Wine, food and friends — a recipe for delight

In my last column, I talked about Karen MacNeil’s The Wine Bible. Karen now has another great book out, based on and named after her PBS show Wine, Food and Friends. My local PBS channel doesn't carry the show, unfortunately. But even if you're in the same predicament, the Wine, Food and Friends Web site lets you access lots of wine information, get recipes and "sip tips," buy DVDs of series episodes — and get a healthy dose of Karen's down-to-earth approach to wine. 

The trivia questions this month are courtesy of Karen MacNeil's Wine Lover's Calendar, from Workman Publishing and available at Amazon and other bookstores. 

The Hart of the matter, or how I go the idea for this month's column

You may remember Charlie Hart — my fellow bargain wine lover. In each column, I pick a red wine for him to taste and comment on. Recently, he sent me a column called The Pour, written by New York Times columnist Eric Asimov. In the column, titled "To Study Wine, Buy and Drink," Asimov proposes a great way to learn about wine. He points out that you can no more learn about wine by reading a book than learning to play golf by reading about it. He also opines that wine classes can be daunting for beginners and teach more about describing wines than helping them find what they like. Asimov's solution is simple: 

• Find a good wine shop near you.
• Ask someone there to pick a mixed case — six red, six white — and give a spending limit. (Asimov recommends $250 or so.)
• Take the wine home and, as often as you like, open a bottle and have it with dinner.
• Taste it with and withour food and take notes — the wine name, vintage, food you had with it, and what you liked or didn't like about it. (Asimov warns against using the "florid" language of wine critics. Humph.)
• Repeat as necessary.

Asimov thinks this is a great idea not only for beginners but "for anybody who wants to learn more about wine." And he actually went out to two wine shops and ordered a case from each. He's going to write about his wine odyssey in his blog. 

I know a great idea when I steal it

Like Asimov, I think this is a great idea. Being a marketing writer by profession, I know exactly what to do with a great idea: Steal it. And if there's anything more fun than smilingly snitching somebody else's idea, it's bending it to your own warped purposes! So here's the deal, Charlie and fellow readers: 

I already know a great wine shop near me — The Wine Merchant. I asked my trusted wine bud Cory Lyerly from the store to help me out with picking the case. And here's where I went off on my own tangent: First, I asked him to make the selection as varied as possible in terms of region, style and character. And then, in keeping with the theme of Ten Dollar Tastings, I specified that every bottle in the case should be no more than ten dollars. That means that my case would be less than half of Asimov's limit. 

What I got out of this was a great mixed case of wines. I substituted my own for a few of Cory's selections if I had already reviewed a wine. The case included some that I ordinarily would not have tried and others that were already favorites: The contents: 

Whites

St. Christina Piesporter Michelsberg Riesling Spatlese (Mosel, Germany) $9.50
Cono Sur Sauvignon Blanc (Central Valley, Chile) $9.99
Haley's Mill Chardonnay (Santa Rosa, CA) $9.99
Kumkani Chardonnay/Viognier (Coastal Region, South Africa) $9.99
Vecchia Torre Leverano Rosato (Leverano, Italy) $7.99
Castillo Perelada Pescador Blanc (Emporda-Costa Brava, Spain) $8.99 

Reds

Trinity Oaks Pinot Noir (California, CA) $7.99
DeBortoli dB Selection Merlot (South Eastern Australia) $8.50
Echeverria Cabernet/Merlot (Curico Valley, Chile) $9.99
Dominio de Eguren Protocolo Tinto (Vino de la Tierra, Spain), $6.99
Collegiata Montepulciano D'Abruzzo (Abruzzo, Italy) $8.50 
Korta Carmenere (Lontue Valley, Chile) $9.99 

Now that my lovely wife Trina and I have tasted most of these, I'll populate the regular features of Ten Dollar Tastings with wines from that case. I'll try not to be too florid in my descriptions. 

 Frugal focus:

Typically, I feature one winery's offerings here, so before I go on to the wines from the case, let me pick Kumkani Winery from South Africa. The Southern Starz site run by Kumkani's exporters says, "Kumkani wines are produced from grapes grown in prime maritime vineyards on the edge of False Bay- the site of the world’s biggest concentrations of great white sharks. Great grapes and great whites thrive on the same thing - the outcome of the meeting of two great oceans, the Indian and Atlantic, and the resulting climatic conditions and biodiversity." 

One thing's for sure: Kumkani makes some great whites — not sharks, but wines! I have yet to encounter Kumkani's Sauvignon Blanc, Pinotage and other wines, but the two I've tasted are both delicious and worth double the $9.99 price tag. Trina and I tried them alone and with food. 

Kumkani Viognier/Chardonnay, 2005, $9.99. Spice on the end of the tongue, pronounced peach and light butterscotch aromas and taste. The Viognier adds a really nice breezy floral aroma. It finishes satisfyingly with a hint of melon. When we tried it with chicken, a touch of sweetness joined the mélange of flavors. Overall, an excellent wine for patio sipping or with food.

