In A Malbec Kind of Mood

The Malbec grape originated in France, but Argentinian Malbec wines are quickly coming to the red wine forefront.  At dinner a few weeks ago, my host ordered a bottle of Malbec, and I tried it for the first time.  It reminds me of Merlot, but it is much more intense, complex and full of flavor.

I gave up Merlot several years ago. The ones I tried had become too sweet, too mellow, too bland and too uninteresting.  I still think Merlot make for an easy introduction to red wine for the novice winedrinker, but overall I've not found one with the rich complexity of a Cabernet or (now) a Malbec.

Tonight's wine comes from the vineyards of Finca La Celia, a Mendoza winery that has been around since 1890.  Though I didn't know that little tidbit when I bought the wine, that's got to count for something right?  Longevity in the wine business generally means quality (unless it means really, really cheap).  At any rate, what really convinced me to try this particular wine was the "Oak Aged" note on the front of the label. 

In France, the Malbec grape has gone into somewhat of a decline.  Even though it is one of only 5 grape varieties that can be blended to make Bordeaux, its susceptability to various blights and a killing frost in the 1950's really set it into the background, behind Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapes which are hardier varietals.  Argentina embraced the Malbec grape.  Many Argentinian vineyards from a planting or two taken from France.  Now, it has practically become the national grape of Argentina.  Argentina's highest caliber Malbecs come from the high altitude Mendoza region, which coincidentally, is where Finca La Celia winery is located.

The Malbec grape produces a deep red wine.  The La Finca 2011 is so richly red, that if you hold up a glass to the light, you will not be able to see through it.  When you get to that last tablespoon of a sip, hold it to the light  and you will be rewarded with a beautiful, deep ruby shine.  But then, you should go ahead and enjoy that last sip.

The La Finca greets you with an intensely spicy vanilla aroma. The secondary smell you'll get is a rich, black currant, making for a delightful combination on the nose.  On your first sip, you'll experience a lovely smooth ripe fruit on the palate, with a warm finish.  The tannins are silky, not harsh, and combine with the oakiness for a nice, subtle richness that is delicate at the same time.

Locally, this can only be found at Trader Joe's, so you may not find it in even your best grocer's wine shop.  It's modestly priced, and I would recommend for any meat or red sauce pasta dish.  It would also be nice for sipping around the patio with friends, on a cool evening.

Grape Thoughts

"Even the most inspired red Bordeaux, that cunning mixture of cabernet and merlot, can't fill the head with spiced dreams quite like the great Burgundies. No other red wine can balance spice and fruit so....flirtatiously, can seem at once so ripe and fragile, so decadent and clean, so irresistible. And, it's fair to say, no other red wines can drive the poor writer to such extravagant prolixity." Marq de Villiers, the Heartbreak Grape: A Journey in Search of the Perfect Pinot Noir.

Like Liquid Grape Jam

That was my first thought when I poured a glass of the Raven's Glenn Raven Rouge, a semi-sweet red wine, grown and vinted practically in my backyard.  Well, at least it's an Ohio wine.  A friend from Tuscarawas County calls his part of Ohio "God's Country".  This is where the Raven's Glenn Winery resides, in a small town called West Lafayette, OH.  I received this bottle as a gift at Christmas.  Honestly, I've been reluctant to open it, mostly because I generally HATE Ohio wines.  They are usually too sticky-sweet for me. 

But, in desperation last night, I found the last bottle of red in the house.  It was the Raven's Glenn Raven Rouge.  (Another reason to dislike Ohio wines.... Raven's Glenn?  Do they mean "glen" like a pretty little place out in the woods, or do they mean "Glenn" an unusually old-fashioned guy's name?  So ambiguous!!!  And don't ask why I was in a desparate mood last night.  Suffice to say, I WAS!)

The Raven's Glenn label calls their Raven Rouge a wine of "concords blended in an elegant style".  I'm not sure I would agree.  Seriously, it's not elegant and no matter what they write about it, it won't make it elegant.  It's like drinking Welch's with a shot of alcohol squirted in as a bonus.  They should serve it up in a jelly glass.

