8:42 PM

May 01, 2008 - Cream Sherry

Today's Cream Sherry Article

A Redneck's Guide to Wine Appreciation

First, allow me a moment to elucidate my qualifications: My grandpa was a bootlegger in the backwoods of Tennessee during prohibition. That's God's honest truth, and that bit of family history proves without question that I have both redneck DNA and an intimate knowledge of alcoholic beverages. Gramps' legacy lives on.

Both of those bits of trivia are worthy of much greater discussion, but today I need to stick to the point. So, let's take a look at our subject du jour, the Big Vino, the juice of the gods, that is to say, wine.

The first big thing to understand, Bubba (or Bubbette--we rednecks have advanced with the times), is that wine ain't 7-UP. Now, I know that many of you are used to mixing wine and 7-UP, but the point of this little article is to provide an opportunity for personal growth. Keep reading, or maybe have your kid read it out loud.

Now what I mean by saying that wine ain't 7-UP is simply this: If you bought a can of 7-UP down at Elmer's Market and then drove to your uncle Willie's Gas & Groc and bought another can, you'd expect both cans to taste the same, assuming Uncle Willie's half-brother had not done something really disturbing again. Most of us consider the fact that one can tastes just like every other to be a Good Thang.

Not so, with wine. Rather than mixing together chemicals and water in a top-secret combination to yield identical tasting drinks, wine makers have to rely on Mother Nature. And we all know that Mother Nature can be a... bit fickle. In addition to the wine maker's skill, the grape, the soil, the storage, and even the weather during the growing year all have a tremendous effect on the taste of a given vintage.

This explains Uncle Willie's homebrew, of course: Combine a winemaker with no skill, incredibly disgusting grapes thrown out by the Piggly Wiggly store, the fungus-inducing weather of the Deep South, soil worthy of an EPA Superfund site, and long-term storage in plastic buckets, and you get a vintage that works better as concrete cleaner.

The Yin to that Yang is a skilled vintner who has studied his craft for years, grapes cultivated on the warm southern-facing slopes of the Columbia River Basin or Cascade Mountains, 300 days of sunshine per year with cool, crisp nights during harvest, nutrient-rich volcanic soil, and long-term oak or stainless steel barrel storage, and you have the magnificent wines of Washington State. They don't all taste the same, of course, due to different local soils, weather conditions, and different wine makers. But I assure you, Bubba/Bubbette, that is a really Good Thang.

Part of the fun of being a wineaux, i.e. a redneck who likes good wines, is the search for the elusive "great vintage". Since no two vintages taste the same, it is incumbent upon us to taste lots and lots of wines from different vintages. That's a Good Thang, too, as you might imagine. Now, you'll find some hoity toities who will try to tell you what's good and what ain't, but here's the real truth: A good wine is a wine you like. Period, end of story. Anybody tells you different, tell 'em to put a cork in it.

At first, I didn't drink for taste. Like most of my redneck kin, I drank because I was, uh... thirsty. But if you slow down and actually start thinking about the taste a bit, I guarantee you'll find some wines that tickle your fancy.

Having found some great vintages (and write them down when you find them, or buy a case or two), the next Good Thang about wine is that it was made for food. Yep, fer shure. Unlike Uncle Willie's homebrew, you'll not only be able to keep your food down when you have a good wine, you'll find that some wines actually make the food taste better. And I don't mean after the second or third bottle. I really mean that you can be stone cold sober, take a sip of wine, shovel in bit of food, and both the wine and the food will taste better together than either does alone.

In case those instructions are not clear, please understand that I mean that you should swallow the wine first, and then take a bite of food. As tempting as it might be to try to mix it all up together, wine ain't a milkshake, neither. Save that trick for Nestle's Quick chocolate mix. For those who don't know, you take a spoonful of chocolate mix in your mouth, pour in some milk, and swish it around. Rednecks from southern states may also add several chunks of banana.

But I digress. Back to wine.

