Tasting Report: 7 Wines of the Loire Valley paired with Sushi

What wines go well with $360 worth of sushi? Well, for the 9 of us in attendance on Sunday at the Wine Club gathering (at Yamato Sushi- review to come), I think we’d agree that something from the Loire Valley (France)would work quite nicely.

Overall we had a great time working through the 7 wines (tough work but someone has to do it!). The only sparkling wine in the group came from Louis de Grenelle, a large estate in Saumur (home of some great red wines). We worked through 4 Vouvray’s and two other Loire whites, ending with my favorite wine from the Loire Valley, a red wine from Chinon (100% Cabernet Franc). There wasn’t a bad wine in the bunch, with two being great (89 pts!) and all being wines I’d gladly drink again. Read more

Tasting Report: Good Values From Sicily- The Wines of Sicilian Producer Tasca d’ Almerita

Sicily is well known for its sweet Marsala wines, which make up a majority of the wine produced in the DOC wine region. But in recent years, there has been a surge towards producing quality red and white table wines as the global demand for quality wines increases. Read more

A trip to Virginia’s Wineries: A weekend of wine drinking in Virginia tastes best with good friends!

The majority of wine production in the United States takes place in 5 of the 50 states: California, Oregon, Washington, and to a lesser extent Michigan and New York. The last two may not be making wines the caliber of their west coast counterparts, but there are many good Rieslings and Ice Wines coming from Michigan and New York that are gaining national and international attention.

But what about the other 45 states?

For starters, wine (of some sort!) is being made in almost every state in the US. Idaho, Montana, Texas, Virginia and even Maryland have been producing wine for many years now. But you have to wonder: who’s drinking these wines and are they any good? I’ve been in Maryland for 4 years now and I know very little about the wines of Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania- all of which have wineries less than 2 hours from my home. I have had a few bottles here and there that had me impressed (an Elk Run Gewurztraminer comes to mind), as well as one outstanding bottle of 1980 Byrd Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon that Kim and I had at Della Notte a few years back. Yes, a 1980 Maryland Cabernet, drank in 2005, that was very good. Sad to say I can’t find out any information on Byrd Vineyards and they are not around today (if you know anything e-mail me: michael@foodandwineblog.com). Read more

Tasting Report: Good wines and great QPRs from Chilean producer Vina Ventisquero (Chile)

Chilean wines are quickly becoming some of the best QPR (quality-to-price) wines in the market today. From Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet, to the more rare Carmemere, the Chilean wine industry is setting the bar high when it comes to wines that bring big bang for their buck. (click here for more on Chilean wines)

I was recently invited to lunch with Felipe Tosso, head winemaker at up and coming producer Vina Ventisquero. In our two hour lunch I developed an understanding of his style and a respect for his experience and passion, as well as for his commitment to maintain eco-friendly wines. (image from www.intlwine.com/southamerica.htm) Read more

Meats on the grill and Pinot vs. Pinot: Argentina vs. New Zealand With My Good Friend Carlos

The Pinot Noir grape has a reputation for being difficult to grow and even more difficult to produce into a great wine. Since I’ve never had the chance to grow or make a Pinot, I can only go by the variability in the quality of Pinot Noir at certain price points. Across the board Pinot Noir’s are the most unpredictable wines when it comes to quality and value. Generally speaking, you have to spend two to three times more than you would for any other wine to get a good Pinot Noir.

