Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Joe Versus the Movie Pairings, part 2
...and so it continues. Completing the challenge posted on the Suburban Wino facebook page by a friend (see part 1 HERE). Trying to pair some wines with some of the 80's finest films. Cue your Europe...it's the Final Countdown:
Top Gun: Château Pétrus. Quite possibly, year-after-year, the most expensive wine in the world. Nestled in the Pomerol appellation of Bordeaux, France, this tiny producer cranks out- at most- around 2500 cases per year. I've seen recent vintages priced at a barrel-roll-above the-hard-deck, nosebleed-inducing pricetag of $1200+. Obviously, someone out there thinks this is the real Top Gun. Interestingly, it's made primarily out of Merlot, as most wines in the Pomerol AOC are. Often thought to be the wingman of Cabernet Sauvignon, it takes the Top Gun trophy this time. "You're still dangerous, Merlot...you can be my wingman any time." "Bullshit, Cabernet Sauvignon. You can be mine."
Amadeus: Grüner Veltliner. Celebrate Austria's most brilliant composer with Austria's most notable grape. Those with much-more-refined palates than I seem to laud the brilliance of these minerally white wines, especially their food-friendliness. I haven't drank a multitude of them, but- like Antonio Salieri- I jealously desire to possess the palates of those enological Mozarts who know GrüVee's symphonic charms. That being said, some of the better ones I've had come from a producer called Wolfgang Vineyards, if you really want to take this pairing thing too seriously.
The Naked Gun: For some reason, all I can think about is O.J. Simpson's performance in this movie. Drink a bottle of Orin Swift's "The Prisoner" in effigy, and remember the good times... 2,000 yards with the Buffalo Bills, and the one-man Comedy of Errors that was Nordberg.
Rambo: First Blood Part II: Chalone Vineyards was the closest-sounding thing I came up with on a feverish search to find the non-existent "Stallone Vineyards". Or, something from Paso Robles' Sylvester Winery. Drink alone.
Troop Beverly Hills: Like Shelley Long's intrepid vow to sell 2000 boxes of Wilderness Girls' cookies (to the chagrin of sinister district leader Velda Plendor), take on the equally-daunting challenge of drinking 2000 boxes of wine. Or was it 1000? I can't even being to put into words how much I don't care.
Beverly Hills Cop 2: Because nothing says "huge in the 80's, but completely washed up now" like White Zinfandel, synthesized pop music, and Eddie Murphy's career.
The Empire Strikes Back: Dammit. The now-defunct "Skywalker Ranch" wines would have been a total softball right here. However, the force is strong with this one, and I must imagine, if there was to be a wine made on the Ice planet Hoth, it would without a doubt be an Ice Wine, or "Eiswein" in Wookie (okay, that's German. But I know some Germanic people who look like Wookies). A delicious nectar made when grapes (usually Riesling) are left on the vine very late into the season, until they freeze. The majority of the water in the grapes is removed as ice, and what's left is a sweet, concentrated (but balanced) dessert wine that will take you to Cloud Nine, or at least Cloud City.
Gandhi: Vinho Verde. This light, crisp, and very pale white wine (the "verde" refers to its youth, not a green color) from Portugal pretty much looks the part of water, a.k.a. the lone staple of a hunger strike. Fighting the good fight for peace is darn admirable, but it doesn't have to be boring. Hey, I don't recall anyone calling it a "cocktail strike", okay?
The Karate Kid: Yeah, we all love Daniel-san. And lovable Mr. Miyagi could certainly help make a case for sake on this one. But let's be honest: we all wanted to be part of Cobra Kai Dojo. So, if you desire the juice in your glass to "strike like a cobra", you've gotta reach for a wine from Washington's Rattlesnake Hills AVA. Actually named for the shape of the hills, rather than a proliferation of poisonous serpents, this sub-AVA of the Yakima Valley AVA brings some serious Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Franc, Merlot, Riesling, Syrah, and many more. Indeed, Washington wine is crazy-good, and it's not afraid to go up against California's finest. Sweep the leg, Washington. You gotta problem with that?
What a fun challenge. Brought me back a bit to my days of "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" mastery. I hope some more challenges are posed, and I really hope some folks drink these wines with the movies suggested.
I've tried to think of a way to wrap this one up cleverly. Staring at the screen is no longer an option. All the creativity was used up on the movies. So...hmmm. Bye?
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