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My addiction started innocently enough, through a college job waiting tables at a Japanese restaurant. That's when I had my first sushi buzz. I'm not sure if it was the gorgeous presentation, the sinus-clearing rush of the green horseradish or the sublime flavor of raw fish that sucked me in. Whatever it was, I was hooked.
My obsession didn't stop with this one restaurant. I worked at three more sushi bars after college, while in pursuit of the perfect fix. But even that wasn't enough. I had to learn how to make my own sushi, ending my dependence on Japanese restaurant chefs forever!
I began my sushi-making quest by picking up a bamboo rolling mat and an assortment of sushi fixin's at a Japanese market in San Francisco. Finding a recipe for sushi rice was a bit challenging, but I eventually managed to dig one up in a Japanese cookbook. Over the next year or so I tried making sushi exactly twice -- with disastrous results. Suffice it to say, my sushi wouldn't have looked much different if I'd made it with my foot.
I decided it was time for professional help. Not in the form of a shrink, but rather a two-hour sushi workshop offered by a nearby cooking school.
I happily forked over 70 bucks for the class, certain I'd learn some secret technique that would transform my homemade sushi creations from frumpy fish wads to exquisite culinary works of art. The workshop was held in a smallish room above an upscale kitchen store, outfitted with professional cooking equipment and mirrors above the food prep counter for easy viewing. I took a seat at one of the large round tables scattered around the room and eyed the magical sushi implements set on a plastic cafeteria lunch tray before me: a bamboo rolling mat, sheets of dried seaweed of various sizes, and plastic ramekins filled with crab and pickled ginger. In the center of the table, a communal plate of sliced avocados, Japanese radishes and cucumbers beckoned. Soon, I'd be able to make sushi at home whenever the urge struck -- I could sit in front of the TV nightly, munching tekka maki like it was popcorn!
My fantasy was soon interrupted when the instructor appeared to reveal the secrets of proper ricemaking and sushi assembly. After about an hour of cooking-show-style demonstration, she set a plate of raw fish and a large bowl of rice on each table. Elbow to elbow with my fellow students, I set to work trying to emulate the beautifully prepared sushi on the sample dish at the front of the room.
Fat chance, brother.
Despite my best artistic efforts, my sushi came out looking like some kid had run it over with his bike. The rolls practically exploded as I cut them; my unagi lay flacidly on its bed of rice like a lopsided toupee; my futomaki spilled its guts onto the table like a disgraced samurai committing hara kiri.
After trying in vain to detach the sticky sushi rice from my forearms, shoulders and face, I surveyed the room. To my great relief I was not the only aspiring home sushi chef with mutilated maguro. Some people's sushi looked even worse than mine!
SO WHERE DID WE GO WRONG?
Leafing through my workshop handout sheets I found the answer: 10 years. In Japan, that's how long an apprentice sushi master is required to train before becoming a full-fledged chef. This information made me realize that expecting to make beautiful California rolls after a two-hour sushi workshop is the culinary equivalent of trying to dance the lead in Swan Lake after one ballet lesson. Chances are you're going to fall on your face.
Even if I didn't learn any double-secret sushimaking techniques in class, the workshop did teach me one very important lesson: $50 is a small price to pay for a gorgeous plate of sushi made by real chefs who actually know what the hell they're doing. Get thee to a sushi bar!
WINE WITH SUSHI: Sacrilege or a Perfect Pairing?
There are people out there who'd say that drinking wine with sushi instead of downing Japanese beer or sake is nothing short of blasphemous. Of course, none of those people is me.
Sure, beer and sake are obvious choices at Japanese restaurants, where wine lists are often notoriously lame or nonexistent. But what to drink when at home? For me, that's where the wine and sushi combo makes the most sense. I just order myself a mess of sushi from my favorite raw fish emporium and open up a bottle of whatever I've got lying around the house.
