Time To Change Your Ways

Are you drinking the same wine over and over because fear of the unknown grips you when you try to grab something different? It’s time to let go of that phobia and get out of that wine rut! Engage your senses in something new. Give your eyes something new to behold, your nose new scents to take in and your palate new flavors to experience. Understandably, it’s hard to let go of the tried and true. But here are a few suggestions that should assist you in taking the leap without taking a crash.
. If you like Shiraz/Syrah, try a Grenache. The fruitiness will be somewhat the same but the tannins will be a bit lower. Some Grenache wines are blended to up the earthiness aspect of the flavor spectrum. Since Grenache is originally Spain and is the most widely planted red varietal in that country, let me suggest a Spanish Grenache blend. Try the Castillo Perelada ROC Crianza (14.50) from Catalunya in northeastern Spain. The blend of 70% Grenache (called Garnacha in Spain) and 30% Tempranillo is aged for 12 months in combination French and American oak. Although born in the Old World, this wine tastes like a New World creation and is lovely to enjoy by the glass as well as with food.
. If you like Chardonnay, especially California Chardonnay, try a Viognier. Viognier is a little more aromatic than Chardonnay so your nose will be thrilled with the new fruit scents; the two types of wines are fairly full-bodied and have substantial weight on the palate. Try the Peirano Estate Viognier from Lodi district of California ($13.50); full of stone fruit and blossom scents, the weight of the wine on the palate will thrill the Chardonnay lover in you. Pairs with similar foods as the Chardonnay.
. If you like Sauvignon Blanc, try an Albariño. The Albariño grape is indigenous to the Iberian peninsula (you find this grape in both Portugal and Spain). The better known Albariños come from the Rias-Baixas region of northern Spain and are crisp and flavorful and usually unoaked. The Paco & Lola Albariño is an excellent alternative wine at $18.99. It has fresh flavors balanced with a lively acidity and is perfect for dill salmon with risotto or tempura lobster.
. Last but not least, to all you avowed Cab drinkers try a big, bold Aglianico from Taurasi in southern in Italy instead. The tannins and flavor profile will be somewhat similar with Aglianico having high tannins, subtle earthiness and chocolate-like characteritics. Aglianico can age for up to 10 years. The Antica Hirpinia (22.99) is from the 2000 vintage is now ready to drink with its velvety mouth feel and harmonious tannins.

A Rosé Is A Rosé By Any Other Name

And now for your national forecast: Tuesday heavy rains heading east shaving some of the heat off the eastern states. By Wednesday the front will still be over the southeastern US with the northern tier remaining unsettled with rain. Highs 96° in NY, 92° in Dallas and 80° in Chicago and Seattle will be warming up to 70° by Thursday.

Well, unless you are one of the 583,000 (+/-) who live in Seattle, then you are experiencing some sweltering weather. This is especially true if you live in the southern states stretching from Arizona all the way through to Florida and from eastern Arkansas, western Tennessee and up to Ohio all the way to way upstate New York and beyond. It’s scorcher weather. You are a red wine lover but who can think of red wine at this time?

Think Rosé instead! Rosé is different; it has all the refreshing characteristics of white wine with many of the same qualities that we love in red wine.

Rosés are made by leaving the skins in contact with the wine for a set amount of time before being extracted. The skin, along with the pips and stems are what give red wine its color. Likewise, it is what gives Rosés color depending on the amount of time the wine has been allowed contact with these elements. The longer the skin, pips and stems stay in the tank, the darker the color will be. Most Rosés are left in contact with these elements for just a few hours but some as much as overnight – few French labels will note Rosé d’une nuit, which means that the wine was left in contact with the skins overnight.

Rosé is not a blending of red and white wine with the exception of Champagne Rosé. Otherwise Rosé can be made as described above or by the bleed off method known as Saignée method. In this case, only a small portion of juice is bled away from the skins to make rosé. (The remaining juice stays in contact with the skins. Because there is a greater surface area ratio of skins to juice after the bleed, more color and complexity can be extracted from the skins into the red wine-to-be.) Rosé wine then goes through the same process as white wine.

