The Good Wine Guru » BBQ

Concannon Conservancy Petite Sirah 2008

George — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 16:00:09 +0000

Varietal: 100% Petite Sirah
Region: Livermore Valley – California – USA
Cost: $15 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes: 2008 Petite Sirah, Conservancy has fantastic depth and character. It exhibits a rich nose of fresh berry fruit, and the flavorful palate shows blackberries, chocolate, mocha, and plums. Subtle notes of molasses, cedarwood, and rip mulberries are complemented by soft, creamy oak tones and a smooth, silky finish. Pairs well with barbecued chicken or your favorite lamb recipe.

My Review: It’s been a little less than a year since I tried the 2007 Concannon Conservancy Petite Sirah, so I was pleased to see the 2008 vintage show up at my office recently, as there’s something to be said for seeing how a wine changes from year to year. Unlike the previous vintage, the 2008 Concannon Conservancy Petite Sirah is 100% Petite Sirah, with none of the Petit Verdot that made its way into last year’s vintage.

In the glass the wine was a dark, almost inky reddish-purple color. A fairly generic berry aroma was all I got on the nose, and I say generic to mean that no particular fruit jumped out at me. In the mouth I got berry, chocolate, and cedar. The finish was as silky as advertised, which would make this wine great for sipping on just by itself.

Paired with a dinner of grilled BBQ chicken and corn on the cob (wrapped in sprinkled with Old Bay, wrapped in foil, and thrown on the grill) it was the perfect compliment. The weather here in Richmond was perfect on Sunday so my wife and I enjoyed both our meal and the bottle out on the deck, thanks in no small part to daylight savings time keeping light back there around dinner.

Concannon is currently celebrating their 50th anniversary as America’s first Petite Sirah, so now is a great time to try out their wines, particularly the Petite Sirah. If you can’t find the 2008 Petite Sirah at your local store you can order it online by following this link. I definitely enjoyed this wine and I think you will too.

Caminada Malbec 2009

George — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 17:00:37 +0000

Varietal: 100% Malbec
Region: Argentina – Uco Valley
Cost: $12 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes: Deep red in color with cherry, plum, and vanilla notes. Pairs well with steak, sharp cheeses, and BBQ.

My Review: First, a bit of related knowledge. The name of the vineyard is actual a reference to the Tango, which originated in Argentina. The “caminada” is the walk, a seemingly simple, but key step within the Tango. The idea is that you do the simple things correctly and the rest will fall into place. Ok…now on to the wine.

I make no secret of my fondness for Malbec, and in I think this past weekend I consumed perhaps a record amount of it between this bottle and an evening out with some friends. It’s a versatile grape that is great for pairing with foods as well as sipping by itself. With my in-laws in town and a big meal of some beef stew prepared for the four of us by my wife, I thought this would be a good bottle to open up.

The wine was a nice deep red in the glass, and I got aromas of cherry and a touch of vanilla. My first sip really gave me the nice cherry flavors that I’d come to expect from the varietal, but it wasn’t as bright as I was expecting – more bold and with a note of earthy/footie flavor that I wasn’t completely turned off by, but wasn’t entirely expecting either.

Paired with the meal the wine was a different matter entirely. I had picked this wine to pair with the meal as I thought the typical bright Malbec flavors that I tend to enjoy would be a nice counter note to the stew. Unfortunately, as it didn’t have all those flavors, it wasn’t a great pairing with the meal. I don’t know if it was some combination of the vegetables or the broth or something else, but when paired with the meal, the wine took on a sort of prune juice flavor that wasn’t enough to make me stop drinking, but wasn’t exactly great either.

I’m not ready to say avoid this wine, because without the food it wasn’t bad, but if you do grab a bottle of it, I’d say stick to a steak or some BBQ, as what I paired it with was a big mistake. If you do try this wine, I’d love to hear your experience as I suspect mine isn’t typical.

