Best Cellars
December 19, 2006
The 2006 Beaujolais Nouveau is especially good, as the cooler harvest conditions yielded wines with excellent balance and brighter-than-usual fruit. Here are five of recommended wines. Seek them out at wine shops or supermarkets and serve lightly chilled, with hors d’oeuvres, grilled fish, seafood or white meat dishes.
Domaine Manoir du Carra 2006 Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau > Surging with fruity flavours and aromas, this unusually rich wine is “thoroughly delicious”
Georges Duboeuf 2006 Beaujolais Nouveau > The quintessential Beaujolais Nouveau. Great value
Joseph Drouhin 2006 Beaujolais Nouveau > Crisper, lighter and brighter than Duboeuf. Well made and tasty
Bouchard Aini & Fils 2006 Beaujolais Nouveau > Refreshing and light, especially good served straight from the fridge
Domaine Dupeuble 2006 Beaujolais Nouveau > Appealingly acidic, with tart red berry flavours
Greek wineries scooped top marks in the US
December 19, 2006
Last month, two Greek wineries scooped top marks in the US magazine Wine & Spirits’ global competition. From a field of over 6,000 entrants, Argyros Estate of Santorini and Domaine Gerovassiliou of Epanomi, Thessaloniki, were picked among the top 100 wineries.
Argyros Estate, run by the Argyros family since 1903, is chiefly known for its aged Vin Santo, but it also produces some excellent whites, including the ‘Barrel select white’ combination of Asyrtiko, Aidani and Athiri (2004) sampled by the tasting panel at the Wine & Spirits awards.
Domaine Gerovassiliou was set up in 1981 by oenologist Evangelos Gerovassiliou. The winery has won barrels of awards: this year alone it scooped Best white wine in Europe for its Viognier 2005, a gold medal at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles for its Syrah 2003 and silver for the Chardonnay 2005, while at Wine & Spirits it collected bronze medals for both the Malagouzia 2005 and Viognier 2005.
Five Greek reds to track down and store.
Alpha Estate 2004 (Syrah - Xinomavro - Merlot), Alpha Estate. Keep 5 years or more
Monopati Aivalis 2004 (Agiorgitiko), Aivali. Keep 5 years or more
Ramnista 1997 (Xinomavro), Kir Yianni. Keep 3-5 years
Nobile 1999 (Kotsifali - Mandilaria), Creta Olympias. Keep 3-5 years
Mikroklima Papaioannou 2001 (Agiorgitiko), Papaioannou. Keep 4 years or more
Because wine is a living organism, it’s important to keep it in the correct conditions: at between 13 and 16 degrees Celsius temp and at 70 percent humidity, away from smells and light. If you don’t have a cellar, keep it under the stairs, in the basement of the building, in the wardrobe or even under the bed if it’s far from the radiator.
Five wines for your everyday table.
Gerovasileiou white (Assyrtiko - Malagousia), Gerovasileiou
Pavlidis white (Assyrtiko - Sauvignon Blanc), Pavlidis
Hromitsa (Assyrtikio - Chardonnay - Athiri), Tsantalis
Avantis (Syrah), Mountrihas
Pyrorago (Kotsifali - Syrah - Cabernet Sauvignon), Creta Olympias
Compliments of the season > II
December 18, 2006
More recommendations for what to drink with your Christmas lunch
With just a week to go until Christmas, three more wine merchants reveal their festive wine preferences. There will surely be some guests round the Christmas table who eschew red and demand white wine. Nothing could be simpler, pork goes beautifully with a rich, spicy white too. For those who are freeing themselves from the shackles of tradition, Xenophon and Sally of Cava Protasis, have the following suggestions.