What you get when you buy a Rosé is a crisp, refreshing wine with red wine structure like the Bokisch Vineyards Rosado. This Rosé is made in the Mediterranean tradition – dry and crisp yet fruity and lively on the palate. Made from Garnacha (aka Grenache), its beautiful pink color with hints of orange lead to a nose of strawberry with hints of roses. Sadly the Bokish Rosado is made only in small batches. The 2005 was only 160 cases and the 2007 is only 42 cases. If you get your hands on a bottle of this lovely wine you’ll enjoy it chilled with paella, tapas (chorizo, cheese, olives and almonds) or grilled foods. You will also enjoy it as a sipping wine; one to share with friends by the poolside or while sitting under the shade of an old oak tree. Cheers!

Become A Wine Tourist This Summer

The dollar is down and the idea of spending an idyllic springtime in the rolling hills of Tuscany is questionable. Even if you get a reasonable airfare rate, you still have to consider that the dollar is losing against the Euro. Those stories about the great bottles of wine for only $2 or $3 have faded into the past much like the stop at the currency exchange window each time you arrive into a new European country. But there is still a place you can go where the mountains loom in the background and the ground undulates with the contour of the hills; where the land is rich with history and the people boast of conquerors and liberators; best of all, where a dollar can still get you an unforgettable vacation. The place is Chile. Located along the Pacific Ocean, Chile stretches 4,265 km (2,650 miles) from north to south but averages only 177 km (110 miles) from east to west and boasts myriad of climates and topography. Within the boundaries of this long, thin country lies the world’s sixth largest wine producer. Chile’s location is an ideal one; its deserts, mountain ranges and ice packs have made it impossible for most of the world’s grape eating predators to penetrate the land. Therefore, Chile uses little if any pesticides in the farming of the vines. Land is still inexpensive and labor relatively cheap (yet, literate). Chiles’s wine industry is based on the “Big Four” Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon but in recent years, has also cultivated Pinot Noir, Syrah and even Zinfandel. All of this and the fact that it resurrected the Carmenere grape make Chile a fascinating place to become a wine tourist. Fly into Santiago and from there wine country is only an hour away. Rent a car and do it your way or book a wine tour through the Curacavi and Casablanca Valleys – these would be the equivalent of Napa & Sonoma. Many of the easiest tours to take will have you tasting wines at the Cousiño Macul Winery, Chile’s oldest established in 1856, within a few hours of departing your hotel’s front door. Before setting sail around Cape Horn (metaphorically speaking), try some of these fascinating Chilean wines to get acclimated to the hemisphere change. The Casa Diego Carmenere 2005 (6.50) is a true testament of Chiles’s ownership of the Carmenere grape with blackberries, raspberries and green peppers on the nose and palate. Terra Mater “Mighty” Zinfandel (29.99) has notes of dark chocolate and dried dark fruits: the palate is full and lively with zesty tannins. This Zinfandel gives a run for its money. If you would like more facts about Chile and its wine industry, visit chile-travel.com or e-mail me at cecelia@uncorkedwines.com.

A Memorable Wine for Memorial Day

It’s coming up on Memorial Day weekend. It is America’s unofficial start to the summer: depending on where you live, you’re ready to dust off the grill and get the outdoor season started. What better way to celebrate than with American wines. Thomas Jefferson would be proud of the progress we’ve made with our viticulture – not only with European grape varietals (vitis vinifera) but with native varietals (vitis labrusca and vitis rotundifolia). This is the perfect weekend to become a wine patriot.

If you’re one of those who knows all there is to know about Napa and Sonoma, then this is the time to expand those horizons and get into a different state of mind altogether with Oregon, Washington, New York, and others. At the very least, move down the coast a bit to the Central Valley and experience new grape varietals and wine making techniques.

Let’s start with this lovely red that I happen to be enjoying as I am writing this – Viña Robles Red4 2005 from the Huerhuero Vineyard in Paso Robles. When first brought to my attention, it was poured as part of a blind tasting. It was a proud day for my nose and palate as they as they immediately picked out the Syrah and the Petite Sirah; although these two grapes make up 66% and 25%, respectively, so it wasn’t that difficult to discern them but the next two grapes were a bit trickier. The Viña Robles Red4 also has Touriga Nacional (7%) and Tannat (2%) blended in – this is where the Sommelier pride takes over. Yes, I was able to pick them out. But why add these two grapes in such low quantities to a wine that no doubt already has big flavor from the two main grapes? Let’s start with the Tannat; although it is a mere 2% of the wine, the grape varietal offers lots of depth and tannin, hence the name. For a wine made from Syrah and Petite Sirah, this addition makes the difference between the typical fruit-bomb where all the flavor is up front and nothing is offered in mid-palate to a well-rounded wine with substance on the mid-palate and a memorable finish. Tannat originates in southwestern France but is fast becoming THE grape varietal of Uruguay where, in its 100% form, it pairs perfectly with the local beef.

