Red Alert

It's fall and I couldn't be more excited! The sun is still shining, but the air has a chill that begs for red wine. So, I tasted blends from Italy and Australia to kick off my red wine drinking season.

Vigna Flaminio
Brindisi Do Rosso Riserva 2004
Grapes: Negroamaro, Montepulciano, Malvasia Nera
Medium-bodied with flavors of red cherry, tobacco and herbs. Also got a little meaty-ness on the palate. A little lighter bodied than I was expecting but found a nice roundness to it that will compliment loads of foods.


Razor's Edge
McLaren Vale 2008
Grapes: Shiraz, Grenache
Listed as #22 for Wine Enthusiast Mag's Top 100 Best Buys for 2010. This wine has rich flavors or dark fruit and plum, probably coming from the Shiraz, with minerality and hints of spice on the finish from the Grenache in the blend. The 2 grapes come together to form a very well balanced wine with ripe cherry, good tannins and acidity. Luckily for me I have never had bad luck with these 2 grapes in a blend.

Wine Wednesday - Proof

Still on vacation of sorts, figured I'd catch up with other friends that had time off. I met them at Proof, a wine bar in downtown DC for lunch. Proof has an express prix fix lunch where you order off a special menu and then get a glass of house red or white...for only $12! Clearly I ordered off the special lunch menu. Had the shrimp burger, which I was told was like a shrimp cake on a bun. I'm thinking that I love crabcakes so this should be pretty tasty. UM well, let's just say that I won't order this menu item again. The house red wine was a grenache blend from southern Rhone. WOO HOO, I've hit the jackpot, I love grenache! Very ripe black fruit flavors on the nose, plum and black cherry. My dining companions laughed at me as I swirled and then put my nose in the glass. Unfortunately the wine fell a bit flat on the palate. Very light tannins and no acidity left a juice-like taste.

Luckily I've been to Proof before and know what they can do and the outstanding wine list they have to work with. I'll be back again and will just try something else on the express lunch menu. I did get the honeyed goat cheesecake for dessert which made up for everything :-)

Wine Wednesday - Family & Friends

Games, good food, and gruner are how I spent this Wine Wednesday. My entire immediate family was in town and I invited over a few friends. First bottle opened was a Gruner Veltliner. Very crisp with a bright acidity, mineral and citrus notes on the palate. A perfect aperitif. Dinner was a hodge podge of food, shrimp & grits, turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, zucchini, etc. Dessert was french silk pie, and 4-layer delight. And delighted we were!! After dinner we sat around and chatted with a Bordeaux Rose. A bright pink wine with aromas of fresh strawberries and a tart finish. Once the games started, the Grenache was opened. From Campo de Borgia, Spain, this red was big and bold. Flavors of earth, minerals and a hint of smoky black fruits swirled in my glass and my mouth. There is no better way to enjoy wine than amongst friends!

A Girls Night in France

My favorite kind of tasting are the ones I do in homes. This 'girls night' tasting was no different. A group of 7 women that just wanted to chill out and taste some wines of France. Since most people have tasted official French Champagne, I started this tasting out with a Blanquette de Limoux. A very light crisp sparkling wine from the South of France, made using the traditional method from the mauzac grape. A bit different in taste from Champagne, a lot of people noted a hint of salty-ness in the sparkler. I suggested they try a little bit of camembert cheese then try the wine again. Got a couple of fans, but I think this was a moscato d'asti crowd so anything else would be a hard sell. The only other white I served was a Vouvray, with its hints of peach and honey...the crowd was pleased. We took a cheese break (fleur verte, camembert, epoisses) and then started the reds.

A 2006 Bordeaux from Rothschild was rich with plum, blackberry, and black cherry fruit. Heavy tannins made this one a delight for the red wine lover. For those that like a bit lighter of a wine, I made note of Bordeaux regions that make a great white and also discussed Sauternes (wine made from botrysized Semillon).

One of my favorite grapes is grenache, and where better to get that in France than in the Rhone Valley. But instead of the ever popular, and oft expensive Chateauneuf du Pape, we tasted a Gigondas. I had a map of the area along with a profile of Rhone Valley wine aromas and tastes. Out of the entire group, half of the people loved the ripe red fruit and smooth flavors, the other half thought it was way too dry. This thing was split down the middle. Next up was a Banyuls, a vin doux naturale made from the grenache grape but fortified for a sweeter flavor. That same group that didn't care for the Gigondas, filled their glasses with the Banyuls. Then I served pieces of chocolate and the hostess had brownies....the official tasting went on hold for about 20 mins while everyone raved about the Banyuls. They were writing down every word on the label, taking pictures, I loved it. But before everyone got too crazy and stopped listening entirely, I served a La Coume du Roy from Maury - made from grenache and from the south of France.

What I found funny was that the people that loved the Gigondas couldn't take the sweetness of the Maury, did a little better with the chocolate and Banyuls...and those that loved the Banyuls and Maury didn't care for the Gigondas. After explaining how the same grape can taste completely different...I had a new batch of wine lovers! That was my favorite part of the tasting. And that there was more Gigondas & Bordeaux left for me ;-)