Category: Malbec Wine

A Wine Lover’s Weekly Guide To $10 Wines – A Peloponnesian Greek Wine

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This will be our third Greek wine review. The first was a sweet wine from the island of Samos. Then came a red from the island of Crete also made by today’s producer. Now we continue with a white from the Peloponnesian peninsula. This particular wine comes from pink Rhoditis grapes in the foothills near Patras at an elevation of about 650 to 1500 feet (200 to 450 meters). The producer Kourtaki has the largest wine production facility in all Greece, which is not surprising when you consider that it is the largest producer in the country. What may be surprising is that they are the first in Europe to use the patented “Crystal Flow” wine stabilization method. There is a lot happening in the world of wine, and Greece is no exception. By the way, should you so desire they still bottle and sell that classic standby, Retsina. Don’t look for a review of Retsina here. Ever. And yes, I have tasted it.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed Kourtakis Kouros Patras 2008 11.9% alcohol about $ 10 Let’s start by quoting the marketing materials.

“Tasting Note : Straw/lemon yellow color; lanolin, lemon and mineral aroma; crisp apple & lemon flavor; light body; crisp finish. Serving Suggestion : Pasta salad & olive oil dressing; fried seafood” And now for my review.

At the first sips the wine presented refreshing acidity. It was lemony. The initial meal centered on a soy-barbecued chicken breast. The wine showed strong lemon with good acidity. It was tasty. I got the feeling of the Greek seaside. The meal included an old favorite of mine, potatoes roasted in chicken fat. (The Greeks do their roasted potatoes differently.) The wine cut the grease. With a white corn and black bean salsa the wine’s acidity picked up but its fruit descended. With the dessert of fruit juice candy I got the lanolin that I had been promised.

The next meal involved a packaged eggplant rolatini with tomatoes, ricotta and mozzarella cheese that I slathered with grated Parmesan Cheese. This wine presented strong lemon flavor and acidity with a moderate length. Dessert was a high-quality, French lemon pie with a buttery crust. The wine was thin and yet pleasant. The two lemons meshed.

My final meal involved an omelet perked up with garlic powder and crushed chillies. The wine was pleasantly acidic and round with a side of moderately spicy guacamole. The wine became more acidic but remained pleasant and refreshing. This was a summer terrace wine. Before the traditional two cheeses I enjoyed some Matjes herring. The wine became sweet with a delicate lemon flavor. This was a pretty good pairing.

The first cheese was a local Provolone. This relatively flat cheese managed to weaken the wine. With a nutty Swiss, the wine wasn’t very present and not worth wasting on the cheese.

Final verdict. I have no plans to buy this wine again. There is just too much competition out there. But it did come close. Why can’t they do better?

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Whether Wine Cellar or Wine Racks, What Are Your Wine Storage Needs?

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Proper wine storage is the best way to protect your quality wines so that they last for a long time. Wine storage provides the perfect temperatures and maximum storage space so that you can find the wines you want easily and quickly. There are many specialty companies that create storage units in a variety of options. Wood and metal racks are available as well as cooling units, cabinets and fridges. Some are elegant and some are simple, and they come in different shapes and sizes to meet your needs. Your choice will depend on your taste, supply and budget. The most popular choices include racks, cabinets, table top units and rack cubes.

 

Wine Racks

 

Racks come in wood and metal. They are also available for commercial businesses. This is the easiest solution if a person has a small supply of bottles. With regards to the wood racks, there are usually a few different shades to choose from. They also come in many different sizes and shapes. There are table top racks, scalloped racks, display top racks and other styles for wood racks. They are perfect for the decoration of any elegant room. They are elegant and beautiful additions to any collection. If you are not interested in wooden wine racks, then you can choose a metal base. Metal racks come in 36” or 48” sizes. They are also available for decorative bottlers or larger bottles. There are also floor to ceiling frames that can add character to any room. Finally, commercial racks are larger and come in wood or metal, allowing companies to choose which option best suites their place of business.

 

Wine Cabinets

 

Cabinets offer elegance and safe storage for your wine collection. They are a great addition to any living or dining room. There are also built in cooling systems to protect your supply. Cabinets are usually made out of high quality oak but can come in different shades. They come in 220, 330 or 440 bottle storage sizes. Some companies may also have a credenza cabinet with a 216 bottle storage and cooling system. Depending on the company, it might be possible to customize your own style and color to match your home. The cooling units have temperature adjustments and professionally designed storage to protect your investment. They may be considered storage space, but these beautifully handcrafted cabinets are made so that you and your guests will be amazed.

 

Table Top Units

 

Table top units come in different shades of wood. They store anywhere from 24 to 48 bottles safely in a limited space. This option is for people who want to store a limited supply in a small space. The wines can be displayed for guests to see, giving them a variety of options to choose from. Pine and redwood are the most popular wood finishes, and they can complement any home. They are also affordable, practical, sturdy and attractive additions to any kitchen, living or dining room.

 

Wine Rack Cubes

 

Rack cubes are modern and easy storage units for about 24 bottles. They are designed to save space and create a neat look whether in a wine cellar or dining room area. Cubes come in many different sizes and a few wood colors. Two shades of pine and two shades or redwood are available for buyers to choose from. Sometimes two rack cubes can be purchased to be placed side by side or on top of each other. If your selection is larger, then four can be bought to create a large storage cube. There are also bins to store cases and other items and supplies. These may be placed in a wine cellar for storage and organization.

