WBW #66: Your Tenderest Two-Some, Dessert & Wine

Argyle Brut Rosé (2007)
Argyle Winery
52% Pinot Meunier | 48% Pinot Noir
Dundee Hills, OR

So today is Wine Blogging Wednesday #66 which is being hosted by Jennifer Hamilton, The Domestic Goddess. Combining two of my favorite things, Jennifer has joined WBW with Sugar-High Friday for today's challenge. We were asked to come up with a dessert and wine pairing.

Desserts can sometimes be difficult to pair with wines, and I think many of us first just jump to sweeter wines. Rule of thumb there is to make sure your wine is as sweet of not sweeter than your dessert, otherwise it'll taste sour. Also keep in mind tangy/tart flavors vs. savory/milky ones in your desserts. Based on that (is it apple pie or chocolate mousse?) you'll want to pay attention to the wine's acidity.

Since I tend to gravitate towards more acidic wines, and away from overly-chocolate'd (I know, there's not supposed to be such a thing... just think, more chocolate for you!) desserts my thoughts got a little bubbly. Lucky for us, Argyle is less than 30 minutes from here!

Appearance: Clear, bright, soft to medium intensity salmon pink color

Nose: Clean with lots of bright, fresh fruit including fresh apple, cherry, strawberry, citrus and tropical fruit; softened by a very subtle yeast aroma; some minerality

Palate: Very crisp, dry, medium+ acidity, medium body and finish, tons of bubbles and a vigorous mousse; mimicking the fruitiness from the nose, lots of cherry, fresh picked apples, strawberry and citrus

So the dessert then? Homemade pineapple galette! My housemate Amy crafted a beautifully rustic tart using fresh pineapple, cinnamon, and an obscenely butter-laden crust recipe. Wow.

The wine was amazing with this - the acidity matched with the tartness of the pineapple, but also helped with the buttery crust. The bubbles scrubbed that fatty texture off the palate and prepped the tongue for the next bite. I kept thinking, getting slightly light-headed on the bubbles, that this was the ultimate pairing of Tropical Meets Rural. Warm weather fruit paired with fresh, crisp apples. Perfect.

To make matters... worse?... we broke out a jar of Lynnette's freshly-made strawberry basil preserves to see how that would taste on the galette. Um - *expletive* fantastic. It's unfortunate we didn't think of it sooner!

So, when it comes time for dessert what wine are you thinking of? Maybe just an ice-wine or Port on it's own or something paired with dark chocolate cake? Comment with your favorite combo!

Cheers!
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New site has launched & stuff

So my attentiveness to my writing here has been horrible this month. I've got some interesting wines to try tonight that I'll take some notes on, and tomorrow I'll be joining a bunch of other bloggers for Wine Blogging Wednesday. We're pairing wine and desserts, which I'm super excited about.

In other news, I've launched my personal website - www.ryanreichert.com. This will be a central place for me to showcase all my writing (concerning wine, food, travel and whatnot), photos, and to post news about what's going on in my life. I hope you'll all check it out soon and please let me know what you think.

Here's to drinking more wine and writing about it!

Cheers

Ryan

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Fast and Dirty... I mean, Dark & Delicious!

Okay - so this is sort-of, kind-of last minute... but I've got two tickets to give away for Dark & Delicious, a super fantastic event featuring Petite Sirah (with an I!) put on by PS I Love You.

The event is taking place on February 19, 2010 from 6-9p PST at The Rock Wall Wine Company in Alameda, CA (just outside Oakland). If you're a) a local or b) are going to be in the area then I would highly recommend going! 41 different producers are being featured alongside 26 SF/Bay Area restauranteurs and caterers. Tickets are $60, so this prize is worth $120 total.

So here's the deal - to qualify you must head over to Twitter and send a message (140 or less!) about why you (LOVE) Petite Sirah. Make sure to send it to @oenoblog so I see it. Given the crunch on time though, I'm going to limit this to entries through Sunday February 14th 2010 (Valentine's Day). This way I'll have time to mail the tickets to the winner.

I'll assign each entry a number as it comes in and use a random number generator to get the winner.

Good luck!

Other stuff:
1) You must be 21 to attend
2) No ticket refunds or exchanges
3) Please drink responsibly! (because abusing good Petite Sirah is a crime!)
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Patz & Hall Twitter Taste Live: Pinot, Chard and Tofu!

