SPARKLING ROSÉ
Ahh… tis the season for bubbly and more bubbly. But of course, those in the wine trade would like to encourage wine consumers to drink sparkling wine anytime throughout the year and at any time of day. I like to drink sparkling before eating as it prepares the palate for all the yumminess to come, but I do have to admit it is always a fun to drink bubbly when there is something to celebrate like spending Christmas with family and friends and ringing in the New Year.
Since there is always so much focus on white sparkling wines this time of year, I would like to remind you that those wines of the more salmon/pink color, commonly referred to as Sparkling Rosé, can be just as pleasant on the palate as they are festive in color.
Traditional sparkling wines are made from two common grape varieties, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, as well as a third lesser known variety called Pinot Meunier. When making white sparkling wines, prior to fermentation the skins are separated quickly from the juice so as to not extract any pink or red color from the Pinot Noir and/or Pinot Meunier grapes. However, when making red or pink sparkling wines, the juice is left on the skins and can even be fermented with the skins in order to extract more color.
The following Sparkling Rosé suggestions are all of amazing quality and are great with light fare or to be consumed as a cocktail. Remember – this is not a gender specific beverage and can be enjoyed by all! So have fun with your bubbly this holiday season and drink the pink! Cheers!
Schramsburg Brut Rosé, $32.99 (California)
The Schramsburg Rosé is made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes grown in the cooler Napa and Sonoma growing regions which include Carneros and Anderson Valley. Schramsburg is credited with being ‘America’s First House of Sparkling Wine’ and the family has perfected their sparkling winemaking techniques to create wines of rich complexity and flavor. This dry rosé yields aromas and flavors of bright red fruits, yeast and crisp acidity. The bubbles do not dissipate too quickly so you can savor them throughout the length of the finish.
Availability: Check your local Fine Wine Shop or go to http://www.schramsberg.com/index.html.
Veuve Cliquot Brut Rosé, $54.99 (France)
This Rosé is made from all three traditional sparkling wine grapes – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. On the nose, aromas of red fruits such as strawberry, raspberry, and cherry which give way into bready notes. You will find the same fruits on the palate but with the addition of a yeasty flavor and incredible balance of fruit and complexity. This is truly and elegant sparkling Rosé, but you would expect nothing less from one of the most famous Champagne houses in the world.
Availability: Check your local Fine Wine Shop or BevMo!
Jansz Premium Sparkling Rosé, $21.99 (Australia)
This is one of my favorite sparklings from Australia as it is very affordable and always delivers on quality and flavor. This Rosé has an intense, bright pink hue with a very fine and persistent bead (the bubbles in the glass that float to the top; the finer and more persistent they are, the higher the quality). Fresh fruit aromas and flavors of cherry blossoms and strawberry are complimented by the wine’s fresh, natural acidity. As this is a great wine for any occasion (dinner party, celebration, gift, etc) and is such a fantastic price, I would recommend purchasing more than one.
Availability: Check your local Fine Wine Shop or go to http://www.jansztas.com.
Domaine Chandon Brut Rosé, $15.99 (California)
Domaine Chandon is known for producing excellent quality sparkling wines at all price points and if you are new to Sparkling Rosé, this is a great wine to try as it focuses on bring out the fruitiness of the grapes and won’t break the bank. This wine has intense aromas of strawberry and red cherry, with slight hints of crisp apple and stone fruit. The delicious fruity aromas also show through on the rich, creamy palate.
Availability: Check your local Fine Wine Shop or BevMo!
South American Wines – Argentina
Over the past couple months I have been lucky enough to attend a few wine events that included line ups of some remarkable wines and found that wines from Argentina are crazy delicious! The wines coming out of this South American country are incredibly flavorful, complex, and more often than not, of extremely high quality.
Argentina grows a variety of common grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, but is also known for producing unique varietal wines including Malbec and Torrontés.
Malbec originates from the Cahors region in Southern France where it is known as Côt and is also one of the blending varietals in Bordeaux wines. The grape was brought to Argentina in the mid 19th century and Argentinian producers found this red grape adapted very well to the country’s climate and soils. Malbec is similar to Cabernet Sauvignon as it can produce young, fruity, simple wines but can also be made into rich, complex wines worthy of extended cellaring. The color of Malbec wine is intense – very dark purple black – and is generally soft and lush with aromas of ripe prunes, plums, and anise. This wine tastes great with dark meats, rich sauces, and hard cheeses.
