Exiting the Wine Superhighway with Malvasia Bianca

One of the great things about wine is that no matter how much of the stuff you taste, there is always a new adventure to be had on the shelves of your local store or at your local winery (and yes, most of us actually do have a winery somewhere within driving distance!)

Don't get me wrong: I love the taste of wine. But I also love discovering new tastes, and locating wines I like that are off the normal Chardonnay-Sauvignon Blanc-Cabernet-Pinot route. Today's wine pick is definitely out of the ordinary. Drinking it was a little bit like exiting the familiar wine freeway and taking a back road to your destination.

When I first opened up the 2010 Wild Horse Malvasia Bianca San Bernabe (suggested retail $20; available in the market for $20) from California's Monterey County AVA, I wondered if I had ever had the grape bottled on its own. It often turns up in blends, especially Italian blends. It turns out I have had straight-up Malvasia Bianca before, back in the spring of 2008 when I was looking for a wine to pair with asparagus, and I enjoyed it a great deal. Three and a half years later, I had the opportunity to taste my second example!

And what a nice change it was from the same-old same-old. First off: don't expect to smell lots of fruit when you open this wine. Instead, this delicious white had floral and spicy aromas with an underlying note of litchi. In the mouth, the impression was bone dry, and there was a spicy aftertaste that was unlike anything else I've had before. In some ways, it tasted like a Gewürztraminer without that grape's lush, fruit-forward profile. As the wine was exposed to air and warmed up a bit in the glass, I tasted lean, elegant traces of pear, litchi, and lemon pith. Very good QPR. The 2010 Wild Horse Malvasia Bianca would pair beautifully with delicate fish and shellfish dishes, as well as Pacific Rim cuisine including fish tacos and sushi.

This autumn, make it a point to go wine adventuring. If you're at a restaurant that has a wine-by-the-glass list, try a grape variety you've never had before. If you're at your local wine shop, tell them that you love Pinot Noir but you'd like to try something new. Chances are you'll walk out with a Gamay or a Blaufrankisch--and you may just find a new wine favorite. And kudos to Wild Horse for offering us some unusual varieties like Verdelho, Malvasia and, yes, even Blaufrankisch, to tempt our tastebuds and expand our horizons.

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

An Italian White for Summery Food

I don't know what it is, but after Memorial Day it's as if a switch goes off in my head and I start craving salads, vegetables, and fish. If that sounds like you, you might be on the prowl for a summery white that will go well with greens.

Finding one is not as easy as it seems. Some Sauvignon Blancs are too grassy and actually clash with foods like lettuce, and Chardonnay can be too rich.

One of the wines I've had recently that I think would be great with summer food is the 2007 Antinori Villa Antinori Bianco (suggested retail $12; available for $10-$13) This delicious Italian white blend is made from a mix of Trebbiano, Malvasia, Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, and Pinot Grigio. It has fresh aromas of straw, citrus peel, some banana, and a saline note that reminds me of the beach. I enjoyed the refreshing, citrusy palate with its shades of richer banana and a green acidity at the core that's mouth-watering. Very good QPR.

This wine would be terrific with salad, a vegetable soup, shellfish, halibut, or even just some guacamole and chips on your back deck some lazy afternoon.

Full Disclosure: I received this wine as a sample.

A Summery White for Chilling and Grilling

We had a heat wave in LA recently, with temperatures well into the 90s. It was a not-so-gentle reminder of the high temperatures to come. Do you have your summer whites on hand for the first time the mercury climbs into the stratosphere?

If not, consider picking up the 2007 Big House Wine Company Big House White. (suggested retail $9.99; available for $7-$12 throughout the country) It's a blend of Muscat Canelli, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Malvasia Bianca, Vermentino, and Muscat de Gaillo. And while some wines blended from this many grapes can be a bit mushy in the taste department and leave you wondering why they bothered to mix them all together, this blend works to produce a white wine that is perfect for chilling down and sipping on the patio while you grill up some fish or chicken. This may be the quintessential summer sipper with its aromas of peach, apricot, and blood orange lurking under a Stelvin closure. Flavors of blood orange and peach predominate, all wrapped up in a sweet and honeyed aftertaste. Even so, there's enough acidity to keep the wine lively and interesting. Excellent QPR given the wine's price and its well-balanced flavors.

