Archive for February 2012

Home Archive for February 2012

So you love New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc? Who doesn’t! To be truthful, although some of course are better than others, it’s difficult to find a bad one. In another way, though, it’s a shame that Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand gets so much attention while many other great Kiwi wines are ignored. Their Pinot Noir is getting some well deserved consideration, yes, but last year during a visit to New Zealand we also tasted some absolutely delicious, world class Pinot Gris, Viognier, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Verdelho, Chardonnay, and even some Arneis among the whites, and up in Hawkes Bay especially some fantastic Syrah, Cabernet, and Merlot. (I’m hearing, too, that New Zealand Grüner Veltliner may be the next big thing.) Many of these, unfortunately, are difficult to find in our local market, at least until we see a greater demand.

In the meantime there’s Villa Maria Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2010. Villa Maria prides itself in being the most awarded winery in New Zealand. And although one of the largest, it’s still family owned. Most of us are very familiar with the entry level Private Bin Sauvy – the 2010 was awarded 90 points by Wine Spectator while we were visiting (good cue for a party). The Cellar Selection is a step up again in quality. The fruit is sourced from the justly famous Awatere and Wairau Valleys of Marlborough, and are harvested in the cool of the night to ensure it arriving at the winery in pristine condition.

The winemaker’s notes read –

A beautifully intense and lively wine, overflowing with aromas of ripe gooseberry, melon and passionfruit with hints of grapefruit, lime and nettles. The wine is mouthfilling and juicy with vibrant fruit and fantastic mid palate richness and weight, finishing rich and racy with excellent length and crispness.

By all means, you should treat yourself to this lip-smacking wine. It pairs well with shellfish, white fish, and even salmon – especially when they have a citrus or garlicky sauce – as well as most Asian cuisine. Enjoy!

Bill Stobbs

ABC Wine Supervisor

(Follow me on Twitter at abcwinebills)

Well it’s nearly the end of February and I’m finally beginning to catch my breath. For me, the onset of 2012 has been akin to a blur inside of a whirlwind. Normally after the end of the holidays, we experience a brief respite before the second wave of the “snowbird” migration hits the west coast of Florida. The lull usually lasts no more than a couple of weeks, but it affords me the opportunity to benchmark a bit and get ahead. This year the wave came early and I haven’t had the luxury.

Adding to the usual hubbub is a quirk our management decided to press for ahead of schedule: complete remodels in several of my wine departments in advance of the “slow season” (post-Easter). No complaints here, mind you, as the work needed to be done. It’s just that wholesale tweaks like these typically occur later in the year when most of our northern guests have, well, gone back up north!

I must admit that this new concept is a total “win-win,” though. Both our guests and sales staffs agree that the redesign makes for a superior shopping experience. Personally, I believe that all the hard work will reap dividends. And maybe when the remodels are complete, I can look forward to some travel time in wine country. Until then I’ll settle on a tour of the great wine regions of the world from the confines of a Riedel tasting glass. And we have some terrific new additions from Portugal that have just hit ABCFWS.

New-style unfortified Douro reds are now more than a passing fad. And we’ve recently received two fine examples from Quinta do Crasto, a winery that was one of the pioneers of the movement back in the 90’s. First up is the Quinta do Crasto Superior ’09 ($24.99), a blend of Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca and Sousão aged 12 months in French oak. Purple in the glass, this wine is rich and ripe with black plums and raspberries, fine depth and some nice minerality on the finish. It’s a full-bodied, expressive red that is enjoyable now with an extended decanting.

Even better is the lush Quinta do Crasto Reserva Vinhas Velhas ’09 ($44.99) made from 70+ year old vines and aged 16 months in French and American oak. Sporting an indigo rim, the bouquet is immense with violet, all-spice, and black fruits, red plum, mission fig and chocolate sauce on the palate. A big-boned red with a long finish, it is accessible now but will definitely reward short term cellaring.

It’s no secret that growing conditions in the Douro can be extreme at times. The 2009 vintage in the region was drought plagued throughout the growing season with precipitation near 40 percent below normal; kudos all around to winemaker Dominic Morris and his team for getting the most out of what little rain Mother Nature afforded.

Jim Greeley, Wine Supervisor, SW Florida

Follow me on Twitter @abcwinejimg

For our on-going "what to try" series of suggestions, beer blogger Neil Sando (at our MLK Dr store in St. Pete) tasted these Southern Tier beers a while back.

2x IPA: This near imperial offering from Southern Tier is a very drinkable IPA. The fruit and pine characteristics from the hops are well balanced with sweet malt. In the glass, the beer has a hazy golden color with only a little bit of head. As the beer enters the palate, your taste buds detect notes of apricot and grapefruit. The malt notes taste a little bit like caramel. The best part of this beer is the aroma. Southern tier offerings usually have a wonderful bouquet and this beer is no different. You can smell the hops more than you can taste them which is probably what makes this double IPA so easy to drink. This however can be a bit dangerous because it’s over 8% abv! Overall, it’s a great brew!

