Here’s a quick 411 on P.S.

• Created by François Durif, it is the love child of a noble grape, Syrah, and an obscure peasant grape Peloursin in 1880
• 90% of the world’s P.S. vineyards are in California
• Produces big, masculine, typically ink-colored wines that tend to be tannic with moderate to high-acidity
• Sometimes referred to as Durif

P.S. I Love You Does Sound Better Than Durif I Love You!

It was a great night of wine and food.  And for the first time I came across a winery that referred to one of their P.S. as Durif – Berryessa Gap. My favorite wines were Aver Family Vineyards (2008 Blessings), Clayhouse, Berryessa Gap (2006 Rocky Ridge Collection Tradition), Robert Biale, Rosenblum, and Stage Left Cellars (2006 Russell Family P.S),  along with Ondonata, and Ridge Vineyards, newcomers to the event.  I attended the event last year, and there seemed to be a bit more diversity of style this year.  I tasted more exemplars of P.S. showing more restraint and balance, than last year.  Petite Sirah can be an overly exuberant, jammy wine.  Perhaps that’s why I saw more chocolate vendors than I have at any other wine event.  And that style has plenty of fans, but I welcomed the change of pace.

Paella Struesel

In addition to the great P.S.  there was plenty of food.  I was impressed by diversity of food.  There were dishes like, Paella strudel, Sous-Vide Pork Belly with Umeboshi Plum Sauce with Micro Greens, and my dish of the night Bhel Puri, an “Indian Street Food” of puffed rice, garbanzo flour noodles, wheat crisps, Russet potatoes, Jazz apples, Sweet onion, Zante currants, mint cilantro chutney, tamarind chutney, and blackberry chutney which was just fabulous with Petite Sirah.

Er...I had one or three too many of these...Amazing!

After tasting sampling the P.S. with a variety of foods, I gave it try with chocolate.  Cabernet, Merlot, and Zinfandel, the varietals most often paired with chocolate has something to worry about.  I generally prefer dessert wines with my chocolate, ,and P.S. with my meal, but for fans of dry red wines P.S. works quite well too.  That lead to my favorite chocolate and P.S. pairing of the night – Bacon Salted Caramel (made with Zoe’s Meats applewood smoked bacon, organic sugar and an English dark cane syrup dipped in 72% E. Guittard chocolate and finished with applewood smoked salt) from Nosh This and two Petite Sirahs from Stage Left Cellars.

It was a great event.  Dark & Delicious will continue to be circled in red on my calendar of “must attend” wine events.  It’s a purple-teeth stained great wine and food event!

Related articles

• Is Petite Sirah, that Special Black Opal of the Wine World, a Winemaker’s Wine? Winemakers weigh in (wine-blog.org)
• What is Dark and Delicious ((wine-blog.org)
• Petite Sirah: French Reject Excels In California (RJonWine.com)

Reblogged from 4488: A Ridge Blog:

As today is the day the world mourns the anniversary of the passing of the great Thelonious Monk, I want to talk about Monk. And because I work for, and write for, Ridge Vineyards, I want to talk about zinfandel. There was, some months back, the temporary electrification of the interwebosphere over the question of zinfandel’s identity. Was it — as the low-brow funky, populist sweaty, good-timin’ egalitarian, country mouse side would have it — the people’s grape? Approachable, affable, not puttin’ on …

At last! The is Zin a fun, egalitarian, populist wine, or a serious, elitist wine definitively answered!

This week’s word is Punt…

According to Karen MacNeil‘s The Wine Bible:

 The indentation found in the bottom of many wine bottles.  The punt may be shallow or, as is the case of Champagne bottles, quite pronounced.  The punt adds stability by weighing the bottom of the bottle and strengthens the glass at the weakest point.

