A Red for All Seasons

Last week I was extolling the virtues of spring. Now it's grey and drizzly again. In some places, it's still snowing. With the variable weather, it's hard to know which way is up. Do you dust off the grill and barbecue chicken? Or do you make a pot of stew? And what do you drink in the wine department, given it can be 86 degrees one day and 59 degrees the next?

Regular readers know that I love red blends because they're food friendly. This time of year, though, I am especially fond of them because their versatility means that they are as welcome next to grilled chicken as they are soup. So when the weather gets this way I make a bit pot of chili, pick out a red blend, and no matter whether if feels like June or January I'm ready to go.

A red blend I enjoyed recently with a pot of beef and black bean chili was the 2006 Tamarack Cellars Firehouse Red from Washington state's Columbia Valley. ($19.69 in my local independent grocery store; this vintage available for $20-$25, but more recent vintages can be had for $14-$22) Composed from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and Merlot, the result is a juicy, fruit-forward wine with good structure. I've had my bottle for several years, and it's drinking just great now. I detected aromas of blueberry, cinnamon, and baking chocolate, all of which are echoed in the palate. The wine retains a fresh, lively taste through the mouth-watering aftertaste, with some additional herbal and spice notes. What I enjoyed most was the play between the varieties: the Cabernet Sauvignon lending its weight and acidity, the Syrah providing those soft berry flavors and spice, the Cabernet Franc lifting the blend with some acidity and herbs, and the Merlot making it approachable and inviting. Very good QPR.

And if you're looking for some chili recipes, here are a few of my favorites to try:

Fine Cooking's Beef and Black Bean Chili with Chipotle and Avocado

Rachael Ray's Fiery Chicken Chili (warning: makes enough for medium-sized army)

Tyler Florence's Outrageous Texas Chili

Got Gewürztraminer?

This week, I'm on the run. From home to work to appointments, to the store, to run errands--you know exactly what I mean. Often, this means that there is a fair amount of takeout and/or prepared foods bought at the supermarket sitting on our dinner table. When I'm feeling frazzled, I'm always glad if there's some Gewürztraminer on hand.

Gewürztraminer is a spicy white wine that, though dry, gives a sense of sweetness on the tongue. As a result, it's perfect with:

• sausages
• roasted chicken from the supermarket
• roasted butternut squash soup
• Thai curries
• Pho
• Sushi
• Indian food
• Spicy Chinese Food
  

If these are turning up on your table with some regularity, having some Gewürztraminer in the house will make your life easier.

My recommendation is the 2009 Snoqualmie Vineyards Gewürztraminer Naked (suggested retail $10; available for $9-$14). I've enjoyed getting to know this line of wines better, and reviewed their Chardonnay positively, too. In fact, I can't remember the last time I've had a domestic Gewürztraminer that pleased as much as this one did. Exotic aromas of honey, cinnamon toast, and cream entice you to take your first sips. The flavors reminded me of spicy apple compote, with a bit of honey in the aftertaste. Though the impression in your mouth is sweet, the wine is actually quite dry. Excellent QPR.

Full Disclosure: I received a sample of this wine for review.

Do You Know What Chardonnay Tastes Like?

Here's a quiz.

• Do you think Chardonnay tastes like vanilla pudding?
• Do you think Chardonnay tastes like toothpicks?
• Do you think Chardonnay tastes like what you imagine it would be like to lick an oak tree?

If you answered yes to any of the above, you don't know what Chardonnay tastes like. But don't worry, you're not alone. All those flavors that you're describing above don't actually come from the grape, but from what happens to the grape after it leaves the vineyard. In the process of turning grape juice into wine the Chardonnay undergoes fermentation which can give it a creamy, buttery taste. And it can be put in oak barrels which can impart a vanilla or coconut tinge to the flavors as well as notes of oak, smoke, toast, and bread dough.

Even if you prefer your Chardonnays big, creamy, and bready you might be interested in tasting the grape itself for educational purposes. And if you steer clear of Chardonnays because they taste clumsy and overblown in your mouth, remember that it's not the grape's fault.

