Neat Thoughts About Food, Wine, Travel & More
This Italian wine is vibrant red in the glass. The 2009 Coltibuono Chianti Classico offer spiced red berries on the nose and big berry flavors on the palate with a little chocolate and some earthiness. Nice level of acidity and long, pleasant finish.
Pairings: Pasta and red sauce. Grilled meats.
Style: Red
Grape Type(s): Sangiovese
Region: Tuscany, Italy
Around $15.
For fans of fuller-bodied sparkling wines (me, me, me), this is a super option.
There’s apple and pear on the nose. This French champagne offers an earthiness and mouth-watering apple and peach flavors with hints of vanilla. Long, dry and completely enjoyable finish.
Nicer than most champagnes at this price point.
90 Points Wine Spectator.
Pairings: Lobster, ripe berries, cheese souffle.
Style: Sparkling
Grape Type(s): Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir
Region: Champagne, France
Around $40.
Nearly black in the glass, this Argentine wine is fragrant with dark berries on the nose. On the palate, this medium to full-bodied wine offers aromas of ripe raspberries, dates and notes of pumpkin pie spices. The finish is medium in length and showcases oaky and peppery notes.
I poured half the bottle through my Vinturi wine aerator and had the rest straight out of the bottle. Aerating or decanting would be optimal for this young wine.
Pairings: Grilled rack of lamb or Thai food.
Style: Red
Grape Type(s): Malbec
Region: San Juan, Argentina
Around $10.
This wine was provided to me for sampling and I am adding to my repertoire as it is truly enjoyable.
I had the privilege of sampling eight Domaine Tortochot wines at a recent event and was wowed by all of them. This wine is the ‘entry level’ wine for this producer and it’s delicious.
In the glass is purple in color pushing me for that first sniff. Beautiful fruity nose and aromas finishing with slightly spicy notes. Really nice lighter-bodied Grand Vin de Bourgogne.
Pairings: Grilled chicken or duck. Seared tuna.
Style: Red
Grape Type(s): Pinot Noir
Region: Burgundy, France
Around $40
World Malbec Day, April 17th, offers an interesting platform for Malbec lovers to compare wines of this varietal, share their thoughts about them on Twitter and Facebook, see what other tasters have to say and add new wines to their favorites list.
If you’ve never participated in an online wine tasting, it’s great fun:
What I’ll be uncorking for the big day:
Remember to use the hashtag #MalbecDay to participate in the celebrations on Twitter (are we connected there? @foodwinechickie) or share your tasting notes on the Wines of Argentina Facebook page.
About Malbec: Malbec is medium to full-bodied and offers ripe fruit flavors of plums and blackberry with notes of vanilla, spice and tobacco.
Typical Malbec Food Pairings: Red meats are the perfect pairing for Malbec, but it can also stand up to spicy Mexican, Cajun, Indian or Italian foods. BBQ is great matched with Malbec.
Salud!
Veronique
I love Zinfandels and try to serve foods that pair well with it as often as I can. For Easter, I grilled rack of lamb and served the 2009 Four Vines Zinfandel Maverick with them for a great match.
This Zinfandel from Amador County is bold and beautiful. In the glass, it’s dark and viscous. On the nose, it’s powerful with ripe cherries and pumpkin pie spices. In the mouth it’s jammy with tons of juicy blackberries followed by a long, sweet finish. A meal in a glass, in the best possible way.
Wine Spectator – 90 points.
Pairings: Grilled lamb, peppery porterhouse steak or aged cheese.
Style: Red
Grape Type(s): Zinfandel
Region: Paso Robles, California
Around $15.
I felt fortunate to sample this outstanding Pinot Noir at a local wine tasting last week. Just everything I love about this varietal: Beautiful purple in the glass, noseful of cherries and rich yet bright flavors of ripe cherries, raspberries and wild strawberries.
This fruit forward French Pinot Noir is silky, elegant and just super.
Pairings: Roasted turkey, grilled chicken or duck and pork.
Style: Red
Grape Type(s): Pinot Noir
Region: Burgundy, France
Around $45.
Photo Credit: Heron Hill Winery
I’m a huge fan of the Finger Lakes and its outstanding wines. Here is an article of mine on traveling to the Finger Lakes and which wineries to visit along the way published by Jersey Bites.
Cheers,
Veronique
Dark Bing cherry-colored wine in the glass. On the nose, it offers a slightly spiced, juicy berry aroma. On the palate, it features mocha notes, ripe cherry flavors that linger on a long, dry finish.
Malbec is such a versatile, food-friendly varietal and at this affordable price point, it should be on your must-buy list.
Pairings: Rare duck, stinky cheeses, grilled beef tenderloin.
Style: Red
Grape Type(s): Malbec
Region: Mendoza, Argentina
Around $12
Last night, I had the pleasure of joining a group of wine writers for an online tasting of Chocolate Red Wine by Chocolate Shop. I admit I was a bit pessimistic about yet another flavored wine, but this one surprised me.
The wine is a blend of multiple grapes (Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc…) that’s flavored with premium chocolate prior to bottling. The wine is best enjoyed within 12 months of bottling – each bottle is lasered with the bottling date.
In the glass, this wine is a deep ruby with bold cherry cordial aromas. On the palate, it’s less sweet/sugary than one might expect with the bold flavors of the fruity wine coming through. On the finish, it’s smooth with a hint of sweet cocoa from the 7% residual sugar.
This wine would pair beautifully with rare duck or other game. It might also work drizzled over premium vanilla ice cream.
The price point on this wine is $15 and it can be found at major liquor stores, grocery stores or via the winemaker’s website.
Cheers,
Veronique
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