After two glasses last night, here was my initial reaction:  GRAPE GRAPE GRAPE GRAPE CONCORD GRAPE GRAPE GRAPE!   The only way I might have enjoyed it more were if it was slightly chilled and there were actually concord grapes ready for harvest on my grapevine in the garden.  That and a slice of sharp cheddar or maybe some crackers with an olive tapenade.... Mouth watering yet?For years, the majority of Ohio wines came from the Lake Erie region.  They were vinted from Catawba and Concord grapes, and probably others.  But I quit drinking them shortly after grad school.  They were seriously sickly-sweet - more about alcohol and less about flavor, nuance, experience.   In short - no thanks.  This Raven Rouge is sweet, there is no getting around it's sweetness.  But the beautiful, unique flavor of the Concord Grape stands above any other.  Some may taste tannins or oaks or leather or chocolate in this wine.  I'd say they're lyin!  This is pure concord grape, with it's sweet inner-grape sweetness and just a hint of the grape-peel tartness.  I'd recommend enjoying this chilled on a warm summer day with a good pizza or meatball sandwich, or in the fall or winter with cheese and crackers.

After trying this, I plan to put the Raven's Glenn winery on my list of "must-see this summer" and head down south.  I saw on their website they have a raspberry wine.  Sounds perfect for the 4th of July!

Stuff You Find In Wine Bottles

It's been a while, but a month or so ago, I uncorked a 2006 bottle of Merlot from Whitman Cellars.  Color was good, cork was wet, tasted just fine.  Until I got to the last sweet sip, and that's when the glass-like substance crunched against my teeth and tongue. ......... gggggihck!  What's this!!

As it turns out, sediment is what it was, and "normal" is also what you could call it.  No matter - it's still gross when it hits the gullet.  Naturally I contacted Whitman Cellars to tell them it raised quite an alarm with me and my guest.  Ms. Denise Musick was quite accomodating and offered to send me a replacement bottle for my trouble.  And she made good on her offer, the replacement bottle arrived this week.  She also sent this information to me regarding sediment, and which I will share with you.

"Sediment in a wine bottle is a very normal thing, especiall for wine bottles that are more than a couple years old.

Sediment is not a bad sign but in fact may indicate a superior wine.  It's the natural separation of bitartrates, tannins, and color pigments that occurs as wines age.  Although generally associated with finer red wines, sediment occasionally appears in white wines, usually in the form of nearly colorless crystals.  For port drinkers, the term crust, synonymous with sediment, is often used.  Sediment should be allowed to settle completely before the wine is decanted into another container so that when the wine is served none of the deposit will transfer to the glass.  You can also simply allow the bottle to sit upright for a while until all of the sediment settles to the bottom, then pour the wine off slowly leaving the sediment in the bottom.

Many wines are stored in an upside down position to keep the cork moist during aging.  In this case, sediments may congregate around the neck of the bottle and be visible upon uncorking.  You can simply wipe the inside of the neck clean with your finger or a light paper towel an then let the bottle settle a while before serving."

Thanks Denise!  I appreciate the education and the complimentary bottle of wine. 

Firesteed Cellars, Rickreall, Oregon

Snow fell heavily in most of the midwest and northeast over the weekend.  Cold, snowy weather outside is always a reason for me to build a fire in the fireplace and enjoy a nice red wine and a good book inside. 

I had been looking for another bottle of the 14 Hands merlot at the wine store, when the clerk recommended this wine, the Firesteed 2007 Pinot Noir, instead.  After reading the wine notes on the label, I thought I'd give it a shot.  "A bright, easy to drink version of the classic Burgundian grape, this pinot noir is a medium-bodied red wine with exuberant (exuberant?)cherry and berry fruit flavors and aromoas."  "Ok", I thought to myself, "I'll try it this weekend.  Who can walk away from EXUBERANT on a snowy February evening in Ohio?"

I've enjoyed Oregon wines before and I was definitely open to trying a new one - even though it was from a "cellars", not a winery.  If you remember, "cellars" will typically buy grapes from vineyards and create their own wines, "wineries" grow their own grapes and develop their own wines.  In many cases, it's a minor difference, and one I try not to get too snobby about.  Besides, I liked their rendition of a horse on the label.

I opened it on Saturday night and enjoyed my first glass.  It is a rich medium-bodied wine, as promised on the label.  At first the spicyness threw me off.  It was almost smoky and tobacco-filled.  But the second glass was smooth and filled with a blend of summer fruits - raspberry and strawberry especially came through.  The Firesteed Pinot Noir is an elegant dinner wine and has a very nice finish.  I would recommend it with pork or chicken, or just one or two glasses on their own.  This particular wine is 12.4% alcohol and was born from grapes sourced from throughout the Willamette, Umpqua, Rogue and Walla Walla Valleys, creating a truly Oregon blend.  The grapes were fermented in stainless steel tanks with selected yeasts propagated from cellars in Burgundy, pressed during the last days of fermentation, and racked as soon as the wine finished malolactic fermentation. Just a touch of barrel-aged wine (about 20%) was included in the blend to round out the flavors and enhance complexity

Apparently Firesteed began its life as a "virtual winery" in Oregon, buying grapes from around the region and processing them at a local winery who had extra capacity.  In 2003, Firesteed purchased Flynn vineyards and developed the brand into a "traditional" winery in Oregon.  I don't know their reasoning for this - maybe it was the right price, right place, right time to buy a winery and surrounding vineyards.  Maybe the owner just wanted a cool tasting room.  Who knows?