Touriga Nacional is one of the grapes used to make Port wine. No, the grape is not sweet; Port goes through a process that makes it sweet. The Touriga grape lends the Red4 floral aromas, specifically violets, a racy acidity that gives the wine structure and a silkier finish. Originating on the Iberian Peninsula, Touriga is becoming an international grape due to its deep color and violet aromas. You will also find notes of vanilla in the wine, a result of the 14 months spent in French and American oak.

Viña Robles is located in Paso Robles in California’s Central Valley and limits the production of their wine to ensure quality and value; there were fewer than 2,200 cases of the Red4 2005 produced. It is a family-owned winery working with a wide range of grape varietals from the well-know like Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon to the getting known like Viognier and Petit Verdot to the unknown like Touriga and Tannat.

Grab a bottle of the Red4 this Memorial Day weekend and pair with whatever you are grilling. From burgers and BBQ ribs to grilled veggies, this wine will enhance those charcoal or wood flavors that grilling brings to food. Also good with pizza, pasta with rich red sauces or just enjoy a glass like I did. You should find the Viña Robles in your locally owned, independent wine store for about $14.50. If you have a hard time locating a bottle of this interesting and tasty wine, give us a call at Uncorked (727.892.9463).

A New Day in New Orleans

It’s been a while since I’ve posted on the blog – almost a month. I’ve been traveling; went to New Orleans for an extended stay to visit family, to enjoy Jazz Fest (had backstage passes, yes!) and to eat phenomenal food renowned the world over. From the beignets in the Café du Monde and the Muffulettas at Central Grocery to Oyster Po-Boys, Gumbo and Shrimp Creole, the gastronomy of New Orleans is known the world over. As part of the visit, there was the obligatory family crawfish boil – you know “pinch the tail, suck the head”. New Orleans offers an array of dishes that make the mouth water and, by the way, can make your eyes water too. This cuisine isn’t for those who are faint “palated”. You have to have some tolerance to spice otherwise you’ll find yourself missing out on many of the city’s delicacies.

Spice is good if you pair it with the right type of liquid. There’s always water or milk but, hey, this is New Orleans. So I reached for several different types of drinks. There was the famous Hurricane that I tried with the Crawfish Pasta at Pierre Masperos; an OK combination. The Hurricane being a little too fruity and a lot too strong to actually enhance the food flavors. But again it’s New Orleans; if you don’t have at least one Hurricane, you’ve really not done it right.

At the family crawfish boil, however, I really had a great pairing. I lugged all the way from Florida a few bottles of the Deseado Sparkling Wine from Argentina. This sparkling wine is made from the Torrontes grape, which originates in Spain, and has some residual sugar to it making it a perfect match for spicier foods. The combination was decadent. The more crawfish tails you pinch, the more spice you introduce to your palate, so the more you crave the cool sweetness of the sparkling wine. The wine is made in the Charmat method. This method of making sparkling wine allows for secondary fermentation in stainless steel tanks; the sparkling wine is bottled under pressure. The Charmat method is also known as Metodo Italiano as it was invented in Italy and is most widely used in that country especially for production of Asti in the northwest and Prosecco in the northeast.

The bubbles in the Deseado Sparkling wine are small and long lasting and help carry through the fine fruit flavors of peaches and apples. The little bursts of bubbles on the tongue help to regulate the spiciness of Cajun and Creole foods. If you'd like to sample this for yourself, I'll be conducting a food & wine pairing event at Uncorked on Friday, May 16 with, what else, Cajun and Creole foods. I'll be sharing family recipes and I'll have to think of a way to get a crawfish boil going in the back courtyard.

Great Wines for the Working Girl or Guy

Yesterday (Friday) we had a wonderful tasting focusing on the Working Girl Wines from Olympic Cellars in Washington State. Washington has long been one of my favorite places for great wine at an affordable price. With a wine region that gets less than eight inches of rain year, Washington makes its grapes work hard for the flavor as they have to dig deep down into the soil for their moisture and nutrients. The results are spectacular as evidenced in the Working Girl Wines.