 

WineRacksAmerica has many different options for your wine storage needs. They range in color, size and style. Check out their inventory to find the perfect storage system that meets your taste, budget and supply.

Wine With Your Burger?

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The return of blue skies and sunshine means dusting off the grill for a backyard BBQ. And with Five Guys as our neighbors, more often than not we see people looking to pair wine with their burger and fries. This conjures up images of that scene from Sideways where Paul Giamatti is sitting in the burger joint with his 1961 Cheval Blanc, wolfing down a juicy cheeseburger. Obviously that is not what we are suggesting, but we would like to share with you some pairings should you choose to enjoy with either a Five Guys burger or simply throwing some patties on the grill to share with family and friends at home.

The perception has always been beer with burgers, but with gourmet foodies have been changing the image of the burger as we know it. Think bleu cheese & bacon, green chili & swiss, olives & feta, caramelized onion, mushroom stuffed, lemon & garlic Aioli with avocado, sweet potato fries, etc. With a multitude of flavors and a solid backing of red meat, why not pair with your favorite Cabernet, Zinfandel or Merlot?

Ladera Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 $ 30

Pair this one with your heartiest burger chili burger with a heavy dose of sharp cheddar cheese, Southern style BBQ sauce with caramelized onions, or splurge with a topping of sliced foie gras and truffles.

Duckhorn Merlot 2006 $ 40

The blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot make this a complex, elegant wine with intense fruits and soft tannins. Pair this with a lightly topped burger, perhaps with just a sampling of some good cheese try mild cheeses like Brie or goat cheese.

Dont eat red meat? Try:

Van Duzer Pinot Noir Rose $ 15

This dry style, fruit forward rose will pair perfectly with a chicken or ground turkey burger. Top your chicken burger with whole green chilis, Southwestern style Thousand Island, swiss cheese and guacamole. With your ground turkey try a cranberry chutney with Gorgonzola.

For more burger ideas, check out Saveur.com or just click on the link below

http://www.saveur.com/solrSearchResults.jsp?q=burger

Thanksgiving Wine Picks

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Along with that glorious Thanksgiving feast, another critical consideration is the wine that can accompany the meal. Here are some top picks of white wine for Thanksgiving drinks to make that meal go down sweeter and smoother. White wine is the customary accompaniment to white meat.

Chardonnay

This wine that leaves a multi-layered taste of different fruits will make a wonderful accompaniment for that turkey and fruit-flavored stuffing and sauce like that made with cranberry. A full-bodied, well rounded very good Chardonnay will incorporate tastes of citrus, perhaps apricot and other lush fruits.

Beaujolais Nouveau

This is another favorite for Thanksgiving dinner. It’s normally the very initial vintage to be released. Beaujolais Nouveau comes from the Gamay grape which has thin skin and really little, if any tannins. It has a light, red fruit flavor and just a hint of banana taste. Its lightness indicates one can appreciate it at the table with the food and still get pleasure from a stronger or totally unique after-dinner Thanksgiving drink.

Riesling

This white wine is offered as very dry or medium which is fairly sweet. Either way, this wine is fantastic with Thanksgiving dinner thanks to its mix of fruit flavors like apricot and apple, the honey and clarifying acidity which goes well with herbs and fruit flavored turkey sauces such cranberry sauce.

Sauvignon Blanc

This 1 will go down well with a bite of turkey thanks to its citrusy taste that makes a good accompanying undertone to herbs within the meal.

Pinot Grigio

This 1 will please the palate when it combines with the taste of onions, garlic and herbs that will go into the primary dish and side dishes.

Gewurtraminer

This is one more white wine with an aromatic punch and a spicy undertone which will improve the taste of turkey and all of the herbs in it. Its an additional Thanksgiving favorite.

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Make Wine in Your Kitchen

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Have you ever thought of perhaps ceating your special wine? It must be exciting to taste wine which you made on your own. If you have indeed though about homemade wine and want to understand how it works, there may be one place with plenty of information. It is extremely easy to locate homemade wine recipes using the internet. You just type in your keywords and you will have plenty of results to select from. Indeed, having tons to choose from may cause quite a headache for some people. Just how do you choose from among tens of thousands of homemade wine recipes?

Especially if you have no clue which are good and which are horrific recipes? You do not know which recipe is nice but you do ought to make a choice and stick with that choice. You check the equipment which are required for the recipe and see if you already have them. You might want to select one that you could do using the equipment you already have. Should you not have any equipment, buy a wine making kit which can be priced anywhere between $ 80 and $ 200.

You should also choose the type of grape that you really want to work with and buy them at the quantity that you will want for the recipe and maybe some extra just in case you make mistakes. The homemade recipe and also the kit will give you steps on how to process your grapes. Once that is done, you go on and ferment your grape juice inside a cloth covered container. This is known as primary fermentation which will take 3 to 10 days. After primary fermentation, you move on to secondary fermentation and after that you remove the sediments using a tube in a process called racking. Once you’re finished with every one of the steps, you can actually bottle your brew.

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