Pfaffl Zeiseneck Grüner Veltliner 2012 Wine Review

Austria. I love Austria. I’ve been there several times and each time I’ve experienced this visceral sense of belonging. I have no knowledge of ancestry there, but sometimes what you feel is greater than what you know.  If I were one to believe in former lives I might conclude that one of mine had ties there. 

What’s interesting is the last time I was in Austria was in 2005, the first was in 1991 and if I have any regrets it is that I didn’t discover Grüner Veltliner until about 8 years ago.  Now I have yet another reason why I simply must return! Grüner Veltliner is the most important native grape to Austria. Over 75% of the varietal comes from Austria.

Today’s Wine Wednesday feature the 2012 Pfaffl Zeiseneck Grüner Veltliner is the entry level Grüner Veltliner from winemaker Roman Josef Pfaffl.  The wine comes from the Weinviertel region near Vienna which also borders the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Zeiseneck is the name of the vineyard the grapes are sourced from.

As days start getting warmer I start turning to lighter fair and wines such as this. On the nose, herbal notes and a distinct minerality with subtle hints of smoke. I enjoyed the slightly round mouth feel with a clean crisp finish and what some may describe as a bit of pepper on the finish as well.  I think of it more as a slight tingle on the tongue that can often accompany a wine aged in stainless tanks. This for me adds to the refreshment and makes it a great summer sipper.

The vineyard for this wine lies on the largest fossil oyster reef in the world and the terroir seemingly predisposes it for pairing with shellfish. Try with Steamed Mussels or Clams alla Puttanesca. In fact use it in the recipes as well. To print or save the recipes, click the links below. 

Steamed Mussels

Clams alla Puttanesca

Callaghan Vineyards Ruth's Blend (2014) Wine Review

AZ wine is fine! At least, that is my opinion of this week’s Wine Wednesday feature the 2014 Callaghan Vineyards Ruth’s Red Blend. In February while my parents were visiting us in AZ we took a little road trip which included wine tasting along the Sonoita Wine Trail near Sonoita and Elgin, AZ about an hour south of Tucson. I had visited the wine trail about 3 years ago, interestingly enough, the day after wine tasting in Napa and Sonoma. At the time, I didn’t have high expectations for AZ wine, but was curious none the less. During my 2013 visit I was surprisingly impressed and purchased several bottles to take home with me. Once home and time had passed  I was equally impressed when I realized I loved the wine as much as I did while tasting at the winery. The wines of winemaker/owner Kent Callaghan were among my favorites then and once again they topped the list!

Ruth’s blend is named after Ruth Graham, co-owner of Golden Rule Vineyards where the grapes for this wine are sourced in Cochise, AZ. Cochise is about an hour north and east of Elgin. This blend is 67% Cabernet Franc and 33% Petit Verdot.  On the nose, black cherry, plum, cocoa and baking spice. On the tongue, big fruit, moderate tannins and a tart juicy finish. This wine is an incredibly balanced wine that is easily paired with a variety of dishes - a real go-to wine as a crowd pleaser for red wine drinkers. 

Ruth’s blend is not on Callaghan’s official tasting sheet, but be sure to ask for it.  The wine can be purchased and shipped from the winery. Contact them via the contact section on their website to purchase.

While visiting the Sonoita Wine Trail, make Callaghan one of your first stops and purchase there as other wineries are good, but not better. I recommend staying in Tucson.  

For dining, visit my friend Chef Alisah at Chef Alisah's Restaurant for delicious homemade European comfort food and Bosnian dishes.  I also recommend Downtown Kitchen and Cocktails and Wilko near the university.

We enjoyed Ruth's Blend with a Grilled New York Strip with Burgundy Mushrooms (I used the wine in the mushrooms) and a side of Oven Roasted Fingerling Potatoes.  Try with my Roast Beef Sandwich Au Poivre or Bouja (Harvest Stew). Click the links below to print or save the recipe pairing suggestions.

Burgundy Mushrooms

Oven Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Roast Beef Sandwich Au Poivre

Bouja (Harvest Stew)

Marqués de Cáceres Rioja Crianza (2011) Wine Review

Tempranillo. It’s a varietal I’m growing increasingly fond of. Since moving to AZ  I’ve sampled Tempranillo from the Sonoita wine trail and have been delightfully impressed – more on that later. This week however, for our Wine Wednesday feature, we go to the native land of Tempranillo – Spain! The 2011 Marqués de Cáceres Rioja Crianza is from the Rioja region.  Crianza on the label is an indication of how long the wine has been aged. Spanish wines can be labeled Crianza, Reserva and Grand Reserva, Crianza being the youngest of them in terms of aging. Crianza red wines must be aged for a minimum of two years with at least one year in Oak and one year in the bottle.  