With this in mind, Kim and I invited our friend Carlos (pictured above with Kimmy, and his leg is pictured next to the food below!) to come over, sit outside on the gravel that is our patio under renovations, and drink a few Pinots in the blind format. We wanted to evaluate the wines on their own, as well as with a variety of foods. I fired up the grill and threw on some lamb rib chops, a porterhouse steak, and a spicy marinated duck breast, as well as sides of pancetta-wrapped asparagus and spicy marinated eggplant. Overall the food went well with all three wines. Read more

Ordering wine in a restaurant: “By-the-glass” offers a fun learning experience (4 wines with steak)

After a few hours of working on the kitchen Saturday, Kim and I were getting hungry and it was getting late. 8:00 PM rolled around and we decided we wanted good steaks. Our favorite steakhouse in town is Fleming’s Primes Steakhouse and Wine Bar which offers 100 wines by the glass, an extensive reserve wine list and a variety of meats and seafood to satisfy any appetite. Beware that the wine prices are a bit high, but their by-the-glass list offers many good values, the food is always good, and the service is outstanding. So we called, squeezed in a 9:30 reservation and excitedly hurried over anticipating a great meal.  (Image from dreamstime.com)

Now, normally at a nice dinner I order a bottle of Champagne and a bottle of red wine at the beginning of the meal. This gives the wine time to sit in a decanter if necessary and helps us decide on what we are going to eat. At a steakhouse, it’s almost always a Cabernet or Bordeaux-blend, with the occasional Malbec or other miscellaneous varietal wine. On this night, though, we decided to try something different. SO we started our meal with a round of white wines by the glass, a Riesling and a Gewurztraminer to be precise. Both were quite good and perfect with our fried calamari appetizer. Read more

May 16th, 2008 - Robert Mondavi Day

Today the wine world lost one of it’s most loved and influential members. Robert Mondavi died at the age of 94 in his Napa Valley home. Mondavi launched his own wine label at the age of 52 back in 1966. He aimed to produce high quality wines at a time when the US was just beginning to open up to the idea of fine wine. Into his late eighties and even early nineties, Mondavi spent his days traveling the world promoting American wines. Further, in more recent years, Mondavi was well known for his philanthropy and contributions to American wine education.

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“Cellar Notes” on WYPR: Great programming, but not always great advice!

As a PhD student, I spend a lot of time sitting in front of a computer that is attached to electrophysiology equipment, a big microscope equipped with a CCD camera, and a giant laser used to stimulate neurons in rat brain tissue. I spend hours and hours recording electrical activity of neurons with the hope that I’ll positive data so I can graduate some time before the 2005 Bordeaux’s are at their peak (in the next 20-40 years). The advantage to my day is that I can listen to music, podcasts, and watch videos while my experiments are running. Most of the day, though, I am just simply listening to National Public Radio (NPR) trying to keep up on the news, politics and other things going on in Baltimore and the rest of the world.

I think it’s fair to say that I’m slightly addicted to NPR. I listen at all hours of the day and night and home. I am really impressed with our local NPR station (WYPR in Baltimore). One program I really enjoy is a short (5 minutes or so) segment called Cellar Notes. Each day around 5:30 PM Al Spoler and Hugh Sisson discuss wine topics ranging from wine pairing advice and wine events, to recently to the new up and coming varietal.I really enjoy and appreciate the programming, and try to catch it at least a few times a week. I think it’s a great way to get people excited about wines and is very informative and well produced.

In the last few weeks though, two comments were made that I completely disagree with. One, involving American Pinot Noir versus those of Burgundy. The second, being a comment on foods that go better with beer (rather than wine).

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Wine Blogging Wednesday: Old World Riesling (FYI: I love German Riesling!)

Wine Blogging Wednesday is in it’s 45th edition. For those of you unfamiliar with this event, Lenn Thompson (LennDevours) started it a few years back hoping to have a “community wide” wine tasting. Anyone (not only bloggers can participate. For more info, ehck out winebloggingwednesday.org.

This month’s host is Tim at Winecast.net (a blog/podcast that is well organized, written and very highly recommended). The mission: Old World Riesling, which generally would mean:

• French (Alscace)
• Germany
• Austria

I am very appreciative of this theme, as I absolutely love German Riesling but don’t drink nearly enough of it. This in mind, I had a big task ahead of me: choose one Riesling that I knew I’d enjoy and would like to share with you all!

