It's Cool Whip Time, Baby!

It's time for the obligatory blog post about wine to pair with your Thanksgiving feast. But alas it is Thanksgiving eve, the short week has slipped away, you've probably bought your wine already and the real Savvy Sommelier has gone out with the girls.

So now that this lowly spouse has grabbed the reigns of this blog, what could I possibly add to the conversation?  Check out "What to drink for Thanksgiving dinner" and "Can't-fail guide to Thanksgiving wines" for a more traditional set of Thanksgiving wine recommendations.

One of the joys of being married to a Sommelier is that I never have to sweat what wine to bring to a party, order at a restaurant or to pair with holiday meals. (Plus I get to drink all sorts of half opened bottles on a daily basis). Let's take a sneak peak at the dozen wines that Jennifer brought home from the Savvy Cellar for our Thanksgiving celebration.

Knowing how the Savvy Sommelier thinks, my guess is we'll start the festivities with a little bubbly - Cremant Brut Reserve from Blason de Bourgogne. (Secret: this one is from Trader Joe's and is cheap! I'm guessing under $10/bottle). Should be crisp, fruity, acidic and refreshing - just what I need to imbibe as the in-laws walk through the door!

Next up will be some white - nothing buttery or oakey in our house. She has some intriguing possibilities:

• Handley Gewurtraminer (2005) from the Anderson Valley. Crisp, dry with aromas of rose petals and grapefruit. I would pair with Asian food myself but I'm not in charge.
• Crios de Susan Balbo Torrontes (2008). This is one of our favorite whites of late. Torrontes is an aromatic grape from Argentina. It shows floral, citrus similar to Viognier and the dry crisp taste of Sauvigon Blanc. A solid possibility but my guess is she's saving that bottle for just the two of us.
• Morande Terrarum Sauvignon Blanc Reserva (2007) from the Casablanca Valley of Chile. I'm betting this is what she'll lay on us as an aperitif as we move from appetizers to the main feast. Orange blossom and magnolia with grapefruit and tropical fruit, topped with a clean and refreshing finish. (Plus there are 2 bottles of this!)
• Wildcards: There is a Kerner from Abbazia di Novacella (2007), Alto Adige, Italy. I have no idea . . . .  Also from Italy, she also has a Falanghina Sannio from Feudi di San Gregoria (2007). I could be in for an Italian surprise.

The whites, while pleasing to my mother-in-law, are strictly the undercard in our house on this day. Onto the main event . . . the reds.

• A reasonable guess for the red we'll be enjoying is the Alma Rosa Pinot Noir (2006) from the Santa Rita Hills. This has been a crowd favorite at Savvy Cellar. Light, fruity, acidic with enough structure and interest to fare well with our bird. Would go over very well at most dinner tables on this day but my guess is the Savvy Sommelier will go bolder (or at least less conventional).
• There are a couple of Chiantis in the house. Actually there were a couple . . . I cracked open the Cantinino from Castello Sonnino (2001) to go with my bbq chicken pizza and Sharks game. (Ok, wine geeks this is technically not a Chianti but made from Sangiovese). The other is a killer Chianti Classico from Brancaia (2002 vintage) - I have no idea why this bottle sat on the shelves at Savvy Cellar and ended up in the sale bin. I won't question the lack of judgement others showed in overlooking this . . . rather I will be very thankful it may end up on my dinner table.
• Monteagrelo Bressia Malbec (2005) from Mendoza Argentina is in the mix. Haven't tasted this yet but have enjoyed many Malbecs from Argentina - though I think beef and bbq not bird when I think malbec.
• Hogue Merlot Reserve (2002) from Columbia Valley in Washington. My bet is on this bottle. Also found in the sale bin at Savvy Cellar . . . perplexing . . . what is wrong with people?  This may be the best Merlot I've ever tasted. Rich and supple with texture and flavor reminiscent of a cab-based blend - yet without the intense tannins. I pulled this one on a "Cab Snob" one time when working the bar - said he hated Merlot. Tasted it blind and loved it!
• Domaine Chanson Beaune-Bastion Premier Cru from Burgundy (2005). On way out the door Jen said this is a "special" bottle and she'd have my head if drank it. I let it be - hope it comes around tomorrow on the table.

