Red Wine of the Week | Red Wine Reviews

Reds and Rosés you can grab in the Twin Cities for under $15. Expect a new wine to be revealed each Thursday(ish).

Red Wine of the Week | Red Wine Reviews

Domaine d’Arton YSL Rosé

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Cost: Average price $11.00

Where buy now: Solo Vino, Zipp’s Liquors, Byerly’s Ridgedale, Pairings Wine & Food Market

Grapes: Syrah

Region: Gascony, France

Vintage: N/V

Domaine d’Arton YSL Patrick de Montal YSÉ

If you leave The Savvy Lush with anything this week, remember this name: Arton.

This week’s red and white wines are both from the same winery: Domaine d’Arton. You may have heard some buzz about Solo Vino’s 4th Annual Rosé Tent Tasting held last Sunday. http://www.decant-this.com/2012/05/21/he-belongs-to-that-wine-rose/ If you haven’t, let me enlighten you so you attend next year’s soirée.

Chuck, Rob & Co., from Solo Vino put together a collection of 144 different wines, mostly Rosé, but also a smattering of whites, Pinot Noirs, and Lambruscos to mix it up a bit. A mere $30 allowed you to sample ALL the wine you’d like, but it didn’t stop there. Wonderfully complimentary hor’s d’oeuvres were also liberally served. I was told 60 lbs of Kramarczuk’s sausage was involved. Two words, kids: lamb sausage (no pun intended?).

But I digress. With wine drinking buddies I’ve gotten to know on Twitter in tow, we had ourselves a real good time! The particular table that had us a-twitter (pun intended) was the table that brought us the Arton. What makes this “the Arton” so special?

Following the Rosé Tent Tasting, it should be no surprise that this week’s red is a Rosé hailing from Gascony: Domaine d’Arton Rosé. The Arton (ar-TONE) Rosé is made with Syrah and embodies smells and tastes of peach and mild raspberry with tinges of citrus rind. Nay, it’s like a peach raspberry tart that’s sat in the window of a cottage in Gascony as the soft winds drizzle it’s floral and herbal whispers on top. (Wow – that came right out of my ass. Sounded good though, huh?) Truly, it’s soft, fruity, light, flavorful with a hint of tartness, just to round it off. Perfect for those who both love Rosé and those who are unsure and are just about to start experimenting. Oh, how I envy you people! It is an incredible wine for the usual price of $11.99, right now you can buy it at Solo Vino for only $8.79- a small investment for a remarkable wine.

Now, let’s back this train up.

The more and more I write, the more and more I learn about wine. Not the drinking part- I have that down. I’m talking about where it comes from, who supplies it, how it’s purchased, yadda yadda. Here in lovely, scenic Minnesota, we don’t have the luxury of being out in the vineyard learning from the farmers themselves. Most often we are relegated to shelf-talkers, the interwebs or your local wine shop’s windbag. Now, there is nothing better than exploring and finding a wine all on your own, believe me (ahh, the Russian River Valley-*sigh*). I’d assert that the next best thing is to consider other ways to discover wine, or, in other words, help your wine find you. Rather than suffering the classic “wine elitist vs. poor plebian” dichotomy, it’s time we close the gap. I know that many of you care about where your food comes from, how it was made, and who was involved. Doesn’t it only make sense to know where your wine comes from?

This week, I introduce you to Ulf. Until about 10 years ago, Ulf was an engineer. Quite simply, passion and wine steered him on a new course, and now he’s a one-man show. Travelling to Europe a couple times of year, he frequents small vineyards and imports amazing wine. He seeks the stuff not many folks, and I mean folks anywhere, get exposed to. Since he’s doing the importing and distributing himself, these wines don’t suffer a crazy mark-up. We can thank Ulf for introducing us to “the Arton” and allowing it to be readily affordable. Righteous, Ulf. Score one for the vulgar proletariat.

Red Wine of the Week | Red Wine Reviews

Famiglia Meschini Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva

Cost: Average price $14-$16

Where buy now: Byerly’s Ridgedale, Solo Vino, Sorella Wines & Spirits, South Lyndale Liquors, Swirl Wine Bar, Thomas Liquors & Zipp’s Liquors

Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: Mendoza, Argentina

Vintage: 2008

Famiglia Meschini Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva

Sometimes all you need is a cheeseburger, fries and a Coke. What if I told you you could swap that Coca-Cola for a Cabernet?

This week’s pic is an homage to steak and cab, but in a good, down home kinda way. I was recently up in the Cloquet area, about two hours north on Hwy 35, and home to the “World’s only Frank Lloyd Wright designed gas station!” (Yawn) My in-laws live up there and many years ago, they introduced me to a hamburger joint that’s been around since 1960: Gordy’s Hi-Hat.

Gordy’s food is a real treat, and since it is only open Spring through Fall, it has become a righteous annual rite. The place doesn’t look like it’s been touched for decades, just the way I like it. Phenomenal hand-pattied burgers, crispy fries, amazing Wild Alaskan Cod fish sandwiches (don’t get me started about the malts and shakes!). When I go, I usually throw all caution to the wind and get a double cheeseburger w/ fried onions.

This trip, I only got a single. To go. Boy, that was stupid.

Since we ate a late brunch, it was time already to head back to “Da Cities”. But we HAD to make a stop at Gordy’s, so I got a cheeseburger to go. That puppy made it all the way back to town. As we were driving, I could smell nothing but the greasy goodness that was an all-beef patty, fried onions, cheese and melty condiments. You know what I smelled? I smelled America, folks, and it couldn’t have smelled any sweeter.

Once home, I raced to unpack the car. For the entire ride, I had one wine in mind to have with my delicious spoils. Famiglia Meschini Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva.

