According to industry research, the majority (58 percent) of grill owners use them year-round (I'm one of them, and have been known to dust a foot or so of snow off the barbie in the middle of January), but summer is really when grilling gets smokin' hot. With Father's Day and the whole "let's grill a big juicy steak for dad and buy him a tie" cliché less than a week away, let's talk a bitmore about barbecue-friendly wines. (And be sure to check out our expert grilling tips here).
Wine and grill pairing basics and four recommended vinos after the jump.
Petite Sirah is a grape that belies its name--there's absolutely nothing petite about it. The wine is big, bold, robust, deep-colored, and tannic, not some mealy-mouthed little girl who sits pretty and still shops in the kids' section. I won't bore you with the complete history of Petite Sirah, which is long, convoluted, and requires an agricultural degree to get through, but instead will give you the one-sentence recap: The grape was probably originally from the Rhone in France, but is now mostly grown in California. Like Zinfandel, Petite Sirah has its own fan base: P.S. I love you. (Clever, eh?)
If you look in the California wine section, you'll likely find one or two bottles of PS to try. If you've never tried them, you should. It's an interesting grape. Sometimes PS is blended with other wines, like Zinfandel. These two grapes are a perfect pair, IMO, because the jammy Zin is bolstered up by the tannic PS, and together they make a great blend.
I've got one Petite Sirah in my wine rack--a 2004 Close LaChance ($35) that I brought home from a trip to Paso Robles last fall--but haven't had a chance to open it yet. Today, my neighbor came over with a mostly-finished-and-recorked bottle of Crane Lake Petite Sirah. "Try this," he said.
More Petite Sirah - Wine of the Week after the jump.
Zinfandel. It's so good, it has its own festival. Want to go? The public tasting, where you can taste Zins from 275 winereries, is Saturday, Jan. 31 from 2-5 p.m. at the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco. I've got four tickets to give away, which I'll give away in twos. Post in the comments below and two people will win.
Since the timeframe is so short, please post by 8 p.m. Eastern tonight in order to enter, and I'll get tickets out first thing tomorrow.
Tomorrow one of the most historically significant Presidential Inaugurations will be upon us. Whether you're whooping it up or crying tears of sorrow into your glass, we've got ideas for what to drink at your party (or pity party).
If you're celebrating:
The obvious drink of choice is sparkling wine--American, of course. According to Iron Horse Vineyards, their sparkling wines have been served at the White House for five consecutive Presidential administrations, and Iron Horse hopes Obama will do likewise. Their Wedding Cuvee ($38) is a popular choice and widely available, or try the Russian Cuvee ($33), which is slightly richer and sweeter than the regular Brut.
Roederer Estate sparkling wines have also been featured in White House dinners over the years. The Brut NV ($22) is affordable and widely regarded by critics as one of the top sparkling wines in the U.S.
Korbel has been the official sparkling wine for the past six inaugurations, but apparently Obama won't do sponsorship agreements this year and Korbel has to angle for honors with all the other wineries. At home, try Korbel's Brut Rose ($12) or Extra Dry ($12), which, ironically, is a little sweeter.
With any of these sparkling wines, splash in a bit of pomegranate liqueur or blue carucao (but not at the same time!) for the red, white, and blue look.
Another all-American wine is Zinfandel, a big, bold, fruity wine also ideal for celebrating. Try one from Lodi or Paso Robles for even bigger-than-normal flavor (Seven Deadly Zins ($17) is a good example) or a classic from Sonoma like Seghesio ($36).
What to drink if you're not celebrating--after the jump.
For years, no one really knew where Zinfandel came from, so in typically American style, we made it our own. Zin became California's grape like Riesling is the grape of Germany and Pinot Noir is the grape of Burgundy. California Zinfandels are often similar to Americans themselves: loud, brawny, a barbeque lover with bold flavors and plenty of opinion. Zinfandel inspires such passion in the U.S. that it even has its own professional organization, aroma wheel, and annual festival.
Finally scientists did DNA testing on Zinfandel and discovered it came from the same stock as Italian Primitivo and Croatian Crljenak. Now here's where the grape gets interesting. When wine geeks talk about terroir, or the sense of "place" you can taste in a wine, they're referring to everything from the specific minerals and elements in the soil that help flavor the grape to the region's climate to the vineyard's altitude and relative position to the sun. All of these elements add up to taking what would be a generic grape that tastes the same no matter where it's produced (like when you're on the road and all the restaurants look scary, and then you find a Panera and think, well at least I can get a decent sandwich), and making it into something completely distinct.
With Zinfandel and Primitivo, the two, though genetically twins, are more like cousins when you throw terroir into the mix. Zinfandel/Primitivo is a versatile grape, able to make light and fruity wines like Beaujolais and deep, dark, alcoholic, jammy wines, which represents the style of most American Zins.
