Wine Tasting Dec 21-07

Wine tasting December 21, 2007 

Late fall view of Diamond Head from Squamish Harbour.

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Tasting Notes	Year	Price	Comments
Chardonnay
See Ya Later -Chard	2006	$19.99	Buttery and delicious
Pinot Gris
See Ya Later - PG	2006	$19.99	Not bad, but not as good as their chard.
Riesling
Gerhinger Brothers R	2006	$15.~	Very crisp, not sweet at all.
Gewurztraminer
Cono Sur Gewurz	2007	$10.49	Quite passable, especially for $.
Pinot Noir
Cono Sur PN	2007	$10.49	Very tasty, compares well with more expensive Pinots.
Firesteed PN	2006	$20.97	Soft sweet notes, very nice. Good value.
Maysara Jamsheed PN	2005	$37.95	Good but overpriced.
Ponte Cellars PN	2004	$49.95	Nice, soft notes but quite overpriced.
Malbec
Catena Mendoza	2005	$22.99	Very drinkable now, soft raisin/jam notes. Reasonable price.
Petit Verdot
De Bortoli PV Vat 4	2004	$17.49	Not bad, needs more cellaring.
Zinfindel
7 Deadly Zins	2005	$25.90	Very tasty, well rounded, spicy notes.
Shiraz/Syrah
De Bortoli Shiraz	2004	$11.99	Excellent but no longer available.
De Bortoli Vat 8 Shiraz	2004	$17.99	Not as good as 04 shiraz but cellars well.
McLarens On the Lake	2005	$12.99	Very good, especially at the price.
Kangarilla Rd 2-Up	2005	$16.99	Very good, well valued. Bought a case.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Katnook Founders Blk	2004	$18.~	OK but better wines for the $.
Peter Lehman - Barossa	2004	$22.99	Very good, well worth it.

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Pinot Noirs and Zinfandel. 

Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Petit Verdot and Malbec 

Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Cab Savs 

Shiraz 

Next see general tasting notes.... 

General Tasting Notes 

The Whites

Chardonnay is a very versatile wine grape: its flavor and aromas are easily influenced by where it's grown and how it's made. Fruit flavors range from apple and lime in cooler climates to tropical fruits in warmer places. When barreled in oak, it takes on a richness characterized by honey and butter flavors. When barreled in stainless steel, it often retains more mineral flavors and comes across as fresher on the palate. Chardonnay excels in Burgundy, France. Cool coastal areas of California also produce excellent Chardonnay.

Chardonnay is a favorite with seafood. Minerally versions, like those from Chablis, France, pair particularly well with oysters.

Riesling is a crisp, clean wine with green apple, pear and lime flavors. The best offer pleasing mineral qualities as well. With age, Riesling takes on honey flavors and attractive oily aromas. Riesling grows well in Germany, the Alsace region of France, the Finger Lakes region of New York, and parts of Australia and Washington State.

Riesling pairs nicely with spicy foods, poultry and pork. Try it with Thai food.

Pinot Gris is made from grapes that generally produce different styles of wine depending on where the grapes are grown and how they're handled in the cellar. In the Alsace region of France, and in places like Oregon and New Zealand, Pinot Gris typically makes rich wines marked by a bit of spice. The Italian style (Pinot Grigio) tends to be fresh, crisp and refreshing.

Sample either style with seafood and pasta dishes, vegetarian food and poultry.

Sauvignon Blanc is a fresh, crisp, aromatic wine with grapefruit and grassy flavors. This wine is the star of the Loire region of France. It also shines in the Bordeaux region, where it is often blended with Semillon. In the New World, New Zealand has emerged as a prime spot for Sauvignon Blanc.

Sauvignon Blanc is a food-friendly wine that goes well with many seafood, poultry and vegetable dishes.

Stay tuned for more articles about wine and food, including regional food and wine pairings from around the world.

The Reds

Merlot is a soft, supple wine with nice fruit flavors of plums and blackberries and occasionally mint, chocolate and eucalyptus flavors and aromas. Typically, it is ready to drink earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon, which sometimes needs a few years for its astringent tannins to mellow. Outside of Europe, New World Merlot shines in places like California, Chile and Washington State.

