Zippy and Refreshing Rosado from Spain, Armas de Guerra Rosada Mencia, 2013 -- Day 2 of Rosé Challenge

This tasty little rosado from Spain's underrated region of Bierzo is crisp and refreshing, and easy on the wallet.  For around 10 dollars, we get a 100% varietal - in this case; Mencia, old bush vines, and lots of tasty freshness and acidity.  All that and a sassy label - that's a pretty great scenario.

Grape - 100% Mencia
Region - Bierzo, Spain.

Mencia (also known as Jaen in neighboring Portugal) is the signature grape of the Bierzo region in Northwest Spain.  It's a naturally high acid grape (think Pinot Noir) and has typical flavors/aromas of strawberry and some interesting herbal qualities as well like mint.  Vino translation... this is a great food wine - that acidity is going to cut right through anything fatty or spicy.

This rosado is a great value, as are the red (tinto ) wines from that region - so make sure to try one when you get the chance. 




The Verdict
Color -pastel pink
Nose - cranberry, wild strawberry, herbaceous (tarragon?)
Palate - dry, strawberry, mineral, hint of mint
Price:  $10.99
Pairing: drank this alongside my signature Caesar salad.  Perfection!!

Day 1 of Rosé Challenge- Maison Bourron, Cotes de Provence 2013 - Easy like Sunday Evening

I  pulled this pretty bottle from my case o' rosés to pair with tonight's supper (BBQ  Chicken) and to inaugurate my first day of rose-a-thon-ing.  We start with the Maison Bourron Reserve, Cotes du Provence 2013.  It is a perfectly fine little rosé - uncomplicated and easy going.  This was good because Hubby and I were watching BBC Sherlock and didn't need our wine to steal the show.


I drank this tonight!

Maison Bourron is mysterious, I cannot find any information on this elusive (real?) winery.  The Pink Pages (as I will call them) that lists all Provence producers doesn't show any sign of them.  Actually, this is a great site http://www.provencewineusa.com/getting-to-know-rose. 

Since this is most likely a co-op wine or possibly the Brigadoon of wineries, I will fill in some blanks. 

Grapes: Provence wines are generally blends of these red/black grapes; Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan, Cinsault and Tibouren (old old varietal).

Region: located in the South of France roughly between Avignon and Cannes.  There are many different sub-regions, the largest and least strict is what we have here in the glass Cotes de Provence.  It is the easternmost area of Provence and also has a few little pockets to the west, in the less interesting terroirs.  I say less interesting, but the whole region is pretty beautiful (hills, valleys, lavender fields, limestoney cliffs, you get the idea).

Style:Dry, crisp, mineral driven, beautiful aromatics.  This Maison Bourron is a cheapie version so it has echos of it's more prestigious counterparts.

How great is this little snippet from the Pink Pages, "Provence offers the lifestyle many stressed Americans dream of. It's an outdoor lifestyle, flavored with fresh local vegetables, seafood, and olive oil, and food-friendly local wines. People tend to live and eat outside, taking full advantage of their beautiful surroundings – historic villages, terraced hillsides, lush lavender fields, and wild hiking paths." Heck yeah, get yourself to Provence if at all possible!!

Maison Bourron Reserve, Cotes de Provence 2013

$10.99 (have seen as low as $9.99 and as high as $13.99)

color: watermelon
nose: medium aromatics, minerally, unripe watermelon
palate: dry, mineral, tart strawberry,

Verdict:  easy drinking, nice acidity, but not terribly complex.  Felt that it stung the tongue in a slightly unpleasant way.  Perhaps alcohol slightly too high.

 For $10 bucks you could do a lot worse.  A whole lot worse. If it were just you and Alexander H,  this would be a good choice to bring to a bbq or picnic where the wine doesn't have to be the centerpiece - let it be the 2nd or 3rd wine and you're good to go!  It's not the most interesting drink in the world, but it's not offensive by any means.

