It Starts With A Grape

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Primitivo, aka Zinfandel from Southern Italy, is one of my favorite wines. This one, thankfully, is no exception. My first good whiff was filled with delicious aromas of a late autumn bonfire, complete with fallen leaves. (Can you tell I’m sick of winter?) Just beyond the lovely smokey aromas lies fresh black cherry with a touch of raspberry jam, white pepper, and clove cigarettes. The black cherry has no problem presenting itself on the palate, its the first thing that hits your taste buds. A close second is all of that smoke showcased on the nose. Its tannins are very present, yet smooth and silky. There’s a touch of dried blueberries and tart cranberry that lends a slightly sour note. For how juicy it is upfront, its finish is bone dry. I paired this wine with baked ravioli in a puree of roasted red/yellow peppers, roma tomatoes, red onion and asparagus, topped with fresh mozzarella slices and basil. It stood up very well to the peppers, and asparagus. The fresh mozzarella was a perfect match as far as body goes. All in all, it was a good match. If you would like to add a little meat, I would definitely recommend prosciutto.

We all know the economy is, well, lets just say its still in a state of ‘recovery’, but that doesn’t mean your Valentine has to miss out! No Valentine this year? Sounds like the perfect excuse for a wine party to me! As those of you highly valued regular readers know, all of our reviews come complete with perfect food pairings, so scoop up some wine, whip up some sweet treats, and as always, don’t empty your bank account! Have a Happy “V” Day from all of us here at It Starts With a Grape!

And as always,

Drink well, Drink frugally!

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This lovely Malbec, hailing from Argentina, displays a gorgeous, vibrant ruby hue. Given its relatively young age, this high altitude (5,900ft.) red boasts multiple layers. But lets start with its nose… Upfront there’s a wave of dark, mature black cherries which lays upon a smooth aroma of warm oak. Beneath the robust cherries lays jammy fig and a more subtle note of truffle, hinting at the presence of an earthy side on the palate. Intrigued? I am! But this nose doesn’t end there, there’s also a most lovely scent of warm vanilla, with just a smidge of anise lurking below. The first thing to hit my palate was a big, fresh, zippy strawberry, fallowed by dark, heavy blackberry preserves. As the fruit dissipates, warm vanilla emerges momentarily, only to give way to a bone dry charred oak finish, with a touch of (drum roll please) earthy kamlata olives. Though I did not personally enjoy this lively Malbec with any particular dish, next time its going alongside a thick and juicy, pepper rubbed, grilled steak, with a side of portobbelo topped red mashed potatoes.

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Though not labeled Bordeaux, this is a Bordeaux style blend out of France composed of %60 Cabernet Sauvignon and %40 Merlot. It also happens to be made with organically grown grapes, and if I do say so myself, this is a shining example of what organic wine should be. If I were to blindly taste this wine there would not be the slightest of chances that I would guess it was organic. That being said, lets delve on into this beauty… Its deep ruby hue is so dark its borderline opaque, and its legs clung to the side of my glass like half-set jello. The nose on this scrumptious blend presented blueberry pie, warm vanilla creme brulee, and toasted almonds, it smelled so delicious my mouth was nearly watering. The first sip was bursting with fresh juicy blueberries and ripe red raspberries. As the upfront fruit dissipated it left behind a most pleasant toasty oak, which made it presence known but wasn’t overbearing.  In addition to the warm oak brought to my taste buds on a wave of wonderfully soft tannins, its finish possessed just a touch of molasses. This is one meticulously balanced red, with no need to aerate before enjoying. I paired it with bourbon glazed salmon fillet, and a side of garlic and butter sauteed green beans, which is a super easy, quick, and tasty meal by the way. Just let the salmon sit in a bourbon marinade for about a half hour, preheat your oven to 350 and stick it in, skin down on a well greased pan. Give it roughly 10 min for every inch thick your salmon is. As for the green beans, mince some garlic, chop your green beans and sautee them in butter till tender. Anyways, the fat in the salmon coats your palate and allows a wonderfully spicy side of this wine to emerge, filled with freshly cracked black pepper.

Many people are not yet aware of the wines coming out of China, and many are surprised to learn that they have actually been producing wine for over 3,000 years. Prior to tasting this Riesling I may have been inclined to make some sort of dollar store joke, but I’m happy to report, though it’s not what I’ve come to expect from Riesling, this is one seriously nifty wine!