On such occasions I've discovered that wine is actually a better match for sushi than beer or sake. That's because wine has the power to enhance sushi's flavor, while beer and sake simply stand back and let the sushi take center stage. Wine's complexity and inherent compatibility with food take the pairing concept to a higher level.
Although finding a wine to match the combination of delicate raw fish, sweet sushi rice, spicy wasabi and salty soy sauce may seem tricky, it's actually easier than you'd think.
RED OR WHITE?
When choosing the ultimate sushi wine, the old "red wine with red meat, white wine with fish" rule still holds true. Although reds can be wonderful with grilled fish, they tend to overpower the delicate flavor of the raw variety. (If you must have red wine, try something like Beaujolais or a very light pinot noir.)
STYLE
Crisp, clean wines work better with sushi than rich, intensely flavored wines. If there's too much going on in your glass, the sushi's subtle flavor may not be able to compete. Think sauvignon blanc, sparkling wine or a crisp chardonnay from Carneros or Burgundy.
SWEETNESS
Fear not the gewurztraminer. Wines with a touch of sweetness tend to be excellent with spicy foods like wasabi-smeared sushi. Even if you don't normally like sweet wines, you'll be amazed how well they work with sushi.
THE MOMENT OF TRUTH
Sure, pairing tips are nice, but how well do they hold up in the real world with real sushi? To find out, I recruited a couple of like-minded friends to join me in a little sushi and wine pairing experiment at our local sushi hangout.
In the name of hard-hitting investigative reporting, we sampled seven varieties of sushi with five different wines. Our sushi selection included maguro (tuna), hamachi (yellowtail), spicy tuna roll, sake (salmon), California roll (crab and avocado with fish eggs), Kamikaze roll (yellowtail, scallions and avocado) and unagi (eel). We washed down our sushi delights with a white wine from France's Rhone Valley, a riesling/gewurztraminer/pinot blanc blend from Alsace, a California fume blanc, a California chardonnay and an Italian merlot. (Ain't research tough?!)
Following is a summary of our findings, in order of overall preference:
Riesling/gewurztraminer/pinot blanc blend: Great with the maguro. The sweetness of the wine cut through the spiciness of the wasabi very nicely. For the same reason, it was excellent with the spicy tuna roll. The wine was deemed "a tasty match" for the hamachi, and everyone agreed it was "wonderful" with the California roll and "excellent" with the Kamikaze roll. The only disappointments were the salmon and unagi. This wine was the clear winner!
Fume blanc: The wine was a little dry for the maguro, but we loved it with the hamachi. One taster was inspired to remark, "Damn it, that was good!" after trying it with the spicy tuna. It was "excellent" with both the Kamikaze roll and unagi, and "good" with the sake and California roll. This one tied for second place, along with the chardonnay.
Chardonnay: The chard was good with the maguro and hamachi, but disappointing with the salmon. It matched surprisingly well with the spicy tuna roll, and everyone thought it paired well with the California roll and unagi. The wine was also good, "but not amazing," with the Kamikaze roll.
Rhone white: This wine was fabulous with the maguro -- refreshing and clean. It also did well with the hamachi and spicy tuna, though these pairings were "nothing to write home about." We all liked it with the salmon, and loved it with the California and Kamikaze rolls. The wine was a bit too dry for the unagi.
Merlot: This wine was awful with the maguro, but surprisingly good with the hamachi. After sampling it with the spicy tuna, one taster advised, "Don't ever try this at home!" Similar warnings were issued for the salmon and California roll. It was declared "pretty good" with the Kamikaze roll and "excellent" with the unagi, due to the barbecue sauce. Not surprisingly, this one came in last place.
With the exception of the merlot, I'd heartily recommend any of the above wines as great companions for sushi. But then, for sushi freaks and wine geeks like me, even the bad combinations are still pretty damn good.
Oh well… whilst we await the final assessment of the 2007 (a difficult year perhaps), the Bordelais are hoping that Bacchus might at least come to their aid in the rugby world cup. Take a look at their invocations at our new site drinksvideo.com. By the way the opening passage is in French but you [...]
