Chiant vs. Chianti Classico

If you've never tasted a Chianti and a Chianti Classico side by side, you might wonder what the difference is--besides the price.

Chianti and Chianti Classico are both Tuscan wines, produced under strict regulations that limit what grapes go into the wines (mostly Sangiovese) and where the grapes are grown. There are actually eight Chianti wines, each coming from a different region of Tuscany. They are: Chianti Classico; Chianti Montalba; Chianti Colli Fiorentini; Chianti Montespertoli; Chianti Rufina; Chianti Colli Senesi; Chianti Colline Pisane; Chianti Colli Aretini; and just Chianti, which covers vineyards in areas outside these more specific places. Many of these regions produce small amounts of wine, and they are not common in the US market.

We are awash, however, in Chianti and Chianti Classico. New vintages of Chianti come into the market after March 1 of the year following the harvest. Chianti Classico arrives later, after October 1.

What most of us care about, however, is how do the wines taste? Here are my impressions of two wines--one Chianti, and one Chianti Classico--from the same maker. One is available for around $10, the other fpr $15-$20. Both wines represent very good QPR--but they taste very, very different, and would suit different kinds of food.

The 2006 Tiziano Chianti (available for $8-$11), for example, stuck in my mind as the Italian equivalent of a Gamay from the Beaujolais. There were fresh sour cherry aromas and flavors. It wasn't a particularly complex wine, but it would be great with pizza and pasta with red sauce, served slightly colder than you would most red wines. And it cost about the same as an ordinary Beaujolais, which means it's an affordable everyday red.

The 2004 Tiziano Chianti Classico Gold (available for $15-$20), on the other hand, was much more complex. I detected richer cherry, violet and leather aromas and flavors. This wine was smooth and velvety on the tongue, and the 12 months it spent in French oak barriques produced a wine that was heavier in the mouth and tasted more robust than the Chianti. For food pairings with the Chianti Classico I'd think more of grilled beef, or something like the excellent baked pasta dish with a pork sugo that we had with these wines. (Tip: this is one of those dishes designed for hassle free entertaining on a day you have some time to be at home and let the sauce simmer on the stove. Assembly is quick, and then you pop the casserole in the oven 45 minutes before you want to eat--during which time you can sit down and enjoy the evening with your guests.)

I confess that I've been a bit snobbish in the past when it comes to Chianti, and since Chianti Classico or Chianti Classico Riserva bottlings can often come in at over $20 I've not been drinking much Chianti lately. This side-by-side tasting changed all that. Not only were both these wines affordable, they provided two different flavor profiles. It wasn't a case of one wine being "better" than the other--they were just different. And deliciously so.

Taking a Break with Albariño

I'm rich fooded out.

After the fifth holiday party, the ninth cookie platter (my downfall), and the umpteenth meal out that I start feeling this way.

I crave something lighter, something leaner, something fresher. And the same goes for my wine. I love reds--but a nice white is a lip-smacking change of pace.

So I opened up a bottle of Albariño, Spain's zesty white wine from the Riax Baixas region.

It was just the break I needed.

The 2007 Martin Codax Albariño was a very good QPR find. It had aromas of apple, pineapple, and citrus fruits that were palate cleansing without being overly acidic. These enticingly fresh scents were echoed in the flavors, which turned more pineapple-y in the aftertaste. Albariños are known for their tongue-tingly acidity, but you want there to be enough fruit as a counterbalance and this wine had it.

Albariños are made for seafood--clams, in particular--so if you are looking for a simple meal get some Littlenecks, and cook them with garlic, paprika and wine, perhaps some tomato, and a few slices or cooked chorizo or sausage and serve it with a hunk of bread to sop up the juices. Or you can do as we did and have the wine with the Barefoot Contessa's grilled salmon sandwiches with a zesty spread made with dill, capers, and basil. Either way, you will find that the acidity is lovely with the seafood or fish, and that the apple, tropical fruit, and citrus flavors are a perfect foil for the aromatics and herbs used in these dishes.

I received this wine as a sample. You will find it near you for $11-$15.

The White Side of Tuscany: Vermentino

There's more to Tuscany than red wine.

In recent years, the region has been producing more whites to keep up with rising demand. While wines made with grapes such as Vermentino and Vernaccia may never eclipse Sangiovese in the popular imagination, that can be a boon for people looking for good value Italian wines.

The 2007 Rocca de Montemassi Calasole, for example, is a very good QPR example of the Vermentino grape and what it can do in Tuscany. I received my bottle as a sample, but it seems to be going for between $9 and $12 in the market. Tablas Creek Vineyards in Paso Robles introduced the grape into the US in 1993, and has been prized for its acidity and citrusy crispness.

