Posts Tagged ‘sideways’
Varietal: Merlot
Region: Washington – USA
Cost: $13
Dark red in the glass with aromas of blackberry and dark berry and cherry on the palate. A slight tobacco finish with hints of smoke. Pairs well with chicken, veggies, grilled meat, pasta.
Recommendations: Merlot has, for a while, had a bit of a bad rap. I had been avoiding it for a while simply because I had had bad experiences with lower quality wines and it had clouded my judgement towards the entire varietal. However, this past year has changed my opinion of the grape, with Virginia producing several high quality Merlots. While this bottle didn’t come from Virginia (other side of the country in fact) it did continue the tradition that my home state has started of changing my opinion.
My wife and I picked up this bottle at a tasting event at our local wine shop. We had a hard time deciding between the Merlot and the Chardonnay from this winery, but ultimately went with the Merlot. We should have picked up more than one bottle. The deep red color of the wine in the glass was inviting to me as I love a dark colored wine – something comforting about it to me.
The aromas of berry, particularly blackberry were present but Read the rest of this entry »
When it comes to the movies, we very rarely think of wine. Our villains are usually into some kind of illegal substance, and our heroes either don’t drink because they’re heroes, or they’re anti-heroes and drink scotch, bourbon, whiskey, or some other liquor straight. However, I’ve managed to compile a list of movies that do bring wine into the equation.
10 – The Silence of the Lambs
Coming in at number 10 is The Silence of the Lambs. While we never actually see Hannibal Lecter drinking (he’s only on screen for about 16 1/2 minutes of the film, and in prison for all but 3 minutes of those), there are few people that haven’t at one point or another thought of pairing fava beans with a nice chianti. This quote is actually rated number 25 on the American Film Institute’s list of 400 greatest movie quotes.
9 – The Godfather
It’s hard to have a movie about the Italian mafia without wine. Between the Don’t daughter getting married and the party that ensued, and or to the Don speaking of his increased love of wine towards the end of the movie, The Godfather makes wine enjoyable and fun, not pretentious. The only thing that’s more red than the wine in this movie is the blood shed.
8 – James Bond
While it’s true that James Bond is best known for his love of the martini, there are numerous times throughout the series where wine has made its presence felt. In Dr. No, Bond shows off his knowledge of champagne, saying that he prefers the ’53 Dom Perignon to the ’55 that they are about to be served. In Goldfinger, Bond shows off his knowledge of Brandy to M by picking on the brand that is served to him. While it’s true that nobody is ever going ton confuse James Bond as being a wine connoisseur, it’s clear that he does appreciate more than a martini.
7 – French Kiss
While I don’t usually watch a lot of romantic comedies, this movie does make it on the list because of Kevin Kline’s character’s desire to own his own vineyard. Having gambled away his share of the family plot to a vineyard, Kline spends his time with Meg Ryan talking about wine, introducing her to love, and even shows off his own homemade aroma sampling kit.
6 – Cleopatra
What would a movie set in Ancient Rome be without wine? The main characters are often seen drinking wine, and poison is served to Cleopatra in a cup of wine (which she makes her servant drink instead). In fact, Marc Anthony has a glass of wine in his hand in nearly ever scene he’s in during the movie. That’s commitment. Read the rest of this entry »
Pinot Noir Grapes
A red wine produced from the pinot noir grape (vitis vinifera), the wine is derived from the French words for “pine” and “black”, referring to the pine cone shaped clusters and the dark coloring of the grape bunches. Grown around the world, though mostly in cooler regions, Pinot Noir is quickly becoming one of the most popular wine varietals available.
Description
Thriving in the Burgundy region of France, Pinot Noir is now grown throughout Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States. The leaves of the Pinot Noir plant are smaller than those of the Cabernet Sauvignon, but larger than those of the Syrah. Pinot Noir grown for dry table wine (as opposed to that grown for Champagne), is usually low-yielding and difficult to grow, adding to the distinction of the grape.
History
Pinot Noir is an ancient varietal of grape, perhaps only 1 or 2 generations removed from being a wild grape. Believed to have first been seen in the 1st century A.D in the Burgundy region, there are also references to the grape growing in Belgium during the same time.
Prone to mutation, there are currently over 50 variations of pinot noir recognized by France, as opposed to only 25 of the more widely planted cabernet sauvignon. Pinot Gris is arguably the most well known derivative of pinot noir.
Regions
While grown throughout the world, pinot noir is best known for being grown in the Burgundy region of France and in the western United States. California produces the most pinot noir in the US, particularly the Sonoma Valley area, with Oregon coming in a close second. Washington and New York also produce pinot noir, though not in the same volumes.
Rise in Popularity
While pinot noir has always enjoyed a certain level of popularity, the recent rise in popularity can certainly be tied to the release of the movie Sideways, featuring Paul Giamatti as Miles Raymond, a writer and wine lover who favors pinot noir over all grapes due to the difficulty in growing it.
Shortly after the release of the movie, many retailers and restaurants had a difficult time keeping pinot noir in stock due to the sharp increase in demand across the country.
Pinot Noir Wine
While the range of varieties of pinot noir means there are numerous flavors and aromas associated with pinot noir, generally the wine is medium bodied with aromas reminiscent of black cherry, raspberry, or currant. The color is usually referred to as garnet, and tends to be lighter than other red wines. Traditionally having an earthy flavor, a new trend from New Zealand and California is to produce a more fruit forward pinot noir.
