With the focus around here on keeping cool and refreshed, it’s no surprise that I am on an Australian Dry Riesling and Alsatian Pinot Gris kick. Both of these guys can be wonderfully brisk and clean, the perfect wines for summer scorchers, but they are also superbly food-friendly with the fare you might turn to during these summer days, namely take-out. I’m thinking spicy Thai, Chinese or sushi to avoid heating up the kitchen. Of course, you can also opt to ‘cook’ as well, say a nice chicken salad, or some shellfish with a kicking Dijonaise dressing over greens or even with a colorful, juicy heirloom tomato salad. Now that sounds both cooling and freaking delicious.
PIERRE SPARR, 2006 PINOT GRIS, ALSACE, FRANCE - $13.99 – Alsatian Pinot Gris are medium to full bodied wines with a rich, somewhat floral bouquet. They tend to be spicy in comparisons with Pinot Gris from Oregon and have a great aging ability. The nose on this beautiful white is clean with good intensity followed by tropical fruits and floral notes ending with flavors of peach, lychee and rose water. Crack me open a Dungeness crab or a Rock Lobster and I am ready for a fulfilling lighter dinner. I’m not talking the B-52’s either.
JACOB’S CREEK RESERVE, 2007 SHIRAZ and 2007 RIESLING, BAROSSA, AUS - $10.99 – These are two stellar wines from the Barossa Valley of Australia, both landing ratings of 89 and 90 from Wine Spectator and Enthusiast. The Dry Riesling is a perfect selection with its zesty natural acidity, floral fruit and rich citrus flavors to accompany the lighter style foods we tend to lean towards this time of year. But in contrast the big beefy Shiraz shows dark berries and plums and velvety tannins with a lingering spice finish for those beefy steaks that we large Americans can’t do without.
DRYLANDS, 2009 SAUVIGNON BLANC, MARLBOROUGH, NZ - $14.99 – Rich, ripe tropical fruit and citrus flavors accompanied by an aromatic bouquet of gooseberry, balanced by ripe aromas of pineapple and passion fruit exemplify this tasty wine. Small batches of juice were fermented and inoculated by native yeasts to enhance aromas and flavors of certain vineyard blocks giving this wine an exquisite velvety mouth feel. These small lots were later blended ensuring a wine best representing the flavors of New Zealand and Marlborough.
BODEGA SEPTIMA, 2006 GRAN RESERVA MALBEC RED BLEND, MENDOZA, ARGENTINA - $19.99 - Septima was founded by the Codorníu Family in 1999 with the purchase of 470 acres in the Luján de Cuyo area of Mendoza at a stunning altitude of 3400 feet. The “high and dry” climate is the key to the success of this winery. Big swings in day and night temperatures make for excellent color and flavor development. A blend of 58% Malbec, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Tannat makes this wine simply amazing.
Light and refreshing wines are the order of the day but for all of you die hard red fans, these two reds should be able to satisfy any red wine craving that might incur during these few days before our season opener against Missouri State. Go Hogs GO! I can be found at County Line Tuesday through Saturday for all of your tailgating or wine needs.
Enjoy!
Mark Hatwig
mark@slausa.com
479.750.7575
No comments:
Post a Comment