In the Rocca de Montemassi bottling, the grape's zesty profile was clear. There was a lot of acidity in this wine, but there was also abundant fruit which helped to keep the wine in good balance. Aromas of pear, apple, and lemon pith were fresh and lively and they translated into bright, fruit flavors as well. If you've shied away from inexpensive Italian whites in the past because you found them harsh or bitter, you don't have to worry about feeling that way with this bottle.

The label suggested that shellfish was the perfect partner for this wine, and we chose to make pasta with crab and shrimp tossed in a golden saffron and cream sauce. The acidity and freshness of the wine worked well with this dish, and provided an excellent counterpoint for the richness of the cream sauce.

I think what most impressed about this wine was that it wasn't trying to be something else. It wasn't trying to be oaky Chardonnay, or big and bold. Instead, it was happy to be a tasty, well-made, and well-priced wine that is excellent with food. With all that going for it, who needs anything more?

Malbec: Argentina's Signature Red

I came back from the first Wine Bloggers Conference in Sonoma this weekend and there was one thing I knew for sure: I didn't want to drink any California wine. I needed a change. I caught up on my mail and read the backed up blog posts in my RSS reader and inspiration hit: I was going to drink an Argentinian Malbec.

This inspiration stemmed from two of the people I met at the conference (though I've known them via the blogosphere and Twitter for some time now): David from the blog Vinomadic, and Philip James from the wine finder and keeper site Snooth. David lived in Argentina for a time (and always gives me good suggestions on what to drink), and Snooth just had a tasting dedicated to value Malbecs. I enjoyed talking to both of them this weekend, and that was enough to send me scurrying to the cellar in pursuit of an Argentinian Malbec.

The wine that I pulled out was the 2006 Finca Las Moras Malbec Reserva (sample; suggested retail for this new release is $12; you may find it or other recent vintages near you for between $7 and $12) This wine was a simple pleasure from start to finish, because it was made in an apologetically New World fruit-forward style, but with some sensitivity and restraint. Malbec is often described as fitting somewhere between Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in the flavor spectrum, but what I always think of is plums--lots and lots of plums. The 2006 Finca Las Moras Malbec Reserva did indeed have prominent aromas of plum, leather, and vanilla. These aromas were echoed in the flavors of plum and spice, and there was also a nice meaty note that gave the wine some depth of complexity. Very good QPR for this wine brought into the US by Joshua Tree Imports, who are known for their good value brands such as Razor's Edge and Fetish.

I love lamb with Malbec, and so we had this with Lamb Chops and a tomato-and-potato gratin. If you are vegetarian, I highly recommend making the gratin, and having it with some meaty grilled portabello mushrooms instead of the lamb. Whether you go with meat or a meatless option, you'll find that the meaty, leathery aromas and flavors will get drawn out by the grilled food and the beautiful plum fruit will be a nice complement to the earthy potatoes and sweet tomatoes.

Thanks to David and Philip for helping me get inspired about wine all over again. See you next year at the Wine Bloggers Conference!

Umbria's Distinctive Grechetto

This month's trip through the wines of Umbria ends on a high note with a very good QPR white wine made with a distinctive grape called Grechetto.

Grechetto is not, strictly speaking, an indigenous Italian grape. Its origins can be found in Greece (hence the name) and has been used extensively as a blending grape. In Lazio, for instance, the Antinori family blends Grechetto with Chardonnay to make their famous white wine, Cervaro. In Umbria, however, the grape is increasing in popularity and being used to craft rich, full-bodied white wines with a distinctive flavor profile. And the good news is that an Umbrian Grechetto is affordable, too.

I tried an Umbrian Grechetto in the 2005 Arnaldo-Caprai Grecante from the Colli Martani DOC. ($17.99 in my local Bristol Farms store; available elsewhere for $9-$24). This yummy, distinctive wine was truly golden in color, with plentiful autumnal aromas of pears, herbs, and honeycomb. It was slightly spritzy upon first opening, which dissipated quickly. The wine's flavors also developed in the direction of late summer and fall orchard fruits, such as pears and white peaches. There was a zingy flash of lemon pith in the aftertase, which kept it from feeling too sweet or cloying.

This well-made wine went as well with a Thai chicken stirfry (which brought out its peachy character) as it did with an Umbrian-style cacciatore with lemon, capers, and anchovies (which brought out its lemony side). Grechetto turns out to be a versatile, food-friendly grape, as well as a great bargain.

Have you tried Grechetto? If you have any particular labels that you like, let me know in the comments below, because I'd love to sample some more wines made with this grape.

Pineau d'Aunis: The 89-Point Grape

When I read the wine magazines--and yes, I do read them--there are times when I see an 89-point review and it seems like a travesty, based on what I think a wine delivers in terms of flavor and bang for the buck. Then there are are times when an 89-point review seems like over-inflated hype, for exactly the same reasons.

And then there are the times when I wonder if a wine has received an 89-point review from a major magazine because somebody lost their nerve on the way to a 90+ rating and settled for something a little more safe. It often happens when the grape is weird, or unfashionable, or both. It can even happen when the winemaker or region is weird and/or unfashionable.

