White Wine of the Week | White Wine Reviews

Jakob Schneider Riesling Kabinett

Cost: Average price $16.99

Where buy now: Surdyk’s- $11.99

Grapes: Riesling

Region: Nahe region, Germany

Vintage: 2009

Jakob Schneider Riesling Kabinett

I love sausage! Keep giggling, Beavis & Butthead, but it’s true. We grill them up all year ’round at my house. Recently, I’ve been testing Rieslings that pair well with the garlicky, smokey, fatty, flavors that are packed inside that casing. I’ve found one and, get this: it’s a liter! A liter, man!

I introduce you to Jakob Schneider’s Riesling Kabinett. I was at Surdyk’s because a faithful follower went there looking for the Riesling Spatlese I reviewed a month ago to no avail. So, I had to go in and investigate. I talked to Roger, a wine dude who knows his stuff. I took a wine class from him once, and when possible, I seek his spirit guidance. He is a quirky fella, not unlike Paul Giamatti’s character in “Sideways”(minus the Merlot pretentiousness). Plus, he loves to cook! I often buy what he recommends because he has such passion and really evokes the senses when discussing wine and pairings.

Kabinett- what is this? I’m not going to lie, I may be a 1/4 German but this language confuses the hell out of me. “Kabinett” is a variety of Riesling, and refers to the ripeness of the grapes. These grapes are not as ripe as other Riesling grapes [for example, the next step up the ripeness ladder is Spatlese]. The riper the grapes, the sweeter the wine.

Two great things about this Riesling: 1.) It’s a liter [I’m sorry, am I repeating myself?]. 2.) Screw cap. I may love drinking wine but I’d rather not sip Riesling all day long, just two – three glasses with some succulent sausages or on a warm Spring day, thank you. With the screw cap, I can enjoy my glass or two, screw the cap back on, and return the bottle to the fridge. Perfetto! Waste not, want not.

Upon twisting the cap off, scents of floral, apple, pear, and light citrus immediately escape. The scents reappear on your pallet. This is a dryer Riesling, which I prefer. A decent finish with a touch of acidity to make your mouth water. Take a bite of a freshly grilled sausage, snap into the casing letting the oozing flavors envelop your mouth. A sip of this Riesling Kabinett, and I was suddenly singing, “Springtime for Hitler”.

I suggest picking up a liter then walking down the street to Kramarcyzks to buy a sampling of their sausages. I love the Hungarian and Andouille, myself. Dust the snow off your grill and set fire to those little piggies. A little sauerkraut, mustard and this Riesling- your evening is set. Oh, and watching the Zero Mostel/Gene Wilder version of “The Producers” would be most excellent.  Achtung: das German trifecta!

Red Wine of the Week | Red Wine Reviews

Franco Serra Barbera d’Alba

Cost: Average price $11

Where buy now: Surdyk’s- $9.99

Grapes: Barbera

Region: Barbera d’Alba, Italy

Vintage: 2010

Franco Serra Barbera d’Alba

While seeking one of my favorites recently, Ruvei Barbera d’Alba, I come to find out Surdyk’s doesn’t carry it any more. Why, oh why? I was turned on to this wine years ago when a friend gave it to me, and it has been my go-to splurge (typically around $20/bottle) ever since.

So, I asked, “What Barbera would you suggest that’s comparable yet under $15?” I was directed to this: Franco Serra Barbera [bar-bear-ah].

Later that afternoon, we went out with an old college friend. It was two of the worst hours of my life. And I mean it. A visit to my “ladyparts” doctor would feel like a Disney ride compared to this. I was miserable. This friend (whom shall remain nameless) not only showed up over an hour late, he appeared stoned, drunk and everything in between. I spent two hours listening to his loud, lewd, and drunken drivel, while not letting anyone else speak. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

Now, I know you’re thinking, “What’s this? The Savvy Lush can’t stand her old pal’s inebriation?” No, friends, I follow the sentiment of the late, great imbiber extraordinaire, Hunter S. Thompson, who once said: “There is nothing worse than a sloppy drunk.”

I came home and I needed to find my happy place and FAST! I grabbed the Barbera, and tapped the juice so fast you’d have thought I was Houdini. I poured a big ol’ glass. I needed to erase my last two hours, so more ambiance was required. I ran to the stereo to add the sonic bliss of Andrea Boccelli. I sat down, dog at my feet, and began to sink into the sofa. With each gorgeous note the tenor sang and with each sip of delicious wine I swallowed, I could feel my soul being restored.

