Plenty of people know the Tempranillo-based red wines from Rioja, but how many people gave other Spanish wines a chance? I'm here to tell you about 4 wines from Iberia.
Trabanco "Poma Aura" Sidra 2007 from Asturias - this is not really a wine, but a cider. Made in northern Spain, the bubbles were created using the traditional (Champagne) style. [Wondering what that style is? Leave me a comment!] This cider is low in alcohol, and a blend of apples is used, including crab apple. The cider was cloudy and had a straw color, and the bubbles were small. It smelled of honey suckle and apple. It is a dry cider, with only a touch of honey sweetness and a lilac-tasting finish, with yeasty and mineral tastes in the background. As you might guess, this cider pairs well with pork loin and apple sauce or pork with sauteed onions.
Xarmant Arabako Txakolina 2011 from Basque Country - I know, it looks hard to pronounce, doesn't it? The first word is like the French "charmant" and the last word is pronounced like "tchokolina." It is a white wine made of different grapes, fermented in steel and bottled with a tiny bit of carbonation. The color of this white was a cloudy very light straw, and it had a funky, earthy smell followed by stone fruit and citrus. Stone fruit means light summer fruits with a big pit like peach and apricot. The taste was tart, mineral, and salty. It is another low-alcohol beverage and does not have strong notes (flavors). It would pair best with oysters or clams, something fresh and light-flavored enough to match the wine.
Vinya D'irto Terra Alta Rosado 2011 from Catalunya - Catalunya is in the Northeast part of Spain, near the French border. It is made of Grenache grapes that are known as "hairy Grenache" because the grapes' leaves grow with fuzz on them. The wine smells of strawberry, cherry, and yeast, and tastes like it smells, but is dry. It has medium body and is acidic. Some people tasted a bitter finish, but I really liked this rose. It pairs well with brie, BBQ, and other rich and fatty foods.
Bodegas Ponce "Buena Pinta" Sidra 2009 from Castile-La Manca - from mid-Eastern Spain, this wine comes from one of the only vintners in the region using local grapes. It is a very dark red to purple wine, and smells of petroleum, acid, and currant. The wine has a lot of tannin, and is spicy with deep juices, smoke, and anise. Definitely a wine to drink with food, it would pair well with steak au poivre. It probably is also better consumed on the second to fourth days after opening, to allow air time to calm down the wine. Note: this vintner also still uses his feet to press the wine! A real traditionalist, and only in his 20s. ;-)
Next up: Long Island wines!
Monday, July 30, 2012
Saturday, July 28, 2012
White Wine Surprise: A Rare Italian
You might have figured out by now that I experiment with wines. It is the only way for me to find new wines so that I really know what's out there. In one of those ways that I surprise myself, I am pleased to inform you about is Bruno Pasquero Roero Arneis 2009 from Alba, Italy. Alba is in Italy's northern region, and the wine is made from an usual grape known as the Arneis. So the secret of this wine is that if you know the village name (Roero), the language (Italian), and all the grapes from obscure parts of Europe (Arneis) then you know what to expect.
But maybe you don't right? That's why I'm here!
This wine is a real treat. On the nose, you smell how it tastes. For me, it balances pink grapefruit with peach and is rounded out with a light floral background. It is wonderful!
Alas, there is none of the 2009 vintage left anywhere except for maybe 5th Avenue of Park Slope. You can look around for any year after that though.
More articles to come soon!
But maybe you don't right? That's why I'm here!
This wine is a real treat. On the nose, you smell how it tastes. For me, it balances pink grapefruit with peach and is rounded out with a light floral background. It is wonderful!
Alas, there is none of the 2009 vintage left anywhere except for maybe 5th Avenue of Park Slope. You can look around for any year after that though.
More articles to come soon!
