Terlato Vineyards Angels’ Peak 2005 Merlot Napa Valley, California
If I were a wine, I'd be this wine, a Merlot-based Bordeaux blend thatlikens itself to the Pomerol of California. Like me, it wants to captureyour imagination and take you on a sensory journey. It makes yousmile and close your eyes as you take another sublime sip. It's a winethat loves a celebration and sharing with friends. You turn the bottlearound to read more about it, because you know this wine has alot going on under its approachable surface. It's smooth andfull-bodied with soft, round flavors. And hopefully like the rising wineentrepreneur I strive to be, this wine is successful in what it'sambitiously trying to accomplish.
Q&A - How long will my wine last once I open it?This is the number one question I'm asked at my events, and I understand why. Unless you have friends over, or are really 'thirsty', it's hard to finish a bottle of wine in an evening. Before Mr. SwirlSavvy entered my life, I would hesitate before opening a bottle of wine on a weeknight because I knew the rest could go to waste. But how long will your wine last? That's a tricky question with no standard answer. Your wine starts transforming once you open it. Sometimes wine will last one day, and some will be fine for several, like the Esporao Reserva Branco of Alentejo, Portugal. This wine started off lush, with tropical fruit flavors and the body of an American Chardonnay without the overly buttery/oaky feel. On Day 2, it seemed to open up even further to expose floral notes, but the alcohol did seem to poke through a bit more. It was still drinkable on Day 3. That's a wine with longevity. To prolong the life of your wines (and avoid weeping as you dump wine down the drain), try these two methods:
1) Suck the oxidizing air out through a Vacu-Vin Wine Saver. Use the stopper they provide.
2) Refrigerate your wine - red or white. This truly helps! Just let your reds get to the right drinking temperature by pulling it out of the fridge 20 mins before serving. I do the same for white wines, but 10 minutes before serving.
Although I've been told many times that each of the 50 states produces wine, I still got taken off-guard when I tried the Kluge "Simply Red" wine from Albemarle County, Virginia. But in a sip, sublime took over surprise. This wine reminds me of the Reese Witherspoon, a Southern herself, who, as of late, has taken everyone by surprise. The wine is a "Bordeaux blend," i.e. a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Like Reese, it has a lot of complexity. Not only can it pull of a delightful "Legally Blond" easiness to drink, but it also manages to surprise us with a "I'm with Jake Gyllenhall" edginess and structure. Reese speaks her mind and doesn't let anyone think she's anything but a strong woman. This Kluge doesn't mess around with its origins, boldly stating "Albemarle" on its label. This is a wine I'd like to sip on a crisp fall evening, wrapped in a blanket on my wraparound Southern-style porch--preferably with my version of Jake closeby.
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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