This wine is a blend of predominantly Tempranillo (85%) along with 10% Garnacha Tinta (Grenache) and 5% Graciano. On the nose -  notes of raspberry, strawberry and licorice and after a few sips - on your palate (roof of the mouth) – hints of chocolate and subtle coffee.  I found it to be a full bodied sturdy wine with ample fruit and acidity with moderate tannins - great for food pairing. We enjoyed it one night with a grilled ribeye and even more the next night with pizza.  Even better, priced as a “weekday wine”, it took the doctored up frozen pizza to another level. It seemed to love the tomato sauce on the pizza. Try also with my New Orleans style “red” Jambalaya or my Homemade Marinara. Be sure to open the wine 30 minutes prior to serving for the best experience. Click the links below to print or save the recipes. 

Jambalaya

Homemade Marinara

Airlie 7 (2011) Wine Review

Whenever someone says to me, “I don’t like wine”, my response is, “then you haven’t tried the right one yet!” However, I understand completely where they are coming from because at one point, I felt the same way. It was at a wine tasting in Oregon where I tried that pivotal wine for me, the one that turned me into an appreciator of wine and fueled my curiosity for further exploration.  That wine, was Evolution by Sokol Blosser – a blend of 9 varietals . Up until then I had tried mostly single varietal wines and sort of walked aimlessly into a wine shop hoping for the best. That single taste of Evolution put me on a path. I wanted to try all 9 of those varietals – some I was unfamiliar with.  This then lead to greater discovery and the realization that I did like wine and it guided me toward the types of wine I prefer. See my video on this blog or at this link: Discovering Wine Specifically Blends.

This week’s Wine Wednesday feature brought that momentous occasion back to mind. The 2011 Airlie 7 is also an Oregon wine and also a blend, this one a blend of 7 different varietals.  It is unique but equally brilliant as if it was blended specifically to suite my taste. As I tasted, I attempted to guess the varietals and managed to guess all but one. Ironically, the one I didn’t guess, the one I’m least familiar with, is the one that is the majority of the blend, Müller Thurgau. Müller Thurgau is a cross of Riesling and Madeleine Royale. I should mention that "7" is a blend of 7 different varietals but also 7 different wines. The approach here is that each of the 7 is fermented separately and made into a single varietal prior to blending.

The other varietals in order of most to least are Pinot Gris, Viognier, Gewürtztraminer, Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc.  On the nose, the scent of pineapple, orange blossom, stone fruit and herbal notes. On the palate, juicy well balanced acidity, spice and a crisp clean finish.  The things that stood out to me most were the subtle sweetness (though this is not a sweet wine) a lovely acidity, the spice that I’ve come to associate with Gewürtztraminer and the herbal notes I love in Viognier. The Chardonnay along with the Viognier likely contributes largely to the structure and being a huge fan of Oregon Pinot Gris, I love everything it brings to the table.

It should be mentioned that each vintage of this wine is unique. I’ve noticed the blend for 2014 is slightly different and I’m anxious to explore that as well.

Like my first love, Evolution, this wine has now found a special place in my heart and a permanent position in my wine fridge! It’s one I’ll reach for when I just want to sip on a glass of wine, but also an extremely versatile choice for food pairing and what I perceive as a crowd pleaser.  This may be my Thanksgiving 2016 choice! I’ll enjoy it a few times between now and then just to be sure.  We honestly, didn’t pair this with anything this time. We enjoyed it by itself as we relaxed by the pool one evening. I’m anxious to try it with Spicy Chicken Lettuce Wraps or Tempura Fish Tacos as well as Grilled Shrimp with Wasabi Remoulade. The subtle sweetness should make this a great pairing with spicy foods - thus Thanksgiving with the various spices and richness in all those magnificent side dishes. 

Click the links below to print or save the recipe pairing suggestions.

Spicy Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Tempura Fish Tacos

Grilled Shrimp with Wasabi Remoulade

Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d' Abruzzo (2011) Wine Review

To my knowledge, I don’t have a drop of Italian blood running through my veins but something seems to come over me when I enjoy a glass of Montepulciano d’ Abruzzo.  Just saying the words is hard to do without a contrived Italian accent.

Today’s Wine Wednesday feature is the 2011 Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d’ Abruzzo. Montepulciano is the name of the grape varietal (and also a town in Southern Tuscany). Abruzzo is the wine region where today’s feature is from, located (if you can picture it) about mid calf on the boot of the Italian Peninsula.  The pronunciation, say it with me and don’t forget the accent, is “mon tae pul chee AH noh dah BRUTE so”. Notice the words on the bottle “il vino dal tralcetto”. This translates as “the wine from the little bunch”.  A nice branding/marketing touch is the addition of a small twig of grapevine fastened to each bottle.

