The Wine Guy
Well, since Google hasn’t come out with an app to get rid of the virus yet, it looks like most of us are still home for another week, at least. However, on the brighter side, Governor Baker has included liquor stores as essential; I’m sure this came about when he and his advisors considered the impact that the riots would have had on speeding up the virus, versus the alternative.
So, what to do to break up the boredom (or insanity, if small children are involved)? Change up your routine for meals and what you have with them, for starters.
When(if ever) was the last time you made some Tapas and opened a bottle of a Spanish Tempranillo? If the answer is “never” or “not in a long time”, then get moving. There are a million tapas recipes and the food stores, for the most part, are open. The meat selection may not be to your liking at the moment but see what’s in the frozen foods area. Then look for a bottle (or two) of Volver Single Vineyard Tempranillo, 2016, La Mancha, Spain ($16.99). Smooth and supple, this wine has a distinctive nose of earth, raspberries, and a vanilla tinge on the finish, which is pleasantly long. A couple of sips, close your eyes and listen…..they’re playing a Flamenco, the sun is setting in the Bodega in Spain and you’re tasting their best wines.
I hope you get the chance to try it sometime. The Bodega and the wine, that is.
In the far South of France about now, villages, communes and entire appellations, or, “named areas” would be getting their wines ready for global shipment. While that’s not happening at the moment, there are still plenty of Rose wines on the shelves of your liquor stores. Try a bottle of 2018 St. Aix, (pronounced like haze, without the h) AIX Rosé, Provence, France ($17.99). It’s a Grenache-based wine with lots of fruit, but dry; notes of raspberries, blackberries and a bit of apricot, too; it would go pretty well with sitting by a window, feeling the late afternoon sun. Don’t drink too fast, though; the 13% alcohol is high for a rose. On the other hand, if the cabin fever is running high……
Since, for so many reasons, we can’t wait for the warmer weather to get here, when it does, try a bottle of Brancott Estate Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand, 2017, ($19.99). Located in Blenheim, this vineyard was the first to plant Sauvignon Blanc in all of the Marlborough region. Sweet ripe fruit characters with a great mix of citrus, floral, pear, tropical fruit and crisp nettle highlights are over this one. This is also a surprisingly powerful wine, pungent in its intensity with full fruit flavors across the spectrum, from ripe tropical fruit to lush pink grapefruit. If the weather’s warm enough, some grilled shrimp would really set this one off.
I was down in Nantucket awhile back, visiting an old and good friend and we cooked in. Chicken Piccata with a bottle of an old favorite, Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc. I’m sure that anyone who likes SB likes his wine, but have you ever tried his Signature Reserve series?If not, now would be a great time. Drizly says” Kim Crawford Signature Reserve Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc White Wine reveals intense, lifted aromatics of tropical fruit like passionfruit and zesty grapefruit that lead into a range of complex flavors. Distinct mineral notes accent this wine’s rich, hefty palate, culminating in a clean, crisp finish.” and they are spot on; everything about this series is hand-crafted. The grapes are hand harvested from older subsections of the vineyards and include a bit of oak barrel aging, which intensifies the lemongrass notes on the nose and palate. Anything with the words, “grilled” and “seafood” in it will be seriously better with this beauty.
Stay safe…and
Talk To The Wine Guy at jdris8888@gmail.com