Continue reading "Wine of the Week: Primitivo" after the jump.
I have to wonder do wine makers get really bored sometimes? I was at my local Total Wine store and well it is October so you know what that means?! Bring out the ghoulish bottles of potion to tempt label lovers like myself. Disclaimer: I normally would steer away from a cute $4-$7 bottle of wine. Those have ended up being more Trick - than-Treat in my past experiences.
Poizin though, is as impressive on the palette as the label is to the eyes. This "big" zin is a surprising explosion of dark cherry flowing through with smooth velvety tannins that leave a lingering effect from the tip of your tongue to the depths of your throat. On its own it's a mouthful of goodness, but paired with spicy braised pork shank , pizza, or a juicy steak, it's paradise.
On this same trip I also bought a Marilyn Merlot. In her honor I will wait until June 1, her birthday, to report my findings!
Have you every bought a wine because you liked the label?
Was it a pleasurable surprise or a haunting experience?
More good news for all you wine lovers out there. ZAP, the Zinfandel Advocates & Producers, will be traveling to various locations across America for Grand Tasting Events, as brought to our attention by Deidre at our sister site Luxist.
The tastings are scheduled for May 8 in Austin, May 10 at the Wrigley Mansion in Phoenix, and will be a part of Winefest No. 12-A Toast To Children's Health in Minneapolis on May 11-12.
The menus accompanying the tastings sound absolutely delicious as well. As an example, the Arizona tasting will feature such fare as Ahi Tuna Bites with Raspberry-Wasabi Sauce, Chili Lime Salmon Satay, Mushroom Stuffed with Pinenuts, and Duck Confit Profiteroles.
If you live in one of those areas and are interesting in participating, details on the events including admission prices can be found on the ZAP website.
Turkey is a very versatile meat that can go well with many different types of wine, but zinfandels may just be the perfect compliment to the bird for Thanksgiving. First, zinfandel is a very American wine, so it fits in well with the traditions of the holiday. They also offer a round and balanced flavor that anyone can enjoy, especially because zins often have a lot of berry flavor, which covers some of the acidity that occasional wine drinkers find slightly off-putting sometimes. This means that zin will be very drinkable for all your guests, no matter how experienced with wines they are. Business Week picked out some of the best zins to serve with any turkey-based holiday dinner, all fruity and most with interesting touches of oak or licorice that really make them unique: Ridge Vineyards Buchignani Ranch (91 pts, $24); Elyse Winery Korte Ranch Vineyard (94 pts, $30); Hartford Court Russian River (93 pts, $30); Robert Biale Black Chicken (93 pts, $34); Carlisle Tom Feeney Ranch (92 pts, $38); and Linne Calodo Problem Child (92 pts, $42).
Fall is the time for football. And with football comes food like buffalo wings, sausages, pizza, and potato chips. And while most guys (and gals - yes, I know you're football fans too) go for cold beer with their football viewing, don't forget that you can also drink wine with these foods too.
The Boston Phoenixasked the owners and beverage managers of several Boston restaurants for their picks for the best wine to serve with football food. If you're serving spicy wings, Josh Childs at the Silvertone Bar & Grill suggests a California zinfandel from or a syrah from the Rhone region of France (or, for a contrast, a German riesling). For nachos, a sparkling white.
Bill Earle at Bouchee' says that if you're serving chili, he'd suggest a California zinfandel, for the rich fruit and the spice to go with the hotness in the chili. And for hearty sausages? Kate Smith at Butcher Shop suggests a pinot gris or a gewuztraminer or a riesling.
But wait: pizza is missing from this list! I'd say pizza is eaten more while watching football than sausages or wings. Suggestions, readers?
His reason for terminating the measure? The state produces so many top-notch varietals that he says it would be unfair to single one out for special treatment.
Carole Migden, the bill's sponsor had wanted to make Zinfandel California's state wine, but shifted gears after an outcry from the state's vintners. While the governator may have a point, the fruity wine does have a rich history. The grape was first planted in California in the 1820s and some vines are still bearing fruit after more than 100 years.
Zinfandel grapes are one of the first types of the fruit that were grown in California, with some vineyards dating back over 100 years and still producing fruit from the "old growth" vines. Generally, the zin grapes were first used only for blending with other grapes in wine making, but during the 1960s and '70s, pure zinfandels produced in California came into great popularity. The fruity, light flavor of white zinfandel introduced many people to wine, while potent red zinfandels continue to gain in popularity. Celebrating its heritage as the "original" California wine, state senators voted to make zinfandel California's official historic wine. The first draft of the bill actually called to make it the official wine of California, not qualifying the designation with the word "historic," but lawmakers did not want to single one wine (or grape) out over the others that are grown in the state.