I like punts, and according to Wikipedia:

A punt, also known as a kick-up, refers to the dimple at the bottom of a wine bottle. There is no consensus explanation for its purpose. The more commonly cited explanations include:

• It is a historical remnant from the era when wine bottles were free blown using a blowpipe and pontil. This technique leaves a punt mark on the base of the bottle; by indenting the point where the pontil is attached, this scar would not scratch the table or make the bottle unstable.
• It had the function of making the bottle less likely to topple over—a bottle designed with a flat bottom only needs a small imperfection to make it unstable—the dimple historically allowed for a larger margin of error.
• It consolidates sediment deposits in a thick ring at the bottom of the bottle, preventing much/most of it from being poured into the glass;
• It increases the strength of the bottle, allowing it to hold the high pressure of sparkling wine/champagne.
• It provides a grip for riddling a bottle of sparkling wine manually in the traditional champagne production process.
• It consumes some volume of the bottle, allowing the bottle to be larger for the same amount of wine, which may impress the purchaser.
• Taverns had a steel pin set vertically in the bar. The empty bottle would be thrust bottom-end down onto this pin, puncturing a hole in the top of the punt, guaranteeing the bottle could not be refilled [folklore].
• Prevents the bottle from resonating as easily, decreasing the likelihood of shattering during transportation.
• Allows bottles to be more easily stacked end to end.
• Bottles could be stacked in cargo holds on ships without rolling around and breaking.
• Punts are also used to help pour the wine, providing a grip for the thumb on the bottom bottle for easy pouring.

Punts are cool IMHO…do you use them to pour your wines?  I do, especially the deep punts…

These days La Mancha is trying to make a name for itself with its wines.  Here’s the 411 on La Mancha:

• Part of the Castilla-La Mancha autonomous community
• Largest of 9 DOs in Castilla-La Mancha, which is the largest continuous vine-growing area in the world
• Climate – According to a local proverb – “nine months of winter and three months of hell“
• Authorized red grapes: Cencibel (a.k.a Tempranillo, Grenache, Moravia, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah
• Authorized white grapes: Airén (pronounced “Aye ran”), Macabeo (a.k.a. Viura), Chardonnay, Verdejo, Moscatel de grano menudo, and Sauvignon Blanc
• Achieved DO status in 1976
• There are  5 wine classifications rather than 3 typically found in Spain.  In addition to the traditional Crianza, Reserva, and Gran Reserva classifications, La Mancha also has Young (Jóven), and Traditional classifications. The wines classified as “Joven” typically see no oak.  And according to LaManchaWines.com, the Traditional is “Made with the traditional system, reinforced by the latest technological advances. They keep a distance and equilibrium point between the young and aging wines.”  In other words, it’s a New World style.
• Known for producing wines with great price/quality ratio, and formerly known for producing bulk wines

The orange tag indicates this is classified as a "Tradicional" wine (click to enlarge image)

2009 Bodegas Volver La Mancha Single Vineyard - $11.99 at Costco

2009 Bodegas Volver La Mancha Single Vineyard

My tasting notes follow:

Inky purple-black color with black fruit, clove, allspice, and tobacco aromas. On the palate medium- full bodied, and smooth with well-behaved tannins, and with vibrant black cherry, plum, a touch of black currant fruit and spice flavors. Medium plus finish.  - 90pts

This wine,  which is  classified as “Tradicional,” is a fine example of a wine that can win over New World palates and put La Mancha on many a wine lover’s map, particularly if seeking great price/performance.   It’s 100% Tempranillo.  The grapes were sourced from a 72-acre vineyard planted in 1967.  It’s fermented in barrel and aged 14 months in new French Oak.   Rated 92pt by Wine Advocate.   I’ll be buying more, and highly recommend you give it a shot!   I purchase the wine at Costco.  But it’s widely available.  Click here to find.

This week’s word is Corked…

According to Karen MacNeil‘s The Wine Bible:

 A term used to describe a wine that smells like a wet dog in a basement or, sometimes, like wet cardboard.  Wines become corked or corky when certain bacteria in the cork cells interact with minute amount of chemical residues that many remain in corks or wine bottles after they are cleaned.  A corked wine has a defective aroma and flavor, although it will not harm the drinker.  Corked wine cannot be predicted.  Any wine regardless of its quality or price can be corky.

