Water into Wino

Alsatian International Night

This past Monday was my night to cook our weekly "International Night." After numerous warnings that another Italian inspired menu wouldn't get a welcome reception, I chose an Alsatian French Country Comfort menu from Bon Appetite Magazine. In the past, my girlfriend had made croque monsieur for a French dinner and it went over well enough to start our weekly dinner tradition. The menu I chose was pretty straight forward without any crazy hard to find ingredients. As far as wine pairings are concerned, it doesn't get any easier to match these dishes, plus the folks over at Bon Appetite listed some as well.

The first course was the most challenging part of this meal. I've never made anything that resembled a muenster cheese souffle. Luckily my girlfriend is a natural in the kitchen so it worked out well in the end. The tomato and red pepper salad didn't excite me but I stuck with the recipe and pulled it off. I could have easily had another souffle serving if there was extra, which there wasn't, and I couldn't help but noticed every finished their souffle as well.

Blanck Gewurztraminer 2005
Alsace, France ($20)

I have to thank my friend that brought this bottle. He stopped by Chambers St Wines and asked for an Alsatian Gewurtztraminer and got a good one at that. This Blanck Family wine is made from "environmentally friendly" vineyards. This producer has about 90 acres in total and releases around 18,000 cases a year. This was one of the best Gewurztraminers I've had. It's not sweet although the aromas are of sweet ripe fruit. Supple texture and balanced acidity. It paired extremely well with the souffle, as from what I've read, muenster cheese and Gewurztraminer is a classic pairing.

The main course was Chicken in Riesling with prunes and cabbage with fresh herb spaetzle on the side. The chicken was extremely aromatic and fall of the bone tender. The herb spaetzle was an adventure to make without the proper equipment. Speaking of equipment, our Le Creuset Dutch oven makes a dish like this a pleasure to put together.

Hermann J. Wiemer Dry Riesling 2005
Seneca Lake, Finger Lakes, New York

Instead of searching out an Alsatian Riesling, I went with the Governor's Cup award winning Wiemer Riesling 2005 from the Finger Lakes. I not sure that I can find another New World Riesling this good for the price. An elegant combination of apple, pear, and lime refresh the palate and stimulates every taste bud. This dry Riesling is case-worthy, and I think it will get some people hooked on Finger Lakes wines if they haven't tried them already. The last time I was in the Finger Lakes I stopped by their winery and was impressed by everything I tasted. The staff was very serious and informative...pretty classy for it all being in a barn.

I diverted off the written menu for the dessert and went with a red wine poached pear with cream and lemon zest. It's also funny that Dr. Vino had a discussion about red wine and citrus recently. The lemon zest and Bordeaux red paired well. For it being such a simple recipe, it was pretty damn good. The reduced wine with pair essence poured over some whipped cream was a good followup to the pear with cream as well.

Northern Rhone for $13

My knowledge of French wine is extremely limited. I can pretty much contribute to a conversation on Italian wines, Spanish wines, and New World wines with some serious wine geeks. If someone brings up France, I run for cover. Sure I know what the major grape varieties of each region should be... but don't ask me to pronounce the area or the producers' name correctly.

My last investigation into a French bottle was for New Year's eve dinner. The cheese plate my friend was preparing called for a Northern Rhone red as a pairing. My gut reaction and only reaction was finding a Cote Rotie wine. I know enough to assume that finding an affordable bottle may be difficult. So after picking out seven bottles for the other courses including a dry Riesling, a Chinon Rose, an Osprey's Dominion Reserve Merlot 2002, Rosa Regale sparkling red, and a decent bottle of Champagne, we ran into another liquor store where we could be helped to find that Northern Rhone bottle. After mentioning our remaining budget of up to $30 for the bottle, the store employee handing us a bottle from Gigondas sub region. "Is this mostly Syrah?", I asked. "Yes and some Grenache as well", he replied. Sold!

Of course when I got home and googled it, it turns out to be from Southern Rhone. It tasted fine and didn't take away from the cheese plate but I made up my mind to find an affordable wine from the North. Another stab at the wine store turned up this bottle from Crozes Hermitage area for $13.

