Showing spice and dark currant, this wine has a pretty nose. In the mouth, the wine is medium-full bodied with a fine tannin structure and enough acid to go with food, but enough interest to stand alone. This is not a wine for the ages, nor is it a wine that I would store for years. However, for Bordeaux under $15, this is a bottle of wine that I will be drinking this spring.

Last night we popped the cork on a bottle of Cava Reserva Brut Rosat from Avinyó (~$23). Cherry-copper in color with medium fine bubbles, this is a pretty wine. The nose reminded me of sparkling cherry candy. With just a slight hint of residual sugar and plenty of acid, the Avinyo was a very satisfying drink. This wine works well as an aperitif or as an accompaniment to salty cold cuts or a plate of boiled shrimp. We found that it paired particularly well with caramels coated with dark chocolate and a little gray sea salt.

With the holidays ahead, folks will start to think about the sparkling wines. In years gone by Champagnes has ruled at Christmas parties and New Year’s Eve celebrations, but this year consider bubbles from the other great wine regions. There are some excellent wines out there, and the money you save can be used to buy presents.

The first wine we tasted was produced by Santola. Santola’s Vinho Verde ($7) is a very pleasant lemon/citrus “beach wine” – you can drink during the day, not get too bombed, and still pair it with shell fish that evening. Quite fitting as the label of this delightful light wine has a crab on the front, which just happens to be the name of the Vineyard – Santola: aka spider crab according to Google language tools.

Casal Garcia produced the other Vinho Verde($7) that we slurped this weekend. Again with lemon, citrus and refreshing bubbles, the Casal Garcia showed just a little more finesse and a slightly smother finish than the Santola. This was my favorite to the two, but whichever offering you can find, give it a try. They are easy on the wallet and good to drink.

WineEnabler.com has tried to keep pace with this trend, so we were thrilled when I was asked to meet winemaker Adam Richardson, International wine director for Underdog Wine Merchants. Adam was in Austin to promote his latest venture with Underdog, Cupcake Vineyards. Launched in 2008, Cupcake Vineyards offered a Chardonnay, a Merlot, a Cabernet and a Petite Sirah.

I had the chance to taste the 2007 Chardonnay at the First Annual North American Wine Blogger’s Conference as part of the speed blogging round. The WineEnabler.com crew liked the wine. It was well packaged – sort of feminine with nice balance, and we thought it was an excellent buy for about ten bucks. Apparently we were not the only ones. Later that year, Wine Spectator awarded Cupcake’s ‘07 Chardonnay a score of 88. (more…)

In fact, when we were in California last year for the Wine Bloggers Conference in Santa Rosa, California (which I must admit was AWESOME) Alice Feiring ended her speech by saying “DRINK GAMAY.” I HAVE TO ADMIT, I AGREE WITH ALICE!!!

I don’t remember what I paid for this bottle, but I believe it is under the $15 mark, so I would say it is a helluva bargain. If you can find it, buy it.

SALUD Y BON APPETIT!
K

SALUD Y BON APPETIT!
K

All I know is I’m “Fixin” to enjoy some more of this delicious wine and a good ole fashioned ribeye served with a spectacular Bernaise sauce. Our Atkins meal this evening, which could be on the cover of Atkins’ Weekly, also hosts a beautiful side of ratatouille as well as a lovely rocket salad with walnuts, avocadoes and cherry tomatoes topped with a shallot vinaigrette dressing. If you really want the meal to rock, in addition to this fabulous bottle of wine, you must try and perfect the Bernaise sauce:

Perfect Bernaise Sauce

4 eggs yolks at room temperature
7 tablespoons cold butter
5 tablespoons melted butter
2 ½ tablespoons finely chopped shallot
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon Mexican Marigold Mint or Tarragon
¼ c. white wine vinegar
¼ c. vermouth – if no vermouth – add ¼ c. white wine and 1 t. vinegar

Put the last five ingredients in a small pan over medium heat. Reduce the mixture to about 3 tablespoons and set aside.

Beat the egg yolks for about one minute and place is another small pan. Add two tablespoons of the cold butter to the beaten eggs and place the pan over medium heat. Whisk the egg yolk and butter mixture until it begins to thicken. When the mixture is a little less thick than mayonnaise, remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the 5 tablespoons of melted butter. Return the pan to the heat and continue whisking as you gradually add the remaining cold butter, one tablespoon at a time. When the butter is incorporated, remove the pan from the heat and serve immediately.

SALUD Y BON APPETIT!
K

The CRASTO (2007 Douro D.O.C. Region) was a large and in-charge meritage, which consisted of 35% Tinta Roriz, 25% Tinta Barroca, 25% Touriga Franca and 15% Touriga Nacional. This blend of Portuguese varietals had a hint of tobacco (which I admit I love) and a little bit of leather with a tinge of mint or rather Mexican Marigold Mint. (Unfortunately, this is the only herb left growing in our garden right now. Obviously, it is incredibly hardy since the rest of our herbs have bit the dust in the dreadful drought we are having here in Central Texas. If you have never had this herb, you should look for it at your favorite nursery because it is a delightfully pungent herb that takes on the character of a cross between tarragon and anise, is easy to grow, and goes well on just about any vegetable or in a herb butter sauce for chicken or fish.)

Sometimes, I get carried away, so back with the wine review. I guess, in summation, this wine is much like our summer here in Austin, Texas – hardy, yet sophisticated, with a lot of potential for maturing over time (or maybe I am describing this wine and the City of Austin). I think it is one of the first wines from Portugal I have ever had out the thousands of bottles we have had in our life, and I think it is a good one – so I would say we should all support the new and up-and-coming “old world” wine industry of Portugal and all try some of their wines. The retail price for this one is a little on the high side for a week night at $17.50, but, I would highly recommend it with any beefy steak, lamb, or for those of you are vegetarians – portabello mushrooms or eggplant or both.

Bon Appettit y Salud!
K

One of my favorites so far has been Nobilissima Pinot Grigio, which runs for about $9. This wine is simple, as many Pinot Grigios are, but it still works for me. There are pleasant aromas of grilled pineapple, white peach nectar, and faint caramel. However, the mouth is the star of this wine. At 12% alcohol, it’s quite round in a medium-body-sort-of-way, with muscular acid, making it great as an aperitif or food accompaniment. I will be buying it again.

On Friday night, Chef Neil really outdid himself in the cooking department. I’m going to describe the event in stages because you had to take breaks between the scrumptious plates of delightful seafood. (more…)