Red Wine Review: Icardi Barbera

Icardi Barbera d’Asti 2004

Importer: Vinifera

One of my favorite red wines for food is Barbera — specifically from Italy, and usually from the areas of Asiti, Alba, or Monferrato in Piedmont / Piemonte. The tricky thing about Barbera, though, is the wide range of styles and price points. On the one end of the spectrum, there are Barberas that cost upward of $40-50+ that require cellaring; on the lower end, you have ideal pizza partners for around ten bucks — and all types in between.

My very general rule of thumb is to look for a Barbera in the $10-$17 range for everyday drinking with simple Italian fare. Once in a while I’ll find a remarkable value under ten bucks, and there are rare occasions that my alligator arm reaches down for a thirty-dollar bottle.

In this case, I was able to purchase a very food-friendly Barbera for right in my “safe zone” — about $14.

Tasting Notes - Icardi Barbera

More like a Chianti than a Barbera, with dry cherry aromas and flavors and a good dose of mouthwatering acidity. Nose of ripe black cherry, cola, and hints of earth. Flavors were similar — black cherry, cranberry, raspberry, mild tobacco, and tar. Acidity is high, in line with the ample fruit and ideal for food matching. Tannins are mild to medium. Finishes fairly quickly, but with good balance and harmony. Drink this with red-sauce pasta dishes, lean meats, sausage, pizza, sloppy joes.

a-7 t-7 b-7 fc-9 v-8 ~ 88 Points

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A Fiery Wine - Garnacha de Fuego

Garnacha de Fuego 2006

Importer: Tempranillo Imports (Jorge Ordonez Selection)

Grenache of fire! I guess that means it’s pretty darn hot in Catalayud, Spain, where the vines of this grape grow. Garnacha / Grenache is a hot weather whore of a grape, much like Syrah and Zinfandel.

Luckily, this wine outperforms the old Renault Fuego (with or without the biturbo, it makes no difference).

For the uninitiated, Garnacha is the same grape known as Grenache in France, California, and many other areas of the world. In fact, Grenache / Garnacha is one of the most widely planted grapes in the world, though it’s most commonly associated with the hot, arid regions in the south of France, the southern Rhone Valley and throughout Spain. If you’re unfamiliar with the Garnacha of Spain, it may be helpful to know that Grenache is usually one of the base grapes of Cotes-du-Rhone and Chateauneuf-du-Pape (often, these wines also have Syrah, Cinsault, Mourvedre, and other grapes blended in as well).

But enough of the French version; this wine es de Espana, and does a fair job of representing the Catalayud region. Though “DO Catalayud” (”DO” is pronounced “dee - oh” and is short for Denomination of Origin) is fairly new to US consumers, in fact they’ve been making wine there for oh, about 2000 years. The region sits in the province of Zaragoza, toward the western boundary of Spain and sort of in the middle (between north and south). It should not be confused with Cataluna, which is another DO entirely and is covers several provinces. OK, enough with the boring details, let’s taste the wine …

Tasting Notes - Garnacha de Fuego

On the nose, this wine shows ripe black fruits: black raspberry and prune, with a touch of eucalyptus, pepper, and a smidgeon of earth. The palate offers a silky smooth texture, warm black raspberry, black cherry, and plum, with a touch of spice – maybe vanilla? Acidity and tannins are medium, appropriate for food but not so high that they’re overbearing when this wine is drunk by itself. Drink it with burgers, skirt steaks, cheese, tacos. At around eight bucks or less, this is a very good value. Yet another winner from perhaps the best importer without a decent website, Jorge Ordonez.

a-8 t-8 b-7 fc-7 v-9 ~ 89 Points

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Website Review: Absinthe

Every once in a blue moon (the cheesey-looking thing in the sky, not the beer), I’m asked to do a review of a website in return for cash — what is called a “sponsored review” — via the ReviewMe! service. Whenever I am paid to do such a review, I make it clear upfront (as I’m doing right now). Please note that I never have, and never will, accept money to review a wine — so don’t bother asking. That said, the server fees need to be paid every month, so reviewing a website related to wine/food/spirits is, in my mind, a decent way to help pay the bills while retaining my integrity. (BTW I would love to hear your opinion — do you think it’s OK to do these sponsored reviews of websites or no?)