Patz & Hall
Chardonnay & Pinot Noir
Sonoma Coast, California

Last night was the launch of the Patz & Hall Winery page on Twitter Taste Live. They divided the country in two and had bloggers on both coasts do a tasting of two of their soon to be released wines. I was really pleased to see how seamlessly the upgraded TTL is working, and we had an enjoyable time tasting the wines.2008 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay

Appearance: Clear, medium+ intensity, straw yellow.

Nose: Clean, top notes of vanilla, yeast, biscuit; citrus, orange, yellow apple, oak, and honey - the alcohol was pretty strong after first opening the bottle.

Palate: Dry, full bodied, medium acidity, medium+ alcohol, medium-long finish; butter, vanilla, yeast, citrus, orange, banana, some tropical fruit, and a creamy mouthfeel.

I'll be the first to tell you I'm not really into oaked Chardonnay. I really prefer mimimum oak characteristics, and will go for 100% stainless steel any day. That said, I'm all for striking balance too, and I did enjoy this Chardonnay.

This release was aged in 40% new French oak for 10 months in addition to being on the lees with weekly stirring. After yeast cells "expire" they will autolyse (go boom) and continue imparting creamy, biscuit characteristics to wine if not filtered out. Creamier than I'd choose on my own, but not a total oak bomb either. This wine also underwent 100% Malolactic Fermentation (MLF) which helps to smooth out the acidity in the wine, converting malic acid to lactic acid. Think of the acidity of a green apple versus the acidity of milk.

General consensus was that the other bloggers tasting really enjoyed the Chardonnay. Some raved about the racy acidity, though I think that perhaps it was perspective moving their palates from what they'd normally think of California Chardonnay with the huge oak and butter notes. Since my taste is approaching from the opposite end, it didn't seem too zingy to me. As always perception makes wine tasting with groups like this a lot of fun!

2007 Jenkins Ranch Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
Appearance: Clear, medium+ intensity (for Pinot Noir at least!), garnet color to clear rim.

Nose: Clean, top notes of violet, spice, smoke, cinnamon; red cherry, cranberry (the literature says "pomegranate"), soft licorice, slightly dried fruit, floral, alcohol is noticeable but not overwhelming or out of balance with fruit; cranberry is definitely dominant.

Palate: Dry, medium to medium-full body, medium acidity, medium alcohol, medium finish and gentle tannins. Sweet cherry, red fruit, strawberry, plum, ripe fruit, vanilla, cranberry-but not tart like you'd expect from the nose-and soft oak.

With the second wine I felt almost as though all the bottles of Oregon Pinot sitting on the counter had turned to glare angrily at me - somehow able to tell that I was enjoying the California wine. Probably not the case though.

In Oregon, 2007 is snubbed by many - though people are starting to realize that the 2007 vintage is starting to show really nicely after some time in the bottle. Hopefully those people who skipped right to '08 will leave more for the rest of us. That's neither here nor there though as in Sonoma it was predictably beautiful in 2007. Slightly smaller than expected harvest for many, but that definitely didn't hurt quality. This Pinot included, I think it had a very fruity personality. Again, not a huge amount of acid, and this one as well went through 100% MLF with 40% in new French oak. I would easily drink this Pinot, though I think I'd be hard pressed not to find one in my backyard that I liked just as much if not more.

We enjoyed both the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with dinner, our first run at tofu & mushroom stroganoff. You can use that Whole Foods recipe as a jumping off point, and then check out this Baked Tofu recipe and use it in place of the tempeh. We tossed ours over penne instead of rice. Hm, I might have to write about this now over at veggielantes!

Both wines were enjoyable, and I want to thank the folks at Patz & Hall for hosting and tasting along with us. Looking forward to the next Taste Live event. You can check notes on Twitter by searching for the #TTL and/or #patzhallwines hashtags.

Cheers!
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Seven of Hearts - Part 3: "Estate Grown Pinot Noir" or "The Pinot Clone Wars"

In a late-coming third part conclusion (see part 1 and part 2) here are my final notes from our visit to the Seven of Hearts tasting room in Carlton. These last two wines are both estate-grown from Byron's Luminous Hills Vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton District AVA. Pommard as well as clones 667, 777 and 115 are used...

Wait, wait, wait - what clones? Makes wine sound like some kind of science-fiction plot from Lucas Films, right? And just when you thought all you needed to know were some basic French (noir, blanc, gris) color words to get you through Pinot.