Evodia Old Vines Garnacha 2008

George — Mon, 24 May 2010 16:00:53 +0000

Varietal: Garnacha (Grenache)
Region: Spain
Cost: $10.50

Ruby in color with aromas of fresh strawberry and raspberry, with notes of black tea, licorice, and pungent herbs. Red berry flavors linger through till the end. Pairs well with BBQ, chicken, and pasta.

Recommendations: I picked up this bottle after a tasting at The Wine Cellar because a) I’m a fan of Spanish wines, particularly Grenache, and b) it’s a really good value for a really good wine. Good color in the glass, and while I didn’t get the licorice on the nose (which is fine since I don’t like licorice), I did get the notes of strawberry and raspberry.

Red fruit was pervasive throughout the wines flavor, and while I didn’t pair it with anything except a movie and some time with my wife, it was easy to drink by itself, and I could easily see pairing it with some grilled BBQ chicken or pasta. The slightly high alcohol content (14% by volume) wasn’t as noticeable as in other wines I’ve had, and allowed to open for a few minutes, it quickly passed.

If you’re in the market for a good value Grenache that goes well with food or by itself, it’s hard to argue against the Evodia, especially when you consider that it’s an Old Vines wine (made from grapes on vines planted more than 100 years ago), and that wines such as that can often be quite expensive. Definitely one to grab if you come across it.

Surfrider Malibu Newton Canyon Red 2005

George — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:00:30 +0000

Varietal: Meritage (Merlot; Cabernet Sauvignon; Petit Verdot)
Region: California – USA
Cost: $22

Deeply colored and full bodied. Blackberry, cassis, and jammy red fruit flavors pair well with a variety of foods such as lamb chops, chicken marsala, Osso Bucco, steaks, pork, BBQ, or day old meat loaf.

Recommendations: First of all, I want to clear something up. It’s Meritage (as in “heritage”)…at the Virginia Wine Expo two weeks ago, where there were several Meritages, this became a topic of debate at several tasting tables. Ok…now on to the review.

The Surfrider Red is good. The alcohol on the nose did give way as the wine opened up more into aromas of fruit and cherry, and the red fruit flavor finished with a combination of bold tannins and earthiness that I rather enjoyed, especially since the alcohol that was on the nose didn’t come through on the palate.

Paired with a dinner of grilled BBQ chicken and some mixed veggies, the full-bodied, earthy flavor of the wine did a great job of enhancing the natural smokiness of the food without overwhelming the chicken or being overwhelmed by it. It did what wine is supposed to do – complimented the meal.

While this wine certainly isn’t life-altering in any way, it was very enjoyable both with the meal and after, and was perfect with the BBQ – something that I feel will be a bigger issue as the weather begins to warm. For those getting ready to start grilling, the Surfrider is definitely one to consider.

Special thanks to the International Wine of the Month Club for providing the wine for this review.

Wrongo Dongo 2008

George — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:00:27 +0000

Varietal: Monastrell
Region: Spain
Cost: $9

Dark violet color with aromas of spice on the nose and fresh fruit on the palate. Pairs well with roasts, steaks, and BBQ.

Recommendations: I will admit that the name of this bottle alone caught my eye when I was in the store. I had never heard of Monastrell before (though apparently it’s the same thing as Mourvedre, which I have heard of), so I decided to give it a try.

Opened the same night as the Pepperwood Grove Pinot Noir, we paired this wine with the same cheese and crackers. Far more robust than the Pinot, the Wrong Dongo had aromas of cherry and spice with the same cherry on the palate.

While only paired with the cheese and crackers, I can see how this would pair well with a dinner of grilled or roasted meat, and certainly some BBQ. The big surprise for me was that even with the high alcohol content (15%/vol), I didn’t get a heavy alcohol taste, which has been a sticking point for me lately.

I don’t know that this wine lives up to its name of being “wrongo”, but it was certainly interesting and worth checking out if you’re looking to expand your varietal horizons. Paired with something off the grill it should be enjoyable and for the price it’s hard to argue against picking it up just to display.

Diseno Malbec 2007

George — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:00:10 +0000

Varietal: Malbec
Region: Argentina
Cost: $12

Deep red color with aromas of berry and tobacco. Dark cherry, blackberry, and spice on the palate allows this wine to pair well with BBQ.

