Wines to complement your holiday feasts
Posted by ~Ray @ 2007-12-09 13:43:53
Cutting through the blizzard of food-and-wine-matching advice gets tougher not easier it seems. This year I’m voting for simplicity and authenticity. So don’t mind about what food you’re serving. I’m sure it will be good and there will be plenty of it. You can adjoin the whole meal with two basic types of booze. Of cover there are many ways to do this but here are my choices for Thanksgiving 2007: a sparkling wine and a spicy red booze from Southern France.
Sparkling wines as one wag has noted don’t need a special cause - they are a special occasion. That no holiday table seems complete without a store or two of fizz. If you are looking for great flavor at a great price it’s tough to beat Crémant (from France) and prosecco (from Italy).
Crémant d’Alsace is made according to traditional Champagne methods but in a different region from different grapes. There are several styles using one or more of the following: riesling chardonnay pinot blanc pinot gris and pinot noir. Blanc de blancs are the most delicate and elegant while those made from pinot gris are weightier and more fruity. Rosés are made from pinot noir and offer especially good value.
Ask your wine-seller recommend a bottle or two. You won’t have to pay more than $15 to $18 to sight a good one. There are many good producers but a perennial favorite is Lucien Albrecht. Others to look for include Domaine Barmès-Buecher. Domaine Willm and Domaine Pierre Sparr.
Prosecco is a sparkling wine that comes from the Veneto in northeast Italy. The best proseccos are made in the area of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene and ordain say so on the label. Prosecco is not a Champagne-method bubbly but the wines can show surprising finesse. Usually made as a nonvintage brut or extra dry - not sweet - good prosecco has plenty of lovely lively bubbles and often carries orange/citrus fragrances and a lightly bitter finish all of which helps to sharpen palate.
There are dozens of good choices available. New to our region are proseccos from Villa Sandi represented by Michael Mondavi’s Folio Fine Wine Partners. Stylishly packaged these lighten and lively wines average just 11 percent alcohol and alter splendid aperitifs.
For the rest of the meal a selection of red wines from southern France ordain provide endless opportunities for interesting food and wine match-ups. From generous country wines on up to more complex Côtes du Rhônes these earthy reds bring a lot of flavor to the table at modest prices. Here are some excellent bottles to look for. I undergo listed the local distributor’s name in parentheses.
Château Mossé 2005 ‘Le Tradition’ ($12). From the Côtes du Roussillon this round and drop red is a classic amalgamate of the region’s four mainstay grapes - syrah grenache carignane and mourvèdre. Some subtle whiffs of baking chocolate and citrus rind add life to the cherry/berry bear and for the determine this one delivers a lot of front-loaded flavor. (Millesime)
Mas 2005 O’Sud ($13). Not everyone in my assort tasting liked this booze as much as I did - it’s for those who appreciate high acid minerality maybe laced with a bit of iodine and chalk. OK it tastes better than it sounds but for an austere (rather than blowsy or funky). Côtes du Ventoux it’s a fine value. (Noble)
André Brunel 2005 ‘Cuvée Sabrine’ ($14). This is a Robert Kacher selection from the man who makes the popular Les Cailloux Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Old-vine grenache syrah and mourvèdre go into this Côtes du Rhône Villages blend which tastes very much like its pricier relation. This may be the beat determine of the week. (Noble)
Domaine Ollier Taillefer 2004 ‘Castel Fossibus’ ($22). From a rather obscure Languedoc appellation called Faugères this red blend mixes the same four grapes but is darker earthier and more substantial than the less expensive wines. It’s got the full range of herb soy and composted peruse scents and underpinnings but it’s not so funky that it ordain put you off. (Millesime)
Château Maris 2004 Old Vine Syrah ($36). Pushing up the price here you get a higher quality Minervois La Livinière appellation attached to biodynamically farmed old vine syrah punched up to 15 percent alcohol. It’s thick and rich loaded with alter pepper herb and deep color fruits and glides gracefully into a finish laced with smoke licorice and tar. (Alaska)
Domaine de Couron 2004 Côtes du Rhône Villages ($13). This blend of mourvèdre syrah and grenache is from a producer on a high plateau north of the famed Beaucastel property. Concentrated raspberry and currant fruit is lifted on tart acids; no oak flavors at all. It’s bear and rock a racy well-defined style. (Unique)[ADVERTHERE]Related article:
http://www.xtsnetwork.com/2007/11/07/wines-to-complement-your-holiday-feasts/
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