Love Me and Leave Me…
November 17, 2011
My Top 10 Reasons to Love Wine (If You Don’t Already) – #9
November 16, 2011
#9 Wine Professionals.
I’ve met a bunch of wine industry professionals from all over the world, and contrary to the stereotype that they are sometimes given, they are always gracious, interesting, just generally fun to talk to, and show no air of superiority.
However you do need to get a firm understanding of the term “wine professional”.
A wine professional is someone who has taken the firm decision in their mind that wine (in one form or another) is their chosen career path.
A wine professional IS NOT someone who has seen the movie Sideways a few too many times (memorizing the names of the Pinot’s in that one restaurant scene), someone who berates you for drinking a particular style of wine (with the exception of Boone’s Farm or MD 20/20 et al), or someone who takes every opportunity to regurgitate the smallest amount of insignificant (and often misinformed) wine trivia!
As a general rule, people in the wine industry love to talk about their job. I find that this is one of the few career paths where this rings true. After all, how many postal workers or accountants etc., do you meet that wax poetic about their profession?
I would like to conclude with this: I have a collection of wine books at home stacked to about my shoulder height (of which I’ve worked my way through about 90%), and wine magazines (100% read) that are taking over the spare bedroom. All-in-all I have learnt more about wine from true wine professionals than any other source! I strongly advise you to find your own “wine professional”, whether it be a retailer, close personal friend, Sommelier, or wine blogger. You’ll be surprised how much time and money they can save you!
Here’s a quick tip to test if who you’re talking to is a true wine professional: Ask them what their thoughts are on Riesling.
If they reply that all Riesling’s are always sweet, and that they personally wouldn’t touch them with a 10-foot pole. You have found yourself a non-wine professional.
If they reply that Riesling’s vary in levels of sweetness depending on the region’s from which they hail, are all too often mistaken as tasting like sugar water, and in fact can be one of the most delicious styles of white wine that shows the truest expression of terroir. Congratulations! You’ve found yourself a wine professional.
Perfect Pizza Wines.
November 16, 2011
It would be all too easy to simply say “anything red and Italian”, I was actually quite shocked to recently find out that most Italians actually don’t pair pizza and wine together! No Sir! They much more prefer a nice cold Peroni or Moretti beer, and consider pairing wine with pizza “for the tourists”. I guess I’m a tourist!
I can’t be too sure why most pizza places have terrible wine lists, but it’s a fact I’ve come to live with. Now that I come to think of it…..I wonder if that’s why the Italian’s only drink beer with their pizza?!?!? Maybe it’s just that the wines suck at most pizzeria’s in Italy! I digress.
The point that I was going to make was that I’m going to try and point out what I consider to be some of the best wines to pair with pizzas; but considering the generally poor wine lists, you may be a little pushed to find some of these varietals on you local pizza joints’ wine list. More likely, by the glass, what you will find is California Cab, Merlot, and Aussie Shiraz. Not that these wines don’t have a place on their list; but let’s face it, the real reason is that most pizza restaurants are too lazy to train their staff on something a little “outside the box”, and more complimentary to what they’re serving.
The customer should also probably take some of the blame for not demanding something a little “appropriate”, rather than something “recognizable”.
Red Wines
Montepulciano d‘Abruzzo
Montepulciano is the grape, Abruzzo is the region of Eastern-Central Italy. For someone who’s looking to try Montepulciano, I often describe it as almost a cross between Merlot and Chianti. You should find it very easy drinking; with a combination of red and blue fruit, and enough acidity to cut through the red sauce and cheese. Probably my favorite pizza wine!
Check out my review of: Gran Sasso Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
Primitivo
Italian for Zinfandel, but not as “in your face” as most Californian examples. The grape leans toward more fuller in style; with blackberry, cherry, pepper and earthy notes. Make sure you’re drinking it with a pizza that has plenty of meat!
