Rioja Spain Wine Categories

Posted by Glenn on Oct 13, 2011 in Spanish Wines | 0 comments

Rioja is the leading wine region located in the northern part of Spain. It makes predominately red wine from the Tempranillo, Granacha, Graciano and Mazuela varietals.  Rioja divides into three districts along the axis of the river Ebro: Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa, and Rio Baja in quality order. It is easy to understand the quality of the wines by looking at the label on the back of the bottle. Here you will find a stamp which gives an indication of the age.

The lighter green stamp is called Rioja Joven which has not been matured in oak at all or for less than one year for red and less than six months for white.

The light red color stamp is called Crianza. The wine is released in its third year; one year must have been spent in wood for red wines and six months for white.

The dark red stamp is called Reserva; is aged one year for red, six months for white and rosé, plus a further two years in the bottle or vice versa.

The blue stamp is the Gran Reserva; only made in exceptional years and is matured in wood for a minimum of two years plus three years in the bottle. White and rosé Gran Reservas spend a minimum of six months in wood and three years in the bottle before being released. White Rioja wines can be dry to medium sweet, light and crisp. The red wines are full bodied with cherry, strawberry, and raspberry flavors. Red Rioja wines are excellent when served with strongly flavored dishes such as game, casseroles, and roasts, and will complement spaghetti Bolognese. Light dishes are likely to be overpowered by the strong flavor of these wines. The red wines benefit from being opened well in advance of serving.

Owen Sullivan Red Bordeaux 2006

Posted by Glenn on Sep 5, 2011 in American Wines | 0 comments

When the wine left the bottle into the glass there was no doubt it was a Bordeaux blend.  Dark velvety ruby color with a fragrance of black fruits, espresso, and roses, this wine is made from 36%  Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot.

The rich flavors of cassis, black plum and coffee were a perfect match for my choice of meal.  We had great fun celebrating my parent’s 58th anniversary.

The dinner began with a small appetizer of Swedish meatballs alongside homemade egg noodles.  I prepared baked potatoes on the grill  with prime rib-eyes; which were done to medium rare perfection; the use of knives optional.  Each plate prepared with freshly sauteed red beets and green bean almondine.  All of us could not stop talking about our selection of wine as a perfect accompaniment to the meal.

Finally, we had the ultimate cupcake for dessert.  Believe it or not, each cupcake was unique to each of us at the table.  My Mother had banana with a fudge middle, my Father’s choice was chocolate covered cherry, Cyndie had a spice carrot cake, and I had a chocolate covered strawberry.  Oh, did I say the cupcakes went wonderfully with our last sip of wine?  Does this mean I now have to do a wine and cupcake tasting?

Cheers!

Glenn

Le Clos Chartier Sancerre for Lunch

Posted by Glenn on Aug 22, 2011 in American Wines, French Wine | 0 comments

What a nice lunch.  I do not normally give certain recipes, but I can’t resist this one.

I first started with rinsed and dried baby romaine in a large wooden bowl.  Then I kissed the leaves with a raspberry vinaigrette and separated them into salad dishes with two sliced fresh strawberries on the top of the leaves.   I placed the dishes in the frig to get nice and cold and grilled a tender chicken breast brushed with olive oil.  Lucky me, I went to my basil plant and finely julienned some of the basil leaves for the strawberries and the chicken.   Bring the salad bowls that were chilling from the frig and lay out thinly sliced chicken breast along side the leaves and strawberries in the salad dish.   I put a drop of Thai sweet chile dipping sauce on each individual slice of chicken and finished with some fresh goat cheese.

Of course I needed to choose a bottle of wine to go with this great salad.  I opened a bottle of Le Clos Chartier from the cellar.   Carefully chilled and served at 55 degrees this very aromatic wine with tropical fruits, spice and mineral notes was a super match.   This wine has clean flavors of grapefruit, lime, honey with herbal notes that is aged on it’s lees which make for a medium bodied wine that last on the palate.

I love the taste of taste!!

Black Muscat

Posted by Glenn on Aug 2, 2011 in American Wines | 0 comments

I thought it would be nice to share with you an experience I recently had drinking a Black Muscat from California. This  is a distinctive grape full of aroma and flavor.  I chose the Quady Elysium (Greek for Heaven) as my dessert wine.  Fresh Georgia peaches are now prevalent and better than ever.  So, I decided to make a quick warm raspberry sauce for dipping my expertly carved up peaches along with the wine.  It turned out to be a great combination.  The wine starts with an aroma of a rose garden with the flavor expression of Litchi. Combined with our peaches dipped in my sauce it was a perfect ending to a nearly perfect day.