30 Days of Rosé - an Exploration in Pink

I  LOVE rosés.  I am so happy to see that more and more people are loving them, too.  Wine stores are dedicating more space to them with pretty pink displays.  Wine lists are featuring rosé wines outside the summer months.  Having returned earlier this summer from Provence where I was hooked up with a veritable IV of rosé, I am glad that my addiction can continue.

Not only does rosé look pretty in the glass, it is really affordable (most available for under $20 a bottle), it's generally yummily aromatic, and with more and more producers bottling a rosé, we can really explore the world through this lovely style.

The challenge, I give myself (total hardship) is to drink rosés for the next 30 days.  Before I begin on this rosy journey with you all, I want to give you a little 411 on Rosé to make sure we're all on the same page. 

 Rosé Primer for all of your Pink Questions

How is it made?

Two major ways for quality pink- with red grapes through skin contact or saignée method:

Via  straight skin contact. Red grapes are picked, crushed and the juice and skins remain in contact for anywhere from several hours to about 3 days.  Skins are tossed before fermentation (unlike in red wine production where skins stay in contact). These grapes are destined to become rosé from their early days in the vineyard.  Let's say it's a Pinot Noir rosé - those Pinot Noir grapes will be treated differently in the vineyard, harvested at a different time than Pinot grapes that will be vinified red.  Result - skin-contact rosés tend to have more integrity and nuance.  

Saignée (Fr.bleeding) method - or I will call it BY-Product Method- this is where wine is bled off from red wine production before fermentation.  It's main purpose it to intensify the red, to add tannin & color because the volume of juice in the must is reduced, and the must involved in the maceration becomes more concentrated. It seems like this would have less integrity than the skin contact method, but I've tried some great rosés done in this way.

Is all Rosé Pepto Pink?

There are many colors of the rosé  rainbow - ranging from pale orangey onion skin (many Provence roses) to a bright clear red (think fruit punch)

But I don't like sweet wine

Don't worry, not all rosé  is sweet.  I know that most of you know that anyway, but 9.5 out of 10 roses are going to be dry.  They may be fruity with wonderful aromas of watermelon, cherry, and strawberry but it won't be sweet.  It may look like fruit punch, but it doesn't taste that way.

Sweet Rosé  - White Zinfandel, Rosé d'Anjou, White Merlot - anything labeled blush (rarer these days)

How do I pair food with Rosé

This is one of the top reasons why I love this style of wine... it is easily paired with food. 

• Pair it with nothing - drink/guzzle it without food
• Salads - salade nicoise, charred salmon atop greens, Caesar salad
• Spice - can hold up to heat.  bring on the spicy chicken wings and curries
• sandwiches - no one talks about pairing your Sammie with wine -- a great rosé will pair with your turkey and avocado on brioche.
• Meats - pork loin = perfect (depending on the rub you might even take a darker rosé)  chicken of course.  duck?  of course!

Say SI to Falanghina

Say SI to Falanghina

A Southern Italian white that you should be drinking now

This Feudi di San Gregorio Falanghina del Sannio 2012 made it's way into my refrigerator and I've been enjoying it over the last two nights.  It held up on night #2.  Brava!

411: Falanghina is an ancient white grape of Greek origin and it's grown in the volcanic soil in Naples's province of Campagnia.   Jancis Robinson says it can also be referred to as Falanghina Greco (some of you may know and love another Campanian white called Greco di Tufo).

Falanghina is a mineral driven white with lovely floral and citrus components.
I would drink these young, but I'm sure there is a case for aging Falangine (plural?) because of the acidity.  At any rate, I would say that most of the wines we get in the under $20 category should be drunk max 2 years old. 

The Feudi Falanghina  was from the 2012 vintage, and I expected to detect some age (ie oxidation or loss of fruit), however, it was still quite bright and fresh.  The color was a mellow straw, and the nose was very aromatic and fresh.  There was a hint of orange peel, Meyer lemon, and melon.  On the palate, the flavors mirrored the nose, but there was also a crisp mineral sensation which paired really well with my curried chicken and avocado salad. 


