Posts Tagged ‘pepper’
Varietal: 100% Shiraz
Region: South Eastern Australia
Cost: $7 (SRP)
Winemaker’s Notes: Ripe blackberries and blueberries with spicy black pepper on the nose. Pairs well with BBQ baby back ribs with macaroni salad, jerk chicken with brown rice and black beans, or without any food at all.
My Review: It’s been unseasonably warm here in Virginia so I’ve been able to make use of my grill here at the end of January and start of February when it’s usually covered and forgotten until March. Because of that, my wife and I recently threw some chicken on the grill with some BBQ sauce basted on and decided to open up a bottle of Fisheye Shiraz that had been sent to me.
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvinon
Region: Argentina
Cost: $11 (SRP)
Maroon coloring with a hint of black throughout. blackberry, black pepper, and mulberry on the nose. Spice, cherry, pepper, and a tannic finish on the palate. Pairs well with red meats, big game, and hard cheeses.
Recommendations: When I got this bottle I instantly knew I needed to go and buy some steaks to pair it with. Any time the tasting notes on a wine say “red meats” in the recommended pairings section, I don’t argue with them. I opened the wine last night while the wife had abandoned me to go out with some friends. Fortunately, a friend of mine came over and he and I cook steaks, drank red wine, and watched action movies. It’s the 21st century, a Sunday evening for a couple of 30-something guys has changed. Read the rest of this entry »
Varietal: Claret (60% Merlot; 35% Cabernet Franc; 5% Petit Verdot)
Region: Virginia – USA
Cost: $17
A Bordeaux style wine with aromas of dark fruit and spice. A fruit forward wine with flavors of red and black cherry, blackberry, and currant. Pairs well with hamburgers, pasta, pizza, medium-sharp cheeses.
Recommendations: This was one of my favorite wines when my wife and I visited Virginia wine country back in March, and I’m almost ashamed that it’s taken me this long to getting around to opening and reviewing this bottle. I’ve enjoyed Veritas Vineyards for some time now, in no small part because my wife’s brother got married there and so I spent the better part of a weekend drinking their wine.
As for the 2008 Claret, it’s a great blend. The Merlot and Cabernet Franc give the wine body and flavor, while the Petit Verdot smooths out the finish making it perfect for drinking with a wide range of foods or just by itself. I paired with wine with a simple dinner of meatballs in a gravy over rice (a nice hearty Fall/Winter go-to of mine). A peppery aroma from the Cabernet Franc and flavors of cherry were most noticeable to me, with the Petit Verdot smoothing out the finish for me in a way that I found quite enjoyable. Read the rest of this entry »
Varietal: Meritage (58% Merlot; 40% Cabernet Franc; 2% Petit Verdot)
Region: Virginia – Charlottesville – USA
Cost: $10
Light to medium red color in the glass, with aromas of cherry and crushed berries. Flavors of cherry and fresh berry with a hint of pepper on the finish. Pairs well with grilled or roasted chicken and prime rib.
Recommendations: It’s been raining for three days here in Virginia, at least in my part of it, and nothing makes me want to drink some good red wine quite like a dreary rainy day. Because of that, last night my wife and I opened up a bottle of the 2005 Blenheim Vineyards Meritage. I’d picked this one up during our March trip through Virginia wine country, and with a dinner of some chicken out of the oven and orzo pasta it just sounded right.
It would have been right with anything. If you haven’t guessed already, Blenheim is hands down one of my favorite vineyards, both in and out of Virginia. Wines like this are the reason. The blend of Merlot, Cab Franc, and Petit Verdot gave a great wine that was full of fruit, but had just a hint of pepper on the end that was tempered by the Petit Verdot. Cherry and raspberry flavors were smooth, and the wine was light in the mouth. Read the rest of this entry »
Varietal: Sangiovese
Region: California – Sonoma Valley – USA
Cost: $22
Bright raspberry, cherry, and pepper flavors with a deep red color. Light and smooth on the palate, pairs well with grilled chicken, red meat, seasoned pork.
Recommendations: Sangiovese will always hold a special place in my heart as Chianti was the first red wine that I ever truly got in to. Because of that, when my wife and I were in California back in October, I immediately was drawn to the Sangiovese at Jacuzzi Family Vineyards.
Light on the palate and smooth throughout with just a hint of tannin on the finish, it was a great pairing with a dinner of chicken caesar salad. My only real complaint with this wine was that it wasn’t a bigger bottle. While I’ve yet to find this wine back home on the east coast, if you’re a fan of Sangiovese or Chianti and do come across this wine, or you’re at Jacuzzi Family Vineyards in Sonoma, I do recommend picking up a bottle of this wine. It’s well worth it.
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.