Yes, that was basically the point of this quick weekend post.Over the past week I made the best attempt I could at finding all six single-variety wines that the South African producers released, and have only achieved partial success (3/6).Though not so entirely happy with one of the whites (sadly the only one I could track down), I return to the reds to find a very interesting Shiraz.
A small clarification about how I view value wines though.Obviously, the MAN Shiraz is no Crozes-Hermitages, but that simply isn?t the objective with a value selection recommendation.It doesn?t make it better than say, a Northern Rhône Syrah that usually sells for more.Value selections like this one are unusually interesting for the price point.That shortsighted all-or-nothing approach people have the tendency to apply to so many things in life seems absurdly inappropriate even with wine.I thought about that today when I read the latest post over at The Pour, which somewhat deals with a new book on wine reminiscent of that 20/20 segment from 2005 which relegates the value of art and art criticism (good parallel with wine) to that of upper-brow contempt for the masses.How many certifiable idiots have you overheard in a hotel lobby asking trite questions that more or less resemble ?which one?s the best, Flemish art or Florentine art?The inanity of an exchange like this swiftly reveals the poverty of knowledge, or perhaps more crucial to the matter, lack of genuine appreciation which the participants must have for art.
As someone who seriously studies literature and has a couple of degrees to back that up, I have always cringed at those book club type questions where two writers from completely different perspectives and time periods are given the old CNN Crossfire treatment, ?George Sand or Danielle Steele??On a whole, more people would likely prefer Steele, who no doubt is an accomplished writer; her work could thus be considered better, right?No, no and no.As with artists or writers, let?s please leave wine out of that sort of thing.
At any rate, this Coastal Region Shiraz is all about straightforward flavors and food-accompanying functionality.I thought it a bit complex for the price point, with nice plum, berry, spice and smoke.Balance wasn?t too far off, with medium acidity, high body, medium-high tannin and solid fruit which stood up to the vegetal and spice flavors for three days after opening.An added bonus, considering most sub-$10 reds, was that the oak presence was never overwhelming.I?ll certainly consider the MAN Syrah and Pinotage again when looking for value-priced accompaniments to grilled meats and those ostrich burgers I have come to enjoy recently.
This is a premium Montenegrin red wine made from the indigenous Vranac grape. The Reserve is produced from particulary good years, in small quantities, aged in barrels for several years. It is also aged in bottles for one year before being released to the market.
This is a dry wine, with a pleasant fruity nose. However, the impressions are far lower than it’s price. If you want to experience the Vranac variety the Montenegrin way, go for a regular Planta?e Vranac or their Vranac Pro Corde. They are much cheaper and the experience is almost the same.
Wines of the Vranac variety are produced throughout the region, apart from Montenegro, you can find them in Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia and Herzegovina.
Hmm. I wonder if anyone even bothers to stop by any more, even if it's just to note my conspicuous absence.
Lots going on, folks.
Thanks to all who wished the Chef and me well last month on the anniversary of our wedding.
On a similar note, best wishes to Scott and Jill on their nuptials last weekend. Such a beautiful party.
And, of course, there's the wine goings on. Much to do here in Northeast Ohio, especially this weekend. If you felt let down by the Tribe's oh-so-typical performance this year, you can return to Jacobs Field in Cleveland this weekend, Nov. 2-4, for a much happier occasion. It's the Heinen's/WVIZ World Series of Wine , a perennial joy for wine novices and aficionados alike. It really doesn't get much better than the grand tastings ($70-$75 a person; purchase tickets in advance). More than 400 wines, 100-plus producers, stellar munchies, unparalleled people watching. You'll find lots of opportunities to speak with winery and distributor representatives to get the real dirt on what you're tasting.
It's hard not to over imbibe with so many wines to try, so take a cab or a limo or book a hotel room. Some downtown Cleveland hotels are offering packages specifically for the occasion.
