Vintage: 2017

Region: Campania

Style: Aglianico

Country: Italy

Winery: La Guardiense

Tasting Notes: Lots of fruit on the tongue, a round, full-to dry finish with some chalk, which makes it a very cool wine and perfect for Fall.

Rating: 🍷🍷🍷

Thoughts: Anglianico is a red varietal that is a little more acidic that some of the other reds you may be familiar with, which means that even though it’s medium-bodied, it will stand up to a steak with no problem. This region is one of the unsung areas of Italy, so if you can find a bottle and want to try something new, grab one.

Pairings: Ribs, chicken, pork chops. This is a versatile wine.

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]]>$60-$80FranceBordeauxJ.T. EllisonThu, 12 Sep 2019 22:00:00 +0000https://www.thewinevixen.com/winejournal/2019/6/1/l63uqreos06ge69cnbskczt2rww1c1-ndkgw-h25ff55c28492e4b09ae016ae4349:55ce35ace4b07043dbaa51b9:5d34ba3e88e42e000102843d

Vintage: It’s a mystery

Region: Côtes du Rhône

Style: Red Blend – Grenache, Carignan, Syrah, Cinsault

Country: France

Winery: Domaine de la Présidente

Tasting Notes: Dark fruits, spice, violets and pepper.

Rating: 🍷🍷🍷🍷

Thoughts: A special bottle of unknown vintage (because look who missed that on the photo…) but I do remember this as an excellent Côtes Du Rhône, and a limited edition. I wanted to slot it this week because A - I love a good Côtes du Rhône, and B - I want to talk about the pairings.

Last week, I mentioned Italian wines are enhanced by garlic. In the same vein, French wines are enhanced by onions. It’s something about the soil, the food, the style of the wines, but trust me, if you pair these younger, easier wines properly, you’ll get a lot more out of them.

Pairings: Soupe à l'oignons gratinée, naturally, of which I have an excellent recipe to share below.

Vintage: 2016

Region: Langhe, Piedmont

Style: Nebbiolo

Country: Italy

Winery: Prunotto

Tasting Notes: Roses. Licorice. Raspberries. Incredible!

Rating: 🍷🍷🍷🍷

Thoughts: I love this wine. I love Prunotto in general, and I’m always a big fan of a Nebbiolo. My family is from the Piedmonte region, so a good Nebbiolo makes me happy. Prunotto is always an elegant bottle, and this isn’t super heavy and overwhelming.

Pairings: As with most Italian wines, garlic helps you realize the full potential. I’d do lasagna or spaghetti with this one.

Vintage: 2011

Region: Rancho Victoria - Sierras

Style: Barbera

Country: USA

Winery: Jacuzzi

Tasting Notes: Very indicative of the varietal with cherry and strawberry on the tongue. Bright, light, and tasty.

Rating: 🍷🍷🍷

Thoughts: Here’s an Italian grape presented in the hills of Sonoma County, California. We discovered Jacuzzi after a not great experience with another, will-remain-unnamed vineyard drove us away. (Hint—women do drink red wine…). Jacuzzi was open, welcoming, and had some intriguing Italian-based wines, so we had to give them a try. We brought this bottle home and just cracked it open last week, and boy, did it stand up well to a few years of cellaring. I wouldn’t let this vintage go too much more, but it was very good.

Pairings: This Barbera is on the lighter side of reds, so this is a perfect wine with lemon chicken or grilled fish.

Vintage: 2011

Region: Cariñena

Style: Red Blend—Tempranillo, Carignan, Garnacha

Country: Spain

Winery: Don Mendo

Tasting Notes: Cherry and blueberry, notes of leather and tobacco. I especially appreciate that hint of smoke from the earthy tones.

Rating: 🍷🍷🍷

Thoughts: We found this through our Wall Street Journal Wine Club, and it was a fun surprise. I’m not usually a big fan of blends, but these balanced quite well. A nice, easy bottle for a Tuesday night.

Pairings: We had it with some spicy tacos, but would also do well with carnitas, both pork and chicken. Anything with cumin, actually.

Vintage: 2017

Region: D’Asti

Style: Moscato

Country: Italy

Winery: Caudrina

Tasting Notes: Aromatic florals, white flowers, delicate fruit, apples and peaches. A perfect moscato.