In either case, you might like the 2009 Snoqualmie Vineyards Chardonnay. (suggested retail $12; often available for under $10) Provocatively labeled "naked," this wine is unoaked and made from organic grapes. The juice never sees any wood: it's fermented in stainless steel and put in bottles. What's more, the fermentation itself is halted before the wine develops those creamy flavors. The result is an excellent QPR example of--who knew!--Chardonnay. This beautifully balanced wine has aromas and flavors that are crisp and clean, like apples and lemon peel, and a clean minerality in the aftertaste that is refreshing and light.

We had it with some sensational smoky shrimp and cheese grits and the clean flavors really shone with the shellfish, warm paprika, and cheese. I recommended this wine for Thanksgiving, too, because it will pair so beautifully with a wide variety of foods, but I don't want it lost in the holiday shuffle. It would also be wonderful with salmon, halibut, roasted chicken, and turkey pot pies (think about those leftovers!)

Full Disclosure: I received a sample of this wine for review.

Which Wine? Twitter Sommeliers on BBQ Chicken and Coleslaw

Last week I was getting ready to put some chicken on the grill. I'd already made some coleslaw, and had the tomato-based spicy sauce ready to lather onto the birds. (photo by vbalchen)

Which wine?

I was feeling uninspired. There was only one thing I knew for sure--I didn't want Zinfandel. Not that I have anything against Zinfandel. I just wanted something different.

So I got on Twitter and asked folks to suggest a grape that might go with this dish. My Twitter sommeliers' suggestions included the following: Rosé, Viognier, Syrah, Malbec, and Sangiovese.

You can imagine the rest. I opened up a bottle of each and tried them out with the meal. Dinner proved to be a challenge because the BBQ sauce on the chicken was spicy and slightly sweet. The coleslaw, on the other hand, was earthy and tangy. Here are my tasting notes for the wines I drank, and they include verdicts on the food pairing--and suggested alternatives.

2007 The Crusher Wilson Vineyard Viognier (suggested retail $12.99; available from $11-$16.50) From a partnership between Don Sebastiani & Sons and Clarksburg's Wilson family, huge honeysuckle aromas greeted me on first opening this wine, followed by hay, citrus, and honey flavors. The wine was creamy in the midpalate, with a bright, zingy finish. Very good QPR at $13, but it wasn't a great match with the chicken or coleslaw. It would, however, be sensational with lemon-garlic grilled chicken, or some grilled fish or shrimp.

2007 Dievole Dievolino Toscana IGT (suggested retail $9.99; available for $9-$10) This Sangiovese was bright ruby in color with sour cherry and earthy aromas that are a bit shy at first. The sour cherry and raspberry palate has chalky tannins and an earthy aftertaste. Very good QPR for those looking for a traditional Sangiovese, but it wasn't a great match with the chicken or the coleslaw since these foods tended to accentuate the earthiness and pull the wine out of balance. Instead, think of pairing it with grilled mushrooms or some smoky sausages for a great outdoor dinner.

2005 Barton & Guestier Rosé d'Anjou (suggested retail $9.99, and available for that price)
This wine was made from Cabernet Franc grapes and was a lovely salmon pink in color. Honeycomb and raspberry aromas made for an enticing start, and this was followed by a strawberry and raspberry palate. The wine was a hair off dry--so it would be very nice with spicier foods than the chicken I was serving tonight. This wine was the best partner for the coleslaw, too. The fresh berry flavors were a nice counterpoint to the salad's earthiness. Very good QPR.

2007 Substance Malbec (suggested retail, $18; contact the winery for more information) This Malbec from Washignton State's Columbia Valley was excellent. A deep, dark Malbec with blueberry and blackberry aromas, it had a satiny texture and rich, fruit-forward taste with great underlying mineral notes. Nicely peppery aftertaste, too. This wine was the best partner for the chicken, and brought out the sweetly spicy BBQ sauce to perfection. Excellent QPR.