Being a lover of great Chianti, I’m reminded I should reach for Montepulciano more often.  I made homemade marinara the other day and used it in the sauce where I normally use Chianti. With a price point of around $15 I had no reservations (only cook with wine you want to drink) and we enjoyed the rest with the sauce and Italian sausage over spaghetti for dinner that night. 

On the nose; plum, black cherry, a touch of cedar, vanilla and as you slowly breathe in (don’t stop, keep inhaling until you almost can’t anymore) a wonderful cloak of violet.  On the palate; fruit forward with a pleasant acidity and mild to moderate tannins. I found it a little less edgy than most Chianti in this price point but also perhaps a little more one note on the palate with not a lot of evolution.  Sip on this by itself too.  I think it’s a great summer red. Serve at about 62° Fahrenheit.

Try with appetizers like my Grilled Bruschetta or with Greek inspired dishes like my Portobello Pitas with Bulgur Salad. Click the links below to print or save the recipes. 

Marinara Sauce

Grilled Bruschetta

Portobello Pitas with Bulgur Salad

Qupé Central Coast Syrah (2012)

Spring is in the air and this week's Wine Wednesday feature the 2012 Qupé Central Coast Syrah may be the perfect wine to toast the season. Qupé, is the Chumash (a Native American People) word for the lovely wildflower turned California state flower known as California Poppy that blooms every spring. The Chumash inhabited the central and southern coastal regions of CA and the wine label pays homage to them. Winery owner Bob Lindquist took the liberty of adding the diacritical mark to the “e” giving the pronunciation kyoo-pay.

Typically, I might think of Syrah as being a big, full bodied, tannic wine, but I found this one to be fruit forward with notes of blackberry, blueberry and plum along with a subtle hint of smoke. The tannins were moderate making for a well balanced wine with that wonderful peppery finish I associate with Syrah. We enjoyed this with Grilled Pork Chops seasoned with Chardonnay smoked sea salt and slathered with Hot Bone Suckin’ Sauce along with a side of Savory Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Spiced Pecans and the next night with etouffé. This wine is a very drinkable, ready to drink now wine. To print or save the recipe, click the links below.

Savory Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Spiced Pecans

Etouffé

Alexana Pinot Gris (2014)

It was back in December that my sister and brother-in-law took my husband and I wine tasting in the Willamette Valley. They know it's something we enjoy and there's no shortage of great wineries to explore each time we visit. This time our tour took us to Alexana Winery an 80 acre vineyard of largely Pinot Noir but also other varietals. I enjoyed the wine tasting in their gorgeous tasting room and managed to catch a glimpse of the sun through the large windows as it momentarily peaked through the rain clouds and cast its light on the lush green expanse that is their vineyard and the Willamette Valley. If an atmosphere could influence the wine experience for the better, this place could indeed do just that. I loved the wines, purchased this bottle of Pinot Gris but reserved my final opinion until I opened the bottle last evening.

Pinot Gris as you may know is the same grape as Pinot Grigio. The same - yet largely different. Pinot Grigio, the Italian treatment of the varietal, in my opinion tends to result in strong citrus notes and a clear crisp finish. Pinot Gris from the Alsace region of France tends to be a little fuller bodied with more green apple, pear and tropical fruit notes and is a little “smoother around the edges”. Generally, where the varietal is grown outside of these two regions, winemakers name the wine after the preparation style it more closely resembles – Italian Pinot Grigio or Alsatian Pinot Gris.

As you may have guessed the Alexana Pinot Gris, as is the case with most Willamette Valley representations of the varietal, is a reflection of the Alsation style. I found this wine extremely enjoyable sans the fancy showroom and majestic view. On the nose, honeysuckle and pear.  On the palate much the same with that slightly rounder mouth-feel I adore in a Pinot Gris. Because it is a fuller bodied style of the grape vs. Pinot Grigio, the food pairing expands to dishes beyond salads, fish and seafood. Of course it would pair well with all of those but in addition, try with my Baked Chicken and Wild Rice or Pan Fried Pork Chops with Chismol. Click the links below to print or save the recipes.

Also, just a reminder, if you can't find some of the wines I review in your local wine shop, most wineries can ship to most states and the wine can be ordered from their websites.

Alexana Winery

Baked Chicken and Wild Rice

Pan Fried Pork Chop with Chismol