Drink Wine With Me

This summer I had the opportunity to attend two wine and cheese pairing classes at City Winery in NYC.  Located at 155 Varick Street, City Winery is the first fully functioning winery in Manhattan and was founded by Michael Dorf.  His vision was to create a  space in the city where you can go and enjoy amazing wines paired with great food and live music.  Along with the many concerts they have scheduled they also offer special event dinners with winemakers, a private dining room, as well as a barrel making program for individuals or corporations.   One of the coolest things I love about City Winery is that when you order one of their wines by the glass it comes straight from a barrel in the cellar through the tap and into your glass, skipping the bottle altogether.  You simply can’t get any fresher than that!

The wine classes that I attended were in partnership with Murray’s Cheese, Manhattan’s oldest and most renowned cheese shop.  My favorite was in honor of the World Cup and the teams competing were France vs Italy.  It featured 2 Italian wines and 3 cheeses against 2 French wines and 3  cheeses.  While I loved all the cheeses we tried no matter what country they were from, in the end France won out for me.  No  surprise there.  I absolutely loved the French red Chateau d’Or et de Geulules Costieres-de-Nimes Les Cimels 2007.  This wine was dark ruby in color, had aromas of cherry and blackberry, and had tons of spice and dark fruit flavor.  I do have to give Italy an honorable mention for the white wine we sampled- Fruilano Bastianich 2007.  This wine was pale gold in color with a sweet honey aroma, and was drier with lemon and pear flavors.  It paired beautifully with the Petit Billy goat cheese from France.  Other cheeses that were standouts were the Pyranees Brebis, a sheeps milk cheese from France and the Taleggio from Italy.  This Taleggio from Murray’s wasn’t as ripe and soft as the ones I have bought but the flavor was still excellent especially when paired with the French red wine.

I loved this concept of having 2 wine regions face off and having everyone pick their favorite.  It would make for a great do it yourself wine tasting party and the options would be endless:  Australia vs New Zealand,  Washington vs California, Chile vs Spain, I could go on and on.  Thanks to City Winery for offering these educational and fun classes.  I can’t wait to see what the next classes are on the schedule!

This past Fourth of July weekend I wanted to be a little more festive with my beverage choices but what do you pack for a boating trip in a heat wave?  My answer just happened to be chilling in my fridge at home.  A few weeks prior I found my favorite sparkling red wine Banfi Rosa Regale in a friend’s local wine shop.  I first tried this wine in Chelsea Market and it made a big impression on me then and it continues to do so now.  Rosa Regale 2009 is a Brachetto d’Acqui produced in Strevi, Italy from the Brachetto grape.  The color of this wine in the glass is a brilliant dark pink hue and it tastes just as good as it looks.  There are raspberry and strawberry flavors accompanied by those lovely sparkling bubbles on your tongue.  There is just enough acid to make the perfect blend of sweetness without being overly dry.  I love my red wine but in temperatures over 90 degrees I need something more refreshing,  making a sparkling red a wiser choice.  At 7% alcohol it is on the lighter side and as a plus it can be paired with almost anything from spicy food, poultry, and cheese, as well as desserts-especially those of the chocolate variety.  We enjoyed a few glasses on it’s own before dinner and then paired it with grilled chicken and asparagus.  I recommend this wine not only on hot summer nights but also when entertaining as a lower priced alternative to champagne.  Rosa Regale is reasonably priced at under $20 per bottle.

I may have been on a temporary break from writing about wine but I was certainly drinking my share since my last post!  For my birthday my boyfriend purchased me a membership to the Zagat Wine Club.  My first case has arrived and I am already diving in and tasting the offerings.  Le Petit Pauvre Chardonnay 2007 is one of their white wine picks.  Produced in Monteray County, CA this dry and full bodied white is created from 100% chardonnay grapes sourced from several wineries in the state.  In the glass it was a very pale straw color.  It had a minerality to the aroma as well as hints of lemon and pear.  The flavors in this Chardonnay were very different from the Chardonnays I have been drinking lately.  I don’t think this wine has undergone malolactic fermentation since there wasn’t a strong buttery flavor that I have come to love.  It was however refreshing and crisp with very tropical fruit flavor and great acid.  This wine is aged in French oak and is on the stronger side with the alcohol at 13.9%.  I enjoyed Le Petit Pauvre Chardonnay with citrus halibut and an orange and red pepper couscous.  Paired with poultry, fish, or cheese it is a great choice and is very reasonably priced at under $20 per bottle.