2006 Black Sheep Finds Syrah Hocus Pocus ($17.99, domaine547; available for $16-$21) I look forward to the new vintage of this wine every year, and actually managed to hold onto this bottle for a bit to see how it would develop. Though purchased at the end of 2007, it's drinking just beautifully now and has lovely fresh aromas of plum blossom, plum, and berry. Layers of allspice, cinnamon, and a hint of cloves add to the fruit and there is a nicely peppery finish. Lovely example of the grape, excellent QPR for a quality Syrah, and the appellation, and another great vintage from Black Sheep Finds. This wine was the best partner for BOTH the chicken and the coleslaw as it had just the right blend of sweetness and spiciness to marry with the dishes.

Thanks to all my friends on Twitter for serving as virtual sommeliers for the evening. It was so much fun I'm bound to do it again.

Full Disclosure: except for the Hocus Pocus Syrah, the other wines tasted were samples.

A House White from Washington State

Everybody likes to have a house wine at the ready. You know, one of those wines that go with everything and please most people's tastebuds.

If you're on the lookout for a new house white, why not try one from Washington? As regular readers know, I'm trying to learn more about the wines from this part of the world, and to do so I picked up this bottle from Washington's Columbia Valley.

The 2006 Kamiak Cellar Select White Blend was a nice, soft wine made from Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Gewurztraminer by Gordon Brothers Winery. I purchased it in a local independent grocery store for $9.99, and it's available from other merchants for $8-$13. There were aromas and flavors of citrus and golden delicious apples, which was not surprising given the grapes that went into this bottle. The wine had a round but fresh mouthfeel, and the wine was accented in the aftertaste but a subtle hint of blood orange. For the price, this is a great contender for your next house white, and represented very good QPR.

As proof of this wine's versatility, we had it with a creamy goat cheese and asparagus pasta dish that was healthier than it sounds because no cream is used to make it. Asparagus is a notoriously finicky vegetable when it comes to wine pairing, and sometimes I find Sauvignon Blanc brings out its harsher characteristics. Not so this wine. The Chardonnay and Gewurztraminer provided just enough softness, while the Sauvignon Blanc picked out the green freshness of the vegetables and went well with the goat cheese, too.

Riesling from Washington State's Columbia Valley

This year, one of my goals is to learn more about Washington wine. I'm starting my journey this month, and decided to take my first steps with a white wine.

Washington may be better known for its Cabernet Sauvignons and Merlots, but it makes white wine, too. The climate seems especially well-suited to Rhone varietals and Riesling. It's been a while since I had a Riesling, so I picked the latter.

The 2006 Long Shadows Poet's Leap Riesling was a very good QPR choice. ($20, Wild Walla Walla Wine Woman; available elsewhere for $17-$24) While higher in price than many domestic Rieslings, it has character and finesse. It comes from fruit grown in the Columbia Valley, which is Washington state's largest appellation. It includes within it six other smaller AVAs, and the most plentifully planted grapes are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay. Syrah and Riesling are also planted there in what qualifies (for Washington, anyway) as a "desert" climate of less rain and damp maritime influence.

This excellent domestic Riesling had aromas of seaspray, apples, peaches, and a hint of petrol--kind of like driving through an oceanside fruit orchard in a beat-up pickup truck. There was a slight spritz on the palate, along with flavors of melon, peach, and apple. The wine's aftertaste was juicy and a touch off-dry. This wine receives consistently high reviews from wine critics, and sells out quickly (both the 2007 and 2006 bottles are already sold out at the winery) so if you see some, nab it.

An aromatic, fruity, and flavorful wine such as this one is perfect with spicy Asian food. I made a doubtless inauthentic but extremely good stirfry of chicken, Chinese eggplant, oyster sauce, chiles, onion, garlic, and basil and it was delicious with the wine. The bottle's slight sweetness meant there was no acidic clash between the spices in the food and the fruitiness of the wine.

I'm off to a good start with my Washington wine lessons. Next month--a red.

Something Sinister This Way Comes

Last week we tried to watch Sweeney Todd on DVD. I say tried because our attempt lasted only about 7 minutes before we gave up. However, we did have the perfect wine with the movie--the 2005 Owen Roe Sinister Hand ($23.99, Mission Wines; available online for between $22 and $29)

The label shows the left hand of Irish hero Owen Roe O'Neill. Legend has it that when sailing around the coast of Ireland, a band of warriors agreed that whoever landed first could claim the land for his own. Owen Roe O'Neill cut off his own left hand, threw it on to the land, and swam ashore to claim the land as his own.

