Big Wine Blog

An interesting film for wine lovers (and those just learning about wine)

admin — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 07:23:49 +0000

I’m generally a pretty opinionated person when it comes to movies (just ask my friend Kathleen from Cranford, NJ). I usually know when I like a film and it’s worth watching again or if I just thought it was blase - (I know, I know - I am sans accent aigu) - or I just really didn’t like it. I’ve certainly walked out on my fair share of movies and seen some multiple times at the theater.

Mondovino is a documentary where I’m not really sure what to think. As a film, I think it should have been edited more. I think it certainly had something to say - but there was a lack of tightness to the whole thing.

That being said, I enjoyed the story, the premise, the conspiracy of it all - Mondovino suggests there is a conspiracy in the wine world regarding the rating of wines and business of it all.

The film has excellent shots of wineries in Europe and the US, some interesting people were interviewed (Robert Parker, Robert Mondavi and a bunch of others in the wine world) and I think it’s a great movie to learn from.

Actually, maybe I do know what I think about this movie. I really would like to see it again someday - but at least I’ll be prepared for the length.

Just check it out. It’ll provoke some thought. I’d be interested to hear your take…

BTW - it’s great to be back in California after my time away.

A fantastic wine at a fantastic price…

admin — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 09:46:34 +0000

Howdy folks, I’m back after a long trip - plenty of wine tasting, lots o’ notes and many a story to tell.

Since I just got back, I am going to just let you in on a great find - a wine which many may overlook because of the low price or the common name. It’s made by one of South America’s largest winery, but I simply love it. The Concha y Toro Carmenere Diablo we opened with dinner tonight (a grilling extravaganza with some family members I love dearly) paired wonderfully with the filet mignon, grilled marinated chicken, zucchini, and pasta we ate.

This wine has a particularly spicy flavor which pairs well with robust flavors (red meat, pasta sauce, etc) and at less than $10 is an absolute STEAL.

BTW - a totally random side note - ever try the Barefoot Contessa’s (Ina Garten’s) steakhouse steak recipe for filet mignon? It’s SOOO good!

In any case - it’s great to be back and trust me on this wine - it’s a great one. Enjoy!

The Noblest of rot? Rot Crust? Mmmmm….

admin — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 07:13:34 +0000

During our Napa trip last week we decided to venture further north to Calistoga to sample their bevvies (not the spring water, needless to say). Along the way, we discovered a neat winery called Castello di Amorosa.

Walking up to the Disneyland-like Tuscan castle, we expected a fair amount of kitsch. But there was almost none. Everything in the castle was an authentic antique or hand-painted mural. The wines were served up in the cellar, and there were even quite a few Italian grape options.

My favorite, though, was the Anderson Valley Late Harvest Gewurztraminer (2006). I’m not usually a dessert wine person, but this was lovely - like honey and lychees, yet not too sweet. The taste is the result of “noble rot.” The concept is like ice wine, which is sweet because the flavors are trapped in an ice crust. In Napa, because of the heat, there’s apparently a “rot crust” instead.

While it doesn’t sound like the most appetizing method, I promise the end result is delicious!

-n

A noteworthy trip to Napa…

admin — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 05:42:06 +0000

A friend of mine had an excellent trip to Napa - I thought I’d share this email with you:

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On a short visit to Napa last weekend, I grabbed dinner at Farm at Carneros Inn. This New York-style restaurant has quite an intimidating wine list - definitely on the pricey side, with a lot of obscure wines. We struggled to find something affordable that would go with the mixed bag of meat, seafood and salads we’d ordered for dinner.

And we came out successful! We discovered a fantastic 2005 Red Zin from Sonoma: Robert Traverso from the Russian River Valley. It was soft, spicy, with some great fruity blackberry flavors. It went amazingly well with the food.

At $43 a bottle, it’s certainly not the cheapest wine out there, but it’s a really good option when you want to order from a pricey wine list without cringing or when you’re trying to impress.

Here’s a list of restaurants where you can try a bottle:

http://www.traversowines.com/dining.asp

-n

Got 40 minutes? Might I suggest some Fresh Air?

admin — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 11:31:55 +0000

I have an iPhone - which I absolutely love (you may have noticed this site is also formatted for the aforementioned device). The idea behind making this blog iPhone accessible is so that you should be able to take the site with you while you are at Trader Joe’s or Cost Plus World Market or any store and consider suggestions which are made on this site.

Anyway - the reason I’m bringing this up is that there is an excellent iPhone app - the NPR app - which I recently used to listen to an interview between Terry Gross (Fresh Air) and Wall Street Journal wine columnists Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher.