Cave de Tain Crozes de Hermitage 2003
Crozes Hermitage, Rhone, France ($13)

Ruby red color with a nose of red fruit and red licorice with a slight note of pepper. Light to medium body feel with flavors of cranberry and cherry. There is a dominating tartness that ruins the finish of this wine. It simply demands food with the acidity overwhelming the spice and fruit. Interesting wine until the finish. I find myself enjoying the cooler weather reds these days and can see the potential in a wine like this being spectacular if only a little more balanced. My grade: C+

Peybonhomme-les-Tours 2003

Peybonhomme-les-Tours 2003 Premieres
France, Bordeaux, Cotes de Blaye ($12)

I finally motivated myself and my girlfriend to hop on the 1 train to Chambers Street Wines last saturday. I've read so much about their extensive organic selection and their huge selection of Loire wines. Between four and seven o'clock they had about ten wines to taste including a few Loire whites, a bunch of Burgundian reds, and three Bordeaux reds. In the past I might have been intimidated by the staff and especially by my ignorance in the details of French wine.

The three Loire wines were delicious. So far the hype behind the 2005 vintage is accurate, as each of these 2005 examples represented accordingly. The Raimbault 2005 Sancerre Les Godons was my favorite of those. The five Burgundy wines were nothing special. Just another example of how I don't get excited about Pinot Noir. Of the three Bordeaux wines, the Peybonhomme-les-Tours 2003 Premieres Cotes de Blaye was tasty and for only $12 it spoke to my wallet as well.

Ruby red color with aromas of raspberries and cherries. Extremely supple and smooth. Very well balanced and effortless on the palate. The finish is long and reveals some earthy notes. Overall an elegant wine for the price and my whole view of French reds being overpriced has been altered. My grade: A-

Chevalerie Bourgueil Cuvée du Peu-Muleau

Chevalerie Bourgueil Cuvée du Peu-Muleau 2001
France, Touraine, Bourgueil ($18)

This is one of those bottles I would have passed right over had I not done my geeked out research on Cab Franc. I've been aware of Chinon and Saumur-Champigny for a while now. Only recently did I discover that Bourgueil is another Loire appellation I might be interested in. During the Astor blow out sale I picked this one up for a fraction of its original price. Bourgueil is northwest of Chinon and northeast of Saumur-Champigny.

Bright red in color. Raspberry and somewhat vegetal on the nose. Smooth texture and light tannins combine with a cherry and berry flavor to make this a pleasing easy to drink wine. Somewhat tart with earthy notes on the finish. It's not as lively as the L.I. Cab Francs I love. I didn't notice the peppery qualities I expected either. All around a good wine that I would buy again. My grade: B+

A diamond in the rough?

Too good to be true?

I recently picked up a bottle at Warehouse Wine and Spirits in Manhattan. I usually stop in on my way to Astor wines just to see if there are any obvious bargains. My attention was drawn to a french Cab Franc marked down to $6 from $12. This table wine from the 1999 vintage suckered me into a purchase based on blind hope and faith that a wine store wouldn't sell wine gone bad. I figured that if I could just get a simple dinner wine for $6 it would be worth it. My Cab Franc explorations has made me naively optimistic about any bottle I come across.

I schlept the wine around the city all day, took it home and opened it with dinner. Smelled alright. At first it tasted ok. Then it broke down into a bunch of rancid flavors that scattered like roaches across my taste buds. My fear of the 1999 vintage's age was just. My sink seemed to enjoy it though, it went down smooth and quick. I was only out $6 and wasn't too surprised, but it left me wondering. Are there wine bargains? Have you ever found a bottle marked down to almost half its price and been satisfied with its contents? What about those "last bottle" mark downs? Any luck with these?

2005...that's SO last year!

New Year's Eve used to be the holiday that I would live vicariously through others. If I was with family upstate, I'd watch the hardcore winter weather folk endure a bone chilling night in Niagara Falls, Ontario, attend a live music event overlooking the falls. Way too cold for my blood. I'd eventually turn on Dick Clark and rock the night away with a bottle of Champagne. Living in New York City has made this a much more social holiday, creating several memorable moments already. This year wasn't as wild as last year's tree grinding affair, and spontaneous dancing didn't rear its ugly head. All joking aside, it was a great New Year's Eve. Well dressed friends, good eats, and a strategic approach to each food pairing let us ring in the new year with style.