Today I'm reviewing just such a wine: the 2004 Domaine de Bellivière Coteaux du Loir Le Rouge-Gorge. ($14.99, K & L Wines; the 2005 vintage is available from other merchants for $17-$25) It received an 89 from Spectator, and try as I might I wasn't able to find any Pineau d'Aunis that had ever received more than an 89 from the magazine. (I could be wrong on this point, but I spent 3 hours looking through the database before I gave up. If I am wrong, I'm sure that someone from WS headquarters will be by to correct me.) This 89-point and below niche for Pineau d'Aunis is surprising, given the fact that the wines are often described as exhibiting textbook varietal characteristics. So what's the deal?

I'm not the only person asking this kind of question regarding wine scores. If you want to see what other writers are wondering about wine scores, check out dhonig's collaborative 89 Project blog. For those of you who aren't familiar with this effort, dhonig gathered up a bunch of interested folks and asked them to be on the lookout for wines that received 89-point ratings from the major wine critics. 89-point wines are, in the words of dhonig, "the red-headed step children of the wine world." The 89 Project gives us a chance to take a second look at some overlooked wines and, in doing so, discover some truly interesting and often affordable treasures that those who are slavish to shelftalkers will see right through at the store.

Treasures just like Pineau d'Aunis. Domaine de Bellivière is a family-owned winery in the Loire that specializes in making wine from two of the region's traditional grapes: Chenin Blanc and Pineau d'Aunis. While Chenin Blanc has gained some traction among American wine drinkrs, Pineau d'Aunis is a relative rarity over here. And it's not likely to become any more widely accepted, given the fact that the wine normally scores below 90 points with most wine critics.

One of the reasons for these scores may be that Pineau d'Aunis will simply not be to everyone's taste. It's a grape that actually seems to try to make you wrinkle up your face and wonder what you're drinking. The defining character of Pineau d'Aunis is often "pine"--a slightly resinous, green, and herbal quality to the wine that some people react to as if you'd just poured Pine-Sol into their Pinot Noir.

So what was my reaction to the 2004 Domaine de Bellivière Coteaux du Loir Le Rouge-Gorge? At first I was reminded of a gamay from the Beaujolais by its dark ruby color and the light-medium body of the wine. The aromas of topsoil and forest floor were also not unlike Beaujolais, which I often find has a wonderful earthiness. The flavors of cherry, earth, and spice were strong and definite, which will make some people love it,and others hate it. Pineau d'Aunis is at its best--like many wines--with food. This is not really a stand-alone wine unless you are wanting to come to terms with it on an intellectual level. This is only going to work with food, and then think about something earthy like mushrooms, truffles, beans, and charcuterie.

This is not a big fruitbomb: fat and sassy and easy to love. What it is, however, is textbook Pineau d'Aunis. And for under $15, it is certainly a very good QPR choice if you are looking for a traditional bottling of a very special grape. As such, shouldn't it get more than a B+? I sure think so, and so does Parker who didn't lose his nerve and gave it a 90 instead of an 89. Are there other grapes that routinely get consigned to the under-90 bin? If so, let me know what they are because I'd love to try some more of them. If they're as interesting as Pineau d'Aunis, they'll spice up my evening glass of wine for years to come.

Chardonnay: Toothpicks Not Included

Everybody has at least one story about their joys and sorrows drinking chardonnay. Some remember when they tasted it and were enchanted by the buttered apple flavors. Some remember when they tasted it and felt like they had just had a bottle of toothpicks. Some even remember the moment that they had had just one bottle too many of overoaked chardonnay and became card carrying members of the ABC Club--the group dedicated to drinking Anything But Chardonnay.

No grape deserves to be written off, no matter what shenanigans winemakers get up to sometimes. There are good and even great Chardonnays, as any fan of white Burgundy will tell you. And while there are fans of unoaked Chardonnay (I'm one of them), there are still many, many drinkers who will confess to liking a buttery chardonnay on occasion (I'm one of them, too). It's a pleasure, therefore, to be able to recommend a very good QPR US Chardonnay that's made with a bit of restraint, is still creamy, but does not have that fakey, toothpicky woodenness to it that I just loathe. And it's affordable, too.

The 2006 Bennett Family Chardonnay The Reserve has a suggested retail price of $15.99. (I received my bottle as a sample, and you can find it at a retailer for between $13 and $20.) The wine is made from Russian River Valley grapes, and is fermented in French oak barrels. There, the wine does undergo malolactic fermentation to smooth out the acidity and is left on its lees for eight more weeks before being lightly filtered and put in its bottles. This method produces a pleasant, summery Chardonnay that is straw in color and has aromas of lemon, golden delicious apple, and a touch of vanillin oak. Flavors of apple and sour cream turn a bit more buttery after you've swallowed a bit of the wine. The final alcohol is 13.9% alc/vol, which is higher than Burgundian Chardonnay, but lower than many of this wine's US counterparts.

