Vindulge

White wines for hot summer days: A group wine review

The weekend before our big move across the country we invited all of our local friends to celebrate with us for one last big BBQ.  We smoked a large pork butt, busted out some wine and beer, and enjoyed our last weekend as Portlanders with some of our favorite people.

As a part of the festivities I decided to grab some wines I had been preparing to review and invited my guests to partake in a group tasting.  The forecast called for 95 degrees and I knew we’d need lots of refreshing beverage options throughout the day. Pulled pork sandwiches were going to be the main entrée, but when it is 95 degrees out, the weather trumps all other options we may have had in mind for pairing with the pork. An array of white wines was exactly what the doctor ordered.

I decided to try to make the tasting fun.  I made small note cards for each guest and asked him or her to write their general notes of each wine on the cards.  Nothing technical or complicated, I just wanted to know a few simple things:  1. Did they like the wine? Why or why not?  2. Would they pay $X amount (retail value) for the wine?  And 3. To describe the wine as best as they could. 

A few guests asked me why I did not brown bag the wines and do a blind tasting instead.  I wanted an honest assessment of how they liked these wines; wines they are likely to see on a grocery store shelf, and if they would buy them for their retail value.  Besides, in a wine store tasting, grocery store tasting, or winery tasting room, you are not tasting wines blind.  You are generally aware of the bottle, label, and price of the wines you are making an assessment of.  They were also four very different varietals or blends in all different styles, so I wanted my guests to be aware of the differences between the wines.

To me this was a fun way to go through some samples I’d been meaning to taste.  By sharing them with my friends (aka my tasting panel), I was able to get honest feedback from people who would be in the market for these wines. 

All of these wines should be widely available throughout the country and available in most grocery stores, or if you’re in a state like I am now (CT) where you cannot buy wine in a grocery store (seriously, this is going to take some getting used to), you should be able to find them in large wine shops. 

The lineup, in order of favorites of the evening.

The favorite of the evening! 
2008 Napa Cellars Chardonnay

I found the wine to have a nice balance of fruit and integrated oak.  Apple, lemon, butterscotch, vanilla, and caramel on the nose with that and more in the mouth.  Smoked oak followed by a slightly buttery feel (not overpowering) with lingering caramel apple flavors.  The wine is an oaked style but not overpowering at all.  My guests agreed for the most part with notes like “great Chardonnay flavors with light floral notes on the nose”, “Yum!”, “crisp and fresh, well balanced”, and one of my favorites, “I don’t generally favor oak or Chardonnay but I liked this one”.  I do love converting Chardonnay haters to the good ones, and this was a crowd pleasing Chardonnay for both those who like and dislike the varietal for a decent price.   

Retail:  $24
Grapes:  100% Chardonnay
Appellation:  Napa Valley (sourced from vineyards primarily in South Napa, Yountville, and Oak Knoll)
Oak:  ½ cold fermented in stainless steel tanks, while the remaining was placed into small French oak barrels.  100% French oak (34% new), aged for 7 months.
Alcohol:  14.5%


2009 Cupcake Vineyards Pinot Grigio 

Very tropical on the nose with lots of brightness and acidity followed by bright green apple, pear, lemon, lime, and pineapple on the palate.  Overall, dry, crisp and fruity.  Some guests were mixed on their reviews of this wine but generally favored it over the other wines.  For the price point many thought “sure I’d pay up to $10 for this”, and “good for the price”, “crisp, refreshing, notes of citrus, I like it”. One guest who didn’t love it by itself thought, “it may be nice, however, paired with shrimp but doesn’t stand well alone”.  Overall most guests liked it for the $10 or under price point.

Retail:  $9-$11
Grapes:  100% Pinot Grigio
Appellation:  D.O.G. Trentino, in Northern Italy
Alcohol:  13%


2009 Cupcake Vineyards Riesling  

I found the wine to have a rather mild nose dominated by mostly citrus, lemon, lime, lemon peel and tart lemon pie.  The mouth was semi-sweet, highly acidic, fruity, and came across refreshing on this hot day.   If you can find it on sale for closer to $7 it would be good for a summer picnic or pool day.  Guest were mixed on their feelings but generally liked it for the price point.  “Pretty good”, “fruity, sweet and a little tangy” and “I thought it was good and I would pay $10 or less for it”.
 
Retail:  $9-$11
Grapes:  100% Riesling
Appellation:  Mosel, Germany
Alcohol:  10.5%

2009 Big House White, California White Wine 

For this particular crowd, this wine didn’t find many fans. 
I thought the wine was all over the place on the nose with apricot, pears, lychee, overripe melon, and canned tropical fruit cocktail.  The mouth was tangy, dry and crisp, with an almost unpleasant amount of acidity.  My guests were less than complimentary thinking it tasted “watered down”, “pungent”, and “not my favorite at all”.  One guest, however, would buy it if “it was $5 or less”.   Perhaps poured along side of the three other wines, this one just stuck out in a bad way.  I suppose when you’re tasting four very different wines side by side, you always find one that stands out as a favorite and a least favorite. This was the least favorite for the majority of those who tasted it.  To me it seems like a no brainer pool wine.  Just chill till very cold and sip without putting much thought into it, much like a Coors Light or Miller Light of wine. 

