The Wine Curmudgeon

Wine of the week: Rene Barbier Mediterranean White NV

My specialty is $10 wine, but even I'm surprised when I find quality wine for much less than $10. Below that price, producers are more concerned with profit margins than with quality, and much-sub $10 wine tastes like it. The reds are harsh and raw, and the whites are green and unripe. The alternative is sugaring the wine to mask those flavors, and that brings unpleasantness all its own.

Which is why I was stunned to find the Barbier ($4.99 at World Market) during my research for a $6 wine story that will run in the Star-Telegram in Fort Worth next week. It's terrific -- clean and crisp, with lemon, some minerality and a floral aroma. It’s made with the same grapes used in Spanish sparkling wine like Cristalino, though it tastes quite different. Serve it as a porch sipper or with anything made with garlic and parsley. It will also pair well with Fourth of July grilled chicken. One caveat: Make sure it's well chilled. The warmer the wine gets, the thinner and less interesting it tastes.

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Wine of the week: Taltarni Three Monks 2005

Here's a red blend for Father's Day from an Australian producer that is one of the Wine Curmudgeon's favorites, a company that almost always delivers quality for around $20.

The Three Monks (about $17) is 70 percent cabernet sauvignon and 30 percent merlot, which means it's hardy enough to stand up to big steaks but isn't overwhelming. Best yet, it's not only low in alcohol for an Aussie wine (14 percent), but it has a bit of French style, so that the fruitiness doesn't overwhelm the wine.

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Father's Day wine suggestions

Call it barbecuing or grilling. Use a smoker or a gas grill or charcoal. Choose between beef or pork or chicken or vegetables. Regardless of which, though, it's part of the Father's Day tradition.

So what wine do you pair with kind of food? The classic pairing for grilled sausage is sweetish white wine like riesling or gewürztraminer. And the heartiest red meats, like grilled rib eye or smoked brisket, can take a hearty red wine.

But sometimes, how you’re cooking the food makes a difference. Grilled chicken marinated in olive oil, garlic and rosemary pairs with sauvignon blanc. But smoke that same piece of chicken with a dry rub, and it changes character entirely. Then, you’ll want a light red wine like a tempranillo or a beaujolais. And rose, of course, will go with almost everything except that grilled rib eye. The bright fruit complements barbecue’s smokiness quite nicely, in fact.

Wine of the week: Avalon Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Time was, the Avalon was $10. The Wine Curmudgeon used to drink it by the case, buy it for visiting wine types and make them guess how much it cost (one of these days I'll have to share the story about the Avalon and the visiting Australian wine marketer), and recommend it at every opportunity.

It's not $10 any more (closer to $15, though you can find it for $12 every once in a while). But it's still one of the best values in the wine world, with almost all of the rich, fruity character of Napa cabernet at one-half to one-third the price.

How does Avalon do it? For one thing, the company only makes cabernet. For another, it doesn't own land or  touristy production facilities. It's based on the French negociant model, which allows it to keep costs -- and prices -- down.

Serve this with a Father's Day barbecue. Or buy a case and toast Dad with it throughout the year.

Technorati Tags: red wine,cabernet sauvignon,Avalon,Napa Valley,Father's Day

Wine of the week: Argyle Brut 2002

 

How much does the Wine Curmudgeon love this wine (and especially for Mother's Day)? Let me count the ways:

Buying Mom wine for Mother's Day

Wine makes a wonderful present, and I say this not just because the Wine Curmudgeon likes to have people give him wine. (White Burgundy, if anyone is reading.) It's a fine gift because it requires thought and effort. You just can't pick up the phone and order wine the way you can flowers.

So what does that thought and effort require? Here are a few pointers to keep in mind if you want to buy Mom wine. (And, if you need more help, Thursday's wine of the week will be aimed at Mom):

Pink wine for Valentine's Day

The Wine Curmudgeon, not surprisingly, does not acknowledge Valentine's Day. But since so many people do, including newspaper editors (who help pay the Wine Curmudgeon's bills), it was only sensible to write something..

The article is not about pairing wine and chocolate. This has not only been done to death, but isn't especially true. Inexpensive cabernet sauvignon doesn’t do chocolate very well, no matter how good the wine writer is. And anyone who pairs $50 cabernet with chocolate is missing the point of $50 cabernet.

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Sparkling wine for New Year's

Keep three things in mind when you're picking sparkling wine and champagne for New Year’s Eve. 

First, there is plenty of quality wine from places other than France, especially from the New World, Spain and Italy. There is also plenty of quality wine from France that isn't the same old stuff. Please, please try something other than Veuve Clicquot and Nicolas Feuillatte. 

Second, vintage isn't especially important. NV on the label stands for non-vintage – that is, the grapes used to make the wine come from several years instead of just one. It’s a common practice, even for the most expensive brands, to ensure quality. 

Third, only sparkling wine made in the Champagne region of France can be called champagne, thanks to a 2005 trade agreement (though some California brands, like Korbel, are grandfathered in). But if the label says methode champenoise or méthode traditionelle, it was made in the Champagne style 

And cost? There is more than acceptable bubbly at almost every price, and even some expensive wines are good values.

Upcoming: Sparkling wine preview, a wine classroom

Pointers, tips, and suggestions for sparkling wine for the New Year's holiday will be posted here on Friday. And, in keeping, with the spirit of the celebration, there are quite a few on the list that cost more than $10.

Also, I'm going to teach the introduction to wine class at the new Cordon Bleu school in Dallas. I start Jan. 7, and I'm quite looking forward to it. I'll post updates as the three-week class progresses. I'm especially curious to see what cooking students know about wine. And no, I don't have to wear a chef's outfit.

Technorati Tags: Cordon Bleu,sparkling wine

Happy holidays

Some red, some white, and a joyous holiday.