This just in. Methinks our wine-drinking ways don’t make us any more sophisticated than our furry cousins.
Click here to see what I’m talking about.
Thanks to fellow wino Jim for sending me this article.
Marietta California Old Vine Red Lot #39, WBW & IMBB
$13.99
WebWino says:
As previously described, this Wine Blogging Wednesday Friday was a joint effort with Is My Blog Burning, the themed monthly assignment of the world of culinary blogs. Since I didn’t start with a favorite as the assignment specified, I simply tried two new things. A new recipe, and a new wine.
First, the meal.
I prepared Provençal Vegetable Gratin (recipe after the jump) with grilled steaks in a garlic and peppercorn rub. The vegetable dish was recommended for its unique flavors. It was a first for me, having never prepared anything with fennel bulb or leeks. However I didn’t feel too behind the curve, for I did have the Herbes de Provence seasoning in my cupboard. I was apprehensive about the fennel bulb. I’m not a fan of anise, and anything that has a hint of black licorice flavor I usually run from screaming.
However, the fennel simply became a part of an interesting whole. The leeks were scrumptious. Of course I doubled the amount of cheese the recipe required, and the tomatoes were excellent.
The veggie dish was a side to some excellent grilled beef loin steaks (cooked rare, of course). That was the safety net considering you can never go wrong with grilled steak in our house.
Now the Marietta Old Vine Red wine was suggested for being quite food friendly. As a blend of zinfandel, carignane, petite sirah, syrah and cabernet sauvignon, I couldn’t agree more. It was smooth with a universal flavor that I imagine would agree with any meal. We even challenged the wine by whipping out the bleu cheese to pair with beef, and the wine made the transition beautifully.
Interestingly enough, it was suggested that I pair the wine with a berry dessert. However time was short, so I simply picked up some of our favorite dark chocolate for dessert. When combined with the wine, the plain dark chocolate tasted like it was a raspberry flavored. The wine’s berry undertones completely dominated the chocolate. Cool!
I love this experience for several reasons. I got to try some new things in the kitchen and I always love a challenge. But more importantly, I came out of this assignment with a new favorite affordable go-with-anything wine. That, my friends, is worth its weight in gold!
This post is a part of Wine Blogging Wednesday #21 and Is My Blog Burning #26, Festival of Favorites.
Special thanks to Sandra Preston of Fleur de Lys Consulting for providing both the tasty recipe and superb wine recommendation.
This month’s Wine Blogging Wednesday challenge is a doozy. Not only does it fall on a Friday just to mess with us, but it is a crossover even with the monthly culinary blog event called Is My Blog Burning? And guess what Friday it is on? Yep, today.
The concept is simple, with two plans of attack you can choose from.
1. Pick a favorite bottle of wine from your cellar and create/cook a dish that goes with it.
2. Pick a favorite dish in your culinary repertoire and seek out a wine that will pair will it.
This is a whole new song and dance for me. I mean, I’m great at opening any old bottle of wine that just so happens to coincide with a meal. But the deliberate pairing of grape and grub is a skill I’ve not yet acquired.
So I contacted my friend Sandra Preston of Fleur de Lys Consulting. She is a wine and food pairing expert who also offers guided tours of France’s wine country. Rough gig, eh? I left it wide open, asking for both a decent recipe and wine to pair it with.
As I type I have the beginnings of Provençal Vegetable Gratin simmering on the stove, hearty steaks marinating and an affordable red ready for the decanting. I’ll post more about the experience after the meal becomes past tense. For now, just know that the WebWino family is in for a treat tonight!
2002 Lambert Bridge Merlot Sonoma County
$22.99-ish
WebWino says:
LOVED this wine. Once it was decanted, it really took on a wonderful smooth flavor. It was really tasty. Just like my previous review, I am too lazy to come up with the adjectives unable to accurately describe the flavor. However unlike my previous review, this blend was most enjoyable. Yummy!
Hmmm… Shall we blame it on the Malbec?
81% Merlot
13% Cabernet Sauvignon
5% Cabernet Franc
1% Malbec
2004 Masterpeace Red by Andrew Peace
$11.99-ish
WebWino says:
I wanted to love this wine. It is an inexpensive Australian red wine that is made up of a unique blend of grapes. I really wanted it to be a favorite. But it just wasn’t. And unfortunately, I can’t put my finger on the reason why. I just did not enjoy the flavor. I apologize for not being able to be more specific. Perhaps you can add your two cents worth if you’ve had it. Or, if you tend to follow my tastes, you’ll know to avoid it.
There was an abysmal lack of information on the web about this wine too. Sigh. I’m sure it has some admirable qualities. It just wasn’t the wine for me. I’m going to go out on a limb and blame it on the Mataro.
31% Shiraz
26% Cabernet Sauvignon
25% Grenache
18% Mataro
A while back I saw a report about how some marketing trends have gotten out of hand. It was a tongue in cheek look at ever-expanding product lines and crazy naming conventions. The reporter cited his inability to find the original V8 in the eight varieties of V8 now on the shelves. Later, he drove through subdivisions commenting on the fancy names of the developments. Everything was a Shire or Crest or ending in the suffix “ham” which caused him to joke he half expected to a knight to ride by.
Abundant product lines and clever naming conventions are obviously the trend in all things as marketing permeates all facets of society. Products compete for placement on crammed store shelves and grabbing that precious slice of buyer attention is crucial. It would seem that what works in the grocery store, will work in the liquor store as well, no?
The article “Labels Gone Wild,” from the March 2006 Wine Enthusiast Online is fueling my rant here. I must admit the tone of the article leaves me somewhat ruffled. I am a graphic designer and artist by trade. I see nothing wrong with embellishing a label, using punny name or cute mascot to draw attention. You don’t have to be a fan of wine to have heard of “Fat Bastard,” and most will tell you it is a decent wine.
I confess, I love the puns and artistry in wine labels and I do buy the gimmicky wine. (I could say that is my responsibility as a wine blogger, I buy it so you don’t have to!) It has led me to both winners and losers. But that is one of the undeniable joys of being a wine drinker. Trying new and unusual wines and having such a vast array to choose from is a wonderful challenge. Finding the good ones is the goal, whether they be behind a cartoon animal or a mundane label. Hello, BV Tapestry, anyone?
Bemoaning the wines that are capitalizing on marketing trends simply reinforces the stodgy and elitist air that surrounds the wine world already. I love that vineyards are reaching out to all levels of consumers and making wine more appealing to the masses. They’re trying to make a buck, and we’re looking for a good time. Works for me. Wouldn’t it be boring if every bottle that had black type on a white label was great, and every wine with gimmick on the label sucked? There would be no thrill of the chase! This is one case where you shouldn’t hate the player OR the game. It is what it is.
So here’s my challenge to you. Pick out a wine mentioned in the article and give it a chance. I encourage you to sit down with your frogs, roosters, kangaroos, llamas and dead celebrities and try some label-rific wines. Send us your review. Who knows, maybe a knight will ride by.
PS – I really want that bottle with the Miro looking artwork in my collection. It is the picture at the top of this post. If anyone could identify that for me, I’d be eternally grateful.