I had recently had my first corked wine.  Scratch that…I had my first two corked wines.  There were both from the same producer,  and both Petite Sirah, one from the 2005 vintage and one from the 2006 vintage.  While it was pretty disappointing, I actually felt fortunate to not have had a corked wine up to that point.  Estimates on what percentage of wines vary, but mostly I’ve seen between 1%-7%.  Given how much wine we drink, and this was our first, I’m surprised it hadn’t happened sooner.

Image courtesy of My Grape Escape.ie

It is also referred to as cork taint, and the chemical compound 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA).

Of course corked wines can be avoided altogether if a screwcap, or other non-cork closure had been used.  Have you have any corked wines?  How often has it happened to you?  Did it influence your opinion of screwcap vs. corks?

I like Malbec for several reasons including the fact that it plays very well in the value space.  All the Malbec I’ve had has been under $20, most under $10.  So it was with great anticipation, and curiosity I jumped at the chance to taste some high-end Malbec from one of Argentina’s premier producers – Achaval Ferrer (“AF”).    The tasting was held at K&L Wine Merchants in Redwood City.   Fresh off of rave reviews from Robert Parker, 4 of the 5 current releases were tasted.

2009 Finca Altamira (RP-99) – $89.99 (not tasted)
2009 Finca Mirador (RP-96) – $89.99
2009 Finca Bella Vista (RP-98) – $89.99
2009 Quimera (RP-93) – $34.99
2010 Malbec Mendoza (RP-91) – $18.99

Though most Malbec consumed in the U.S. is imported from Argentina, the grape has origins in France, specifically the Cahors region.  It believed to have been introduced to Argentina in 1868.  Malbec flourishes in Argentina, where it is now the national grape.  The most highly rated Malbec comes from vineyards (most of them old-vine) in Mendoza’s high altitude wine regions of Lujan de Cuyo and the Uco Valley,  located in the foothills of the Andes mountains between  2800 to 5000 feet elevation.

My tasting notes follow:

Achaval Ferrer Current Releases

• 2010 Achával-Ferrer Malbec - Argentina, Mendoza
  Medium garnet color with dark fruit, spice, dust and floral aromas. On the palate, medium-bodied with blackberry, black currant, and spice flavors. Medium + finish. (88 pts.)

• 2009 Achával-Ferrer Malbec Quimera - Argentina, Mendoza
  Dark garnet color with violet overtones and spicy dark fruit, pencil lead,and violet aromas. On the palate approaching full-bodied, intense, layered and young – would benefit from aging – with firm tannins, and black currant, pencil lead, and spice flavors. Medium finish. Blend of 40% Malbec, 22% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot. The wine was aged in 40% new French oak.(89 pts.)

• 2009 Achával-Ferrer Malbec Finca Mirador - Argentina, Mendoza
  Inky opaque purple color with aromatic, pretty aromas of dark fruit, violet, and dark chocolate. On the palate full-bodied , complex, refined yet intense, round, and smooth with black cherry, cassis, mineral, and spice flavors. Long finish. Would have definitely benefit from more aeration. Sourced from a single vineyard planted at 2400 ft. in 1921.(92 pts.)

• 2009 Achával-Ferrer Malbec Finca Bella Vista - Argentina, Mendoza
  Inky opaque purple color with very aromatic violet, dark red fruit, spice and leather aromas. On the palate ample, well structured, and complex with black currant, black raspberry, and spice aromas. Long finish. Needs time. Sourced from a single vineyard planted at 3100 ft. in 1910 (93 pts.)

I was impressed by the AF wines, though I did enjoy the Malbecs more than the Bordeaux blend. I may have rated the wines more highly had they had a chance to breathe more, especially the Finca Mirador, and Bella Vista. And certainly those two wines along with the Bordeaux blend would benefit from further aging. I’d recommend laying down the Quimera Bordeaux blend for at least a couple of years and the higher end Malbecs for at least 3 years.  If you enjoy Malbec, you’ll love these wines!