Codoniu Pinot Noir Brut Cava Spain ($15)

My best friend and I kicked off the night with a glass of Knob Creek Bourbon served neat. Then, with a little help from Mario and Joe, we followed with an aperitif called "The Merchant of Venice." Paired with "good luck" egg rolls, this mixture of Prosecco, a splash of pomegranate juice, and a pinch of cinnamon was a hit. Our first seated course was lobster bisque paired with Codoniu Pinot Noir Brut Cava. This was a near perfect match as the delicate bisque and refreshing Cava succeeded in awaking the taste buds.

Osprey's Dominion Johannisberg Riesling 2004
New York, North Fork ($15)

The salad that followed was equally as delicious and refreshing. A mix of baby greens, sliced almonds, dried cranberries and goat cheese paired with an Osprey's Dominion Johannisberg Riesling aroused the taste buds not affected by the bisque. The tangy cheese in combination with the sweet cranberries and the almost sour grapefruit flavors of the Riesling was mouth watering to say the least. This wine tastes completely different than the Canadian Rieslings I've enjoyed of late, but it still had that deeply floral nose. When paired with something that feeds off its youthfully acidic palate, this wine enhances and awakens the senses.

Osprey's Dominion Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2000
New York, North Fork ($40)

The main course consisted of filet mignon, twice baked potatoes with cheddar cheese and chives, steamed asparagus with shaved parmigiano reggiano, and sauteed mushrooms and onions. My friend was generous enough to open an Osprey's Dominion Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2000 to pair with the steak. This wine was awesome. Full of fruit, licorice, and spice. I am so used to heavy California Cab Savs that are over oaked and overly tannic. This New York Cabernet had incredibly soft tannins that finished with an equally soft spice. Perfect compliment to the filet.

Altos de Luzon 2003 Spain, Jumilla ($17)

Luckily the second bottle for the main course pairing wasn't shabby either. Seizing on what was probably human error, we picked up the 2003 Altos de Luzon at our local wine store for only $11. While not as softly rounded as the Osprey's Cab, this blend of Monastrell, Tempranillo, and Cabernet Sauvignon was an aggressively hedonistic match for the steak. While still tasting youthful, it packed a powerful one-two punch of fruit and spice that finished long with all the Catholic guilt of the 2002 vintage. Darker, fuller, and more intense, this was a perfect last bottle to uncork for 2005.

At midnight we popped open a bottle of Piper Heidsieck Champagne. Tasted like, well...Champagne. By midnight my taste buds had seen sharper moments. Homemade cream-filled chocolate cupcakes rounded out the meal with a cocktail my friends and I call the "Red Russian." Basically its a white Russian made with raspberry vodka. How I didn't get the spins I'll never know. Apparently I had a Samuel Adams seasonal Lager before bed, but the only evidence of that was a couple empty beers bottles. There were no reliable witnesses at that point of the night.

And for those of you keeping score at home it went bourbon, sparkling wine, white wine, two red wines, Champagne, vodka cocktail, and then beer..then Advil. Cheers!

Franc Obsession

My move to New York has created a new obsession for wine...Cabernet Franc. A few trips to the Northfork of Long Island and I was hooked. Since then I seem to notice every Cab Franc my wine stores stock. Even when I go in for lets say, Shiraz, I may end up with a Cab Franc and a geeked out desire to find out any information I can about the wine. With this I am going to taste several over the next few months and post about them here. I would appreciate any comments and suggestions you'll have.

Cousin-Leduc Anjou Pur Breton 2003 France,
Loire Valley ($13)

My intention of going right to the source of this grape led me to the Loire region of France, and by this I mean the Loire section at Astor Wines. With a little help from the staff I found this bottle, imported by Jenny & Francios, labeled "Pur Breton" and designated as being organic. Since it was 100% Cab Franc and only $13, it would be a good start on my quest for knowledge.

This wine was unlike anything else I had tasted. The dark red color and silky texture was appealing. The nose was very herbal and mossy with some fruit undertones. I tasted cherries but I could not recognize the other fruit as it was too complex for my immature palate. Very earthy, like lying down on the forest floor munching wild berries is the visual my imagination concocted.

I enjoyed this wine but not for the same reasons I liked the same grape grown on Long Island. I don't think it pairs as well with all types of foods. It isn't as crisp and straightforward either. It was very elusive and ever changing with every sip. I liked it for the same reason I like a David Lynch film. After its over I don't know if I loved it, understood it, or could explain the plot to others, but I can't stop thinking about it. I'd love to try this again after my palate matures. My grade: B