We dabbled in all four of their offerings staring with the Working Girl White leading the way. This blend of Chardonnay and Riesling is easy to drink with lots of refreshing fruitiness on the palate. Its apple and pear flavors with just a touch of sweetness are a welcome pleasure as the weather turns warmer and more humid; a great wine to have with stir fry or to share with friends. We moved onto the Rosè the Riveter, which is made from Lemberger. I had long thought that Lemberger was a Native American grape varietal but that’s why we taste and study wine – we learn something new everyday. Lemberger is in fact native to Austria and made its way to North America as most wines have throughout the world via human migration. The Rosè the Riveter is a riveting wine with its brilliant color and semi-dry flavor. This wine is perfect for grilled foods; an added plus to burgers and other charred favorites. It would be hard to follow Rosè but the Go Girl did a great job. A softer red wine for those who don’t like the effects of harsh tannins on the back of their throats, the Go Girl Red is a blend of Merlot and Lemberger. It has dark berry flavors with spice and a velvety feel in the mouth. Pair with lamb chops or even Fondue. At the end of the line is the Handy Man Red. He’s our kinda guy made from a blend of Cabernet, Merlot and a sprinkle of Cabernet Franc. He’s rich, strong, and sturdy and won’t let you down with your heartier fare.

Next time you think of all the hard work you’ve got to do. Think about enjoying some Working Girl wines when the work is done.

Is It Dinnertime Yet?

Tonight we are to meet friends for dinner at a sushi haunt they swear by. As sushi lovers, my husband and I are all for finding a new place that uses fresh ingredients and lots of imagination in making sushi and sashimi. So as my mouth salivates over our impending dinner date, I am also wondering what wine to pair to make the evening all the more memorable. If the sushi turns out to be as good as our friends say we’ll definitely need something that brings the culinary experience to fruition. (I imagine the sushi will be good – these friends also make their own sushi at home, so they have very discerning sushi palates.) Since I haven’t seen these amigos in quite a while, I also want the wine to be celebratory so I am brining a bottle of Trevisiol Prosecco Valdobbiadene DOC (14.99). Prosecco is a grape that is indigenous to the Veneto region of northeastern Italy; it is also a style of wine denoting a sparkling wine. This sparkling wine has a flowery and fruity aroma with a light and fruity palate. There is a hint of peach as it hits the back of the throat and the bursting bubbles keep it fresh and lively with a bit of crisp minerality. Production was a mere 2,500 cases making it a rare gem to find but one worth looking for. The fruity crispness of this Prosecco will pair perfectly with the combination of fish flavors with soy, ginger and spicy wasabi.

Outside the Bordeaux Box

I don’t normally write too much about French wines. There are many reasons but mostly because it is expected that if you write about French wines you must at some point give Bordeaux and Burgundy their due. Not to be disrespectful to these two world-renowned wine regions but I am not much into either of them. Not to say I don’t enjoy a Saint-Émilion, a St-Estèphe or a Gevrey-Chambertin every now and again but you really would be hard-pressed to find the last time that I craved and raved about these regions. But there are regions of France that tickle my fancy and Madiran is one of them. Madiran is actually not that far from the city of Bordeaux – about two hours due south; it is situated in southwest France in the Pyrénées and grows some of the same grapes as Bordeaux, with one exception – Tannât. Tannât is what makes Madiran wines standout in the crowd. The grape varietal is relatively unknown and is grown mainly in southwest France and in Uruguay (more on Uruguayan Tannât at a later date). If you have not had a chance to please your palate with a Madiran wine, then let me suggest the Torus from Alain Brumont (Madiran AOC 2003 – 15.99). This wine is a blend of 50% Tannât, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc. With a deep purple color, the Torus has black berry flavors and some smokiness on the nose. It has powerful tannins – think of the name Tannât and that tells you almost all you need to know in the tannins department. The finish is medium to long with a little heat at the end but it dissipates quickly with a dark fruit aftertaste. Because Madiran wines are so tannic, you should pair with hearty foods that can stand up to this characteristic. The famous dish from Southwest France is Cassoulet; it translates as “bean pot stew" or "white bean stew" or "meat and bean casserole". Cassoulet is a simmered dish and has to include 70% of haricot beans and 30% of meat; either pork; lamb or sausage; or partridge or duck. You could also pair with beef like standing rib roast, grilled T-Bone or a notoriously thick, grilled burger. If you pair with cheese, buy the aged heartier cheeses that have a lot of oomph to them.