Retail:  $7.99-$9.99
Grapes:  56% Malvasia Bianca, 22% Muscat Canelli, 18% Viognier, 4% Rousanne
Appellation:  California
Alcohol:  13.5%

There you have it.  Have YOU tasted any of these wines this summer?  What was your impression?  I’d love to know. 

***Stay tuned for my next post.  My very first Vindulge prize giveaway! This is going to be a good one. You won't want to miss it. 

WillaKenzie, Aquariva and a Great Food & Wine Pairing

Trying to explore as much Oregon as I can before moving to the Northeast, I accepted an invitation to a wine and food pairing lunch a couple weeks back hosted by WillaKenzie Estate Winery.  Lunch consisted of a five-course food and wine pairing prepared by Chef Andy Arndt of Aquariva that turned out to be very memorable experience.

The Winery
Located in the northern Willamette Valley in Yamhill County, WillaKenzie Estate sits on a beautiful 420-acre property overlooking the Chehalem Mountains with just over 100 acres of vines planted.  The focus of the vineyards is Pinot Noir, with over 10 different Pinot Noir clones planted, along with additional plantings of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Meunier, and Gamay Noir. 

With the first plantings in 1992 the vineyards were planted with the belief of sustainable agriculture with the goal of producing high quality fruit with minimal use of any chemicals or fertilizers in order to protect the environment surrounding the estate.  The vineyards of Willakenzie are both L.I.V.E. (Low Input Viticulture and Enology) and Salmon-Safe certified.   In addition to sustainable practices in the vineyard they also aim to extend that to their employees.  Winemaker Thibaud Mandet shared that over half of his vineyard staff have been with the winery for over ten years.   To me that’s an impressive fact.

WillaKenzie produces over ten different Pinot Noirs, most of them single vineyard, along with a representation of some of their other bottlings.  Throughout lunch we experienced a variety of their wines carefully paired with small plates created by Chef Arndt.

The Restaurant
Aquariva Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar
Located just south of downtown Portland, next to the Avalon Hotel and Spa, Aquariva sits along the banks of the Willamette River with outdoor seating and fantastic river views.  They have a large and open indoor dining room, with a private event space upstairs that is well equipped for anything from business meetings to weddings. 

The restaurant boasts 40 wines by the glass.  That combined with outdoor riverfront seating on a warm summer evening, you don’t have to twist my arm to try out this restaurant.  Although I did not dine at the actual restaurant for this particular lunch, we did receive a brief tour before venturing to the winery for the five course pairing while snacking on popcorn with black truffle oil, sea salt, and toffee prepped by Chef Arndt.  Probably the most creatively delicious popcorn I’ve had in years.  The crunchy toffee combined with the salty and earthy flavors in the popcorn hit the spot!

The Pairings
What struck me most about the event was the attention to detail Chef Arndt put into the lunch to highlight both the wines and his own creative dishes.   When asked about his thought process in the pairings he described how he really hoped to enhance the flavors of the wine through his food pairings.  To me he succeeded.  I loved the 2007 Triple Black Slopes Pinot Noir (earthy, tobacco and spice meets spicy red and dark berry fruit) paired with Lamb Rillet Tortellini, Lamb Jus and Candied Black Pepper, with tender lamb that brought out the earthy nature of the wine.
 
The most impressive pairing for me, however, was the 2008 Pinot Meunier paired with a Braised Pork Belly, Turnip and Rhubarb Syrup (pictured right).  As if it wasn’t good enough that the pork melted in my mouth like butter, the delicate syrup paired magically with, while enhancing, the pretty fruit of the Pinot Meunier.  

Wine Highlight:  2008 Pinot Meunier
Pinot Meunier (pronounced mehr-n-yay) is one of the three varieties used in making traditional champagne (along with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay), and is rarely seen alone as a still wine.  I was very intrigued even before tasting it.  The wine immediately struck me as a perfect summer red. It reminded me of a light, earthy, and yet fruity Pinot Noir.   It was light bodied and fresh with aromas of bright cranberries, raspberries, and strawberries.  The mouth followed with more cran-strawberry flavors with the addition of spice, toast, and very light tannins.   A nice alternative to a wine you don’t want to, or need to, lay down for ten years.  It is intended to and ready to drink now.  Served slightly chilled this wine would be the perfect accompaniment to a nice summer day if you’re craving something red. 
Appelation:  Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton District 
Retail:  $25
Alcohol:  14.2%
Screwcap closure

While it was my first time being at the WillaKenzie Estate and also tasting food from Aquariva Chef Andy Arndt I have decided that if the food at the actual restaurant is anything like the food Arndt prepared for this lunch then I’m certainly looking forward to a visit there. I think I’ve discovered another restaurant to add to my “Portland to do list”.  

As for the wines, if you’re into single vineyard Pinot Noirs then it would be worth a visit to check out their diverse selection along with beautiful views of the valley.  But make sure to also taste the Pinot Meunier while you are there.  You won’t likely find this variety as a stand alone still wine at most places you visit here in Oregon.  It is unique and most certainly tasty.

Cheers

Cupcake Vineyards

Sometimes grocery store wines can truly surprise me.  It’s rare, but it does happen.  Take the case of Cupcake Vineyards.   In all honesty I’ve seen these wines lately displayed in large stacks at the grocery store.  When I see wines displayed like this I typically pass them over, assuming they’re just some un-quaffable mass-produced grocery store concoction with cute marketing.  But having tried them recently I admittedly have developed a different opinion.  Yes, I, "Mary Cressler the stubborn", had a change of heart, and I’m so glad I did.  I love these humbling moments, and thus sharing them with you.