Rating: 🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷

Thoughts: Apparently, I’m beginning to like white wines, though moscato is in its own category—a super sweet dessert wine. My parents visited the vineyard years ago, and on a recent trip to Italy, wanted to go again because they loved the moscato so much. La Caudrina is not easy to get too, but this is what makes their moscato superior—the hills are rocky and steep, and the grapes have to struggle a little to grow. The vineyard itself is very small—I found only one place in the US that carries it—so far. Help me spread the word and lets get them imported everywhere, shall we? There’s something so charming about rolling up to someone’s house that doubles as a production facility, discovering a delightful wine, and playing with their incredible enthusiastic dog, appropriately named Barolo. That was my experience at Caudrina. Everything about the afternoon was charming and delicious.

Pairings: This is a dessert wine, so I like to pair moscato with creme brûlée. Anything vanilla in nature would be perfect (she says, dreaming of cake.)

Vintage: 2011

Region: Barolo

Style: Barbera d’Asti

Country: Italy

Winery: Damilano

Tasting Notes: Cherries and spice on the nose, blackberries and orange on the tongue. A nice dry finish.

Rating: 🍷🍷🍷🍷

Thoughts: I discovered Damilano in San Diego at a fantastic restaurant called BiCe. They made me fresh, gluten-free pasta, they have a cheese bar with a sommelier (!), and we had a bottle of 2010 Damilano Barolo Lecinquevigne that made my head spin. I immediately searched for more, but that vintage was limited. Happily, Damilano is an established producer, so they’ll make more. They also make this delightful Barbera. We visited Barolo in April 2019 and I was even more entranced when I happened upon their tasting room. A superb winery.

Pairings: Try this with salami, prosciutto, and a cheese board populated with hard cheeses, parmesan, asiago, fontina. Toss in some olives and grissini for good measure. You won’t be sorry.

Vintage: 2016

Region: Lodi

Style: Cabernet Sauvignon

Country: USA

Winery: Predator - Rutherford Ranch

Tasting Notes: Dark fruit and spices, a hint of smoke, long finish with just a touch of cocoa

Rating: 🍷🍷🍷

Thoughts: I really, really wish Predator would do a merchandising deal with the Nashville Predators, something like Hamilton did with Federalist. That would be too cool for words. This is a highly drinkable and consistent cab, like all Predator wines.

Pairings: Everything. Seriously. This wine is a great match for platters, antipasto, salmon.

Vintage: 2014

Region: Anderson Valley

Style: Pinot Noir

Country: USA

Winery: Maggy Hawk

Tasting Notes: Cloves and vanilla, dark fruits, lots of plum, but ripe plums. It’s not sweet at all, nice and dry. A hint of smoke on the finish.

Rating: 🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷

Thoughts: Holy. Cow. This pinot drinks like an old vine zin. It’s not as large and in charge as an old vine, but it’s chewy, utterly nuanced, and delicious. Complex is a good term here. We had it at the Capitol Grill in New York, as part of their Generous Pour series. I could have stopped with this one and been perfectly happy. A delightful, albeit a little pricey, wine.

Pairings: Held up to shrimp and lobster, and also to a nice filet. A very versatile wine.

Region: Sonoma Valley

Style: Blend of Zinfandel, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon

Country: USA

Winery: Ledson

Tasting Notes: Spicy and bold, with a blend of jammy merlot and rich cabernet grapes, this drinks like a Bordeaux and looks like a Pinot.

Rating: 🍷🍷🍷🍷

Thoughts: Several years ago, on a birthday trip to Napa and Sonoma, we saw a cool château off the Sonoma Valley main highway. Thinking perhaps we could snag a last minute tasting, we stopped in, and it was the best decision we’ve made in a long time. You’re going to see a few wines from Ledson on The Wine Vixen, because we joined their wine club that day. I’m always impressed by the quality of their wines. If you’re interested in a club, this is the best one out there. They welcomed us with open arms, have customized cases for us, are always open and willing to see us if we want to stop by, and make DAMN. GOOD. WINE.

Pairings: Steak, steak, steak.

My Vivino

Region: Sancerre, Loire

Style: Sancerre

Country: France

Winery: Henri Bourgeois

Tasting Notes: Pale and beautiful in the glass, you know you’re in for something special. Delicate pear and apple on the nose and lime on the tongue, a dry but friendly mineral finish. Absolutely delightful.