I find chicken an ideal partner for Chardonnay, and this wine went beautifully with Nigella Lawson's butterflied chicken with lemon and rosemary and her oven-roasted crispy potatoes. This is the most often-requested meal in my repertoire among friends coming to dinner and it is a dream to make for weekend parties, even in the summer, provided you can eat outside since it requires the oven. The lemon, rosemary, and olive-oil marinated chicken is laid out flat after some wielding of the poultry shears and cooks in 35 minutes or so (ps. it can hold in the oven semi-indefinitely at 300 degrees if you linger over cocktails). The recipe accentuated the lemony aromas in the wine, and the tender, moist chicken paired nicely with its buttery texture. I always substitute olive oil for the goose fat in Nigella's potatoes, and they turn out perfectly every time as long as you follow the recipe exactly in every other particular. The brown, caramelized outside of the potatoes was fantastic with the apple and cream notes in the wine, as was the potatoes' creamy insides.

If you are looking for a nicely made, well-balanced, and delicious white wine for creamy Chardonnay lovers and don't want to pay through the nose for it, the 2006 Bennett Chardonnay is the wine for you. Happily, if you want toothpicks you'll have to bring some of your own.

It's Time to Take Rosé Seriously

Rosé wines are the black sheep of the wine world, the relatives that no upstanding grape wants to talk about, and it’s all because of White Zinfandel. White Zin was pumped out of Napa and other parts of California in boxes, barrels, jugs, and regular old wine bottles in the 1970s and 1980s in such massive quantities that it became ubiquitous at suburban progressive dinners, barbecues, and (sad to say) formal events. It gave rosés a very bad name.

It’s time to get over it.

Today’s rosé wines are not at all like the White Zinfandel of the past. They are great wines, and they deserve to be taken seriously.

All over the globe winemakers are putting aside their qualms and taking quality red grapes (like Grenache, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Tempranillo, and even Pinot Noir) and vinifying them with minimal skin contact to end up with a wine that combines crispness, roundness, and bright fruit.

The latest rosé that I've had that is worth serious consideration for your dining table is the very good QPR 2006 Jeriko Estates Rosé.($12.99, WineQ). This was a round and full wine, with aromas of juicy strawberries and clean, crisp wet stone. While some rosés can have a strong note of watermelon candy or Jolly Ranchers, this one did not have any melon in the aromas or flavors. Instead, your tongue tingled with the flavor of those tiny strawberries you are sometimes lucky enough to find growing wild. Made with 100% organic Syrah and Grenache grapes, this wine has 14.1% alc/vol, so it is not a wimpy or small wine by any stretch of the imagination.

Rosés go with all kind of summer foods--including hot dogs and our chosen rosé pairing, buffalo chicken wings. They deserve a place on your summer table, chilled but not ice cold, or you won't be able to appreciate their full and flavorful personalities. Today's rosés are definitely not your mother's White Zinfandel, so if you haven't tried a rosé lately, it's time.

Cabernet Sauvignon That's Made for Summer

Some people like big, oaky, fruity Cabernet Sauvignon. Except under the right conditions (winter, a fire, full moon, grilled steak, nowhere to drive) I'm not one of them. I tend to like my Cabernets a bit more herbal, a bit lighter on their feet, and with an impression of glycerine if I can get it.

Glycerine (or glycerol) is one of those Advanced Wine Tasting Terms that sounds like complete hooey and which scientists have decided is present in such minute quantities that most people can't actually taste it. What it is is a natural bi-product of fermentation that is syrupy and provides a note of sweetness in a wine. I associate it with smoothness and a sense of satiny body that is not plush and furry on the tongue.

Where I find most glycerine is in aged Cabernet Sauvignon, especially those from the Old World. Finding it in a young Cab, from the New World, has become like searching for a needle in a haystack. Under $20? Well, that's even harder.

Enter the 2004 Sapid Dorcich Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Central Coast ($18.99, WineQ). This was a smooth and rich cabernet, with 13.9% alc/vol and an old world taste. The wine is made from Central Coast fruit, and is blended from 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot. Fresh aromas of herbs, green bell pepper, and plums are crisp and inviting. The palate if very plummy, with flavors of berry as well and a nice herbal lift to the flavors in the aftertaste that keeps the wine from seeming even the tiniest bit heavy. The wine had a nice balance between fruit and acidity, and a generous, smooth texture. Yep, my favorite glycerine sensation is in this wine, and it made me happy to find it in a domestic Cabernet Sauvignon for such an affordable price. Very Good QPR.