You can listen to the interview here:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97946959

Wine and calories…

admin — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 10:14:04 +0000

Lately, when I’ve been sampling wine, I carefully view, smell and taste the wine, take notes and swallow what I’m tasting. Then I repeat. I find I tend to be able to rate a wine more accurately when I do this.

Unfortunately, I’ve been noticing some weight gain of late (not just due to wine, I’m sure) and started wondering how many calories I’ve actually been consuming.

Well - here goes in case you were wondering: both red wine and white wine contain an average of (approx) 100 calories per 5oz glass. This is about 40 calories less than a 12oz serving of regular beer and cola and on par with a 12oz serving of light beer.

I suppose this means I should probably limit how much wine I’m actually swallowing - but, because I don’t want to let my readers down, I will take the caloric hit. Besides, isn’t there revasterol and polyphenols in wine?

I guess I just need to walk an extra mile in Napa…

2007 Castle Rock Mendocino Pinot Noir

admin — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 02:08:23 +0000

Excellent flavor of cherries and strawberry. This wine certainly benefits from some air - so let it breathe for a few minutes. Very little minerality, little tannin with definite acid.

This wine is in the solid “buy” zone and will pair well with steak, salmon and lamb. In general, I think California Pinot Noirs seem to get better at the higher price points - but this one is a fantastic choice at around $11. 2007 was an excellent year for California Cabs and Pinots. The 2007 Castle Rock Mendocino Pinot Noir is no exception.

As an additional note: The 2007 Castle Rock Monterey Pinot Noir is not too shabby either - I have to say that I personally prefer the Mendocino, but it is certainly a matter of personal taste.

The 2009 Inaugural Luncheon Menu - with well paired wines

admin — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 23:35:57 +0000

Courtesy of The US Senate Inauguration Committee:

First Course:
Seafood Stew

Wine: Duckhorn Vineyards, 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley

Second Course:
A Brace of American Birds (pheasant and duck), served with Sour Cherry Chutney and Molasses Sweet Potatoes

Wine:Goldeneye, 2005 Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley

Third Course:
Apple Cinnamon Sponge Cake and Sweet Cream Glacé

Wine:Korbel Natural Special Inaugural Cuvée, California Champagne

Wine fit for a president and a King - celebrating MLK, Obama and America

admin — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 05:44:16 +0000

Like many Americans, I spent some time today pondering Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s achievements, how happy I am to be an American and to see perhaps part of the deferred dream come to life.

Like many of you, I will be celebrating the inauguration of our 44th president and, since this a wine blog, I thought I’d write today’s post about what wines may be appropriate for the occasion. After all, we are about to have a president who is a connoisseur of good food and wine. The Obamas’ 6000 sq-ft home in Hyde Park (Chicago, IL) has mahogany bookcases, four fireplaces and an impressive 1,000 bottle wine cellar in the basement.

While it may be impossible to get your hands on Michigan’s L. Mawby’s sparkling “Obama” wine at this point, there are several American sparkling wines to choose from that are just right for the occasion.

Some American sparkling wine recommendations are as follows (prices are approximate):

Schramsberg Blanc de Noirs 2005 ($34)

Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut ($18)

Iron Horse Wedding Cuvee 2005 ($32)

Domaine Chandon Brut Classic ($18)

Mumm Napa Brut Prestige ($17)

Best Wines at Cost Plus World Market for $12 or less.

admin — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 01:02:23 +0000

Friends, you may find yourself at a Cost Plus World Market wondering what kind of wine you should buy (you might remember our recommendations (see below) for wines from Trader Joe’s).

Even though I don’t know the exact name of the store (is it Cost Plus or World Market or both?), they have a pretty good selection of food and wine. Here are some suggestions (in no particular order - prices are approximate):

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Reds
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1) Columbia Crest Vineyard 10 Red Wine ($9)

2) Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Carmenere ($7)

3) Coppola Rosso ($9)

4) Castle Rock Monterey Pinot Noir ($11)

5) Castle Rock Mendocino Pinot Noir ($11)

6) D’ Arenberg Stump Jump Red ($12)

7) Columbia Crest Grand Estates Shiraz ($12)

8 ) Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz-Cabernet ($10)

9) Veramonte Cabernet Sauvignon ($10)

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Whites:
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1) Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc ($12)

2) Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc ($10)

3) Kendall Jackson Vintners Reserve Chardonnay ($11)

4) Ferrari-Carano Fume Blanc ($11)

5) Columbia Crest Chardonnay ($9)

6) Kenwood Sauvignon Blanc ($12)

7) Via Maria Sauvignon Blanc ($12)