Enough wine drivel, I have to watch ice hockey now and polish off some more Castello Sonnino Sangiovese.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Okey Dokey Artichokey

So I'm rushing home after a full day of tech consulting work, coaching soccer, driving kids from swimming and I get a call from the most Savvy of all Sommeliers. She lets me know that we have no wine - yes, it's true we have a lame wine collection at home (as we drink what we have) - and that we are having artichokes for dinner. Ahh, the dreaded California Artichoke - one of the most difficult foods to pair with wine.

Immediately, I think back to my food & wine pairing class and I know this one's going to be tough but I talk myself through it: "I know there is something that can work with artichoke - think, think." As I make my way to the supermarket and the 2 aisles and several end caps of wine, I realize I have a cheat sheet in my iPhone. Before I go there, I think crisp, acidic white. There, an independent, non-Sommelier, thought. But I best be sure, what does WineSnob think? They confirm - Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigrio - and they go one step further, unoaked. Aha, I have it.

Bolstered by my confirmed wine pairing knowledge, I select a Pinot Gris from Oregon. Now I'm showing off as I know that Pinot Gris is the same varietal as Pinot Grigio. Erath Pinot Gris.

As I bolt through the front door of the house, playing it cool by delaying the inevitable discussion about what wine I selected, I can't wait for Jennifer to ask me what I got. "I picked out an Oregon Pinot Gris." Instead of a smile, pat on the head or "good boy", I get a neutral look. Oh, oh, I stepped out too far. "I would have gone with a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc . . . . " I stopped listening . . . something about a grassy, asparagus note . . . . But I thought we were having artichoke. "Well Pinot Gris could work but most of them from Oregon have been oaked." Ugh, a dagger to my ego. "Don't worry it should be OK."

Well, I was determined at this point to drink (and enjoy) my wine. While it was indeed slightly oaked, it turned out OK with our artichoke and my standing as the 2nd most wine knowledgable person in my house (for the time being) was reinforced.

Artichoke = sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio but make damn sure they haven't seen touched any oak!

Blog Down South . . . All Wines Kiwi

“New Zealand Wine”

If your free association isn’t instantly Sauvignon Blanc, frankly, I would be surprised. After all, Sauvignon Blanc accounts for roughly 79 percent of the wines exported from New Zealand, and that the pungent, grass and grapefruit-laden liquid is one of the world’s most unmistakable and dramatic wine styles. As a young(er) wine buff back in my home-state of Florida, I developed quite the ‘NZSB’ habit during the 11 months of summer. It is a seasonal craving for me now that I call moderate Northern California home, but as the temperature is starting to push the mercury, my addiction has been roused. Even as I write this, I sip unapologetically on a glass of the 07 Spy Valley Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc; if you are still unclear of what defines this region by style, stop reading and just taste it-- this guy is the textbook.

Now what if I were to say: “New Zealand Red Wine?”

Yep, if you think screw caps are a brilliant Kiwi invention, wait until you taste their offerings of that testy little diva, Pinot Noir. Most wineries brave enough to produce Pinot Noir might say they are in a perpetual experimental phase; New Zealand winemakers can technically claim it - the plantings of Pinot have shot up nearly 10 times in 10 years, and it is still trial and error when it comes to working these young vines. While I would say that Central Otago, the southernmost wine region in the world is the trade and media darling, the Pinot Noirs from Martinborough, a region at the tail end of the North Island seem to be the most consistently balanced. The best feature intoxicating aromatics of dusty floral and fallen leaves, perky acidity and an acceptably generous portion of red berries. They are not nearly as esoteric as Burgundy, but seem to offer more layers of spice and floral than many California Pinot Noir; it is most tempting to liken the best of New Zealand Pinots to the good juice flowing out of Oregon. I have had the good fortune to recently taste the 2006 Escarpment Pinot Noir from Martinborough, hands-down my new favorite this week.

“Purity” is the buzz-word for describing the ‘NZPN’, which I’m beginning to think is just how this country likes to keep things . . . unadulterated.