So, the website under review is called Buy Absinthe and it is place where, as you might guess, you can purchase absinthe, variations on absinthe, and absinthe accessories.

As soon as you visit the site, you can see right away that it was most likely put together by someone whose first language is French — in fact the top of the site is in French, and you have to scroll down a bit to get to the English text. The left sidebar offers images of absinthe products, each with a link underneath exclaiming “Buy it now!” … you can probably guess that those links lead you to an order page.

If you scroll down far enough, though, there are a few fairly useful links for those who want to learn more about absinthe. Specifically, there are three links for education: one, a thorough FAQ covering common questions (What does absinthe taste like? Is Thujone dangerous? etc.); second, a link to a page with a brief history of absinthe; and third, a simple explanation with image instructing you on the traditional way to serve absinthe. There is also a link to absinthe “accessories” (who knew?) for items such as spoons, glasses, and a “traditional absinthe fountain” (it’s not cheap).

The copywriting on all these pages leaves a bit to be desired — the wording was obviously translated and there are numerous grammatical and spelling errors. However, if you can get past that, and you are interested in absinthe, it’s a decent if general resource on the spirit.

In addition, there is a Buy Absinthe Blog. Again, the translation of the posts could be better.

As mentioned earlier, the focus of the site and the blog is to get you to buy absinthe, and you can do so easily by clicking on the following link: Buy absinthe here. However, I did not order anything from this site, so I cannot comment on the company’s shipping practices, the quality of their products, nor their customer service. Personally, when it comes to digestifs with mysterious backgrounds and hallucinogenic tendencies, my choice is Chartreuse.

Wine Gift Ideas

Out of your turkey coma yet? Before you go fighting for a parking space at the local mall, why not do your shopping from the comfort of your home, while enjoying a cold turkey sandwich and a glass of wine?

Nearly everyone is into wine these days, so you can start your online shopping right here in the WineWeekly Store. I just added a “wine storage” section, which includes an ultra-cool (pardon the pun) digital wine cooler. This is a must-have for the wine geek in your life, and/or for the wine lover who “has everything”. It’s a two-bottle wine cooler / warmer that gets each bottle to the exact recommended temperature for consumption — white wines, red wines, sparkling, and rose.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be adding more interesting gifts for the wine geek in your life, so check back periodically. (And if YOU see something neat, let me know.) Now, go browse the store!

Wine for Thanksgiving: Easton Zin

Easton Zinfandel Amador County 2006

I’m looking for wines for Thanksgiving, so I’m looking for American. There’s no grape more American than Zinfandel, and it just so happens that Zins can be a decent match for the Thanksgiving meal. The “Easton” label draws my eye because in addition to being a wine geek I’m also a baseball geek, and Easton is the brand name for the most popular aluminum baseball bat. I turn the bottle to read the label and the wine is from Plymouth, California. Plymouth, as in Plymouth Rock (yes, I know the Mayflower stopped at the Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts … work with me here). Do I even need to move on to the tasting notes? It’s already a pickup for Thanksgiving, for nothing more than a conversation piece.

As it turns out, the wine is fabulous with the turkey and most of the trimmings. Though it has open, forward flavors on the palate, it’s not over the top but rather on the soft side, at least as far as Zinfandels go. The nose tempts with bright raspberry, blackberry, plum, and earthy aromas, with a touch of tar. In the mouth you get flavors of ripe blackberry, black raspberry, black cherry, blueberry, a spicy component, and hints of earth, tobacco, black pepper. The finish is only a touch hot with tar and ripe tannins dominating. The texture is smooth – almost creamy – the acidity is medium-low to medium, the tannins are a bit under medium. The wine works with the dark meat, and is just soft enough to compliment the white meat as long as you pour on the chestnut gravy and/or take a bite of stuffing with it. It surprisingly did not spoil the taste in my mouth after chowing down brussel sprouts – which is pretty impressive. Overall it is a fine choice for the Thanksgiving table. At $15.99, it’s a fair value.

a-7 t-8 b-8 fc-8 v-8 ~ 89 Points

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Thanksgiving Wine: Bastide Roussanne

Domaine de La Bastide Roussanne 2006

Importer: Weygandt-Metzler

OK, this is from France, so it doesn’t fit the American themed Thansgiving. But it’s a great wine for matching with everything on the table, and it’s different!

