Wine Club: August 2011 - Pairings with an Expert!

This special edition of Wine Club featured an appearance by Brad Glaza, one of Tara’s friends who is studying for a Master of Wine. He recently became a licensed vintner, but has several more years of training and tasting to go before receiving the “Master of Wine” title.

The Group

We also opened the group up to significant others.

Lounging Men

The theme: pairings. The results: a great night out with some new discoveries and a lot of information. A couple of really helpful, informative sources for learning about wine pairings:

http://www.foodandwinepairing.org/food_pairing_board.html

http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/20-wine-pairings-to-try-before-you-die

Beginnings of the spread:

WINES OF THE EVENING:

Wines in Order of Tasting

1. Torresella Prosecco: 3.4 stars, 11.5 % alcohol, $20.00. Paired with Pecorino Toscano Fresco & Raw Honey.

Brad informed us that this sparkling wine had been fermented using the tank-transfer method. Under the traditional method of fermenting wines, a mixture of sugar and yeast is added to the blended wine which is then divided into individual bottles. The bottles are then sealed, and a second alcoholic fermentation takes place in the bottle. Following that secondary fermentation, the wine is matured in bottle, adding character to the sparkling wine. The transfer method follows the same path until the end of the secondary fermentation in bottle. At this point, the bottles are opened under pressure and emptied into a tank, allowing the wine to be filtered en masse and then re-bottled ready for shipping. This process saves considerable time and expense but eliminates the benefits of ageing on yeast lees which adds to the complexity and character of the wine.

Observations:

Aroma: light smell of flowers
Taste: some thought it tasted dry and alcoholic, others thought it tasted smooth and not that alcoholic.

2. Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut: 2.98 stars. 12.5%, $14.99. Paired with Brillat-Savarin.

Brad noted that this vineyard made its name several years ago, but the quality of their wines has since decreased.

Observations:

Dry and sweet sparkling wine.
The pairing does affect the wine – some thought the cheese made the wine more sweet, others thought drier. Another suggested that the cheese mellows the wine.

3. Chateau Ste. Micheale Columbia Valley Riesling: 3.6 stars, 12%; $9.99. Paired with Cold Cucumber Soup.

Observations:

Aroma of honeysuckle
Tastes like melon and honey. Brings out the cucumber in the soup.
According to the bottle, the wine had notes of peach and pear, with a “racy” acidity.

4. Kim Crawford 2010 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc; 2.6 stars; 13.5%; $18. Paired with Shrimp Ceviche.

Observations:

Aroma: grass, mango, tropical fruits, "vegetal"
Those who ate the ceviche said the wine was very sweet, but that sweetness was cut by the spiciness of the ceviche.
Those who were not eating found that the wine was not that sweet.
Most thought it did not taste like a typical sauvignon blanc.

5. Chardonnay Paired with Humboldt Fog and Dried Cherries.

We had two chardonnays to compare/contrast in this pairing. Brad recommended starting with the “Old World” Chardonnay, and then moving on to the “New World” Chardonnay.

Old world chardonnays are rarely oaked, or if so, not heavily. Historically, these wines would have been fermented in cement (not steel). New world chardonnays, by contrast, are more oaky. Old world wines are those from France, Germany, Hungary, Eastern Europe, etc. New world wines come from Chile, Australia, South Africa, Argentina, and North America.

Oak vs. Unoaked. Brad explained that unoaked wines retain tartaric acid, which makes the wine tart – like green apples. When a wine is oaked, it undergoes secondary malolactic fermentation, during which process bacteria eats the tartaric acid and converts it to lactic acid. That’s why unoaked wines are creamier and sometimes have a dairy feel.

Old World: Macon-Villages Chardonnay, Louis Jadot; 2.81 stars, 12.5%, $14.

Observations:

Aroma of crème brulee – though some thought it smelled like Clorox.
Tasted slightly oaky, but very clean.
New World: Simi, Sonoma County 2009; 2.0 stars, 13.5%, $14.

Observations:

VERY oaky smell.
Tasted a little like butter, but mostly oak.
According to Brad, there was an aftertaste of yogurt, melon, and white peach (less strong/overwhelming than regular peach).
Brad ranked this wine 3.5 stars, noting that while he does not like oaky wines, he appreciated this wine for what it was.

6. Morgan Cru Beaujolais; 3.41 stars; 13.0%; $16. Paired with Roasted Chicken

Vintners usually do not age a beaujolais, unless it’s a Cru. According to Brad, chicken is a good pairing because you get beaujolais right at the harvest.

