“I’ll be Malbec!”

Often called Auxerrois or Côt Noir in Cahors, and Pressac in other places, Malbec is a dark fruit flavorful, smoky finish, red wine made from a purple grape variety. The grapes tend to have an inky dark color and robust tannins. Malbec has been known to be blended with Merlot and Tannat grape varieties to make darker, full-bodied wines. It’s only been of recent that the Malbec grapes have been made into 100% Malbec varietal wines.

In lower elevations, Malbec grapes struggle to produce the acidity they need to create great tasting and long lasting wine. That is why higher elevated areas with a wide diurnal temperature shift are better for growing Malbec grapes, making the grapes produce more acidity. The Malbec grape grows well in a variety of soil types, particularly in limestone based soils, where it produces its most dark and tannic manifestation. Even though it may grow well in a variety of soils, it is very susceptible to various grape diseases and viticultural hazards. The most common diseases and hazards are: frost, coulure, downey mildew, and rot. Because of this, the grape became less popular in Bordeaux after 1956 when frost killed off 75 percent of the crop. The Cahors vineyards were hit by the same frost, but Malbec was later replanted and continued to be popular in that area.

Malbec is most popularly grown in Argentina, where it produces a softer, less tannic variety of wine. It is also grown in Chile, Washington State, the Rogue and Umpqua regions of Oregon, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Brazil, British Columbia, the Long Island AVA of New York, Oregon, southern Bolivia, northeastern Italy and recently in Texas and southern Ontario, Virginia, and in the Baja California region of Mexico.

Malbec is usually aged for five to ten years, and is best served in a Bordeaux wine glass at a temperature between 60 to 64 degrees F.

Flavors:

The main fruit flavors in a glass of Malbec are: blackberry, plum and black cherry. Other pronounced flavors are pomegranate, raspberry, blueberry, milk chocolate, cocoa powder, violet flowers, leather, and, depending on the amount of oak aging, a sweet tobacco finish.

Pairings:

Because Malbec does not have a super long finish, it is great with leaner red meats. It also pairs well with dark meat poultry, beef brisket, duck, chicken leg, lamb, beef, ostrich, buffalo, and pork shoulder.

Malbec pairs well with earthy or smoky flavors, so when you’re marinating your meat or adding a little spice to your food use flavors like: parsley, sumac, thyme, rosemary, porcini powder, smoked paprika, black pepper, cumin, coriander, juniper berry, clove, vanilla bean, garlic, shallot, green onion, or barbecue sauce.

When pairing with cheese, look for funky, rich, or soft to semi-firm cow’s and goat’s milk cheeses.

Looking for a healthy side dish for that entree? Mushroom, roasted vegetables, green and red bell pepper, potato, arugula, kale, chard, grilled endive, onion, beet, tempeh, lentils, black beans, and rice pair well with Malbec.

 

Feature image courtesy of http://michaelolivier.co.za/archives/31390

“Call me a Cab”

Pronunciation: “Cab-er-nay  Saw-vin-yawn”

Sometimes nicknamed “Cab Sauv” or just simply “Cabernet” or “Cab”, Cabernet Sauvignon is the most successful and famous red wine grape in the world. It is grown in practically ALL wine regions in the world and is most frequently used in wine blends, such as: Malbec, Cabernet Franc, or Petit Verdot. The best places to get Cabernet Sauvignon are Bordeaux, France; Tuscany, Italy; and Napa Valley, USA.

Cabernet is a black grape used to make red wine. The grape is recognized by its thick, durable skin, and the vine’s resistance to the elements of rot, insects and frost with naturally low yielding, late budding. The Cabernet Sauvignon grape is said to grow better in gravel-based soil. The gravel soils offer the benefit of being well drained while absorbing and radiating heat into the vines, which helps the grape ripen to almost perfection. The grape itself is historically known as the “Frankenstein” grape, because it was created by crossing the red Cabernet Franc grape with the white Sauvignon Blanc grape in the 17th century.

As a wine, Cabernet Sauvignon has a dark color, full body, and an alcohol content over 13.5 percent. Most Cabernet Sauvignons, especially those from places such as California, Australia and Chile, have an alcohol content of more than 14.5 percent and sometimes even more than 15 percent. The wine is dry and has noticeable high tannin and acidity levels.

Flavors:

Cabernet Sauvignon has notes of green peppers, tobacco, cassis, and dark fruits such as cherries. Sometimes there are notes of vanilla, which comes from the wine being aged in oak. The flavors are custom to the type of climate that the grapes are grown in.

Grown in cooler climates is where the wine tends to have blackcurrant notes that are accompanied by green bell pepper, mint, and cedar notes, which become more pronounced as the wine ages.

In more moderate climates, the blackcurrant notes are often accompanied by black cherry and black olives notes.

In the hotter climates is where the wine becomes over-ripe and “jammy”.  Which I don’t think sounds as good, so when you look for a Cab Sauv wine, look for ones that are grown in cooler to moderate climates.

 

Pairings: 

Because of its acidity, tannins and high alcohol content, Cabernet Sauvignon is a wine that needs to be drank with food. It is best served after three to six hours after opening the bottle, in a Bordeaux wine glass, at 63 to 67 degrees F.

