Traveling for wine? Go to Vienna!

An interesting article about wineries in Vienna! I'm jotting this down as a major place to visit, even though they seem to specialize in white wines. That's okay!   :)

Lucero Syrah 2008

Wine Facts for Lucero Syrah

Grape Varietal: Syrah

Vintage: 2008

Country: Chile

Region: Casablanca Valley

Producer: Kingston Family Vineyards

Price: $24.99

Place of Purchase: Vintage Wines, Harrisonburg, VA

Additional facts: Here's a quote from the maker as to how they make the syrah so smooth:

"One thing that I have learned about Syrah at Kingston Vineyard is that it does not like to be treated roughly. Although Syrah has the reputation as a sturdy grape that likes to be roughed up a bit, my experience suggests otherwise. My best results have been when I treat it gently—in fact, when I treat it like Pinot Noir. So each of the last two years we have been treating the Syrah more gently—fewer punch-downs and pump-overs, not quite so many stems in the fermentor, less new oak and a bit longer in barrel. We are trying to come up with a wine that is more about complexity and flavor than sheer power. I think we’ve made some strides in that direction with the 2008 Lucero, which although it likes some aeration upon first opening, is chock full of blackberry fruit and spice and is surprisingly fleshy and soft on the palate. It is still not for the timid, and it pairs well with hearty food and company."

Characteristics of Lucero Syrah

Appearance: deep maroon

Bouquet: rich, fruity, swift to the nose, plum and jammy notes

Adam's Overall Thoughts:

Incredibly smooth wine for one so rich and dark. It was perfect with a ribeye steak, as well as homemade pizza. The Syrah begins softly on the tongue, growing deeper and richer as it traverses towards the back of the throat. There's a fruit-forwardness to the wine, too. Sipping on it by itself is ok, but it works best paired with food.

Cathy's Overall Thoughts:
This wine impressed because of its smoothness. It is dark, rich, and heady and I certainly expect a big, dry red bite to ruin the overall impression. No bite! Yay! I do agree that it works bets with foods, but I found that deeper foods would be my preference. The pizza was slightly spicy and this wine didn't work as well with the spicy notes as it did the deeper heartiness of the ribeye. It's a fine wine and incredibly interesting for a syrah.

On my scale, it's a 8.89.

We paired with: steak, baked potatoes, and green beans//also with homemade pizza

We recommend this with: food (especially steak)

Cheers!

A Wine Contest!

Well, now, I saw this contest on the internet and thought I should share it. It's a Wine Spectator contest and anyone over 21 can enter a 3-minute educational and entertaining video about wine. Huzzah! I'm not sure what Adam and I can create together....but it's sure to be wacky. If we do end up submitting something, I'll also place it on here (as long as that doesn't disqualify us). But, I figure, it could be a fun project--involving two of my favorite things: wine and storytelling--so I hope my readers might consider (a) submitting something and telling me about what you submitted or (b) giving us some ideas so we can win this contest!

Cheers!

Petit Verdot 2009

Wine Facts for Petit Verdot

Grape Varietal: Petit Verdot

Vintage: 2009

Country: United States

Region: Virginia

Producer: CrossKeys Vineyards

Price: $24.00

Place of Purchase: CrossKeys Vineyards, Harrisonburg, VA

Additional facts: The Petit Verdot grape varietal is one of the smallest and darkest grapes. Traditionally, it has been used with other grape varieties, as in Meritages. A Meritage is any wine that mixes several French grape varietals together, and Petit Verdot has been used as one of the mixers for several hundreds of years. Interestingly, most European vineyards and wineries actively avoid using Petit Verdot by itself and specify that they only use a small amount of it in mixed wines. They say that it is because the Petit Verdot grape has powerful tannins (some compare the taste to pencil shavings or molasses) that can make a full-bodied Petit Verdot overwhelming or unrefined. I disagree with this assessment, as you'll see below, but it could be because this Petit Verdot grape varietal was grown on a young, Virginia vine and may have smoother tannins to calm the palate rather than overwhelm it.

I know this location and vineyard quite well. I was married at CrossKeys Vineyard on March 20, 2010.  :) In addition, I've studied the wines, seen the vineyard fields, and talked to the winemakers and owners. This Petit Verdot is a vineyard favorite. If you are ever near Harrisonburg, Virginia, this vineyard is a must-visit! It's GORGEOUS (and makes great wine)!