Tasting Notes

Nose is clean, pure ripe peach and some pear, with a spicy vanilla element. On the palate it is silky smooth, almost honeylike, with flavors of pear, peach, citrus, a bit of vanilla spice and a slight hint of mineral. Acidity is low. Citrus becomes more apparent in the finish, which is easygoing. This is a nice wine as an aperitif, and a good match for lean meats, veggies, and possibly as a counter to hot and spicy dishes. The low acidity won’t get in the way of lean turkey, and it will mesh well with most of the assorted dishes you might find on the Thanksgiving table.

a-8 t-8 b-8 fc-9 v-8 ~ 91 Points

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Wine for Thanksgiving: Vinum Chenin Blanc

Vinum Cellars Clarksburg Chenin Blanc CNW 2005

The “CNW” on the label stands for “Chard No Way” … hmm, what’s the winery trying to tell us?

Here is an ideal “out of the box” idea for the Thanksgiving table — a Chenin Blanc! And Vinum is winery in Clarksburg, California, so it fits in with the American theme of the holiday.

Tasting Notes

Bright, open nose of fresh ripe white peach, pear, melon. Deliciously bright fruit on the palate as well, dominated by apple, pear, peach, and honeydew melon. A touch of stony mineral adds a nice complexity. Very clean. Texture is smooth. Acidity is low. This is a fine sipper on its own, and a fantastic match for the Thanksgiving meal. Its bright flavors and low acidity match well with just about everything on the table – the lean turkey, stuffing, pearl onions, and veggies. Guess what? This wine also pairs nicely with asparagus – how about that? Also good as an aperitif, or match it with similarly lean dishes, or spicy foods (Asian and Indian, for example).

a-8 t-8 b-8 fc-8 v-8 ~ 90 Points

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Thanksgiving Wine: Wyatt Pinot Noir

Wyatt Pinot Noir 2006

Tasting Notes

Nose exhibits ripe red berry fruit – raspberry, black cherry, and a touch of earth and a floral element (rose petals?). In the mouth you get good ripe strawberry, raspberry, and black cherry. There is the slightest hint of a green / stemmy / herbaceous flavor that melds well with the ripe fruits. Some spice – a touch of vanilla, black pepper, and earth. Acidity is appropriately medium, tannins are soft. Texture is smooth. A touch of hotness / alcohol in the finish, which is otherwise pleasant. The flavors are ripe and enjoyable for drinking alone but subtle enough for favorable food matching. An outstanding wine for the Thanksgiving table, as it pairs well with turkey, herbaceous stuffing (i.e., rosemary, thyme), and most of the other Thansgiving fixins’. Overall a very well put together Pinot Noir at a very fair price. This wine is as close to Burgundian in style as I’ve experienced from California (that is a compliment); in fact if tasted blind I might have guessed it was a simple Bourgogne or possibly a Monthelie (if you’re a geek you might know what I’m talking about; if not, take my word for it, it’s a very nice wine).

a-8 t-8 b-8 fc-9 v-10 ~ 93 Points

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More Wines for Thanksgiving

Following up the last post, here are my quick suggestions for wines to match with your Thanksgiving meal.

Sauvignon Blanc

Generally speaking, Sauvignon Blancs go well with poultry and white meats such as turkey, due to the citrusy flavor profile. Some Sauvignons can be “greener” or more grassy than others, so it is up to your taste as to which you pick. French Sauvignon Blancs, such as from Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume, will tend to be more grassy, while those from New Zealand usually have more tropical fruit character. From California, the Sauvignon Blancs can be either, and some are also dosed with oak. Overall, Sauvignon Blanc is a safe choice for most of the foods you’ll find on a typical Thanksgiving table.

My favorites for the Thanksgiving table: Geyser Peak, Simi, Brander – all from the US.

Chardonnay

Personally, I prefer to go with lesser-oaked, or non-oaked Chardonnays when matching with food, because I find an overabundance of oak can clash with food (except hot buttered popcorn). So try to find an oak-free or only slightly oaked Chard from California (if you want to stay with the born in the USA theme), or go with a non-oaked Australian Chard or French Chablis.

