Archive for February, 2010
This is just a reminder that the Virginia Wine Expo kicks off today, with the real tasting beginning tomorrow and into Sunday. It’s not too late to grab your tickets at: http://www.VirginiaWineExpo.com . Last year was a great turn-out and I’m hoping to see an even better one this year.
Varietal: 50% Syrah; 50% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Brazil
Cost: $10
Ruby red color with aromas of crushed fruit and smoke. Smoke flavors carries through to the palate with a subtle yet robust finish. Pairs well with meats, pastas, and roasted chicken.
Recommendations: I’d never had a wine from Brazil, so I was instantly interested in this wine when I saw it in the store. While I had certainly had Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah blends before, this wasn’t anything like what I was expecting.
While I got a bit of crushed fruit on the nose and palate, the most prevalent aroma and flavors was a smokiness that I found very enjoyable. While I didn’t pair this with a meal (it had been a long weekend and I was just ready for some wine), I can imagine pairing this with grilled meat (especially if done over coals) or some roasted chicken – really anything with its own smoky flavor. Read the rest of this entry »
Varietal: Chianti
Region: Italy
Cost: $8
Medium dark color with notes of cherry on the nose with berry on the palate. Soft tannins pair well with pastas and meats.
Recommendations: Given as how Chianti is my first love of red wine, I was excited to open up this bottle, and finally got the opportunity this past weekend. Paired with a meal of Giada’s Lasagna Rolls (which my wife adds sausage to and I recommend anybody making this meal do as well), the cherry, berry, and slight earthiness of the wine came out great.
Unlike several Chiantis I’ve had in the past, this one was really easy on the tannins which made it really enjoyable even after the meal was finished. While this certainly isn’t a life-altering Chianti, at $8 it’s easily one of the best values I’ve come across in quite a while, and definitely worth giving a try if you’re looking for a good red table wine to keep around the house.
Special thanks to Wine & Beer Westpark for supplying the wine for this review.
Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Argentina
Cost: $7.50
Crisp and refreshing with aromas of sweet citrus and spicy chives. Grapefruit and peaches on the palate with a hint of mineral on the finish. Pairs well with seafood, white meat, hors d’oeuvres.
Recommendations: While restocking our wine cellar, my wife and I decided to pick up a different Sauvignon Blanc than our usual Root:1 we were both caught by the description of the Entrada with its mentions of spicy chives. After sitting in our fridge for a few days, we paired it with a meal of chicken and green beans.
The aroma of spicy chive was fleeting, but I very much enjoyed the flavors of grapefruit and peach, which were much more subtle than what I usually get from either Root:1 or Terra Andina. We seasoned our chicken with a decent bit of spice, so the crispness of the wine was a nice counter note to the food. Read the rest of this entry »
Varietal: Sangiovese (90% Sangiovese; 10% Merlot)
Region: Italy
Cost: $14
Ruby red with hints of purple color featuring aromas of ripe fruit with floral hints. Fruit on the palate with soft tannins on the finish. Pairs well with meat, roast beef, white meat, or medium-aged cheeses.
Recommendations: If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m a fan of Sangiovese. While restocking my wine cellar, I picked up this wine with the pizza in my freezer in mind. Paired with a dinner of pepperoni pizza, the tannins managed to come out more than the alcohol (13%), though once the meal was gone that was less the case. Read the rest of this entry »
Varietal: Carmenere (75% Carmenere; 15% Cabernet Sauvignon; 10% Syrah)
Region: Chile
Cost: $13
Deep red in color with gentle and silky tannins and rich flavors of ripe plum, blackberry, vanilla and spice. Pair with pasta, grilled meats, spicy entrees, eggplant, or bell peppers.
Recommendations: I’ve been a fan of Root:1 wines for a while, regularly keeping their Sauvignon Blanc on hand. While restocking our wine cellar after the rampant snow we’ve had here in Virginia, my wife and I found a bottle of Carmenere from Root:1 and were quick to grab it.
Paired with a dinner of baked herb chicken and garlic green beans, we were soon ignoring the meal to focus on the wine. Beautifully dark red with aromas of berry and green bell peppers, the spice and bell pepper on the palate are amazing, and reminded me of the Viu Manent Carmenere that I enjoyed during the Wines of Chile Blogger tasting, though the flavors of bell pepper were much more mellow – which was not a bad thing. Read the rest of this entry »