87/100

Iniquity: This is an imperial black ale with an almost intimidating appearance. Staring into this beer is like looking into the dark void of space on a starless night! The rich foamy head takes on a lighter toffee color which beautifully contrasts the darkness of the beer. The nose of this beer has what you would imagine; notes of caramel, coffee, and chocolate. As you take the first sip, the intimidation leaves your mind and it’s like your tongue has had a reunion with all of its friends. Everyone is there. Caramel, Coffee, Dark chocolate. Citrusy hops even stopped by for a second. The mouth feel is outrageously smooth, and surprisingly, lighter in body than you would expect. This beer definitely deserves a visit, promptly followed by a revisit. 93/100

Unearthly: I was extremely excited to try this beer. It is the antithesis of Iniquity, and if that beer was good, this offering had to be an instant legend. Opening the beer, the bottle veritably screams floral hop aromas. There are some piney notes but my nose mainly detected grapefruit as well as AMAZINGNESS. As it poured into my tulip glass, the reddish hue splashed along the curved side and the beer relinquished the carbon dioxide that the yeast had worked so hard to produce. As the bubbles rose to the top, the creamy head of foam laced the sides of the glass like a sheer tapestry. After the necessary respects had been paid to the brew, I took my first sip and I was nigh speechless. As the beer enters the palate, you experience a wonderful caramel candy sweetness on the mid palate and a dry hopped bitterness with citrus and a smidge of heaven… just a smidge. Each sip is better than the last. The mouth feel is lighter than one might expect, but still has a bit of viscosity and the smoothness of a silk blanket woven by cherubs. Now I understand why this beer is “unearthly.” Not only is it out of this world, but there is no way a mere mortal crafted this fermented combination of grains and hops. The brewer must have slid down an angelic ladder to bestow this recipe to us earth dwellers. This beer is by far one of the best imperial IPA’s I have ever had the pleasure of imbibing. The craftsmanship and balance knows no bounds in this 22 oz beauty. 98/100

Mokah: I saw this offering from Southern Tier roll into my store a while back and I was compelled to give it a shot. So far, Southern Tier’s beers have rubbed me the right way and I decided I would take it to my family reunion last Saturday. As the party got started, I procured some wine glasses (I didn’t have my tulip glasses with me) and opened the bottle. Immediately this beer’s true colors shone through. The rich brown cascade released notes of (obviously) coffee, dark chocolate, and bit of alcohol. This beer is a blend of Chokolat and Jahva, two of Southern Tier’s well received offerings. My first sip was wonderful. It would be an excellent dessert beer, paired with some vanilla bean ice cream or perhaps even pumpkin pie (who doesn’t like pumpkin spice coffee?) Being that this was a party and I always strive to introduce people to the world of craft beer, I walked around and gave taste tests to several of the guests and, of course, my family members. Their first reaction was “wait… this is beer?” The unfortunate mantra that beer need be a light bodied refreshing (or, as I call it, “wimpy”) carbonated beverage plagues many people. I could see their eyes lighting up as they enjoyed each sip. It was a unanimous success in my mind as well as the collective minds of the Sando Clan. I will certainly be revisiting this beer (perhaps in a culinary sense.) 90/100

A couple of days ago I had the pleasure of enjoying lunch with fellow bloggers Jim Greeley and Shayne Hebert at the Milonga Argentine Restaurant in Sarasota FL. The chorizo on ciabatta bread was a true pleasure – richly flavored, slightly sweet, and delicious. But the real treat for us was the blood sausage, which was not on the lunch menu but which our host was happy to prepare for us.

Why does blood sausage have such a bad rep in this country? Well, I suppose the fact that it’s made from blood – usually pig’s blood – puts some people off. It’s also difficult to make at home as pig’s blood, due to government health regulations, is apparently illegal to sell here (though, strangely, cow’s blood is okay).

Blood sausage is made by cooking blood with a filler – usually grain plus spices - until it is thick enough to congeal when cooled. It is popular throughout Europe, Ireland, and Britain, as well as in Latin America and Asia. An excellent source of iron and vitamin B12 (though usually containing high amounts of sodium), it can be eaten raw or served grilled, fried, or boiled.

What kind of blood is used? Usually pig, but also cattle, sheep, duck, or goat. Fresh blood which has not yet coagulated works best. But don’t let that put you off. If prepared properly it will show none of the metallic flavors often linked with blood. Instead you will enjoy a delicious food with a rich and complex flavor.

An ancient dish going back to ancient Greece (it is mentioned in Homer), blood sausage under all its many names varies in different regions according to what filler is used. Typical fillers include meat, fat, suet, onion, nuts, rice, barley, and oatmeal.

The blood sausage that you do find in the U.S. is usually limited to small enclaves of German, British, Irish, Polish, and French Canadian immigrants, as well as among Cajuns. The Germans call it Blutwurst, and use pork blood with barley as filler. The Irish and Brits call it Black Pudding and use a large proportion of oatmeal. Traditionally they also added pennyroyal, a plant from the mint family. In Spain it is known as Morcilla and is a typical tapa made from pork blood with fat, rice, onions, garlic, oregano, and salt. The Polish know it as Kaszanka or Kishka. The French call it Boudin Noir. In Argentina it is often seasoned with paprika and other spices and eaten in a sandwich. There are hundred of variations throughout the world.

Now for the big question – what wine pairs well with blood pudding? Because blood sausage is fatty, you will need a tannic wine with strong acidity. I would recommend a Syrah or Grenache-based wine from the Rhône Valley or Spain. Château Cabrières Côtes du Rhône Villages or Château Roustan Costières de Nîmes would work very well. If you prefer Merlot try Domaine de Régusse Merlot, a Vin de Pays des Alpes de Haute Provence. While we’re at it, a good dry rosé sounds like a tasty pairing too. Try Quo Grenache Rosé from Campo de Borja.

A lot of people are put off this delightful repast because of its emphasis on blood. On the other hand many that taste it before they know what it is find it delicious. If you get the chance, do give it a try!

Bill Stobbs

ABC Wine Supervisor

(Follow me on Twitter at abcwinebills)