What To Serve When the Easter Beagle Comes A Callin'

It’s Easter time. Spring is in the air – at least in Florida it is and it’s time for another holiday family gathering. Of course food is at the core of the get-together and if you are looking for a wine to make the affair memorable consider one of the following.

If you are serving an Easter brunch, a Rosé is the perfect pairing. Go for a dry yet fruity Rosé that will have enough acidity to stand up to the variety of foods that make up the brunch buffet but also enough fruit flavor to be enjoyed as a sipping wine. The Castillo Perelada Cresta Rosa Vino de Aguja (11.99) is just the wine. Made from 100% Grenache, the wine is made in the semi-sparkling petillant style – it pours with a bit of fizz then stills out. This style of wine is bursting with fruit flavors yet is dry to the finish. The Cresta Rosa is refreshing, fruity and beautiful to behold in the glass.

Thinking about having an early dinner? Ham, hot-crossed buns and all the fixings that make the Easter table fun call for the Prosper Maufoux Morgon Cote de Py Cru Beaujolais (15.99). Made from 100% Gamay, this wine is rich and powerful with a ruby red color and ripe fruit aromas of cherries and plums. Morgon is the second-largest cru in the Beaujolais region of Burgundy and is well-known for its powerful wines. The Cote de Py slope has a base of slate and produces concentrated, structured wines that often resemble the Cote d’Or Pinot Noirs. The Cote de Py is said to be a dormant volcano rich with nutrients that gives wines from this part of the Morgon appellation an upper-hand compared to those from the lower land.

If you are planning a more elaborate gathering with lamb and maybe some asparagus or broccilini and salad with field greens, then the Chateau d’Excindre “Magdalia” (15.50) is for you. Made from 50-year old Carignane (60%), Syrah (30%) and Grenache (10%), this wine is very well balanced with red berries and ripe fruits surrounded by sweet tannins. The Magdalia comes from the Coteaux du Languedoc from hilly south facing vineyards giving the grapes warmth for juicy ripeness that comes through in the wine. Your guests will ooh and aah over this pairing for years to come.

What's an O'Dowd Drink for St. Paddy's Day?

A Wexford Irish Cream Ale, of course. Wexford is the first Irish Cream in a widget can to be imported to the US. What’s that widget do in the can, anyway? Although the little widget sounds cool in the can, please do not shake the can; you’ll just get an Irish Cream shower when you pull the tab pack. The widget is an in-can system that allows for a creamy head when you pour the beer for an authentic draft experience; the widget releases CO² to create the head. Because of the widget, you are experiencing real Irish draft beer. Doug O'Dowd, our resident beer expert, would rather have the Wexford straight from the tap but the in-can system is as close to the real thing as you can get without getting the passport out and going through customs. The Wexford is light to medium-bodied with rich, smooth, mellow flavors of malt and caramel with a light touch of fruitiness. The Wexford Ale Company was established in 1810 and follows five generations of brewing traditions. Enjoy with some shepherd’s pie or the all-American St. Patrick’s Day favorite, corned beef and cabbage.

Hold It! Get Your Hands off the Bowl and On the Stem

I almost don’t want to mention it. It sounds so snobbish and I really don’t like to be snobby about wine. My philosophy is that wine should be a complement to life therefore if you are enjoying a wine with dinner or while hanging out by the pool, then it must be a good wine for the occasion at hand. Otherwise you wouldn’t be drinking it. But this particular “thing” I just can’t let slide by. It’s when people hold their wine glass by the bowl.

Some people may not know that the bowl is for holding the wine and the stem is the actual holder. Like the cup part is where you pour the coffee and the holder is where you “hold” the cup. But you would think that Hollywood types trying to pass off a whole show as hip and sophisticated would know better. Apparently, not. Case in point, the Sex and the City HBO series. The show centers around four brilliant, young, beautiful, “with-it” women who make enough money to live alone in Manhattan while still able to afford $400 a pair shoes. With all the sophistication surrounding this show, one would think that they would hold onto a glass of wine in proper form. I named myself the unofficial wine censor of this program and noted 100’s of times when Carrie or Miranda have sheepishly looked into the eyes of their respective dates and then man-handled a glass of wine; not very appealing.