Oh, and don't be afraid of mispronouncing this if you want to order it on a wine list.  It's pronounced Fa-lan-geeee-nuh.  I was having a lovely lunch with my parents at the ever amazing A Voce in New York City, and my Dad was a little tentative in asking the server for a glass, but the wonderful waiter didn't know how to pronounce it either - and they've got great training there, so just do your best and don't worry.  Point if you have to.  Don't let it stop you from exploring a new wine.  No one's judging you and if they are... they should be put in a pneumatic press!

How to Navigate a Terrible Winelist - My dinner at Peter Luger's Steakhouse

Last weekend David and I went to Peter Luger's Steakhouse in Great Neck, Strong Island with his sister and her husband.  Let me set the scene.  The place is packed.  Women are prancing around in jeggings, nude peep-toe heels and their furs.  The dining room looks like the interior of a Bavarian beer garden done up in Tudor style.  Old old waiters totter from table to table with sizzling plates of meaty objects.  The food menu is limited and simplistic aka: Steak for 2, Steak for 3 and Steak for 4.  The wine list was equally limited.  It was also populated with all of the big brand, boring, usual suspects; Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  A wine challege if ever I saw one.  

Incidentally, after this visit, I happend to hear a podcast where a sommelier made suggestions on how to order wine at a restaurant if you don't know much about wine.  He suggested to go straight for the Cabernet Sauvignon.  I couldn't disagree more.  If you're not used to a wine with tannin, you might not enjoy Cabernet Sauvignon (although it's generally a good accompaniment with steak - especially steak that has taken a butter bath like Luger's meat).  I didn't want to pay $80 for a boring California Cabernet.  I also didn't like being steered in that direction that Luger's obviously wanted it's patrons to go.  Of the say 40 wines on the menu - 20 of them are California Cabernets. 

Here's what I did:

In general, if you want to pay around $50, don't know a lot about different wine growing regions, and you find yourself at a restaurant and the wine list looks Luger-like lame here are a few guidelines:

1. choose a non-Cabernet Sauvignon varietal in California. - I considered ordering a Merlot for a moment.  This is a good option especially since Merlots have to try extra hard to be taken seriously STILL.
2. choose a Cabernet or Cab-blend in another Country. - I considered a Casa Lapostolle Cabernet from Chile for a while - that was exactly $50. In my price range.  I also thought about getting the St. Emillion  (Merlot heavy) from Bordeaux, but thought it might be a touch earthy for the collective palate at the table.
3. choose a bottle from a value country - Spain, Argentina, Australia, Chile.  These are all great choices of countries to check out on a wine list.  These countries tend to over-deliver for their price.  The mark up won't be as high - the restaurant is marking up the higher volume wines - in this case California Cab.

In the end, I chose the option behind door #3 and ordered a Penfold's Bin 28, a smooth and tasty little number for $55 ($25 retail).  It fit the collective palate, budget, and went well with our steaks.  I feel like I deserve a medal - maybe that's why I let myself be talked into the sub-par struedel for desert.

From My Cellar (okay, my living room) Kay Brothers Hillside Shiraz 2005

When I went to Australia in 2007 I visited iconic Kay Brothers in McClaren Vale.  I splurged on a bottle of their Amery Vineyards Hillside Shiraz 2005.  David and I cracked this open the other night with some beef stroganoff and it was fantastically tasty. 

Everyone in the wine idustry (indulge me to generalize) has been down on the the Syrah grape from Down Under.  They say it's a dying category. Sales reps can't sell it.  Wine stores can't sell it.  True, there is a ridiculous amount of boring mass produced Shiraz in the $8-$15 area.  However, when you drink a Shiraz from an iconic vineyard like this one from Kay Brothers ($45), you'll see what a shame it is that Australian sections around the country are dwindling.  These are wineries that are making wines that express the unique terroir of their vineyards and producing truthful and quality wines.