This wine would be just as at home with spicy Asian food as it would be with grilled food, and it's a perfect partner for salads, too. We had ours with the cover recipe from a recent issue of Bon Appetit: a salad of grilled chicken, radish, cucumber, and tarragon pesto. I often pair tarragon with Sauvignon Blanc, but if you don't get it just right the tastes can sometimes be jarring. This wine was great with the strong flavors of the radish and tarragon, and had the right blend of softness and acidity to pair with the cucumbers and greens.

Full Disclosure: I received this wine as a sample.

Seaside Whites from Puglia--Drink Them Young

Today I've got the first of my Puglian wines to share with you.

I tried a white wine, the 2005 Botromagno from Gravina. I paid just over $10 for it in a local grocery store, and you can find various vintages for $7-$16. My advice to you is this: buy the youngest wine you can, from the most recent vintage. Why? Well, I don't know much about wine from Puglia but I suspected that this bottle was just a bit over the hill.

The wine is made from a blend of Greco and Malvasia grapes, and had faint aromas of almonds, minerals, and lemon all of which were echoed in the flavors. It reminded me a bit of Fino Sherry, and made me wonder if the wine wasn't oxidized just a bit. There was a bitter acidity in the aftertaste, too.

As a result it was impossible to assess QPR on this wine. My suspicion is that a 2007 bottling would be fresh, lemony, and lively--and perfect with oysters, which are very popular in Puglia. So I'll have to try to get myself another bottle of this wine and reserve QPR judgement until then.

Asparagus and Wine: the Spring Dilemma

Asparagus is synonymous with spring. Stores have appealing bundles of the stalks in the produce section this time of year, tightly banded together with their purplish-green tops curving slightly this way and that like they are bending in the breeze. (picture from edining.ca)

Asparagus is also synonymous with "I'll have water, please" because the vegetable's bitter, vegetal qualities can make it a wine pairing nightmare. It doesn't go with oaked whites, nor does it go with tannic reds. Some people swear by Sauvignon Blanc, but if you get one that's too grassy or tart it can be unpleasant.

I was looking through some traditional recipes from Molise, my destination for Italian wines this month, and saw one for an asparagus pasta and wondered if this wasn't a case where "drink local, eat local" might not prove a winning combination. First, I found a slightly easier version of the recipe from Faith Willinger's great book about Italian vegetables Red, White, and Greens, pasta with lemon asparagus sauce. Then I popped open a bottle of Malvasia Bianca from Molise. This solved my annual spring problem of what wine to drink with one of my favorite vegetables.

The 2004 Borgo di Colloredo Malvasia Bianca was bright gold in color, and at first I was slightly worried that it had oxidized since it was so much darker than most white wines. I checked some reference books, however, and it turns out that this true gold hue is a characteristic of the variety. I could smell beeswax--like expensive candles, or the waxy aroma of a honeycomb--along with apple and lemon. When I sipped the wine, it felt on the heavy side, and was a nice counterpoint to the toothiness of the al dente pasta. Flavors of apples and lemon dominated, and the finish turned a bit waxy, reminding me once again of honeycomb especially as I swallowed the last bit and the wine left a slightly honeyed aftertaste. I also noted that as the wine warmed up in the glass, the wine became more floral, but in no way sweet.

This was interesting wine--more heavy and golden than most whites, yet still dry. I purchased my bottle at Chronicle Wine Cellar for a mere $8.95; if you're not in the LA area, you can find this wine online for about $17. At $8.95, this represented very good QPR, but if you spent $17 you may feel that you paid to much for this unusual, but relatively straightforward and simple, white wine.

Once again I'm astonished by the range of Italian whites, and so far haven't had a single one that I wouldn't buy again. Thank you, Molise, for preserving this perfect track record.

