sauvignon Blanc via New Zealand.

Sauvignon Blanc pairs well with food. It can go with poultry, fish, dips, vegetable dishes, etc. Please try this exciting and bold white wine.

Tempranillo - A Pleasant Surprise

The long awaited visit of our nieces,Jackie and Kelly, along with my brother Mike and sister-in-law Jane took place yesterday. I took the opportunity to visit Villa Liquors to purchase a few good wines to celebrate and enjoy at dinner. As usual, Tony was great with recommendations and a 10% discount on my wine order. Things really worked out. In doing some research, I came across a Spanish wine, Tempranillo. I knew we were having fresh mozzarella, provolone and Sicilian olives for appetizers with roast beef for dinner with baked potatoes and string beans. I needed a substantial red for both parts of the dinner. The Tempranillo seemed to fit the bill. I picked up a Venta Mazzaron Tempranello 2004. I also purchased a Banfi Chianti Classico 2004 and a Domain de Vaufuget Vouvray 2007 for the white wine aficionados. You can read about the Tempranillo grape at: http://archive.supermarketguru.com/page.cfm/194. It will give you a good sense of this outstanding Spanish wine.

My brother, son Chris, Dave's finance Angela and I fully enjoyed the Tempranillo. Although usually a blend, the Mazzaron was 100% Tempranillo. It had a very full nose, surprisingly so. The bouquet spread through the room strikingly. The color was deep and impressive. Tasting was a real pleasure. It had very mild spiciness with a berry front (although Angela disagrees with this). I enjoyed the lowish acidity and fine finish. The texture was full and the wine was well balanced with enough complexity to make it interesting.

Give this wine a try. It's a great addition to anyone's collection. It went perfectly with the cheeses and olives and I'm sure it would be a great compliment to beef and poultry like goose, turkey and duck. My brother said after a few sips: "Spain is a great food and wine country!" I agree and plan to try Tempranillo with Christmas dinner.

For dinner, I opened the Banfi Chianti Classico 2004. It was perfect with the roast beef. The wine was a tad spicy, with cocoa overtones, with berries and medium body. The pairing was perfect. You just can't go wrong with this Italian classic. For the white wine lovers I had opened the Domain de Vaufuget Vouvray 2007. This was a surpising wine. It was not as sweet as some Vouvrays. My wife, Mary, mentioned she was taken aback by the up front fruit the wine displayed. It was crip and refreshing and was not over powered by the strong cheeses and olives. I found it delightful. A great choice.

Mary made a wonderful dish of roasted pork ribs and sauerkraut,served with string beans, corn and brown rice. The ribs were both large and small and seasoned with a simple salt and pepper. I opened a bottle of Da Vinci Chianti 2006 to go with the meal. I had purchased the wine recently from Villa Liquors in Garden City South on the recommendation of Tony the wine consultant at the store.

The Da Vinci Chianti comes from a town made famous by Leonardo da Vinci. The region is undergoing a certain renaissance in wine making. The Cantine Leonardo da Vinci, is an innovative Chianti that seems suitable to modern tastes. With cutting-edge technology Chiantis are being produced that are softer and more fruit forward.

The nose was very mild with a slight spiciness and some muted plum and maybe berries. The color was deep and strong. The Da Vinci is a medium Chianti with a simplicity that is pleasing. I found that it was able to offer a great balance, not to thick and not to watery. The spiciness saved it from being bland. I enjoyed the Da Vinci with the pork immensely, great complementarity. It's a good wine to drink, very smooth, a mild finish. I would like more complexity and a stronger finish but it's a very suitable wine and costs only about $15.00. I recommend it.

Benton Lane 2006 Pinot Noir, a superb wine. I highly recommend it.

Bob

Post Thanksgiving Post - The Pinot Noir Wins!

Thanksgiving is over. We had a great time eating and drinking. The turkey dinner prepared by Mary was sumptuous. My brother James came over with my wife's brother's family, Manny, Laurinda, Mike and Matt, our grandson Jonathan was with us, in addition to our two sons Dave and Chris with Dave's finance, Angela, and Chris' girlfriend Danielle. We finished off six bottles of wine: an Argentinian Pulenta Malbec, an Australian Rosemount Shiraz, a California Zin, an Italian Barabara D'Asti dry red, a Pinot Grigio, and a Benton Lane Pinot Noir. We did some serious damage to a German Gewürztraminer, and a fabulous 1989 Urziger Wurzarten Riesling Auslese (thanks Eric).

