Ladies and gentlemen, I have found my new sausage wine! I cannot tell you how happy this makes me. Why? I have a couple reasons. First, I love sausage. Juicy chunks of pork, fat, garlic, spices and goodness wrapped inside a casing. Second, the blissful flavor that oozes after snaping into a freshly grilled specimen is virtually unparalleled in the sensory world. To fully enjoy these fatty, salty, oozing flavors, washing it down with something complimentary is a must. For the standard brat, I’ve been all about a Riesling Kabinett, but alas, I’ve found my new Summer sausage staple: Vouvray.
Vouvray is an area in the Loire Valley region of France that produces white wine from the Chenin Blanc grape. While it is Chenin Blanc wine, it is named “Vouvray” after the area the grapes are grown and the wine is produced. I know, a bit confusing. Is it Chenin Blanc or Vouvray? The answer is “yes”. Perhaps think of it like this: Chablis is a type of Chardonnay made in the French town of Chablis; Champagne hails from the Champagne region. [Or, perhaps consider that Milwaukee’s Best originates from, well, you know.]
Alright, let’s get back to this wine. Many folks like Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. Vouvray is like a marriage of the two. It’s qualities vary depending on climate and soil. The one I am digging on right now is La Forcine demi-sec. “Demi-sec” literally translates to “medium-dry”. (Think of it more like “medium-sweet”.) This Vouvray is refreshing with fragrances and tastes of green apple and pineapple. It is lively with a medium-body (unlike a Chardonnay, which is heavier) with acidity and sweetness balancing one another.
This wine is a marvelous value at around $13. I’m surprised this wine isn’t well known, or widely available in restaurants, as it’s so food friendly. The subtly sweet tastes, combined with the apple and pineapple flavors, pair amply with fatty boombalatty sausages. I recently scored bacon/cheddar brats from Nueske’s- truly a match made in heaven. If you don’t often have the privilege of driving across Central Wisconsin (sarcasm, anyone?) and stop at Nueske’s in Wittenberg, I say pick up your favorite butcher’s sausages, grill ‘em up and toast with this Vouvray. Before long, you’ll be licking your fingers, and when no one is looking, the rim of your glass.
Where buy now: North Loop Wines & Spirits, Solo Vino, France 44 and basement cellar
Grapes: Merlot with some interpretations
Region: Italy, France, California, Washington
Vintage: 2010 and older
Recently, I quasi-invited myself & a wine-friend to a #Geeks’nGrapes (as they’re known in the Twitter world) Merlot tasting. This group’s moniker couldn’t be more apropos, as it is comprised of two Sommeliers [as deemed by their level 2 certification] along with a fellow I’ve deemed “Mr. Wine Encyclopedia”.
Okay, blah blah blah Merlot, blah-blibbity-blah. “Sideways” was years ago, people, and NOT a documentary! Are we still solely enamored with Pinot Noir, frivolously casting away Merlot like a redheaded stepchild? Well, kids, if you haven’t welcomed Merlot into your household, for shame! Mind you, Paul Giamatti was handed that script. Much like Lowell’s (the “other” guy in the movie- remember the TV show “Wings”?) chubby chasing character, you always have a choice.
So, not knowing what beast’s belly I was heading into, I drove up to North Loop Wines & Spirits as they were having a buy one, get one ½ price sale. I talked to the wine dude there, his name is Kyle. I trust this guy implicitly, I don’t know why. I don’t know him very well but I do know that he’s a straight shooter who: a.) enjoys biking, b.) is a huge fan of The Band (RIP Levon), and c.) is a fellow Nordeaster. Oh, and for you gals (and non breeder males) reading along, he’s easy on the eyes, too.
I told him I needed a good recommendation for a Merlot tasting, but wanted to stay under my $15 price point. He introduced me to the Grayson Merlot from Napa Valley. Since I was going into this whole “Geeks” thing blind, I told him I’d blame him if this wine was deemed useless swill. Spineless? Perhaps, but I wanted to test his fortitude. (I mean, he’s _kind of_ playing the role of my physician, right?) To the #GeeksnGrapes event I go!
We started the evening with a 2005 Merlot from Tuscany, Italy called “Lamaione” from Marchesi de Frescobaldi.
Lamaione
I learned that Merlot is the third most planted grape varietal in Italy. This wine was garnet/ruby colored, with an orangish hue due to it’s age. The wine was aged for 24-48 months in oak. An earthy, musty, oaky wine with a medium to full body without much berry flavor, but with a long finish. After being uncorked a couple hours, it opened up to have a strong cedar scent and taste. This wine was in someone’s cellar for a few years, and sported a price tag greater than $50, so we speculated it could possibly be found at i Nonni.
We followed that with a 2009 Bordeaux from France called “Chateau Vauzelle, Lalande de Pomerol”.
