Wine Pick of the Week: January 14, 2016

Brazin 2012 Old Vine Zinfandel (California)

For January I’m reviewing some “comfort wines” to go with the comfort foods featured on the “Soul” page. Because most people are budget conscious at the beginning of the year, these wines will be in the $10-$12 range—comfortable for the wallet. Also, at the end of the review, get healthy with tidbits on red wine from an article a friend sent to me, “Red Wine and Your Gut?” by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialis

I love Lodi Zin. If there was ever a “comfort wine,” this is it. The climate in this region heats up the grapes during the day and all but freezes them at night, concentrating the fruit and intensifying the flavors.

Brazin 2012 Old Vine Zinfandel doesn’t disappoint, made from vines 40-100 years old farmed sustainably. The color is dark purple, inky.

On the nose, it’s dark cherry to plum jam and a bit of mocha. The first taste (prepare yourself) is a blast of spice, then cherries, black pepper and that blackberry/plum jam from the nose. It’s warm going down (14.5% alcohol) with cherry flavors settling along the sides of the tongue.

It has a sweetness and light tannins, a smooth finish. This OVZ is powerful but not overpowering. I like it as a sipper, and it’s a bit heady.

Paired with food, it’s better with the moist-style meatloaf rather than the dry. Burgers, steaks, red meat stews—hearty winter fare. Dark chocolate (preferable to milk chocolate) and sea salt cut the spice and brought out more fruit. 

HEALTH NOTE: A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that drinking 1-2 glasses of red wine (not sweet reds) can enhance the conditions for beneficial gut flora (important for metabolism, digestion, immunity, and many other body systems,) and it decreases the bad pathogenic bacteria. (click here for whole article) 

Wine Pick of the Week: January 7, 2016

Lakewood Vineyards 2014 Port (NY)

This month I’ll be pairing the weekly wines with comfort foods, but what comes to mind as a “comfort wine?” Imagine a cold night with the wind howling outside. It’s probably snowing, but inside, settled in front of the fireplace, you pour from a bottle on the side table and sip the warm, sweet taste of port.

The Douro region of Portugal is the third oldest Designated Area of Origin in the world (mid-1700s) and is where Port, the wine, originated. Once British sailors discovered it and brought it back to England, its popularity spread because it held up so well on long journeys. And it tasted good.

Port is my go-to winter weather wine. Its high alcohol content gives you warmth through your system without the harshness of harder stuff—it’s a warm and fuzzy wine. There are many different types of Port, depending on how long it’s aged, where it’s aged, or whether it’s fortified (adding brandy or other liquor.)  

Lakewood Vineyards, in New York’s Finger Lakes, has a nice offering. The 2014 Port is a blend of estate grown Baco Noir (77.5%,) Frontenac (17%,) and Vincent (5.5%.) This one is fortified with grape brandy, also made with estate grown grapes.  

The nose is cherries that move to a blackberry/blueberry aroma. Cherries come to the palate first, too, then there’s a little spice—umm, some black pepper—transitioning to plums and raspberries. The finish is just dry enough to be noticeable. It’s warm, of course, with 18% alcohol content and legs on the glass. It coats the mouth, too, to savor.

Pair this with dark chocolate, but not too sweet. Nuts and bleu cheese would be better. Also raspberries with a plain, again, not to sweet cheesecake.  

Wine Pick of the Week: November 12, 2015

Justin Vineyards & Winery 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon (California)

Continuing with the Paso Robles tour, I tasted this Justin Cab and found it much fruitier than I expected. Justin Vineyards and Winery has been in Paso since 1981 and pattern their wines after the Bordeaux style. Justin was recently named Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s 2015 Winery of the Year.

This Cabernet is a dark ruby color with just a tinge of brown. The nose is full of cherry fruit, then wood and leather.

The first taste is cherry, then spice—black pepperish—which transitions to leather and finishes with coffee and cherry and is slightly dry. As mentioned, the wine is a little lighter-bodied and fruitier than some of the Bordeaux Cabs, which might be attributed to the Paso microclimates.

It’s a wine that you can sip or would be a good partner for a juicy beef burger with bleu cheese. It would also be good with beef tips in a wine sauce or chopped sirloin. I don’t think it’s full-bodied enough to stand up to heavier meats.

Next week, a Paso Robles Malbec. 