Kumkani Chenin Blanc, 2005, $9.99. Another stunner for the price. An aroma you might expect on a chardonnay, foreshadowing the foretaste of pineapple, violets and nice fruit. Good acidity in midrange, ripe on the mid-palate and tangy, lingering, straw-dry finish. This wine is as summery as sunshine and a bright breeze.  

Featured wines:

Now, let's take a look at some of the other wines from the mixed case from The Wine Merchant, The results: 

St Christina Piesporter Michelsberg Riesling Spatlese, $9.50. It's what a good Riesling is all about — "like drinking a gardenia," Trina said. Lush floral aroma, hinting at orange blossoms and peach, a pleasantly minerally tang and a short, light but immensely satisfying finish. We had it with Chinese and found that the food accentuated the sweetness a bit and absorbed some of the floweriness. The low acidity means that this is a dangerously quaffable patio wine, especially at this price. As The Wine Merchant says, "It keeps you coming back for more, so thank goodness it's only 8.5 percent alcohol."

DeBortoli dB Selection Merlot, Southeastern Australia, 2006, $8.50. A surprising Merlot, with smooth, firm tannins and more spice than I expect from the varietal. It has a mellowing touch of vanilla and warm oak and a plummy midrange. It stood up nicely to asparagus stir-fry with turkey and pork, the food making the taste somehow brighter and lengthening the finish. This reminded me of a cross between a French Merlot and a light-bodied Shiraz.

Castillo Perelada Pescador Blanc, Spain, 2005, $8.99. This charming sparkler — very light spritz, though — has a delicate floral aroma and sunny mineral and lemongrass notes. This is a no-brainer for summer get-togethers on the deck.

Dominio de Eguren Protocolo Tinto, Spain, 2004, $6.99. Maybe not quite as much of a steal for $6.99 as the Borsao tempranillo, but this one is quite good. Purplish-red robe and a spicy, dry but smooth taste, featuring nutmeg, smoke and a dusty, tobacco-laden aroma. It almost reminds me of a Pinot Noir, especially the playful cherry fruit on the mid-palate.

Haley's Mill Chardonnay, 2005, $9.99. One of my favorites from the mixed case. Uncharacteristic Chardonnay bouquet, almost like a Riesling or Gewurztraminer, with little oak and plenty of pineapple and lychee. Amazing flavor complexity for a wine of this price, yet it goes down like water and is as silky as a classic Pinot Noir. Almost like champagne without the spritz, this is one that you'll always find in my cellar. 

Pick for Charlie

It's time again to select a good affordable red for Charlie Hart. I have yet to try the Echeverria Cabernet/Merlot from my mixed case, but I may be featuring Echeverria wines in an upcoming column. These Chilean delights are priced incredibly low for the value they deliver. So, Charlie, I'm recommending Echeverria Syrah/Carmenere Reserva, 2002. Imagine getting a Reserva wine for under ten bucks! This one has raspberries, cherries, a hint of menthol on the nose and a leathery midrange. Strong, supple tannins on the finish, a meaty body with a hint of coffee and a small touch of violet. If it sounds like this one has it all, it does! Check it out. 

Charlie’s take on the Patriot Red wine that I picked for him last month: “I thought it was a bit rough around the edges (and in the center). It went well with something spicy, like pizza, which somewhat tamed the edge.” 

Digging deeper

Here are a few of my all-time favorites in wines over ten dollars. A staple in my wine rack is Campus Oaks Old Vine Zinfandel, probably my all-time favorite everyday wine at any price. It's a big-bodied wine with smooth tannins, an incredible nose with vanilla, cherries and berries and good spice. Long finish and incredible mouthfeel, and for around 12 dollars a bottle you just can't beat it. 

If you're stepping up in class a little for that special meal or that special someone, spring for the Spanish spectaculars from Vina Olagosa. Vina Olagosa Rioja Gran Reserva, 1995 offers an incredible complexity, with aromas and tastes of spice, tobacco and light oak. Let it breathe for at least three hours before serving. When people talk of an elegant wine, they are talking about this one. It has great structure and fruit and a long, complex finish. You'll be thinking about this one for along time after tasting. Incredible with marinated, grilled London broil. Be careful, though — the local distributor of this wine tells me that it is reaching the end of its drinkability. 

If you don't want to risk the 1995 Gran Reserva or can't afford the 30-dollar price tag, try the Vina Olagosa Rioja Reserva, 1999 for around 20 or the Vina Olagosa Crianza, 2002 for under 15. 

Surf in for more Tastings next time …

We still haven't tasted and reviewed all the wines from the mixed case, so I'll finish that next time. And as much as I love reds, it's closing in on June, so look for some Summer Solstice Sippers — tasty whites that are just perfect for lazing along with on a weekend afternoon. I may even review a few beers for the heck of it. Because, wine aficionado that I am, after mowing my lawn I do not crave a glass of wine. I want to go straight for a good cold pale ale or Corona with lime. All in next month's column. 

Until then, in vino veritas … and que syrah, syrah! 

 Thanks as always to The Wine Merchant for providing excellent wines, wine education and support. Prices are based on the author’s experience and may vary. 

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