My wine of choice for this outstanding theme was a 2005 Zilliken (Forstmeister Geltz) Saarburger Rausch Riesling Kabinett. This wine is produced a little over an hour away from my family’s house in Herborn and is one I have had (previous vintage) while in Germany. Overall, it’s a great, Old-World style Riesling. It’s got a nice touch of sweetness that isn’t overpowering. Highly recommended, especially if you can find it (around $20).

2005 Zilliken (Forstmeister Geltz) Saarburger Rausch Riesling Kabinett: Light straw color with a nose of apple, minerals, a light tangerine/citrusy component that is really nice. On the palate I wouldn’t have guessed a Kabinett, although it’s not overly sweet, there is a nice, honey undertone with flavors of pear, apple, citrus and crushed minerals. Very crisp acidity and a long, refreshing finish really bring this wine together. My rating: 90 pts, Very Good Value (VGV)

Image of bottle from the world’s best cellar-tracking program: www.cellartracker.com

6 Reasons to Sneak Away From Lab For Lunch: Tasting Notes on Wines from Shafer Vineyards

Some lunches are good, others just OK. Today’s lunch was, well..outstanding.

I was invited by a friend (thanks Dae!) to join in on a tasting at Kali’s Court in Fells Point. The wines being poured were all from the California producer, Shafer, which are represented locally by Bacchus. This was quite the treat as Shafer is one of California’s premier producers. Located in Napa Valley’s Stag Leap District, Shafer produces some of the most highly sought-after California wines (especially their “Hillside Select” Cabernet). Overall, I was thoroughly impressed with the wines. Although they aren’t priced to be daily drinkers, these wines (with the exception of the Merlot) are worth their price and are a provide value for a special occasion.

Without further ado, the tasting notes: Read more

April Wine Club Roundup: “Darker Than Blue Cafe” - and some good Zinfandel

On April 29, 2008 the foodandwineblog.com wine club met up to enjoy upscale yet traditional American cuisine and try our luck with some Zinfandel. We had a great turnout (including many newcomers) and ended up trying three sparkling wines (one Cava, two Prosecco), 8 Zinfandels, and one Petit Sirah (no notes taken!). The food was great as it always is at Darker Than Blue Cafe (read my review here). Huge thanks to Chef/co-owner Casey Jenkins and our server (Hassan) for keeping the food and waters coming! I highly recommend Darker Than Blue Cafe for a comfortable, laid back dinner of traditional American Cuisine. The serving sizes are more than generous (just ask anyone who ordered a roasted chicken or slow-cooked beef ribs!) and the restaurant is BYOB - it is it one of the best BYOB restaurants in the Baltimore area. If the blackened tilapia is on the menu…it’s a must try.

Great job by Krista and Eric (pictured here) in bringing the only Primitivo of the bunch and providing two of the top three wines (actually, great work Krista!). By popular vote, the top three Zins were:

1. 2005 Rosa del Golfo Primitivo: smokey nose, dark fruits, but I thought it fell apart on the finish. We adhere to the rules of democracy though, so this was the overall winner! My rating: 84 pts, PV
2. 2005 Ridge Three Rivers Zinfandel: A solid bottle from one of the best producers of Zinfandel in the world. Notes of dark fruit, chocolate and a touch of spice. My rating: 89 pts
3. 2006 Rabbit Ridge Zinfandel Central Coast: Good concentrated fruit flavors but not jammy with nice acidity and a long finish. My rating: 88 pts

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Wines for Spring Part II: A Shopping List - 20 wines to kick off any springtime BBQ!

Part II of my Spring Wine Guide (Read Part I here): The chill of winter is ready to be packed away with your snow pants and wool sweaters in exchange for bathing suits and tank tops. If you’re like me, this time of year you’ll also transition from drinking big red wines every night to more Champagne, crisp whites, and Rose. Sure you’ll still have a big Cabernet or Barolo with a nice dinner indoors, but on a warm spring or summer night its best to kick things off with one (or two, or three!) bottles of a light, slightly chilled wine.

