Tag: Wines

A Wine Lover’s Weekly Review of $10 Wines – A Red Sicilian Blend

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Please let me apologize. Usually I place these weekly reviews on my website Sunday night or Monday night. This one went up on Tuesday; last night was President Obama’s first prime time news conference. I’m not going to talk about the press conference here, except to repeat that this wine column is our attempt to deal with the present economic problems. We feel that in these very difficult times it’s important to keep your chin up, and to find a way to enjoy life without spending too much money. What can be better than the right $ 10 bottle of wine? We help you find the right ones.

Italy produces many fine wines. We have reviewed about two dozen fine Italian wines, coming from eighteen and soon nineteen of the twenty regions of Italy. Sicily is the number one Italian wine region both in terms of acreage devoted to the wine grape, a whopping third of a million acres, and total production, over two hundred million gallons. In fact, if Sicily were an independent country it would rank seventh in the world for wine production. Now quantity doesn’t necessarily mean quality. The wine reviewed is a blend of the indigenous Nero d’Avola and the international Cabernet Sauvignon, both red grapes. Nero d’Avola wines usually aren’t very expensive but I was quickly able to locate a $ 80 bottle on the web. Cabernet Sauvignon produces some very expensive wines such as the California Opus One costing hundreds of dollars, depending on the vintage. Enough of that; let’s see if this bottle is a good choice for dealing with these hard times.

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

Wine Reviewed
Montalto Nero d’Avola Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007 14% alcohol about $ 8

Let’s start with the marketing materials. Tasting Note: Deep red violet color; dark fruit and spice aromas and flavors; dry, medium to full bodied, long, smooth finish. Serving Suggestion: Roast lamb or beef, meat pastas, and grilled meats. And now for my review.

At first tasting the wine was thin but long with moderate acidity and a touch of oak. The initial meal involved homemade shepherd’s pie. There was dark fruit. The red blend washed the food down pleasantly. It was robust. Simple food, simple wine. Not that there’s anything wrong with it. I added some Turkish Harissa, a hot pepper sauce and the wine followed, picking up some spiciness.

The second meal was a combination of meat balls and recooked steak, slow cooked with potatoes. The Nero d’Avola/Cabernet Sauvignon was now powerful; it definitely packed a punch. I could taste the oak. The length was good.

The final meal was a middle-eastern specialty, kube, also called kibbe, ground meat in jackets made from ground bulgar, in a spicy tomato sauce. It was strange, at the first sip the wine was thin, almost watered. But as I drank more the power built. There was some oak and dark fruit with moderate acidity.

I finished the tasting with two cheeses. The first cheese was a provolone. The wine was balanced with good tannins and moderate acidity. But it was short. A marbled cheddar cheese flattened the wine somewhat. After the cheese the fruit came back.

Final verdict. If you feel like washing down simple meals with a simple wine this is an option. But I think I will keep looking.

Learning About Wines

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Learning about wine takes practice and patience. What tastes good to you may not fare the same with someone else. Trying different wines at restaurants will give an idea of what white and red wines taste like with certain foods. This article will give tips in pairing wines with foods and what temperature to serve them.

Wine is usually made from grapes, but other fruits or berries can also be used. White wines usually go well with chicken, seafood, pork or turkey. Red wines are usually paired with proteins such as beef, duck, lamb, veal and some types of pasta. These suggestions are not always the norm. As you are learning about wines, your personal preference will play a role in what is pleasing to you.

Learning about wine means tasting different varieties. Trying them with different foods at restaurants is one way to get started. Once you’ve found a wine that pleases your palate, your next stop is the local wine shop. If you can find the type of wine that was served in the restaurant, that’s your best bet. If not, browse the section that closely matches your chosen wine. For example, if you enjoyed a white wine, glance through the white wine section.

Once you’ve chosen your bottle of wine, you’ll need to know the best serving temperature. White wines should be served chilled, around 35 degrees Fahrenheit. Some people may want to let white wines warm up to around 50 degrees before serving. When serving red wines, room temperature is the norm-around 60 degrees. If you want to get technical, there are devices that will show the temperature of your wine. You can find these gadgets online or in fine department stores.

Wine doesn’t have to be expensive to be good for you. When consumed in moderation-one to two glasses per day-wine has many health benefits. Wine can reduce coronary disease, promote healthier blood vessels, and decrease the risks of some types of cancer. Learning about wines can not only be a worthwhile hobby, it can also be beneficial to your health.