I'd recommend a stop at their tasting room and retail shop.  Next time I'm in the area, I will definitely make a point to visit.  Their  hours are daily from 11am to 5pm. (I still think it's so funny that many Oregon wineries close their tasting rooms at 5....)  Located 13 miles west of Salem, Oregon and 2 miles north of the intersection of Pacific Highway (99W) and Highway 22.

Corte Alla Flora - Red Wine Cultivated and Bottled in Tuscany

I decided I want to pack up my family and head to Italy for Christmas this year.  There are only four of us so it would be relatively easy to pack for a week.  I had plenty of time off from work and plenty of airline miles to spare.  Stateside, snow had not yet fallen, but the chill of deep winter was in the air and snow threatened over the next day or so.  We had already had our family visits, so Christmas seemed the perfect time to abandon the hustle-bustle of the states and return to the slower pace of Italy, if only for a week.  The temperate climate, the friendly people, the delicious, soul-fulfilling food, and the incredible wines beckoned me.  It had been far too long since I set foot in Italy.  And this Christmas, I wanted to share Italy with my family.  Alas, my "real" budget (the post-Christmas budget) said I would be able to afford a quick trip to my favorite wine specialist instead, where I would have to choose a lovely Italian table wine to complement tonight's dinner - simple pasta with Italian sausage and meatballs.

With tonight's dinner, I wanted to try a wine I had never tried before, so I chose the Toscana Rosso from Corte alla Flora.  Corte Alla Flora is a winery situated in the beautiful countryside of Tuscany, Italy.  Though the winery is only about ten years old, the wines they make are as old as time.  They are vested in classic, old school, Italian wines - like Grappa, Nocino and Toscana Rosso but have also embraced today's more popular wines, including a Syrah, Cabernet, Merlot and even olive oil!

I chose this wine for several reasons - one - it is estate produced and bottled and I like to try wines from the smaller wineries; two - it was only $11.99; three - it's authentically Italian, and four - it came well recommended for a hearty pasta dish, which is what we were having for dinner tonight.  Going back to estate produced and bottled and why I look for that in a wine.  Typically, an estate-produced wine is going to have better quality control and the winery will take more care in its production.  These wines are produced from grapes that are only grown at that specific winery.  They don't buy grapes from other wineries to blend, or produce a wine.  Also, estate-produced wines generally mean a smaller production.  And in my experience, I've just liked them better.

The wine itself, 2007 Podere Del Giuggiolo, Toscana Rosso, is a very dry, red table wine.  Corte alla Flora starts this wine in oak casks, then ages them for 6 months in stainless steel, then 6 months in the bottle.   Once poured, the deep cranberry color is edged in brown hues within the glass.  I refrigerated the bottle for 20 minutes, then corked it and let it sit for about ten minutes.  I think it's dry, with a slight hint of oak and red fruits.  Delicious with a simple rustic, pasta and sausage meal.  It didn't seem overly complicated and my impression is it will improve with age.

It is a very nice introduction to Tuscan reds, as it is relatively straightforward and would be quite drinkable with pasta, cheeses, and spicy dishes.

Wine and Women

There is nothing like good food, good wine and a bad girl...  -Fortune Cookie

Three Rivers Winery - 2006 Merlot

The Three Rivers Winery is located in Walla Walla, Washington, the town so nice you have to say it twice.  I was there on business earlier this year, and had the

fortunate opportunity to sample wines from five of the local wineries. 

Three Rivers is located a few miles west of Walla Walla and is named for the three rivers of the area:  the Snake, the Walla Walla and the Columbia Rivers.  Walla Walla itself is located in the Columbia Valley, a wine-making area since the 1970's, but really starting to find a national following since the early 2000's.   I learned that Three Rivers is one of the oldest wineries in the area, and they use grapes from various vineyards around the Columbia Valley.