From northern Greece in Macedonia we tasted Nico Lazaridis’ 2005 Chateau Nico Lazaridi White, Regional Drama, alcohol volume 12%, which blends Sauvignon Blanc with Semillon, Roditis and Ugni Blanc. It has a pale gold colour with brilliant, fresh green fruit nose. The palate is also of fresh fruit, soft and round, but with notable acidity and a full-mouth-feel. The wine has a quite mineral backbone and a long, elegant, tart finish. With a flourish of CO2 on the tongue and lemon end-taste, there is something for just about everyone in this wine. A classic white wine fermentation without bells and whistles in which all the best features of the component varieties have been allowed to shine. Serve at 8-10 degrees C with fish, seafood chicken and roast pork.
More Greek wine on the table and we decanted a bottle of 2003 Domaine Hadjimichalis Syrah, alcohol volume 13%. This limited production Syrah by one of Greece’s prominent winemakers, Dimitris Hadjimichalis, is powerful and concentrated with a vibrant, purple-red colour. Subtle with nice herbal aromas, dark cherry fruit and an almost sweet aroma, soft tannins and more cherry on the palate. Harmonious with traditional Christmas food, served at 16-18°C.
I would have always guessed the next wine, a 2000 Castelgiocondo Brunello di Montalcino, alcohol volume 13.5%, a ruby red wine of Sangiovese varietal, tight and chewy with full body and lots of raisin and spice. It has dark cherry and dried plum fruits, melting into more pronounced minerality and essences of tobacco leaf, lead and stone. On the palate, we discovered crisp acidity with pulpy fruit attacking you and a lingering finale. Beef stews, braised meets with potatoes, roast wild boar and aged cheeses come to mind. Served at 18°C.
George Hadjikyriakos of Spectus will start his meal with N/V Bollinger, alcohol volume 12%. Pale golden with sweet biscuit reflecting Pinot Noir domination (60%). Lemony and apple character with oak tones through mid-palate, subtle coffee and toffee aromas. Fresh champagne with a firm mousse. It is an excellent aperitif with some savoury nibbles to start with.
Created from the successful combination of Assyrtiko with the rare wine Malagousia, the 2006 Domaine Gerovasiliou White, alcohol volume 12.5%, has a bright, blonde-like colour with some greenish glints and aromas expressive of exotic fruits together with pepper, orange, melon, herbs and lemon. Rich, harmonious and pleasant acidity, vivid, medium body with a lemon finish. Served at 8-10°C, it is perfect matched with seafood, fish, white meat or pasta with plain sauces, Greek salad with tomato and feta cheese.
An excellent white is followed by an Amarone Classico. The 2000 Masi Costasera Amarone della Valpolicella alcohol volume 15%, (Corvina 70%, Rondinella 5%, Molinara 5%). This wine is created using the appasimento method, more about it in future. Dark garnet in colour, it exudes lovely aromatics of deep, dark black cherry, with notes of raisins and a hint of coffee in the background. These impressions carry over into the full-bodied flavours, with some added earth and underbrush, good structure and a long finish. This is a great value wine, with excellent aging potential too.
Excellent with roast beef or game with wild mushroom sauce. To complete his Christmas meal, George will drink a 2000 The Royal Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonios, alcohol volume 12%, which has an amber colour with aromas of ginger cookies, apricot and orange marmalade. This is a sweet wine, deftly balanced, with a lively structure and a fine, lingering finish.
And finally, Victor Papadopoulos of La Maison du Vin, will definitely start with a bottle of fine Ruinart Champagne. Interestingly though, Victor also favours the Italians with a 2005 Zenato Lugana San Benedetto, (Trebbiano) alcohol volume 13%. This is the flagship wine of the Lugana family, straw yellow in colour and marked by greenish reflections. Persistent flavours of soft fruit, velvety and full bodied with scents of green fruit, vanilla and slight traces of peach too. The acidity keeps it fresh and refreshing, with a ripe, soft aftertaste. Excellent with most Christmas seafood starters and with roast pork at 11°C.