The best thing about this Cabernet Sauvignon is that you don't have to wait until the winter to drink it. Because it is lighter and fresher than many New World bottlings, you can keep it on hand for summer BBQs and serve it with everything from burgers to pulled pork without worrying it is going to overwhelm the food or leave you with a crashing headache after July heat meets up with high alcohol levels. We had it with some grilled Filet Mignon, a salad, and some baked potatoes. As you would suspect, the plummy and herbal notes of the wine were stunning with the beef and the vegetables--but it was that nice glycerine note that picked up the soft texture of the meat just beautifully.

"Sapid" literally means pleasing. I thought it was an apt name for a charming and delicious domestic red that I would certainly buy again and keep on hand.

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.

Summerwines for Summertime

As you may have been able to tell from yesterday's post, I'm in the mood for summertime. When the temperatures climb there's nothing like a chilled white wine to put a smile on your face and a bit of pep in your step. In the summer, I tend to like wines that are either bracing (think: New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc) or brightly floral (think: Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Rhone whites, Spanish Verdelho). Recently I had two whites that are widely available that fit the bill for summertime white wines perfectly.

The first wine, from the bracing side of the coin, was the 2002 Domaine des Baumard Savennieres. ($17.29, Costco; available for $16-$22 through online merchants) Loire fans like fellow wine blogger Brooklynguy think highly of wines from this region, and I've picked up a few of them over the years and not been disappointed with any of them. This bottling was a very good QPR example of a French Chenin Blanc with some age. Chenin Blanc can be held for quite a while if you've got a good cellar or wine fridge, so it's not one of those white wines that you have to drink before the summer is over for fear it will get tired. I purchased this bottle a year ago at the Costco in beautiful downtown Burbank, and was worried it was corked when I first opened it, but any possible taint blew off quickly. Once poured, the wine was pale straw in color. It had abundant and easily detected aromas of lime, chalk, and almonds. The flavors were also nutty, citrusy (somewhere between a lime and a lemon), and had some nice mineral notes thrown in there. The flavors were piercing and very intense, but not acidic or sharp. There was a chalky aftertaste left in your mouth after you sipped it. We had it with a citrus-rubbed salmon grilled on the BBQ and an Asian-style spinach salad with orange and avocado and the wine's citrus notes paired beautifully with all the citrus in the two dishes.

From the floral camp I tried a 2006 Pyramid Valley Kerner Estate Pinot Blanc from New Zealand. ($22.80, Garagiste; available through online merchants for $24-$32). Even though this wine is a little pricey, it is still an excellent QPR choice for the flavor and quality it delivers and is well worth the splurge if you are having a special dinner in June for a graduation, Father's Day, or pre-wedding event. Like the Baumard, the Pyramid Valley wine was noteworthy for its intensity of flavor and aroma. But in this case the aromas were of apple, honeysuckle, and beeswax and the flavors were of honeyed apple and stone. The wine had a juicy aftertaste and would be a nice change of pace for lovers of dry Riesling. It was so good we fought over who would get the last bit from the bottle! We had it with an equally aromatic dish of pork medallions with a light Chinese sauce of ginger and lemon. The honeyed notes in the wine paired beautifully with the ginger.

Whether you like your summer white wines bracing or floral, or somewhere in between, there are a lot of wallet-friendly choices out there for you to try. And stay tuned for next week's Wine Blogging Wednesday because white Rhone varieties make for terrific summer drinking, too.

When You Think Mendocino, Do You Think Cabernet?

If not, then maybe you should.

Most US wine lovers think of Napa when they think of domestic Cabernet Sauvignon, but the cool ocean breezes of Mendocino County are helping Sky Saddle--a small winery that cares deeply about the environment--to produce a great wine at a great price. I was expecting something leaner and greener when I uncorked this bottle, but instead I found a well-balanced and fruit-forward wine that will only improve over the next few years.

The 2003 Sky Saddle Cabernet Sauvignon is a rich and complex example of the variety. ($21.99, WineQ) It's a big wine, and it's still a bit young to show at its best. I decanted it for 35 minutes, but it needed at least twice that amount of time or another year of bottle age in my opinion. Despite its youth, it had the lovely dark color of an eggplant. There were aromas of plum, jammy blackberry, and a hint of eucalyptus along with sweetly vanillin oak. These abundant, fruity aromas were all present in the flavors, too, along with a hint of baker's chocolate. This last flavor possibly came from the tiny bit of Petite Verdot in the wine. The wine was smoothly textured, with a glycerin-like quality to the aftertaste. Very good QPR for wine that was just a smidge over $20.

We had the wine with a simple meal of grilled veggies and a fillet mignon. The soft, silky texture of the meat was wonderful with the texture of the wine, and the wine's fruity and minty flavors brought out the full spectrum of flavors in both the veggies and the meat.

If you are looking for a Cabernet Sauvignon to go with your meals this summer, then think about getting one from Mendocino. Even if you haven't liked California Cabs in the past, this may well be one that catches your fancy.