“What difference does it make?” you ask. The difference is that when you hold the glass by the bowl the body heat you emit through your hands, however slight, is changing the elements of the wine in the glass. As a wine warms up, it will create vapors from its aromas that will enhance the wine tasting experience. If it warms up too quickly the aromas will dissipate at a faster rate and the flavor experience will be lost. Remember that we “taste” through our sense of smell. Moreover, most reds are already served way too warm and by giving it the added warmth of your hands, you are not getting the optimum wine that the winemaker had in mind. Let me put it in easier terms to understand. Holding your glass of wine by the bowl would be akin to pouring ketchup on Chateaubriand from Bern’s Steakhouse. You could do it but why?
If you have been guilty of holding your wine glass by the bowl, try holding it by the stem and see if it doesn’t make a difference to your wine experience.

Keep the Wines Cool

After six and a half years in the wine biz, we finally broke down and bought a wine cooler. How could it be that after pontificating on end about proper storage – the affects of temperature change and light, and proper serving temperatures, that we only just now became the proud owners of a wine cooler? The answer is elusive to tell the truth. The wine shop (Uncorked – you can click on the link to the right to browse the store website) is always a chilly 68°F so that the wines are at a beneficial storage temperature. Most of the wines sell out quickly – not on the shelf for more than a week or two. But there are those higher-end ones that take time to move out; the older vintage wines, ports and champagnes that really need to be looked after. It’s for their benefit that the cooling system is on the “go.” Given that, we always figured that it was like having a house-sized wine cooler. Why bother buying one? Then last weekend, we just broke down and thought how ridiculous it was that every time we wanted some wine, we had to get in the car and drive down to our wine shop. The thought of it really put a damper on the spontaneity of popping open a bottle of wine. So we did it – we took the plunge. While on the diving board, though, we realized that now that we have a wine cooler, we were missing a wine bar. So off we went to get a wine bar. It’s pretty cool. You can keep it closed to hide your glasses and wine tools or open it up and use it as a bar. These two new fixtures now grace our den and add to the cache of the leather couches, roll-top desk and real, still working victrola. However if we’re really to enjoy the wine bar, we’ll need to get bar stools; they’ll have to be leather to go with the couches. We’ll also need a plant and a new TV stand. I now recall why we waited so long to get the wine cooler. Perhaps the answer wasn’t so elusive. In the meantime, I will fill my cooler with a few new purchases of wine.

NERVI VIGNETO MOLSINO 2000 GATTINARA DOCG
The Molsino Gattinara is a beautiful expression of the noble Nebbiolo grape and was recently awarded the coveted Tre Bicchieri from Gambero Rosso. Nervi was founded in 1906 and owns 24-acres in the Gattinara region of Piedmont. Mineral-rich soils at an elevation of 1,000 ft. make Molsino one of the best vineyards in Gattinara. This wine is garnet-brick red with a nose of blackberries, cherries, smoke, cedar, violets and spice. The wine is full-bodied with firm tannins and moderate acidity. It was aged 4 years with 3 years in Slovenian oak casks.

BRUNELLI 2004 AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA DOC
The Brunelli family has made wine for three generations, produced in the area of San Pietro in Cariano. The family owns 12 hectares of vineyards under the direction of oenologist Luigi Brunelli. Brunelli Amarone della Valpolicella Classico is deep ruby red in color with enticing aromas of blackberries, raisins, cedar, leather, chocolate, and mineral notes. Full-bodied with soft acidity and silky tannins, the wine offers rich flavors of raspberry, black fruits, dates, cedar, coffee and spice. It was aged for 21 months in oak barrels. Velvety and rich on the long, smooth finish.

CASATA MONFORT 2005 TEROLDEGO ROTALIANO DOC
Native to Trentino this vine takes its name from the village of Teroldeghe. The fundamental characteristic of this variety is that it grows and gives its best only in the Piana Rotaliana area whose soil is the result of alluvial detritus deposited by the River Noce.
Teroldego is known for producing wines of considerable character and quality that are heavy and rich with black fruits and spices yet retain a certain ethereal quality from high levels of acidity. Low in tannins, wines produced from this varietal are best consumed young, but when yields are low and production values high they can take to several years of bottle aging. Flavors and aromas of black cherries, blackberries and ripe plums are common.

