A wine that tastes like wine

It's not uncommon to struggle a bit to describe the taste of wine. For most palates, picking up a hint of pencil box or cassis is an impossible and pointless struggle. Sometimes, I think my mother-in-law describes a good glass of vino the best when she says, "It tastes like really good wine!"

Sally and I recently enjoyed a bottle of wine that's best described as tasting like a really good wine. It was a 2008 Hess Collection 19 Block Cuvee, a blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Malbec, 8% Merlot, 8% Syrah, 1% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. 

I could give a more thorough description; bright cherry on the nose, raspberry and plum on the palate, and nice soft tannins on the finish with a bit of pepper. Those are all in my notes, but my first thought was it smells like a wine room and tastes the way I imagine wine tastes whenever I daydream.

You can find the 2009 vintage currently on sale at BevMo or Total Wine.

Surprise winner in "Let's Be Franc" blind tasting

We recently hosted our fourth annual single-varietal dinner party and blind tasting. The theme this time around was "Let's Be Franc," which meant that Cabernet Franc was on the menu. It was a great way to share good wine with good friends and clear out a little inventory to make room for more wine.

There was also a surprise winner, but more on that later.

A Few Fun Facts

Cabernet Franc is definitely a lesser known grape, perhaps due in part because it is typically blended with other varietals rather than produced on its own. Here are a few facts about the grape:

• Cabernet Franc is a parent grape of Cabernet Sauvignon
• It's one of the five classic Bordeaux grapes
• It's Sally's favorite

The Food

The right pairing can really bring out the best in both the food and the wine. Here's what was served:

Cheese Course
Dante (sheep's milk, Wisconsin)
Alta Badia (cow's milk, Italy)
Mellage (cow, goat, and sheep's milk, Wisconsin)

Dinner
Brisket with smashed potatoes and arugula salad.

Dessert
Balsamic-soaked raspberries layered with mascarpone cheese

We consulted the experts at Venissimo Cheese for the cheese course and turned to our reliable pairing resource, What to Drink with What You Eat, for dinner.

The Wines

All of the wines were discovered on our various travels and wine adventures.

Starter Wine
2010 Foxen Ernesto Wickenden Vineyard Chenin Blanc

Wines for Blind Tasting & Dinner
2005 Artesa Limited Release Cabernet Franc
2005 Peju Cabernet Franc
2005 Small Lot Wines Cabernet Franc

The Winner

All of the wines were delicious, but the surprise winner was the Small Lot Wines Cabernet Franc. Never heard of them? Here's the story that really blew our guests away:

Small Lot Wines is a sub-label of Vinavanti in San Diego's Mira Mesa neighborhood. That's right, Mira Mesa. 

Owner and vintner Eric Van Drunen had come across a guy in Paso Robles who was selling a single barrel of Cabernet Franc. He bought it and bottled the wine, yielding just 20 cases. The result was amazing!

The other two wines were no slouches either. The Peju picked up two first place votes and the Artesa (a re-buy for us) really perked up when it was paired with the meal.

Wines for Super Bowl Sunday

Yes, beer is probably the most go-to beverage on Super Bowl Sunday. But, not everyone is a fan of beer (gulp – concept this Texan doesn’t understand).  If looking for an alternative to serve at your party, you’ll score pairing these recommended wines with popular Super Bowl eats.  Go Niners!

All wines available at large liquor stores (BevMo, Specs, TotalWine), and retail for under $20.

Guacamole

Avocado consumption on Super Bowl Sunday is estimated at between 54 and 70 million pounds.  According to Hass Avocado Board, that’s enough to spread guacamole across a football field to a height of 12 feet.  Holy Guacamole!  To wash it all down, you’ll want a crisp white wine like a sauvignon blanc or an unoaked Chardonnay

Pick: Simi Sauvignon Blanc

Buffalo Chicken Wings

Wings are Sunday’s go-to plate.  This can be a tricky pairing – it all depends on high the heat is on the wings.  Avoid high tannic wines with hot foods – it only intensifies the heat!  For these tasty guys, especially if on the spicy side, go for a zinfandel or a rose.