Cupcake Vineyards is located in Monterey County, California, but they make wines from a variety of regions throughout the world.  The three wines below represent fruit from two different states in the US and two different continents.

2009 Sauvignon Blanc

So, we all know how I feel about Sauvignon Blanc, yes? Well if you don’t you can check out here and here for some of my previous thoughts on the varietal.  It’s typically not my cup of tea, outside of the Loire Valley, but I was pleasantly surprised by this little baby.  If you are a Sauvignon Blanc fan, please read further. I think you'll be happy with what you find.

This refreshing wine is screaming for some summertime weather!  The nose was spot on New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, very grassy with tropical pineapple scents along with citrus notes of grapefruit, lemon and lime.  The mouth, a bit tart but still refreshing, continued with grassy notes and flavors of grapefruit, more lemon and lemon peel.

What I found pleasant is that it is not as overly pungent or harshly acidic as many Sauvignon Blancs from the same region.  The acidity was strong, but not distracting.  There was nothing really complex about this wine, but for the price point I have to admit, it is a zesty, bright and refreshing value.  If you are looking for something easy and refreshing without ever regretting what you paid for it, you should check out this wine.  It is a typical New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc at almost half the price of the popular Kim Crawford.  I’m not gonna lie to you, this ain’t bad for a $7 bottle of wine!

Appellation:  Marlborough, New Zealand
Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc  
Retail:  between $7-$12  (currently on sale for $7.99 at Fred Meyer)
Alcohol:  12.5%
Where to find:  Widely available, you’ll likely find it at your local grocery store.
Food Pairing:  Fresh mixed green salad with goat cheese.


2009 Dry Riesling

To me this wine was Riesling on the nose, but Sauvignon Blanc on the palate.
The wine began with typical Riesling notes on the nose of sweet pears, peaches, apples, nectarine, with a little bit of pineapple, followed by a mouth full of tangy citrus, lemon, lime and green apple, and finishing dry.

This wine is missing the minerality that is beautiful in a great Riesling, but there was really no flaws in it.  Admittedly, it’s a pretty nice little summer sipper.   What you should expect, however, is sweet bright fruit on the nose turning into a dry citrus explosion in the mouth with strong acidity.  You’ll also find this wine has a higher alcohol level (13%) than a traditional style Riesling (typically 9-11%), but if you can find it for under $10, then I’d say it is a decent choice for an easy drinking refreshing wine so long as you’re not expecting a mineraly German style Riesling.

Appellation: Colombia Valley, Washington
Grapes:  Riesling
Retail:  $7-$14
Alcohol: 13.2%
Where to find: Widely available, you’ll likely find it at your local grocery store.
Food pairing:  I paired the wine with a roasted chicken and a tossed green salad.  It was a pretty solid food pairing because the richness of the chicken softened the strong acidity on the wine. 


2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Central Coast

Initially this wine was tight with closed and subtle earthy flavors, but after a quick dive through the *Vinturi (aerator), the wine showed its bright and rich big fruit flavors.  What evolved was aromas of black berries, black cherry and plum fruit with some spice and pepper.   The mouth was spicy, medium bodied, with more black berry, cherry, raspberry fruit, and more spice, along with some decent tannins (though not strong).   

Overall, the wine is simple but certainly decent, and for under $10, you’re hard pressed to find another California Cab that could stand up to this one for the price.  Definitely worth a shot if you see it at the store for $10 or under. 

*If you don’t have a Vinturi just pour a few ounces into your glass and let it just sit in your glass for a few minutes, swirling ever so often.  It allows for the wine to open up faster.  Ahh yeah.

Appellation:  Central Coast, California
Grapes:  Cabernet Sauvignon
Retail:  $7-$14
Alcohol %:  13.50%
Where to find: Widely available, you’ll likely find it at your local grocery store.

 
Overall, I was impressed with the quality at the price point for these wines.  These wines are all currently on sale at my local Fred Meyer grocery store for $7.99, and are certainly worth it for that price.  Before receiving these samples it is unlikely I would have picked up a bottle, but now I know that in a whim, I would be confident knowing that they would be nice wines for an everyday no brainer go-to wine.

These wines were provided as media samples for review; but I did go buy the Chardonnay today as I saw it while shopping and looking forward to reporting about it.

Wrapping up summer value wines '09

Rumor has it that summer is winding down to an end here in Portland. As much as I am in denial about this I’ve realized all good things must (eventually) come to an end.  This is sad for me since I am summers biggest fan and believe there are few people in the world who love this season as much as I do.  Being from Phoenix, AZ (where it is practically summer year round) it must be in my blood.

My summer ’09 was filled with lots of travel, outdoor activities, testing recipes on our new smoker, and exploring new wines, which more often than not meant a lot of crisp refreshing white wines.  It has been pointed out to me by a few friends that I am somewhat of a “seasonal” oenophile (not that I only drink wine during specific seasons… au contraire… more so, I often drink ones that reflects the weather or occasion).  When there is a beautiful hot summer day, or when I have returned from a hike or workout, I want to drink something cold and refreshing.  Alternatively, when it is cold and snowy I want to drink something that will warm my body and soul, like a full bodied red next to the fireplace while reading a good book.  I prefer to think of these as “occasion” wines because I believe there is a wine for all occasions, seasons, and moods. 

