So, I have to say, I’m kind of loving this new wine pairing app for the iPhone.
It’s call Pair It! and it’s something I’m actually using for once. It’s functions are quite detailed, thorough, and severely useful. Especially for party throwers. Pairtastic. The swirl button is pretty darn fun, but make no mistake, it is a serious app.
As the site puts it: “Created by renowned wine pairing expert, chef and educator Bruce Riezenman from the Sonoma County Wine Country. His novel approach to wine pairing has won him praise and awards. The app lets you discover, experiment, and savor new taste combinations and wine flavors by searching over 20,000 food and wine pairings”.
Take a look over at Pair It! and see what you think.
Well, you may have noticed I have been at little MIA lately… taught my first wine and cheese class, had another successful Thanksgiving craft fair, had multiple dental visits, tons of show deadlines and a million other distractions. Some some great, some pretty lousy. But that’s life isn’t it? All I know is that I am about ready to have a little pumpkin pie, Macy’s Parade and Chevy Chase in Christmas Vacation…. also known as Thanksgiving Day.
This Thanksgiving, I am certainly grateful. A great job, family and an amazing new set of friends I have been blessed with this year. And a Thanksgiving Day Potluck!
Here are Wine Unfiltered’s wine choices for this year’s Turkey Day. Lots of versatility, lots of aroma. And some fab wine treats for dessert. Be warned, I love very aromatic, lush wines for Thanksgiving. It’s a day to splurge on flavor!
ON THE MENU:
The dinner whites:
Brut Campagne Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin : True Champagne. Perfect way to start. And Finish. And sip throughout come to think of it.
Saarloos and Sons ‘Daughters’ Chardonnay 2007 -Santa Barbara County : Tons of pear, crisp, light and super aromatic. Saarloos always takes their time with their wine and you can taste it.
Demetria 2008 Chardonnay -Santa Barbara County : Pretty and crisp. Almost a smidge of effervescence. Lovely fruit, well structured. Screams turkey.
La Crema 2007 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast : Oaky, traditional, rich and dependable. Kind of like Thanksgiving.
Demetria 2006 Viognier -Santa Ynez Valley : Beautiful. Light yet viscous. Shades of aromatic flowers, ripe fruit and zippy finish.
The dinner reds:
Demetria 2006 Cuvee Sandra Pinot Noir -Santa Rita Hills : Can you tell I love Demetria? There pretty much isn’t a wine I don’t like from them. Everything you wish a Pinot Noir was. Every time. ‘Nuff said.
Dahlia 2008 Reserve Pinot Noir -Monterey County : Nice. Light, versatile, hint of oak, raspberry.
La Vie 2006 Black Mountain Reserve Pinot Noir -Santa Lucia Highlands : Brilliant. Smooth berries, oak, refined and very elegant. A lot of love went into this.
The dessert/aperitif wines:
Chien 2008 Edelzwicker -Santa Barbara County : Lovely with almost any cheese course. Rich, tons of crisp green apple finish.
Castello Di Amorosa Gewurztraminer 2007 Anderson Valley : New! TBD
La Vie 2007 Late Harvest Chardonnay Santa Lucia Highlands : Like a Red Label Tokai for less. Tons of honey and richness, tart end. I am counting the hours to when I have this with my Aged Gouda after pie.
AND….Some of the late night movie-fest wine options:
Ghost Pines Cabernet Sauvigonon Winemakers Blend 2006, Palo Alto Reserve 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Magnificat 2005 Vintage Red Napa Valley, The Prisoner 2007 Napa Valley Red Orin Swift Cellars St Helena, Saarloos and Sons 194 Five Reunion 2008 Syrah Santa Ynez.
HAVE A GREAT THANKSGIVING,
And may all of your family, friends and wines be filled with love!
Leaves turning. Harvest Festival. Boots come out. Halloween around the corner. Heavy red wines flourish. That is, if you don’t live in Los Angeles.
Sigh….
Well, I can at least enjoy the other part of the Autumnal Equinox that doesn’t have anything to do with druids or school buses. Returning Fall TV shows. Not all of them are repped here of course, and not all are premiering again right now (like Chuck or Lost for example), but it’s a good start. Time to pull out the playbook and plan my wine pairing strategy for a few of this seasons shows. But in typical Wine Unfiltered style, this is not a food pairing.