Fall 2010 Wine Tasting Guide To The Best Of Bc – Wines 12 To 22

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Welcome to part two of the 2010 wine tasting guide to the Best of BC wines. This article will discuss the remaining 11 wines on the list.

12) NKMip Qwam Qwmt Syrah 2007

This full bodied Syrah was aged in French and American oak barrels for 18 months, resulting in a flavour of red berry and plum, along with hints of cedar box and cracked pepper that ends with a smooth vanilla finish.
Price – $ 34.99

13) Osoyoos Larose Grand Vin 2007

Osoyoos Larose’s blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot was aged in 60% new French oak and 40% one-year-old barrels. There is a strong tannin flavour with just a hint of oak. The Grand Vin 2007 will cellar well until 2015.
Price – $ 45.00

14) Painted Rock Red Icon 2007

Painted Rock’s Red Icon is a blend of 33% Cabernet Franc, 20% Petite Verdot, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot and 15 % Malbec that was aged 18 months in new French oak barrels. One can detect ripe fruit, flecked with dried herbs and a meaty leathery note. This red can be cellared until 2013.
Price – $ 54.94

15) Painted Rock Merlot 2007

Painted Rock’s red varietal consists of 97% Merlot and 3% Malbec that was aged 18 months in new French oak, resulting in a red with hints of honey, chocolate and a distinct, yet not overbearing, barrel note.
Price – $ 39.92

17) Poplar Grove Syrah 2007

Poplar Grove’s full-bodied Syrah has noticeable hints of ripe cherry, raspberry with leather and black pepper notes.
Price – $ 29.90

18) Quails Gate Old Vine Foch 2008

Made from vines planted 45 years ago and aged in American oak barrels for 18 months, Quails Gate’s Old Vine Foch has noticeable hints of cinnamon spice, candied cherry, bitter chocolate and tobacco. This wine will cellar well until 2015.
Price – $ 24.99

19) Sandhill Small Lots Barbera 2007

Sandhill Small Lots Barbera is comprised of 91%, Barbera and 9% Sangiovese, resulting in a red with hints of black fruits and plums dusted with spice. Only 270 cases of this were produced, so get them while you can.
Price – $ 30.00

20) Sandhill Small Lots Cabernet Syrah 2007

This 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Syrah was aged in American oak for 20 months. With hints of black fruits, chocolate, spice, black pepper, cedar, black licorice and cherry cordials, this red will go fast, as there were only 420 cases produced.
Price – $ 30.00

21) Sandhill Small Lots Sangiovese 2007

Another limited edition from Sandhill, with only 430 cases being produced, is their blend of 94% Sangiovese and 6% Barbera that was aged in one year old French oak for 20 months, resulting in a red that has hints of cedar, cherry, spice and leather.
Price – $ 30.00

22) Twisted Tree 6 Vines 2008

Twisted Tree is a newcomer into the BC wine community. Their blend of 30% Malbec, 25% Merlot, 15% Petit Verdot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Carmnre and 5% Cabernet Franc has hints of cassis and liquorice. This is yet another wine that you will have to pick-up as soon as possible as there were only 916 cases produced.

Look for part one of the Wine Tasting Guide to the Best of BC article for more tasting information on wines 1 through 11.

Related Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Articles

Wines – Pairing Wine And Pizza

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Till now, beer was seen and considered one of the only options to accompany the popular Italian dish pizzas. But, the pattern has changed now. More and more people liking to combine the Italian treat pizza with classy wines now-a-days. There are various kinds of wines that may be paired with different sorts of pizza toppings. Not all wines can be combined along with all pizzas. There has to have a blend of flavors because pizza has a massive number of flavors ranging from simple onion-garlic pizza to beef and chili pizza.

Considered one of the biggest myths of wine and pizza coupling is that red wine must only be served with pizza owning dark meat toppings. You may pair any appropriate wine together with any meat pizzas, be it dark meat or light meat. Yet, you have to pay extra attention while you’re not following this rule. A gloomy flavored red wine is valued more when paired with seafood pizzas. And among the weirdest combos could be coupling white wine with chili beef or jalapeno flavored pizzas. Along at the end of the day, you need to make use of your own personal judgment and taste buds while coupling any sort of foods and drinks.

All kinds of pizzas might be paired with at the least two nice red and two white wine varieties. All you might want to be careful about is to always select the average wine kinds. Dont go for too bizarre or too strong or excessive sweet. All extreme wine tastes are extremely hard to join up. So, be very simple and usual in your wine selection.

