Man, I am really having trouble thinking up catchy titles these days. Oh well, I tried.
As many of you know, I have a new blogging gig on Zane Lamprey's Drinking Made Easy site. Some of my posts here will correspond with my posts there. But I'll still be doing standalone posts here since I try to keep a theme on his site but here, not so much. And today is no exception. I have 3 wines to tell you about that, well, have nothing in common, really. So, here goes.
The first wine I'd like to tell you about was actually chosen by my dear husband, Brian. We picked up up at ABC Wine Country for a wonderful $9.99. It was a 2009 Malbec by Zolo in Mendoza, Argentina. The bottle said, "Our Malbec grapes are selected from our estate vineyards located in the best wine-growing regions of Mendoza. Located at various altitudes, each of these terroirs (OK, I had to look this up...it means that the land from which the grapes are grown imparts a unique quality that is specific to that region.) provides a wonderful expression of fruit and varietal concentration." Umm, OK so the grapes come from several different places with each place being at a different altitude with grapes from each part lending a different quality to the wine. At least, that's what I THINK that means. Anyway, the wine is aged in oak for 6 months and that comes through a bit in the taste. I also detected hints of dark berries and plum. I detected an almost flowery hint in the aroma. It was an okay wine that seems to taste better after it had been open a bit so it probably just needs to breathe. Brian seemed to like it so it's likely one we will get again.
The second wine is from the vineyard of famed movie director, Francis Ford Coppola. Specifically, this was a 2008 Sauvignon Blanc from his Diamond Collection. We picked this one up at ABC as well and it was $10.99. Now, I think I've said this before but Sauvignon Blanc is my favorite white wine by FAR. So, I love trying new ones. This grapes for this wine, like the one above, come from several sources. This wine is fermented in stainless steel to help retain the crisp acidity. And crisp and acidic it was, but not overwhelmingly so. It was also very bright and tasted of tropical fruits such as pineapple, as well as citrus fruits such as lemon and grapefruit. It had a definite tropical fruit scent. Recommended pairings were goat cheese and field greens, roast chicken and grilled fish. I paired it with Spaghetti With Peas And Pancetta by Tyler Florence, which has goat cheese in it. The pairing was WONDERFUL. In fact, I just posted that recipe on my recipe blog today if you want to check it out. I will definitely be buying this wine again.
The last wine I want to tell you about is a 2005 Rioja by Bodegas Arviza Crianza from Fuenmayor, Spain. Wow, that's a mouthful! This also came from ABC and retailed for $10.99. This Rioja is blend of Temparnillo, Graciano and Garnacha. The bottle boasts that the wine is "aged in oak barrels for 12 months in one of Rioja's oldest Bodegas, within ancient tunnels of the 16th century, built by hand with Roman flagstones." Cool, a history lesson too! I detected plum and cherry in the aroma with a bit of vanilla in the background. It tasted of berries with a bit of spice and an almost smokiness with a bit of oakiness. It was very different but in a good way. The bottle recommended serving it at cellar temperature and serve with cheeses, pasta and all meat dishes. We paired our with grilled flank steak and it went very well together. Brian and I both likes it so this will also go on the keeper list!
Well, that's all I have for now. My next post on DME should be up by this time next week and I'll post it here as well. Happy drinking!
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