Related articles

• Visiting Mendoza Argentia – Part 6: Achaval Ferrer (wineanorak.com)
• Malbecs I am Thankful for – From Michael Evans (vinesofmendoza.com)

If your family and friends are anything like ours, hiding your booze just isn’t enough. You’ve gotta put a bottle lock on it, or your Jack and Coke just may end up a Coke on the rocks once company has cleared out. Keep your brother and cousin Ray Ray on a B.Y.O.Bottle basis with this bottle safe. Our handy-dandy bottle lock fits most wine and liquor bottles and is made of stainless steel. Set the combination on this bottle stopper and it stays sealed till you open it.

Photo courtesy of Google

Really?!

In a last-minute game time decision I decided to make Jambalaya.  Yeah..that’s the ticket…all the flavor and less guilt than Fried Chicken, chicken wings, Guacamole Burger, or a slab of ribs, which I was leaning toward before me food conscious got the best of me!

The spices - salt, 3 kinds of pepper, thyme, & oregano

I used an old Paul Prudomme recipe (before he had his own line of products) for Chicken and Seafood Jambalaya as a starting point…

The Holy Trinity of Creole and Cajun Food - Onions, bell peppers and celery

Except I used smoked turkey legs instead of Tasso, Louisiana Hot Links instead of Andouille, and store-bought Seafood Stock instead of homemade…

Half the seafood (added oysters too!) in my Chicken and Seafood Gumbo

It came together pretty quickly after some chopping, and set up…

It's simmering time!

While it was simmering, it was time for a taste.  Wow!  It was spicy hot…I mean runny nose spicy! (note to self – cut down on the pepper and/or use Andouille instead of Louisiana Hot Links!  The other thing that was unusual about the recipe was that it called finishing the jambalaya in the oven instead of the stove top. Since I doubled the recipe…I did half in the oven and half on the stove top.

Spicy Chicken and Seafood Jambalaya

Unexpected heat aside, it turned out well! Now what wine?  Zin was my first thought.  Because of the spice level, I wanted a lower alcohol, balanced food-friendly Zin rather than a higher alcohol, overly oaked fruit bomb because the alcohol could incite the spicy heat of the Jambalaya, and that would not do!  I had 3 Zinfandels in mind – all from well-known producers.  I  decided on the 2007 Ridge Lytton Estate because it weighed in at 14.5% alcohol – the others were over 15%.

The wine - 2007 Ridge Lytton Springs

The Ridge can’t technically be called a Zinfandel because it’s 71% Zinfandel rather than the requisite 75% needed to be labeled as a Zinfandel, ,but it was a great choice!  The wine made the jambalaya taste better, and vice-versa!  The wine quelled the heat of the Jambalaya, and the spiciness of the Jambalaya brought the fruit of the wine front and center.  It was truly a Super pairing!

Here’s my review of the wine…

Carmine color with aromatic nose of dark red cherries, minerals, and spice. On the palate, medium-bodied, refined, fresh, complex and round with dark red cherries, spice, vanilla, minerals, and a bit of red currant flavors with a medium-long finish. (71% Zinfandel, 22% Petite Sirah, 7% Carignane; 15 mos. in barrel, 21% new American oak, 48% one, two and three years old; 31% four and five years old)

I’m hoping the spice of the Jambalaya will calm down after a day or two, as is sometimes the case with spicy foods.  On the other hand, there won’t be any of the 2007 Lytton Springs left…that disappeared like the Patriots offense on Sunday!  I do have a couple of 2009′s on hand for next time though.

This week’s word is Old World…

According to Karen MacNeil‘s The Wine Bible:

 Old World refers to those countries where wine first flourished, namely European ones and others ringing the Mediterranean basin.  Old world techniques, by extension refer to ways of growing grapes and making wines that rely more on tradition and less on science.

In other words, Old World refers to countries like France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Germany.  Tradition, of course, has it’s place in wine making, especially when it comes to where grapes are grown.  However scientific advances, including things like the organic movement have blurred the lines between the Old World and the New World (United States, Australia, South Africa, Argentina and Chile).  Sounds a lot like Ole Skool/Nu Skool to me!

