Yalumba, The Strapper (2011) Wine Review

”The Strapper “ is a British English term mostly used in Australia for someone who looks after racehorses by doing everything from mucking the stalls to grooming and saddling (thus the term strapper). The Strapper is reliable, solid and trustworthy.  

It’s been my experience that all of the offerings I've tried from Yalumba possess these desirable qualities causing me to continue to reach for their brand while wine shopping.  This one is a GSM. GSM is an acronym for Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvèdre, three varietals commonly blended in French, Southern Rhone wines including Chateauneauf-du-pape.

This GSM however is from the Barossa Valley of Australia. The blend is 48% Grenache, 47% Shiraz and 5% Mataro (Mourvèdre).

First off, I noticed its garnet, somewhat see-though, color.  On the nose - chokecherry or boysenberry syrup, cranberry and violet and a hint of cedar and baking spice. On the soft palate, I found it to be fruit forward, slightly jammy with a peppery yet lengthy finish possessing moderate tannins.

We enjoyed this with grilled pork chops slathered in Bone Suckin’ (Hot) Sauce and Savory Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Spiced Pecans one night and BLT’s the next. If you are making crock-pot dinners this summer, try with my Braised Beef Tips and Mushrooms over Riced Potatoes. To print or save the recipe pairing suggestions, click the links below. 

Savory Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Spiced Pecans

Braised Beef Tips with Mushrooms and Riced Potatoes

Secco Italian Bubbles (2013) Wine Review

Perlage – that’s the word of the day this Wine Wednesday. Perlage is French (pronounced pear LEE ziə). The word translates as beadwork but is also used to describe the beads that form in sparkling wine. Yes, you guessed it, this week’s feature the 2013 Secco Italian Bubbles is indeed a sparkling wine.

The name “Secco” seems to allude to “Prosecco” an Italian white wine which is usually sparkling. However, this is not Prosecco even though it’s produced by two Italian sisters, Ginevra and Olivia Casa, who happen to be quite passionate about Prosecco. Washington state rock star winemaker Charles Smith joins them in this effort and shakes things up a bit.

Instead of the Glera grape varietal used in Prosecco, here they are using 100% Moscato Blanco. Sparkling wines have varying degrees of perlage and I would describe this as “frizzante”, a semi-sparkling wine.

As the days get warmer and lazy summer afternoons grow nearer, you might want to stock up on a few bottles of this. The low alcohol content (5%) makes this the perfect summer sipper.

On the nose (and palate as well) floral and tropical fruit notes. On the tongue, the sweetness of the Moscato is offset by the effervescence making it enjoyably but not cloyingly sweet.

We savored this with Grilled Bruschetta and Salmon Cucumber Canapés for one of our Saturday night appetizer night dinners. Start planning your weekend, sit on the patio or under a giant shade tree, play a relaxing game of checkers or Scrabble and sip on some Secco this Saturday or Sunday afternoon! Click the links below to print or save the recipe pairing suggestions.

Grilled Bruschetta

Salmon Cucumber Canapés

Machi Torrontes (2012) Wine Review

Could you recommend a wine to serve with salmon?  I’ve been asked this question more than a few times and there are several great options, but upon tasting this week’s Wine Wednesday feature it was the first pairing that came to mind. 

The 2012 Machi Torrontes comes to us from the Salta wine region of Argentina. The name pays homage to Machi, traditional healers and tribal leaders of ancient Indian culture indigenous to the area in the far north of Argentina. Machi relied on medicinal herbs and other remedies for healing and thus inspired the name and winemaker to use natural viticultural techniques to craft the wine.  

Torrontes, pronounced Tor RON tez (roll those r’s) is the most widely cultivated white wine grape of Argentina.

In the glass, a rich golden color. On the nose, bold herbal notes, also floral, though more the leaves of flowering plants, lychee and spice. It has an incredibly silky mouthfeel – a wine with weight – and a beautifully balanced acidity delivering a crisp, clean, yet complex finish of citrus, spice and lastly honey on the roof of your mouth.

The mouthfeel and weight of the wine makes it an ideal pairing for salmon, arctic char or other more oily fish dishes. The complexity of the wine will hold up to the bolder flavors of salmon and other oily fish yet not overwhelm them. The herbal aspect will also nicely compliment my Salmon with Dill Sauce. Also try with spicy Indian food or Thai flavors like those in my Tempura Fish Tacos. Click the links below to print or save the recipe pairing suggestions. 

Salmon with Dill Sauce

Tempura Fish Tacos

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