Kay Brothers is located in Australia's beautiful and tourist friendly McClaren Vale.  It was founded in the late 1800's and today it is the oldest winery in McClaren Vale still family owned. The juice in the bottle we drank is from their Hillside Vineyard.  It's aged in oak for a little over 2 years and then it waits for you to drink it.

Color: rich burgundy
Nose: fragrant and spicy. ripe with currants, plums, chocolate, coffee and baking spices.  Just got better as it opened up.
Palate: velvety and full in the mouth.  flavors mirroring the nose; roasted fruits, plum and boysenberry, chocolate covered coffee beans.  Sweet tannins and long finish. 

Analysis:  This is a smoking good bottle of wine.  I'm sorry I only bought one bottle.

Insider's note (you can find a ton of great high end Aussie wines with reduced prices - snatch them up - they're more than likely ready to drink and delicious). Drink high end Aussie wines from places like McClaren Vale and the Victoria, and you'll be a believer.

Finger Lakin' Good! Heart and Hands Sparkling Rose and Red Tail Ridge Rose

I spent a wonderful weekend in New York state's Finger Lakes region with David and two of our foodie and wine minded pals; Frank and Julie.  We stayed at the AMAZINGLY gorgeous Aurora Inn directly on Lake Cayuga.  I won't bore you with details, but let's just say there was some tandem bike riding and booze fueled Scrabble games!

Although we enjoyed ourselves, I feel like Finger Lakes wines don't get a lot of respect among wine drinkers.  There are a handful of wineries like Dr. Loosen and Weimar that can be found in a lot of NYC stores, but mostly you don't see a whole lot of selection on the shelves.  Heart & Hands Wine Company and Red Tail Ridge are two wineries that are relatively young and they are doing some interesting things.

Heart & Hands is right up the road from the Aurora Inn in Aurora New York.  This is the eastern shore of Lake Cayuga.  The winery is run by and young couple; Tom and Susan Higgins with their sweet Swiss Mountain dog; Fion.  This is a relatively small production bottling some 1,500 cases of Pinot Noir and Riesling.  Tom is the winemaker and he started the winery 3 years ago in 2008, but is by no means new to the industry.  Boy knows his Pinot, he worked at Calera over in California.  That stuff is GOOD!

I particularly enjoyed their sparkling wine a 2009 Brut Rose of Pinot Noir.  The package is snazzy and the bubbles were very tasty.  They are producing this in the traditional method where the 2nd fermentation takes place in the bottle. The price was nice, too at $25.  I thought there was a pleasant toastiness and a delicate aroma of fresh strawberries and cranberry that was very refreshing. Very easy to drink a bottle of this alone... beware!

The next rose that I tried and loved was the Red Trail Ridge Rose of Pinot Noir 2010.  This comes in a smart looking bottle too.  This is tapered and lean and it seems to match the feel of the wine which is fruit punch colored, but crisp, elegant and minerally on the palate.  Fragrant notes of strawberry and bing cherry hit the nose, but this is a gorgeous dry rose - perfect for sipping with friends, lakeside, before dinner... maybe I'm speaking from experience.

Red Tail Ridge Winery, located on the western shore of Lake Seneca; is owned and operated by Mike Schnelle and Nancy Irelan, a husband and wife team.  They started the winery 6 years ago in 2005.  They are also accompanied by their two working dogs;  Shazaam (German Shepher) and Scooter (Yellow Lab).  They actually have official titles of  Winemaker Management and Pond Inspector and Mud Puddle Assessment respectively.

Red Tail concentrates on quality Reisling and Pinot Noir, but they're also doing some Chardonnay and some cool varietals like Dornfelder and Teroldego.  On another impressive note, they are LEED certified.  A very difficult green certification to come by.  It's all of these things that make you feel better about yourself and the environment as you sip away!!
Heart and Hands Brut Rose: $25
Red Tail Ridge Rose 2010: $20