Showing posts with label wine blogger wednesday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wine blogger wednesday. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Wine Blogging Wednesday #67: Seeing Red for the First Time
Like General MacArthur returning to the Pacific, Julius Caesar's triumphant arrival back in Rome, or the elusive reappearance of the McRib, I'm happy to get back into writing for "Wine Blogging Wednesday". The concept was started over 5 years ago by New York wine authority Lenn Thompson, and is- this month- being hosted by wine-blogging supernova Joe Roberts. As both gentlemen are Pittsburgh Steelers fans, and Ben Roethlisberger prefers to engage in shenanigans in my home state of Georgia, I feel a certain connection here. Maybe Lenn, Joe, Ben and I will get together for a McRib sometime. I hear the McDonald's in Milledgeville is pretty good.
Okay, while I can't apologize for their quarterback, I do tip my hat to the guys for continuing a great tradition. WBW centers around a theme picked by the month's host, and it's a terrific way to bring the wine blogging community together to "compare notes". Think of Wine Blogging Wednesday as a virtual round of McRibs, but replace wine writing for the meat-type substance of unknown providence slathered in sauces and toppings to mask the unspeakable horror.
Fortunately, the theme this month is devoid of horror. "Seeing red" is all about finding the red wine you'd utilize to welcome a white-wine drinker to the dark side. As tinted vino often has a flavor profile much different to the typical "white wine drinker's" drug of choice (likely being California Chardonnay), this can be a tough sell. The heavier flavors, often lower acidity & higher alcohol, and- what I think is the biggest aversion- a prevalence of tannins in many red wines spit in the eye of the butter, tropical fruits, occasional crispness, and moderate alcohol of your standard-issue Chardonnay (though many from California and Australia can be quite high in booze levels). As I am an unbiased lover of all wines (or pretty much anything that can be consumed and put in my gullet), I needed a test subject:
Meet Ashley, friendly neighbor and wine consumer (and, oddly enough, Pittsburgh Steelers fan). While I have seen her knock down an occasional red, Ashley's been a pretty loyal patron of a particular brand of California Chardonnay. And, being a trooper, she even "volunteered" to have a glass of her favorite go-to in the name of scientific research. Furthermore, I tip my hat to Ashley's intrepid spirit, sacrifice, and teamwork when her arm was firmly twisted into drinking free wine. You tops, kiddo!Now, what strategy would I employ in willing this mild-mannered test subject towards seeing red? In my analysis, I came up with two possible strategies:
1) Find a wine with very similar attributes to a Chardonnay (or other popular white wine)
2) Go for the "knocking off of the socks", if you will, by finding a red wine that would be nothing like the incumbent product, impressing an inevitable "what have I been missing?!" reaction.
Well, I caved. The second option seemed so cavalier, but I didn't think I could pull it off. That being said, I did go for perhaps an original angle (at least on my first try):
Okay, perhaps I was going for sassy marketing to soften the blow of consuming red wine. However, I thought this one might fit the bill. Here's my half-witted reasoning:
1) Grenache is a grape that is medium-bodied, generally lower in tannin, and high in strawberry flavors.
2) Australian wines- since they are so reliant on export- need to be marketable. For this reason, many are more fruit-forward and low in tannin.
The verdict: Ashley didn't like it as much as white wine, wouldn't pay the $12 for it, but also wouldn't be upset if it was served to her. When told she could pour it out to try the second wine, she said, "c'mon. It's not THAT bad." Regardless, I think I failed with this one. Frankly, either I didn't like it at all or the bottle was bad. It had that rubber ball smell I've been getting lately in many wines, suggesting there many have been an issue with sulfuric compounds in the wine.
My first instinct was to go with Beaujolais, but I didn't think it'd be very original, so I got myself in that "bitch" of a situation above. Why Beaujolais? Well, this French wine is made from the Gamay grape, often employing a fermentation technique known as "carbonic maceration" (I won't get into the science...link if you'd like), which essentially preserves fresh fruit flavors and keeps tannins low. These wines also do well with a bit of a chill on them, have nice acidity, and make perfect picnic wines (sorta sounds like a white wine, huh?).
The verdict: my subject found this one to be "much better", but then she "had to leave because her kid was getting tired and it was time for dinner" (a classic "I'm going to get a McRib but I'm too embarrassed to admit it" excuse). Luckily, one of our other companions said, "if you closed your eyes and tasted this, you could definitely mistake it for a white wine." Boom. I'm chalking that up as full success.