It is commonly described as the ideal red meat wine. With the strong tannins, heavy body, and the oaky, spicy aromas of the wine, Cabernet Sauvignon is a perfect match for grilled beef, ribeye steaks, t-bones, or burgers. If you’re a not so traditional meat person and like to eat not so traditional red meat, Cab Sav also pairs well with ostrich, buffalo, or lamb.

For anyone who likes to add flavor to their meats, Cab works very well with typical BBQ flavours, making it a good match for baby back ribs or marinated skewers. As for Asian spices and cuisines, cab sauv works well with chicken yakitori or teriyaki. However, if you like spice, I would not suggest this wine type because it doesn’t pair well with spicy food.

Mushroom-based dish are highly compatible with Cabernet Sauvignon as well. Risottos, pastas, and casseroles would be the way to go.

When it comes to cheese, Cabernert Sauvignon works well will cooked paste cheese, such as gruyere, beaufort, or comté.

For all those sweet tooths out there, Cab Sauv pairs very well with dark, rich chocolate. It also will pair well with chocolate with berry flavors added into it.

 

Join me next week as I make Cabernet Sauvignon Swedish meatballs. 

 

Feature image from www.tongueexplorers.com

A Plentiful Harvest

So, I know I mentioned that I would be making sorbet this week, buuuuuuuut I had to opportunity to go to Balistreri Vineyards Harvest Party this last weekend and I just have to blog about it!!!

Last Sunday, October 2, 2016 was the 14th Annual Harvest Party, hosted at Balistreri Vineyards. They do this party every year to celebrate the new years harvest and release the new wines made from the previous year’s harvest. This event is where you and all your wine loving friends can go taste the new wines, enjoy some amazing food, dance to the local band and splurge on a couple bottles of wine while you’re at it.

I never knew about this event until I was given the golden ticket as a birthday gift from one of my friends….Who I CANNOT stop thanking because the event was so much fun.

The event ran from noon to 5:00 PM and man, let me tell you, get there about an hour early because the line to get in was craaaaaazy long!!! Luckily my friends got there before I did to save us a table otherwise we wouldn’t have had a place to lounge.

When you first enter the venue, you walk straight into the wine bar where all new wines were lined up to be shown off to the guests along with the wines that were proudly wearing their award metals from previous years. As you walked around the bar, the room opens into a huge open event space filled with tables. All the back doors were then folded open to the back garden area where many more tables and the gazebo housing the band were placed. Just beyond that were two large open tents with more tables and the array of the hors d oeuvres and finally in the very back were the tables for wine tasting. I know it sounds like a huge space, but in all honesty it really wasn’t and there must have been a couple hundred people there. It was amazing.

Before I get to the wine….I have to obsess about the food for a little bit. Of course they have the cheese, crackers, vegetables, and salami that one would normally pair with wine, but they also had plates full of fruit with dipping chocolate and pecan and raspberry glazed croissant brie desserts, oven fired pizza, pulled pork, spiced potatoes, and OH MY GAWD the best soup I have ever had. Hands down. It was a creamy soup with a hint of pumpkin that had cranberries, apples and pumpkin seeds garnished on top. It makes my mouth water every time I think about it. Annnnnnd the worst part about it is, you can only find that soup at the harvest party. They won’t release the recipe anyyyywhere for it. Terrible right??? If you were there, you would know what I was talking about!!

Now, the wines on the other hand…those can make my mouth water too… They had three white wines, 13 red wines and three dessert wines out for tasting. We could only make it through half of the list because the pourers were treating us with a good amount to taste. The set up was nice because no one was forced to buy anything, one could taste the wines as much as they wanted to, but there were also options to buy a glass of your favorite or you could buy a whole bottle. Bottle prices ranged anywhere between $20 to $56. And if you wanted to get more than one bottle, they offered discounts like if you bought six bottles, you’d get 10% off; 1 case and you’d save 15%; and 2 cases, 20%.

Not only was it a party for adults, but kids were invited too. About halfway through the party, the vineyard hosts a Children’s grape stomping event, where all the kids that come are welcome to stomp the grapes to make next years Colorado Little Feet Merlot wine. I think this I the cutest idea and the wine isn’t too bad either. Those kids know how to stomp pretty well!!

If you can’t wait until next year, the winery is open for wine tasting, winery tours and lunch seven days a week from 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM. I strongly suggest paying them a visit, you will not be disappointed! They also can accommodate for various types of events whether it be private parties, corporate events, weddings, or bridal showers,

Now that i’m finished gushing over how fun the event was, I thought I’d share with with some of the wines I enjoyed most:

White Wines:

2015 Colorado Orange Muscat: dry, but loaded with tropical flavors and aromas, such as: ripe pineapple, caramelized orange and lemon zest.

2015 Colorado Riesling: notes of pear pastry and apple pie, with a subtle touch of citrus pith, give the wine a pleasant tang on the finish.

2015 Chardonnay: With aromas of honeysuckle and sweet malt and a palate of baked apple, herbal tea and playful acidity made this wine taste like no other.

**It was interesting because while tasting the white, the pourer mentioned that the color of their whites were darker because they fermented the juices right on the skin of the grapes, giving the finished wine a darker color.

Red Wines:

2015 Colorado Sangiovese: With a vibrant magenta color and hints of cranberry and spice, the wine was bright and had a refreshing tart, crisp finish.

2015 American GSM: Which includes all three grape varieties of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre, gave a mouthful of raspberry, cinnamon spice with a hint of grapefruit. ***This one was my all time favorite red!!