Cabernet Sauvignon is more assertive than Merlot, with more tannin and greater aging potential. It can have flavors of blackberries, plums, black currants, and cassis. Aged in oak, Cabernet Sauvignon can take on flavors of vanilla, cedar, chocolate, and coffee. Beyond Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon does well in Napa, California, where it produces smooth, ripe wines. Washington State, Chile and Australia are also making excellent Cabernet.

Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are very nice with meat dishes like beef and lamb.

Pinot Noir, a notoriously difficult grape to grow, made its mark initially in Burgundy, France. The grape continues to deliver single-varietal wines that are among the best in the world. Pinot Noirs are delicate wines that taste of red fruits like cherries, raspberries and strawberries. With age, flavors and aromas become more complex, developing earthy notes like mushrooms and decaying leaves. Burgundy in particular is noted for developing these earthy flavors. In the New World, tasty Pinot Noir is being made in Oregon, New Zealand, and some of the cooler appellations of California.

Pinot Noir is a versatile food wine, great with poultry, salmon, meat and vegetable dishes.

Syrah is at home in the Rhone region of France, where the grape makes spicy, rich, darkly delicious wines that increase in complexity as they age. Syrah also makes delicious wines in Australia, where it is marketed as Shiraz. Australian versions are typically big, bold and spicy with jammy fruit and aromas of leather and black fruit. Syrah also excels in Washington State, where it often displays an attractive acid balance, and in California, where the styles vary significantly.

Syrah is a very versatile wine that pairs well with a wide variety of foods. It's terrific with grilled meats.

Other Reds to Consider

Sangiovese
is the wine grape that makes Chianti, a tremendous food wine with flavors and aromas of cherries and rose petals.

Nebbiolo is the grape variety that makes Barolo and Barbaresco, the noble (and pricey) red wines of the Piedmont region of Italy. With age, flavor notes of plums and cherries are enhanced by flavors of smoke, tar and roses.

Malbec is a star in Argentina, where it produces inky wines with an attractive smoke and leather quality. It also stands out in Cahors in southern France.

Tempranillo is a famous grape of Spain, where it is used in wines of the Rioja and Ribera del Duero regions.

Gamay makes the fresh and fruity, raspberry-flavored wines of the Beaujolais region of Burgundy.

Zinfandel has found its home in California, where it produces big, fruity, often spicy red wines.

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Food Pairing Notes
Cabernet Sauvignon
Here are our suggested Food pairings.
Blue-veined cheeses
Lamb chops/steaks
Lamb shanks
Macaroni and cheese
Roast Beef with gravy or au jus
Semi-firm flavorful cheeses (like Cheddar, Swiss, and Fontina)
Strong Cheeses (like Muenster and Limburger)
Veal chops
Here are our suggested Sauce pairings.
Gorgonzola or blue cheese sauce
Horseradish sauce
Madeira/Port Sauce
Mint or mint sauce
Rosemary
Merlot
Here are our suggested Food pairings.
Cornish game hen
Duck breast
Grilled vegetable salad (e.g., eggplant, red bell peppers drizzled with olive oil)
Lamb chops/steaks
Pasta with pesto
Pork chops
Spinach salad with bacon
Steak/Prime Rib
Veal Marsala
Here are our suggested Sauce pairings.
Caraway
Oregano/Marjoram/Sage/Thyme
Rosemary
Savory fruit sauce, relish/chutney, or fruit salsa
Pinot Noir
Here are our suggested Food pairings.	Bean/legume soup with or without smoked meat
Beef Bourguignonne
Chicken
Cobb salad
Cream soups with lighter flavors (like mushroom, chicken)
Cream soups with more pronounced flavor (like pumpkin, broccoli)
Duck breast
Grilled seafood
Meaty fish (like swordfish, tuna, shark)
Pasta Alfredo
Pizza, white sauce
Polenta
Pork tenderloin
Poultry stock-based soup (like chicken/turkey noodle, vegetable)
Roast pork
Roast veal
Salmon
Semi-firm flavorful cheeses (like Cheddar, Swiss, and Fontina)
Smoked cheese
Smoked Salmon
Smoked Trout
Soft-ripened cheeses (like Brie and Camembert)
Spinach salad with bacon
Tabbouleh
Turkey/Chicken sausage, mild
Veal chops
Veal shanks/Osso Buco
Here are our suggested Sauce pairings.	Anise/Fennel
Cheese sauce (like mornay or alfredo sauce)
Cheesy dressings (like Blue Cheese)
Citrus-flavored sauce
Mushroom sauce
Mustard sauce
Oregano/Marjoram/Sage/Thyme
Rosemary
Saffron
Syrah/Shiraz
Here are our suggested Food pairings.	Beef stew
Beef/Meat stock-based soup (like beef barley, vegetable with meat)
French Onion (with cheese)
Lamb kabobs, grilled
Middle Eastern
Pasta carbonara
Pork chops, smoked
Spicy bean soup
Syrah pairs well with game and robust meat dishes and more simple preparations such as roasted chicken with rosemary and garlic.
Here are our suggested Sauce pairings.	Madeira/Port Sauce
Zinfandel
Here are our suggested Food pairings.	Bean/legume soup with or without smoked meat
Beef Bourguignonne
Beef/Meat stock-based soup (like beef barley, vegetable with meat)
Fried chicken
Lamb kabobs, grilled
Lamb shanks
Liver
Pasta with a tomato-based seafood sauce
Pasta/lasagna with cooked tomato sauce
Pasta/lasagna with tomato/meat sauce
Pizza, cheese
Pork chops, smoked
Pot roast
Roast Beef with gravy or au jus
Roast turkey with gravy
Steak/Prime Rib
Zinfandel pairs well with dishes ranging from BBQ beef to grilled chicken or roast game. With its balanced acidity, forward fruit and soft tannins, it pairs well with hard to match spicy, and highly seasoned foods and sauces.
Here are our suggested Sauce pairings.	Béarnaise
Horseradish sauce
Seafood sauce, tomato based
Spicy or meaty tomato-based sauces
Tomato-based sauces (like marinara)