This Barbera smelled of dark red fruit and wafts of soothing Italian breezes (go with me, now). The taste was velvety smooth, with hints of strawberry, mild spice and chocolate. The tannins are mild and there is little acidity in this medium-bodied red. This is a food friendly wine, as any Italian wine should be, but what I love about Barbera is you can drink it alone. As you can see in the picture, I enjoyed the wine alongside a Capicolla & Asiago Trader Joe’s sampler pack and some yummy dark chocolate from Kowalski’s (wine + meat & cheese = $6!). It was all working, and I finally found my happy place.

This is a tasty little number. I’m still sad that the Ruvei was no longer in stock at Surdyk’s as that one will still remain a favorite. However, the Franco Serra will more than suffice, and for a few bucks less, may become my new go-to Barbera.

Snob Wine of the Month | Wine Reviews

Arizona Stronghold – Cabernet Sauvignon “Dala”

Cost: Average price $25

Where buy now: Vinifera – $24.99

Grapes: Arizona Stronghold: Cabernet Sauvignon “Dala”

Region: Cochise County, Arizona

Vintage: 2009

Arizona Stronghold Cabernet Sauvignon

I recently saw the documentary, “Blood Into Wine”, www.bloodintowine.com/Blood Into Wine the story of wine makers pioneering the terroir of northern Arizona (most notably, Maynard Keenan, front man for bands such as Tool and A Perfect Circle). A real triumph of man vs. nature, these guys attempt to coax the finicky climate into producing consistent, quality vino. Intrigued, I decided I needed this wine.

The winery, named Caduceus, lists but one, yes, ONE Minnesota shop on their website who carries their wine. Where did this city gal venture to sample this precious nectar? Vinifera, located on the Plymouth/Wayzata border, about 15 minutes from downtown Minneapolis. Sexy Wayzata, home of Brandon and Brenda Walsh!

As I walk in to this cute shop, I am greeted by a sweet golden retriever just milling about. I soon met the owner, Christian, and we chatted about “Blood into Wine”. He explained that all Caduceus wine has been taken off the retail shelves and is only available from the tasting room in Arizona. Boo-urns! Thankfully, he did have four bottles from the Arizona Stronghold winery (a joint venture between Mr. Tool & Eric Glomski). The Cabernet Sauvignon & Chardonnay are solely produced from Arizona-born grapes, and they also make two blends (a red and a white) from Napa Valley grapes. Well, the curiosity of the AZ grape is what brought me there, so I went for the Cab. At $24.99, this was steep for my wallet, but I had to roll the dice. Was this wine worth the price AND the drive?

Later that evening, I inspect the bottle. I cannot believe I’m going to crack a $25 bottle of wine on a Monday night. Who am I? I work for a non-profit for rice lakes! I gingerly open it and pour a glass, letting it breathe for about 10 minutes while I prepared a quick spinach salad with red onion, gorgonzola dolce cheese, tomatoes and vinaigrette. I sat down and stuck my nose in the glass for good whiff of this Arizona swill. I smelled cherry, mild spice and chocolate [dare I say even a little earth? This could the documentary’s influence]. The taste was all Cab – fuller bodied, dark red fruit with undertones of chocolate and spice. It paired quite well with the gorgonzola. I like this creamy gorgonzola dolce [sweet gorgonzola] found at Lund’s, Byerly’s, Kowalski’s, etc. (the fancy-pants joints).

After the salad, I just had to grab some dark chocolate to complete the evening. I recently bought some 65% cacao dark chocolate (on sale at Kowalski’s), so into my face it went. I let the chocolate melt a little before dropping in for another whiff. Oh, yeah – now the chocolate scent was pronounced. I continued to let the square shrink on my tongue as melty chocolate ribbons oozed down my throat. “Now it’s time!” I thought. I took a sip of the Stronghold and sat back, my eyes rolling. “Wow!” I thought, “I may do this every Monday”. My only criticism of the wine is that I wished it had a longer finish. So delicious, I wanted the flavor to hang out a little more in my mouth. What’s the rush, man? Chill. Stay a while.

Was my jaunt out to Wayzata/Plymouth worth it? Hells yes! I wished I hadn’t gone over my lunch hour because I would have perused the shelves. Christian remarked that 80% of their wines are Californian, but they do carry wines from all over the world. I’ll keep these guys in my back pocket as I saw they carry wines I haven’t seen outside Sonoma! If you live in the Western suburbs, add this stop to your weekend or nightly errands.

March is here and that means inconsistent and often times, crappy winter weather. Here’s my suggestion for a decadent evening: Stop over to Vinifera www.viniferawinesandales.com/Vinifera and pick up a bottle of the Arizona Stronghold Cabernet, rent “Blood into Wine” and pick up some good dark chocolate. Nestle into the couch with your goodies and relax. It’ll be like Mr. Roger’s “Picture Picture” for adults.