Instead of fermenting the grapes after they are crushed, the grapes for this wine undergo carbonic maceration -- the grapes are fermented whole.

Observations:

Brad suggested that we would likely taste kirsch (cherry) and banana, even bubble gum. Many of us tasted the cherry.
Other tasting notes: low tones, stone fruits like sour cherry.
Some found the wine enigmatic – they tasted something different every time.

7. Gallo Pinot Noir, Sonoma Reserve 2006; 3.65 stars; 12.5%; $14.99. Paired with Doritos.

We were all excited for this pairing, but unfortunately the wine did not stand up to the Doritos. However, a small enough bite of a chip did change a few tasters’ reactions to the wine.

Color. Brad explained that the color of red wines can be described using the following adjectives: purple, ruby, garnet, and tawny. Garnet is a red-orange color, and tawny is a deeper orange.

Observations:

Taste: cranberries and cherries (low tones).
Some thought the wine brought out the pepper/spice in the chips.
Brad gave this wine 4.0 stars.
The color was in between purple and ruby.

8. Chateau Chabiran Bordeaux Superieur, 2007; 2.88 stars; 12.5%; $16. No Pairing – Brad’s contribution.

Brad informed us that there are six noble grapes of Bordeaux:

Sauvignon Blanc
Merlot
Cabernet Franc
Petit Verdot
Malbec
Carbonere

Brad’s favorite wines come from the Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, an estate in Burgundy that is widely regarded as one of the greatest wine producers.

Observations:

Aromas: tobacco, cedar, woody. Like clothes after a campfire
Taste: black licorice/anise, fruit forward.
The color was garnet (red/orange)
Dry, slightly bitter aftertaste

9. Cabernet Sauvignon, Paired with Sharp Cheddar.

We had two wines to compare/contrast in this pairing. Brad recommended starting with the Riven Rock cabernet and then moving to the Anabella based on the quality of the wines.

Aging. After tasting the wines, Brad advised us that Riven Rock had been aged faster than Anabella, which had a more purple color than Riven Rock. Aging can be caused by a number of factors -- warmer climate, not ideal temperature, etc.

One of the ladies asked about stressing the grapes, as it’s widely believed that stressing grapes enriches the flavor. Brad explained that if the grapes are grown in rich soil, they grow big. However, if in a poor spot, the vines will produce more fruit. More birds will eat it, process it, and deposit the seeds elsewhere (potentially in better soil). Vintners stress grapes by not watering them. Certain grapes stress better than others.

Riven Rock, Cabernet Sauvignon; 2.93 stars, 13.0%, $5.99.

Observations:

Fruit forward, blackberry and current, strawberry jam.
Low tones.
A little dry
Mellows with cheese.

Anabella, Napa Valley, Special Selection, 2009; 3.41 stars, 13.5%, $14

Observations:

Smells of smoke.

Brad explained that this may be because the barrels were charred. A thicker char creates a higher “toast,” but the trick is finding a balance. “Toast” usually means a vanilla/butterscotch taste.

10. Blandy’s Madeira, Aged 15 Years; 4.0 stars; 19%; $40. Paired with Dark Chocolate.

This was the true treat of the evening.

Madeira is a Portugese wine produced in the Madeira Islands. Historically, wines were sent from Madeira to the New World or East Indies. To prevent the wine from spoiling, neutral grape spirits were added. However, the flavor of the wine transformed by exposure to heat and movement.

Today, Madeira is noted for its unique winemaking process which involves heating the wine and deliberately exposing the wine to some levels of oxidation.

Observations:

Smells like toffee and toasted oats.
Tastes the same, perhaps with a hint of apricot.

11. Tio Pepe Palomino Fino (Fino Sherry); N/A (but not well liked); 15%. Paired with Almonds.

Fino Sherry is the driest and palest of sherry varieties. The wine is aged in barrels under a cap of yeast to prevent contact with the air. Sherries are usually made of the Palomino grape or a sweeter grape -- the Pedro Ximenez (from Spain).

In explaining “dryness,” Brad explained that a lack of sugar makes wines dry. Tannins make your tongue feel dry, but they are not the cause of “dryness.” (Wines are very rarely high tannin, high sugar.)

Observations:

A little bitter, watered-down.
A description of this wine suggests “Tio Pepe is a pale, straw-colored wine with soft aromas of apple, almond, and honey. Low in acidity but well balanced, the palate displays crisp notes of apple and roasted nuts. Hints of mushroom and iodine appear on the dry, lasting finish.”

THE FINAL RANKINGS (with highest rated wine on the left, lowest rated wine on the right - though I believe the Fino Sherry was inadvertently cut off*):