Chateau Vauzelle LaLande de Pomerol
This wine hails from Northern France. This wine differed in that it wasn’t a straight Merlot [bi-curious, perhaps?], but included Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Garnet in color, this had more cherry to it compared to the Tuscan Merlot, and was tannic and dry. I found it to be one of my favorites. This wine can be found at France 44 & North Loop, around $35-$40.
After that we went on to try the 2010 Grayson.
Grayson Cellars
Oh wow, what a switch from Old World (Europe) to New World (Americas, Australia, New Zealand) wine! Like the British Office to the American version, or Jefferson Airplane to Starship [only way less crappy than either Grace Slick vehicle]. This wine was a brighter garnet color, and was more fruit forward than it’s European cousins- less tannic, softer, but tasted of sour cherry and stewed fruit. This wine is around $13 at North Loop and Solo Vino.
Then we moved up the Coast to “The Velvet Devil”, a 2010 Merlot from Washington State brought by my friend.
The Velvet Devil
This was slightly deeper in garnet color compared to the Grayson, but still lighter than the others. This Merlot was oaky, smoky and slighted spiced. This wine is also around $13 at Solo Vino, North Loop and Pairings.
Number five on the docket was another Washington wine called, “Pedestal”, a 2007 Merlot from Columbia Valley in Walla Walla.
Pedestal
This wine is deeper Garnet in color and is big bodied [not unlike the Starship-era Slick]. It was robust and bolder than the other New World Merlot’s. We deemed this to be a Cabernet Sauvignon lover’s Merlot. This wine can be found at France 44, around $55.
Lastly, we travelled back down to Napa Valley and tried a favorite of “Mr. Wine Encyclopedia”, Chappellet’s 2009 Merlot.
Chappellet
This wine had the highest alcohol content, yet was smokier, spicier, thicker and heavier than the others, still. A great finisher, indeed.
As we sat around and waxed poetic about what first got us interested in wine, we revisited each one to notice more changes and evolutions to the scents and tastes. It’s one of those entities that you cannot judge at first site. There are nuances that continue to evolve. Our jobs are to find that balance of nature, skill, age, knowledge and enjoyment. This is when we understand what the winemaker desired and what we desire in a wine, we appreciate the efforts put forth to enable you to drink said wine and we enjoy the fruits of someone’s labor [no pun intended] while enjoying life’s riches. We truly are a lucky people.
Oh, and Kyle’s recommendation lived up to it’s promise: a truely smokin’ Merlot for under $15.
Where buy now: Solo Vino, North Loop, Zipp’s, Pairings Food & Wine{jcomments on}
Grapes: Malvar
Region: Madrid, Spain
Vintage: 2010
Zestos Malvar
Pretties, I have a perfect patio palette quencher; a delectable deck dining hooch. I present the wonderful Spanish white wine, Zestos Malvar- yet another discovery from the Rosé Tent Tasting I attended in May (are you seeing why this tasting thing is so damn important?).
I didn’t know what Malvar was. In fact, I don’t think most folks know much about the Malvar grape as evident by the lack of info I found. Apparently, it is even obscure to Spaniards, though Malvar grapes are indigenous to the Madrid region of Spain. Thankfully, the good people at Zestos realized this, as their back label is one of the most descriptive I’ve ever seen.
Zestos Malvar back label
Their description “the bright flavors of a Sauvignon Blanc and the body of unoaked Chardonnay (aged in stainless steel tanks) is right on the money. It truly embodies the acidity of Sauvignon Blanc and a fuller-body like an unoaked Chardonnay. It’s pale yellow color and smells of citrus/tropical fruit such as pineapple, grapefruit and mango are what you take in first and foremost. This may be a stretch but upon second whiff and taste, I notice hints of tapioca. On the tongue, it’s bright citrus flavors are rounded out with a creamier body.
Wait, “creamy” wine with hints of tapioca? Sounds, well, gross. Let’s break this down.
“Creamier” refers to a medium-to-fuller bodied wine. I remember when I first started getting into wine and I read things like “creamy body” and I was perplexed. The wine looked yellow to me, not like yogurt. Think of wine’s viscosity or body in terms of the consistency of milk. Skim milk = light bodied such as Pinot Grigio or Pinot Noir, whole milk = medium bodied such as Sauvignon Blanc or Shiraz and cream = heavy bodied, like Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon.
At a mere $10 (even less on sale) I can hardly call the Zestos Malvar a gamble. This is a fun, simple slurpin’ wine. No need to age, aerate or do anything but enjoy. I think if you like New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, try it. If you like Chardonnay, oaked or unoaked, try it. If you like to try new things, try it. And in these hot Summer days, who wants something heavy? This is a cellar filler that you’ll return to again and again and enjoy.
My only criticism is that it doesn’t stay with you. The finish disappears after about ten seconds. This is really only a “problem” if you plan to drive later. And really, isn’t it the unspoken truth that sometimes, you just want a tasty budget wine to tie one on with?
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