Recommendations: My wife had picked this wine up a while ago, and since we’ve been snowed in and our selection is starting to wane, we paired this wine with a meal of lemon-mustard chicken and mac n’ cheese. The wine was fairly dark in the glass, and while I did grab a hint of berry and tobacco on the nose, the alcohol (13.5%) was what I really picked up at first sniff.

In the mouth, I was able to taste dark cherry and blackberry, but again the alcohol was prevalent until the wine was allowed to open up, helping to mellow it out. While it went well enough with our meal, it would have paired much better with BBQ of some type, and if you pick this bottle up I would recommend that you do just that.

In the end I have a hard time recommending this wine. While it’s not a bad value, there are better Malbecs out there for the same price and even less. The alcohol flavor and aroma passed as the wine opened up, but it was hard to get past at first. Pass unless you’re curious or it’s the only thing left in your wine cellar.

Gnarly Head Old Vine Zin

George — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:00:35 +0000

Varietal: Zinfandel
Region: California – USA
Cost: $10

Deep purple in color with an abundance of fruit on the nose. Subtle flavors with plum being the most prominent and a hint of pepper and alcohol on the finish. Pairs with BBQ, pizza, and pasta.

Recommendations: I had seen Gnarly Head on various store shelve and never picked it up, but my wife and I decided on this as we thought a Zinfandel sounded good, and the price was too good to pass on. Aromas of fresh fruit were prevalent on the nose, but not on the palate, where the flavors were subtle, with hints of plum.

A pepper finish had just a slight bit of alcohol, a very small bite considering the wine is 14.5% by volume. Paired with a pizza, this was a perfect wine. If you’re looking for something with a bit more pepper you might want to pass on this, but for a nice middle of the road Zinfandel to pair with a simple dinner, you really can’t miss with the Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel – especially for the price.

Find Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel Here

Volteo Tempranillo

George — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:00:47 +0000

Varietal: Tempranillo
Region: Spain
Cost: $13

Purple coloring with aromas of ripened fruit. Fresh, light, and fruity on the palate, this will pair well with most food, including fancier food such as elaborate pasta dishes, or with hamburgers and BBQ.

Recommendations: I picked this up on a recommendation from John, my wine guy, and was pleased by the results. A bit of alcohol on the nose doesn’t completely mask the aromas of ripened fruit. A fairly fruit forward tempranillo, this will be a great pairing with just about anything, including whatever you cook on the grill, or while watching TV on a Sunday with the wife (which is what I did).

One neat feature about this bottle is that, much like Coors Light is doing, they’ve placed a ring around the logo on the label that turns blue when the bottle is at the correct temperature for drinking, a nice feature that can take the guess-work out of what the correct temperature to serve a bottle is.

For the price this is definitely a Tempranillo worth trying out, if for no other reason than the novelty of the color-changing ring. With less alcohol on the nose than a lot of other ones, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this one as much as I did.

Bodegas Viticultores de Barros Emperador de Barros Ribera del Guadiana

George — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:00:49 +0000

Varietal: Tempranillo
Region: Spain
Cost: $20

Very purple coloring with aromas of red currant, kirsch, and plum that lead into similar flavors on the palate. Great with grilled food, including ribs, burgers, and beef or pork barbeque.

Recommendations: My wife and I disagree on some of the flavors of this wine, but since this is my blog, my opinion is the one that shall prevail. Sorry sweetie. I found the wine to be fairly fruit forward, though not in the same way that many California wines are, just that the fruit flavors were very prominent.

A heavy aroma of alcohol masks most of the aromas, but this does mellow as you let the wine rest in your glass, which gives you ample time to appreciate the deep purple coloring of the wine. Paired with some burgers and fries, this was a great wine to just enjoy a simple meal. I’d really like to try it with some nice juicy ribs, as I think the barbeque sauce would pair great with the fruit flavors of the wine. This is a great cookout wine that doesn’t need fancy food to be appreciated.

Special thanks to the International Wine of the Month Club for supplying the wine.