Torrontés is a white wine that is truly unique to Argentina. Its origins are still questionable, but wine experts agree that it is very similar to Muscat grown in wine regions near the Mediterranean. I would compare Torrontés to Viognier as it has that fragrant, floral aroma with sweet honey and a hint of spicyness. This grape also makes exceptional sparkling and fortified wines. Torrontés pairs well with spicy dishes and strong cheeses.
I recently tried the following wines and found them to be great examples of what Argentina has to offer.
2006 Colome Torrontés, $13
This wine is intensely aromatic and floral with notes of roses, honeysuckle, jasmine, and a slight citrus twist. Stone and citrus fruit are revealed on the palate, which culminate in a crisp, clean finish. This wine is brought to the U.S. by Hess in Napa so it should be widely available.
2003 Catena Alta Chardonnay, $45
Chardonnay is another important white wine grape in Argentina and the Catena Family produces an excellent age-worthy Chardonnay. This wine was made from grapes grown at the Catena Family’s Adriana Vineyard, which is located 5,000 feet in elevation, making it the highest vineyard in Argentina’s most celebrated growing region, Mendoza. The resulting wine has powerful aromatics with great acidity and concentrated flavors on the palate. Minerals and ripe stone fruit with notes of honey and vanilla from oak aging all meld together to create an elegant wine with the potential to age for another 5+ years.
2004 Achaval Ferrer Finca Altamira Malbec, $80
The ultimate Malbec – this wine shows just how complex and age-worthy an Argentinian Malbec can be! This opaque, purple-black Malbec is incredibly smooth with aromas and flavors of blackberry, blueberry, earth, leather, and hints of vanilla. Can drink now but I would hold onto it for a few more years as time in the bottle will further develop this already complex wine.
Cab is King!
That is often a phrase you will hear from wine producers in California regarding one of their biggest wine varietals in terms of production. Ever since Cabernet Sauvignon was discovered in Europe, it has become a very popular varietal as it is fairly easy to grow and can adapt to most climates and soils. Additionally, Cabernet can generally retain its flavor and aroma characteristics no matter where it is grown.
Originally from Bordeaux, France, it was found through DNA testing that Cabernet Sauvignon is the offspring of Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc. Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the leading varietals blended in Bordeaux style wines along with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Bordeaux reds have to be some of the most famous wines in the world, however, California (Napa), Chile, Italy (Tuscany), and Australia are all known to produce some quality Cabernet Sauvignon wines as well.
There are a few different Cabernet styles to be aware of. The first has to do with how warm or cool the climate of the winegrowing region is. If the climate is warmer, such as Napa Valley in California, the wines tend to have more fruit flavors and aromas of cherry and blackberries along with milk chocolate and vanilla. A cooler climate, such as Coonawarra in South Australia, will produce Cabernet wines with aromas and flavors of red pepper, asparagus, tomato leaf, spice, mocha, and tobacco.
The second style has to do with old world versus new world characteristics for Cabernet Sauvignon. New world wine producers are trying to make their Cabernet Sauvignon wines into a more approachable, fruit forward, and less complex wine to appeal to more consumers. Therefore, the characteristics in a new world wine are more fruity with cherry, black currant, and raspberry flavors and aromas. Old world producers typically age their Cabernet Sauvignon based wines for years, sometimes a decade before release. The bottle age these wines pick up tend to decrease the amount of fruit in the wine and showcase a flavor profile of earth, herbs, cocoa, cedar, tobacco, and leather.
On a wine training this past week in Napa, I was able to taste some outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon wines, including some that won’t break the bank. The following are a few that will pair well with a variety of food dishes and are great values from the North Coast. They should also be easy to find at your local grocery store or wine shop.
2005 Sterling Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, $17.99
This medium bodied, well-balanced wine exhibits intense red fruit on the nose and has flavors of red cherry, raspberry and a hint of vanilla from oak aging. The flavors finish strong and I believe this wine can stand up to a variety of food dishes from beef to hearty soups. Perfect for the coming fall/winter months.