Characteristics of Petit Verdot

Appearance: very deep purple with only the slightest hint of red

Bouquet: simple yet fragrant; the slight spiciness livens up a deep berry aroma; the French and American oak barrels that stored this vintage for 10 months definitely bring a deep, strong woody structure to the bouquet

Adam's Overall Thoughts:

This wine quickly became one of our favorites. I enjoyed it with all the pairings mentioned below. In contrast to the 2008 vintage, this one did not have carry any trace of bitterness, which was a pleasant surprise. I expected hints of bitterness in the finish, like the '08, but instead, the spice of the wine hit the top of my palate and sweetened quietly in the end. I found the bouquet to be misleading; there was much more to this wine than its scent implied. That slight misdirection accounts for some of the surprise, but the diversity, fullness, and sheer tastiness of this petit verdot is the real story.

Cathy's Overall Thoughts:

You know the song "Smooth Operator" by Sade? For some reason, I always connect that song to Paula Abdul. My oddness in music aside, this wine is one smooth operator.  The bouquet teases with a delicacy that it doesn't have. And that's a good thing. Once in the mouth, it delivers a smooth deep berry fruit. I know that the petit verdot  grapes are super small, and you can feel the grapes just bursting with flavor inside your moth. It's not just a sweetness, for there is a hint of spicy earthiness that toughens this wine. This wine lingers and entices the tongue, infatuating with boldness while soothing with an intoxicating finish. Try it. This smooth operator wil leave you more than satisfied.  :)

On my scale, it's a 10.

We paired with: spaghetti, thai food, chocolate, and just sipping

We recommend this with: just about anything!

Cheers!

Trapiche (Oak Cask) Malbec 2009

Wine Facts for Trapiche Malbec
Grape Varietal: Malbec
Vintage: 2009
Country: Argentina
Region: Mendoza
Producer: Bodegas Trapiche
Price: $11.99
Place of Purchase: Martin's Food Store, Harrisonburg, VA

Additional facts: Malbecs are one of our favorite varietals, so I was happy when Adam picked this wine up as a surprise. The grape varietal was originally known as one of the six grapes used to blend French Bordeaux wines (the others are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Carménère), but it has recently become heavily (and well!) produced in Argentina. As a result, Malbec wines are becoming valued for their grape varietal rather than just for their ability to mix and blend well. Malbecs can also be fairly cost efficient, so pick one up!

Characteristics of Trapiche Malbec
Appearance: deep plum with a reddish rim when the glass becomes more shallow
Bouquet: outstanding; blackberry/plum-type of deep ripeness with a hint of darker, more deliciously hidden intrigue

Adam's Overall Thoughts:
A very, very smooth offering from Argentina. We had this with pizza, but I think any tomato-based meal would pair excellently with it. Beyond that, it's an incredibly great wine to sip on. There's a touch of sweetness in the tannins of the wine, but they're not overpowering. The bouquet is a perfect introduction to the wine and the taste is even better. This makes me want to book a trip to Mendoza as soon as possible.

Cathy's Overall Thoughts:
I loved the bouquet of this wine. Although I couldn't describe it exactly (see above), it does draw the sniffer in with a dark, exotic mystery. You can smell the fruit but you want the wine. Does that make sense? As for the taste, some dark reds (and even Malbecs), can have a slight bitterness to it. I'm not sure that it was the oak cask, but this Malbec didn't have any bitter flavor, even at the end.  :)  Instead, I tasted sharp fruits (cherry) and deep fruits (plum, blackberry) immediately; the wine then melded into a softer version of these fruits before leaving a very slight dryness in the mouth. So, fruity loveliness evolving into a ravishing desire for more even wine. Sounds hard to beat, right? Enjoy!
On my scale, it's a 9.89.

We paired with: pizza, wings, and just sipping
We recommend this with: just about anything; sipping during a rainstorm while watching tv/reading would be pretty grand!

Cheers!

