Monday, December 10, 2018
Holiday wine selections
I have been asked recently about suggestions for wines to serve during the holidays, something special, not the everyday glass. I usually counter with 2 questions.... what are you serving for food, and what do you like to drink for wine?
It's not always easy to pick one wine that will match with everything on the table, I like to pour both a white and a red wine with the meal. Of course a sparkling wine can always bring a nice touch to a festive holiday meal, either before or with the meal.
It really comes down to personal preference, but here are a few wines that my family and I have enjoyed with our holiday meals over the years. If you try any of them please let me know what you think of them.
-Chardonnay-
Buehler - always a nice balanced, elegant food friendly wine. Usually about $20 per bottle but sometimes on sale for $12.00
-Riesling-
Ch Ste Michelle - Eroica Riesling, $17.99 a joint effort between Dr Loosen of Germany and the wine makers in WA State. A delicious well made wine that is consistant every year, and pairs well with a wide range of foods.
Salmon Run Riesling - $11.99 The "second" label of the Dr Frank Winery out in the Finger Lakes of NY State. A great introduction to how good the Rieslings can be from this area, and food friendly to boot.
-Champagne/Prosecco -
Domaine Ste Michelle - Brut Rosé $12.99 - a nice sparkling wine at a good price from WA
Mionetto - $11.99 a nice bottle from Italy at a great price.
-Pinot Noir -
Erath - $24 Oregon Estate bottling, this winery has been a consistant producer of very good Pinot for years.
Argyle - $19.99 Oregon Another good Pinot that will be nice with dinner.
Rodney Strong - Russian River Valley CA $14.99 this wine is a good value for the money, and goes well with food.
-Merlot -
J. Lohr - Los Osos $14.99 CA a very smooth tasty wine that will match well with fowl, prime rib or rack of lamb.
Rodney Strong - Sonoma $17.99 always a good bottle of wine, and makes a holiday meal special.
Sku code 25994
-Cabernet Sauvignon-
Hess - Allomi Vineyard Napa $29.99 a very nice wine that drinks like it should cost a lot more, decant for an hour prior to the meal.
Frei Brothers - Alexander Valley $21.00 a beautiful expression of Cabernet from this area, I keep some of this on hand all the time. Decant for an hour prior ...
Ch Ste Michelle - Cold Creek Vnyd WA $24.99 a big cabernet from a special site that would be great with rack of lamb, or prime rib.
Wishing all of you a special holiday season....
Cheers!
Ed
I have been asked recently about suggestions for wines to serve during the holidays, something special, not the everyday glass. I usually counter with 2 questions.... what are you serving for food, and what do you like to drink for wine?
It's not always easy to pick one wine that will match with everything on the table, I like to pour both a white and a red wine with the meal. Of course a sparkling wine can always bring a nice touch to a festive holiday meal, either before or with the meal.
It really comes down to personal preference, but here are a few wines that my family and I have enjoyed with our holiday meals over the years. If you try any of them please let me know what you think of them.
-Chardonnay-
Buehler - always a nice balanced, elegant food friendly wine. Usually about $20 per bottle but sometimes on sale for $12.00
-Riesling-
Ch Ste Michelle - Eroica Riesling, $17.99 a joint effort between Dr Loosen of Germany and the wine makers in WA State. A delicious well made wine that is consistant every year, and pairs well with a wide range of foods.
Salmon Run Riesling - $11.99 The "second" label of the Dr Frank Winery out in the Finger Lakes of NY State. A great introduction to how good the Rieslings can be from this area, and food friendly to boot.
-Champagne/Prosecco -
Domaine Ste Michelle - Brut Rosé $12.99 - a nice sparkling wine at a good price from WA
Mionetto - $11.99 a nice bottle from Italy at a great price.
-Pinot Noir -
Erath - $24 Oregon Estate bottling, this winery has been a consistant producer of very good Pinot for years.
Argyle - $19.99 Oregon Another good Pinot that will be nice with dinner.
Rodney Strong - Russian River Valley CA $14.99 this wine is a good value for the money, and goes well with food.
-Merlot -
J. Lohr - Los Osos $14.99 CA a very smooth tasty wine that will match well with fowl, prime rib or rack of lamb.
Rodney Strong - Sonoma $17.99 always a good bottle of wine, and makes a holiday meal special.
Sku code 25994
-Cabernet Sauvignon-
Hess - Allomi Vineyard Napa $29.99 a very nice wine that drinks like it should cost a lot more, decant for an hour prior to the meal.
Frei Brothers - Alexander Valley $21.00 a beautiful expression of Cabernet from this area, I keep some of this on hand all the time. Decant for an hour prior ...
Ch Ste Michelle - Cold Creek Vnyd WA $24.99 a big cabernet from a special site that would be great with rack of lamb, or prime rib.
Wishing all of you a special holiday season....
Cheers!
