Domaine La Barroche Chateauneuf-du-Pape Paired with Pale Ale Beef Stew.
April 25, 2012
This isn’t exactly seasonally-inspired cuisine (since this is very much a winter-esque dish), but I’m not running a restaurant here, so get over it! :)
Seriously though, a great amount of thought goes into these pairings (and indeed everything I put on this site). I want people to enjoy them, relate to them, read the whole-thing through to the end and possibly even make them in their in home. My rule-of-thumb is that if I personally wouldn’t want to take the time to read about it, I won’t feature it. Simple.
On the other hand, sometimes it just comes down to the fact that I’m just a guy that knows a little about wine, making a recipe for dinner that night, pairing it with a wine and posting the “evidence”.
Sometimes I read similar-type articles online, and they almost scream: “Look how sophisticated and culinary superior I am!!! Aren’t you jealous of the food that I eat on a regular basis!?!?”
I just don’t want you to think that’s my intention, and that’s the main reason why I’m posting this recipe. It’s a little-more “down-to-earth” than some of my usual pairing features.
Kind of a random pre-ample I know, but it’s just something I wanted to “throw out there”…
I used flank steak for this particular stew recipe, but that doesn’t mean you have it. You could quite as easily get away with stewing steak. If you do choose a flank steak, a sharp knife will be your best friend!
Posted in Pairings | Tagged Chateauneuf du Pape, France, Grenache, Mourvedre, Rhone, syrah | Leave a comment //Is the US Palate Changing?
April 24, 2012
The traditional gap between a US and Euro-palate is becoming less obvious, according to a French-guy named Louis-Fabrice Latour (you might of heard of him), head of Burgundy negociant and grower Maison Louis Latour.
“The trade in the US has become much more English-oriented,” remarked Louis-Fabrice in an interview with The Drinks Business. However, he clarified this perceived shift in the US palate by adding: “It’s the trade I’m talking about, not the final consumers.”
While preferences on either side of the Atlantic may start becoming more closely aligned, Louis observed that there’s still a big difference in approach between the markets. Calling the US “cherry pickers”, he stated that the UK by comparison “is very open when it comes to vintages; they’re used to it.”
Click here for the full article.
My Thoughts…
So if you read between the lines, what ol’ Louis Latour is trying to spell out is that: U.S. consumers still prefer New World wines, but wine industry professionals are doing every in their power to educate them as to the qualities of the “Old World”, with their successes being few and far between.
I think I’d agree with that. I’ve spent (and continue to spend) a lot time trying to do the same thing!
When it really comes down to it, people like what they like. I’ve always found American consumers to lean more toward wines from New World countries, primarily because they give more “up-front enjoyment”….if you know what I mean.
No amount of education can change someone’s palate overnight; instead, if someone approaches me (as they did on Twitter literally 5 mins ago) saying they “…like White Zinfandel…but looking for something different”, it isn’t a great stretch to have them jump to a Kabinett Riesling from Germany. Would they enjoy an Austrian Gruner Veltliner? Probably not! But after they’ve enjoyed the Kabinett (which they inevitably will), the next step would be Mosel Riesling, then maybe Gewurztraminer and then the Gruner.
Louis-Fabrice Latour is right to point-out the American apprehension against European wines, but in my opinion, the majority of the blame should fall on the ones doing the educating!
Posted in News | Tagged Sommelier | Leave a comment //Long Boat Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand.
April 23, 2012
Grapes
100% Sauvignon Blanc
Facts
- Today I realized that this is the first New Zealand wine I’ve ever reviewed. Pretty crazy that it’s taken me this long, right? So what could have possibly caused this 2 year procrastination?
Short-and-sweet, the sole reason is I’ve become bored of Southern Hemisphere Sauv Blancs and that I feel New Zealand has developed a reputation as “one trick pony” because of them. Most NZ SB’s taste so similar, one can hardly tell them apart.
If anything, I firmly believe that if you really want to experience the true future of the New Zealand wine industry, you need to seek-out some of their small production Pinot Noirs. Sadly, most of the better ones are difficult to find. Do yourself a favor and at least try though! - Long Boat pays homage to the Polynesian explorers who sailed thousands of miles in long boats before reaching what is today called New Zealand. This is the only wine produced by the winery.
- Long Boat specializes in grapes grown in higher altitude vineyards (up to 1,000 feet above sea level), in order to extract the most aromatics. The cooler parts of Marlborough give the grapes more of a green bell pepper aroma, with grapes from the warmer parts showing more tropical fruit.
- A small portion of the Long Boat Sauvignon Blanc was fermented in old French oak barrels (the majority is stainless steel vats) to add just a touch of spice character and soften the herbal green characters inherent in Sauvignon Blanc. The only reason I’m making the effort to feature the Long Boat is that this short-time in oak adds an element of uniqueness to the wine.
Is it Necessary for Wineries to Give Full Disclosure on their Labels?
April 22, 2012
Winemaking has come to be romanticized as simply grapes, barrels, and time. But, not surprisingly, there’s a little-more to it than that! There’s chemistry, microbiology, additives, smoothing out the rough edges, tweaking flavors, clarifying, deepening the color, and doing everything else to meet the expectations of the wine drinking public..
This gap between public perception and reality has sparked a bit of a debate in the winemaking industry, and inspired a very few bold wineries to do the unthinkable: voluntarily the list ingredients on their wine labels, even though it’s not required by law.
Randall Grahm (of Bonny Doon fame) made the news a few years ago when he began citing the substances used to process the wine. Shinn Estate Vineyards followed with estate-bottled wines, and the Anderson Valley winery Foursight printed its first ingredient list last year.
Posted in Facts | Tagged natural wine, Preservatives, Sulfites, tartrates, tartrates in wine, wine labels | Leave a comment //Red Wine Wins in a White Wine Competition.
April 22, 2012News article taken from Richmond Times Dispatch
Something rather interesting happened recently at the Celebration of the Vine festival in Virginia.
The red wine that took first place was Cooper Vineyards 2009 Petit Verdot. No huge surprises there. But what about the white winner? A white merlot! New Kent Winery’s White Merlot, to be precise.
“This could be a first for a red grape,” New Kent winemaker Tom Payette said.
To make a White Merlot, the juice from the merlot grapes has virtually zero contact with the skins just before and during fermentation.
“Most people feel they should shy from a sweet wine because it seems to be somehow burned in our brains to say we shouldn’t like sweet wines,” Payette said. “A misconception if you will. Truth told, most Americans, and others, like wines that have a delicately dialed-in balance of acid and sweetness. This is the key and what we do with this wine.”
What are those Crystals on the End of a Cork?
April 21, 2012
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