Image courtesy of Google Images

Which wines do you prefer Old World, or New World?

It’s my pleasure to share this post of mine recently published by 12most.

12 Most Practical Guidelines for Wine and Food Pairing

Pairing wine and food has been around a long time. For individuals who’ve grown up in homes where wine is a daily part of life, wine and food pairing can come pretty naturally because they have a vast base of experience upon which to draw. For the rest of us, wine and food pairing can be daunting. That’s because not only are we relatively inexperienced, but the way we cook, eat and drink in the real world rarely features the flavors of a single food. Even a simple meal can present a kaleidoscope of flavors and textures.

Let’s begin with expectations. Otherworldly wine pairings – those extraordinary flavor affinities when wine and food work so well together that they somehow create a greater whole, doesn’t happen often. Likewise, truly awful pairings are typically infrequent. That leaves two kinds of pairings – when the wine and food pair in such a way that each makes the other better, and when the wine and food co-exist peacefully, if unexcitedly. The vast majority of pairings fall into these two categories.

Wine and food pairing isn’t an exact science. Much of it falls within the realm of instinct. The good news is that instincts can be acquired by knowing some basic guidelines about how wine and food interact.

If you follow the guidelines offered you’ll not only dramatically increase your chances of creating magic from time to time, but more importantly create more pairings when the food and wine make each other better.

The guidelines aren’t mutually exclusive. Rather the first six guidelines are the foundation upon which the second six more specific guidelines are constructed.

Photo courtesy of Ecosalon

1. Drink what you like

This is the most common first rule of wine and food pairing because wine and food pairing is very subjective. It’s all about what YOU like and/or may be in the mood for. In the worst-case scenario, you don’t like the wine and food together; you can drink the wine (which presumably you know you enjoy) either before or after the meal. Having said that, if you’d like to enjoy your wine and food together, or are looking to add to the repertoire of wines to go with your favorite dishes, read on.

2. Acidity is your BFF

Acidity is the most important factor in pairing wine with food. That’s because wine with good acidity can “cut” foods that are rich, salty, fatty, oily or mildly spicy. They also go better with tart foods such as vinaigrette on a salad. Wines with high acidity leave you wanting to take a bite of food, and after taking a bite of food, you’ll want a sip of wine. Think about how a squeeze of lemon can complement or temper a rich or salty dish. Wines with high acidity such as Sparkling wines, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, or a dry Riesling do the same when served with food.

3. Choose versatile wines

This is my favorite because it makes it much easier to pair wine and food. I keep versatile wines at the ready because they work with a wide range of foods. If you’re not sure which wine to enjoy with your meal, and you’re looking to avoid the brain damage wine and food pairing may cause, then get to know food friendly wines. Keep them on hand and try them with a variety of dishes. What makes a wine a versatile partner with food? Generally speaking either good acidity (see #2 above), or wines that are fruity with low tannins like Zinfandel, simple Italian reds, Rose, and Rhone blends.

4. There should be one star of the show

If you want to showcase a knockout recipe, then select a lower key wine. On the other hand, if you want to showcase a special bottle of wine, then the food selection should play a supporting role. According to Evan Goldstein in Perfect Pairings, “Much like two people in a conversation, in the wine and food partnership one must listen while the other speaks, or the result is a muddle”.

For those times you’re not showcasing either the wine or the food, it’s best to match humble foods with humble wines.

5. Match the “weight” of the food and the wine

Match delicate wines with delicate foods and robust wines with robust foods. It makes sense that a light-bodied wine like a Pinot Noir wouldn’t be a good match for a spicy curry dish. On the other hand dishes with bold, spicy flavors tend to go well with big, bold spicy wines. For example a bold spicy Zinfandel would make a nice match for spicy Mexican dishes.

Forget the color coding approach to matching wine and food – white wine with white meat and red wine with red meat. It may work, but it’s too limiting. Pinot Noir with a roast chicken or salmon are great examples of pairing “white” meat with a red wine. It works because the wine and the food are of comparable “weight’. And what gives a wine its weight? In a word, alcohol. The higher a wine’s alcohol content the more full-bodied the wine seems. Keep in mind as a wine’s alcohol content increases, food pairing options decrease.