Monday, July 23, 2012
Unusual White Wines from Around the World
Roncho di Cialli Colli Orientali Del Friuli 2010, Italy - Made from an unusual grape, Ribolla Gialla, the wine is dry, but not as citrusy as the Chardonnays that we get most of the time these days. Did you know? When Americans first liked white wines, we imported Chardonnays, sparkling whites, some Sauvignon Blanc wines, and then sweet white wines like Riesling ... and never explored beyond that. Well I am quickly getting tired of the same old citrus Chardonnay, and I don't like sweet wines. So this Italian white is a nice, different break from all those wines. It has the same citrus smell, but the flavor is more floral with a hint of fruit and some citrus. It has the right complex combination of flavors to suit my palate. Unlike some simpler white wines, this white wine could be eaten with some heaver fish like salmon, but also with turkey.
Famega Vinho Verde NV, Portugal - Seeking an escape from the citrus of Chardonnay (the oaking trend is over, if you hadn't noticed), I tried this blend of white varietals that the Portugese call simply "white". On the nose, there are hints of pear and citrus. On the tongue, it is a very light wine, I tasted citrus but also a floral flavor to balance the citrus. It was missing the complexity I get from other floral white wines, but I didn't mind so much. For those thinking about pairing, I'd recommend simple pasta or white fish dishes, but nothing extremely flavorful. It might be a nice wine to have also with a lemon popsicle or sorbet. Note: if you think the word "verde" in the name means green, you are correct -- it is referring to picking the grapes when they're not very ripe ... not the wine color!
Les Gras Moutons 2010 - a Muscadet made of Melon de Bourgogne grapes from the Loire Valley, I was continuing my exploration of white wines that are not Chardonnay. Intrigued by the notation that the wine was bottled by the wine maker, the new varietal, and that the wine fermented on the lees (yeast from the wine making process), I tried this wine hoping for flavor. There was nothing wrong with this wine, but it didn't compare with a Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre that I really love. Note: Interested in my favorite Sauvignon Blanc? Leave a comment to this blog to ask for its name!
Le Poisson 2009, Tunisia - Tasting this wine started as a little bit of a joke for me, because wines don't normally put the food pairing on the label like this. It is a blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, and the label has a big fish head on it. In small print, it says "eat fish". Once I tasted this wine, however, I thought it less of a joke. In the summer, I probably wouldn't eat it with most fish, because this wine was both tart and fruity, I tasted melon and mild citrus flavor in it. A lot of fish prepared in the summer have a milder flavor than this wine. Salmon might survive this wine. For those of you who have tasted whites and feel somewhat particular, I would say that this wine is not heavy on the oak flavor, nor is it heavy on citrus. It has more flavor than many Sauvignon Blanc, but does not taste like any Chardonnay I've had either. If you're not too particular, you might like it.
Famega Vinho Verde NV, Portugal - Seeking an escape from the citrus of Chardonnay (the oaking trend is over, if you hadn't noticed), I tried this blend of white varietals that the Portugese call simply "white". On the nose, there are hints of pear and citrus. On the tongue, it is a very light wine, I tasted citrus but also a floral flavor to balance the citrus. It was missing the complexity I get from other floral white wines, but I didn't mind so much. For those thinking about pairing, I'd recommend simple pasta or white fish dishes, but nothing extremely flavorful. It might be a nice wine to have also with a lemon popsicle or sorbet. Note: if you think the word "verde" in the name means green, you are correct -- it is referring to picking the grapes when they're not very ripe ... not the wine color!
Les Gras Moutons 2010 - a Muscadet made of Melon de Bourgogne grapes from the Loire Valley, I was continuing my exploration of white wines that are not Chardonnay. Intrigued by the notation that the wine was bottled by the wine maker, the new varietal, and that the wine fermented on the lees (yeast from the wine making process), I tried this wine hoping for flavor. There was nothing wrong with this wine, but it didn't compare with a Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre that I really love. Note: Interested in my favorite Sauvignon Blanc? Leave a comment to this blog to ask for its name!
Le Poisson 2009, Tunisia - Tasting this wine started as a little bit of a joke for me, because wines don't normally put the food pairing on the label like this. It is a blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, and the label has a big fish head on it. In small print, it says "eat fish". Once I tasted this wine, however, I thought it less of a joke. In the summer, I probably wouldn't eat it with most fish, because this wine was both tart and fruity, I tasted melon and mild citrus flavor in it. A lot of fish prepared in the summer have a milder flavor than this wine. Salmon might survive this wine. For those of you who have tasted whites and feel somewhat particular, I would say that this wine is not heavy on the oak flavor, nor is it heavy on citrus. It has more flavor than many Sauvignon Blanc, but does not taste like any Chardonnay I've had either. If you're not too particular, you might like it.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Special Edition: Pennsylvania Wines!
