Island Memories

So, this is where we were, five months ago! Hard to believe how quickly the time has passed.

To remind us of those fine Mallorcan days, we opened one of the bottles we brought back:

Jose L. Ferrer Veritas Anada 2003, D.O. Binissalem, Mallorca. It's a blend of local grapes Mantonegro and Callet with Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo. The taste? Unusual.

"Cranberries. Fermented cranberries." Daryl's first response. Kath took a sip and agreed. Not much aroma to this wine, just the slightest hint of cranberry. In appearance, it resembled a Pinot Noir--clear red. Taste: almost exclusively cranberry. Light-bodied, different. It's probably something we wouldn't ordinarily drink, but as it holds much sentimental value, we enjoyed it.

Salud!

The French Journey Begins...

So, at Saturday Sippin', if we say we're going to learn about a new wine, we stick to our word. While out running errands, Daryl stopped by our local wine shop and requested a French wine that would go well with Chipotle burritos (our dinner). He came home with a semi-sweet white for under $10 ($9.99 actually).

J. Moreau & Fils 2004 Vouvray Demi-sec. For starters, Kath loved the fact that there was a little map of the Vouvray region on the front label. Also, the varietal was listed on the back label: 100% Chenin Blanc. Very nice. This wine was sweeter than what we normally look for in a white. Lots of fruit and a little honey. Very supple--but not syrupy--texture. Quite tasty with our smoky, spicy chicken and pork burritos.

Next week, a French red, perhaps?

(Oh, and check out their website, linked above. Funny how seeing pictures and reading detailed explanations of winemaking can lessen the intimidation factor.)

A Discovery

We love a bold Syrah, but we rarely drink Petite Syrah--don't know why, just never think to pick up a bottle. We added this bottle to fill up a case, and we were very pleased with what we sipped. (For more about Petite Syrah, see here and here.)

Dashe 2002 Petite Syrah (Ripken Vineyard, Lodi): Daryl picked out the finer nuances of this wine, so we'll use his tasting notes for a more complete overview. Aroma: black raspberry. Taste: slightly peppery start; smooth chocolate finish. Interesting to note that when Kath tried this, we had just pulled it out of the cellar, and she tasted cinnamon instead of pepper. She also noticed a subtle hint of thyme.

This is an excellent wine, and we have a new varietal to explore.

Cheers!

Kath's Thoughts on French Wine

French wine intimidates me. That sounds like an odd reaction to what is essentially bottles of fermented grapes, but I cannot drink French wine because I'm afraid of it. Maybe it's a language thing: I had no problem learning Spanish and use that language to help decipher Italian and Portuguese bottles. French--I see names of regions, chateaux, rivers, etc., and I feel I need both a dictionary and an atlas.

Maybe I'm too American when it comes to wine. I like knowing which varietal I'm drinking up front. When I open a red, I want to know if it's a Cab or a Zin or some sort of blend. However, Spain, Portugal and Italy use the D.O. in labeling their wines, and while I don't always know which grape I'm drinking, I have a general idea what the wine will be like. For example, I know that Italian Barolos and Barbarescos are excellent (and generally out of our price range), but Barberas, produced in the same region, are generally tasty and affordable. So maybe it isn't a grape versus region issue after all.

I don't want to be intimidated by wine, and as a wine lover, I feel that I should develop at least a basic understanding of French wine (and, yes, I know that Burgundy and Bordeaux are supposed to be tops).

So, starting soon, I'm going to try to select French wines for our Saturday Sippin' selection. Since I tend to shop in the under $30 bin, I'm not quite sure what I'll find. But isn't that the fun of wine: opening a bottle and seeing what you get?

Until Saturday...

A Little Late...

So, we actually drank this past weekend's wine early (last Thursday), and we kept meaning to do the write-up. Alas, things have been busy, and we're finally getting to it. We did take notes, so we're not just relying on memory.

Monticello Vineyards 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley):Very nice cab! Rich, dark red in color; typical full-bodied taste, with a tiny undernote of smoke. We were nervous upon opening the bottle. A strong aroma of alcohol wafted from our glasses, and we wondered if we'd end up tasting vinegar. Nope! Just a good cab.

Only a few more days till Saturday!

Wonderful White

This weekend's wine is Cinnabar Mercury Rising Blanc 2005 (Paso Robles, CA), a delightful, fruity (but dry, of course) blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, and Semillon. We picked this up at our local shop and are thoroughly pleased with what our $20 bought.

The color is gorgeous--a pale, delicate straw. Aromas of grapefruit and kiwi. Kath thought this wine tasted very close to her favorite New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc but with some unusual undertones, like honeysuckle (yes, really...). Daryl couldn't pick out individual flavors but liked the brightness and noted that the acidity is very low. It went well with our lumpia and fried rice.

Cheers!