This is easily the biggest wine event of the year for Northeast Ohio. Oh, and it benefits public broadcasting, as if you needed another reason to go.
Today was the Culinary Showcase of IACP. Like any trade show, you have your big ass sponsors whose money subsidizes the whole shebang and get to fete the attendees, thus solidifying their market share, and you get little gems like… Gourmet Sardinia: These products make my heart race. Imported by chef Elfisio Farris who wrote the [...]
For those phobic of these eight legged creatures, New Zealand is the place to be. It's thought that Scorpions evolved in one place (in the Northern Hemisphere) and then spread throughout the world (like Humans out of Africa), though they were too slow to reach Aotearoa.
Image credit: Thanks again to by dear sister for the photo.
And apparently, Yulia is the Upset Queen. She's adept at bringing $7 bottles that end up winning blind tastings. Either that or we all have cheap tastes... not quite sure.
So last night was the Mourvedre/Monastrell showdown. And honestly, it was pretty disappointing. We blind tasted 5 wines and none of them were particularly stellar. As per my normal accuracy, I guessed 3 out of 5. I knew we had 2 cheap Spanish, 1 pricier Spanish, Cline's Ancient Vines, and Thomas Coyne. I did not know the vintage of any of them.
Wine #1: Blackberry/blueberry nose, with a touch of herbs. A bit of funk wafting through. Tight tannins. Thin fruit, but very ripe. Smoke on the finish. I guessed it was a cheap Spanish from 05. I gave it 2.5 out of 4 stars.
Wine #2: Smells exactly like sweet boysenberry pancake syrup from IHOP. Blast of fruit on the opening palate and then... nothing. Kind of gross, really. I guessed another cheap Spanish from 05. I gave it 1 star.
Wine #3: Much lighter in color (the previous two were densely purple-red). White chocolate and sweet cinnamon on the nose with blackberry/raspberry fruit. Same fruit on palate with spicy-herbal finish (sage, thyme, cinnamon). Lingering cocoa. I guessed a CA from 05, and I figured it was Cline. I gave it 2.75 stars.
Wine #4: Ripe blackberry, some astrigency on the nose - kinda like band-aids. Also lighter in color than the first two, more red than purply. Cassis fruit, smoke and lots of herbs. Lingering tea. I guessed a CA from 03 or 04 based on color and herbality. I guessed it as Thomas Coyne and gave it 3.25 stars.
Wine #5: Smelled just like... dish soap? Seriously. Or cheap rose perfume. Sweet raspberry also present. On the palate, pretty tasty mulberry fruit with mint and thyme. I guessed it as the pricier Spanish and placed it as an 05. I gave it 3 stars.
So, it turned out that:
#1- Cambra's 03 Uno! Shit, we all got that one wrong. And quite frankly, it is NOT worth the price.
#2- Chonchelo 06 - Cheap Spanish, indeed. We just poured this straight down the sink.
#3- Cline 05 Ancient Vines Mourvedre - Got it right, but it's not as good as I recall. Much lighter and much leaner on herbs.
#4- Thomas Coyne 04 Mourvedre - Pretty good stuff. I'd feel ok about recommending this.
#5- Finca Luzon Verde 06 Monastrell- And with that, Yulia's cheap Spanish trumps us all. This is a great bargain.
A visit to Beaucastel isn't complete without trying some so off to the tasting room....
2006 - Beaucastel Blanc. The Roussane grape is dominant with 80% (small percentage of 60 year old vines) and another 20% comprised of Grenache Blanc (10-40 year old vines). Honey, flowers, good acidity and a minerality. Good to serve on the cool side i.e. 10-12 centrigrade.