Not bad, but not as good as their chard.

Very crisp, not sweet at all.

Quite passable, especially for $.

Very tasty, compares well with more expensive Pinots.

Soft sweet notes, very nice. Good value.

Nice, soft notes but quite overpriced.

Very drinkable now, soft raisin/jam notes. Reasonable price.

Not bad, needs more cellaring.

Very tasty, well rounded, spicy notes.

Excellent but no longer available.

De Bortoli Vat 8 Shiraz

Not as good as 04 shiraz but cellars well.

Very good, especially at the price.

Very good, well valued. Bought a case.

OK but better wines for the $.

Very good, well worth it.

Here are our suggested Food pairings. Roast Beef with gravy or au jus Semi-firm flavorful cheeses (like Cheddar, Swiss, and Fontina) Strong Cheeses (like Muenster and Limburger) Here are our suggested Sauce pairings. Gorgonzola or blue cheese sauce Here are our suggested Food pairings. Grilled vegetable salad (e.g., eggplant, red bell peppers drizzled with olive oil) Here are our suggested Sauce pairings. Oregano/Marjoram/Sage/Thyme Savory fruit sauce, relish/chutney, or fruit salsa Here are our suggested Food pairings. Bean/legume soup with or without smoked meat Cream soups with lighter flavors (like mushroom, chicken) Cream soups with more pronounced flavor (like pumpkin, broccoli) Meaty fish (like swordfish, tuna, shark) Poultry stock-based soup (like chicken/turkey noodle, vegetable) Semi-firm flavorful cheeses (like Cheddar, Swiss, and Fontina) Soft-ripened cheeses (like Brie and Camembert) Turkey/Chicken sausage, mild Here are our suggested Sauce pairings. Cheese sauce (like mornay or alfredo sauce) Cheesy dressings (like Blue Cheese) Oregano/Marjoram/Sage/Thyme Here are our suggested Food pairings. Beef/Meat stock-based soup (like beef barley, vegetable with meat) French Onion (with cheese) Syrah pairs well with game and robust meat dishes and more simple preparations such as roasted chicken with rosemary and garlic. Here are our suggested Sauce pairings. Here are our suggested Food pairings. Bean/legume soup with or without smoked meat Beef/Meat stock-based soup (like beef barley, vegetable with meat) Pasta with a tomato-based seafood sauce Pasta/lasagna with cooked tomato sauce Pasta/lasagna with tomato/meat sauce Roast Beef with gravy or au jus Zinfandel pairs well with dishes ranging from BBQ beef to grilled chicken or roast game. With its balanced acidity, forward fruit and soft tannins, it pairs well with hard to match spicy, and highly seasoned foods and sauces. Here are our suggested Sauce pairings. Seafood sauce, tomato based Spicy or meaty tomato-based sauces Tomato-based sauces (like marinara)