Like Ruinart, Victor must drink a Guigal at Christmas, this year he opts for the 2003 Cotes du Rhone, E. Guigal, alcohol volume 13%. A blend of Syrah, Grenache and some Mourvodre, this deep ruby-purple coloured wine has black pepper, raspberries and dark plums on the nose, followed by a nicely structured palate with plenty of complexity. Excellent value for money. Served at 17° C, it is an ideal pairing with red meats, tomato-based pasta sauces and mature cheeses.
And finally, the 2000 Poliziano Asinone, Vino Nobile di Montepulziano, alcohol volume 14%. Sangiovese at its best even though the name of this special cuvee translates as ‘big donkey’ it comes from the shape of the vineyard. Open and spicy tarry nose displays attractive herbal complexity. The palate is firm, tarry, structured and quite elegant with high acidity.
Compliments of the season > I
December 18, 2006
In the first of a two-part series, wine merchants offer their recommendations for what to drink with Christmas lunch
I always feel that giving advice on what to drink at Christmas is almost as presumptuous as lecturing the Queen on etiquette! People do such very different things at Christmas now, it’s no longer the stereotypical affair it once was. To those, for example, that are without ties who board a plane for exotic haunts I would advise picking up a very special bottle of bubbly from the airport as they depart, it would certainly enhance Christmas morning spent on the other side of the world.
The majority, though, seem to find themselves catering for more people with less help than any other time of the year. But what to drink? As mentioned before, I will not offer any advice, wine merchants and wine shop owners will do so instead. Therefore, whether it is an adult Christmas with a modicum of caviar or foie gras to start or the fraught kind of home where children wake up at dawn to inspect stockings and everyone drinks as if it might be their last Christmas, our experts in the field advise.
Sergios Katodritis, owner of Larnaca’s The Oak Tree Wine Cellar and now with a new shop on Metohiou street in Nicosia, will start his Christmas day with a Cavas Hill Bodega, Reserva Oro, Brut Nature, Blanc de Blancs, alcohol volume 11.5%, a sparkling Spanish wine made with traditional methods from the rich vineyards of the Penedes region. A non-vintage Blanc de Blancs made of Macabeo, Parellada and Xarello grapes yielding a crisp, dry, bubbly pleasant from nose to the finish. Golden yellow colour with greenish reflections and fine bubbles. On the nose, the wine is complex with a marked note presence. Suitable for any time, including appetizers. Serve at 6 degrees C.
Sergio’s second choice comes from down under, a 2002 Peter Lehman Weighbridge Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot, alcohol volume 14%. South Australia remains for many the homeland of Aussie Cabernet. A clear, deep cherry colour, the lifted nose of this wine has intense flowers (violets) and fruit (blackberry) with a hint of leafiness. Medium-bodied with the classical structure of Cabernet (78%) and the softness of Merlot (22%). Vivid, muscular tannins are subsumed into the many layers of sumptuous fruit. Perfect for a spicy meat and cheese based pasta, more importantly with roast lamb or turkey.
Finally, back to Europe and France. We always used to drink Chateauneuf-du-Pape with Christmas lunch. 2004 Domaine Grand Veneur has plenty of cassis, currant and prune flavours and spice box, nesting on a bed of firm, integrated tannins. Medium-body, well balanced with a clean and pure finish. Perfect with grilled meats and wild mushroom, strong cheese and roasted goose or duck.
Yiannakis Aristidou of Oenoforos Wine Depo in Limassol is on parallel lines. Start Christmas lunch with 2003 Brown Brothers Chardonnay, alcohol volume 14%. In the glass we have a pale straw yellow colour and on the nose we have displays of fresh, lifted stone fruit, seductive nectarine, peach and fig with a very well integrated oak. Cleansing acid finish, the stone-fruit-laden palate is bright, fresh and long. Serve at 9 degrees C with smoked salmon, baked or roast salmon fillets, pasta with fish or seafood and creamy sauce.