If you can think of a wine more appropriate for drinking with Sweeney Todd, let me know!

Despite the macabre story, the 2005 Sinister Hand was a lot of wine for the money and very good QPR. It is a Rhone-style red made from Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, and Counoise. There were beautiful aromas typical of the dominant variety in this red blend (Grenache) including berries and herbs. There was also a smokiness to the aromas, which carried through into the flavors along with even more juicy berry. There was a long, lingering aftertaste and a smooth and plush feeling to the wine that made it seem luxuriant and rich. This was a very enjoyable wine, and a wine that was definitely worth the few dollars over $20 that it cost.

We had our Sinister Hand with BBQ ribs and a big salad. The smokiness of the ribs highlighted the nicely smoky flavors and aromas in the wine, and the sweetly spicy Grenache was a nice partner to the BBQ sauce.

If you're looking for a good wine to go with BBQed foods this summer, remember that Grenache is a perfect wine for grilled foods and that many Rhone-style blends have a healthy dose of Grenache in them. Pick up some Grenache, get yourself some ribs, pick another movie (!) and enjoy.

Lemberger--the Wine

Lemberger is often the victim of mistaken identity. Tell people you are having some Lemberger and they are likely to ask you why you like smelly cheese. Sometimes, it's not called Lemberger at all, but Blaufrankisch.

As if the name thing isn't hard enough, it's hard to find, too. When you look on most wine store shelves you don't see a lot of Lemberger for sale. This is strange, because it basically tastes like a Merlot that took an unexpected turn and ended up somewhere in the neighborhood of the Beaujolais.

The 2005 College Cellars of Walla Walla Lemberger was a very good QPR wine. ($12.00, Wild Walla Walla Wine Woman) It was like a Merlot in its color--dark ruby-purple. There were nice aromas of cherries, spice, and perhaps even some roses. Initially there was a bit of funkiness and a very sharp acidity, but the wine opened up and mellowed out quickly into high-toned cherry and cranberry flavors. The wine was at its best with food. It's full-flavored but not heavy--and it's a great red wine for the summer' s grilled or BBQed food.

College Cellars of Walla Walla is the not-for-profit teaching winery attached to the Center for Enology and Viticutlure at Walla Walla Community College. Proceeds from the sale of their wine go to scholarships for WWCC students. I highly recommend contributing to this good cause and getting some good wine to boot.

And try a Lemberger if you get a chance. I mean the wine, of course, not the cheese.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #34: Washington State Cabernet

Welcome to Wine Blogging Wednesday #34, the online virtual tasting event dreamed up by Lenn Thompson of Lenndevours and hosted this month by Catie over at Through the Walla Walla Grape Vine.

Catie picked a great theme for this month's event: Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon. I've had a few cabs from this region, and have always liked them, but this was my first opportunity to try to explain why. And though Catie encouraged us to look beyond Columbia Crest and Chateau Ste. Michelle, I had a hard time locating a cab by anyone else in my neck of the woods. I checked four stores, but then threw my hands up in defeat and opened something in the closet.

What I opened was the 2003 Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon Indian Wells ($13.99, Costco). Indian Wells is an area in central Washington that extends from the Wahluke Slope to Cold Creek along the Columbia River. It was a dark, inky purple-red in color. Warm aromas of spice, currant, and tobacco leaf were interesting and inviting--especially for a cabernet at this price point. Flavors of red currant, blackberry, herbs, and more warm spices followed through on the promising aromas. The well-integrated tannins made for a plush drinking experience, which was round and fruit-forward without becoming a characterless fruit bomb. This wine had excellent QPR for a cabernet sauvignon, and I would definitely buy it again if I saw it.

What impressed me most about this wine was its balance. Though fruity and rich it was not heavy, oaky, or demanding like some California Cabs can be. It was easy to pair with food, especially food with an earthy or smoky edge like smoked apple chicken sausage and some mashed potatoes. Most cabernets seem to demand beef for me, but this wine didn't. It would be good with a steak, don't get me wrong, but think of things that are grilled or smoked as well. They'd be great with this wine.