The winner was by far the Benton Lane 2006 Pinot Noir. I was a tad surprised at the overwhelming positive response everyone had to the Pinot Noir. My brother James was effusive about the merits of the Pinot in context of dinner as was my wife and sister-in-law. I had doubts because Pinot is a delicate red that some people find wanting. I was overjoyed to see how well the Pinot was accepted and enjoyed. It was a perfect compliment to the turkey dinner.

Today we are all in our pajamas and reminiscing about a day well spent.

Bob

What is Meritage?

In my last post I extolled the merits of a 2005 Estancia Meritage. It struck me that many of the readers of this blog may not know exactly what a Meritage is. Briefly, a Meritage is a high quality blend modeled on French Bordeaux that was established in 1989 in the United States. It was an attempt to monitor and control the blending of wines. Most blended wines have one dominant wine that amounts to about 75% of the wine itself. But what about wines that don't possess such dominance? That's were Meritage (prounounced like heritage) comes in. A red Meritage is required to include Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot but not in the 75% levels of traditional blends. These are all Bordeaux varieties. The wine must contain at least three of the wines I just mentioned. A white Meritage need only have Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.

One of the great things about Meritage is that it doesn't have to be highly aged to be of excellent quality. You can purchase a good Meritage, go home, open it and enjoy it for the evening. In addition, only 25,000 cases of Meritage can be produced from a specific vineyard in any one year. This is an important quality control measure that helps distinguish Meritage from the ubiquitous "red table wine" sold across the country.

If you want to read more about Meritage, there is a good article in the Washington Post from 2004 containing a nice review of Meritage, its history and present circumstances: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57082-2004Sep28.html.

Enjoy!

Estancia

Hey Bloggers,

Just opened a 2005 Estancia Reserve Paso Robles Meritage. This is a truly excellent wine. It blends 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot, and 3% Malbec. The nose is full. The texture rich. The overtones are just magnificent, berries galore, even chocolate with a nice long fruit finish. I love the balance and medium fullness of the texture and structure. The Paso Robles area in California exhibits extremes in temperature that help create very distinctive wines. This wine proves the point. I suggest you get hold of this as soon as possible. Enjoy it.

Have any of you indulged in a good Estancia Meritage wine or any other Meritage? I am sitting at my computer now and dreaming of later today when I will imbibe a rich glass of this Meritage 2005.

Bob

Thanksgiving Wine and Food Pairing

Greetings,

Mary and I just got back from Young's Wine Store in Manhasset, Long Island. They were offering suggestions for wines paired with Turkey and other Thanksgiving delights. We purchased a semi-dry Vouvray 2005 Domaine Bourillon-Dorleans to start off the festivities. For dinner we will go with a few choices of both red and white. For the dark meat crowd there are some great choices. The first is a 2006 Oregon Benton Lane Pinot Noir. This has been one of my favorites over the years. It is medium bodied and compliments the meal perfectly. For those wanting a more robust experience I have both a Zin and a Malbec. The Argentinian Pulenta Malbec 2006 is full bodied with a pleasing sense of spice. I can't wait. There's also a Sin Zin 2004. Zins work perfectly with the wide variety of tastes at a Thanksgiving meal. The berry and plum flavors seem to enhance and augment turkey and stuffing. For the white meat crowd I have a dry Alsace Willm Gewurztraminer and California Frei Brothers medium bodied Chardonnay 2006 which has peach. pear and citrus aromas and overtones. Both are refreshing and hold up well against the many aromas, textures and tastes of the meal. Mary and I intend to end dinner with a Pindar Duck Walk Vineyards 2006 Blueberry Port served with chocolate.

I'm looking forward to a delightful Thanksgiving with Mary's fantastic meal and a grand choice of delicious and perfectly paired wines. Let me know your thoughts on Thanksgiving wine pairing.

Bob

Two Interesting Wine Notes

My friend Alden recently sent two interesting notes to me related to wine. One was an article from the NY Times about wine tasting in South Asia. Apparently there is growing interest in that area with wine but from an interesting perspective. Many young and middle-aged men are learning about wine through a comic book series. I find this fascinating. Take a peek: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/22/dining/22comic.html?_r=1&ei=5070&emc=eta1&oref=slogin.

The other note of interest from Alden is this advertisement in Wine Spectator. All you blackberry users will love this. It is the Wine Spectator Mobile. Progress, progress: http://winespectator.com/mobile.