I also don’t rate the wines I drink on a number scale because I don’t think it’s fair nor necessary for purpose of this particular blog.  A wine I loved yesterday because it hit the spot at that right moment may not satisfy me another day.  On the flip side an amazing full bodied Cabernet Sauvignon just may not have been appropriate for a blazing 100 degree afternoon, but may be perfect with dinner indoors, or sipping by the fire.  That being said, I’d rather “rate” a wine, so to speak, on how well if reflects the moods, occasions, or meals that it is being consumed with.  This summer, for example, was filled with gorgeous warm (and quite often hot) days and I spent much of that time outside in my backyard or going on long bike rides and hikes, therefore I drank a lot of crisp white wine this summer as well as a lot of bubbles. But of course, if you have read more than one post here you probably already know I need absolutely no reason to open bubbles.  They are good for every single occasion and mood.  Even on a cold and gloomy day I will still open up a bottle and daydream of summers to come.  But let's not get off the subject talking about bubbles.

Earlier this summer I set out on a mission to find new summer wines to drink throughout the season.  I wrote about some of them on this blog, and many I just drank carefree, not focusing on writing notes or information about them, but continued to re-purchase them throughout the summer months. 

So as we move from summer into the “f” word (like I said, I’m in denial), I will leave you with some of my favorites.  These all fit into my “summer value wine” criteria of being less than $20 and everyday wines that I actually re-purchased again and again.  Of course, I drank and discovered many other fantastic wines this summer, but these are specifically those with the intention of being everyday wines at inexpensive prices perfect for the season.

Top Summer Discovery:  Txakolina

Txakolina:  specifically from producer Ameztoi, 2008, both their regular Txakolina and the Rosé.
Don’t let the name intimidate you. This is a super refreshing slightly effervescent wine from Spain that will hit the spot on a warm summer day.  Click here to read the full review of the Rosé.  I could not get enough of this wine.  When I wasn’t drinking it at home, I was ordering it at one of my favorite wine bars, Vino Paradiso, who had it on their menu for a couple months this summer.  At $20, this wine was at the high end of my “value” scale but well worth it!

Vinho Verde: Specifically Broadbent Vinho Verde. Another effervescent wine that proved time and time again to be a thirst quencher all summer.  The nice thing about most Vinho Verdes that I drank was their low alcohol content (averaging 9%).  That way you can drink a glass or two in the afternoon and not be loopy before dinner!  Retail:  $9.99

Müller Thurgau:  Specifically Anne Amie 2008 Cuvée A Müller Thurgau.  Crisp and dry with citrus aromas of lemon, lemon peel, apple, with some floral notes.  This is a dry and refreshing wine, a wonderful summer sipper, and would also be great with seafood dishes like mussels or clams.  Retail: $14

Gruner Veltliner:  Check out the 2007 Berger Niederoesterreich Gruner Veltliner, from Austria.  It comes in a 1 liter bottle (rather than a standard 750 ml) so it's great for summer gatherings since it serves many.  Cirtusy, crisp, and clean with lots of green apple.  A great bargain too at approx $13 for the 1 liter bottle!

Argentinean Malbec, especially: 
2007 Tomero Malbec, from Mendoza, Argentina:  I purchased this wine over and over from cork • a bottle shop.  It’s such a great value at approx $12 with rich fruit and soft tannins.  Great bbq wine! 
2008 Gouguenheim Malbec Valle Escondido, also from Mendoza, Argentina:  This was actually one of the few red wines (in the summer quest category) that I felt motivated to write about on the blog.  Fruit forward, rich fruit, and only $11.  I’ve seen this wine at quite a few locations locally, including cork • a bottle shop and whole foods.

Favorite "go to" value bubbles of the season:

Rotari Brut  Sparkling Wine from Italy:  $11.99

Domaine Rosier Brut Blanquette de Limoux (NV):  Crisp yet slightly creamy on the palate.  $11.99

In addition to the above wines, I experimented with many wines specifically because of their region, including:

Portuguese white wines (great values)
Argentinean and Chilean red wines (great values)
California Zinfandel (great with many of the smoked and grilled meats we experimented with this summer).  But pay attention to the alcohol level!  Many Zins (especially from CA) can exceed 16% alcohol, which can often kill most food you pair with it, so look for those in the 13-14% range for a better food and wine pairing experience! Believe me, your palate will thank me.

Now, since fffff (spit it out) FALL is in the air you know I’ll be on a similar mission to find some good fall value wines to pair with the bounty of fall foods and holidays coming up.  I’m ready for the challenge!

Since it is still summer out there for many of you, please go out and seek some of the above summer wines and let me know what you think.  For more reviews of some of the summer wines I wrote about click here. 

Cheers to my favorite season of all… Summer! 

The perfect bubbles for a Girls' Night!

Yesterday was one of those perfect summer afternoons with temperatures in the low 80’s, sunny, slightly breezy… basically the perfect day to be outside.  For me, when the weather is this nice I love nothing more than to just relax in my backyard, in the sun, while enjoying the company of good friends, over a nice glass of wine.  A girlfriend of mine also shares my passion for good weather, good food, and good wine so we decided to celebrate the day together and have a “girls' day” which consisted of us catching up in my backyard, in the sun, drinking yes, bubbles! She brought the food and I provided the bubbles and the setting.  It is fitting that the only bottle I actually had chilled in my fridge is quite appropriately what I believe to be the perfect girls' night wine!