Verdicchio di Matelica: a Reader's Winning Suggestion

When I wrote about how I was heading to Italy's Le Marche region this May, one of my readers (Anton) said I had to try Collestefano's Verdicchio di Matelica.

So I did. And it was a good tip.

Le Marche has two main regions that produce wines made with the Verdicchio grape: Castelli di Jesi (which is much better known) and Matelica. Though Castelli di Jesi Verdicchios are more widely available in the US, the grapes grown in Matelica are often described as more intense, and produce a more full-bodied wine with a greener tinge in the juice.

The 2006 Collestefano Verdicchio di Matelica was a very good QPR Italian white. ($13.99, K & L Wines; available online for between $12 and $15) It was greeny-gold in color, which is typical of the variety. Fresh summery aromas of sea salt and straw were unusual and enticing. The tart flavors of grapefruit pith and more salt combined with honeydew melon developed the summery feeling of the wine, and and were very piercing and intense. The wine had a core of acidity that gave it good structure and accentuated its mouth-watering finish. I would definitely rebuy this wine, and keep it on hand for drinking, well-chilled, throughout the summer.

The intense briny and citrus flavors of this wine cried out for shellfish, and anything you can imagine doing with shrimp would be a very good pairing. If you are looking for something different and very Italian to go with your Verdicchio di Matelica, how about combining shrimp with white beans, rosemary, and garlic? This dish originates in Tuscany, but the wine's intensity would stand up well to the rosemary and garlic, and the briny notes in the wine would accentuate those qualities in the shrimp.

Readers have come up with some great suggestions regarding wine for me to try during my Italian wine tour this year, and I really appreciate them. Thanks, Anton, for telling me to try this winning wine.

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.

Hot Pink Fizz for Your Next Pizza

This wine is hot pink. Don't believe me? I took a picture of it against the white backdrop of my GE dryer just to prove it.

You might ask yourself, "what is the point of hot pink fizz?" It's a good question. This is not a delicate rose, or a shell-pink sparkler, or anything subtle, profound, or even particularly memorable.

This is a "Whazzat?" wine. "What the hell is that stuff?" is most likely to be the question your guests and loved ones ask when you pour it. You can tell them that it is a gently fizzy frizzante wine from around Venice made from a grape that few have heard of called Raboso. I know, I know. Your cousin Marge doesn't care about that stuff, but it is the right answer. Raboso is a tannic monster with deeply-colored skins which helps to explain why it is so violently pink. It also explains why this wine has some serious grip to it, for all its foofy fizziness.

The NV Incanto Frizzante Rose is one of those wines that you have to have a lot of wine confidence to drink in front of other people. It's hot pink color, aromas of cherry, and tiny bubbles will be enough to make friends think you've lost your mind. But trust me, you haven't--especially if you are drinking a well-chilled bottle while eating a spicy pepperoni pizza on the deck on a warm, early summer Friday evening.

It has all the tannins of a dry red, the refreshing quality of a sparkler, and the crispness that you want on a warm day. There is a dry aftertaste, which just confirms this is no candy wine. But the combination of dryness, bubbles, and tannins makes it the ideal partner for pizza with spicy toppings, appetizer plates loaded with salumi, olives, and cheese, or just plain sipping on a warm afternoon.

You can get this unusual wine at Trader Joe's for around $5.99. At that price this is very good QPR, and it will set you back far less than the pizza or the gas required to pick the pizza up. These days, who can ask for anything more?

Wine Blogging Wednesday #45: Old World Riesling

It's time again for Wine Blogging Wednesday, the online tasting event started by Lenn Thompson of Lenndevours. This month, Wine Blogging Wednesday is hosted by Tim Elliott of Winecast, and his theme is Old World Riesling. Rieslings are great summer wines, with their fresh flavors and typically low alcohol levels, so I have been looking forward to this month's theme for a while now.

The wine that I picked--the 2006 Max Ferd. Richter "Zeppelin"Riesling--certainly qualifies as an "Old World" Riesling. This label has loads of fascinating history behind it. First, Weingut Max Ferd. Richter has been operated by the family for the past three centuries. Second (I love this part), Rieslings from the Mülheimer Sonnenlay vineyard where the grapes for this wine were grown was the wine most often poured on Zeppelin flights during the 1920s and 1930s. That's why even now the bottle has a glorious Art Deco image of a Zeppelin on it. I don't think you can get much more "Old World" than that!

The 2006 Weingut Max Ferd. Richter "Zeppelin" Riesling was one of the better lower-price German Rieslings I had lately. ($14.99, domaine547; it looks like they've got the 2007 in stock now) This Riesling was one giant lime fest. There were aromas of apple, honey and lime zest, which were as enticing as the bright golden color. Flavors of fresh squeezed lime juice and lime zest kept it tangy and lively in your mouth. A tiny bit of stoniness in the back of your throat during the finish kept the wine interesting down to the very last drop. Very good QPR.