Wine Pick of the Week: November 5, 2015

Project Paso 2011 Lonely Oak Red (California)

This time last year, I was just about to embark on a cross-country trip with a friend of mine. She was moving back to California and asked me to drive the UHaul truck for her. We decided to forgo the jaunt to Las Vegas and head to Paso Robles instead. This month I’m going to re-visit Paso through four weekly wine picks.

The first is a mainstream red blend, Project Paso 2011 Lonely Oak Red, around the $10-$12 mark. This label is a Sebastiani Family product that features grapes from Paso Robles vineyards. The 2011 blends Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Malbec, Tempranillo, Valdiguie and Grenache.

It looks and sounds heartier than it tastes. The nose is fruity with cherries and berries, the color ruby with a tinge of purple. The first taste note is heavy spice (some black pepper) which transitions right away to tart cherry and berries. There isn’t much more too it—it’s not a “sit and ponder” kind of bottle. Definitely more sweet than dry, but some tannin steps in for an appearance about the same time as the tart cherry.

Drink it with food, particularly grilled pork or pulled pork. Turkey and cranberries would also be complementary because of the tart fruit aspects. 

Wine Pick of the Week: October 28, 2015

Apothic Dark 2014 Red Blend (California)

For dark and stormy nights—or Halloween—this blend is just the thing to turn heebie-jeebies into warm fuzzies. The color is a deep, inky purple that shows highlights of ruby when held to the light. Blackberries and blueberries rise to the nose, a waft of leather and—what’s that? Ahh, cinnamon, a little chocolate.

Fruity transitions to off-dry with a slightly tannic finish. Coffee, spice, blackberries, jammy with a hint of plum—dark flavors swirling around your mouth, then smoothing out. The grapes are part of its mystery but most likely include Syrah, Zinfandel, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Hearty without being monstrous, Dark is drinkable on its own, but would also pair well with a burger, grilled medium rare, maybe with some sautéed mushrooms that crept up from the earth or with some melted bleu cheese, crumbly with moldy veins.

Don’t be afraid to try this one. And at $10-$12, it’s safe to stock up, because once your friends have a sip, you won’t be alone. There’s nothing scarier than running out of wine.  

Wine Pick of the Week: April 12, 2015

Deaver Vineyards Barby Port NV (California)

After an odd but productive weekend, I decided to treat myself. Even though it’s 70 degrees and sunny right now, this sweet, heady California Port was calling out to me as I vacuumed the cellar. Deaver Vineyards is an uber-friendly winery in Amador County on the Steiner Rd. trail. This 100 percent Barbera Port-style wine was on the tasting list the day I visited.

Raisins everywhere, sweet and warm. With some alcohol in the nose and mouth, its legs saunter down the glass. It’s warm in the throat with the faintest spice.

I decided to have a taste with triple cream brie, and it neutralized the alcohol and kept the raisin flavors. With some top round beef pastrami, it neutralized the alcohol and brought out a little black pepper with the raisins. I also tried the Barby with Milano hard salami. This was good, too, but kept a little of the alcohol with the raisins, then finished with caramel. Overall, my preference would be the pastrami pairing.

Other food matches might include a stronger cheese like Pecorino Romano, other Italian sausages, grilled pork and a caramel dessert or crème brulee. 

Wine Pick of the Week: April 5, 2015

Adams County Winery Turning Point NV (Pennsylvania)

Ahhh. It’s been a long, busy weekend, and I was looking forward to a nice “Wine Pick of the Week.”

This fits the bill, and I’m really enjoying it. Another winner from Adams County Winery, this one from their Historic Gettysburg Collection,  the blend of estate Chambourcin and Cabernet Sauvignon hits the nose with spice (black peppery) then plum-my blackberry. It does nearly the same thing on the palate: spice, blackberry, plummm… finishing with cherry. It’s dry in the center of the tongue, surrounded by fruit along the sides.

I made another quick pasta dish tonight with tomato basil sauce and mild Italian sausage, adding a bit of grated Pecorino Romano. This turned up the spice, heat and plum in the wine—not in a bad way at all. The wine’s dry finish wasn’t nearly as dry with food. I didn’t have the right chocolate for dessert, but Turning Point would be good with a dark chocolate, semi-sweet, even possibly chocolate with raspberries.  In other food pairings, I would say grilled pork, spare ribs, hamburger. Not a fish wine.