2006 - Beaucastal Blanc Vielle Vignes Again made of Roussane but this time 100% pure and straight up. The vines are old (I'm told 78 years). Production is absolutely miniscule at 6000 bottles per annum ( sorry now 5999 for '06). With the Roussane variety I am told you either drink it within 5 years of the vintage of 10 years later. The 5-10 year period is supposed to be a funky phase where the wine shouts down and appears oxidised. Strangely enough I have not it during this phase but have had ones over 10 years - you will be nicely surprised. The RVV belies it's age in comparison to Beaucastel Blanc - you can tell the age of the vines in the wine! If the regular version is a child then the RVV is a middle-age adult - more complex, more depth, more layers, more of everything. If you do have both and then go back to the regular version - you will find it lacking and "shallow". I would not be afraid to serve this warmer than the regular Beaucastel Blanc say 13-15 degrees.
2005 Beaucastel Comprised of 13 grape varieties. The various grapes bring their unique characteristics to the table and balance one another out. Mourvedre for it's tannic structure and ageing potential, Grenache for the warmth and texture as well as others. The CdP true to its roots. Given the various varieties and their maturation profiles that each variety would come forward at different times during the ageing process. You can try one young (i.e. within 5 years) but it won't reach a sense of harmony without 10 years of age - this is my own personal view of course. Right now too young but good raw materials should be fantastic.
1998 Beaucastel Here we are starting to get serious. IMHO still not quite there in terms of harmony but getting there and should do it within 5 years? Depth, breadth, fantastic stuff.
1986 Beaucastel IMHO has reached the stage of harmony. Leather, animal, dried fruits it's all there. Not a stellar vintage but drinking well and probably at it's peak.
* Note with food - Try something hearty almost rustic. The typical cuisine is Provencal - so olive oils, thyme, basil, tomatoes. Perhaps even Tuscan food may work ....?
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Here is a wine style you don’t see every day: An off-dry Rose made from Touriga grapes that originate from Portugal, where they are traditionally used to make vintage port. The wine in question? Old Mill Estate Rosé 2007.
Vibrant flamingo red/pink, this Rose exhibits subtle cranberry and strawberry aromas. Cranberry flavours continue onto the palate, which is initially dry and savoury but finishes with a hint of sweetness. Simple and refreshing.
Overall its a good little Rose, I feel it would show its best with appropriate food that would allow the savoury style of the wine to shine through.
Score: 87/100 Price: $18 Closure: Screwcap Alcohol: 12% Other Opinions:Winorama, Wine Without Wank Would I buy this wine? I would probably pick up a bottle of Turkey Flat or Charles Melton Rose instead.
This Bordeaux Cotes De Bourg wine is another 05 value. It has a black cherry hue with tight fruit of black cherry and some raspberry notes with minerals and steel.
In the mouth this wine is sweet with some tannic structure, bready notes but needs to open. With breathing it is a tad hot but nice flavors and body with good structure and a good food wine. Buy this wine and two more to lay down for another year and reap the rewards. All this for only $14 so raise a glass to a great vintage!
Woo hoo! I'm thrilled to announce my contribution to this month's issue of Maxim, that venerable publication of scantily clad pretty young things and useful man tips on everything from screws to booze. Cue moi - I selected the wines and did much of the writing for the "Quaff On the Cheap!" piece in the Expert section of the March issue. I chose my fav five widely-available inexpensive reds, which they photographed for the very cool piece, and wrote up my thoughts on why they'll appeal to the mag's readers. Read on for the list of wines and a link to check it out! ;)
Treana Red 2004 $36.99 Wine Label says: Treana Winery is located in Paso Robles, at the center of California’s Central Coast. Having spent more than two decades developing vineyards in and around Paso Robles, the Treana Red blend reprewsnet grape varieties best suited to the region’s unique calcareous soils and distinctive climate. The Treana vineyards are [...]