Like most Rieslings, this was a very drinkable and food-friendly wine that would be best with spicy food or grilled sausages--something with lots of flavor. We had it with an amazing chicken salad that combined honey-mustard dressing with mangoes, cucumbers, red pepper, and greens. The salad had great synergy with the wine. The dressing was made with lime juice and honey mustard which brought out all the lime flavors and aromas. And the honeyed aromas in the wine turned into mango-like flavors you sipped it after a bite of salad. This was a terrific pairing, and really showed you the power of the perfect wine and food pairing.

Thanks to founder Lenn, our host Tim, and to all of the participants who make this a great event every month. See you back here in June when I'll be your host. Stay tuned for an announcement of the theme following Tim's roundup.

The Other Montepulciano from Le Marche

There are two Montepulcianos in Italy: one is an appellation, the other is a grape. Today, I'm reviewing a wine from Le Marche that's made with that other, grapey Montepulciano. It is a delicious and affordable wine that would be perfect with any traditional Italian trattoria fare from grilled meats to pizza and pasta.

The 2005 Fattoria Laila Rosso was a very good QPR blend of Montepulciano (80%) and a bit of Sangiovese ($12.95, Chronicle Wine Cellar; find it online for between $13 and $17) Montepulciano grapes carry a lot of pigment in their skin and that gives the wine a dark, blackish-purple color that is rich and cooling. Blackberry and black cherry fruit aromas are clearly present when you uncork this wine and give it a sniff. There's more dark berry and cherry in the flavors, too, along with a bit of roasted coffee bean. The overall impression is not of enormous fruitiness, but fruit kept in check with bitter notes and acidity and a bit of spiciness in the aftertaste. It was a food-friendly wine, and we had it with some spicy chicken in red sauce with penne. Bits of chicken breast are tossed with ground fennel, pepper, and coriander and then sauteed in a pan until golden. After a quick deglaze with some leftover white wine, you simmer lots of garlic and tomatoes until the pasta is cooked, and finish it off with some basil. The wine stood up nicely to the sweet acidity of the tomatoes, and the spicy chicken picked up the nice spicy notes in the wine, as well.

Fattoria Laila is located in the hills of Ancona above the Adriatic Sea. The area's chalky soils are great for Montepulciano. The Rosso Piceno DOC covers an ancient viticultural region. Ancient writers tell us that Hannibal, at a pit-stop along the way to Rome, had his horses rubbed down with red wine from Piceno to give them more energy and strength for the last part of the journey. You can find out more about Rosso Piceno, and an earlier vintage of this wine, at The Wine Lover's Page 30-second Wine Advisor.

As with most of the Italian wines I've had so far, these little known regions and lesser known grapes are capable of combining great quality and traditional Italian flavors with a very attractive price. If you like Chianti or Nero d'Avola, give reds from Rosso Piceno a try. They may become your preferred Friday night pizza and pasta wine.

A Bordeaux-Blend from Down Under

Yesterday was the second edition of the Wine Book Club, and we read about life in Bordeaux. This made me want a Bordeaux red wine in the worst way, but at the same time I didn't want to drink one from France. Does that make any sense? It probably does if you've read Noble Rot.

So I looked through my stash of wine and found a Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot that was made Down Under by Greg Norman Estates. It's an interesting bottle because I bought it more than 2 years ago when it was on sale at BevMo for $9.99. I wanted to see whether a wine that cost less than $10 would develop with some short-term cellaring. So I tucked it away, and just opened it, and the results are in: this wine did very well with some cellaring, despite it's low price, and I actually think it could have done with another year or so of shelf time.

The 2002 Greg Norman Estates Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot from the Limestone Coast is a wine that I suspect would fool most drinkers into thinking it was a red from Bordeaux if tasted blind. ($9.99, Beverages & More; if you are looking for this now, expect to pay between $11 and $23) The wine was a nice garnet red in color, with the faintly pinkish brown edges known as "bricking." Usually, bricking is a sign that the wine has some age on it (in this case, 6 years from harvest). Opening this bottle of wine, I smelled aromas of bell pepper, cassis, and a touch of acetate. These are all true to the varietal characteristics, and Old World in style. Flavors of raspberries, blackberries, and a bit of green pepper appeared on the tongue, and there was a smoky aftertaste, with some herbal notes. The wine has a smooth texture--not syrupy by any stretch--and that little bit of glycerin quality that catches the attention of some professional reviewers. Very good QPR.

This wine would be much better with food than without. We had it with some grilled Greek-style lamb burgers and a spinach salad. The smoky richness of the lamb went nicely with the fruity core of this wine, and the herbal and pepper notes melded with the spinach and onion in the salad.