Dolcetto d’Alba
Dolcetto has taken quite a while to grow on me, and I still don’t quite “get it”. With pizza though, it comes into its own. Dolcetto is the grape, and Alba is the region of Piedmont, Italy. The name Dolcetto translates to “little sweet one”. I have no idea why though. The grape certainly isn’t sweet; far from it in fact, with the wines showing more in the way of savory notes of olive, truffle, and earthy funk, with some plum thrown in. Usually finishes dry.
Check out my review of: Borgogno Dolcetto d’Alba
My Top 10 Reasons to Love Wine (If You Don’t Already) – #10
November 15, 2011#10 Tourism
If you haven’t taken any time to visit vineyards, I suggest you look into it!
When planning a trip to a winery, make sure you aren’t just visiting tasting rooms or “cellar doors”. If you are going to take the time to visit a winery, you need to get in the actual wine-making facility and vineyards. You need to actually see the grapes, the vines, the barrels, the press, crusher/destemmer, and fermentation vats etc. Trust me once you do, everything about wine and the winemaking process will start to make more sense! I always had the hardest time understanding Italian wine and the wine culture there, until I actually travelled around Tuscany, tasted the wines on their doorstep, and spoke with the winemakers. Once I did, everything came together and I had a better understanding!
In that same vein, let’s also not forget that your cup runneth over with choices of wine regions to visit; France, Spain, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, Argentina; and the obvious California. Even lesser known regions such as New York, Canada, Washington State and Oregon shouldn’t be ignored and are some of the most exciting regions at the moment.
Check back tomorrow for my number #9 reason to love wine (if you don’t already).
Posted in Facts | Tagged Reasons to Love Wine | Leave a comment //Drunk Driving in Malaysia.
November 15, 2011
In Malaysia, drunk drivers are jailed, and so are their spouses!
Posted in Facts, Funny | Tagged Drunk Driving, Malaysia | 2 Comments //Domaine Carobelle Gigondas 2009
November 15, 2011
Grapes
80% Grenache 15% Syrah 5% Cinsault
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I have a special little place in my heart for Gigondas, it was one of the first bottles that really got me into the world of wine.
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The name Gigondas [jhee-gon-dahs] comes from the Latin Jocunditas meaning “great pleasure”, as the region was home to many Roman Legions as an area of recreation.
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Grenache is always the main grape in red Gigondas, and is not permitted to exceed 80%, with the other varietals of Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault making up the rest.
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The overwhelming majority of wine produced in the Gigondas region is red. Wines produced in the region are typically rough and rugged, very full bodied, leathery, with dark fruits, licorice and spice.
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Gigondas (if made well) has the potential to age 10-20 years.
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Bottles from Gigondas are usually embossed with the village crest (see below photo), however the Domaine Carobelle Gigondas bears the logo of Vignerons de Caractere.
Place (click map for a larger view)
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The Rhone is divided into two distinct regions, the North and South. The North produces mainly pure varietal wine from Syrah grapes, whereas the South produces blends lead by the Grenache grape.
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Gigondas is located in the Southern Rhone, 20 miles North East of the more famous Chateauneuf-du-Pape wine region, with Gigondas often being viewed as a “poor mans” version of the wine.
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Due to the Mediterranean climate, winemakers must work diligently to make sure the Grenache grapes alcohol levels don’t get out of control.
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One of the main features of the Southern Rhône is the use of large stones (galets) around the base of vines which absorb the heat of the sun during the day, and help to keep the vines warm at night. This helps with the ripening of grapes. Obviously they haven’t discovered the Snuggie in France yet…
Taste
Very dark red, almost black in color. The nose shows deep-brooding black fruit, plum and blackberry. Wow! Intensely chewy, with tons of tannin. The dark-rustic black fruit flavors continue with cedar, earth, black cracked pepper, forest floor, and wild mushroom qualities. Let this one open up, ideally for a few hours!
Food Pairing
You absolutely need food with this wine! I would opt for dishes as robust and rustic as the wine itself. A menu including beef stroganoff, stews or even spare ribs would work well. This Gigondas would possibly also work well with hard cheeses.
Price
$22
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