Sicily: Final Wine, Final Thoughts

February provided me with one more day to wrap up my month enjoying the wines of Sicily. I have a dessert wine review, and some final thoughts. In the past 18 months I've enjoyed 7 Sicilian wines--and three of them I popped open in the last 30 days. So I am far from an expert in the wines of the region. But I've been really impressed with the quality, diversity, and value coming out of Sicily. (the symbol of Sicily--the trinacria--photographed by John Lee)

As I reviewed my tasting notes, I realized that I have a misperception or two to erase as I continue on this journey through Italy. The first is that not all Italian reds are big, bold wines. Sicily is no exception. From the delicate and floral Frappato, to a 2003 Cos Pojo di Lupo that I enjoyed in a restaurant, to the 2004 Firriato Nero d'Avola Chiaramonte I picked for my blogger pack at domaine547, Italian reds are as likely to be herbal with good acidity as they are to taste like drinking red velvet. This is one of the reasons why they are such great food wines.

The second is that not all Italian wines are red. I'm only two months in, but I already know that the whites of Italy are going to be the big revelation of the year. If you can put the omnipresent Pinot Grigio aside, a white wine lover can get an awful lot of bang for the buck trying indigenous Italian white varieties. The Italian white that I had this month cost around $11, and delivered delicious, distinctive flavors for a very attractive price. Why? Because its a blend of chardonnay and a grape you've never heard of before. Low recognition (and hence demand) means big value.

I'm just starting to look for sparkling wines other than Prosecco, and for Italian dessert wines. Here I'm still meeting with mixed success and would appreciate any help or advice that you have to offer. I tried a Sicilian dessert wine, the 2004 Colosi Malvasia delle Lipari, which I found on sale at a local retailer. ($17.99/375ml, K & L Wines on sale; available from other merchants for between $23 and $30)The wine was peachy-amber in color, with aromas of honey and apricot. The flavors of sweet fruit (mostly apricot) had a slightly cloying honeyed aftertaste. Even on sale, this represented poor QPR in my opinion as there wasn't enough acidity to counteract the sweetness. It is better with some nutty cookies or shortbread than on its own, but this was not a wine that made me want to rush out and buy more.

Overall, I'm astounded with the range, versatility, and affordability of the Italian wines I've had--and was especially impressed this month with Sicily's bottlings. If you are on the hunt for good value wines, look for Sicilian labels on your local store shelves. I think you'll be pleased with what you taste.

Next Month: Campania

Seashells by the Seashore

Summer by the sea can make even the most die-hard red meat eater turn to creatures that swim and crawl on the ocean floor when it comes time to have dinner. I'm no exception to the rule. Just smelling the salt air makes me want shrimp, scallops, lobster (not that there's much of that on the Sonoma coast), and crab.

If you've got a seafood dinner in your future, you may want to look for a bottle of the very good QPR 2005 Teruzzi & Puthod Terre di Tufi ($16.99, domaine547). This wine contains a subtle and intriguing blend of chardonnay, malvasia, vernaccia, and vermentino which produces a soft, medium-boded white just perfect for the delicate flavors of shellfish. While it does see a short time in barriques (4-5 months), there is no pronounced oakiness to get between you and your food. I liked the aromas of apple and hay that introduced me to the wine, and then the lean mineral and lemon-inflected flavors that followed. Seafood can be rich, but heavy wines completely overwhelm them. This wine is round without being heavy, fresh without being tart, and the blend of grapes works very well together. At 13% alc/vol, it is also a wine that can be enjoyed down to the last drops in the glass.

We had this wine with an absolutely fantastic dish of seared scallops and lemon orzo. The buttery scallops fit perfectly with the round, fresh flavor profile of the wine. The orzo--cooked in broth and lemon juice to infuse the pasta with flavor while making a clinging sauce--helped to pick out and emphasize the lemon notes in the wine.

Teruzzi & Puthod is located in the beautiful Tuscan hilltop town of San Gimignano, and the grapes from this wine came from area vineyards. We may be more familiar with Tuscan reds in this country, but this wine will definitely make me seek out the region's white wines as well.