Rating: 🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷

Thoughts: Yes, I know. Another white wine. But this one is special. One caveat for serving - make sure it’s ice cold. Let me repeat. Ice cold. Like Hemingway prefers. Actually, this quote from A MOVEABLE FEAST is what brought me to try Sancerre in the first place. If it’s good enough for Papa, it’s good enough for me.

“As I ate the oysters with their strong taste of the sea and their faint metallic taste that the cold white wine washed away, leaving only the sea taste and the succulent texture, and as I drank their cold liquid from each shell and washed it down with the crisp taste of the wine, I lost the empty feeling and began to be happy and to make plans.”

Pairings: Oysters, naturally. 😉

My Vivino

Region: Monferrato, Piedmont

Style: Chardonnay

Country: Italy

Winery: Fratelli Natta

Tasting Notes: It has oranges on the nose, which might be what excites me. Floral notes on the finish, peaches and cream on the tongue.

Rating: 🍷🍷🍷🍷

Thoughts: I am not usually a white wine drinker, but this Chardonnay was exceptionally tasty. We love the reds from this vineyard, which is looking for a US distributor.

Pairings: Stood up well to parmesan and salami, so this is a full-bodied wine.

Buy a bottle!

My Vivino

Vintage: 2014

Region: Médoc

Style: Bordeaux

Country: France

Winery: Goulée

Tasting Notes: Chalk and lime, herby finish, plums and oak on the nose.

Rating: 🍷🍷🍷🍷

Thoughts: Surprisingly bright and fresh. Tons of personality for a lighter Bordeaux.

Pairings: Great for white fish if you’re not into a white or rose, chicken, and saffron.

My Vivino

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Vintage: 2013

Region: Puisseguin-Saint-Émilion

Style: Bordeaux Saint-Émilion

Country: France

Winery: Château Clarisse

Tasting Notes: Soft berries, gently fruit forward, dry finish.

Rating: 🍷🍷🍷🍷1/2

Thoughts: Bitter charcoal and a dry finish to start, builds into lush fruits and a robust berry. 

Pairings: Will hold up well against steak frites, salmon, tonnata, and onion soup

Get a bottle!

See it on Vivino 

Vintage: 2010

Region: Barbaresco

Country: Italy

Vineyard: Produttori del Barbaresco

Tasting Notes:

Rating: 🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷

Thoughts: One of my most favorite wines. The 2010 is hard to find but well worth it - more recent vintages are wonderful, too. Earthy flavors mix with leather and berries with a lingering finish. Superb.

Pairings: Prosciutto, salami, parmesan, grissini

Vivino 

Vintage: 2015

Region: Côtes de Provence

Country: France

Vineyard: Vindivin

Tasting Notes: Soft berries, gently fruit forward, dry finish.

Rating: 🍷🍷🍷

Thoughts: Rosé is a relatively new wine to the Wine Vixen’s repertoire. Light and simple, it is benefited by simple seafood dishes. Serve well chilled.

Pairings: Light white fish, like sea bass or halibut, shrimp, scallops, carrots, peas, saffron.

Vivino 

Cheers!

When it comes to Harry Potter-themed beverages, it doesn't have to be butterbeer all the time, folks.

With a flick of the want, er, cocktail spoon, you can dream up some truly magical beverage pairings for each of the seven novels—with recipes, to boot. Book Riot will show you.

Accio, Rosemary Gin Fizz!

When your bestie Laura Benedict sends you an article, you best sit down and read it.

Especially when the headline reads "A glass of Merlot can give your brain a workout."

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We all know wine is super complex. From tannins to terroir and everything in between, wine is made of a zillion compounds, and those compounds can trigger sensory and emotional responses in the brain.

Said neuroscientist also thinks we should drink every last drop—and this is why.

Pretty compelling stuff, folks.

Cabernet Sauvignon. It's one of the most popular reds, especially in America. If you reach for a wine list in any restaurant, chances are if you don't find anything else, you'll at least have a Cabernet Sauvignon to sample.

But perhaps there's a better choice out there, something a bit more versatile.

Perhaps we all should be drinking Cabernet Franc instead. Vine Pair dishes on why.