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| Information about Wines Located below is some trivia and helpful hints about red and white wines to help those of you that might need some help in chosing the best wine for your event.
 Red's
Merlot's the wine that wants you to approach it. It's ready to share its soft, supple, fruity qualities now--and its tannins will never be harsh with you. It's only inevitable that Merlot gets compared with Cabernet Sauvignon, its big brother in the vineyards of Bordeaux. What's unfortunate is that such comparisons often lead to the disparagement of Merlot. But for anyone looking for a tasty wine to drink tonight with dinner, Merlot is well worth consideration. Its gentle tannins help develop a wine that's approachable early, with softer, more rounded edges. Merlot offers lush fruit flavors of plums and blackcurrants and aromas of eucalyptus and chocolate. Try Merlot with meat and poultry dishes including roast or grilled chicken, chops (lamb or pork), meatloaf, and prime rib. Merlot is also a great match for roasted duck and filet mignon. Merlot's homeland is the celebrated Bordeaux region of France, where it is typically blended with Cab (and other grapes). Outside of Europe, Merlot shines in places like Washington state, California, and Chile. Aromas: Red berries, black berries, eucalyptus, mint, herb, bell pepper, plum, violets, cassis, fruit cake, chocolate Food Paring: Lamb Chops, Primb Rib, Grilled Chicken, Filet Mignon, Duck and Veal.
Zinfandel grapes produce wines that play across the spectrum, from light rosés to fruity reds with acidic zip to big, tannic monsters loaded with spice. Zinfandel is an amazing food wine. It goes with just about everything that Americans love to eat: ribs, pizzas, burgers, chili, roasted meats, pasta with red sauce, and much more. For a classic California experience, try Zin with a grilled burger topped with Monterey Jack cheese! It's also a good pair with ethnic cuisines, particularly moderately spicy Mexican meat dishes and tandoori chicken or lamb. Aromas: Wild berries, raspberry, plum, pepper, bramble, earth Food Paring: Grilled Beef, Pork Sausage, Leg of Lamb, Mexican Beef and Pork dishes, Fajitas and Pizza
Pinot Noir is an often elegant wine that tastes of red fruits like cherries, raspberries, and strawberries. With time, Pinot's flavors and aromas become more complex, developing earthy aspects like mushrooms and decaying leaves (but in a good way). Pinot Noir is a versatile food wine, great with poultry, salmon, meat and vegetable dishes. Try Pinots with chicken, lamb, roast pork loin, and veal dishes. Earthy Pinots are also great with mushroom dishes. Pinot made its mark initially in Burgundy, France, where its pedigree stretches back at least 2,000 years. Today, tasty Pinot Noir is being made in Oregon, New Zealand, and some of the cooler spots in California. Aromas: Red currant, strawberry, cherry (red or black), raspberry, violets, mushrooms, decaying leaves, cola Food Paring: Vegetarian, Salmon, Roasted Chicken, Veal, Smoked Foods and Pork Tenderloin
Syrah / Shiraz's historical home is the Rhone region of France, where the grape makes spicy, rich, darkly delicious wines. Syrah also makes tasty wines in Australia, where it goes by the name Shiraz. Australian versions are typically big, bold, and spicy with jammy fruit and aromas of leather and black fruit. Syrah also excels in Washington state, where its muscular aspects are typically tempered by a touch of refreshing acidity, and in California, where styles vary. In general, you can expect California and Washington Syrah to be a little less powerful than big Australian versions. A versatile food wine, Syrah loves the 'que. Try it with grilled burgers, ribs, or even grilled eggplant or portabella mushrooms. It also likes roasted duck, grilled sausages, chili, and cassoulet. If you crave red wines with fish, try Syrah with grilled tuna or salmon. Aromas: Raspberry, black or white pepper, blackberry, red or black currant, cassis, jam, smoke, leather, tar, coffee Food Paring: Grilled Burgers, Beef Barbeque, Grilled Tuna, Beef Casseroles and Pork Sausage | |
| White's
Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio Though the grapes are the same, they can produce different styles of wine depending on where they’re grown and how they're handled in the cellar. In the Alsace region of France, and in places like Oregon and New Zealand, Pinot Gris typically makes rich wines marked by a bit of spice. The Italian style (Pinot Grigio), meanwhile, tends toward a fresh, crisp, and refreshing style with a lighter body than Oregon or Alsatian Pinot Gris. Sample either style with seafood and pasta dishes, vegetarian food, and poultry
Chardonnay is a versatile, adaptable white wine grape that shows different sides of itself depending on where it's grown and how it's handled in the cellar. When barreled in oak, Chardonnay takes on a richness characterized by honey and butter flavors. When barreled in stainless steel, it reveals its lighter side, coming across as fresh, bright and lean, and full of mineral flavors. Because it's so popular and adaptable, Chardonnay is grown all over the world in a variety of styles. Chardonnay excels in Burgundy, France--its original home. And, of course, Chardonnay is the white wine that made California famous (or infamous, depending on your point of view). Stereotyped for producing big, rich, in-your-face Chardonnays, some California versions can, in fact, be more subtle than a butter bowling ball crashing across your dinner table. Experiment, too, with northern Italian, Chilean, and Australian Chardonnays. Rich, oaky Chardonnays are the ones to pair with rich, strong-flavored dishes. Try them with Dijon or butter sauces, crab cakes, chicken and veal dishes, chowders, salmon and lobster. Chardonnay is a favorite with seafood. Minerally versions, like those from Chablis, France, pair particularly well with oysters. At the wine store, if you're not sure whether the style of Chardonnay is oaky or steely (and the label doesn’t offer any clues), just ask the wine merchant. Chardonnay's Achilles heel? It doesn't like super-spicy dishes. (Got spice? See Riesling.) Quick Reference Styles of Chardonnay: - Burgundy/Old World style: White Burgundy can be lean or rich, often with elements of earth. Pair leaner white Burgundies with lighter dishes.