Yes clones! In fact there are thought to be thousands of clones and mutations of Pinot noir around the world. The grape itself is highly prone to mutation given it's surroundings and external circumstances, so just as little as moving vines from one location to another can trigger a change over time. There are certain clones that produce better wines than others, and so these are the ones that growers have tried to propagate and reproduce. Some have names like Pommard, referring back to one of the Burgundian Pinot Powerhouses, but others are just left with strings of numbers - as is the case with 667, 777 and 115.

Both 667 and 777 are considered top level Dijon clones (Ack! so many Burgundian references! You'd think they had something to do with wine!) They are blended primarily to create long-aging, well-structured wines. These 115 and Pommard are what Seven of Hearts uses for the Luminous Hills label.

2008 Estate Grown Pinot Noir Luminous Hills - Yamhill-Carlton
Appearance: Clear with very slight haze, rose or cherry red to a clear rim

Nose: Clean, spice, cayenne, dark fruit, perfumed, spiced fruit, saffron

Palate: Dry, medium acid and tannin, red cherry, strawberry, cranberry, some dried fruit, black raspberry, long finish

This wine is made from a blend of Pommard, 667 and 115. It really intrigued me with some of the spice characteristics that it offered. Byron explained how the fruit was drive by the 667 which is grown at higher elevation on volcanic soils while that spice we noticed was from the other two clones grown at lower elevation on more sedimentary soils.

2008 Estate Grown Pinot Noir, Lux, Luminous Hills - Yamhill-Carlton
Appearance: Clear, medium cranberry to clear rim

Nose: Clean, green vegetal, minerality, ripe red fruit, black cherry, herbaceous

Palate: Dry, medium acid and body, medium-low softer tannin, red fruit, strawberry, vegetable, raspberry, black cherry, spice, long finish

The Lux is then a blend of Pommard and 777 clones. The former is grown at lower elevation on sedimentary soil and the latter at higher elevation on volcanic base. Here I enjoyed the earth-driven minerality along with the tighter green vegetal characteristics.

So while it may be more of a clone party than a clone war (Sorry Mr. Lucas, we won't be needing you after all. Dolly was cheaper), Pinot Noir clones definitely all offer some specific advantages and characteristics. I'd be really keen on a situation where you could taste each clone side by side, and if I ever find somewhere to do so I'll be sure to write all about it.

Thanks for reading, and thank you to the Dooleys and Seven of Hearts for the great wines.

Cheers!

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WBW #65: Snow Day Wines - Bodegas El Nido 2003 Clio Jumilla

Clio (2003)
Bodegas El Nido
Monastrell 70% | Cabernet Sauvignon 30%
Jumilla DO, Spain

This month's Wine Blogging Wednesday topic (No. 65) hosted by Michelle Lentz was choosing a wine that you'd enjoy drinking during a full out precipitous attack of the white stuff. Thankfully, since moving to Oregon I've only had to "endure" the snow once, while I know back in Ohio and most of the Midwest in general they got pretty much slammed. Thanks Lake Erie!

That said, I think I had a pretty good idea as to what kind of wine I was in need of - big body, dried fruits, and a warmer level of alcohol. My first choice? Port of course - and I think a lot of people turned there at first. But then something shiny caught my attention. A bottle from El Nido (The Nest) winery in Spain. The pearlescent label was really familiar, and it turns out I sampled another of their wines in my Spanish Wine course last year.

This blend has, yet again, our friend Monastrell/Mouvèdre paired with some Cabernet Sauvignon this time. The region of Jumilla is located in southeastern Spain where Monastrell makes up 85% of the wine produced there. Check out the Wines of Jumilla site for more great producers to check out.

So without further delay, here are my notes. I hope you'll understand why this is my current Snow Day wine pick!

Appearance: Deep garnet red to a faded mahogany rim

Nose: Clean, full aromas of dried fruit, jams, licorice, blackberry, spice, oak, caramel, Port (quelle suprise!) cinnamon, cherry and raspberry

Palate: Dry, medium-full body, medium acidity, medium-high tannin, coffee, cherry, spice, oak, raspberry, plum, long smooth finish

We enjoyed this wine with dinner, but continued to do so long after the food was gone. The flavors are definitely at a peak or near there. I would recommend trying to find some (or at least the current vintage). The bottle in my class (which was the opposite blend) was suggested retail around $120. This one in particular my roommate Lynnette recalls getting for around $30. Checking Google you'll find available bottles everywhere from $40 to $130 though. So definitely watch out for price disparity. Regardless, totally worth it! I love Spain. Gracias!

Cheers!