This month, I was in Pennsylvania for a while, and visited some Lake Erie area wineries. If you thought that the Finger Lakes and California were the only national wine regions, you have another thing coming!
In New York City, we have Long Island wines, and Virginia produces its own wines. Lakes provide a great terroire for growing grapes, so it should not surprise you that the Lake Erie region of Pennsylvania produces wine as well. In that region, I tasted varietals that were new, or something familiar with a new style, which was a great change.
Some of the highlights are below!
Lakeview Wine Cellars Seyval Blanc 2012 - this white had a grassy smell and an earthy taste. I was not crazy about it, but my friends liked it and we drank it with cheese and fruit, and it paired well with those foods. The vintners recommended making white sangria with this wine.
Lakeview Wine Cellars Dry Riesling 2012 - not sweet, this white wine is crisp, clean and dry with light citrus on the nose and notes. I bought this wine to take home.
Presque Isle Viognier NV - this white wine had a light fruit scent and the flavor was balanced between floral and sweet with a touch of tart, which was nice.
Presque Isle Falling Waters 2010 - this white wine was a sparkling white that smelled of apples and was sweet and tart to taste. I generally preferdrier sparkling wines, but one of my friends liked this wine.
Arrowhead Reflections of Lake Erie 2012 - a blend of Vidal and Chardonnay, this white wine was fruity and floral on the nose, and tasted spicy and citrusy at the same time. Assuming the Chardonnay provided the citrus, the Vidal intrigues me ... I'd like to taste more of that grape.
Arrowhead Buffalo Blush 2012 - I was a little put-off by the words "white Zinfandel style", but found this wine intriguing. I smelled flowers and funk in the wine, but tasted rosewater! Perhaps explaining the novelty, this wine was made of grapes I never tasted before - Buffalo and Steuben.
The wines were perhaps not as complex as a California wine, but there are times when we don't want that -- particularly in the summer! We all had a good time sampling the wines of Lake Erie, Pennsylvania, and we all bought some wines from these wineries; and for less money than a California wine, too!
In New York City, we have Long Island wines, and Virginia produces its own wines. Lakes provide a great terroire for growing grapes, so it should not surprise you that the Lake Erie region of Pennsylvania produces wine as well. In that region, I tasted varietals that were new, or something familiar with a new style, which was a great change.
Some of the highlights are below!
Lakeview Wine Cellars Seyval Blanc 2012 - this white had a grassy smell and an earthy taste. I was not crazy about it, but my friends liked it and we drank it with cheese and fruit, and it paired well with those foods. The vintners recommended making white sangria with this wine.
Lakeview Wine Cellars Dry Riesling 2012 - not sweet, this white wine is crisp, clean and dry with light citrus on the nose and notes. I bought this wine to take home.
Presque Isle Viognier NV - this white wine had a light fruit scent and the flavor was balanced between floral and sweet with a touch of tart, which was nice.
Presque Isle Falling Waters 2010 - this white wine was a sparkling white that smelled of apples and was sweet and tart to taste. I generally preferdrier sparkling wines, but one of my friends liked this wine.
Arrowhead Reflections of Lake Erie 2012 - a blend of Vidal and Chardonnay, this white wine was fruity and floral on the nose, and tasted spicy and citrusy at the same time. Assuming the Chardonnay provided the citrus, the Vidal intrigues me ... I'd like to taste more of that grape.
Arrowhead Buffalo Blush 2012 - I was a little put-off by the words "white Zinfandel style", but found this wine intriguing. I smelled flowers and funk in the wine, but tasted rosewater! Perhaps explaining the novelty, this wine was made of grapes I never tasted before - Buffalo and Steuben.
The wines were perhaps not as complex as a California wine, but there are times when we don't want that -- particularly in the summer! We all had a good time sampling the wines of Lake Erie, Pennsylvania, and we all bought some wines from these wineries; and for less money than a California wine, too!
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