2005 Louis M. Martini Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, $19.99
The skillful integration of the fruit and oak is what stands out the most with the Martini Napa Valley Cab. Aromas and flavors of red cherry, strawberries, and red currant with vanilla and cedar from the oak aging and a firm tannin structure make this wine an easy favorite. This wine also goes well with a variety of foods, but goes amazingly well with a nice filet mignon or braised short ribs. Can you tell I’ve had it a few times before???
2005 Simi Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, $18.99
Alexander Valley is actually located in Sonoma County, but this area produces some exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon wines due to the variety in soils and microclimates throughout the region. The color on this wine is incredibly intense with deep red, purple hues. The aromas are subtle; however, the flavors are very concentrated with red cherry, cassis, vanilla, and a slight nuttiness. A good tannin structure and medium to long finish indicate that this is an Alexander Cab of good, sound quality.
2005 Frei Brothers Reserve Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, $21.99
Another great example of an Alexander Valley Cabernet! And again, great color with dark purple and black hues and medium intensity aromas of black cherry and vanilla. The flavors are much more concentrated than the aromas and showcase more ripe fruit such as plum, raspberry, and vanilla from the oak aging. This wine has good body with a strong tannin structure and a lingering, darker fruit focused finish.
*Please drink responsibly
The Wines of Germany and Austria
Understanding the wines of Germany and Austria can be a bit overwhelming; the varietals sound strange and are difficult to pronounce, the labels include all sorts of foreign words like ‘qualitätswien’ and ‘Trockenbeerenauslese’, and the wine styles are very different than what the typical U.S. wine consumer is used to. But if you give these wine producing countries a chance, they typically do not disappoint.
Germany and Austria have long been regarded as producers of high quality white wines that can age an exceptionally long time due to their higher acidity levels. These two countries are located in close proximity to each other and therefore are thought to have similar climates, wine styles, and wine classification systems, and thus are often talked about like they are one wine producing region. However, there are many differences that set Germany and Austria apart as well.
Germany, the northernmost wine producing country in the world, is known for producing elegant Rieslings and high quality Eiswien (Ice wine), but is also producing some beautiful Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir). Most of the vineyards in Germany are planted along the Rhine River as Spring tends to arrive late and Autumn comes early and large bodies of water have a moderating effect on the climate. Germany also has some of the steepest vineyard slopes in the world (up to 76°!), which can make growing and harvesting the grapes a difficult and very dangerous task. Their wine quality has been up and down for the past few decades, but now German wine producers have really begun to focus on producing premium quality wines, which has made them very competitive in the global wine scene.
Austria has traditionally been regarded as an innovator in premium winemaking production and as a producer of high quality wines. However, their reputation was put on the line after the ‘Austrian wine scandal’ of 1985 when producers were adding diethylene glycol (anti-freeze) to their white wines to make them sweeter. Fortunately, levels were so low that no one was harmed, but the reputation of the Austrian wine industry was ruined. As a result, the Austrian government created strict, highly exemplary wine production laws to regain the quality standards Austria was previously known for. Austria has come a long way since 1985, and aided with government support, they are making some of the finest white and red wines in the world.
The above is only a brief background of the wine countries of Germany and Austria, but if interested in learning more the numerous wine varieties produced in these countries and their classification systems among other things, check out the following Web sites:
Germany: http://germanwineusa.org/destination_germany/regions.php
Austria: http://www.winesfromaustria.com
The following are a few great examples of German and Austrian wines that can be easily purchased through K&L wine merchants (www.klwines.com) and Beverages and More! I found that another great place to search for wines is at www.wineaccess.com.
2005 Josef Leitz Rüdesheimer Berg Roseneck Spätlese, $33.99
This Riesling exhibits floral aromas with flavors of mineral, peach, apple, rose, and nut oil. This wine is quite low in alcohol which is typical of many German wines as they are generally not fermented to dryness. This is because Riesling usually has high acid levels and leaving a bit of residual sugar helps to balance the wine. This wine can be consumed now but will age for the next 8-26 years.
8% Alc.