So, go to your favorite wine shop and ask for the Black Muscat.  There are different producers besides Quady.  The next time I may try Rosenblum’s Back Muscat.  Remember, the brix are about 25 (The higher the number the sweeter the wine).

You can also try this wine with your favorite blue cheese and fresh fruit.  One of mine is the Maytag Blue from Newton, Iowa.

“Dog Days of Summer”

Posted by Glenn on Jul 29, 2011 in American Wines | 0 comments

Looking for a great “Dog Days of Summer” wine?  Look no further.  Albarino, grown in the Rias Baixas region of northwest Spain is a great aromatic dry wine, straw colored and packed with ripe peach, apricot and lemon candy.  Along with a great price, each producer has their own interpretation of this wine.  I paired this wine with some sea scallops sauteed in olive oil, garlic, lemon and of coarse Albarino.  On the side we had some great beefsteak Jersey tomatoes with Arugula and goat cheese sprinkled with a little basil vinaigrette.        Umm-Umm good.

See you later, I got to go to my favorite wine shop and pick up another bottle of my favorite summer wine.        IT IS HOT OUT!

German Riesling and Curry

Posted by Glenn on Jul 12, 2011 in German Wines | 0 comments

Many people will make a choice for dinner then decide on the wine. I, on the other hand will do just the opposite.

With the recent heatwave, I was in the mood for a German Riesling with our dinner. Now, what to have for dinner?

I made an Indian Chicken Curry.  I had most of the ingredients on hand so it was easy to make.  I like curry dishes because the many spices it takes to put this fine dish together explode with flavor.  My favorite wine to go with the curry is a fine Riesling.  This time I chose The 2009 Willi Haag Braunsberger Juffer Kabinett.  This fine wine has an aroma of green apple and melon notes with a mineral quality on the palate of pear, white peach, floral and honey notes.  Perfect for a hot summer evening.  What makes this even a better choice is that is is only 8% alcohol with a higher acidic content.  Remember, hot spicy dishes go well with higher acidic wines.  These wines have a tendency to put out the fire of the dish without diminishing the flavor.

Of course the label has the famous German Eagle with the grape cluster.  This represents the Verband Deutscher Pradikatsweingüter Association.  It is the oldest recognized organization in the world founded in 1910.  This association insures quality in the wine by meeting certain German standards.

What is Mousse?

Posted by Glenn on Jul 6, 2011 in American Wines, French Wine | 0 comments

Simply put “The Bubbles”.  Imagine a million, yes I said a MILLION bubbles all corked up for years waiting patiently to be released by some lucky individual who appreciates every single one.  When the cork is carefully removed from the champagne bottle everyone of those mouthwatering bubbles wants out, and as quickly as they can.  You can imagine being cooped up for years.  You would want out, too!

Mousse is the French term for fizziness.

There is not a proper way to drink champagne in my view.   Any way you like it, is the way to drink it.  There is a way to get a great amount of enjoyment out of that bubbly.

When you take a sip of champagne swirl it in your mouth and get all those tiny bubbles excited.   The mousse will magically reappear.   Then you can gently swallow each and every tiny satisfying bubble.

Is it any wonder why I say “Romance is the essence of life and wine kindles the romance”.

Maybe, I should change that to Champagne!

Cheers!

Meritage/Bordeaux “Like” Blend?

Posted by Glenn on Aug 24, 2010 in American Wines | 0 comments

The word Meritage (rhymes with heritage) is a trade-marked name, which can only be used legally on labels of producers that are members of the Meritage Alliance.

The grape varieties allowed are for red, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and the rarer St. Macaire Gros Verdot and Carmenere.

For white the varieties are Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Muscadelle du Bordelais.  No single variety can make up more than 90% of the blend.

It must be produced in quantities of no more than 25,000 cases per year, and one of the two most expensive wines produced by the winery.