The Occasion:  “Girls' Day/Night” Wine

Lucien Albrecht Crémant d'Alsace Brut Rosé

Crémant d'Alsace is an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) for sparkling wines within France, but outside of the Champagne region, made by la méthode traditionnelle (someday I will write about the beautiful, time consuming, expensive, and labor intensive process involved in the traditional method of making sparkling wine in Champagne... which is one of the many reasons why I have such an obsession with said beverage.  There are many rules, regulations, and practices for this method, but for now just know that this wine abides by the “traditional” form of making sparkling wine, whereby secondary fermentation occurs in the bottle). 

The first thing to note is the beautiful salmon pink color of this sparkler.  Visually, it is indeed a very pretty wine from the get go.  This wine has a fragrant nose of fresh strawberries, cranberries, and cherries followed by a rich and creamy mouthfeel with a crisp, dry, and lingering finish. For under $20 this wine is solid with good balance, structure and elegance with long lasting bubbles. 

Winery:  Lucien Albrecht
Region:  Alsace region of France
Style of wine:  Brut Rosé, Dry Sparkling Wine
Grapes:  100% Pinot Noir
Retail:  $19.00
Alcohol:  12%
Where to find:  Widely available

Occasions for drinking this wine:  Girls' night! Okay, you really don’t need to be having a “girls' night” to drink this wine.  It is indeed great for all occasions where a great bottle of value priced bubbles are involved ☺

Since I purchased this bottle for less than $20 I think it also qualifies for one of my great summer value wines! 

Bubbles or no bubbles, there is something truly special about getting to spend an afternoon with a good friend, catching up, laughing, eating, and drinking together.  And to top off our ladies night, once the sun went down we moved indoors and watched “The Sweetest Thing” (yes, I will admit it… I am a big fan of Christina Applegate, thank you very much!).  Good friend + good bubbles + a chick flick… was a good night indeed. 

Summer has returned… and so have the summer wines!

Portland has had a stream of very weird weather these last few weeks.  We had over a week of smoldering hot weather with above 100-degree temperatures for days in a row, followed by a week of 60-degree temperatures, rain, and clouds.  Come on Portland, can’t we just have a happy medium and enjoy some 80’s and sunshine already?! The rumored great Portland summer weather is the reason I moved here… so give me back my summer please!  Today, my wish was answered with the return of the sun and 80-degree temps.  And to celebrate, I opened one of my new favorite summer value wines, Vinho Verde. 

Vinho Verde comes from a region in Northwest Portugal.  There are six areas within Vinho Verde (although you really don’t need to know that much information).  What you should know about Vinho Verde, however, is that the name translates to “green wine”, not because the wine itself is green (because it’s not). It is referring to the fact that the grapes used are “green”, meaning slightly under ripe.  The wine itself can be red, white, and rosé, but you will more often than not see the white wines.  The white wines, as in the case of the wine below are typically high in acid, dry, low in alcohol, and have a slight sparkle to them (more so effervescent or spritzy).  These wines are easy drinking and meant to be consumed young, so no need to be laying these bad boys down in your cellar.  Drink them now!  Today’s Vinho Verde was the Broadbent.

Wine #7 in my quest for the perfect summer wines (we have a finalist!)

BROADBENT VINHO VERDE
Non Vintage White Wine, 9% alcohol

I have had this wine many times this summer.  It is a fantastic under $10 summer sipper, although it is very easy to gulp this wine instead of actual sipping due to its refreshing nature.  The wine reminds me more of lime flavored sparkling water than wine!  It’s very easy to drink and incredibly fresh and refreshing. 

The wine has notes of fresh lemon, lime, lime peel, and green apple with a zesty, crisp, and refreshing mouthfeel.  It is excellent with appetizers on a hot day, or just a poolside sipper!  Any day that it is hot is a day to drink Vinho Verde.  One of the best parts is the low alcohol.  You can drink lots of it and still have room for more (and you won’t be loopy after a couple glasses).  The nice thing about the Broadbent is that it is nationally distributed here in the US and fairly accessible.   I have seen it in numerous retail locations and restaurants here in Portland. So go out and get yourself a bottle (or case) of this wine (or any Vinho Verde for that matter since most of the ones I have had this summer have been awesome and under $10), because summer will be gone before you can ask for seconds.

Winery:  Broadbent, Portugal
Grapes:  50% Loureiro, 40% Trajadura and 10% Pedernã [aka Arinto]
Retail:  $9.99
Alcohol:  9%
As seen recently in the Hollywood Fred Meyer and Wine Down on 28th Wine Bar

Occasions for drinking this wine:  Poolside!  If you don’t have a pool (like me) then simply enjoy it on a hot day sitting on your patio in the shade.  Also makes for a refreshing post hiking or workout wine.

Dueling Pizzas... Smoked vs. Grilled

What did I smoke today… oh yes, Pizza!

In the summertime I like to try to spend as much time as possible outside. That also means cooking and eating outdoors; therefore we grill a lot in the summertime, and one of our favorite things to grill over the past couple of years has been pizza!  Yes pizza... actually cooked outside, on the grill. 

