Monday, November 16, 2009

A New Thanksgiving Wine Idea- Les Traverses de Fontanès Vin de Pays d’Oc Rouge 2007



Les Traverses de Fontanès Vin de Pays d’Oc Rouge 2007 (100% Cabernet Sauvignon) (available at Slope Cellars, Brooklyn, $14.99/btl)

Ah, Thanksgiving wines past. You’ve done Riesling. You’ve done Zinfandel. You’ve even done Gamay. And they’ve all done their jobs…of not competing with the crazy array of flavors and spices, of being all-American, of being light and easy, respectively. But now you want to do something different, not to go against the grain, but just to change things up a bit, maybe deepen your appreciation for the old reliables next year. They’ll be there for you, not to worry. And goody for you, because in just walked the Languedoc’s Cyriaque Rozier with his Traverses de Fontanès Vin de Pays d’Oc Rouge 2007, a bright, fresh, Cabernet Sauvignon that’s just perfect for Thanksgiving, even though it’s not brimming with fruit and acidity a la Riesling, all-American like Zinfandel, or light like Gamay. We like to think of it as the uninvited Thanksgiving guest who ends up being the life of the party without taking over.

Les Traverses de Fontanès is fresh and youthful, with a shimmering garnet, almost opaque appearance, and translucent purple rim. The forward nose offers cassis jam, kirsch, and a pleasant whiff of acetone. Sipping, we get sweet-tart cassis, a bit of cedar, and silky texture, underscored by a quick brush of tannin. Second sip, we get some caramel and salt, and a bit more concentrated cassis at the core, all within a medium-weight frame. But this is only if you pay attention. For those of your guests who aren’t taking wine notes, it’s just a delicious wine that seems to go well with everything you’ve put out or they’ve brought over. With turkey, dressing, and gravy, it provides just enough acidity to balance the fat and protein. With sweet potatoes and orange-cranberry relish, it holds its own against the sugar and tart fruits. There’s no real spice element, so it doesn’t compete with highly seasoned dishes, so much as complement them. And it’s not heavy, so it tastes like another one: the Fontanès is a quaffer in the end. We like to serve it barely chilled.

By pumpkin pie/football time, the Fontanès has worked the room without bringing up politics or religion, charmed everyone, and more than made up for showing up uninvited. Everyone wonders why he wasn’t invited in the past. This is what Thanksgiving should be. Or at least what a Thanksgiving wine should be.

Beth Baye
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Posted by Anu Karwa at 10:41 PM
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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:

Alba Rosa Martinez Serantes Albariño | Scarlett Johansson: "Sparkling with surprising depth"

Alba Rosa Martinez Serantes Albariño | Scarlett Johansson: "Sparkling with surprising depth"
This golden blonde hued wine gives an almost effervescent quality that shoots racy brightness into your mouth. It has the usual grassiness and citrus qualities one expects from this wine. The reason why this wine fits Scarlett most is because it has the quality of lightness but comes with surprising depth of character and fullness in body. The comparison would be perfect were the wine to show great legs, but its light-bodied, lower alcohol nature doesn’t allow it.

Pazo San Mauro Albariño | Cameron Diaz: “Livens up your springtime picnic”

Pazo San Mauro Albariño | Cameron Diaz: “Livens up your springtime picnic”
Cameron would be a fun addition to any springtime outing. Her lightheartedness would make everyone smile and this wine does the same. The light yellow straw color gives way to granny smith apples, peaches, melon, and citrus scents that jump at your nose, smelling like springtime in a glass. This wine begs to be explored further. The crisp and pleasantly tart apple is balanced with pear and makes it the perfect brunch wine.
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

Visit http://www.riasbaixaswines.com for more info on Rías Baixas Albariños from Spain
 

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