Here are my recommended wines for this Spring organized by Country and Price, with truncated tasting notes (Pink text = Rose wine, Green text = white or sparkling wine, Red text = red wine):

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Recipe: Cinghale (Wild-Boar) Sausage and Shrimp on Greens

A very easy and quick appetizer I came up with one night while figuring out a new way to make shrimp. Any mild sausage could be used as a substitute if cinghale is not available.

Ingredients

• 8-10 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 Tablespoons Shallots, chopped fine
• 1 large clove garlic, chopped fine
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 3 oz wild boar sausage, chopped roughly
• salt/pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups arugula, spinach or other preferred green

1. Saute garlic and shallot in olive oil over medium heat. Add sausage after 2-3 minutes and cook for 3 additional minutes.
2. Deglaze pan with sherry - allow to reduce for 3 minutes. Add butter.
3. Once melted, add shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side. Coat well with sauce while cooking.
4. Plate on bed of greens and serve with sauce as a dressing.

Wine Pairing: 2004 Dutton Estate Chardonnay Dutton Ranch

A glimpse of summer…Fresh Maine Lobster, Scallops and a Chilled California Chardonnay

What better way to welcome warm summer nights than to chill some Corona’s and Sparkling wines? Kim and I recently decided that we have had enough of the cold and picked up some Live Maine Lobsters and sea scallops.

The pairing of the night was the 2004 Dutton Estate Chardonnay, which was very buttery and a great match for both the lobster and the scallops.

2004 Dutton Estate Chardonnay - $35: Pale gold color. Good weight in the glass, with aromas of apple, peach, buttered popcorn, oak, vanilla bean. Bubblegum, dried apricot, apple, cotton candy, with a hint of grass on the medium body. Good acidity, good balance, nice crispness on the finish. Bordering on “too much oak” but it pulls it off nicely. I’d recommend an hour decant (yes I know it’s a white wine). My rating: 90 pts, GV (good value)
A great place to get live Maine Lobsters any time of year:

Expanding Your Palate: Five varietals you may not be drinking and the Huskies want to know “WHY?”

Let me guess the last 5 wines you drank (in no order): Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah. If you’re like most people, you tend to stick with these Big Five varietals that are abundant in almost every wine market. These wines are generally what people order at restaurants, bring to wine dinners and share with friends. Perhaps many of you are thinking “he’s way off…” since you’re last five wines were Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Nebiolo, Grenache, Riesling? But again, these are abundant and although great wines, you’ve had them time and time again.

So, how many of you have heard of or tried the following: Albariño, Verdicchio, Charbono, Gamay, Touriga Franca? I’m willing to bet most of you haven’t had (or perhaps even heard) of these varietals. Well it’s time to expand your palates everyone!

Step out of the box for a few minutes while I introduce to you 5 wine grape varietals you aren’t currently drinking. I offer a few suggestions of wines that I feel exemplify each varietal and encourage you to get out there and try these (and other new wines!). Read more

Two Flavors of Sangiovese di Montalcino: Rosso and Brunello

The small Tuscan DOCG around the city of Montalcino has been the center of attention lately following allegations that winemakers were using non-Brunello grapes in the production of the famed Brunello di Montalcino. The Brunello grape is really just a clone of Sangiovese that was first planted by the Biondi Santi family in the late 19th centruy. Up until the 1940’s many producers in and around Montalcino did not pursue the grape. It wasn’t until 1945 when Brunello really began to gain attention and saw widespread plantings. Today Brunello makes up one of the most prized wines in Tuscany and one of the premier wines of Italy. When well made, Brunello has fine tannins, wonderful fruit character and elegance. When combined with the tradition and romance of the history of Brunello, make this wine one of the most sought after in the world.

Today there are strict rules regulation the production of Brunello di Montalcino. These include:

• use of only the Brunello grape
• normale bottling: released 50 months after harvest after at least 2 years aged in oak and 4 months in bottle
• riserva: released 62 months after harvest after at least 2 years aged in oak and 4 months in bottle

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Wine Blogging Wednesday #44: Gary Vay-ner-chuk and Ca-ber-net Franc!