While in Walla Walla, I visited the local community college.  They happened to have a program on vinticulture, and my guide was pleased to tell me about the area.  The Columbia Valley in general, and Walla Walla in particular, is located in the high desert of Washington, bordered on one side by mountains and to the west there is just dry, high plains.  This unique combination of dry warm days and cool nights helps create some really great grapes.  Until I visited the area, I was most familiar with their white wines.  But Walla Walla wineries are better known for their reds.

We sampled a few of their wines and I settled on the 2006 Champoux Vineyard Merlot.  It was a little pricy for my ordinary purchase (around $40) but I had the idea I would save this beautiful merlot for a special occasion, my 20th wedding anniversary later in the year.  It seemed like it would make an ideal companion to a nice meal of filet mignon, potatoes, spinach and a salad.

My anniversary has come and gone, and we did not have the delicious filet mignon dinner I had originally planned.  But the days and evenings have quickly grown much cooler, and I made a pasta/sausage and tomato casserole, something hearty to warm us all up on an early fall evening.  I thought this wine would compliment the meal quite well, especially since the house is cooler than it has been in months.

I was not disappointed.  I uncorked the merlot about 15 minutes before the meal was served.   One glass with dinner was very nice.  It was a smooth merlot, but not the usual winy-yet-bland merlot you'll sometimes get with a mass-produced merlot.  The rich yet subtle tastes of the wine really unfolded as dinner wore on.  Initially, it was only marginally better than many mid-range merlots I've had. 

But then I poured my second glass.  And as the temperature in my house went down a few degrees, so did the temperature of the wine.  And that is when the richness of the wine was truly revealed.  What had initially begun as a tasy merlot (but is it really worth $40?) blossomed with the chillier temperature and became a superior example of all that a merlot should be.  Hints of chocolate and coffee comingled with a slight slight whiff of cherry.  The blend of the three provided a truly distinctive merlot.  As I sit here finishing my second, cooler glass, I am really torn between pouring another one, just to experience that rich, taste again.  Only 210 cases were produced, so it is truly a boutique wine.  I don't know if any bottles are still available, but I would wholeheartedly recommend this wine for a special occasion.  Definitely serve it with red meat.  It was very good with the pasta and sausage, but it deserves a place beside steak and veggies.

Alcohol content:  14%  Approximate Price per bottle:  $40.00

Pour Judgement

"Having always heard that reds were supposed to be served warm, I was surprised when Jessica Engel of the Loire Valley Wine Bureau told me, Au contraire.  Reds, especially young ones, need a little chill.  Back when people lived in castles, room temperature was on the cold side.  But unless you keep your house at 55 degrees, dunking any bottle in ice water for five minuts will make it better."  Darcy Jacobs, Executive Editor of Family Circle.

A Toast!

According to my German friends, when you raise your glasses for a toast in Germany, you only raise them and point towards each other, unlike in the U.S. where we like to hear our glasses clink and clunk.  In Germany, the only time you clink your glasses in toast is when your mug is filled with beer.

Red, White and Room Temp - How do I decide?

Experts sometimes have a way of making ordinary things inaccessible to the average person.   I think this has happened with good wines over time.  We all know that white wine should be served chilled, and red wine should be served at room temperature.  But how cold is chilled and what room are we talking about?  I've heard the oenophile go on about how red wine should be served at approximately 57 degreees Fahrenheit, because that would be the approximate room temperature of a medieval castle...  Huh?  We all know how snobby those medieval wine drinkers were!  Nonetheless, I have to admit that when I was younger, and "in-the-know", I just kept both wines in the fridge.... that way the white would definitely be chilled and the red would be medieval-room temperature.  On a really hot day, I would chill things down with an ice cube or two!  Thankfully, my palate has improved over time and so has my treatment of a bottle of wine.

The best answer I ever heard to the question of "at what temperature should I serve wine?" is very simple and easy to remember:

White wine:  Chill in refrigerator at least a couple of hours, then remove from refrigerator and open 1/2 hour before you plan to serve it.  This allows the wine to breathe and the temperature will lower but still be chilled.  You can taste the difference between a glass of wine that is right out of the fridge and one that has been on the counter for 20 minutes or so.  The warmer, chilled wine reveals more complex taste and textures than the wine that comes right out of the fridge.  I recommend you try this yourself so you can taste the difference.

Red wine: Chill in the refrigerator for 1/2 hour before you plan to serve it.  Then remove it from the fridge, open it and serve within the next 5-10 minutes.  This slight chilling affects the red wine in a most positive way!  You can still admire the complexity of the wine, and the slight chill provides a refreshment that you might not get if the wine is strictly "room temperature", particularly if your room is warm.  Again, I would recommend you try red wine both ways, and see if you can detect the difference.