What’s a Fine Wine?

  I consider any wine that causes me to take pause and ponder its existence a fine wine.  Taking pause means that upon entry and swallow I have encountered something so magical and balanced, that I have to put the glass down and think about all of the elements that went into play that caused me to have felt that way.  Elements such as place of origin, grape type(s), soil type, wine producer, vintage, viticulture practices, vinification processes, topography, crop size……in English, all of the components that make a fine wine taste the way it tastes.   There isn’t just one element that does it; all the aforementioned have to be in sync or there can be no fine wine.  And from my experience the finest wines come from small producers whose grapes have been matched with their perfect soils.   The soil is the silent partner to a wine grape.   Soils like the premiere cru sites in Burgundy, which produce Chablis, Pommard, Montrachet, and Vosne-Romanee.  Other sites with perfect soil to grape matches include Chateau Montelena in Napa, California; this site boasts alluvial and volcanic soils.   Now, a fine wine will cost more than the average wine, but the payoff to your palate is worth seeking out; and a sensory experience you will always remember. 

Some to try:

William Fever Chablis Premier Cru Fourchaume 2008 (Burgundy)

Fanny Sabre, Pommard 2008 (Burgundy)

Joseph Drouhin 'Folatieres' Puligny-Montrachet 2005 (Burgundy)

Chateau Montelena Chardonnay (Napa) (any vintage)

enjoy

The Beach House circa 2010

This wine is all the label entails; tranquil, cool, peaceful, relaxed, and my word; refreshing.   The Beach House is a wine produced in South Africa.  It’s a blend of two French grape varieties; sauvignon blanc 85% and semillon 15%.  It’s interesting because when blended and produced in Bordeaux (the two grapes are standard within the Bordeaux white wine) you would use the same words only you’d include the word textured.   The Bordeaux white wine has more texture and layers (this could well be because more semillon is added to the blend)  Now, with all of that said, wine is about a feeling and should be memorable no matter the price or origin. The Beach House is memorable.  It put’s you in a place of simplicity and relaxation, not from the alcohol content, but from it’s citrusy, grassy presence within your mouth.  I’m all about the beach, and The Beach House is one wine you should take with you when you go.  In fact, take it with you on a picnic, to a friends barbeque, take it to the park, or better still, your deck…….you get the picture!

enjoy

Dear Diary….I think I sipped too much!

I often love to sip wine while I watch my husband cook a fantastic meal.  He’s such a foodie!  He cooks and I explore new wines.  Occasionally while shopping for food he finds wines that he feels would  pair well with what he’s making, or at the least be interesting to taste.  This evening he was making rib eyes with a secret sauce (sharing recipes is not his thing) and sautéed vegetables.  As a ritual he pours a glass of one of his wine-finds for me, then I sit by and sip the wine and watch as he flowingly makes our meal.  Upon first sight the wine was golden in color, a beautiful glistening gold.  My first thoughts were, hot climate..upon first smell, tropical…upon first sip, pineapple.  After the initial assessment I looked at the bottle….yep! just what I thought, Chardonnay from a hot climate area, Chile.  This wine was really yummy; tropical thru and thru.  I sipped and watched my husband cook, praising him endlessly on a selection well made.  By the time our meal was ready I had sipped so much, that I was tipsy.  Now I really know why wine is best had with meals.  Some wines are definitely for sipping, the lower alcohol ones.  This wine, with its golden color and tropical flavors had 14% alcohol.  And the thing is, I knew from years of wine tasting that the alcohol was high in this wine, but the wine was so good I couldn’t stop sipping.  Needless to say my meal was delicious and I was a hoot while eating it.  Moral of the story…..sip high alcohol wines with food….no exception!  The other thing I confirmed is that wine is truly an enhancement to life.  My husband and I had the best time just being together….truly what life is all about.

The wine:  Montes Alpha Chardonnay Special Cuvee 2004 (Chile)

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Wines for this Season

As with seasonal vegetables and fruits, there are seasonal wines; wines that pair perfectly with the lifestyle of the season.  In the winter we tend to eat foods and have fuller bodied wines that comfort us.  Soups, stews and hearty meats accompany wines like California’s Cabernet Sauvignon, Italy’s Brunello di Montalcino, and Australian Shiraz.  Spring transitions us to lighter foods and lighter bodied wines;  grilled chicken and lamb pair well with Oregon’s Pinot Noir,  Burgundy’s (Macon-Villages) Chardonnay, and Sardinian Grenache.  For the summer season we go even lighter, where food and wine is concerned.  It’s summer now, unofficially, and if you’re like me simple uncomplicated light meals is what I like to make; loads of pasta salad and potato salad, Panini press sandwiches, quiche, and Mediterranean salads.  My wines are simple too, especially since I spend most of my summer pool side or on my deck with a misting fan and a wine book.  My summer wines include; Portugals’s Vinho Verde, Spain’s Albarino, France’s Cotes du Rhone Rose, California’s Riesling, the Loire Valley’s Pouilly Fume, and of course Champagne.  Summer exemplifies simplicity more so than any other season and this recipe Shrimp and Avocado with Citrus Dressing paired with a New Zealand  Sauvignon Blanc or Pouilly Fume will help jumpstart your summer and your “I’m all about simplistic” attitude.  Explore lighter wines this season and……

enjoy