Hello everybody and welcome to foodandwineblog.com - I am your host - Michael Mo-hamm-a-di and this is….OK OK, I can’t pull it off using text. Maybe I’ll switch it up to a video blog sometime in the future. Until then, you’ll have to relay on Gary V at WineLibrary TV (tv.winelibrary.com) for over the top, enthusiastic introductions!

This month’s Wine Blogging Wednesday host is Gary Vaynerchuk of WineLibrary TV. Gary’s challenge was to try an old world Cabernet Franc. He had recently returned from France and was pleasantly surprised with how well the grape is doing in Southern France, especially the Loire Valley. I think it’s a great theme as I bet most of you haven’t had a single varietal, old world Cab Franc. Often used as a blending grape, most notably in Bordeaux, Cab Franc contributes vibrant color, flavors of green vegetables (especially bell peppers) and ripe red fruits. This was a fun theme for me especially since I’m a big fan of Cabernet Franc. I decided to combine this tasting with my own challenge of pairing a Cabernet Franc with a few food items that red wine isn’t supposed to go with.
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MD Cru March 2008 Wine Tasting: Spanish Wines!

Good company is the best pairing with any wine. This past Saturday, I enjoyed what is becoming a classic pairing: wine and the MD Cru. MD Cru refers to a small group of wine enthusiasts who organize through the Wine Spectator forums to meet up once a month in the MD/Washington DC area to share wine, food and good stories. Venue ranges from the homes of some of the members to local restaurants. Each month we have a theme with the March 2008 tasting focusing on the wines of Spain. Overall the wines were very good and went great with the food menu (below). Here is the list of wines we tasted with my picks for “Wines of the Night”. A big thank you to PH, CS, and HWT for dealing with the organization and logistics of the event. A few wines received a score with a “+” symbol after it. This represents wines that I may have scored higher had there been sufficient pour volume and time to taste it over a few hours. Without further ado:

Wines of the night:

1. 2004 Alto Moncayo (Great wine, outstanding value even at $35- a must try for those new to Spanish Wines)
2. 2003 Clos Mogador (Still a bit young, but very good- hold 2-3 years or decant 2+ hours)
3. 2001 Cims de Porrera Priorat Classic (a load of ripe fruits, good structure and balance)

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I love it when friends come to visit - Cheeses, scallops, shrimp, ribeyes, Cabernet, Syrah and more!

I love it when a good friend comes to visit. It’s a great excuse to open a few nice bottles of wine and make a big dinner. Last night my friend Brandon drove down from Michigan for dinner and a 4 day mini-vacation. About 10 minutes after pulling into the driveway, we went to a local wine store for a wine tasting and to stock up for the weekend. From there we hit Whole Foods where we found some cheese, sweet potato’s, scallops, collosal shrimp, beef ribeye steak and a bison New York strip steak.
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Tasting Report: 8 Spanish Wines!

Hooray for me: I gave blood today (thanks for the support, Miranda!). I actually gave two units of blood, which is great since it helps twice as much. That said, when giving this much blood, they have to pump saline and plasma back into your system so you don’t pass out or get sick from blood loss. The sensation of room temperature saline/plasma going abck into your arm and system was quite interesting and resulted in tingling lips and a plastic taste in my mouth. When it was all said and done, I drank a 32 oz Gatorade, 64 ounces of water, ate a big lunch, then waited 6 hours and figured “why not go drink a bunch of wine?”. So, Kim, Donna (who it was great to finally drink wine with again!) and I attended a tasting tonight at the Chesapeake Wine Company in Canton. The following wines were served with a Spanish Chorizo, Bread and the following cheeses: San Simon (smoked cow’s milk), Roncal (aged Sheeps’s Milk, Pyrennes), Murcia (Drunken goat, with olives).
The tasting notes are below:
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