A hastily organised farewell dinner at Milsons in Sydney for a friend. My first time at this restaurant and both the service and food was excellent. I had the following;
Scallop and prawn filled zucchini flowers in prawn bisque with green asparagus, grape tomatoes and seeded mustard crustacean oil
?Cannelloni? of kingfish and blue swimmer crab with avocado, black sesame vinaigrette and coriander oil
Cherry wood smoked, 200 day grain fed beef tenderloin with fondant potato, baby green beans, aioli and red wine sauce with truffle oil
MV Krug (August 1989 Disgorgement): Light gold colour with very fine bead. Citrus, ginger and cocoa on the nose. Rich flavour to the palate, but also some very youthful, fresh characters. Not as advanced or complex as a couple of the other late 80s MVs I’ve recently had, but lovely all the same. 94/100
1995 Jacquesson Signature Brut (May 2003 Disgorgement): Very active bead. Lemon, toast, floral and some cookie dough aromas. Fluffy, creamy palate.Quite approachable, good length and very nice drinking but lacking in depth. 91/100
1981 Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese Riesling: Smoke, rose petals and peaches on the nose. Medium sweetness present on the palate, slightly rounded mouthfeel and the acid isn’t quite there to lift it up entirely. Still, fairly nice to drink but not very complex. 87/100
1998 William Fevre Le Clos Chablis: Straw coloured. Sesame seed oil, lemon, toast and grapefruit. The palate has some piercing acidity but also shows some malty oak influence and heat. Very good, but I don’t know what is going to happen with further aging. 89/100
1998 Olivier Leflaive Montrachet: Muesli, vanilla, minerals and chalk to the nose. The palate doesn’t show the same restraint as the nose, it is intensely rich with a creamy mouthfeel. Great length of flavour. My first taste of the famed Montrachet vineyard, thank you Alex. 90/100
1999 Robert Chevillon Nuits St Georges Les Vaucrains: Smoked meat, oak and charcoal aromas. Linear, dry and alarmingly short on the palate. I thought something was wrong here but I don’t know what - no sign of TCA, someone thought it may be brett, but half the table quite liked it! 81/100
1981 Chateau Trotanoy Pomerol: Briar/bramble, blackberry and cherry aromas to the nose. Nicely weighted, medium bodied palate with tannins pretty much resolved and drinking close to its peak. Very nice, it needs to be consumed in the near future. 88/100
1982 Chateau Beychevelle St Julien: Cassis, blackberries, cedar and spice form the nose. The palate is rich and expressive, though it retains good balance across the length. Still very youthful, it is a lovely wine now with the potential to be even better. 93/100
1995 Ornellaia: On the nose there are aromas of raspberry, earth, tobacco and dark chocolate. Shows a very classy palate, it is long and has detailed texture. Still feels as though some promise is being held back, I think the next 10 years will prove very interesting for this wine. 92/100
1995 Chateau Pichon Lalande Pauillac: Chlorine on the nose. Metallic palate. Undrinkable. A shame. NR/100
1981 Ernst Bretz Bechtolsheimer Klosterberg Scheurebe Eiswein Auslese: Toffee, honey and brown sugar nose. Hasn’t got the acid structure needed. Finishes short and simple. May have seen better days. 84/100
1980 J. Baumer Hochheimer Rotenpfel Silvaner Eiswein Auslese: Toffee, spice, honey and peaches. Spicy on the palate, quite dense flavours but some acid remaining to lift the palate slightly. Decent length. 87/100
The warm days of summer are almost upon us - time to break out the white wine. Versatile as an aperitif and food-friendly, Sauvignon Blanc is as varied in style and complexity as are completely different ... via Well Fed Network
For $11 you should be trying any and all 05 Bordeaux you find; many of them will be bargains.
This one is a pretty plum purple with a wowing bouquet of sweet fruit that if I was blind folded I would say it was a rose with sweet fruity strawberry and cherry aromas.
Palate has some structure with forthright tannins and skimpy fruit that is a bit hollow with charcoals notes. This is just light bodied, easy to drink but is weird since it is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet yet tastes like a Beaujolais Cru. It is an easy drinking wine but very weird for Bordeaux. Let this one pass.