From Milawa in South Australia we move to Colchagua Valley and the Apalta vineyard in Chile for the 2003 Montes Alpha Merlot, alcohol volume 14%. Enticing ruby red colour, the nose a mixture of black cherry and sweet blackcurrant with hints of graphite, savoury black-pepper twist, tobacco, cocoa, sweet chocolate and grilled herbs as well. Long and structured on the palate, round and velvety in mid-palate with mineral, spice with sweet fruit, and some tannins. An excellent wine served at 18 degrees C with roast turkey, stuffing and any roast red meat.
Burgundy next. Yiannakis suggests a real treat for your Christmas lunch. The 2001 Domaine du Chateau de Chassagne-Montrachet, Les Chaumaes 1er Cru, alcohol volume 13.5%, is a class act from Burgundy, with Pinot Noir, from one of the 52 Premier Cru vineyards. Deep violet colour, the bouquet is packed with cinnamon, redcurrant jelly, crushed leaves, strawberries and almonds. The palate is structured with notes of tree bark lifting the cherry compote flavours. Marvelous depth, balance, weight and freshness best served at 18 degrees C with roast game, goose, duck or pheasant. Pricey but worth it.
Pop!
December 17, 2006
My father had a unique approach to opening a bottle of Champagne. He’d hem and haw, grit his teeth, mutter to himself and break out in a light sweat. All this before he’d even touched the bottle.
After being treated to this demonstration every Christmas, it became clear to my siblings and me that while it was amusing to watch my father, someone else should learn to perform this task.
Now, after years of being reasonably adept at opening bottles of sparkling wine, it seems to me that it has much in common with training an alpha male dog. As any competent dog whisperer will tell you: You must be the master. As long as the dog learns this, he will give years of loyalty and joy and few, if any, instances of drawing blood. So, here goes with our training and ultimate mastering of the alpha wine bottle.
1. Remember that this most social and celebratory of wines comes in a bottle under approximately as much pressure as a truck tire. The pressure is the result of the carbon dioxide created during the process of fermentation. And, just as any sociable, spirited pup wants to break loose and tear up the draperies, so is this wine just itching to burst from its restraints.
2. Don’t open the bottle until it is well-chilled, between 45 and 55 degrees. Remember that the glass is thicker on these bottles and the contents take longer to chill. Set the chilled bottle firmly on the counter before you. Now, open the door to its “crate” by removing the foil wrapper at the top of the bottle.
3. Making no sudden or jerky movements, pick up a napkin or dishtowel, fixing the bottle with a steady look. Approach without hesitation. Any trepidation on your part will only provide amusement to those who are watching and draw contempt from the bottle.
4. Cover the top of the bottle with the napkin, and grasp it by the neck, tipping the bottle away from yourself and bracing the bottom of the bottle against your body. The bottle now knows you intend to be in control.
Next, pull down the wire tab, untwist it and loosen the wire cage. Or take the cage off, but keep the bottle tipped away from you and any onlookers.
5. Just as a good Labrador Retriever’s doggie motto is “no fear,” so should yours be now.
Still keeping a firm grasp on the cork, slowly twist the bottle, not the cork. Let the gas in the bottle begin its slow escape as it gradually pushes the cork out of the bottle.
6. Some champagne corks are simply going to be harder to open than others. At times you might be tempted to discard the towel and just wrestle with the cork, showing anger and irritation in the process (analogous to kicking the dog). It means the bottle has won and will eventually let loose its cork with an explosive “pop” and even perhaps gush out wine.
You may think this is ever so much more fun. If so, then go ahead and pour that wine all over your guests’ heads, pretending your team just won the NBA championship.
Ah, but if the cork comes out with a breathy, gentle sound, you have prevailed. This is a good, well-behaved wine that hasn’t gone to waste, one that will bring joy and contentment to your friends, and won’t wet the carpet.