I feel bad the "Bitch" didn't work out, because I think lush Aussie Grenache would've been a more interesting victory. However, if you are a white wine-loyalist reading this post, I highly encourage you give some Beaujolais-Villages (or Beaujolais) a try. Put it in the fridge for 30 minutes, and enjoy it with whatever you'd usually have with your standard white, whether that be grilled chicken, flaky fish, or- of course- your weekly rib-flavored crap sandwich. Just please don't be hesitant to try something new. You may never know what you're missing.
And to that, I'll bring back the toast (with a new Russian one I learned): Cheers, Sláinte, L'Chaim, Salud, Prost, Skål, Konbe, Kampai, Nostrovia, and Laissez les bon temps rouler!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
A Debut Performance: Wine Blogging Wednesday #60: I Have Zinned
I'm really excited to be part of Wine Blogging Wednesday. I need to give credit where it's due: to Lenn Thompson of Lenn Devours for creating WBW, and to @Sonadora of the Wanna Wino Wine Blog for posting this one so I could weasel my way into participating.
This month's theme is "I Have Zinned"...the title is apropos, as Widespread Panic's "Me and the Devil Blues" pulses through my headphones (hopefully rocking me out of a serious funk of writer's block). And while drinking Zinfandel may not result in an audience with Ol' Scratch, it is kind of the "bad boy" of red wines: powerful, spicy, alcoholic, and all-American...a perfect compliment to folksy rock n' roll. But something is missing-
Bluesy Jams + Jammy Booze + BBQ Ribs with a Zinfandel Glaze- okay, now we've got something worth writing about.
THE WINESince my Bentley's in the shop and both my yachts are costing me an arm-and-a-leg in dry-dock, I opted for a Zin with a price point of $10.99. Plus, I wanted to give something a try from the Sierra Foothills AVA, so this Cartlidge & Browne 2006 Amador County Zinfandel fit the bill. I've had a lot of great Zin in the $20-30 range, so it's nice when I find a gem in the $10-12 "broke wino" range (yes, it's true...the Bentley/yacht talk was a farce).
No earth-shaking find here, but not bad. On the nose, I got berries: blueberries, strawberries, blackberries. Also, some violets, spice, and pepper. Nothing interesting; it was a pretty typical, rather subtle Zinfandel nose. In the mouth, I got some decent fruit, average acidity, and some smooth tannins. It was pretty easy drinking and not incredibly structured, with a rather short finish. In the end, I found it to be a servicable Zin. Not terrible, not great- really what I would expect for the price point. If you're knocking back a bottle on a Tuesday night, you could do a lot worse, and you certainly wouldn't feel like your $11 bucks went to waste. However, for $3-5 bucks more, I think you get a lot more value out of a Ravenswood Sonoma County Zin or a Cline Ancient Vines Zin (both which can be found anywhere). Depends on your "Bentley" situation, I suppose. Also, always keep in mind that these are my taste buds talking, not yours.
THE FOODSuffice it to say, I'm a sucker for good BBQ. If my [ample] belly could talk, it would say "gimme some BBQ, sucka!" Yes, my belly would talk in a Mr. T voice. "T" and I especially like good BBQ with Zinfandel; the big berry fruit works great with a sweet sauce and the smoky flavor, and the acidity and tannin help balance the richness of pork ribs, which are high in tasty fats. However, unable to decide on pork ribs or beef ribs, I went for both. I used the "Lone Star Steak Rub" from Steven Raichlen's Barbecue Bible: Sauces, Rubs and Marinades. I kept the rub as-is for the beef ribs, and then added a cup of light brown sugar for the pork. I cooked them over indirect heat on my Weber kettle with some hickory smoke for 3 hours at 275 degrees. This produced ribs with tender meat, but just a little pull off the bone, which I like. Before I served, I got another hot fire going, then basted the ribs several times with a Zinfandel-BBQ glaze, which turned out great:
Zinfandel BBQ Glaze
1 Cup Red Zinfandel
1 Cup Apple Juice
2/3 Cup Brown Sugar
2/3 Cup Soy Sauce
2/3 Cup Ketchup
2 Tablespoons Deli Mustard
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tablespoon of the Rub used on the ribs
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
Add all contents to a saucepan and simmer until reduced by half
Oh, and the other thing on the plate is Sweet Potato Hashbrowns...in theory, a good idea, but they just didn't pan out the way I had hoped. Let me get back to the lab on that one.