Lazy Sunday Wine Tasting at the Colorado Wine Company

I needed to get out of the house today for what the Victorians would have called "an airing," and decided to go to the Colorado Wine Company's "Lazy Sunday Wine Tasting." Located in the small town of Eagle Rock in Los Angeles (home of Occidental College), the Colorado Wine Company has a mission that Good Wine Under $20 readers will love: reasonably priced, high-quality wines. Most of their selections are under $35, and their ever-changing Sunday tastings (2 whites, 2 reds, and a selection of cheeses from Auntie Em's) are only $10. (Friday tastings from 5:30-8:30 pm are slightly more, with 5 wines poured instead of 4).

This wine store and tasting has a hip atmosphere. After browsing the bookcases shelved with wine, and the vertical hanging racks I went into the uber-cool tasting room with its modern furniture and candles. Everyone at the tasting was young, gorgeous, and dressed in black; I failed on all three counts. There were pairs and groups, and it was clearly a popular neighborhood spot, relaxed and comfortable. I was served an intriguing mix of wines from Oregon, Spain, the Central Coast of California, and Napa. The pourer was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. Bring a designated driver, too, because the pours are very generous and the wines are so excellent you won't want to spit.

Here's what was on offer:

2005 A to Z Pinot Gris ($12.99): This is a collaborative effort of four producers intent on making low cost wines. Aromas of peach and pear led to a creamy, lush, and round flavor palate that was soft and easy to drink. Very good QPR.

2004 Muga Rioja ($13.99): This white Rioja tripped up a lot of tasters like me who were expecting a red wine! Made of Viura and Malvasia grapes, this tart and refreshing white would be a hit with those who love French sauvignon blancs. The wine had aromas of grass, herbs, and Granny Smith apples, and these aromas were echoed on the palate. I've never had one of these wines before, but I liked it and felt that its price was in line with sauvignon blancs that had very good QPR.

2004 Campion Pinot Noir Central Coast ($18.99): The winemaker, Larry Brooks, is a big believer in the power of terroir. Here, he co-fermented Edna Valley Pinot Noir with 7-8% Pinot Gris. It was a rich, ruby red with flowery aromatics and a juicy cherry and strawberry set of flavors that finished with just a touch of mushroom. If you like your pinots fruity, this would represent good QPR.

2004 Sandoval Cabernet Sauvignon ($12.99): This wine has excellent QPR. Rich garnet in color, with lush aromas of dark chocolate, berries, and a tinge of pepper it drinks smooth, rich and round with a note of vanilla and earth at the very end. All the flavors that you expect from the aromas are there in abundance. What a wine, and all at a relatively low 13.5% alc/vol. This proves that you can make an intense cabernet without letting the alcohol levels creep up into the clouds.

Armed with an informative tasting sheet and a need to buy both the Muga Rioja and the Sandoval cab, I went back for a more leisurely browse and was struck by how excellent the wine selection is. If you find large wine stores overwhelming and/or you have eclectic tastes, Colorado Wine is for you. The bottle count is small, but there are surprising bottles on nearly every shelf. Mexican Nebbiolo? Got it. Portuguese wine? Yep. A whole section of Oregon wines? That, too. It was hard to remain under control, but in the end I limited myself to picking up my very first Connecticut wine (the NV Sharpe Hill Vineyard Ballet of Angels, $10.99), a second Spanish white kindly recommended by Sonadora over at Wannabe Wino who is helping me out with my New Year's resolution to drink more wines from Spain (2005 Nora Albarino, $13.99), and a honey of a sangiovese (1998 Vigna Benefizio Morellino di Scansano, $14.99). I also found a bottle of NV Dover Canyon Renegade Red ($10.99), and I was thrilled to find this after reading their blog for months!

Shopping at Colorado Wine Company will definitely keep you from falling into a wine rut! And their tastings mean that you can sample before you buy. A great experience, and one that I look forward to repeating (with better shoes and a little more attention to my wardrobe).