Tue Feb 22nd, 2005, New York City Super Tuscan & Other Great Wines of Italy Tuesday, February 22, 2005 New York City The top producers of Super Tuscan will personally present their best Super Tuscan wines and a large selection of other great Tuscan Wines at the fifth edition of this special wine tasting .
Music can have an effect on the way listeners perceive the qualities of the wines they are drinking, according to a study performed for Viña Montes by the Heriot-Watt University of Edinburgh, Scotland.
When a powerful piece of music is played, a wine such as Montes Alpha's Cabernet Sauvignon is perceived as being 60 percent richer and more robust than when there is no musical accompaniment, according to Professor Adrian North. "It is widely acknowledged within the scientific community that music affects behavior," said North, who conducted the research. "However, this is the first time it has been scientifically proven that music can affect perception in other senses, and change the way wine tastes."
The research by North's Department of Applied Psychology is based on the theory of cognitive priming. This postulates that when a particular style of music is heard, it stimulates or 'primes' specific areas in the brain. Subsequently, when wine is tasted, these areas of the brain are already active and prime the taster to judge the wine in a corresponding way. The effect is more pronounced with red wines than with white, the study finds.
Music is already used in the production of Montes wines, as monastic chants are played to maturing casks of wine in the winery's Feng Shui-optimized barrel room. The company is now looking into adding music recommendations to its back labels.
That Arbor Crest Merlot ?03 I had a couple of nights ago was particularly good ? or was it the London Symphony Orchestra's rendition of Dvorák's New World Symphony...?
The title of this post, rather, should have read ?outstanding Tempranillo in the Americas.?Turns out Familia Zuccardi of Argentina have been cultivating this emblematic Spanish variety in Mendoza for quite a while. Even then, we shouldn?t overlook the grape?s trajectory farther back?being one of the Spanish crown?s original Río de la Plata colonies, scores of 17th and 18th century settlers in the Andean Cuyo region wanted to replicate their wines from back home.In other words, unlike some of the other oddball varieties being cultivated under Familia Zuccardi?s ?new varieties program,? Tempranillo cultivation in the general Mendoza area has a profound socio-historical basis tied to criollo settlement.The question shouldn?t elude us, however?have Argentine Tempranillo wines been anything to write home about?
It wasn?t until the early nineties that Familia Zuccardi managed to become the first Argentine producer to export wines made from this variety.Although demand for fruit-forward Malbec cuvées and Cabernet have always outpaced that of Tempranillo wines?, Zuccardi did something quite praiseworthy?not allow foreign demand to solely dictate their wine styles and choice of projects.Case in point, I?ve happily recommended reviews of their Torrontés and other red wines, however, their Tempranillo went on to hold its own against similarly priced Rioja wines at UK-based blind tastings.
It is no surprise though, that I have always looked toward Zuccardi for innovation in Argentina?the kind that doesn?t involve foreign tasting panels, glossy-rag journalists and marketing gurus.Zuccardi has proven itself unorthodox and highly idiosyncratic concerning many aspects of its operations.Their ?new varieties program? consists of expanding their already exciting selection of rare varieties through vine nurseries; some of the exciting prospects include finding sophisticated Andean expressions of Barbera, Marsanne, Aglianico, Tannat and Mourvèdre, among other favorites of mine.In addition to this, they are obsessed with the importance of utilizing yeasts indigenous to their vineyards, rather than the standard strains.Other exciting offerings I would love to get my hands on would be their Malbec-based fortified wine and Torrontés-based dessert wine.