Lately I have been trying to learn more about French wines and the regions that produce them.  When most people think of Bordeaux wines they have a tendency to assume that they are very expensive.  While these wines do sell at auctions for big bucks there are great quality Bordeaux that sell for extremely reasonable prices.  After perusing the aisles of my favorite local wine store I came across Chateau Pailhas Bordeaux 2005 from France.  My first impression of this wine was that it hits you with a big and bold flavor.  It is very dark brick red in the glass and has a spicy aroma.  Upon tasting,  this red wine has very pronounced blackberry and dark cherry flavors and has a nice long dry finish with the spiciness on the back end and lingers nicely on the tongue.  This Bordeaux is 13.5% alcohol and is a blend of 70% merlot, 15% cabernet sauvignon, and 15% cabernet franc.  Chateaux Pailhas is an excellent value at under $12 and was the perfect companion to our steak with gorgonzola sauce, sweet potato fries, and rocket salad with parmesan.

On a recent trip to my local discount wine emporium I found a very good Cote du Rhone that may rival the Perrin & Fils that is currently listed in my favorites box.  Seeing that the price was right and knowing I have had great success with lighter style French red wines, I decided that I probably couldn’t go wrong in purchasing this bottle.  Paul Jaboulet Aine Parallele 45 Cote du Rhone 2007 from France is medium bodied and slightly dry.  A blend of 60% grenache and 40% syrah, it had a pretty deep red color with a sweet, caramel and berry nose.  The wine is fruit forward at first with notes of blackberry and cherry and had a great spicy finish that I love in my red wines.  I think it had nice depth given the 14% alcohol and I experienced some mild tannins.  Paul Jaboulet produces this wine from 25 year old vines and ages it in stainless steel tanks.  I find Cote du Rhone to pair well with just about any dish from meat and fish to Indian and Thai cuisines.  This wine was rated 88 points from Wine Spectator and retails for under $12.

Last week I dined at Le Bernardin,  one of the top five restaurants in NYC and one of only a select few to be awarded three Michelin stars.  For foodies everywhere this is culinary heaven and the epitome of fine dining in the Big Apple.  I was given the wine list which was quite literally a book-pages upon pages of every varietal you could imagine.  Being that Le Bernardin is known for their fish and seafood dishes I knew it would be quite a challenge to select wines that would not only please the six other guests at the table  but would also complement every-one’s meals, especially when everyone agreed they wanted red wine only.  My two picks for the evening were both Pinot Noir from the West Coast.

Our first selection was Brick House Les Dijonnais Pinot Noir 2007 from the Willamette Valley.  This wine was very light red in the glass, so much so it had a pretty dark pink hue at the edges.  The aroma was of sweet red berries which led into  flavors of strawberries and raspberries.  A slight spiciness was detected on the back end of each sip.  This pinot is 13.4% alcohol and had pleasing acidity which led to a long and crisp finish.  It didn’t overpower my starter choices of smoked salmon topped with caviar and salted cod salad with white gazpacho sauce.  This wine retails for under $40 and has been rated 92 points by Robert Parker.

The second Pinot Noir was Lynmar Estate 2006 from the Russian River Valley.  This was my favorite of the two.  Darker ruby in color, it had more body and more intense aroma and flavor.  The nose was earthier with cherries and strawberries.  There was a higher concentration of  fruit flavors with more pronounced spiciness,  but overall it was extremely well balanced.  This pinot noir is slightly higher in alcohol at 14.4% and is available for under $45 in stores.  My main course was served with this wine-black bass with a sauce of ham and green peppercorns.  The combination of the sauce with the wine seems a bit unconventional but the wine didn’t detract from it at all.

Pinot Noir proves to be an extremely versatile red wine that can work for any occasion and can compliment almost any dish.  Oregon is becoming  a top producing region with most wineries using sustainable methods of production and organic grapes.

I never thought I would say this but I have found a 100% chardonnay that I am currently enamored with and have actually been buying on a regular basis.  The discovery of Au Bon Climat Chardonnay 2008 was made at a recent Court Street wine tasting.  I cannot stress enough to people who want to learn about wine how important it is to attend tastings and try as many different wine varieties as possible.  They are not only educational but so much fun to sit through.  They have led me to many excellent wines including this current pick.  Not one to ever order or buy a bottle of Chardonnay since it has always been my least favorite white wine variety, I was amazed with Au Bon Climat from the first sip.  Produced in Santa Barbara, CA this wine is medium bodied and aged in French oak, adding to it’s flavor and depth.  The aroma was soft and buttery with notes of melon.  The flavors of tropical and citrus fruits marry well with a good acidity and a slightly mineral finish.  Au Bon Climat works well with food but is also great on it’s own.  It is well worth it’s price tag and can be purchased for less than $20.

