Shortly after I got the idea to start an in-home and corporate wine party business,
Swirl Events, I started testing out wines on much obliging friends. I wanted to see what did and did not go over well and why. In the name of supporting a nascent entrepreneur, my friends gathered and happily conducted “research.” As we tasted the wines, I noticed every once in a while, my friends would struggle to articulate their impression of the wine. I sensed intimidation in not coming up with the so-called “right” answer. And then it happened. The night before, I had watched the George Clooney directed movie “Good Night and Good Luck.” I remember thinking (oh so originally) “this guy (George) has it all. He can direct, act and he’s got a smile that makes you feel like you’re the prettiest girl in the room.” Not that George has personally ever smiled at me, but that’s what I imagined…and still do. We tasted Orin Swift Cellar’s “The Prisoner” 2005 and it came out. “This is the George Clooney of wines.” A retort from one of the men zinged quickly, “No, no, this is the Salma Hayek of wines.” And we somehow knew what he meant. While the conversation at first was polite and academic, it was now like dinner at the Karwa household minus Mom’s famous samosas – everyone loudly and excitedly trying to toss their celebrity into the ring. Characterizing a wine like a celebrity was a much easier and interactive practice. It’s hard to remember those paragraph-long descriptions of wine and even harder to figure out how they came up with them. But the celebrity thing is universal.
Orin Swift Cellar’s “The Prisoner” remains one of my favorite wines and will always be a George Clooney “smooth, suave and surprisingly complex.” And since the men disagreed with me, I give you the option of the Salma Hayek – lush and full-bodied.
To these I add the all-time favorite description for the Thabani 2003 Merlot –the Brittany Spears – starts off great but ends in disaster.
How to Pick a Summer Wine: The Gentler, Lighter Side of Wine
Summer’s soaring temps beg you to step away from heavy Cabernets and check out the gentler, lighter side of wine. When choosing the perfect summer wine for your outdoor engagement party or wedding, think light, crisp, refreshing--and because people tend to drink more in the heat--lower in alcohol. Nothing more prettily suggests summer than a dry (i.e. not sweet) rose. Avoid the simple, syrupy versions and try French roses from the Mourvèdre grape or roses made using the Saignee method for more complexity. Pick wines from countries where you imagine the locals sipping leisurely at sidewalk cafés while basking in the sun, like Spain. A Spanish fave is Albarino from the Rias Baixas region. Made to drink young, Albarino is a crisp, white wine with intense fruit, lively acidity and generally a lower level of alcohol. It pairs perfectly with summer foods from seafood to grilled vegetables. But you don’t need to swear off red wine for summer. Look for light bodied wines like Pinot Noir from Oregon or a Valpolicella from Italy, both capable of standing up to barbequed foods. And don’t be afraid to put a slight chill on your red wine. It is summer after all!
Rías Baixas Albariño from Spain, “Exceptional with Everything” Oh Really?
There's nothing we love more than a challenge. It's in our makeup. We're two women, thirties. One Indian. One Filipina. The first, founder and CEO of a business in the arguably male-dominated wine world. The second, building experience to be a future proprietess of a wine store. Add to this: In New York City. So when presented with the opportunity to play wine and food critic for a night—to pair Rías Baixas Albariño wines, proclaimed to be "exceptional with everything" with Mercat’s offerings —it is impossible and simply against every ounce of who we are, to refuse.
Mercat means “market” in Catalan, the language of the northern Spanish region where owner, Jaime Reixach, is from and where the restaurant’s menu draws its inspiration. The albariños we’ll be drinking also originate from the northern region, and so we’re already anticipating more perfect wine pairings than tragic mismatches.
It’s a beautiful warm Thursday night—and we are tasting two Albariño wines: Alba Rosa from Martinez Serrantes and Pazo San Mauro, both 2006 vintages. We take our time with each wine—assessing them alone and then side by side. At the end, we agree that both are delightful: the Alba Rosa is sparkling with surprising depth while the Pazo San Mauro would bring life to our springtime picnic. Further, we imagine that if each wine were to be personified, they might just be these two ladies, described as such:
Now, we move on to the heart of our challenge: Exceptional with everything? Oh really? How do these two beauties handle themselves in company? After the three and a half hours of glorious sipping, chewing, and chatting, among ourselves and the restaurant staff, here are our findings:
No surprise, our lovely wines get along splendidly with their classic and traditional partners: we have raves for the nicely seasoned patatas bravas—not too spicy, not too garlicky—and the padrones/blistered shishito peppers, the char and oil offset by the tartness of the wines. One of us goes wild for the Canelons de Verdura/eggplant wrapped spring vegetables, manchego, and cranberry reduction. And then Chef Lowder sends over Trencat d’Ous/mushroom with salsa verde topped with a fried egg, which again, goes splendidly with our wines. Even the suckling pig/Cochinillo, which we think will surely clash, in fact becomes the surprise of the evening. Like the beauty and the beast, our wines and the pig make an unlikely but harmonious pair.
We ask ourselves for the last time: Rías Baixas Albariño from Spain: Exceptional with
Everything?If not for being the gluttonous bottomless pits that we are, we would certainly have answered YES with an exclamation point. But since we order those two desserts—Torrades Sta. Teresa/fried bread with lemon yogurt and Pa Amb Oli Xocolata/bread, olive oil, and chocolate, our answer must be: Almost. These two desserts with our two Albariños — are disastrous.
Rías Baixas Albariño from Spain: Exceptional with
almost Everything.
--Anu Karwa and Marie Estrada
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http://www.riasbaixaswines.com for more info on Rías Baixas Albariños from Spain
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2 comments:
I don't know which to feel more sorry for - Thabani or Spears...
Anu led a wine tasting event at my friend's apartment, and she has a tremendous knowledge about wine. She was very engaging and not only did we learn a lot, we had a lot of fun! We loved the wine pairing with celebrity personalities -- how clever!
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