Ed
Tuesday, November 20, 2018
I stopped by the Centerra Coop store for Thanksgiving supplies and near the cheese counter there was a person pouring samples of white and red wines that would pair well with the traditional meal on Thursday.
All of the wines were good, but the Banyan and a Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre blend from Paso Robles stood out. I can't remember the name of the winery that produced the red blend, but all of the wines that were sampled are on the stand in the aisle near the cheese counter.
Beautiful notes of white stone fruits in the nose, spice, intriguing, matching flavors on the palate with distinct flavors of peach and apricot, a nice mouth feel and very pleasant finish. There was a hint of saltiness as well on the finish, perhaps due to the vineyards proximity to the ocean influence in Monterey. One of the best 'Traminers I've tried in a while, and at a decent price for the quality. I kept thinking about this wine after I left the tasting and had to go back for a bottle....
Available at the Centerra Co-op store for $15.99, maybe the Hanover store has some, and 2 of the NH Liquor outlets near the MA border for $13.99. I think they had 6 or 8 bottles on the stand at Centerra, if you like Gewürztraminer you should try a bottle of this wine.
Cheers,
Ed
Saturday, November 17, 2018
Thanksgiving meal wine options
With Thanksgiving almost upon us, I have been asked by a few people about what my thoughts are on which wine to serve with this meal.
I always answer that question with a question, what are you serving for food?
These days people don't always stick to the old traditions for this meal, so the wine selection for it can vary greatly. But I think some wines can pair well across a number of different choices for the main course.
A light to medium body Pinot Noir will taste good with oven roasted turkey, and also with prime rib. A good quality Merlot would also match up well with both of these options, and all of the side dishes can bring out nuances in both wines.
I tried a wine from Bertani last year with our meal, it's a blend of Sangiovese and 3 other grapes native to the Verona area of Italy. Some of the grapes are air dried on a bed of straw like Amarone and make for a smooth food friendly wine that pairs well with a number of dishes.
Some people prefer white wines, so in my experience a dry or off dry Riesling works well with poultry. I also like a Frascati or Fiano di Avellino from Italy, they have good fruit and balance with a nice palate cleansing quality.
As always, if you like a wine, then that's the right one for you....
Red wines;
Starmont - Pinot Noir - well made, good value $14.99 @ NH Liquor outlets
Mark Herold - Flux - Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre blend $14.99 @ NH Liquor
Secco Bertani - Sangiovese and 3 native Italian varieties @17.99 @ NH outlets
J. Lohr - Los Osos - Merlot - well made, smooth $14.99 @ NH outlets
White wines;
Chateau Ste Michelle - Riesling - dry or off dry $8.99 @ NH outlets
Fontana Candida - Frascati - food friendly wine, $7.99 @ NH outlets
Vendange - Sauvignon Blanc - great value, $7.99 (1.5 liter) NH outlets
Wishing you all a great Thanksgiving with family
Ed
I always answer that question with a question, what are you serving for food?
These days people don't always stick to the old traditions for this meal, so the wine selection for it can vary greatly. But I think some wines can pair well across a number of different choices for the main course.
A light to medium body Pinot Noir will taste good with oven roasted turkey, and also with prime rib. A good quality Merlot would also match up well with both of these options, and all of the side dishes can bring out nuances in both wines.
I tried a wine from Bertani last year with our meal, it's a blend of Sangiovese and 3 other grapes native to the Verona area of Italy. Some of the grapes are air dried on a bed of straw like Amarone and make for a smooth food friendly wine that pairs well with a number of dishes.
Some people prefer white wines, so in my experience a dry or off dry Riesling works well with poultry. I also like a Frascati or Fiano di Avellino from Italy, they have good fruit and balance with a nice palate cleansing quality.
As always, if you like a wine, then that's the right one for you....
Red wines;
Starmont - Pinot Noir - well made, good value $14.99 @ NH Liquor outlets
Mark Herold - Flux - Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre blend $14.99 @ NH Liquor
Secco Bertani - Sangiovese and 3 native Italian varieties @17.99 @ NH outlets
J. Lohr - Los Osos - Merlot - well made, smooth $14.99 @ NH outlets
White wines;
Chateau Ste Michelle - Riesling - dry or off dry $8.99 @ NH outlets
Fontana Candida - Frascati - food friendly wine, $7.99 @ NH outlets
Vendange - Sauvignon Blanc - great value, $7.99 (1.5 liter) NH outlets
Wishing you all a great Thanksgiving with family
Ed
Saturday, October 6, 2018
I like Merlot from WA State, the climate and soils there are suited to maximizing the nuances this variety is capable of. In my experience the bottles I've tried have been a good value and from certain sites this grape can have more body and power than Cabernet Sauvignon, a good example of this is the Merlot from Chateau Ste Michelle's Cold Creek Vineyard. A warm site with an extended growing season that produces great wines almost every year....
