Archive for December, 2009
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Region: Oregon – USA
Cost: $16
Light color with crushed fruit flavors and a bit of pepper on the finish. Pair with turkey, ham, cheese.
Recommendations: I’ve had this bottle since Thanksgiving and it finally got opened for Christmas. The light color actually reminded me a bit of a Virginia Cabernet Franc, as did a bit of pepper on the finish.
That being said, the wine was great. Good flavors of crushed fruit on the palate were very enjoyable with a dinner of ham for Christmas dinner, and the slight pepper on the finish was almost refreshing as it didn’t let the fruit overwhelm the palate.
If you like Pinot Noir this is certainly one worth picking up, especially if you’re looking to branch out into the wines of Oregon.
So it has come to my attention that the Austrian Tourist Office is holding a contest to give away a 7-day themed vacation package for two (a winner and a guest) valued at $4500. One of the available choices for the winner is a Food & Wine themed getaway. Here are all the details:
To enter the sweepstakes readers need only to become a fan of “Austria. Official Travel Info.” on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/austriatravelinfo. The winner and a guest will receive a seven day themed vacation package of their choice valued at $4,500. The sweepstakes invites fans to explore all that Austria has to offer by choosing from vacations oriented toward “Food and Wine,” “Art, Architecture and Design,” “Nature, Outdoors and the Alps,” or “Classical Music and History.” Facebook fans can receive an additional sweepstakes entry by tweeting about Austria on Twitter using the hashtag: #itsgottobeaustria. The contest runs now through January 15.
More information and official rules can be found at http://www.itsgottobeaustria.com or via Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/austriatravelinfo. Contest is open to residents of the U.S., 18 and over.
Good luck to anybody that enters and if you win let me know…or you know, take me.
Varietal: Blended Red Wine (85% Sangiovese; 10% Cabernet Sauvignon; 5% Merlot)
Region: Italy
Cost: $10
Dark garnet color with rich flavors of fruit balanced by robust tannins on the finish. Pair with red meats, pasta with red sauce, or sharp cheeses.
Recommendations: I’ve always been a sucker for Italian wine – Chianti will always hold a special place in my heart as my first red wine. When I saw this on this shelves at my local Costco, it was practically a no-brainer to pick up a bottle to try out.
The wine itself was a dark garnet red in the glass and while the flavors of fruit were noticeable, the big finish of tannins were what really made this wine an instant favorite for me.
Paired with a plate of sharp cheddar and crackers (some munchies while waiting for Christmas Day dinner to finish cooking), the wine was a great sipping wine that I could easily imagine pairing with a meal of robust pasta and red sauce.
Definitely one I plan to pick up again on my next trip to Costco and one I recommend you do as well.
Varietal: Gluhwein
Region: Germany
Cost: $7.99
A mulled wine still produced according to old-world tradition. A combination of red wine, sugar, and spices served warm or chilled over ice.
Recommendations: If you’re only the East coast like me you’re still digging yourself out of close to two feet of snow. While watching snow fall on Friday, my wife and I finally opened up a bottle of Gluhwein that we’ve had since mid July.
For those unfamiliar with Gluhwein, it’s a mulled wine typically served in Germany around the Christmas season, especially at street vendors in Nuremburg at their Christmas market.
Heated up to about 170 degrees (though not letting it boil), this wine is great on a cold day. My wife and I added some extra mulling spices and a cinnamon stick to add extra flavor and settled in while the snow fell outside.
Flavors of spice and clove are prevalent in Gluhwein, but by adding some of your own spices you can adjust it to your own taste. I prefer to enjoy Gluhwein in an Irish Coffee Mug since I enjoy it hot and don’t want to burn my hand on hot glass.
While finding Gluhwein isn’t the easiest thing to do, I did find it available here: http://www.internetwines.com/rws28454.html . With the cold season upon us, I definitely recommend that everybody give it a try.
There are a lot of things I can do in this world…drawing is not one of them. If my life depended on my ability to draw something as simple as a stick figure, I’d be up a creek. That being said, my wife does not have this handicap. For Christmas my father (who is the most difficult man in the world to shop for), asked that my wife paint him something to go in the bar that he and my mother are building in their basement. Here’s what my wife has done for them (she even framed it).
Yes, that’s my reflection in the glass. Just wanted to put this up here to toot my wife’s horn.
Varietal: Red Blend
Region: Italy
Cost: $20
Deep purple coloring with aromas of roses, violets, and woodlands. Red and black fruits on the palate, with hints of truffle and chocolate. Pair with veal, hearty soups, hard cheeses such as Parmesan or Pecorino, lamb, Osso Bucco.
Recommendations: I’ve been sitting on this bottle for a few weeks since receiving it just before Thanksgiving waiting to pair it with some steaks that have been sitting in my fridge waiting to be cooked. I was so glad that I did. I’m a fan of dry red wines, and the Canneto Rosso did not disappoint.
Tons of earthiness on the nose lead into a very dry wine that still managed to exhibit flavors of ripe berries. Although the wine has a high alcohol content (14%/vol), it doesn’t show either on the nose or on the palate, a huge selling point for me.
Paired with a well seasoned steak, the dryness of the wine was a great compliment to the juiciness of the meat, and the earthiness on the nose mixed well with the herbs I used on the steak (rosemary is my friend). While this wine is a bit expensive to use as an everyday table wine, it’s certainly in that vein and if you’re looking for a fancier table wine, this is certainly what you’re looking for. Definitely worth grabbing.
Special thanks to the International Wine of the Month Club for supplying the wine.