It’s the other kind.
FRINGE
Premieres Sept. 17 on FOX
Now, I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, I’m not a dessert wine fan. Well, it’s more that I am picky about my sweet wines.
But this out of this world addictive Hungarian gold monster is hard to walk away from.
When you drink a Tokaji, it is a slow sipping, deliberate experience. You think it’s going to be just another sweet wine and this it ends up being something unusual and unexpected. In a very good way. Pretty much like Fringe.
Aromas of apricot, light honey, stone, sea and dried pitted fruit. At only 10% alcohol, you’ll stay awake nicely. Which you will need to keep up with what the heck’s going on with Fringe’s plots. There is tons of acidity for a dessert wine, which makes this a nice crisp, clean drink with plenty of texture.
It just explodes with a cheese course, but also just yumtastic with some dessert. Even if it is just doughnuts, Captain Crunch and midnight milkshakes. Walter would approve.
DOLLHOUSE
Premieres Sept. 18 on FOX
When you think of Viognier, it will often emotes images of little white flowers, sweet melon, honey and pineapple.
This appropriately named wine is more Dollhouse style. Like Ecko, at first glance it is delicate and smooth, but once you get closer to smell and taste, it hits you with a one two punch. Sharp crisp acidity, geraniums, lemon verbena, dried stone fruits and weighty, big juicy peaches. Okay. Get your mind out of the gutter.
Hit that puppy with some spicy foods such as Thai or Vietnamese cuisine, curries and hot hot coconut as well as stiletto heels and a gun. Unless you’re a guy. Then gun. Just the gun.
Silky smooth, with deep spice, sweet berry fruit and the barest hint of bonfire. It is supremely aromatic, opulent and well rounded. Sounds like Castle to me. Well, maybe not the aromatic part. Although, he probably would be.
This is a Grenache heavy wine. If Richard Castle were a wine, he probably would be a Grenache based wine. As I mentioned in my article Super Grapes, Grenache takes on a new sense of power and new-found flavors when mixed with others. Grenache also softens harsher partners but is prone to oxidation and damage from them. Castle himself is deliciously interesting, sharp, fine, charming, and especially shines when mixed in a crowd. He is also always trying to soften Detective Beckett to let her guard down. But when she’s hurt, he feels the damage as well.
Should be a fun match. Now all you will need is a pair of onion goggles, laser tag outfit and Manhattan skyline to complete the evening.
* The Rhone region of southeast France growing old vine Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre.
Scent of vanilla, hint of oak. Medium ripe berries with sweet spices. Superbly balanced, smooth and light.
House doesn’t have time to take any crap. A Pinot Noir, one with high antioxidants and delivers everything that should be there. No fuss, no muss. Very nice. Get on with it.
Then again, House does like monster trucks and pissing people off, so he would probably just throw the wine in together with beer, whiskey, skittles and crushed ice in a big brown paper bag wrapped jug while limping down a hallway making snide remarks.
Thought to be a genetic mutant of the Pinot Noir grape, Pinot Grigio is a grayish blue fruit. The wine color produced can morph from deep gold, to copper, even light pink or salmony yellow. Depending on the maker, this wine can go from subtle, innocuous and invisible, to powerful flavors and extremely aromatic, and even agile lightweight, lean or peppery. Very versatile with many foods and many situations.
Heroes is nothing if not that. I mean it was in awesome season 1. But THAT conversation is another article all together. Anyhoo, my choice? The ever versatile, ever changing (even three days later) 2008 Graffigna Pinot Grigio $11.50
Pale white gold with an almost imperceptible pink hue. Tons of light florals, young white peaches and crispness. Slight orange blossom and linen, aromatic and herbaceously tart finish. Very good for the price. Still good the second and third day. No serious harm in investing in it once to give it a try. And Heroes is nothing if not that. I mean now.