6. There’s no place like home

Food generally goes best with the wines they grew up with. That’s why Italian dishes pair well with Italian wines. Of course, Italian dishes pair with other wines too, and Italian wine goes well with a host of non-Italian dishes; but like peanut butter and jelly, the food of a place tends to go well with the wines of that same place.

7. Pair to dominant taste first, flavors second

When thinking about which wines to pair with food start with the primary tastes – salty, sweet, sour, and bitter before considering specific flavors. So, what’s the difference between tastes and flavor? Tastes are objective, whereas flavors tend to be subjective. For example, the sourness of a lemon, or the sweetness of honey are objective. A lemon is sour and honey is not. On the other hand describing the flavor of a strawberry is personal and subjective.

Just as foods have primary tastes, so do wines – those being sweet, sour and bitter. This opens the door to match foods and wines, or if you desire to set up contrasts. Start with the primary taste for either the wine or the food, then decide if you want to mirror or contrast the taste before getting into the specifics of flavors. Speaking of dominant tastes and flavors, pair to the sauce because that typically dominates a dish.

8. How the food is prepared matters

Bear in mind that cooking techniques can influence dominant tastes, flavors, and texture. For example, steaming and poaching impart minimal flavors, while smoking, blackening, and grilling have a major impact on flavors. Sautéing is fairly neutral, while braising and roasting are somewhere in the middle. For example, I’d serve a Sauvignon Blanc or a Chardonnay with Poached Salmon, but a Zinfandel with Blackened Salmon.

9. Spicy and salty foods like sweet wines.

Wines come in varying degrees of sweetness from off-dry (slightly sweet) to semi-dry (medium sweet) to an unctuous dessert wine that could satisfy a sweet tooth.

Wines that are off-dry or semi-dry, such as a Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Viognier, or Muscat make a great counterbalance for moderately spicy Indian and Asian dishes. That’s because the sweetness of the wine cuts the heat (unlike carbonated beverages which amplify the perception of heat). Likewise, a sweet wine can provide a nice counterbalance to salty food. For example, the classic wine and food pairing of French Sauternes and Roquefort.

10. Tannins

Tannins in wine are associated with a bitter taste and that “sandpaper” feeling on your tongue. It’s created by the astringency from tannic acid. Tannic wines like a Cabernet, Bordeaux, or Petite Sirah tend to be a good match for bitter foods, which is a reason why foods that have been grilled or blackened along with naturally bitter ingredients like arugula or endive go well with more tannic wines. Tannins also provide a nice counterbalance to fats and protein because the astringency of the tannins “cut” through the fat. Protein is an important partner when pairing a tannic wine with fat because if there’s not enough protein, tannins can react chemically with the available protein on your tongue and inside your mouth, coming across as too tannic. Of course, a classic example would be a grilled steak and Cabernet Sauvignon.

11. Hold the Oak please

Wines raised in oak are more challenging to pair with food because the aging in oak imparts tannins, and oaky flavors are exaggerated by food. Consider pairing that young Cabernet Sauvignon or Nebbiolo with grilled meat or other foods that have a bitter taste. And that oaky, buttery Chardonnay you love? It may not taste so good with the meal. Conversely unoaked wines are easier to pair with foods.

12. Sweeter than sweet

An under-appreciated aspect of wine and food pairing is desserts. While dessert can stand on its own, it can be enhanced with the right wine. Just remember the wine should be sweeter than the dessert. Otherwise, the sweetness of the dessert will make the wine taste bitter. That’s why Port matches so well with semi-sweet chocolate.

There you have it, fairly straight forward wine and food pairing guidelines. Remember it’s wine and food – not life and death!

What’s next? Start experimenting. That’s where the real excitement is! The only way to hone your instincts for wine and food pairing is to try lots of combinations to determine what you like. I assure you, if you just pay a little attention, you’ll be rewarded with better food pairings and yes, even a few more “wow” moments!