THE VERDICT
The wine was not bad. The ribs were pretty solid (not tooting my horn here; just that good ribs are a hell of a lot easier to make than good wine). Together, I actually had wished the Zin hadn't been so easy-drinking. I wanted more fruit to stand up to the spicy rub on the ribs (and I usually NEVER want a fruit bomb with food). Also, there wasn't quite enough acid in the wine to balance the nourishing fats. Lastly, the alcohol (at 15%+) was just a little too hot for the pepper in the rub; it really amplified the "heat" factor...not that I mind, but it took away from the smoky goodness. In the end, I'll say this: make the ribs (comment below with any questions); they were solid. The wine didn't work great with them, but give them a try together- what I taste is not necessarily gonna be what you taste. And listen to some blues when you're making BBQ. It just works. Most importantly, though, eat the food and drink the wine with people who you love. If no one's available, maybe you can have a conversation with your belly.
Until then, Cheers, Sláinte, Salud, Prost, Skål, Konbe, and Kampai!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Pork & Cork
I'm working on some combinations for something called "Wine Blogging Wednesday," coming up in a couple weeks. You can read more about it at the host's site: Wannabe Wino. Basically, a bunch of wine nerds/ blog nerds like myself (some even nerdier than me...those who know me will find that hard to believe) write on their sites about a certain theme. Then, the host compiles all the posts, and everyone is exposed to a bunch of different wines, opinions, new sites to read, etc. You know, yet another one of those good ideas I didn't invent.Seriously- jerk who invented the motorized riding cooler- that was mine. MINE!!!
So anyway, the theme for this upcoming WBW is "I have Zinned," an homage to America's grape, Zinfandel. Definitely one of my favorites, and one of the easiest wines to drink...despite alcohol levels often exceeding 15% (why so high? read about it here). I especially think a tasty Zinfandel, with all its jammy fruit and peppery spice, goes great with BBQ, particularly if it's slathered in a sweet & spicy sauce. And to all you BBQ snobs, let me clear the air and say sauce does not great BBQ make. But, if it is used, it's often good with Zinfandel. Get off my back, John Q. McPurist.
While not ready to unleash my wine/food pairing for the upcoming event, I thought I'd try some grilled pork and some Zin together to see if I could get the creative juices flowing. Behold!
Let's be honest, if not slightly creepy: those grill marks are damn sexy.
Chops: pretty solid. I brined them overnight in a mixture of apple juice, salt, brown sugar, Crown Royal, onion powder, cinnamon stick, black peppercorns, and allspice berries. Then, I dusted the outside with smoked paprika and rubbed down with olive oil. Cooked on a hot grill for about 3 1/2 minutes per side. A little salty- I'll back it off a bit next time- but absolutely THE way to go with normally-bland pork chops. If you only take one thing away from this post....BRINE. BRINE. BRINE. (okay, that's 3 things)
Oh, that's broccoli in the background. Thought I'd try grilling broccoli. If you enjoy aweful, huge-embarrassing-failure-type dishes, then grill your broccoli. Oh well, can't figure out it sucks until you try it.
Now, time for the wine. I thought I'd open a 2006 Kokomo Winery Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel. I've liked the stuff these guys have made, and owner/winemaker Erik Miller is a pretty nice fella, to boot. Here's the wine:
SUNUVABITCH! The wine was corked. And I don't mean "corked" as in it had a cork in it. No such thing would elicit crude, blue language out of a golden-tongued socialite like me*.
*denotes sarcasm
The term "corked" is something many of you have probably heard. It's the smell of trichloroanisole, more commonly referred to as TCA or "cork taint". Without getting all "Mister Wizard" on you, it's basically a naturally-occuring fungus that can get into cork. When the corks are cleaned with chlorine for sanitation purposes before bottling, the fungus- if present- reacts with the chlorine, forming TCA. It's an incredibly powerful compound, detectable in parts per trillion. If you don't know how much a trillion is, check out our national debt here.
Although harmless, TCA can render your wine worthless. It robs the wine of pleasant aromas, and presents a damp, musty smell...locker room, wet dog, wet cardboard, etc. Furthermore, it can make the wine incredibly dull tasting. Basically, without sugar-coating it, TCA is a bunch of bullsh*t.
But, hey, it happens. One of the reasons why you're seeing a lot more screw tops on high-quality wine these days. Regardless, I don't think less of the folks at Kokomo, and I certainly don't think less of Zinfandel. I'll just have to crack another bottle and keep trying...
...until then, Cheers, Sláinte, Salud, Prost, Skål, Konbe, and Kampai!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