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SMALLVILLE
Premieres Sept. 25 on CW
Staying true to my article Super Grapes (the last time I’m mentioning it, I promise), Smallville would pair with nothing else but a good Cabernet Sauvignon. But I thought I’d take it a step further. Even though Clark comes from simple Kansas stock, he is still a son of Krypton. With the duality he must blend together everyday, it seemed interesting to split the difference and choose an appropriately named Bordeaux blend:
Yes, Clark himself would probably skip a French wine and go with a good o’l boy drink of OJ. But this wine still plays to his personality. Like Clark, who is gentle on the acrid negativity, large on strength and power, this wine has medium low acid, large and in charge tannins. Lots of lingering oak on the finish. Just like the tree trunk mammoth of a superhero he is.
Besides, you gotta drink something while trying to get through an entire scene of Lois babbling about something or other.
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THE SIMPSONS
Premieres Sept. 27 FOX
DOH! There is no way on this green Earth you can pair a Simpsons episode without beer. Homer just couldn’t handle it. But Marge is still the glue that holds the family together. She would much rather have something like, oh let’s say, Champagne. Put together, that spells a Black Velvet.
BLACK VELVET
4 oz. Stout Beer
4 oz. Champagne or Sparkling Wine
Fill a tall champagne flute halfway with chilled stout beer (such as Guinness)
Float the sparkling wine on top of the stout by pouring it over an upside down spoon, so that the liquid runs gently down to layer it.
My wine choice? Marge like happy pretty things. She would definitely go for pink. Sparkling pink.
Filled with rose petal goodness, it is female in a glass. Dry, with juicy ripe red berries, strawberry core, hint of zest and pretty refreshing. Moe definitely wouldn’t serve it. But visually, the Guinness and the Sofia are pretty much Marge and Homer in a glass. Best. look. ever.
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LIE TO ME
Premieres Sept. 28 on FOX
For Lie To Me, you need a smart, interesting wine. Cal would be bored to death with something too simple to figure out.
It’s a Pinot Noir lying it’s ass off, pretending to be a Merlot or a warm climate Cabernet Sauvignon. Let’s just say interesting. And a good pairing for the Autumn chill about the settle in.
It’s deep red garnet color with moderate aromas of vanilla, oak and blue fruit. A dry, but still medium bodied red. The medium body may be one of its only tells. Even Dr. Lightman would have trouble getting this one to confess to being a Pinot Noir.
It has lower tannin but lots of flavor. This is very viscous for a Pinot Noir, filled with fall evening blackberry, blueberry pie filling and the barest hint of sweet sage and cinnamon. It may almost be a bit too sweet with it’s smooth talking acidity, but it’s still a Pinot Noir. Don’t be fooled. Cal wouldn’t.
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MAD MEN
New Episodes Sundays on AMC
It’s hard to go Mad Men and not do a cocktail of some kind. But that doesn’t mean you have to abandon the grape.
My choice? A Grappa Cocktail.
Long story short, grappa is usually a clear vodka-like spirit fermented from wine grape skins, stems and seeds. Grappa used to have the notorious reputation of having the quality of lighter fluid, but these days there are many incredible, smooth, aromatic grappas on the market and many that tote single varietal grape status.
A good one: Inga Moscato Grappa $26.99. Notes of herb, terra cotta, citrus and apricot. It is smooth, people. As smooth as Don Draper himself. I kid you not.
A two fold cocktail recipe choice for Mad Men would be an original Wine Unfiltered twist on the very popular drink of the early 1960’s, as well as it being one of Sterling Cooper’s clients:
GRAPPA LONDON FOG COCKTAIL
In a container with shaved ice stir:
1 1/2 ounces premium clear grappa with
1/4 ounce Pernod
Watch it fog up as you pour the drink in a well-chilled martini cocktail glass. Makes 1 drink. Serve with disdain and deception.
Labor Day is finally here. To quote Futurama,” That phoney baloney holiday cooked up by fat cat union gangsters…hot damn a day off!”
Well, if it weren’t 96 degrees in San Fernando Valley today as I write this, I’d definitely want to celebrate the soon-to-be fall season and pop open the blackest red wine I would find, and while I’m dreaming, I may as well stroll around my giant castle and sip it. But that doesn’t mean I can’t stock up for when I can finally have some clouds in the sky that aren’t brush fire based. Here are some Bevmo and Wine.com tasty sales to cellar on this Labor Day weekend dealtasm.