Now that we have gotten used to the new Traeger smoker we were naturally curious to see how pizza would taste smoked vs. grilled (or even oven cooked for that matter). So last week we put it to the test to see which pizza would taste better… smoked or grilled? Since this is a grilling contest we decided to go with one of our “go to” favorite summertime pizzas, BBQ Chicken Pizza.  We made 2 identical pizzas and cooked one on the smoker and one on the grill and paired them with a killer Zinfandel… let’s see how they turned out.

For the next edition of “What did I Smoke Today?”

The Pizza Challenge:  Smoked BBQ Chicken Pizza vs. Grilled BBQ Chicken Pizza
Paired with the 2006 Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel

Serves 3-4
(The recipe below is for 1 pizza. If you would like to do the challenge, like we did, then double the recipe to make 2 separate pizzas)

Ingredients:

• Pizza dough: your favorite homemade dough, or store-bought (I use homemade just because it’s so easy to make and you control what kind of flour and additional ingredients go into it.  *note: I do not recommend Trader Joes pre-made wheat dough for grilling.  It is very sticky and doesn’t do too well on the grill)
• ¼ cup bbq sauce:  your favorite homemade or store-bought bbq sauce (I also used homemade for this recipe, but if it’s too much work go for your favorite store bought)
• 1 grilled chicken breast:  sliced into thin strips
• ¼ cup feta cheese
• ½ cup cheddar cheese
• ½ medium red onion:  sliced
• 1 medium tomato:  diced
• Diced Scallions:  for garnish
• Diced Cilantro:  for garnish

Directions:   (prep all of your ingredients in advance, either in your cozy kitchen, or in the great outdoors = aka your backyard)
Pre-heat your outdoor grill to medium heat (that is, if you have a gas grill like I do).
Bring your smoker to roughly 250 degrees (at least 200).

Roll out the pizza dough very thin (about ¼ inch thick).
Brush the dough lightly on both sides with olive oil.

Grill the dough on both sides for about 2 minutes a side (just long enough to make light grill marks on the dough, but not to cook it completely). 

Remove the dough from the grill.
Layer the dough evenly with the bbq sauce, chicken, cheeses, onions, tomatoes. 

 

Now here’s where the duel begins:

Pizza #1:  The Smoked Pizza
Place pizza #1 on the smoker and let it cook for approx 1 hour.  You will know it is done when the cheese is melted and the dough is cooked through.  Remember that a smoker is mostly indirect heat, so when it’s low heat, watch for melted cheese.

 

Pizza #2:  The Grilled Pizza
When pizza #1 is almost done (around minute 45) place pizza #2 on the grill and close the lid.
Cook for approx 10 minutes or until all of the cheeses are well melted.

 

 

When both pizzas are done garnish with scallions and cilantro, slice them up, and serve.
We served our pizzas with the 2006 Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel

Notes on the pizzas:
Both pizzas actually turned out fantastic.  The grilled pizza, however, was slightly overcooked.  The dough came out a bit crusty.  To avoid this in the future we plan to cook the pizza away from direct heat.  Another tip would be to cook the pizza on a pizza stone inside the grill.

The smoked pizza was by far the winner of this challenge!  The smoke infused the dough and ingredients with a beautiful deep smoky flavor, which heightened the overall flavor of the pizza.  The dough came out perfect and the pizza was cooked through without any burning. 

Notes on the wine:

2006 Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel
Retail:  $38 from cork • a bottle shop

Ridge has a strong reputation for producing wonderful Zinfandels and this wine is one of the reasons why.  I bought this wine a few months back at a cork • a bottle shop tasting and loved it then and have been waiting for the right meal to pair it with.  This was it.

The wine was rich, luscious, and leathery, with black berry fruit and cassis on the nose.  The mouth was bursting with blackberries, plum, and black cherry, with nice spice, pepper, coffee, a touch of licorice and balanced tannins.  The richness and depth of the wine went very well with the smokiness of the pizza and deep sweet flavors of the bbq sauce. 

Now this wine is good enough to pair with a very fine meal or special occasion… but for us, we take our pizzas seriously!  This was no store bought or take out pizza, so we wanted a good wine to honor our hard work of hand making the dough, the bbq sauce, picking out the best ingredients to make the perfect bbq pizza, and slow cooking for the perfect infusion of flavors. 

Smoked BBQ Chicken Pizza and Ridge Lytton Springs Zin… Delicious!

In the summertime I like to try to spend as much time as possible outside. That also means cooking and eating outdoors; therefore we grill a lot in the summertime, and one of our favorite things to grill over the past couple of years has been pizza!  Yes pizza... actually cooked outside, on the grill. 

Now that we have gotten used to the new Traeger smoker we were naturally curious to see how pizza would taste smoked vs. grilled (or even oven cooked for that matter). So last week we put it to the test to see which pizza would taste better… smoked or grilled? Since this is a grilling contest we decided to go with one of our “go to” favorite summertime pizzas, BBQ Chicken Pizza.  We made 2 identical pizzas and cooked one on the smoker and one on the grill and paired them with a killer Zinfandel… let’s see how they turned out.

For the next edition of “What did I Smoke Today?”