Pick: Klinker Brick Zinfandel

Pizza

We love wine with pizza, and we love pizza while watching football!  Apparently, so do many other Americans as Super Bowl Sunday is the busiest day of the year for pizza restaurants.  So many options with pizza – pair it with sangiovese, zinfandel, syrah, pinot noir, or any solid red blend.

Pick: Menage a Trois Red

How I set my friend's Zinfandel bar too high

I had dinner last week with a friend when we were both serendipitously in Tampa at the same time on business. A colleague of hers joined us at a local steakhouse called Charley's. I've been feeling guilty ever since on account of what happened there.

You see, I set their Zinfandel bar too high.

Neither one of my dinner companions had ever tried Zinfandel. Californians take this wonderful grape for granted because there are so many incredible examples that come from our state. It's different outside of California where Zinfandel is rare and unknown, or worse, confused with White Zinfandel. The horror.

If I felt like Zinfandel, I should have introduced it to them with a nice Seven Deadly Zins or something else from Lodi. Perhaps an Artezin if I wanted to go a little more upscale. Maybe even a Ridge Ponzo Vineyard, which is one of my favorites. But you get a good wine list in front of me and I have a tendency to get carried away.

Charley's has one of those encyclopedic wine lists. It had two full pages devoted to Napa Valley Cabs for crying out loud. And it also had a few special bottles that were reasonably priced for what they were. One of those bottles was on something Sally and I call our automatic list. This is a small list of wines we automatically get it if we have the good fortune of seeing it on a wine list, which doesn't happen often.

I couldn't help myself.

Thanks to me, my friend and her colleague got their first taste of Zinfandel from a bottle of 2010 Robert Biale Black Chicken. It was every bit as good as it should be, but I'm afraid my two companions won't fully appreciate the fact that not all Zin comes from this same planet. They'll certainly try another Zin sometime soon, probably something popular from their local wine shop, and it will be good. It just won't be Black Chicken.

Am I sorry for what I did? Yes. But truthfully, I'd do it again. Black Chicken is so damn good.

Wine with Chocolate Cake? You bet!

Many of my friends will be happy to hear that January 27 is Chocolate Cake Day.  I’m not much of a baker and chocolate cake is typically not my top dessert choice. But, pair it with a yummy wine, and I’m in!  There are actually a number of wines that would pair well with a gooey chocolate cake, and some may surprise you.  Here are a few recommendations.  If you don’t bake…find a friend that does and bribe them with wine, or just grab a bottle and share it over a slice from your favorite bakery!

Port

Ports pair well with a big slice of dark chocolate cake.  Not long ago, I challenged my dear friend who shares some pretty tasty recipes over at A Girl In The South to put together a gooey chocolate dessert to pair with one of my favorite ports, Heitz Ink Grade.  Man, did she hit the nail on the head with this one (check it out).  

Port-Style Dessert Wine

Try a port-style dessert wine with a slice of black forest or red velvet cake. One of my personal favorites with the Cuvaison Espiritu.  This is a port-style wine made with Petite Syrah grapes and fortified with brandy.  YUM.  

Sparkling Wine

A dry or rose sparkling wine would pair well with any slice of cake.  To get a nice dry sparkling, pick out a brut.  One of my favorites is Roederer Estate, which can be found at larger beverage stores and usually under $20!  

Cabernet Sauvignon

That’s right.  A the right cab will pair well with chocolate cake.  Did you stock up on ding dongs with the crash of Hostess??  Open up a fruity cab and dive in!  I’d recommend a bottle of Niner.  It is a softer cabernet with subtle flavors.  It would balance the chocolate rather than compete with it.  

What wine would you pair with a slice of chocolate cake?