Bob

Visiting Wineries

A colleague of mine asked about visiting wineries in New York State. She was interested in knowing which estates were worth going to see. With the fall season coming up it strikes me people would really want to know where to go for some good wine tasting this fall. If anyone has recommendations please respond to this post. It would be helpful to give contact and web site information, if possible. We needn't confine ourselves to New York State. You could also add why you think the wineries mentioned are worthy of a visit.

Thanks for contributing,

Bob

Vouvray - What Is it?

My friend Ed asked me the following question in response to my post on choosing a wine for Thanksgiving in which I mentioned my choice of a French Vouvray: "What is a Vouvray like? What is a good vintage and label for to try?" This is an interesting question.

Most people in the US don't have much knowledge of Vouvray or what they can do with it. I know other bloggers may want to chime in on this question. But I will take a stab at it. Vouvray, to my knowledge, is similar if not identical to Chenin Blanc. This very versatile grape is originally from the Loire Valley in France and is now grown in California and South Africa, among other places. It can range from sweet to dry depending on growing and harvest conditions. If memory serves me, Mary and I first tried Chenin Blanc with our good friends Alden and Maureen a few years ago. From there I researched it with my wine consultant at Villa Wines on Jericho Turnpike in Garden City Park. In my experience with Vouvray, I have found a difference between the California Chenin Blanc and the French Vouvray. The California variety has a more flowery sweetness to it, a honey like taste with melon, apple and pear overtones. The French Vouvray has less sweetness and honey like reminders. Vouvray can go with mild to spicy dishes, seafood,and salad.

One of my discoveries is that it Vouvray goes well with Corned Beef and Cabbage on St. Patrick's Day. It is a great compliment to the power of this holiday combo. We usually celebrate St. Patrick's Day with Florence and Dan in Brooklyn. I have made it a custom to bring a nice French Vouvray for dinner. I think Dan still likes to have a glass of imported beer with his meal.

I will leave the answer to the second part of the question as to vintage and label to other bloggers. I hope this was helpful Ed.

Bob

Thanksgiving Dinner - What Wine to Serve?

Cara Amici,

We are already into mid-October. Thanksgiving will be on us very soon. One of the wine questions I've always had was what wine to serve with Thanksgiving dinner. There seems to be many and sundry opinions on this matter. This is an important question for me because Thanksgiving is one of my most enjoyable holidays. Mary and I have a wonderful coterie of friends that we invite and with whom we really enjoy sharing the day. Getting the right wine is high priority. As a way of starting a discussion, I invite everyone to share their experiences and wisdom on this issue. Personally, my most successful choice has been a good, robust zin. Zins seem to go well with the spice and heaviness of a Thanksgiving dinner. I have also gone in a different direction and served a Gewurtztraminer, the zestiness of which works well. Some years I have gone the gamut from serving a Chenin Blanc or Vouvray to start, a zin at dinner and a sweetish German Riesling for dessert. Let me know how you have solved the riddle of wine and the Thanksgiving dinner.

Ciao,

Bob

Wine Cellars

In his comments on an earlier posting, Bob raised some interesting but tough questions about knowing when to drink wines from one's cellar and also about starting a wine cellar. The truth is that one can't know exactly when a cellar-worthy wine is mature or at its peak. This is not only because one doesn't always know how a bottle of wine was stored prior to purchase or the exact effect of one's cellar conditions on the wine's evolution. It is also because different people have different standards for a wine's maturity. Some people prefer (well-aged) wines that have lost most of their youthful qualities, while others consider such wines, which lack the vigor of their youth, to be relics. Many books on wine will provide rough guidelines for the maturation of different kinds of wines or what might be called "windows of opportunity" for drinking them. Yet one thing that for me is fascinating about wine is: particular bottles do not always conform to these guidelines. I have had superb wines from our cellar that should have been over the hill; unfortunately I have also had wines that were falling apart when they should have been at their peak.

I've always thought that a wine cellar should basically contain wines that require some aging. This will exclude many if not most of the wines that are available in the marketplace, since they are at or close to their peak when purchased. Of those wines that benefit from being cellared and aged, which ones should be selected to start one's cellar is really a matter of personal taste. But in my case (and I infer also from the experience of others) this presents another pitfall of having a wine cellar. Because my tastes changed 5 or 10 years after starting a cellar, I found myself with many wines I no longer liked. I also realized years later that I had missed the boat on wines I wished were in the cellar.

