This week in wine: Sauvignon Blanc

The Dallas Cowboys just lost so this calls for a booz post. This week in wine we have a 2004 Beaulieu Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc (so-vee-NYOHN BLAHN ) out of Napa Valley.

You may notice that even though it is from California, it’s in a Bordeaux style bottle. That’s because Sauvignon Blanc is originally from France’s Bordeaux region.

Sauvignon Blanc is characteristically easy to pick out of a line-up due to it’s aggressive nose. It’s very “alchoholy” with tones of matchstick and charcoal. Thankfully, the taste was quite different. This bottle was full of a grassy vanilla flavor with hints of melon and honey. It’s got a great sweet crispness to it! Sauvignon Blanc is one of the few wines that pairs well with sushi.

Overall this is a good bottle. I’ll defiantly enjoy finishing it off. (90% due to the fact that the cowboys lost.)

$18 @ Central Market

-Johnny

This week in wine: Viognier

This week we have an 06′ Vinum Cellars Viognier out of San Benito, California.

Viognier (Vee-ohn-yay) is a fairly rare grape. In fact, during the 1960’s it was actually nearly extinct. Although there are more producers these days, consider yourself lucky if you find a small selection.

Wine Spectator gave this wine 93 points. Let me just say, they’re all earned!

The color was a nice shiny gold with a nose of melon, peach, honey, and vanilla bean. The taste was absolutly fantastic! It was very fruity and sweet with a bit of spice. The finish was miles long with a nice cut of acidity to cleanse the palate.

I would pair this wine with a sweeter seafood dish, possibly lobster or a scallop dish like this one.

I can’t wait to get my hands on another bottle. Delicious!

-Johnny

This week in wine: Gewurztraminer

This week in wine we have a Gewürztraminer from the Alsace-Willm vineyards, 06.

Of coarse, this wine is from Alsace, France. It is however a German grape. Wines that are from this region and are of Germanic influence are known as ‘Vin D’Alsace’. This mostly includes Gewürztraminer and Rieslings.

The nose was reminiscent of citrus and flowers. The taste was in agreement adding a nice kick of tartness and crisp acidity, this due to the late harvest of the grapes.

Overall this was a pretty decent bottle. I would pair it with a spicy asian food. I love asian food!

$18 at Central Market

-Johnny

This week in wine: White Bordeaux

This week we have a White Bordeaux from the Chateau Tour de Mirambeau Reserve 05′ produced by Despangne.

The first thing I noticed about this wine was the cork. Yes the cork. It was very soft, almost foam like. Cheap. I opened the bottle on two separate occasions and the second time the cork actually fell apart and into the wine. Not good.

The color was a translucent gold, very clean. I’m not sure if it was necessarily appetizing, because some how it reminded me of the way a coke looks when you leave it out with melted ice. Flat and watery I suppose.

The nose was reminiscent of honey, melon, a bit grassy, and a petrol back end. The taste however was a mixture of lemon and crisp match stick, with a hint of floral on a tight finish. I kind of expected the petrol/matchstick profiles being that it was 12% alcohol by volume. Crisp/dry/acidity wines are usually from 10% on up. The bite of the c/d/a combo was very dominate which is probably also due to the fact that its a Sauvignon Blanc hybrid - the Sémillon being responsible for the floral end. Bordeaux!

Overall, I did not like this wine. It was better the second time, but not by much. But! Everyone has different tastes.

$17 at Central Market.

-Johnny

This week in wine: Riesling

Riesling, oh boy. What can be said about this grape? It’s my new favorite, thats what.

This week we have a Paulinshof Riesling, 2004.

Never having experienced a Riesling, I wanted to take my time and really inspect it. The nose exploded with the scent of spiced apples. It was literally like burying your face in an apple pie. The first sip actually had me thinking I had accidentally bought a bottle of sparkling apple cider. There was a sharp acidity that encompassed a lighter medium bodied spiced apple and pear, leaving a textured finish lasting until the next sip. Flavorful, exciting, and delicious! It was Fall in a bottle.

An easy drink! $15 at Central Market.

-Johnny

This week in wine: Chardonnay

My journey continues! This week in wine we have a bottle of Cottage Road Californian Chardonnay of the 05′ harvest.

“Pinot Chardonnay Pronunciation: shar-duh-NAY Notes: This elegant white varietal wine is crisp and dry, and great with seafood, poultry, ham, egg dishes, salads, and any dish with a rich cream sauce. California Chardonnays are often excellent. Substitutes: Pinot blanc OR Chablis (French Chablis wines are made with Chardonnay grapes.) OR Muscadet OR vermouth (Use this substitute for cooking, not drinking. Use dry vermouth only.) “

“This Chardonnay exhibits the perfect balance of fruit, acidity and oak. A hint of creaminess interplays nicely with peach & tropical fruit notes braced by vanilla and just a touch of spice on the finish. A Chardonnay that doesn’t overpower food. Perfect match where a Pinot Grigio and Riesling are too light but a lavishly oaked Chardonnay would overpower. Cottage Road Chardonnay is a rare find. Only 1000 cases produced by a well-known boutique California wine maker.”

It was only about $14 at Central Market, but it really did taste more like a $20-$30 bottle. A great find! They were nearly out by the time I got to them and “when they’re gone, they’re gone” so I was lucky.

This Chardonnay had a nice melon taste in the beginning and a great oak finish. There were other flavors noted but not identified, as my palate is still earning it’s wings. I got to see first hand how the acidity really cuts a creamy dish and refreshes the palate with every sip. I can’t imagine a better pairing.

Good stuff.

-Johnny

This week in wine: White Zinfandel

For the past few days I have been exploring the wonderful world of blush wines. This one in particular is a Raspberry, Lime, & Plum White Zinfandel by Arbor Mist.

It was a deep purple, very light, tart, a bit dry, and delicious! This is defiantly the type of wine that I would drink while lounging in my imaginary porch swing on my imaginary wrap around porch encapsulating my imaginary house in the country. A great summer wine.

Check out the other flavors Arbor Mist has to offer. (I wanna try the Strawberry White Zinfandel or the Cranberry Twist White Merlot!)

Delicious.

-Johnny

This week in wine: Pinot Grigio

I’ve finished off my very first bottle of wine! It’s a weird feeling; kinda like finishing a book. Indeed, a profound sense of accomplishment! I’m changed. I’ll never look at the world in the same way…..or maybe thats just the booze talking.

As you can see, it’s an Italian Pinot Grigio from the vineyards of Masi Agricola circa 2006.

“Pinot Grigio delle Venezie is the most up-to-date Italian white wine. The richness of the perfumes and aromas of this grape cultivated at Castions di Strada, in the Friuli region, complements the structure of the native Verduzzo grape, deliberately picked slightly over-ripe and matured on plateaux. Masianco is a Supervenetian of great personality which goes well with the typical dishes of today’s cuisine: hors d’oeuvres, fish and grilled white meats.”

www.masi.it

I really don’t have any sort of perspective yet in the area of the grape, but I did get to see first hand how wine can really bring out flavors in a dish when paired correctly. This particular wine was smooth in the beginning with a slight tang at the end. The alcohol was a tasted after-thought, softened, which I liked because no-one wants to feel like they’re drinking gasoline! Overall, the wine was a bit muted, not much going on in the taste bud area, but I feel like it was supposed to be so because of it’s paring. You don’t want to drink something heavy or packed with strong flavors because it takes away from the delicate taste of seafood.

So! It was a good bottle. Next!

-Johnny