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Spanish Wine Dinner at West Cafe

Tuesday night I headed out with some friends to Portland's West Cafe. There we enjoyed a six course dinner paired with different Spanish wines. Our group had two vegetarians (me included) and one vegan. So we really got the full gamut of offerings at our table. Overall the pairings were very well done, and so I'd like to share the menu with you and some of my comments.

Starter: Asparagus, Arugula & Butternut Squash Crepe with Garlic Cheese Spread paired with Francoli Non-Vintage Brut Cava

Cava is Spain's sparkling wine, produced in a number of regions throughout the country. Unlike Champagne, Cava can be produced in any region that qualifies. Most of it however is made in the region of Catalonia (around Barcelona). The standard grapes used are Macabeo (Viura), Parellada and Xarel-lo. The Francoli is a 50/50 blend of the first two.

For $14 (per the distributor rep) I think this was an excellent Cava. It was crisp and refreshing, and had just enough complexity via yeasty aromas and flavors. It was a great pairing with the starter - and honestly I would have been happy just drinking that the rest of the meal!

1st Course: Garlic & Pecorino Romano Toast Bruschette with Basil, Shrimp (Tofu) & Tomato Sauce paired with Bodegas del Rosario 2007 Monastrell

Monastrell is also known as Mouvèdre in southern France and Motaro elsewhere in Spain. It is the second most planted red variety in Spain (the first is Garnacha or Grenache). Primarily used for blending in other regions it adds color and structure to wines. This one in particular seemed somewhat flabby (lower acidity) but had a nice raspberry aromas. Some found production notes indicate no oak was used.

Food wise, this was probably my favorite course of the whole meal. Instead of shrimp I got tofu, though I heard the shrimp was very good. You can't go wrong with cheese and garlic broiled onto bread.

2nd Course: Caesar (Red Pepper Dressing) Salad with Romaine & Leaf Spinach topped with Anchovy & Grilled Chicken (Beets and Apple) paired with Protos 2007 Ribero del Duero Roble Tempranillo

Tempranillo, perhaps the most well known grape of Spain, is called many different things throughout the country. In Ribera del Duero, where this wine is from, they call it Tinto del País. This particular bottle saw very little oak aging, referred to by the producer as Joven Roble. Joven means young, and indicates a wine that has little aging (often minimal oak) and is very fruity in style. Definitely the case here as well as bright refreshing acidity.

Tempranillo is a grape which similar to Pinot Noir and Sangiovese can offer lots of bright red fruit and can be very versatile with food pairings. If I liked fresh beets I imagine it would have done very well with this course.

3rd Course: Pan-Seared True Cod (Maple Tofu) over Sliced Tomato with Black Olive Tapanade paired with Bodegas Lozano 1998 Gran Reserva Tempranillo/Cabernet

This next wine is a blend that comes from La Mancha region in central Spain. It is a blend of Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon, and labeled as a Gran Reserva which indicates the length of aging - five years, 18 months of which must be in oak. The producer of this wine indicates 24 months were spent in oak for this blend.

Being a 1998 it was interesting to compare this wine to some of the newer vintages at the dinner. Spanish wine makers have a long tradition of aging wines for a very long time, though I felt this one was just past its prime. Little fruit was present, though it had nice herbal, oaky characteristics. The aromas were actually one of the best parts, that was until the cod started coming around, at which point I think the wine was muted by that smell. It paired well with the tofu I got which had been marinated in a maple syrup mixture. Sweet and savory.

4th Course: Steamed Quarter Artichoke with Grilled Lamb Sausage (Portobello) & Saffron Aiolo paired with Protos 2003 Ribera del Duero Crianza Tempranillo

Finishing with another Tempranillo from Ribera del Duero the Crianza classification dictates that this wine was aged at least two years, six months of which in oak. The producer chose a blend of wine aged 12 months in both French and American oak, and then an additional 12 months in bottle.

Lots of fennel on the nose with this wine, which I imagine paired very well with the sausage served. It was a good accompaniment to the mushroom as well. Nice tannins and a good level of structure on the palate with more oak than the Joven Roble bottle served earlier.

Dessert: Cinnamon, Ginger & Pecan Bread Pudding with Café Crème Anglaise paired with... no wine sadly.

No wine pairing? I think this was the only disappointment of the meal for me. The dessert itself was a good balance of savory and sweet, and would have easily paired with a sweeter Sherry.

Overall I had a wonderful time dining at West Cafe, and am interested to see what future wine dinners they offer. I think the price was fair ($35 + gratuity per person) for the number of courses and wines served. While I may have changed a few things here and there, the pairings were very well done, and had beautiful presentation.

Cheers!

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