Acidification of Wine

Posted by Glenn on Sep 14, 2010 in American Wines | 0 comments

Acidification is a process used to increase the acid in the wine.  This is common in warm wine regions.  Remember, the warmer the wine region the greater the alcohol content.  The greater the alcohol content the less acidic the wine.   So, sometimes to increase the richness and fruitiness of the wine, acidification may be considered.  Tartaric acid is typically used in the process of balancing the wine.  You may know it as cream of tartar.  This acidification is used in Bordeaux and Burgundy (My favorite study).   Most wine makers try to ensure that no excess tartaric acid is used.   It may cause crystals to form in the bottle (sediment).   These crystals that form in the bottle have no effect on the final product.  This is one of the reasons to decant the bottle at our dining table.

Bellavista Franciacorta

Posted by Glenn on Jun 14, 2011 in Italian Wines | 0 comments

I’m Not Drinking any Merlot

Posted by Glenn on Jun 16, 2011 in American Wines | 0 comments

Remember Miles from the movie Sideways making that statement.  Why has Merlot gotten such a bad rap?   Well, I can give you a bunch of technical jargon, but it comes down to a great amount of demand in the last 10 years and an over produced grape.

The varietal itself can be difficult, especially grown in hot climates.  The acid profile is known to have issues.

This is why, when the varietal is placed in the right hands of an excellent producer with good climate conditions this wine can be exceptional.

Send me your thoughts.

“Cuvee Marie” Jurancon, France

Posted by Glenn on Jun 17, 2011 in French Wine | 0 comments

Let us not forget about Jurancon, France. Located in the south west of the country, this is one of France’s earliest appellations Controlees.  This is were the concept of Cru was introduced.

Much history about great wine comes from Jurancon. The Gros Manseng varietal is chiefly responsible for the Jurancon Sec. The Petit Manseng which is thick-skinned produces the famous sweet Jurancon.

In Jurancon there  is a  “Cuvee Marie” that is very interesting made with 90% Gros Manseng (for structure) and 10% Petit Courbu (for Finesse) that gives a great aroma of clover, honeysuckle, juniper berries, and sweet spice.

I picked up a recipe from a great restaurant in Baltimore, Maryland that is a perfect match for this wine.

Soft shell crab, grilled tomato, peppercorn marinated crispy cole slaw,  and a spicy remoulade.

Plus any time you are thinking about Currie this works wonderfully.

If you are thinking about getting out of the Chardonnay box, but are unsure were to start, this wine would be a great beginning.

Father’s Day Celebration!

Posted by Glenn on Jun 22, 2011 in American Wines | 0 comments

What to give my Dad who has everything he needs?  I know what about a break for the day.   Let’s treat him like the KING he is by celebrating with a magnificent dinner.  If you do not know now, you will soon find out.   I LOVE TO COOK!   A few days earlier before Father’s Day I had been watching Claire Robinson on T.V. for the first time.   I was so impressed by her, I decided to recreate her Braised Short Ribs, Stone Ground Grits with Gruyere and Braised Red Cabbage.

It was delicious!

What made the meal more spectacular was my choice of wine.   A Clarendon Hills, Hickinbotham Syrah.

Classic Aroma with ginger, white pepper, black fruit and licorice.  The taste was rich with cassis, blackberry, cherry, and spice.   This is a dense wine with liquor qualities.  The finish is not surprisingly long.

What a day with Dad, and what a meal.  He deserved it.

Of course we enjoyed it watching the U.S Open, together.    A Sudnick Tradition.

Fourth of July Champagne

Posted by Glenn on Jun 29, 2011 in American Wines | 0 comments

I know everyone has their idea of what is the best 4th of July party.   As far as I am concerned, just give me champagne!   Since it is going to be champagne, it might as well be one of the best this great country has to offer.   So I choose Louis Roederer Estate L’Ermitage Rose, 2003.   Made only in exceptional years from the very best lots of Roederer’s 580 acres.   This bubbly is great with anything you might put on the grill.   At first sight you notice a wonderful light salmon color.   The aroma is of warm out of the oven, bread crust with baked apples and caramelized hazelnuts.   The taste has a creamy mouthful rich with cherries, raspberries and vanilla. From the great AVA of Anderson Valley, California it boast the best of Chardonnay (51%) and Pinot Noir (49%, of which 3.9% is of aged reserve wine).   The residual sugar is about 1.1% so this medium dry wine is a perfect match for Washington State Dungeness Crab made with drawn butter, garlic, jalapeno and ginger.   Even though this sounds scrumptious, this Champagne  goes well even with a Fresh Market hamburger.   All I need is the fireworks!!    What ever you do, have fun, stay safe, enjoy your family and friends.