Wine.com: “Intense aromas of blackberry, licorice and black cherry. Full-bodied, with fine tannins and a chewy finish. Has impressive structure for the vintage. Very well-made. Best after 2011.”
Bevmo: ”Notes of chocolate brownies fresh from the oven that mingles with ripe raspberry-strawberry fruit; rich, round, supple and velvety on the palate.”
Wine.com: 100% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) from 40-100 year old vines. “Ripe fruit flavors of black cherry and fig are sweetened by vanilla oak in this plush, jammy red. The tannins are big, ripe and well-integrated. ”
Wine.com: ”Beautiful strong purple color tinged with violet. The nose, associating aromas of black cherry and a touch of cacao, follows on when decanted with a suggestion of roast chestnuts. There is good length to the wine which is full and really luscious, with assertive but well-ripened tannins. Aromas of spice and plum mark an engaging finish.”
I’ve been going to Comic-Con on the west coast for about a decade, but I was planning on NOT going for once. Why? Because I remember when you could walk, breathe (although you shouldn’t do that around the geeks too much anyway) and actually attend a panel without waiting on a 4 hour line. It’s always sold out this, and no hotel that. I am glad nerd culture has boomed and all, because I am no longer the lone chick in a sea of Klingons. But it has boomed in my way. Thank god I get pro badge or I would have been screwed getting in. They do have the right like anyone else of course, and I don’t blame them, but every Showtime fan with a glue gun treks down now.
For the three people that may not know what The San Diego Comic-Con is, here you go.
Most of the time was spent being claustrophobic and escaping. But the few times I did escape, I had a blast, as always.
Looking back on the experience in every way shape and alien form, I was wondering which wine paired best with the spirit of Comi-Con 2009. I had about 5 or 6 different ones, and the first thing that came to mind was one of the crisp whites I had, to flush out the heat of geek and sharp edge to cut through a Star Wars panel line. But the one that summed up the experience most was the 2006 Napa Valley Green Lion Merlot. I had this Thursday night at San Diego’s Red Pearl Kitchen with some fun and talented friends.
The one thing a person needs at this convention is a calm head and relaxed state of mind. With its psychedelic label, the image on the bottle screams of the chaos and color conflicts of the Comic-Con floor. But inside the bottle, the wine is as cool, dark and deep as Darth Vader’s resonant vocals.
This South Australian style red is 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Smooth, very reasonable and aromas of dry cocoa, spice and very subtle earth. Soft but strong, steady and balanced. And trust me, you need to be all four at the SDCC. The label was designed by Beatles artist Alan Aldridge, who was one of John Lennon’s favorite designers. Pop culture at its best my friends.
And that is what Comic-Con is all about now. For better or worse.
So, the Independence Day All-American Wine Tasting Jubilee went well. Twelve friends, twelve wines. There were some clear favorites and a few clunkers no matter how much decanting went on. But the five spice baby back ribs, Italian chicken pepper sausage, burgers, cheese and salumi platter as well as rosemary olive oil bread and roasted garlic baguettes helped.
The winner of the night? The 2006 Cambria Julia’s Vineyard Pinot Noir. Decanted 30 minutes.
THE LINEUP and PICKS:
2007 Zolo Torrontes: Asti-like in is sweetness. Delicate aroma and tropical. Still had a fresh edge. Juicy medium finish. Satisfying/bordering on too sweet for me. Can find under $10.
2008 Crios de Susana Balbo Torrontes South America: All floral and apricots. Crisp but slight hint of sweetness. Can find under $10.
2008 Montes Limited Selection Sauvignon Blanc: Tons and tons of chive and lemon, crisp and fresh. Born for fish. Interesting if not an acquired taste on this one. I personally like it. Can find under $10.
Rating: 1d10
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2007 Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay: Vanilla, oak butter, fruit. Classic in every way. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or bad thing here. Pretty decent. Pretty forgettable.
Melipal Malbec Rose 2008 Argentina: Very dark salmon. Acidic. Tannic. Tasted under-ripe. Tight aromas, thin consistency. A shame.
