by glenn on January 31, 2012
My Winter Red
Typically, each winter, I seek out on a value-priced hearty red that becomes my go-to winter wine. For several winters, I drank a profuse amount of Excelsior, a South African Cabernet; this was eventually replaced by J. Martini’s Sonoma Coast Cabernet. To mix things up, I’ve also favored a French Malbec, “Le Cèdre”. What I look for is warm fruit, good acidity and tannins – that is, a somewhat hearty wine able to be both drunk on its own or paired with the braises and stews I so enjoy during the cold months. My plonk pick Zinfandel has always been Rosenblum’s Vintner’s Cuvée, so when I came upon their Vintner’s Cuvée Cabernet Sauvignon, I was intrigued, though the price – $7.99 – made me cautious. Choosing wines under $10 can be tricky - the bottle either a barely palatable anemic quaff or an overwrought fruit bomb. But not this wine. In the nose, lots of dark fruits and candied violets, earth and smoke underscored by a bit of green herbaceousness; the fruit carries over onto the palate with a nice dose of warm peppery spice followed by decent acidity and tannins; it actually has a somewhat lingering finish! Merlot – 10% of the cuvée – adds enough body to give the wine some heft. For the value-oriented, i.e. cheapo, wine shopper like myself, this wine is a find.
Available at
Whole Foods 340 River St. Camb. MA
by glenn on October 14, 2011
My favorite fall white
I went looking for a fall white several weeks ago. I was done with the racy whites and pretty pinks of summer. I wanted a wine with more substance. I came upon a large floor display for this wine and since the price was right – $8.99 – and the varietal also – Chenin Blanc – I thought I’d give it a try. Chenin Blanc, a varietal most often associated with the Loire Valley in France, has found another home in which to flourish in South Africa. The winery, Steenberg, one of the oldest in South Africa, is also a player in the wine tourism sector. It’s worth a visit to the website to see dramatic photos of the modern winery and posh accomodations. The wine didn’t disappoint. When I nosed the wine – a wine tasting term I don’t use often since it reminds me of dogs meeting – the word “pome” came to mind, that family of fleshy fruits which includes apples, pears and quince. My reaction was how appropriate to the fall season. In the nose – sweet herbs such as woodruff, chamomille; Golden Delicious apples, Taylor Gold pears with their scent of honey and Pineapple quince. On the palate – full, ripe fruit giving way to strong acidity. The mouthfeel is rich, weighty. The wine finishes juicy with the lingering ripeness of the pomes and the wonderful acidity. A touch of bitterness only adds to the interest. I’ve been back to purchase the wine several times which- the floor display now gone – has been relegated to the “$8.99 and Under” bin. Hopefully, there will be enough to last through Thanksgiving since this would make a fine accompaniment to that meal.
available at
Whole Foods River St. Cambridge MA
$8.99
by glenn on June 22, 2011
The captivating "Cocagne"
Does this wine have a cult following? Should it have a Facebook page? Whatever those answers may be, I continue my current preoccupation with pink with this captivating wine. As I mentioned in a previous post, this wine was on the “Carte du Vin” for our evening at the Herb Lyceum. It deserves a closer look. From the Loire Valley, produced by a cooperative and made with the somewhat obscure local varietal Pineau d’Aunis, the Lieu-dit “Cocagne” is a great value priced rosé. In the glass, the wine is pleasing to behold – shimmering copper with coral highlights. In the nose, pink grapefruit, raspberries, a whiff of acacia, grass and mint. On the palate, the fruit holds forth and leads to a mouth tingling and mouth watering acidity. The mouthfeel is round and full with a mineral softness. (My demented thought was that it was like Sauvignon Blanc but without the cat pee.) I paired the wine with an orzo and shrimp salad. The ingredients would challenge any rosé – in addition to the orzo and shrimp, grape tomatoes, roasted red pepper, pickled red onion, kalamata olives, feta and marjoram. I dressed the salad with a vinaigrette of lemon juice, champagne vinegar, roasted garlic, dijon and olive oil. Successful match-up! The wine paired well with the strong and acidic ingredients resulting in a very pleasant summer supper. If you’d like to join this wine’s cult following, you may purchase it where I found it – Central Bottle and Provisions.
Cave du Vendomois Lieu Dit “Cocagne” Rosé 2010 Coteaux du Vendomois $11
Central Bottle and Provisions 196 Mass. Ave. Camb.MA
Rose for the Rowdy
The menu – a braise of chicken in a piperade-based sauce – bacon, onion, garlic, peppers and tomatoes – and farro cooked risotto-style. Ingredients assembled, now for the wine. As I was entering the wine department, I came upon a large floor display for Charles & Charles Rosé 2010 Columbia Valley WA. The text on the cases of wine which composed the display informed me that I could drink rosé “and still be a bad ass”. Well, I knew that – I don’t find pink wines emasculating or feminizing unlike skinny jeans on men which should be avoided at all costs. As a fan -remember, he is a rock star winemaker – of the second Charles on the label, i.e. Charles Smith, I put a bottle in my cart and proceeded to the check-out. I was not disappointed with my purchase.
The wine is 100% Syrah – the back label cites the grower and the vineyard from which the grapes were sourced - Art Denhoed at Talcott Vineyards. The wine is made by a collaboration between Charles Bieler, Three Thieves, Bieler Pere et Fils, Sombra Mezcal, and Charles Smith, K Vinters, Charles Smith Wines.