Why pair a smooth Cab with a greasy burger? Because it’s brilliant.

Years ago while on a business trip, I ate dinner at a hoity-toity Chicago steakhouse called Gibson’s. I dined with the president & CEO and a writer from the Boston Globe. I was really young and wanting to do the “right” thing. But on that night, I just didn’t crave steak tartare or a filet. I needed a cheeseburger and fries. So, that’s what I ordered. The Boston Globe writer said, “You know what, that sounds good,” and she had the same. Sometimes, right is just right. Nowadays, I typically choose to drink a Cab alongside a good burger. It’s nostalgic for me.

Oh yes, the wine. Silly me. I’ve waxed poetic about Famiglia Meschini in a previous review. http://www.thesavvylush.com/white-wine-of-the-week-|-white-wine-reviews/famiglia-meschini-premium-white-blend.htmlFamiglia Meschini

I just love that they are doing this as organic as possible. Making wines they like, importing and selling it all themselves. Again, this equals savings to you and me! The Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva is a triumph. Upon opening the bottle, scents of black cherry, oak and history come pouring out. This Cab isn’t super dense or thick, it’s just lovely. It has the usual characteristics of a Cab: bold, dark cherry fruit, slight oak presence and full bodied. And, at a price of around $13.99, it’s even more wonderful. If you’re a fan of Cab’s and enjoy the likes of J.Lohr or Liberty School, I implore you to give this one a try.

Red wine, red meat-damn son, let’s eat!

Red Wine of the Week | Red Wine Reviews

Castaño Monastrell

Cost: Average price $9.99

Where buy now: The Wine Thief for $8.99

Grapes: 100% Monastrell

Region: Yecla, Spain

Vintage: 2010

Castaño Monastrell

What do you think of when you lust for the golden green of Spring? That’s right- BBQ. You can be anyone/thing: carnivorous being, gluten-free, vegan, Atkins dieter, you name it. As long as a fire is sounding off Pavlov’s dogs, you’ve got yourself something.

A BBQ is an event, it’s a reason to gather, nay, _the_ reason to gather, and likely the oldest meaningful reason.

Grilling is so fun! I love grilling vegetables. Eggplant, zucchini, onions, peppers, mushrooms- line ’em up! Lamb chops seasoned with salt, pepper and rosemary- head ’em up! Smoke some chicken, perhaps? We use whiskey barrel chips, soaked in water, then surrendered to the fire. Oh, let’s not forget about the quintessential American standard, the almighty hamburger – ride ’em in! Sure, have it your way: angus burger, kobe beef burger, turkey burger, bison burger, ostrich burger. Or hell, I love me a black bean burger! To blow your mind, my old pal Jer grills huge portabellas, slathers on the BBQ sauce, then slaps it on a bun. (Ooooohhhh. *Ahem* Are we still talking about BBQ?) Or, the mother of all things grilled & smoked, RIBS! Oh, sweet Sally Struthers, they’re good. All I can say is thank goodness Ted Cook’s isn’t in my neighborhood because within 48 hours, I’d be relegated to wearing a moo moo.

Simply stating that eating and drinking wine is complementary is almost missing the point. I get transformed, truly. My husband has caught me doing what he refers to as “the happy food dance”. Mid bite to final swallow, I’ll sit and bob my head back and forth, sometimes even humming. It’s like I’m possessed by the Adephagia http://www.goddessaday.com/greek/adephagia/Adephagia poltergeist. I’d rather be “big boned” and indulge in this stupor, than face an alternative.

Do you know what I ended up pairing with the red of the week? A Spanish Monastrell and… BBQ chips. Yep, dinner du jour. If it hasn’t yet occurred to you, let me enlighten: I was Homer Simpson in a former life.

This is a bottle off the “under 10” section at The Wine Thief. It’s a Spanish wine (surprise, surprise) but it is decidedly not Rioja. This one is a Monastrell (Spanish for Mourvedre). It’s a popular grape, second only to Garnacha in Spain. I’m not going to dive into the history, but will encourage you to: http://www.i-winereview.com/NonReportTastings/0910montastrellSelections.php/Monastrell

Lately, I’ve been chatting up Rioja’s value. Many of the best bang-for-buck wines are going to continue to come out of Spain, according to my sources. A departure from my beloved Rioja region, which is North Central Spain, I moved Southeast to the Yecla region. These wines are gaining in popularity as the wine making continues to improve. The Monastrell grape is a thick, black skinned fruit and they are finicky little buggers. They grow in very hot climates so the trick is letting them grow and stress enough, then cultivating them quickly before they go bad. The wine these grapes produce can really vary, mostly depending on seasonal temperatures.

The Castaño Monastrell is dark rich red in color, not as dark as the Graciano http://www.thesavvylush.com/red-wine-of-the-week-|-red-wine-reviews/rio-madre-rioja.html/Rio Madre (or as full bodied). However, this wine has character. I’m declaring this “The Spanish Zin”- sans the jamminess, but with lively juiciness. It reeks of dark berry, earth and smoke. Like a Zinfandel, it has more tannins in the flavor, which my husband refers to as “stank”. The finish isn’t long, but it teases you with a bit of spicy sweetness. This wine, like a Zin, is begging you to drink with some smoky BBQ. Or, in my case, the sad-clown snack of BBQ Pop Chips (which are surprisingly delicious, especially with this wine).

Buy up a bunch because you’ll swill this guy all Summer long! It’s so easy-breezy, drink-it-on-a-Tuesday night while catching up on your new favorite TV series or on the patio with the family. It’s going to give you an interesting and fun twist to the Rioja (Garnacha, Tempranillos, etc.) you’ve already been enjoying at a great price.

Blaze away, you golden green cowpoke, you.