The Pizza Challenge:  Smoked BBQ Chicken Pizza vs. Grilled BBQ Chicken Pizza
Paired with the 2006 Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel

Serves 3-4
(The recipe below is for 1 pizza. If you would like to do the challenge, like we did, then double the recipe to make 2 separate pizzas)

Ingredients:

• Pizza dough: your favorite homemade dough, or store-bought (I use homemade just because it’s so easy to make and you control what kind of flour and additional ingredients go into it.  *note: I do not recommend Trader Joes pre-made wheat dough for grilling.  It is very sticky and doesn’t do too well on the grill)
• ¼ cup bbq sauce:  your favorite homemade or store-bought bbq sauce (I also used homemade for this recipe, but if it’s too much work go for your favorite store bought)
• 1 grilled chicken breast:  sliced into thin strips
• ¼ cup feta cheese
• ½ cup cheddar cheese
• ½ medium red onion:  sliced
• 1 medium tomato:  diced
• Diced Scallions:  for garnish
• Diced Cilantro:  for garnish

Directions:   (prep all of your ingredients in advance, either in your cozy kitchen, or in the great outdoors = aka your backyard)
Pre-heat your outdoor grill to medium heat (that is, if you have a gas grill like I do).
Bring your smoker to roughly 250 degrees (at least 200).

Roll out the pizza dough very thin (about ¼ inch thick).
Brush the dough lightly on both sides with olive oil.

Grill the dough on both sides for about 2 minutes a side (just long enough to make light grill marks on the dough, but not to cook it completely). 

Remove the dough from the grill.
Layer the dough evenly with the bbq sauce, chicken, cheeses, onions, tomatoes. 

 

Now here’s where the duel begins:

Pizza #1:  The Smoked Pizza
Place pizza #1 on the smoker and let it cook for approx 1 hour.  You will know it is done when the cheese is melted and the dough is cooked through.  Remember that a smoker is mostly indirect heat, so when it’s low heat, watch for melted cheese.

 

Pizza #2:  The Grilled Pizza
When pizza #1 is almost done (around minute 45) place pizza #2 on the grill and close the lid.
Cook for approx 10 minutes or until all of the cheeses are well melted.

 

 

When both pizzas are done garnish with scallions and cilantro, slice them up, and serve.
We served our pizzas with the 2006 Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel

Notes on the pizzas:
Both pizzas actually turned out fantastic.  The grilled pizza, however, was slightly overcooked.  The dough came out a bit crusty.  To avoid this in the future we plan to cook the pizza away from direct heat.  Another tip would be to cook the pizza on a pizza stone inside the grill.

The smoked pizza was by far the winner of this challenge!  The smoke infused the dough and ingredients with a beautiful deep smoky flavor, which heightened the overall flavor of the pizza.  The dough came out perfect and the pizza was cooked through without any burning. 

Notes on the wine:

2006 Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel
Retail:  $38 from cork • a bottle shop

Ridge has a strong reputation for producing wonderful Zinfandels and this wine is one of the reasons why.  I bought this wine a few months back at a cork • a bottle shop tasting and loved it then and have been waiting for the right meal to pair it with.  This was it.

The wine was rich, luscious, and leathery, with black berry fruit and cassis on the nose.  The mouth was bursting with blackberries, plum, and black cherry, with nice spice, pepper, coffee, a touch of licorice and balanced tannins.  The richness and depth of the wine went very well with the smokiness of the pizza and deep sweet flavors of the bbq sauce. 

Now this wine is good enough to pair with a very fine meal or special occasion… but for us, we take our pizzas seriously!  This was no store bought or take out pizza, so we wanted a good wine to honor our hard work of hand making the dough, the bbq sauce, picking out the best ingredients to make the perfect bbq pizza, and slow cooking for the perfect infusion of flavors. 

Smoked BBQ Chicken Pizza and Ridge Lytton Springs Zin… Delicious!

It's not all about the white wines in the summertime

I’ve realized that most of the wines included on my “quest for the best summer value wines” have either been bubbles or whites.  Although it is true that I do drink a lot of white wine in the summertime I also indulge in my fair share of red wines as well, especially due to the increasing quantity of smoked meats we have been cooking up this summer (deep spicy red wines and spicy smoked pork ribs, mmmm).  I do, however, find it more difficult to find great red wines in the $10 range than great white wines (don't fear they do exist).   But seriously, when it’s hot outside, damn, it’s just so nice to have a refreshing, cold, crisp wine to quench my thirst!  Am I right?  

This week, however, we have had a stream of weird cold weather in Portland… even some rain!  Shocker… rain in Portland, OR… nooo! How could that be?!
So, yesterday, I just gave into the gloomy weather, pretended it was winter, cuddled up with a movie, and popped open a bottle of Malbec. 

Ever since I started studying for my Sommelier exams I have become more in love with Argentinean Malbecs.  Not only can they be rich and delicious wines, but many are also in a price range almost unbeatable by most North American reds of the same quality standard!  I have found some fantastic everyday drinking Malbecs for $10 or under!  You show me some North American wines of that caliber and I’ll shut up! Until then, I’ll continue to preach about my new South American obsession.

    Wine #6 in my quest for the perfect summer wines

2008 Gouguenheim Malbec Valle Escondido

This wine was very fruit forward with lots of rich chocolate, black berry, black cherry on the nose.  The mouth had a nice light spice with more chocolate, vanilla, rich, juicy plum, black berries along with medium tannins on the finish.   For the price point this wine had a very nice balance of fruit, earth, and richness.   The wine wasn’t anything super complex or mind boggling, but for $10 bucks I would certainly be happy having a supply of this wine as an everyday red…  one of those wines you can rely on, but don’t think too much about when you’re drinking it.