American favorites for Thanksgiving matches: Francis Coppola Diamond Collection “Gold Label” (it’s actually orange), Edna Valley, La Crema.

Pinot Noir

Always a nice wine for food, Pinot Noir is an experience in itself — and a good one can be costly. However, there are some US-made Pinots under twenty bucks that are delectable and meld well with the typical Thanksgiving spread. Specifically, I’ve found all of Estancia’s Pinot Noirs to have a high price:value ratio, and the winery is in California so it fits in with the “American theme” of Thanksgiving. From the US, I also like the Pinots from Wyatt, Easton, Robert Mondavi Carneros, and Silver Spur. From New Zealand, Drylands and Vicar’s Choice both have excellent Pinot Noirs under twenty bucks, and Kim Crawford has a good one for a bit over $20.

Wines for Thanksgiving

Ah, the perennial feast of the United States — for the foodie it is the ultimate holiday, with its succulent roast turkey surrounded by what seems to be every side dish known to mankind. And those “other” dishes are what makes the wine match a serious challenge.

A wine to go with roast turkey is easy enough: go with a mild-to-medium-bodied red, such as a Pinot Noir from Burgundy, or try a full-flavored white, such as a white Burgundy, a Califoakian Chardonnay, or a Pinot Gris from Alsace. However, the turkey is not the only thing on the table, so what wine can you choose that will go with everything?

There’s an easy answer to this: don’t try to match everything with one bottle. Instead, choose a few bottles with differing characteristics.

OK, that was too easy — and chances are you’re not going to buy eight different bottles of wine to go with the myriad dishes. So, if you’re invited to someone’s home for Thanksgiving dinner, what is an appropriate wine to bring?

The first choice is Champagne; what better way to celebrate a holiday than with bubbles? Forget the cheap stuff — spend some money and get a full-bodied, legitimate Champagne from France. A vintage brut cuvee, rose, or Chardonnay (often called “blanc de blancs”) can carry you through the day, or get a “non-vintage” (NV) for about half the price. Choose one from a reputable house such as Pommery, Mumm, Bollinger, Moet, or Perrier-Jouet. Or, if you’re willing to look a little harder, find a sparkler from Billecart-Salmon or Besserat de Bellefon, two houses that are lesser-known but will provide a great bottle to start the day and will have the power to drink throughout the meal (so maybe two bottles would be better!).

The second choice, in my book, is a Beaujolais, such as a Julienas, Moulin-a-Vent, Brouilly, Chenas, Fleurie, or other cru. Beaujolais wines have good acidity and just enough tannins to stand up to a variety of foods. The fresh, fruity ripe cherry flavor matches nicely with just about everything at the table, including the cranberry sauce. In additon to a cru Beaujolais, you may also find it fun to bring along a Nouveau, which is worthwhile as a conversation piece and will be enjoyable for the less-serious wine drinkers (i.e., the white zinners).

The aforementioned Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris are not only good matches for turkey, but will also match with a variety of other foods at the table. If you choose a Pinot Noir, the suggestion — as it was with the Champagne — is to take the ducats out of your wallet and lay them down on a real Pinot Noir from Burgundy, France. As you may have seen on Sideways, there is something rather special about these wines; a good Burgundy is more an experience than a mere beverage. What better time to drink it than on a holiday, surrounded by loved ones?

Finally, if you want to have a white wine at the table, go with either a Pinot Gris from Alsace or a German Riesling. Simple Pinot Grigio, such as from Italy, is OK for appetizers, but doesn’t have the substance to follow along to the main course. Conversely, an Alsace Pinot Gris (which is the same grape, but from a different place) has significant weight in the mouth, much fuller bodied, and adds a riper, spicier note that melds well with both the turkey and many of the trimmings. German Riesling — specifically a dry QbA or Kabinett (the designation will be printed somwhere on the label). These wines have a lot of bright, fruit flavors of apple and peach, with searing acidity and mineral notes that pair well with all kinds of foods from creamed onions to sausage and herb stuffing. Perhaps best of all, German Rieslings tend to be around six to eight percent alcohol — not much more than a beer — so you can drink them all day without feeling the effect of wines double in proof.

So there you have it, a quick rundown on several wines to choose from for the Thanksgiving feast. Stop by the site a little later to read about more specific wine suggestions.

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