Its nose was anything but delicate, boasting apricots and home canned peaches, fallowed by aromas of light honey, and, stay with me here, those little gummy lemon wedge candies covered in sugar. Its pretty light in body, but certainly not in flavor! This is possibly the ‘greenest’ Riesling I have ever encountered, with fresh cut grass front and center on the palate accompanied by lemonade like flavors, it’s reminiscent of spiked lemonade. (I’d also like to mention that this is a dry riesling, no sugar here.) In a final twist, this Chinese Riesling presents a lengthy tropical finish, with just a hint of under ripe green apple. I paired it with cajun shrimp seasoned liberally with black pepper, and a healthy dose of cayenne, over a bed of diced roasted red pepper and yellow tomato.

The winners for the tickets to the Grand Tasting at Bon Vivant are going to be picked at 6pm tomorrow (Friday)! To enter the drawing just click on the e-mail below and provide us with your name and e-mail so we can let you know if your the big winner!

Happy Sipping,

It Starts With a Grape

freetickets@itstartswithagrape.com

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So, there is a fantastic event being held this coming weekend called Bon Vivant. Its being held to benefit the Centaur Stride Therapeutic Riding Facility which provides recreational facilities to disabled people and their families. So, were recruiting you, our readers, to drink for a cause.

Is going to be held in Chautauqua, New York, and there are many different events you can attend throughout the weekend. Me, I’ll be at    the champagne brunch on Sunday!

We’re also raffling off two tickets to the grand tasting! That’s right, FREE TICKETS! A winner will be picked at random on Friday and will be awarded both tickets, don’t worry, we wont play favorites! Just send in your name and email to the address provided below. (Sorry for the short notice) The Grand Tasting is going to be held at the Expo center, on Saturday from 7pm till midnight, and the tickets are worth over $100!

freetickets@itstartswithagrape.com

You can follow the link in the side bar for more information on the events this weekend, to purchase tickets, and more info on the Centaur Stride Therapeutic Riding Facility.

Thanks for your support, hope to see you there!

Heather Denaro
It Starts With a Grape

Tokaji, Hungary, is primarily known for its desert wines. Furmint, which is actually the type of grape used to produce this wine, takes very well to Botrytis, aka: Noble Rot, and therefor is a prime candidate for exceptional desert wines. It happens to be the most widely planted white grape varietal in Hungary, and also goes by the names Mosler and Sipon in Austria and Slovania respectively. That being said, this is not a desert wine. History lesson over, on to the review!

Its a stunning and vibrant, yet deep, gold in color, and fairly heavy in consistency, this ones stick’in to the glass! The first thing to hit me, compliments its ultra fragrant nose, was clove, mmm spicy, fallowed by freshly sliced, super ripe strawberries, and just a flutter of crisp garden fresh green beans. It gracefully coats the mouth in a creamy, luscious wave of velvet, delivering such delicious flavors as poached pear lightly seasoned with cinnamon. Next comes a refreshing zing of lemon/lime zest, making for the perfect balance to the heavy, creamy body this white posses as a result of secondary fermentation and barrel aging. As if that weren’t enough to wow your taste buds, there’s also flavors of home canned peach and fresh mango, with a lengthy finish of spiced apple pie. As for food, I’m going with broiled scallops on this one, simply done with butter, lemon, wine, and just a touch of rosemary. I could also see it working very with a white seafood chowder, given its full bodied, creamy texture.

First and foremost, this wine needs to breath. Decant it, pour it a half hour before you drink it, or if you don’t have the time, pour it back and forth between two glasses a couple of times, just get some air on it.

This will reveal a bright nose of blueberries, ripe red, fresh off the vine raspberries, black pepper, and charcoal. This 100% Granacha is an almost electric hue of magenta, and even after vigorously aerating, this wine still bites (in a good way!). If you want to wake up your dormant taste buds this phenomenally robust red will do the trick! It delivers a spicy wave of flavors including cinnamon and tarragon, along with a wallop of tangy raspberry, and plenty of black pepper. If you could taste the smell of a smoldering campfire on a cool summer night, well, that’s the finish you will get from this Spanish firecracker. It makes me crave bacon and Gorgonzola atop grilled steak on a bed of sauteed spinach delicately seasoned with fresh garlic.

Many people are not yet familiar with the tannat grape.  It got its start in the South West of France, but you could say it got its big break in Uruguay, where it is now one of the most widely planted grapes. This dark beauty in particular opens with a nose of dark chocolate, toasty vanilla, and a hint of baked pineapple. Its super deep, inky color only builds anticipation until it hits your lips, where it delivers a hefty dose of dark cassis. Soon there after follows thick molasses, and dried prunes, with a touch of black olives. Its finish is one of intense oak and mild sweet tobacco. Overall, in case you haven’t gathered, this is one very dark, inky wine and would stand up  nicely to smoked foul. Don’t even try it with anything light, you wont even taste the food.