Chocolate and wine
December 16, 2006
Those who think that red wine and chocolate are a good match may not need to read any further. Drink, eat and enjoy. But if you can’t seem to find just the right wine to serve alongside your volcano cake, or one to enjoy with your box of gourmet chocolates, know that you are not alone. Wine experts agree that pairing chocolate with wine is a challenge.
To decide which wine to serve with your chocolate cake, chocolate pie or any other homemade chocolate dessert, first decide what kind and percentage of chocolate you intend to use.
Next, consider how big of a chocolate punch your dessert will deliver, then lastly, how sweet it will be. The wine should be slightly sweeter than the dessert. The flavors in the wine should mirror one or more flavors in the dessert, except for tannins. It’s never good to pit tannins against tannins.
Best bet for rich chocolate desserts: Banyuls or a ruby port with enough fruit to pick up on the fruit in your chocolate.
Best bet for milk chocolate desserts: Vin Santo, orange muscat or tawny port, something sweet and smooth, without edgy tannins to detract from the dessert.
Perfect pairs: For those who love the idea of pairing dessert and wine but don’t have the energy to figure out what goes with what, here’s a cheat-sheet.
-Cheesecake: Orange or black muscat, Sauternes, riesling.
-Coconut: Ice wine, riesling, viognier.
-Ice cream: Muscat, black or orange, cream sherry with vanilla ice cream.
-Puddings and custards: Muscat, ice wine, Madeira.
-Doughnuts: Asti, Champagne.
-Figs: Tawny port, Madeira.
-Fruit tarts and the like: Ice wine, riesling, Sauternes.
-Nuts: Tawny port, sweet cream sherry, especially Oloroso.
-Oranges: Champagne, muscat wine.
-Oreos: Banyuls.
-Caramel: Tawny port, Madeira, muscat.
-Wedding cake: Asti, moscato d’asti, German riesling.
-Bread pudding: Late harvest wine, Sauternes, riesling.
Those who have a bottle of sweet wine kicking around because they never know when to serve it will be happy to hear that the wine, no matter how old, is likely still good. Sweet wines age very well. Here is a backwards cheat-sheet, what to eat with what you want to drink, to help you enjoy those forgotten bottles to their fullest.
-Muscat wine: fruit, fresh, or dried; biscotti, panna cotta, ice cream, dark chocolate dessert, very creamy desserts.
-Late harvest wine: fruit and nut desserts, blue cheese, pound cake.
-Unless it is late harvest zinfandel, do not serve with chocolate.
-Ice wine: Cookies, especially shortbread, creme brulee or flan, poached fruit, lemon desserts, peach desserts, macadamia nuts.
-Late harvest riesling: Apples and apple desserts, apricot desserts, bread pudding, peach desserts, crepes, creme brulee, cookies.
-Sherry, Oloroso: Nuts, pie.
-Sherry, PX: Chocolate and chocolate desserts, ice cream, nut desserts, pecan pie, pumpkin pie.
-Ruby port: Cherry desserts, berry desserts.
-Tawny, vintage and other barrel-aged ports: Almond desserts, apple desserts, dried fruit desserts, pear desserts, chocolate, nuts, walnuts.
-Banyuls: Chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate.
How to taste sweet wine
December 15, 2006
Before you pair a wine with dessert, it’s important to taste the wine carefully and think about what you are tasting. Here are some tricks sommeliers and wine experts use as they pair food and wine.
-Be sure to chill sweet wine well, as the lower temperature diminishes the perception of sweetness, allowing the other flavors in the wine to pop.
-Pour in a glass large enough to trap the aromas.
-Swirl the wine in the glass, then smell it. Try to verbalize what you smell.
-Take a long sip, enough to coat the entire inside of your mouth. Be sure to breathe through your mouth.
-Taste the dessert.
-Take a bite of the dessert in your mouth and add a sip of wine. Yes, this will slime your glass, but it’s necessary. Ask yourself if one flavor buries the other.
-Ask yourself if they do anything for each other.