Thanks to Catie for such a great theme--and I'm sorry I couldn't find a more exotic bottling. I will try to seek out more Washington cabs based on this experience. As always, I'll have a link to the roundup of all tasting notes when its completed, and an announcement about WBW #35 as soon as it is posted.

Semillon School

I don't drink much semillon, in part because there isn't much of it sitting on the shelves and in part because I'm such a fan of really citrusy whites. In my ongoing efforts to try wine that's new and relatively unfamiliar, I decided to pick up a 2005 L'Ecole no. 41 Semillon (between $10 and $20 through most merchants) from the Columbia Valley AVA in Washington State and see what I could learn about the varietal.

Semillon goes into the blend of one of my favorite dessert wines, Sauternes, but it also is used in dry table wines like this one. L'Ecole No. 41 is one of the most highly-recognized producers of this varietal in the US, so I knew I was in very good hands. The 2005 L'Ecole no. 41 Semillon had the same gleaming golden color that I associate with Sauternes. The aromas and palate were entirely different, however. When it was poured, I could detect scents of toasted bread, pear, and butterscotch. The butterscotch and pear continued in the flavors, accented by a very rich and round vanilla that made this wine feel velvety when you sipped it. Given its price tag and its abundant varietal characteristics, I felt this wine had excellent QPR.

Semillon would go with a variety of foods, from roast chicken to chicken salad, omelettes, dishes with creamy sauces, and cheese dishes. Because of its rich mouthfeel, steer yourself towards food that has a buttery component. Semillon goes particularly well with scallops, for example, which (though seafood) have a buttery taste that sometimes clashes with citrusy, highly acidic wines. Try semillon with this recipe for scallops with orzo, tomatoes, and ginger.

If you're intrigued by semillon, check out this month's Great Grape Day posts over on Sediments, the viticultural part of the WellFed Network where Andrew Barrow of Spittoon leads his merry band of contributors through the good, the bad, and the ugly of one grape varietal each and every month. April was semillon month, and there's a bunch of information over there ready for reading, just click on the logo to the right.

Gewurztraminer's Turn? the 2004 Snoqualmie "Naked" Gewurztraminer

With riesling moving steadily from the unfashionable to the fashionable side of the wine spectrum, and costs bound to follow from affordable to sky-high, perhaps it will soon be gewurztraminer's turn to take a spot in the bright lights. There are many similarities between Geuwrztraminer and Riesling--both can be off-dry, both pair well with ethnic foods--yet it can be difficult to find good gewurztraminer at affordable prices, not least because relatively little of the grape is cultivated here in the US.

But there are good gewurztraminers coming out of California and Washington, including this one from the Columbia Valley. Winemaker Joy Andersen of Snoqualmie Vineyards in the Columbia Valley AVA of Washington state, faced a difficult vintage in 2004: hot and dry conditions led to early ripening and the beginning of grape harvesting, followed by a cold snap and a "second harvest" in October. From these challenging conditions sprang this good QPR Gewurztraminer, made from certified organic grapes. It's the organic status of the grapes--bare of pesticides and chemicals--that gives this wine its pure, "naked" character.

The 2004 Snoqualmie Naked Gewurztraminer ($12.99, Malibu Wines) was golden straw in color. There were subtle aromas of pear and honeysuckle, but nothing like the perfumed spiciness that often accompanies a wine made with this varietal. I was struck by its slightly syrupy texture, which I enjoyed very much. It accompanied tastes of sweet apple and white peach, which finished with a honeyed note. Though it had many of the varietal calling-cards of gewurztraminer, I felt that it lacked the spiciness and the fresh acidity to bring everything into focus and produce a really memorable wine. We had it with a spicy stir-fry, but I think it would have been even better with very spicy Indian food or even Thai cuisine. The next day, I had a glass before dinner while I was just unwinding and it was an excellent aperitif, so it's worth thinking of this wine if you are having a drinks party. The 2004 may not be easy to find (although there were quite a few bottles up at Malibu Wines when I was last there), but there is a 2005 version of this wine out now.

Feel free to leave a comment if you like gewurztraminer and would like to give us all a heads up on your favorite finds.