Dolcetto d'Alba 2007

Wine Facts for Dolcetto d'Alba
Grape Varietal: Dolcetto
Vintage: 2007
Country: Italy
Region: Piedmonte
Producer: Bricco Dei Tati
Price: $12.99 (reduced from $17.99)
Place of Purchase: Vintage Wines, Harrisonburg, VA

Additional facts: This wine is made from 80-year-old vines and only 3400 bottles made. It was bottled unfiltered and unrefined, so sediment was to be expected, but we actually didn't see much sediment at all. For most European wine-producing countries, sediment is a prized quality. In America, wine-producers stay away from sediment and actively avoid it.

Characteristics of Dolcetto d'Alba
Appearance: deep purple
Bouquet: pleasant fruitiness, but a slight yeastyness, slightly sharp

Adam's Overall Thoughts:
The pleasant bouquet proved a truthful indication of its loveliness. The wine had a fruit-forward taste and the type of dryness on the finish that I really like: leaving you wanting more because of its delightfulness, not because you're trying to mask an alcohol-fume residue that's lingering. In my book, it's good for pairing with food or being sipped on its own.

Cathy's Overall Thoughts:
It has a hint of sourness toward the middle of the taste; rather than off-putting, though, it provided a nice depth of flavor, saving it from just being a juicy wine. It nicely melded sweet and sharp flavors, but it didn't have as thick or dark of a flavor as I would have liked. After I swallowed the wine, the flavor disappears quickly rather than thickly settling on the senses/tongue. Overall, though, quite tasty!
On my scale, it's a 9.54.

We paired with: homemade pizza and tomato soup
We recommend this with: Italian foods

Cheers!

Hercules (ΗΡΑΚΛΗΣ) 2008

Wine Facts for Hercules (ΗΡΑΚΛΗΣ)
Grape Varietal:  Agiorgitiko (ΑΓΙΩΡΓΗΤΙΚΟ)
Vintage: 2008
Country: Greece
Region: Peloponnese
Producer: Cooperative Winery of Nemea
Price: $8.99
Place of Purchase: Vintage Wines, Harrisonburg, VA

Additional facts:
Yep, I'm using Greek letters! Fancy, fancy! :)  In case something became distorted on the techno side of things, this is called an Anglicized version of the original Greek (letter eta-rho-alpha-kappa-lambda-eta-sigma).
The grape is also known as Mavro Nemeas or St. George. The grape is native to Greece (so I'm not sure why it's called St. George, the patron saint of England and Edmund Spenser, but oh well!), and the wines can range from rose to oak aged red; it's commonly blended with Cabernet Sauvignon.
This wine, though, is not a blend--and we have had it a couple of times. Adam and I wanted to bring a few bottles of wine to Nashville for Thanksgiving. My aunt Carol, my parents, my three cousins (Kevin, Martin, and Matt), and Adam and I celebrated Thanksgiving together at my aunt's house,  and we had a wonderful time. However, before we left Harrisonburg, Adam and I went to Vintage Wines to get some bottles of wine. The owner was incredibly helpful, and suggested some delicious whites--but we also wanted to throw in a red (our favorite type of wine), and the owner suggested this bottle. It was juicy, delicious, paired nicely with turkey/stuffing/potatoes/typical Thanksgiving fare, and was a surprising hit. Plus my cousin Matt, who studies Greek, tried his hand at translating the Greek label.  :)
We got another bottle a few months later because we wanted to include it in our wine blog. The things we do for wine.... 


Characteristics of Hercules (ΗΡΑΚΛΗΣ)
Appearance:very thin, very red...almost a watered down look to it
Bouquet: very sharp sweetness, almost ethanol-like; sort of seemed like a sweet, wild cherry scent to it

Adam's Overall Thoughts: Definitely has a better taste than aroma. There's a surprising smoothness to the wine, with a touch of spice (coffee-like maybe?) left at the top of my mouth on the finish. It's not a very full taste, though it doesn't quickly exit.

Cathy's Overall Thoughts: This is a case of it tastes better than it looks and smells for me. When it enters the mouth, there's a tangy richness. The wine almost seems to jump to the roof of the mouth (are there tastebuds up there?) and it draws attention to itself. This isn't a delicate flower of a wine, but I think I loved how it surprised and shocked me with its boldness despite it's watery, rather basic appearance. It was seductively sassy.
On my scale, it's a 9.19.

We paired with: pasta dishes and just sipping wine

We recommend this: with Thanksgiving dinners,with pasta dishes, and just to enjoy sipping after a long day of work

Cheers!