2004 August Kesseler Assmanshausen Höllenberg Spätburgunder, $49.99
The dark fruit aromas in this Spätburgunder, or Pinot Noir, are complimented with flavors of black current, clove, spice, bitter almonds with a lingering, velvety finish. This wine was produced from grapes grown in the famed Rheingau region of Germany.
14% Alc.
2006 Nigl Riesling Kremser Kremsleiten, $36.99
This full bodied Austrian Riesling has attractive aromas of peach, apricot, and citrus with flavors of vanilla, honey, and a slight minerality with a balanced, enduring finish. Made from the very well known Austrian producer, Nigl, this is one of the best Rieslings I’ve ever tasted!
14.5% Alc.
2006 F.X. Pichler Smaragd Kellerberg Grüner Veltliner, $90
Another renowned Austrian producer, F.X. Pichler, makes exceptional Grüner Veltliner wines at varying complexities. The Kellerberg, a famous vineyard in the Wachau region, produced this stunning Grüner Veltliner wine which has layers upon layers of tropical fruit aromas and flavors. On the palate, numerous flavors show through such as mango guava, ripe peach, green apple, honey, apricots and a hint of flinty minerals. The finish is rich and strong; this wine will stay fresh for at least another fifteen years.
11.8% Alc.
**Please drink responsibly
The White Wines of France
I am the first person to admit that I don’t know enough about French wines to discuss them confidently and will shy away from the French wine section at the Grocery store or wine shop because of this. France just seems so complicated with all the different wine regions and very restrictive wine production laws and evidence shows that I am not the only person to feel this way. U.S. wine consumers are so used to knowing what they are drinking in terms of varietal because it is generally spelled out on the label. But with French wines, one has to have some background knowledge in order to understand what varietal or even quality he/she is purchasing. This can make buying French wine, or any European wine for that matter, very overwhelming.
A few weeks ago, I attended a French white wine tasting and though I still find French wine daunting for the most part, it gave me a chance to sit down and concentrate on the differences between the various French white wine producing regions. I may not understand completely the history or the wine styles of the following producers in the reviews below, but I did learn that some amazingly high quality French white wines can be purchased for very decent prices.
The following wines were the standouts for me, mainly for their remarkable quality and exciting aromas and flavors. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!
2006 Domaine Bourillon-Dorléans Coulée d’Argent Vouvray Sec, $17.99
This wine is made from 100% Chenin Blanc grapes from Vouvray in the Loire Valley and exhibits elegant aromas of butterscotch and tropical fruits with flavors of pear, grape candy, and butterscotch. Overall, this medium to full bodied wine is very impressive considering the fairly inexpensive price.
13% Alc.
2006 Jean Albrecht Riesling Reserve, $16.95
The Albrecht Family continues to have complete management over their winery, which was founded in 1425, and the current 18th generation family members still maintain sustainable and organic farming practices. This beautiful Riesling from the Alsace region has appealing aromas and flavors of peach and honey with slight botrytis* notes. Another great value wine – who knew quality French whites could be such a bargain!
13% Alc.
2006 Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer, $24.99
Another historic winery located in the Alsace region, Domaine Zind-Humbrecht was founded in 1620 and is currently run by 12th generation family members. Honey, floral and perfumey aromas are incredibly intense in this wine with sweet flavors of rose and honeysuckle. There is a bit of bitterness on the palate and finish, however the intensity of aromas/flavors, complexity, and exceptionally long finish more than make up for it.
14.5% Alc.
2005 E. Guigal Condrieu, $49.99
Out of all the French whites in this tasting, this was definitely my favorite. Made from Viognier wine grapes in the Northern Rhone area, this wine reveals beautifully concentrated aromas of almonds, butterscotch, and sweet, ripe stone fruit. On the palate, the oily texture gives way to elegant flavors of vanilla, violets, sweet peaches, honey, and apricots. There is so much going on with this rich wine, but it will remain delicate and fresh until the very last drop.
13.5% Alc.
Unfortunately for me, I have expensive taste! Good thing there are some great values in the other wines listed above.
*Botrytis is a fungal disease that can destroy an entire fruit crop; however with wine grapes, Botrytis is also known as ‘noble rot’ as it can help to enhance the flavors of some white grapes such as Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Riesling and Viognier to create world renown dessert wines.
**Please drink responsibly
