It Starts With A Grape

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I wish i could tell you exactly what grapes went into making this refreshing Portuguese white, but the most I could find on its contents was its made with white varietals native to the Beiras region in Portugal. That being said…it is an enticing shade of golden hay, with interestingly thick, long legs. There’s fresh granny smith apples on the nose, accompanied by prickly pear, hay, thyme and white pepper. Right off the bat it fills your mouth with its creamy texture, but transitions quickly to a more mineralistic, crisp white. It showcases flavors of red tea, papaya and fresh squeezed lemon, with a finish made of slate and lemongrass. I would recommend that you don’t serve this one super chilled, it was only once that it came down in temp a little that it really opened up. This peculiar white would pair famously with hearty white fish in a light lemon and herb sauce, or simply done crab legs with lemon-butter sauce and a side of rice pilaf.

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From the Languedoc region in France comes this terrifically blended red, consisting of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, and Carignan. It opens with a nose of blackberry jam, blueberries, and mild oak, with subtle aromas of roasted green peppers. Its medium-heavy in body, and a deep shade of cranberry in color. Plenty of blueberry carries over to the palate, along with a surprisingly fair amount of oak, given its subtle presence in the bouquet. It has an interesting layer of earth to it, reminiscent of a wet decaying tree covered in moss, but in a good way, if you can imagine that. Though i could see it standing up well to something as heavy and simple as grilled steak, I think it would be better suited paired along side grilled pork in a medium-sweet/savory tomato based sauce.

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Rolling in from Spain at the rock bottom price of $8.99 is this scrumptious Monastrell. Its deep plum in color, and its spicy dark nose is bursting with currant, jammy fruit, and black tea. Even though there’s an abundance of charred oak on the palate it remains smooth in your mouth. The cassis from the nose carries over well, accompanied by blackberry preserves, and a touch of raisin. If I could use just two words to sum this one up they would be dark and mysterious. The oaky finish is fairly dry with a surprising re-emergence of the aforementioned black tea lingering about. It pairs surprisingly well with fresh strawberries (a completely accidental find), really bringing out the fruit in the wine. It would also work well with a grilled steak seasoned liberally with black pepper in a berry glaze, sprinkled lightly with crumbled gorgonzola.

Because many people are still not familiar with this varietal (Monastrell) here’s a little info:

Monastrell also goes by the names Mourverde and Mataro. If you have ever heard the term GSM when someone was describing a wine, well its blend, and the ‘M’ stands for Mourverde, (the G and S are Grenache and Syrah). When its not being used in this popular blend, it produces big, deep, and sometimes earthy reds on its own, its also a favorite among winemakers for roses.

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This super tasty summertime white out of South Africa has a bright tropical nose, namely pineapple and mango with hints of orange peel. Its pale straw in color and has fairly thick legs for a Sauv Blanc. I must say it is a refreshing break form the overbearingly grape-fruity Sauv Blanc that had recently dominated the market. Initially there’s a delicious burst of cracked white pepper on the palate, fallowed gracefully by pineapple and lemon zest. It has just enough citrus, and a super clean slate finish. For a most enjoyable drinking experience, pair it with grilled chicken breast topped with a basil, sauteed apple and roasted fig medley, sprinkled with crumbled goat cheese.  For a simple snack, goat cheese and a slice of apple on wheat crackers.

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My first reaction to this blend out of Spain was simply wow. It has an ultra fragrant nose, filled with spicy aromas of freshly cracked black pepper and clove, dried figs, warm oak, and just a hint of black olives. Add to that its beefy legs, and deep magenta hue, I couldn’t get the glass to my mouth fast enough. And oh what a mouthful…dried cherries, cassis, and oak dominate the palate.  Its got a pleasant bite to it, and notes of cinnamon and dark cocoa that sweep you away to its bone dry charred oak finish. Pair it with a creamy swiss for a mid day snack, or grilled spicy sausage and peppers for someting a little more substantial.

I wish i could tell you what exactly went into making this delightful blend, but apparently the wine makers, Davey Family Wines, don’t want anyone to know. I know this because I have now spent upwards of five hours trying to find out. None the less, it is quite the vivacious red. It has a super fragrant nose of deep jammy berries, and ample oak, with just a flutter of warm vanilla. This deep and full-bodied red delivers huge fruit flavors including black cherry, and jammy blackberry, with deep rich cassis, and if you look for it, there are hints of black olives. If its a good bang for your buck your after , this ‘in your face’ red is it. It was a bit tannic at first, so letting it breath a bit is recommended, there is so much flavor packed into this wine its almost hard to know what to do with it! If your going to pair it with food, only a full flavored, heavy dish will suffice. As for cheese, Manchego or another pungent cheese would be a mice match. All in all, its super tasty, but only for the bold.

Packing more of a punch than one would normally expect from a Frenchy, is this delightfully full flavored Cabernet. It opens with quite earthy aromas, nuances of freshly sliced green peppers, while maintaining enough fruit to achieve a nice balance. There’s plenty of diversity on the palate, and the longer you drink it the more the layers will unfold, initially revealing ripe cherries and smokey oak, moving on to blackberries and hints of strawberry, and finishing with ample oak and cassis. Its medium to heavy in body, and would lend itself excelently to smoked chicken with a side of grilled asparagus.

This medium bodied, silky smooth Italian is exactly what a Montepulciano (monte-pool-chiano) should be. There’s bright fruit on the nose, consisting mainly of fresh raspberries, with under tones of soft oak. Its the epidamy of easy drinking, (no big oak or boisterous fruit here), with juicy plum on the palate, gliding over your tongue, caressing your  taste buds. Enjoy it all by itself or pair it with wild game, lightly seasoned with Italian herbs of course!

This particular Carmenere is what I’d like to call a mix of new and old world style. It has the smooth drink-ability of an old world wine, mixed with the up-front, in your face flavors and aromas of the new world. It opens with a burst of deep black cherries, ripe plum, subtle toasty oak, and hints of fresh cracked black pepper. Displaying a beautifully, deep, ruby color, and delivering a diverse mouthful of flavor much of which resembles its nose. It has a silky smooth finish of dark chocolate and warm oak. The back of the bottle told me this would be an ‘elegant’ wine, and i can not disagree. I couldn’t think of a better dish to enjoy this one with than a rare, lightly seasoned steak, off the grill. If your not in the mood to grill, it would also lend itself well to a pot roast, throwing about a cup of this wonderfully flavorful wine into your dish will ensure a perfect match.

No, its not a type-o, its really just $3.99. Don’t ask me why or how, because i don’t know. It opens with an ample amount of super ripe, jammy fruit, fallowed by sweet cherry tobacco. This particular petite sirah leans more towards the light-medium bodied side. Its good and juicy, but plenty of smokey tobacco carries onto the palate, with hints of milk chocolate. Cherry flavors are definitely the highlight of this one, along with plump, ripe raspberries. It may not be a huge red, but its simple fruit forward character makes for one easy drinking wine. It good on its own, but i think it would really shine if paired with something along the lines of roasted, rosemary pork or lamb, with a cherry glaze.