Smile and Show Your Purpley Tooth

It was supposed to be an afternoon of fun aimed at the kids. Bring all the kids over and let them play around on our humongous playhouse; they’ll tire out and both you and they will have a good night’s sleep. The kids were having a great time so we decided to continue the play through dinner. Everyone stay for burgers on the grill (something that can be done in Florida all year long) we said and they did. I discreetly move over towards my husband and whisper the question everyone else was wondering about, “Should we open a bottle of wine?” Sure why not. The kids have been playing all afternoon; let the adults have a turn. The quandary then turned to which wine to open. As I stood in front of the wine cooler – much like a kid in front of the fridge wondering what exactly to get – I finally drew out the Dusted Valley Stained Tooth Syrah. This is an exceptional wine made from a blend of co-fermented Syrah (85%), Viognier, Mourvedre and Grenache (5% each). The scents drift out of the glass and offer the nose a rapture of dark fruits. The tannins are ripe and offer a silky, lengthy finish. Mind you this wine isn’t called “Stained Tooth” for no reason. After one sip and swirl around the mouth, your teeth and tongue turn a plum color. By the time the glass has been fully enjoyed, your mouth is the color of a purple Crayola. This coloration is confirmation of the greatness of the wine. Because red wines get their color from the grape’s skin, you may be able to determine fullness of body. If the skin is in contact with the wine juice for a longer period of time, the wine will be darker and more full-bodied. On the flip side, less contact a lighter color – this is how some rosés are made. You may also be able to tell what kind of wine it is; lighter coloration comes from grape with softer, thinner skins like Pinot Noir or Beaujolais. Color in wine also offers you a glimpse of the age of a wine and whether it has had contact with wood. A red wine will develop tawny to brown hues in it as it ages. Back to the wonders of the Stained Tooth Syrah – we enjoyed the wine with the grilled burgers, grilled pineapple and a tasty bow-tie pasta salad whose dressing was not at all too vinegary. Needless to say it turned out to be a fun day for both the kids and the grown-ups!

What To Do When...

...the wine is from an old vintage, is limited in production, and is from an area you really don't know much about. I posted this picture because it has three bottles of wine that can be seen on the table. Each one represents one of these topics.

At the forefront is a bottle of Barbeito 1960 Bual Madeira, a complex Madeira to say the least. On the nose, there are chocolate and intense coffee notes; on the palate this sweet Madeira offers prunes, hazelnut and caramel with hints of molasses on the finish. Although the wine spent much of its time aging in barrel, it’s still 48 years old. Will it hold up? The good news is that it’s Madeira and very little will cause it to become damaged. Madeira wine goes through a special heating process which allows the wine to become virtually indestructible. However, if this was a Bordeaux or Burgundy wine, you would want to take special care to ensure that it was: 1. stored properly in the last 40 plus years. Light, extreme swings in temperature, upright storage and not enough moisture in the air all cause stress on the wine and its container (the bottle and cork). 2. When you are ready to drink an older vintage wine you will want to take it from its lying position and gently place it in an upright position. This will allow some of the dregs to drop to the bottom. 3. You will want to gently open the bottle with as little agitation as possible. Moving the bottle around too much will move all the dregs and bring them back into mixing with the wine. And 4. you will want to decant in an attempt to completely separate the dregs from the wine.

Behind the Madeira is a bottle of Raymond Burr 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon, which is no longer available but believe me was phenomenal – only the 1994 Raymond Burr overshadowed it. It had black cherry, currant, vanilla and chocolate aromas and flavors. It was densely structured with tannins sweetened from the oak aging. My mouth waters as I think about this wine. Production has always been extremely limited; even now the Raymond Burr Vineyards produce less than 3,000 cases of all their wines. What do you do when you find a gem like this with so few bottles available? Stock up! Once you know the wine is worth the real estate it will take up in your wine cooler, buy three, four or more bottles. The fun will be in tasting how the wine evolves over time. Just remember to enjoy the wine – don’t leave it for your heirs.

On the right the bottle with the dark label is the Aureo 2000 Sangiovese di Romagna from, you guessed it, the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. Not many people know about this region, let alone the great wines it has to offer. We do however know many of its famous towns: Modena (Balsamic vinegar), Parma & Reggio (cheeses), Bologna and the resort town of Rimini among others. Emilia-Romagna is Italy’s capital of gastronomy. Suffice it to say that where there’s good food, good wine will follow. The Aureo Sangiovese is aged 18 months in oak casks resulting in a deep ruby red wine with a large, earthy bouquet and a finish that is long and pleasant with dark fruits and earth. When you come across a wine from a region you know little of, take it as a learning opportunity. Ask the Sommelier about the wine and its origins, grab an Atlas or go on-line and do a search. Those little-known regions hold a treasure trove of great tasting wines and a chance to learn something new.