A second fun thing about being a wineaux is finding "wine and food pairings" that you like. There are some general guidelines, but once again, what tastes good to you is really the definition of what is good. Here are a couple things that I've found to be true for my tastes:

1. Wine shouldn't be stronger tasting than the food you're serving. Hoity toities may scream in anguish, but the first great wine and food pairing that suited me was a California Zinfandel served with hamburgers drowned in a potent barbecue sauce. Zinfandels are often "peppery" in taste and therefore complement a strong barbecue sauce quite well.

Conversely, milder main dishes may call for a lighter wine. I found that some light cheeses go great with Sauvignon Blanc, which is a light and sometimes slightly fruity white wine.

2. Sometimes seemingly odd combinations work out quite well, too. I like blue cheese on crackers with a fairly sweet dessert wine like Roza Riesling. I have no idea why that works for me. Maybe my taste buds are dead from too many pork rinds.

Regardless, wine tasting is an adventure, and a kick in the pants, too. A few years ago I hired a limousine to take me, my wife, and some friends on a wine tasting tour of the Wenatchee Valley in central Washington. Not only was it great fun, but I discovered several fantastic family-operated wineries along the way. We still visit these wineries several times a year for concerts, special dinners, and of course, wine club pick-ups!

By the way, a wine club pick-up is not a new way for you single redneck men to meet women--ya still gotta save that for the family reunion.

About the Author

When he's not writing articles for his fellow rednecks at Redneck-Wineaux.com (http://Redneck-Wineaux.com), Ross Lambert is sampling fine wines and playing guitar. He is also one of several software engineers at Confluent-Data, Inc., creators of LoveWashingtonWine.com (http://LoveWashingtonWine.com

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9:23 AM

2008 - Wine Recipes-

The Best Articles on Wine Recipes

I Love Italian Wine and Food - Aosta Valley Region, Piedmont Wine

If you are looking for fine Italian wine and food, consider the Aosta Valley region of northern Italy. You may find a bargain, and I hope that you?ll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour.

The Aosta Valley is a tiny corner of of northwestern Italy bordering on France and Switzerland. This valley is surrounded by high mountains, including Europe?s highest peak, Mount Blanc. This was arguably the last region of Italy to be populated, because it was covered with ice until relatively recently. Over time it was occupied by Celts, Romans, Ostrogoths, Byzantines, Lombards, and Franks. It is bilingual, Italian and French. The Aosta Valley is by far the smallest region of Italy with a population of only 120 thousand.

Agricultural is not particularly important, with the exception of cattle raising. There is substantial forestry and some industry, in particular hydroelectric power. The region is one of the wealthiest in Italy, with a highly developed tourist sector.

This region has no single capital. The largest city is Aosta, with a population of about 35 thousand. It was a Roman garrison over two thousand years ago, and is the best example of Roman city planning in Italy. Among the Aosta Valley?s tourist attractions are the remains of a Roman amphitheater said to hold 20,000 spectators. Other tourist attractions include medieval fortresses and churches, the Matterhorn, and Mount Blanc.

The Aosta Valley devotes only fifteen hundred acres to grapevines, and ranks 20th among the 20 Italian regions. Its total annual wine production is about six hundred thousand gallons, also giving it a 20th place. About 90% of the wine production is red or ros? (only a bit of ros?), leaving about 10% for white. The region produces a single DOC wine, that is divided into 23 categories. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin. Almost 23% of this region?s wine carries the DOC. The Aosta Valley is home to almost three dozen major and secondary grape varieties, with somewhat more red than white varieties.

Chardonnay is the most important international white grape variety in the Aosta Valley. Muscat and Pinot Grigio (Pinot Gris) are also grown. Local white varieties include Blanc de Morgeux and Petite Arvine, also grown in Switzerland.

International red grape varieties grown in the Aosta Valley include Gamay, Grenache, Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir), and Syrah. Local red varieties include Picotendro (called Nebbiolo in neighboring Piedmont and arguably Italy?s finest red grape), Petit Rouge, and Fumin. In the unfortunate absence of any Aosta Valley wines, I am reviewing a DOCG Nebbiolo-based wine from neighboring Piedmont. If I am ever in the Aosta Valley, I promise to drink and review a few local wines.

