Posts Tagged ‘zinfandel’
Estancia Zinfandel for Thanksgiving
Estancia Zinfandel Canyon Keyes Ranches · Paso Robles, California
In the last post we extolled the virtue of putting an American Zinfandel on the Thanksgiving table, and in this post we have another Zin recommendation, albeit at around half the price: Estancia Canyon Keyes Ranches.
Understand, though, you generally get what you pay for when it comes to wine. And this Estancia bottle — at around twelve bucks — is affordable but does not have the same depth and finish as the previously reviewed Quivira. But, some people are on a tighter budget for the holidays, and if you need to stay below fifteen dollars, Estancia is a solid, easy-to-find Zin that happens to match very well with nearly everything included in a typical Thanksgiving feast.
Tasting Notes: Estancia Zinfandel Canyon Keyes Ranches 2007
Soft and fruity upfront, turning a bit earthy and bitter in the finish. Works well with the dark meat and stuffing, finishing with a cranberry note and cherry tartness. With the white meat it’s OK, not great — it matches better with the dark meat and earthy accoutrements (i.e., stuffed mushrooms). I expect it to be equally palatable with more complex stuffings, such as those that may include mushrooms, dried fruits, sausage, or nuts.
Where to buy Estancia Zinfandel
Find this wine at a retailer near you using Wine-Searcher, Vinquire, or WineZap
Find more information at the Estancia Estates website
Quivira Zinfandel for Thanksgiving
Quivira Zinfandel · Wine Creek Ranch, Dry Creek Valley · California 2007
Since Thanksgiving is a holiday borne from the beginnings of the New World, it’s appropriate to have a grape indigenous to the US on the table next to the turkey. That said, Zinfandel fits the description — though its development may or may not have emanated from Italy’s Primitivo, most experts agree that Zinfandel is very much an “American” grape.
However, Zinfandel has many faces — it can be huge and bold, soft and approachable, sweet and sassy (i.e., “white Zin”), and anything in between. So it’s difficult to generalize and decide that “Zinfandel is a good wine for Thanksgiving”. The truth is, some Zins are perfect for the bird, while others completely miss the mark.
In the case of Quivira, we have a Zinfandel that fits very nicely on the Thanksgiving table. It has rich, ripe red berry flavors that meld well with both the dark and white meat, and a spicy note that compliments most stuffings, gravy, and other items on the table. The thing that makes it a slam-dunk is the finish, which is stunningly similar to cranberry sauce — which of course is already on the table for obvious reasons (it tastes great with turkey!).
Though, don’t make the mistake of trying to drink this Zin — or ANY dry wine — after filling your mouth with cranberry sauce; your palate will be disrupted by a jarring metallic flavor when the two elements combine.
At somewhere around $20-30 depending on the store, Quivira Dry Creek Zinfandel costs enough to be a worthy holiday wine to bring with you as a guest to someone else’s home, but not so much that it kills your wallet in these difficult times.
Following are my full tasting notes.
Tasting Notes: Quivira Zinfandel 2007
Big, ripe, beautiful nose of raspberry, black cherry, vanilla, and plum. It has good weight in the mouth, offering a nice whip of rich, ripe raspberry, vanilla Coke, and mild hints of chocolate. Mild acidity, soft yet ripe tannins. Finishes with pleasing flavors of black cherry and cranberry. No heat on the finish, which is surprisingly nice for a wine with this kind of ripeness and a listed alcohol level of 15.1%. At first I thought this would be too big, but it turned out to be a wonderful companion to the turkey (both white and dark meat), with and without the gravy. It also paired well with simple Stove Top stuffing, roasted carrots, and creamed onions. Recommended.
Where to buy Quivira Zinfandel
Find this wine at a retailer near you using Wine-Searcher, Vinquire, or WineZap
More information can be found at the Quivira Vineyards and Winery website
Wines for Thanksgiving
A week from now, the USA will be celebrating the annual “bird day” better known as Thanksgiving, enjoying a feast of myriad dishes surrounding a roasted turkey. As a result, the cork dork within you is running mad with imagination — what wine, or wines, will match with the big bird AND the assorted accompaniments?
Look no further than this website to answer that question. The entire WineWeekly.com staff (which consists of me, myself, and I) has already muddled through a “mock” Thanksgiving dinner, for the sole intention of providing you with the best wines for the Great American Feast. Yes, it’s a tough job, but someone has to do it … so let’s talk turkey!
First, let’s go over the dinner itself. I “cheated” with the bird — instead of getting a fresh, organic tom and putting it through a proper brine, I bought an on-sale, 13-pound, sodium-injected frozen turkey from a brand called “Riverside”. But, I did at least try to inflict some gourmet wisdom on the formerly feathered friend — I followed this recipe from Lidia Bastianich, which among other things suggests that you stuff and surround the turkey with vegetables (which eventually are mashed into a delightfully tasting gravy), and also offers the idea of glazing the turkey with balsamic vinegar — both for flavor and color. Following with the balsamic theme, I also followed this recipe for roasted green beans, and added simply roasted carrots and potatoes, baked sweet potato, creamed onions, Stove Top stuffing, and of course, cranberry sauce (straight from the can). Finally, I pulled one other “secret” which led to a perfect bird: chilling the breast on ice packs for a full hour before roasting. This lowered the temperature of the white meat, but kept the dark meat at room temperature, and in the end, both meats were equally done (and juicy) at the same time. No more turning the white meat to sawdust while the dark meat lumbered its way to 165 degrees!