For under $10, and after 2 years in the cellar, this is a pretty nice wine, and certainly not an Aussie fruitbomb by any stretch of the imagination. I should also note that I put the cork back in it, left it on the counter, and didn't use preservative. Three days later, the wine was smoother, richer, more full of berries, and with less green pepper. This leads me to think it will continue to integrate and improve over the next 12-18 months at least.

It will appeal to lovers of Old World style wines, and give those looking for bargain Bordeaux-blends a chance to taste one. And, this wine proves that sometimes wines that don't cost much are still worthy of some short-term cellaring. Have you had any experiences with cellaring inexpensive wines? Please tell us about them in the comments.

The Many Faces of Sauvignon Blanc

Once upon a time, four men decided to band together to explore the potential that their favorite grape variety had to display terroir. Often invoked, but still not fully understood, terroir is the ability that a grape has to display the characteristics of the place where it is grown. No two places are exactly the same, and fans of terroir are drawn to the idiosyncratic differences that soil, climate, and other environmental factors can promote in a particular wine.

John Buechsenstein, John Ash, Paul Dolan, and Tom Meyer are Sauvignon Blanc fanatics, and they've devoted their company--Sauvignon Republic Cellars--to exploring how this grape performs in California, Chile, France, New Zealand, and South Africa. All four men are not only passionate about wine. They are also devoted foodies, and are intrigued by Sauvignon Blanc's food friendly ways, too. They think the grape fits the cuisine we eat now, and the flavors of the wine enhance the wide range of spices and ingredients on modern tables. I couldn't agree more--and of course it's a budget-friendly wine option, as well.

I decided to pick up their South African example, because I'm less familiar with wines from this region and because I was genuinely curious (fresh on the heels of my experience with a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and a California Sauvignon Blanc) to see how different the flavors could be. The 2006 Sauvignon Republic Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Stellenbosch is a jazzy example of what the grape can achieve in terms of distinctive flavors in South Africa. (34 North Wine Merchants, $20; widely available online for between $12 and $20) It was pale in color, though not as clear and almost translucent as most of the New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs I've had recently. Lime and lime zest dominate the aromas and the flavors, giving it an almost Margarita-like intensity. The aftertaste that the wine left in your mouth had a decided strip of jalapeno pepper in it along with all the fresh citrus notes, which was both unexpected and very distinctive. This wine screamed out for chicken fajitas, ceviche, fish tacos, or any other fresh Mexican or Baja fare.

I was pleased at how this wine lived up to its promise to deliver an unusual mouthful of Sauvignon Blanc's flavors--especially when compared to the grass, grapefruit, nectarine, and melon notes that I wrote about a few weeks ago--and thought that it was a very good QPR bottling. But if you can get it for $15 or less it would be an excellent QPR find and you should buy it straight away to enjoy with all the vegetables, fish, and poultry that will be on your flavors this spring and into the summer.

Nectar

Dessert wines are often likened to nectar because of their sweet, potent flavors and their silky, syrupy texture. I have an orange tree and some enormous lavender in my back yard and since the weather turned warm here in southern California, I've been watching the bees getting drunk on the nectar they are pulling out of all the blossoms. When I walked by the orange tree the other day, there were so many bees drinking from the orange blossoms that you could hear this loud, distinctive buzz.

You'll feel like a honeybee yourself if you stick your nose into a glass of the 2005 Weiss Gruner Veltliner Eiswein. I've never had an eiswein--where the grapes literally freeze on the vine before they are harvested--made from the trendy Gruner Veltliner grape, but it was a real treat. I got this bottle as an unexpected birthday gift recently, but you can get yourself a bottle where he picked it up: at domaine547, where it will cost you about $26.99 for a 375ml bottle.

This rich wine was dark gold in color, with a bit of peachiness around the edges when it's poured into the glass. The wine smelled of apricots drenched in honey, which was interesting given the peachy-gold color that the wine had. Flavors of jasmine flowers, peach, and apricot rolled around your tongue and made you feel as if you were drinking in jasmine through an apricot-flavored straw. My favorite part of the wine, however, may well have been its caramel aftertaste. This richer, brown-sugared note helped to keep the wine's sweetness in check, as did the core of acidity at the center. A very nice effort, at a very nice price for an eiswein. Very good QPR.

As with most dessert wines, I drank it with a simple cookie, in this case some tiny waffle cookies called stroopwaffels. These have the same combination of honey and caramelized flavors I found in the wine, and picked up those notes beautifully. You can usually find bags of them at Trader Joe's, and they're quite good with a cup of coffee, too. That's how they're served in the Netherlands. In general, though, this dessert wine would be fabulous with anything that has brown sugar or caramel, including creme brulee and tarte tatin.

Thank you, Patrick, for this great birthday present! Buy yourself a present (even if it's not your birthday) and try a dessert wine soon. It was one of my wine resolutions this year, and even if you're late getting started, make like a honeybee and explore some of these nectared wines soon.