2007 Cameron Hughes LOT 110 Pinot Noir Los Carneros: Another winner after decanting. Pretty nice and of course, especially for the price. Strawberry, earth, and bright red fruits. Ample acidity with chocolate spice and a subtle tannin.
Rating: 1d8
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2007 MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir Central Coast: Initially had an odd young sparkling element to it and dissipated after decanting. Cherry, blueberries barest hint of earth. Some allspice and touch of oak. I got this at a ridiculous deal of $9.99 so for the price, it was very decent.
Rating: 1d10
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2006 Cambria Julia’s Vineyard Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley: A winner. But only after decanting. Complex with black cherries, raspberry, definite cinnamon allspice and vanilla oak. Hint of licorice and earthy finish. You have only one day, maybe two to enjoy.
Rating: 1d12
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2007 Cameron Hughes LOT 103 Napa Valley Meritage: Dark purple tannic and over structured. Blackberry aroma,bell pepper. Decanting a must. Put it down, it would be better.
2006 Demetria Pantheon Blend Santa Ynez Valley: An odd one. Clearly a blend from the leftovers. Sharp tannins, bitter edge. White cherries, dried strawberries, menthol. I love Demetria, but I don’t know what happened here.
2005 Genesis Merlot: Nice. Rich, smooth, oak and vanilla, smoke and earth. Yum.
2005 Zaca Mesa Syrah Santa Ynez Valley: Showed its age in a good way. Blackberry, leather, cured meats, mocha and herbs. Solid tannins and smoky spice, oak and cedar. The people liked!
Rating: 1d8
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Out of the reds, most seemed to love the 2006 Cambria Pinot Noir. Another fave was the Zaca Mesa Syrah, and a surprising find was the Cameron Hughes Lot 110 Pinot Noir. After decanting it really held up. It’s been hit and miss with CH, and this one is a hit. The stern Cameron Hughes Meritage needs more time. All I could do was decant, and it did help. But put it down a year and I bet it would be significatly superior. I think most agreed the 2006 Demetria Pantheon was their least favorite. I myself am a huge Demetria fan and was surprised how harsh this was. Decanting didn’t do much. Snuck a taste the next night and was a hint better.
Out of the whites, there were definite differences of opinion on that front. Some loved the 2007 Crios Torrontes, others thought it was weird. The Sauvignon Blanc fans liked the 2008 Montes, while others found it hard to drink with it’s extreme herbaceousness.
The 2008 Melipal Malbec Rose was the all around unfortunate loser. We ended up putting that one back in the fridge because it was pointless to drink with its sharp bitterness and unready state. I love a good Rose’ and had hopes. Oh well.
Thanks to everyone for coming, giving some great comments and indulging my nerdy wino needs!
What better choice for a star spangled day than a sparkler! Sparkling wine goes with tons of stuff and served chilled, both of which are essential for a good 4th shindig.
My choice for the day would be the Sofia Riesling 2008. A true sparkling yeast bomb. Very bread heady with bouts of peppy cantaloupe and Panettone. I call this a toothpick wine: cocktail party, food loving libation. The 4th isn’t usually a toothpick party, but it does have a variety of choices. I do say that this would bring life to a buttery reggiano or a mile-high risen rosemary focaccia, but it would also lend a hand to barbecue chicken, grilled shrimp and summer salad. That’s more like it.
Rating: 1d10
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There is also the freakish and reasonably priced Francis Coppola Niebaum-Coppola Sofia Blanc de Blancs Mini Can. If you want to keep the pretension beyond minimum, this is one way to do it and still have a fun sparkler. Single serve can, and its own straw for sipping. That’s the American way.
On the spur of the moment I have decided to host a little shindig myself. An All-American wine tasting event. Depending on how many people show we have at least 12 wines to open. From Central Coast, Napa, Sonoma, Santa Barbara and even 2 or 3 from our SOUTH American neighbors. Whites and reds. The results of this event to come next week.
But whatever you do have fun, party with others and don’t celebrate the independence of our nation by blowing up a small part of it.
![photo[2]](http://wineunfiltered.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/photo2.jpg "photo[2]")