Don?t get me wrong. While I consider myself a bit more obsessed about rarer varieties than most, I have reverence and much appreciation for the way in which Tempranillo shows its pedigree in good examples of Valdepeñas, Rioja, Ribera del Duero and several other styles.Given this, it takes quite a bit for me to take the plunge and gush about a New World interpretation that does the variety any justice.Why do I appreciate Zuccardi?Because they haven?t simply produced an above-par Argentine Tempranillo, but because they have produced Tempranillo wines in Mendoza with an unmistakable personality of their own.While I recognized the variety?s general characteristics when tasting Zuccardi?s, I simply could not accuse Zuccardi of copying the style of any particular Spanish region?s Tempranillo expression, although I honestly tried.
Even if the variety came along with Spanish settlers centuries ago, it wasn?t until recently that Tempranillo in Mendoza achieved its very own stylistic idiosyncrasy.I especially recommend trying the Zuccardi Q Tempranillo to those who enjoy the prestige Spanish regions? Tempranillo-based wines, particularly if making comparisons to similarly priced $15-$20 range Rioja.
Visual/Aromatic Profile:Deep ruby and garnet in the glass.I would decant this one to let the gorgeous nose unfold for a nice couple of hours at least.It features very pronounced dark cherry, blackberry, currant and sweet orange peel.The oak is not an overbearing presence, with aromas of toast, vanilla, chocolate and soft leather.
Texture and Finish:Knockout balance and complexity. The wine was matured in medium toasted American oak barrels (new), and never clarified in any way. The style is dry, with medium acidity and high tannin structure holding up the full body.Flavors are nicely concentrated, with dark cherry, blackberry, toast, chocolate and smoky leather.Some of these more robust elements power on through to the lengthy finish, with dark chocolate, toast and soft leather.
It?s been a very busy week, but after my nice catching up session with Google Reader, here are some treasures worth noting from the RSS pileup:
1)Catavino?sRioja Report and EWBC 2008:Gabriella and Ryan over at Catavino have made a labor of love?an ambitious sort of compendium that is all things Rioja.From regional gastronomy to what else? Los vinos!You can find maps, profiles of wineries, beautiful photography and even a comprehensive explanation of Rioja labeling practices.I also found their buying guide particularly valuable and look forward to bringing it along on some shopping trips in the near future.This kind of stuff is a privilege to be able to look at when you consider other ?regional reports? published by people with a sense of entitlement to wine travel and $60+ annual subscription fees.Ryan and Gabriella are accountable for their material, actively and genuinely elicit and value readers? opinions, suggestions and evince passion for this stuff, so go ahead and bookmark them.
3)Remember Mr. Show?s Worthington Law applied to wine?Looks like the research findings from that CalTech/Stanford study published earlier in the year have been further validated.Working Paper No, 16, published by the American Association of Wine Economists details a new study in which people generally preferred less expensive wines, unless told by researchers of course, that a wine was particularly expensive.
4) If you read Spanish and want to stay up on the latest happenings in the Mendoza wine industry, you may want to bookmark El Blog de Vinos de Argentina.I have been reading their blog for some time now and have found it more and more valuable in terms of getting an inside track on what they?re thinking in Mendoza.As an Argentine, I?ve become a bit tired of receiving my Argentine win
Tecnorati
This is a premium Montenegrin red wine made from the indigenous Vranac grape. The Reserve is produced from particulary good years, in small quantities, aged in barrels for several years. It is also aged in bottles for one year before being released to the market.
Here is a wine style you don’t see every day: An off-dry Rose made from Touriga grapes that originate from Portugal, where they are traditionally used to make vintage port. The wine in question? Old Mill Estate Rosé 2007.
Woo hoo! I'm thrilled to announce my contribution to this month's issue of Maxim, that venerable publication of scantily clad pretty young things and useful man tips on everything from screws to booze. Cue moi - I selected the wines and did much of the writing for the "Quaff On the Cheap!" piece in the Expert section of the March issue. I chose my fav five widely-available inexpensive reds, which they photographed for the very cool piece, and wrote up my thoughts on why they'll appeal to the mag's readers. Read on for the list of wines and a link to check it out! ;)
Music can have an effect on the way listeners perceive the qualities of the wines they are drinking, according to a study performed for 