We tried this wine in Montreal at the annual tasting event last year or the year before, good wines made by dedicated people.The winery offers bottlings across several price points, all were solid to very nice wines at fair prices. It was a nice surprise to see this on the shelf in West Leb today...
This opens with notes of dark berries, a hint of very ripe strawberries, a spicy note, and some other nuances in the nose I couldn't quite place but are intriguing. I taste cherry, a mix of black and blueberry flavors, it has a nice mouth feel with fine grained tannins and a lingering berry flavor. Even though it's 3 years old at this time, I think it has the structure to evolve further and would benefit from resting in the cellar for another 12 to 18 months.
I enjoyed this with slow cooked pork ribs from the grill, but it would also pair well with a boneless chuck roast slow cooked in a crockpot with a cup or so of this wine along with onions, carrots, and red potatoes.... an oven roasted chicken dinner also comes to mind.
Available on sale now at the NH Liquor outlets for $12.99 per bottle, a good wine and a nice change of pace from the California or European Merlots you usually find on the shelves...
Cheers!
Ed
Thursday, October 4, 2018
I enjoy a good Pinot Noir occasionally, and for my palate (and wallet) my favorite regions are Oregon, Switzerland, and Carneros in CA. These three areas produce world class wines at reasonable prices, and are usually made in the classic style. They're not over extracted, lighter in body, but full of flavor and great with a good range of foods.
Starmont started out as a "second" wine of Merryvale and was more affordable than the main label, (it still is) but has expanded it offerings over the years and now has it's own winery located on part of the historic Stanley Ranch property in Carneros. Starmont offers Chardonnay, Merlot, Rose of Pinot, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, there is a limited release selection that has Viognier, Syrah, Malbec, Pinot Gris, and a couple of single vineyard Pinots.
This Pinot opens with notes of cherry and red/black plum, hints of strawberry, and a slight attractive spicy note in the nose. The palate matches the nose, the spicy note is there also, along with some other flavors I couldn't quite pinpoint but are seductive.... the tannins are fine grained, and finishes with the fruit fading nicely. I kept taking small sips trying to figure it out but wasn't too serious in this endeavor, for the wine is quite pleasant as it continues to open up with time.
I enjoyed this with grilled garlic/herb chicken sausage served on a bed of pasta topped with a 4 cheese red sauce. I think some oven baked stuffed chicken breasts and classic risotto would work also. Grilled pork roast stuffed with plums also sounds good...
Available at some NH Liquor outlets for $14.99 per bottle in the powerbuy section, or $21.99 at Total wine in Natick(they also have more wines from Starmont) there's also a 15% case discount on Pinot's and Chardonnay's at NH Outlets.... this is a chance to buy a very good Pinot from a special region at a great price, let me know what you think.
Cheers!
Ed
Sunday, September 30, 2018
Mark Herold Wines 2013 Flux Red blend Napa
This wine was brought to my attention by someone who knows that I like red wines, it's a new powerbuy wine at the West Lebanon Liquor store. I've never heard of this wine company but I liked the blend of grapes in this bottling, and in recent years growers in CA have been figuring out where the best places are to grow them.
Flux is a blend of 66% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 14% Mourvedre. Upon opening there are notes of blackberry, black raspberry, a bit of tobacco leaf, and a floral note that reminds me of roses.
The palate matches the nose, with an added hint of blueberry... it's not over extracted, slightly translucent with a nice color. The finish is smooth with fine grained tannins and a berry note.
Day 2 brought more of the berries in the nose, it reminded me of a mixed berry pie smell, the tobacco leaf note is a bit more present but balanced with everything... very interesting. The mouthfeel became a bit more viscous, with the berry flavors blended together, with a spicy note on the finish.
Available at a number of NH Outlet stores in the powerbuy section for $14.99, also at Total Wine in Natick for $27.00 per bottle.... There is also a 15% case discount sale that ends tomorrow night at the NH Outlets....
Cheers!
Ed
This wine was brought to my attention by someone who knows that I like red wines, it's a new powerbuy wine at the West Lebanon Liquor store. I've never heard of this wine company but I liked the blend of grapes in this bottling, and in recent years growers in CA have been figuring out where the best places are to grow them.
Flux is a blend of 66% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 14% Mourvedre. Upon opening there are notes of blackberry, black raspberry, a bit of tobacco leaf, and a floral note that reminds me of roses.
The palate matches the nose, with an added hint of blueberry... it's not over extracted, slightly translucent with a nice color. The finish is smooth with fine grained tannins and a berry note.
Day 2 brought more of the berries in the nose, it reminded me of a mixed berry pie smell, the tobacco leaf note is a bit more present but balanced with everything... very interesting. The mouthfeel became a bit more viscous, with the berry flavors blended together, with a spicy note on the finish.
Available at a number of NH Outlet stores in the powerbuy section for $14.99, also at Total Wine in Natick for $27.00 per bottle.... There is also a 15% case discount sale that ends tomorrow night at the NH Outlets....
Cheers!
Ed
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