Archive for September, 2009
Varietal: Chardonnay
Region: South Australia
Cost: $11
An unwooded Chardonnay, offering crisp flavors of apple and citrus. Pairs with chicken, pork, seafood, or light appetizers.
Recommendations: My wife is not a fan of oaked Chardonnay, so when we saw this in the store, we thought we’d give it a try. The initial flavors of the wine are crisp with plenty of citrus and granny smith apple both on the nose and on the palate, which was perfect for the grilled chicken dinner we paired it with.
However, I found the finish of this wine to be a bit rough. It’s certainly not as rough as the Mirassou Chardonnay that I’ve already reviewed on here. That being said, the finish eventually began to bother me, especially after we had finished our food and were just sipping on the wine. Maybe with a juicy piece of pork it wouldn’t be as noticeable, but with the chicken (that I’ll admit I overcooked), it just wasn’t as enjoyable as I would have hoped.
If you liked the Mirassou Chardonnay you’ll like this, but if you’re looking for a crisp finish to your unoaked Chardonnay you’ll want to pass on this one.
Get Razor’s Edge Chardonnay at WineZap – Click Here
Varietal: Cabernet Franc
Region: Virginia – USA
Cost: $22
100% Cabernet Franc fermented in small lots and aged in French oak. Bright flavors of cherry and blackberry with the typical spicy pepper finish. Pair with grilled foods such as pork as well as pasta and tomato sauce.
Recommendations: Living in Virginia, we’re lucky enough to get a lot of quality Cabernet Franc, and this one from Gray Ghost is no exception. I was very pleasantly surprised by how light this particular Cabernet Franc was, as it paired very well with the grilled boneless pork chops and roasted red potatoes that my wife and I paired it with.
The usual pepper finish was there, but much more subtle than many other Cabernet Francs, and there was much more bright fruit flavors on the palate than I was accustomed to. Neither of these things is a bad thing. I like this Cabernet Franc because I find that those that are heavy on the pepper finish are great to pair with food, but can be a bit rough to drink by themselves. That’s not the case with this Cabernet from Gray Ghost. This is definitely a wine that can be enjoyed well after the food is gone, or without any to begin with.
The only real complaint I have about this wine is that they’ve only produced 40 cases this year. Certainly one worth trying whether you’re already a fan of Cabernet Franc or just starting to get into it.
Varietal: Chardonnay
Region: Virginia – USA
Cost: $14.50
Light and fruity Chardonnay with no oak. Pineapple and tropical flavors with a semi-dry finish. Pair with spicy food or light fare.
Recommendations: Given as how my wife isn’t a fan of oaked Chardonnay, we were certainly intrigued by this one when we first tried it. The semi-dry finish wasn’t quite what I was expecting, but it wasn’t bad, it just isn’t meant to be paired with everything.
We paired this wine with a light lunch (cheese, crackers, hummus, wings, etc) and I really do believe that that’s the best way to enjoy this wine. This is a great white to enjoy out on the deck on a hot day or to pair with some spicy food while watching the game. As table wines go, it’s a good one.
If you’re looking for something that’s got a bit of residual sugar but isn’t sweet, this is definitely what you’re looking for. While summer is quickly leaving us, it won’t be long before we’re all spending time out on the deck again, so stock up now.
Varietal: Chardonnay
Region: Virginia – USA
Cost: $17
Tropical fruit flavors with a hint of vanilla and soft oak finish. Dry, but not overly oaky. Straw coloring that is typical of Chardonnay. Pairs well with poultry, seafood, and pasta.
Recommendations: I’ve had Gray Ghost wine before, but over the Labor Day weekend my wife, my parents, and myself made a trip out to visit the vineyard, one of my parents’ favorites. The vineyard itself was beautiful, and the staff was amazing (all of which is a post for another time), and after coming home with quite a bit of wine, my wife and I finally opened a bottle the other night to pair with our meal.
Our dinner of pork cutlets with a honey glaze and bacon pesto risotto was a great compliment to the wine (or the other way around). The oak of this wine is ever so subtle, and doesn’t mask a bit of acid on the finish, which I was a big fan of and did an excellent job of cutting some of the sweetness from the meal. The balance of light fruit flavors made this wine enjoyable long after our meal was gone – a feature I find key to any good wine.
At $17 a bottle it’s a good price for a top quality Chardonnay, especially one that you can pair with a variety of foods (or none at all). Definitely worth trying out if you’re a Chardonnay fan.
If you’ve looked through my site, you’ll see that I’ve talked about whether or not it matters what type of glass you use. While I’ll never advocate spending huge amounts of money on wine glasses just for the sake of doing it, there is something to be said for having different wine glasses for your varying types of wine.
With so many different types of wine glasses out there, it can be confusing to decide which ones are right for you and your needs, both for the type of glasses and to fit your budget. Thankfully, Riedel is here to help you.
Riedel wine glasses come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and price points, and that’s great because it means no matter what you need, they have something for you. If you’re looking for some basic white and red wine glasses – they have that for you. If you’re in the market for some more elaborate glasses that will suit specific wine varietals such as Pinot Noir and Cabernet, well they have those too.
What’s nice about Riedel is that they’ve taken a lot of the guess work out of selecting wine glasses by designating exactly what each of their wine glasses should be used for. Featuring wine glasses designed for specific varietals and for different occasions (there will come a time when you want a top-quality stemless wine glass), Riedel has managed to put together one of the most complete selections of stemware anywhere.
What I like most about Riedel stemware is that it’s eyecatching. I know having your stemware look good doesn’t mean that it makes the wine any better, but wine glasses can be as much a fixture of your home bar as anything else, and having attractive wine glasses that function well too is never a bad thing.
No matter your needs, there’s no reason to not at least consider Riedel wine glasses for your stemware needs. Whether you need a few glasses or are looking to replace your entire stemware selection, they’ll have something to fit your style and budget.
Varietal: Blended Red Wine (51% Syrah; 26% Zinfandel; 12% Sangiovese; 6% Carignane; 5% Merlot
Region: California – USA
Cost: $20
Dark purple coloring that is essentially opaque. A medium-bodied wine with aromas of ripe cherries, berries, and plums.
Recommendations: When I first poured out some of this wine, I liked the deep purple color of it. I did catch the aromas of some of the ripe fruit, but there was a aroma of alcohol that I’m starting to associate with California Syrah.
The wine itself was fairly smooth, about what I was expecting given the varietals present in the blend, but there was a bit of alcohol on the finish that nearly overwhelmed the subtle fruit flavors and soft tannins.
Having had this problem with a previous blended red involving California Syrah, my wife and I paired this wine with a meal of pasta with a red meat sauce. This definitely helped. The sauciness of the pasta helped to cut some of the alcohol finish on the wine, making it much more enjoyable.
If you don’t like to taste alcohol on your wine, you might want to pass on this, but if you do get this wine, I would highly recommend pairing it with a saucy pasta dish to cut the alcohol flavors.
Special thanks to the International Wine of the Month Club for providing the wine.