Although we consumed this wine alone, I think it would go great with any of the delicious smoked meals we’ve been making lately, like our BBQ smoked pork ribs! Yum!  Will I buy this wine again?  Most certainly!  Like I said it’s hard to find a wine of this caliber for $10!

Winery: Gouguenheim Winery
Region:  Mendoza, Argentina
Grapes:  Malbec
Retail:  $10.99
Alcohol: 13.5 % vol.
As seen locally at Whole Foods Market, Downtown Portland

The Perfect Summer Wine '09 Search Continues… They Can’t All Be Winners

Gloomy summer days get me down.  But yesterday the sun finally decided to make a cameo appearance after a week of being incognito.  I'm telling you, it's just not normal for clouds and mid 60 degree temperatures to be dominating Portland in July!  That’s why people live here… for amazing summers full of sunshine and gorgeous days (don’t tell anyone I told you that). But yesterday the sun returned, and that was reason alone to celebrate and bust out a potential candidate for the summer wines 2009 list! 

I had been looking forward to this wine ever since Darryl at cork • a bottle shop told me it was a great wine and great deal.  Now, Darryl has great taste and a great wine selection at his shop, but sadly I probably won’t be going back for more of this particular wine.  Not that its not a good wine… just not my personal style… so I am sorry my friend, the 2005 Champalou Vouvray Fondraux, you're out of the running for this years perfect summer wines '09. 

Wine #5 in my quest for the perfect summer wines

2005 Champalou Vouvray Fondraux

This wine, from the Loire region of France, is composed of Chenin Blanc grapes and retails for $15.
At first the wine had a strong petrol aroma which mellowed out after some time being open.  Along with the petrol was some pretty honey, apples, and pear followed by more baked apples, pineapple, pear and sweetness on the palate.  A very soft wine with an almost creamy finish the wine would certainly appeal to those who like some residual sugar on the palate. For me, it’s just not my cup of tea for an everyday summer wine.  I can definitely see why many would love this wine.  It is easy drinking, soft, approachable and slightly sweet.  I could see it pairing well with food, but for me I prefer them a bit more dry.

I do recommend this wine if you are a fan of Chenin Blanc, if you enjoy wines that are slightly sweet, or if you are exploring new wines in general.  Will I be going back for more? Probably not. But I am glad I tried it.  I always tell people you have to try all wines that you have the opportunity to in order to find what you like best.  You may surprise yourself.  I know I have!

Winery: EARL Champalou
Region: Vouvray (within the Loire region of France)
Grapes:  Chenin Blanc
Retail:  $15
As seen locally at  cork • a bottle shop

Summer wines... And so the quest continues...

Wandering aimlessly around the wine section at New Seasons a couple weeks ago I came across this next summer value wine.  Some days I'm really indecisive about what I want to buy (it's a Libra thing), so I usually end up asking the wine steward for their current favorites.  I told this particular wine steward about my summer mission, so she recommended a few of her favorites that I took home to test out.  Today I popped open one of her recommended summer wines… the 2008 Casa Santos Lima, Portuga, Vinho Branco, Estramadura, from Portugal.  Portuguese wines are often excellent value wines so I was very curious about this choice. 

Casa Santos Lima is located in Alenquer, approximately 45 kms north of Lisbon, in a “very traditional wine region and where the typical Portuguese rural landscape appears in all its glory” (per their website).  The winery produces a number of what they call “excellent quality/price ratio” wines, among them is the Portuga at $7.99 (New Seasons pricing). 

Today’s occasion, waiting for the smoker to cook up ribs for a Father's Day Feast!!! Patience, patience my friends is what it takes to smoke food… but I needed something to occupy my time while waiting for the ribs to do their 5 hour thing!  In terms of weather and ambiance, today's weather is very bizarre, stormy at times, then sunny… I wish it was just sunny and hot, then this wine may have left a different impression… at any rate here goes:

Wine #4 in my quest for the perfect summer wines

2008 Casa Santos Lima, Portuga, Vinho Branco (aka white wine), Estramadura, Portugal

My first impression was that the wine was somewhat soapy and chemically on the nose.  When I detected this I used an old trick taught to me at the winery I used to work at.  If you ever have a white wine that smells “off” (could be for a variety of reasons) try this:  put the cork back in the bottle and give the wine a quick shake (I’m not kidding), then uncork it, let the fizz subside, then re-pour into your glass (Not for older wines BTW, this trick for the younger ones).  If the “off” smell does not goes away then it may be flawed.  This time, then soapy smell went away (phew). This is basically a quick way of letting a wine “breathe”.  

The nose still didn’t impress me too much but it did have some nice fresh citrus, lemon, pineapple, and crisp pear. The mouth was very acidic with more citrus notes. The fruit flavors seemed somewhat diluted and the wine had little complexity to it… but hey it was $7.99!

Would I buy it again? Sure!  I probably won’t go racing out to buy mass quantities of it, but if I see it on the shelf somewhere I’d definitely give it another whirl.   

Winery:  Casa Santos, Portugal
Grapes: Arinto 30%, Fernão Pires 40%, Vital 30%
Retail:  $7.99
Alcohol: 12.5 % vol.
As seen locally in New Seasons Concordia

Occasions for drinking this wine:  Picnic, warm weekday evening, any occasion where you just want to sip on something bright and crisp without thinking too much about it or the price associated with it.