Many of the pizzas are made up of this very acidic tomato sauce, which sometimes retort with wine which makes it a very weak and full-bodied. To attenuate this unenthusiastic result, you possibly can go together with medium-bodied wine choices like Cabernet Sauvignon, California Zinfandel, or Shiraz. You can actually even make it an entire Italian meal by pairing the pizza with Italian Chianti. Additionally, it is better to dish up white pizzas along with earthy Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.

To match the taste and savor of a pizza sauce and topping, it is always highly recommended that you choose more acidic wines. One of the best wine option for any crusty pizza would be a little strong and flavorful. This may mechanically lessen the crust effect of the pizza in the tasty way. Always, confirm the sauce, base, topping and main ingredient for the pizza prior to a pick any complementary wine to match.

Fall 2010 Wine Tasting Guide To The Best Of Bc – First 11 Wines

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The Fall 2010 Best of BC wine list is now out, and with 22 local wines from 13 wineries to choose from, it can be a difficult task for anyone, from the wine expert to novice wine collector. The following list will briefly describe the first 11 wines on the Best of BC list to help you make an informed decision on your purchases.

1) Burrowing Owl Meritage 2007

The 2007 Meritage is a blend of 36% Cabernet Franc, 35% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot. With the aroma of black currant this wine can cellar up to 2018.
Price – $ 44.90

2) Burrowing Owl Syrah 2007

Burrowing Owl’s red varietal, made from 100% Syrah, or Shiraz grapes, was aged in French, American and Russian oak barrels. The resulting vintage contains hints of blackberry, plums and spice and can cellar until 2015.
Price – $ 34.90

3) CedarCreek Platinum Merlot 2007

A red varietal containing 97.3% Merlot and only 2.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, CedarCreek’s Platinum Merlot was aged 20 months in 100% French oak barrels, resulting in a Merlot that has hints of raspberry, blueberry, chocolate, spice and oak. This red can cellar for the next 10 years.
Price – $ 34.90

4) CedarCreek Platinum Meritage 2007

CedarCreek’s 44% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Malbec, 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot blend can cellar up to 15 years. With its hint of ripe black fruit like blackberries and plums this isn’t a wine to miss out on.
Price – $ 35.00

5) Inniskillin Okanagan Discovery Series Tempranillo 2007

Inniskillin’s red varietal uses 100% Tempranillo grapes and was aged in 100% French oak barrels. With this red you can detect hints of dark cherry, plum and oak.
Price – $ 29.99

6) Jackson-Triggs Grand Reserve Cabernet Shiraz Viognier 2007

Jackson-Triggs 51% Cabernet Sauvignon and 49% Shiraz blend was aged in 50% French and 50% American oak barrels for 18 months, resulting in an aromatic nose of ripe blackcurrant with undertones of spice.
Price – $ 29.99

7) Laughing Stock Portfolio 2007

Blending Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, Laughing Stock’s 2007 Portfolio was aged in French oak barrels for 19 months and has hints of candied cherry, black berries and dark chocolate.
Price – $ 40.00

8) Mission Hill Compendium 2007

The 2007 Compendium is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Cabernet Franc, 21% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. The nose of this wine includes of red currants, cedar, cinnamon and hints of mint, which gives way to notes of dried earth, sage, plum and sundried blackberries. This red is drinkable now and can cellar through to 2015-2017.
Price – $ 40.00

9) Mission Hill Quatrain 2007

The Mission Hill blend of 42% Merlot, 24% Syrah, 19% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon in the Quatrain 2007 has hints of ripe fruit, pepper and oak.
Price – $ 45.00

10) NKMip Qwam Qwmt Meritage 2007

This 75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc blend was aged in 80% French and 20% American oak barrels for 18 months. The fragrant nose of blueberry and ripe blackberry give way to a taste of rich cocoa, coffee bean and spice, with a smokey finish.
Price – $ 30.00

11) NKMip Qwam Qwmt Pinot Noir 2008

As the name suggests, this red varietal is made from 100% pinot noir grapes and has an inviting nose that displays elements of black cherry and plum with a hint of rosemary spice. As for taste, one can detect a substantial berry and spice flavour with a smooth oak finish.
Price – $ 30.00

Remember to look for part two of this article for tasting information on the Best of BC wines, 12 through 22.

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