Eric

Wines from the Cellar

One of the joys of having a wine cellar is being able to select mature wines whenever one wishes. One of the potential pitfalls is that one often doesn't get around to consuming the cellared wines at their maturity. In the last two to three months I think my wife, Adele, and I have been more fortunate than usual in the wines we have selected from our cellar. In the following list of enjoyable wines tasted recently are many that have been in our cellar for over 10 years.

(1) 2005 Clemens Busch "Vom Roten Schiefen" (from red slate).

Busch is a small, organic producer from the "lower" or northern part of the Mosel in Germany. Although his wines are very hard to find in the US, they are worth seeking out. This semi-dry, entry level Riesling had an extremely fragrant bouquet, richness (but not sweetness) and an elegance that is characteristic of wines from the best producers of Riesling. It captivated everyone who tasted it a few months ago.

(2) 1997 Ridge Vineyards York Creek Zinfandel

Although Ridge's Geyserville and Lytton Springs Zins receive much more publicity, I have often found that its York Creek bottlings, especially when well-aged, are my favorites. This wine was no exception. It still retained an extremely deep color, with only very slight browning around the edge. Its spicy and berryish nose was very prominent. On the palate the wine was intense and had great vigor. The finish was fabulous. A great Zin.

3) 1989 Huet Vouvray Moelleux Le Haut-Lieu Premiere Trie

A Loire valley, Chenin Blanc wine that was made from the first picking of super-ripe grapes in one of the so-called "vintages of the century" in the area. When I initially tasted this wine in 1996, I was underwhelmed. Perhaps it was the company--outstanding Vouvrays from 1919 to 1990. Or perhaps it was simply that the wine was immature. In any case, despite my respect for Huet wines, I didn't expect very much from this bottle. It turned out to be a pleasant surprise. It had a beautiful "old gold" color; a bouquet of figs; a rich, honeyish taste (still with a good deal of sweetness) and a long finish.

4) 1994 J.J. Christoffel Uerziger Wuerzgarten Spatlese

Because of their special spicy taste, the wines of the great Uerziger Wuerzgarten vineyard are among the easiest German wines to identity. This late-harvested example was pale yellow in color. It had the typical Wuerzgarten smell and taste, richness complemented by a noticeable and refreshing acidity, even on the finish. Still going strong at 14, this wine is why I like and collect German wine.

5) 1985 Ch. L'Evangile (Pomerol)

Over the years this wine has received glowing reports from some wine critics, notably Robert Parker. Yet like the Huet Vouvray above, it did not show particularly well when I first tasted it, at a tasting of 1985 wines from St. Emilion and Pomerol held in the late 1980s. The bottle tasted last month had a vivid, medium-ruby color and a very attractive nose, suggestive of berries. Even though it had been decanted before serving, at first, its taste was muted and it seemed dominated by acidity. After an additional 15 minutes, very rich fruit and a smoky quality had developed. This balanced the acidity. A very elegant and impressive wine. To me, it represented some of the best qualities of the 1985 vintage in Bordeaux.

Eric

Chardonnay

I just tried a 2006 Toasted Head Chardonnay. I knew that this was supposed to be a rather oaky, fuller Chardonnay, much different than what many people prefer. During the summer Mary and I were drinking light Chardonnays, Pinot Gris, and Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand. As soon as the weather had a hint of fall in it, I began to desire a heavier, smokey, oaky wine with a deep fullness. Mary picked up the Toasted Head at Villa on Jericho Turnpike in Garden City. Happily it is exactly what I was looking for. It had excellent depth for a white with lots of oak and smoke. Surprisingly, this is exactly the kind of wine I have always thought of as inferior and over the top. But right now it fits the bill perfectly. I can imagine myself sitting with my wife near the fire place this fall with a nice, full glass of Toasted Head.

Bob

Welcome Wine Tasters

Greetings,

Enjoying wine is one of the great loves of my life. Opening up a new bottle of wine from New Zealand, Argentina, France or Portugal is a real thrill. There are only a few things better than popping the cork (or twist cap), letting the wine open up, pouring that first glass, breathing in the aroma and making that first taste. I hope this blog can serve as a fun place to share ideas, experiences and opinions on wines from around the world. Wine tasting is fun and so should this blog. Let us know what you think about your favorite wines.

Bob