I was fortunate enough to travel to Vancouver for the 2010 Olympic Games.  It was truly an experience that I will never forget.  The excitement and positive energy of the city was amazing not to mention it’s picturesque beauty of the skyline set against the mountain backdrop.  On Valentine’s Day we had dinner at Five Sails restaurant located in Canada Place.  I selected a bottle of Jackson-Triggs Proprietor’s Grand Reserve Shiraz 2006 from the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia.  This full bodied wine was deep purple in the glass and we noticed black pepper and a chocolate aromas.  Flavors of red cherry, currant, chocolate, vanilla, and spices were present on the palate.  I found this wine to be perfectly balanced with a long, smooth finish.  It is 14.3% alcohol and is fermented in both French and American oak barrels giving the wine mild tannins.  This shiraz went very well with all of our meals.  Five Sails is currently offering their special Olympic menu.  My delicious dinner consisted of Austrian style ravoli filled with spinach and ricotta cheese with a hazelnut brown butter and arctic char with a creamy sauce of mushrooms and root vegetables.  For dessert a decadent Valhrona opera cake perfect for the Valentine’s Day holiday.  This was a wonderful dinner with a gorgeous view of the Olympic rings and a fabulous bottle of wine. 

I must also comment on a white wine I had while stopping in Seattle on my way north.  Hudson Shah reisling was just what I needed after a very long flight from the east coast.  Hudson Shah is produced in Washington State and is made of 100% reisling.  It was straw yellow in color and had hints of honeysuckle and pear on the nose.  Peach and pear flavors were nicely refreshing combined with  mineral notes and pleasing acidity.  This wine is available for under $11 in Washington State at retail and  is also available at many high end restaurants in select cities including many of my favorites here in NYC.

So far I am extremely impressed with the wines I have tried from this region.  I am really looking forward to my next trip and to trying more wines that BC and Washington have to offer.

I have spent the last two days shopping Hoboken’s various wine retailers to see what new selections would catch my eye.  At several locations Mark West Pinot Noir 2008 was prominently featured so I decided to see for myself what this much respected red wine had to offer.  Produced in Graton, Sonoma County, CA by Mark West Winery this pinot noir has a lot of bang for the buck and won’t empty your wallet.  Their focus at Mark West Winery is to create affordable wine that anyone can enjoy by retaining the same elements and quality of a pricier pinot.  After two nights of drinking heavier, more tannic cabernet sauvignon this wine was a most welcome change.  It had a beautiful light translucent ruby color in the glass and a mouthwatering strawberry aroma.  The palate was very fruit forward with concentrated cherry, raspberry, and strawberry flavors with some spiciness from it’s oak aging.  I paired this wine with three different  cheeses: brie, Port Salut, and aged gouda.  It paired well with all of the cheeses and would be the perfect red wine to pair with just about any dish.  I am not surprised that Mark West Pinot Noir won it’s category in a blind tasting.  If you prefer a lighter style red wine that is full of fruit but not too sweet you will really like this pinot noir.  It is a delicious and versatile red wine and is available for under $13.

What could be better on a blustery cold evening than to curl up on the couch with a perfectly balanced bottle of red wine?  Lately this winter we have been finding ourselves doing this regularly on the weekends.   Last night’s pick was Yalumba Shiraz Viognier 2007, a medium bodied red wine from South Australia.  Yalumba is run by the Hill Smith family and is the oldest family run winery in Australia, turning out excellent quality wines for 150 years.  This red wine is a blend of 94% shiraz and 6% viognier and is 13.5% alcohol.  In the glass it has a deep purple color with the aroma of minerals and spices.  Once it opened up we experienced flavors of tart fruits primarily currants and plums that were well balanced with tannins and gave this red a long and refreshing finish.  We really liked this wine  for it’s easy drink-ability as it wasn’t too sweet or overly dry.  Yalumba Shiraz Viognier is a great everyday wine that should satisfy any red wine fan and is well priced at less than $13.