Before reviewing the Aosta Valley-style wine and Italian cheese that I was lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region.
Start with Jambon de Bosses; Uncooked Ham.
As the second course try Carr? D?Agnello Gratinato Alle Erbe; Grilled Loin of Lamb in a Pastry and Herb Crust.
For dessert indulge yourself with Crema alla Panna; Pannacotta from the Aosta Valley (a sort of cr?me caramel without eggs.)

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY While we have communicated with well over a thousand Italian wine producers and merchants to help prepare these articles, our policy is clear. All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed
Travaglina Gattinara DOCG 13.5% alcohol about $28

As stated above, little if any wine from the Aosta Valley region is available in North America. We had to settle for a Piedmont wine produced only a few miles away from the Aosta Valley. For some reason I can?t get out of my mind the 1905 George M. Cohan Broadway title tune (Only) Forty-five Minutes from Broadway, think of the changes it brings. Given that this is a DOCG wine made with Italy?s best red grape, I really don?t feel that I made a sacrifice. It is perhaps a fitting way to treat the last of Italy?s regions.

Let?s start with the marketing materials. ?The winery has other jewels in its crown, as the fabulous base Gattinara 2001 so eloquently proves in the best version we can remember. A pure, austere nose expresses the Gattinara territory, with licorice and crushed roses from the Nebbiolo grape and elegant streaks of eucalyptus, menthol, and even acacia blossoms. The long lingering palate is lively and tangy, slightly held back by assertive tannins.?

Let?s talk a bit about the bottle. As a DOCG red wine, there is a lavender ribbon at the top of the bottle. The bottle itself has a unique curve that fits in the palm of the hand. It was designed by a glassmaker for the 1952 vintage, and proved so popular that the producer has been using it ever since. The grapes are grown on steep slopes at 900-1300 feet in iron-rich soil with traces of Calcium and Magnesium Carbonate. The wine is aged a year in French oak barriques, 18 months in Slovenian oak casks, and then for six months in the bottle. It has been called an affordable Barolo, (one of Italy?s finest red wines that starts at about twice its price). Wine Spectator Magazine has listed a previous vintage as one of the year?s 100 best wines.

My first pairing was with a cheeseless meat lasagna. Frankly the wine was wasted on this meal. It was mouth-filling, long, and powerful, but yet delicate. I felt that the wine was great on its own. A few ounces kept my mouth satisfied for a very long time.

The next pairing was more suitable, grilled rib steak in my spicy, homemade barbeque sauce that included ketchup, sweet and sour mustard, fresh garlic, and black pepper. The meal also included potato patties, and caponata, an Italian-style eggplant and tomato salad. This marriage was made in heaven. The wine was mouthfilling and powerful. A little bit went a very long way.

The final meal was with slow-cooked, boneless beef ribs and potatoes. Once again, the wine was very powerful, tasting of leather and dark fruit. It is easily the most powerful wine of the series, and probably one of the most powerful wines that I have ever tasted. However, I did not find the tannins assertive; they blended perfectly with the fruit and other flavors.

It might have been best to try this wine with a Piedmont cheese such as Gran Padano or Gorgonzola, or with an Aosta Valley cheese such as Fontina. I had none of the above, so I settled for the ends of my Italian cheeses, coincidentally at more or less the end of this series. The Gattinara took on a pleasant acidic character to deal with a Montasio cheese from the Veneto area that was past its prime. It also went well with a Sicilian Isola. I liked it the best with an Asiago, also from the Veneto region. But once again the wine was somewhat wasted on these cheeses.

Final verdict. I don?t think that this wine should be cellared wine for a dozen years, but I would love to find out. If I had the money, I?d buy a case, drink a bottle a year, and then decide what to do. Not going to happen. This wonderful wine will have to go into my once a year category. I?m already looking forward to savoring and comparing the 2002 vintage with this wonderful 2001.

Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His wine website is http://www.theworldwidewine.com .

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