But hey, this is a wine blog so enough with the food … on with the wine.
First, I tried white wines. Right off the bat, “Wine by Joe” Pinot Gris was a perfect pairing to everything on the table — and has a nice, soft, flavorful fruitiness that makes it a great choice as an aperitif as well. I recommend it highly for the Thanksgiving table for its versatility. It doesn’t hurt that it sounds like I made the wine (I didn’t, trust me).
I next tried a Viognier which will remain nameless, because it simply didn’t work. That doesn’t mean Viogner in general won’t work — its flabbiness and spicy character should match well with many of the Thanksgiving dishes. However this one in particular was not agreeable. Perhaps it was too old, or maybe it was because it was French (just kidding!).
The next white that worked was Clean Slate Riesling, which has quickly become a favorite in my home. The rich, ripe, apple-y flavor melds well with nearly everything you can put on a table, and is especially complementary to traditional Thanksgiving dishes — both sweet and savory. If you can find it, get it — it’s reasonably priced and everyone will enjoy it (even the beer drinkers).
Next I tried Bouchaine Chardonnay, which to me is more of an aperitif than something for the Thanksgiving table. Its rich, spicy vanilla, apple, and toasty aromas and flavors are exactly right while the house is filling with the smells of baked apple (or pumpkin) pie, roasted chestnuts, the turkey, the vegetables, and the stuffing. It has a creamy, round character and warmness that makes you smile, and though it paired nicely with the equally creamy creamed onions, it was a little too over the top in flavor for the turkey. Nevertheless, I like it as a wine to serve with appetizers and conversation, and there will be Chardonnay lovers who think it is just wonderful with the meal.
After the whites it was time to test the reds. First up was Blackstone Pinot Noir, which was surprisingly delightful. I say that because I have a tendency to poo-poo the well-known, mass-produced brands, and as a result am taken aback when one impresses me. The Blackstone Pinot Noir had ripe, bright aromas and flavors of sweet raspberry, cherry, and gobs of strawberry — all of which worked well with the turkey, the stuffing, the onions, the balsamic-roasted green beans, the cranberry sauce … heck, it worked with everything. The best part is, you can find it just about everywhere, and likely for under fifteen bucks. It’s a no-brainer for the Thanksgiving feast.
After the Blackstone and another inexpensive Pinot Noir to not be named later, on a whim I tasted MeMo Sangiovese against the plethora of plates. Alone, it had a sharp acidity — typical of Sangiovese — but it was toned down with food. It wasn’t mind-blowing but it didn’t need to be. Rather, it was a fine, unobtrusive complement to everything, in particular the creamed onions, the dark meat, and the white meat drenched in yummy, fatty gravy. Oh, and I picked it up for under ten bucks, so if you’re on a strict budget, go for it.
Finally, I tried Rosenblum Zinfandel Paso Robles 2006. It was the most expensive bottle of the bunch, just a shade under twenty bucks ($19.99 to be exact). While I tend to be one who finds every way possible to go against the grain, and in the case of Thanksgiving the “grain” is Zinfandel, in this case I have to go with the “experts” and pundits — the right Zinfandel is an ideal match for the ultimate American feast.
Rosenblum, to me, is one of the best quality:price wineries for Zinfandel, and this bottle fit that assessment. It worked perfectly with the balsamic glaze and the gravy; white meat and dark meats both work well. There is some bright raspberry and black cherry fruit, but it kind of falls by the wayside and yields to spicy flavors (cardamom, chocolate licorice, clove) and a big dose of pleasant, creamy vanilla. That creamy vanilla is a nice partner to the creamed onions and also pairs nicely with the roasted carrots and red onions. If there is a problem with the Rosenblum Zin, it is that you likely won’t have enough of it. Once people get a taste of it, and realize how wonderful it is, they will eschew any other bottles on the table. My recommendation is to buy several bottles of it, or make sure you have more expensive Zins or drop-dead Burgundies lined up as an encore, or serve it later in the meal. Bottom line — it’s so far my favorite wine for Thanksgiving.
However, the research has only begun. Between now and next Thursday, more wines will be matched with the traditional Thanksgiving feast. Tomorrow, in fact, we’ll be getting the first taste of the 2008 vintage via Beaujolais Nouveau. In a week, I’ll be gobbling, and you’ll have a good idea of what to look for when you walk into the wine shop.
Find these wines at a retailer near you using Wine-Searcher:
Bouchaine Chardonnay, Napa Valley, Carneros
Rosenblum Zinfandel Paso Robles
Tags: blackstone, clean slate, memo, pinot noir, riesling, rosenblum, sangiovese, thanksgiving, zinfandel
