Timeout's Summer Rosés
Highlight: Dostert’s “Rosay”
(Imported by Savio Soares Selections)
Attn Winos: I’ll be pouring Bruder Dr. Becker this Thursday at the Riesling & Co. tasting.
360°
10 Desbrosses St (Between Greenwich & Hudson)
Wine Review:
Daniel Bouland Morgon Corcelette, 2010
Chambers St Wines, $23.99
I nearly passed by this 2010 Morgon the other night while on a wine expedition: I’m certainly glad I didn’t. On the nose it is floral, beautiful, really, with aromas of raspberry and cherry. Very ripe and approachable, but not very heavy. Because it is pretty light in tannin and body, with just enough acidity to maintain balance and make your mouth water, I say it’s perfect as an apéritif. I enjoyed it while lounging around my apartment after a long day at work.
Snooth on Virginia Wine
An excellent overview of some great Virginia vineyards. I am annoyed that there was no mention of Michael Shaps, who definitely makes Virginia’s best wine…
Say I named a wine M(h)eritage and didn’t pay the fees to the Meritage Alliance. Would they still sue me?
I’ve been craving a consommé like this one for a few hours now, and I found this recipe on the CIA’s website. (Actually, I’m pretty sure The Black Sheep in Richmond (Virginia) used this exact recipe once when I ordered their carrot and ginger consommé. I think they only thing they left out were the bean thread noodles.)
Anyway, I’d recommend pairing this with something a little sweeter to offset the spice, maybe a Riesling or Gewurtztraminer.
Carrot Consommé with Lemongrass, Ginger, Spicy Grilled Shrimp, and Bean Thread
I’ll probably leave out the shrimp when I make it. (I just don’t see the point, I’ll add a little extra pepper and it’ll be a super, delicious, lung-decongesting consommé to keep around in the freezer for when a cold starts to take control.)
(Photo Credit: CIA, I haven’t yet made it. Maybe I’ll do a follow-up post detailing modifications to the recipe and how I think it fared beside a slightly sweet German wine.)
Wine Review:
2008 Chateau Cambon Beaujolais
I’d like to share with you my favorite Beaujolais. Easy to drink and light, this bottle has a strong aroma of young, ripe cherries with a touch of freshly cut grass. I really enjoy this as a bottle to drink on its own.
Paper Wine Bottles
Greenbottle is going to begin producing paper bottles: I can only spot one visible drawback: they’re aiming for grocery store brand wines (a.k.a. mostly shitty low quality wines). The good news is in a few years someone will use it to bottle decent table wine.
How to Find Great Wines at Reasonable Prices, No Matter Your Knowledge of Wine:
I’m a firm believer that a good bottle of wine doesn’t have to cost more than $15. Many fall victim to the assumption that good wine must match the price tag, but really it’s all dependent upon the winemaker! I’ve asked many their opinion, and I’ve been surprised to find that even those who come across as wine enthusiasts frequently choose the $90 bottle of wine they bought once four years ago. They rave about its legs and full body; they choose a wine that they (let’s face it) probably don’t remember over the tried and true bottle they’ve bought consistently for a casual evening on the veranda with friends. I’ve decided to react against this: to reclaim the everyday wine!
I must preface this explanation by noting that I am not, by any means, an expert on wine. However, I do think that I have figured out a little trick to finding a great bottle, frequently based upon luck, but usually based upon regional tendencies, without giving in to the idea that a great wine has to have a large price. I’m just going to give a small guide on choosing a wine that you will like. (Also, I’m approaching this simply, which is really the best way to start—from there you will of course begin to learn more on your own, and I’m sure if you’ve even stumbled upon this blog you’re a bit more knowledgeable, but this is generally how I keep my wine spending down.)
Any wine aisle/wine shop can be overwhelming: hundreds of wine labels—Dolcetto, Merlot, Burgundy, Tuscany. It’s enough to make your head spin. At this point, I fully think it is essential to breathe, to remember that in order to pick a wine, you must do it thoughtfully and not judge by the wine label (I mean, I’ll admit, I’ve done it before. That little pink piggy was just too cute to pass by.)
After a few rounds of breathing exercises, you must treat this as a calming exercise: Why do I want this wine? What am I drinking it with? Am I drinking it with any food or just as an afternoon on the deck? Am I sharing this with anyone? Et cetera. From these questions you can begin to decide which bottle to buy.
Quite frequently wines in a wine aisle or a wine shop are organized by region: I am going to, now, make a series of generalizations to which one should not adhere strictly, but which one should keep in mind when deciding which region’s wine to choose.
- In general, I choose Italy when I want a bold red—one that can be enjoyed alongside a hearty meal and still stand its own—or if I want a crisp, acidic white.
- From France I usually expect complex, velvety reds and either oaky or earthy whites. The French, you see, are all about their terroir: so if you like fruit, go elsewhere.
- Spanish reds are similar to Italian reds, but usually have a bit more spice, while Spanish whites are known for their aromatic noses and crisp, dry finishes.
- Portuguese wines are of a rare and unique quality: amazing, aromatic, crisp and dry whites, beautiful, soft reds and not to mention porto, everyone’s favorite dessert wine.
- I tend to avoid Argentinian wines, only because it is too easy to be fooled by the appeal of the price and wind up with a totally un-drinkable wine. Not to say you can’t find great Argentinian wines at low prices, but I just stick to Chilé if I want a South American wine. They’re great for a racy red or a mellow, fruity, or sometimes oaked white.
- As for American wines, I may be a bit biased toward Virginian reds and whites, but only when they are done properly: Virginian soil lends itself nicely to many Burgundy varietals such as Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Viognier, and Chardonnay. Most Virginia Merlots are negligible with the exception, in my opinion, of Michael Shaps’ 2007 Merlot. This is a rich, heavy merlot with a lot of earth and fruit on the nose (mostly black cherry, tobacco, leather) and a bit of spice in the finish. A very interesting contrast to the regularly watered-down version of Merlot.
- California is tricky. When in a larger chain-run store/grocery store, I avoid California wines only because usually they buy from big, commercial California wineries who produce so much wine they couldn’t possibly put enough care into the finished product. In a smaller wine store, it is very easy to find a great California red or white in your price range: I especially enjoy wine from the Russian River Valley which produces excellent Chardonnay and Pinot Noir among other varietals.
- New Zealand has been producing excellent wine of late, and I would highly recommend a red from this region if you’d like a bold, spicy red or a white if you’d like a slightly off-dry and fruity white.
Selecting the region is really the toughest part of choosing a wine, once you pick a region, narrow down to reds or whites, and then pay attention to the label: don’t buy a Shiraz from New Zealand if you’d prefer a sweeter red. Similarly, avoid California Chardonnay if you have an aversion to American Oak. (I’ll discuss the differences between American and French Oak in a later post.) I don’t even bother looking at the bottles which are more expensive than $20 because it’s not in my price range: just find a few bottles which are in your price range, and choose between two or three. Even if you’re unfamiliar with a varietal, you can ask an employee in the store (sometimes I find this to be more frustrating than helpful) or you can simply take a small risk on a less expensive bottle of wine. If it’s terrible you have learned not to buy a similar wine at a later date; if it’s excellent, you have gained a reliable stand-by and something against which to compare later bottles. It’s all a learning experience and everyone makes mistakes.
"Cento" Copyright © Andrew Brinker 2011.