Some might say that the best reds to have when barbecuing are red meats. Given that steaks and burgers are some of the top barbecue foods, there are few who might disagree entirely with that, but Food & Wine reminds readers not to forget the other reds: wines. I know that I usually think about drinks like soda, beer, margaritas, iced tea and lemonade as good choices for barbecues, as well as for dining outdoors in general. There's no reason not to add wines to that list, too.
According to F&W, a barbecue wine "shouldn't just be a fruit-bomb" and should mirror the smoky qualities of the grilled meat. Personally - most likely because I cook on a gas grill - I don't experience a whole lot of smokiness with all my grilled foods and would like something fruity to, in my opinion, enhance the juiciness of the meat. That's just me, though. Here are F&W's picks, all of which (except one) are under $20 a bottle"
2004 Pepperwood Grove Zinfandel ($8)
2004 Rocky Gully Shiraz-Viognier ($14)
2004 Frontier Red Lot No. 51 ($10)
2003 Santadi Grotta Rossa ($11)
2004 Woop Woop Shiraz ($11)
2002 DiBruno Santa Barbara County Sangiovese ($20)
2004 Alamos Malbec ($10)
2003 Dashe Cellars Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel ($22)
What they don't rave over-- but should -- is Il Valore Primitivo, a wine from the Puglia region of Italy (the "heel "of the "boot," geographically speaking). It's made from red Zinfandel grapes, and it's perfect with Italian food (naturally) but would work well with any grilled red meats. And quite frankly, it has a depth and complexity that one expects from Zinfandels in the $10 to $15 range.
The price? That's the best part. At the TJ's in Northern Virginia where I make pilgrimages once every six weeks, it's selling for $4.99.
So why spend money on Charles Shaw when you could have a real wine for five dollars? I'll admit, Il Valore Primitivo doesn't have a catchy nickname ("Five Bill Il" was the best I could come up with), but dollar-for-dollar, it's more bang for the buck than Chuck.
With the aim of documenting each and every vine in the blend
and showing the location in the vineyard the Old Hill Ranch has created a wonderful map. Their blend is made up of over
26 differnet grape varieties with each detailed on the map.
The map was made to assist people in understanding the uniqueness and
complexity of the vineyard, document the vineyard’s makeup for historical purposes, lead to a better
understanding of what the founders of the vineyard were thinking and create a knowledge foundation for better farming
of the vineyard. It forms a unique document for understanding this Sonoma vineyard.
Old Hill Ranch was founded by William McPherson Hill in 1852. It was the first vineyard in Sonoma to be
planted with non-mission varieties and it was recognized in the 1860s as a source of some of California’s finest
wines. More recently wine historian Charles Sullivan called Old Hill the source of “California’s first
really famous Zinfandel.” While Old Hill Ranch has always been recognized as a Zinfandel “field
blend” containing a number of different varieties, the true extent of the field blend was only uncovered
when the survey of the vines for the map was completed.
Zinfandel. It's so good, it has its 
More good news for all you wine lovers out there. ZAP, the Zinfandel Advocates & Producers, will be traveling to various locations across America for 
Turkey is a very versatile meat that can go well with many different types of wine, but zinfandels may just be the perfect compliment to the bird for Thanksgiving. First, zinfandel is a very 
Fall is the time for football. And with football comes food like buffalo wings, sausages, pizza, and potato chips. And while most guys (and gals - yes, I know you're football fans too) go for cold beer with their football viewing, don't forget that you can also drink wine with these foods too.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has 
Zinfandel grapes are one of the first types of the fruit that were grown in California, with some vineyards dating back over 100 years and still producing fruit from the "old growth" vines. Generally, the zin grapes were first used only for blending with other grapes in wine making, but during the 1960s and '70s, pure zinfandels produced in California came into great popularity. The fruity, light flavor of white zinfandel introduced many people to wine, while potent red zinfandels continue to gain in popularity. Celebrating its heritage as the "original" California wine, state senators voted to make zinfandel 
Some might say that the best reds to have when barbecuing are red meats. Given that steaks and burgers are some of the top barbecue foods, there are few who might disagree entirely with that, but Food & Wine 
Everybody raves over 
With the aim of documenting each and every vine in the blend
and showing the location in the vineyard the Old Hill Ranch has created a wonderful map. Their blend is made up of over
26 differnet grape varieties with each detailed on the map.
What Can I Get You Folks? - Server Revenge
Reality-Show Celebrities Serve Up Chef Curtis Stone's 'Hundred-Dollar Burger'
Foods Celebrity Chefs Hate