Artful Label
In the nose, fruitful and floral – cherries, strawberries and rose petals, sweet and savory herbs; on the palate, a burst of fruit and minerality, smooth mouthfeel; a spicy and acidic finish. A phrase from my notes – “big nose, big fruit”.
I was taken with the label of this wine – an appropriation of the flag reminiscent of Jasper Johns with a Warholian vibe. The back label also includes pertinent social media info – websites and twitter handles.
As for the pairing, the wine held up well to the various elements of the braise, though I would also recommend this wine for grilled salmon, grilled chicken or grilled pork.
Charles & Charles Rosé 2010 Columbia Valley WA
$9.99 on sale Whole Foods River Street Camb. MA
Something to crow about
I was shopping for dinner. I was going to grill pork chops rubbed with a coffee and coriander dry rub and accompany the chops with a Yukon Gold potato salad with a pesto and champagne vinaigrette. (I still had a small stash of pesto in the freezer that I’d made in the fall.) I had all the items I needed so I headed over to the wine section. Usually when I grill meat, I drink Zinfandel – my everyday choice the current Vintner’s Cuvée from Rosenblum; for special evenings, something from Ridge. However, a large floor display for 2008 Rook Columbia Valley caused me to change direction. The verbage accompanying the stack of bottles recommended serving it with pork or salmon. I thought, why not? I had enjoyed and wrote about the white blend from the Corvidae Wine Co. – the 2009 Crowe; now I’d try the red. [click to continue…]
by glenn on April 1, 2011
Drinking - rather than eating - Crowe
I was making risotto with shrimp, asparagus and cilantro pesto. I’d bought all my groceries and was now heading for the wine department. I wanted a white wine which would go well with the shrimp but also stand up to the asparagus and the lime juice in the pesto. I was envisioning Sauvignon Blanc. After checking out the rather uninspired selection of SB, I came upon a floor display for the 2009 Crowe Columbia Valley White Blend with which I was unfamiliar. Spying two sales associates loading the beer case, I approached and asked if either had tried the wine. One had – twice she informed me - and loved it. Iasked if the wine had good acidity. She faltered – I feared the worst – but she came back to state it was like Sauvignon Blanc. She may not have known her descriptors but she knew her varietals. Somewhat reassured, I added the wine to my cart. As I was checking out, the cashier commented on the label saying he knew what eating crow was but wondered what would drinking crow be like.
The Crowe label produced by the Corvidae Wine Company is one of the value brands from the Owen Roe Winery. The blend isn’t listed on the label but can be found on the website – 48% Sauvignon Blanc, 19% Chenin Blanc, 18% Reisling, 13% Pinot Gris and – finally – 2% Muscat. I was immediately reminded of an Alsatian Edelzwicker - the madcap blend of white grapes that is so fresh and fruity. All of the fruit is sourced from the Columbia Valley.
The color is pale straw with some green highlights. From such a blend of aromatic grapes, the nose is a cornucopia of fruit and flowers -peach, red apple, honeysuckle, lime flowers, honey. On the palate, ripe fruit followed by an almost sharp acidity then signifcant bitterness to complete the structure. The wine is medium bodied, dry and has – for the price - a decent finish.
The match up with the food was excellent. The wine stood up to the diverse elements of the risotto without losing any of its qualities. The bitterness, which some might find off-putting, was a good foil to the sweetness of the shrimp. I’m looking forward to enjoying more of this wine in the coming warmer weather – it will be perfect for quaffing at the beach. (As I write, I catch glimpses of the garden now covered again in snow……)
2009 Crowe Columbia Valley White Blend $11.99 Whole Foods River St. Camb. MA
by glenn on February 28, 2011
I don’t read The Wall Street Journal but my colleague Katrin does. When she reads an article she feels is worth sharing, she’ll tweet with a link. And so when she alerted all to Lettie Teague’s article about Sherry, I was immediately intrigued and then, after reading the piece, saddened – American wine drinkers just don’t drink sherry. Really, the news came as no surprise. I’ve been waiting years now for American wine drinkers to make the symbolic trek to Jerez. I became a convert to sherry when I had my first glass of fino at wine school – it was like drinking an elixir from an ancient stone-lined, mossy well. This was the gateway glass – I went on to find and enjoy the other expressions of this fortified wine.
But why this resistance to sherry? I thought that as American palates expanded, sherry would be embraced. In Eric Asimov’s column last week in The New York Times, I think I found a clue. As one who finds much wine writing overblown with seemingly implausible descriptors (really, “fried basil leaf” is an acceptable descriptor?), the article was refreshing. Asimov proposes describing wines as either sweet or savory. Sweet wines would be those oaked or fruit forward or both. Savory would be those more about minerality and acidity. I oversimplify, yet American wine drinkers prefer “sweet” wines which would include California Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, Zinfandels and Cabernets, certain vintages of ChateauNeuf du Pape and Australian Shirazes. “Savory” wines would include Fino Sherry, Cabernet-based Bordeaux, dry Reislings and Extra-Brut Champagnes. The taste profile of sherry just doesn’t fit the prevailing taste preference.
Yet, there is an up-side to Sherry’s unpopularity – [click to continue…]