- California/New World style: Grown in warmer areas, New World Chards are characterized by bigger, riper, richer flavors and more oak. These full-figured wines can hang with rich dishes like cream sauces and lobster with butter.
Chardonnay Aromas: Apple, melon, peach, pineapple, pear, lemon, fig, honey, butter, and toast.
Riesling is frequently bright with acidity and, depending on where it's grown, on the low-alcohol side, with flavors of apple and citrus. Its crisp, palate-refreshing acidity helps explain Riesling's well-earned reputation as one of the world's great food wines. It pairs beautifully with spicy foods, poultry, pork, and fish--and there's nothing better with Thai food. But despite being so unrelentingly food-friendly, Riesling is mostly overlooked when we're deciding on a dinner wine. Why all this neglect? Some of it could be attributed to the baffling wine labels on German Rieslings: So many looong German words, so little sense to make of them. Or it could be that sometimes Rieslings are somewhat sweet, though they can also be quite dry ("dry" simply means "not sweet")--Rieslings really run the full gamut. But don't be turned off by a little sweetness. It's a trademark of Riesling that even the sweet versions will offer enough palate-refreshing acidity to keep things balanced, so they're still crisp rather than cloying. If you're not sure if it's dry or sweet, just ask the wine merchant. Tasting tip: Try slightly sweet, lower-alcohol styles with spicy foods!
Quick Reference Styles of Riesling: - Germany: German Rieslings run the full range from dry to super sweet dessert wines. They have very good acidity and are low in alcohol, making them the perfect pairing with spicy foods.
- Alsace, France: Alsatian Rieslings tend toward the dry (meaning "not sweet") and full-bodied, usually with more alcohol than German styles.
- Australia: Aussie Rieslings combine bracing acidity with citrus (often lime) flavors and more alcohol than German styles. They can be dry and steely.
- Washington state: Washington Rieslings are known for having a toe in both worlds, bringing together the best of Australian and German styles; they offer a touch of sweetness balanced with refreshing acidity and a measure of alcohol typically greater than German styles.
Riesling Aromas: Riesling is known for aromas of green apple, lime, peach, grapefruit, honeysuckle, mineral, slate, floral, petrol, and toast.
Sauvignon Blanc is freakishly food-friendly, excelling beside seafood, chicken, and moderately spicy dishes. Its bright acidity and herbal aromas make it a good choice with green salads (try tossing some goat cheese on there) and vegetarian dishes. Sauvignon Blanc is one of the few wines that can endure asparagus and raw tomatoes. It also likes dishes that are prepared with herbs, particularly cilantro and parsley. These aromatic wines are often at their best when still young. So try recent vintages, when the fresh citrus and tropical fruit flavors are at their lip-smacking best. Aromas: Grass, gooseberry, nettles, herbs, tropical fruit, citrus, and fig. An array of z-words--Zingy! Zippy! Zesty!--is often employed to describe the fresh, food-friendly acidity of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. | |
| Rose'
Like blanc de noir champagnes, rosé comes from the juice of red grapes, which is separated from the grape skins after only a brief soak. Hence, the dainty pink hue and the light body. (Red wines, by comparison, spend much more time bathing in their color- and body-building skins.) And although rosé is made from red grapes, it's meant to be drunk chilled. It also pairs well with all sorts of foods, particularly grilled meats. Rosé wines are also relatively inexpensive. Look for good values from Spain and France. In warm weather, when you want something cool and refreshing but would really rather be drinking red than white, call on Rosé. Both fruity and refreshing, it's the great compromise wine! | |
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