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.

Two very short stories about sharing wine

If you've read this blog before, you know we firmly believe that shared bottles are the best bottles. Over the past week, we enjoyed two excellent bottles that were shared in a roundabout sort of way.

2008 Rusack Anacapa
A rainy day at RusackWe took my parents to the Santa Ynez wine region last April for a weekend of wine tasting. One of the wineries we visited was Rusack, which was recommended by our friends Karin and Jeff. That turned out to be a great stop and we all bought some of their flagship wine, Anacapa.

My parents were kind enough to share their two bottles of 2008 Anacapa with us for Christmas dinner. The 2008 version is 82% Cabernet Franc, 16% Petite Verdot, and 2% Merlot and was a perfect pairing with prime rib roast. It had an herbaceous nose, with cherry on the front palate that gives way to darker fruit tastes like blackberry. The mellow tannins start early and went very well with the meal. This was a very nice Christmas treat!

2009 Storybook Mountain Vineyards Zinfandel
Enjoying a nice Zinfandel at Row 14 in DenverSally and I were in Denver last weekend to watch the Boston University men’s hockey team play Denver University and catch the Broncos – Chiefs game on Sunday. On Sunday night we ventured out for dinner and found a cool restaurant called Row 14.

We were out to dinner on a day that ended with the letter “y”, so naturally we wanted wine. Choosing wine from a restaurant wine list can be a challenge, but fortunately we found a bottle that our friends Gaby and Steve recommended we try. These folks know great wine, so we went for it.

Right they were! The Storybook Mountain Vineyards Zinfandel was pure Zin. A raspberry nose gave way to darker fruit on the palate with a light pepper finish. It was very smooth and went down far too quickly. This winery is definitely a contender for our next trip to Napa!

What wine did you share over the holidays?

An under $20 Zin almost too good to be true

Twist my arm and make me pick a favorite varietal of wine and I'd probably say Zinfandel. It pairs well with all sorts of food, making it a versatile dinner companion. Zinfandel is also just as comfortable kicking off the festivities as a pre-dinner drink or as a post-dinner nightcap. 

The challenge Sally and I face is finding a reasonably priced Zinfandel that still pleases our palate. Most of our go-to Zins are in the $25 - $35 range, which is fine for a weekend night out or sharing with friends, but not exactly an "open anytime" price point for us. We've also spoiled our palates with the likes of Robert Biale Black Chicken, Ridge Ponzo Vineyard, Cuvaison Bald Mountain Vineyard, and Caymus (perhaps the best Zinfandel we've had in 2012).

We may have finally discovered an outstanding Zinfandel that sells for under $20, a 2010 Klinker Brick Winery Old Vine Zinfandel from Lodi, California. It was selling for $13.95 at San Diego Wine Company, and we trust their judgment, so we picked up a bottle to try. Wow - it was terrific!

Zinfandel can range from jammy to peppery, and this one was definitely on the jammy end of the spectrum. The nose smelled like dark berries and it tasted like blackberry with perhaps a hint of blueberry that gave way to a long finish with hint of pepper. There was a mild vinegar taste at the end which disappeared with food. We paired it with roasted chicken, butternut squash, and a spinach salad topped with blueberries and blue cheese.

The 2010 Klinker Brick Old Vine Zinfandel is available from the San Diego Wine Company, BevMo, and Total Wine. Sorry, it's not at Specs, but you can have it shipped. 

More Perfect Thanksgiving Wines Under $20

Thanksgiving is a great time to share wine with family and friends. Whether pairing with your Thanksgiving feast, or washing down the leftovers while you take in some football, there’s something for everyone!

Turkey is typically paired with a dry white wine, but there are a variety of wines that pair well with a full feast (turkey, ham, and a wide range of sides).  Last year we shared a few of our favorite varietals under $20 (check out the full list) to share on Thanksgiving Day.  Here are more recommendations, all of which are also under $20 and can be found in your local supermarket, liquor store, or wine shop. 

Sparkling

A sparkling wine is a great pairing with any festive occasion.  This is a good starter as guests are arriving, or paired with the meal.  If serving with dinner, the key is to select a brut.  Dry sparkling wines pair much nicer with a turkey feast.  Our choice is Roederer Estate Brut.  A very balanced sparkling, with notes of floral, tree fruit, and light spice.  It scored 91 points from Wine Spectator, and retails at BevMo for $18.99

 

Sauvignon Blanc

If serving a white, you want to select a wine that is refreshing, tangy, and fruity. Sauvignon Blanc fits this bill perfectly as it is light and crisp, with grassy or herbaceous flavors.  Our pick is Simi Sauvignon Blanc.  It is bright and clear in color, medium-bodied with refreshing flavors of green apple and nectarines.  It is currently retailing at BevMo for $8.99 (a bargain!).  

Pinot Noir

The trick with reds is to select one that is not too tart or high in tannins (sorry cab lovers, today is not your day).  Light-bodied, more fruit forward pinot noirs pair nicely with a traditional Thanksgiving feast.  One of our favorite under $20 wine is Cycles Gladiator Pinot Noir.  This is an easy drinker, appealing to many.  Lots of red fruit flavors that pairs well with a variety of food.  It is currently retailing at BevMo for $9.99. 

Zinfandel

This is an excellent medium-bodied red with lots of intense, plummy, jammy flavors with splash of pepper.  Some of you may be familiar with Folie a Deux for their red table wine, Menage a Trois.  They also make a tasty Zinfandel.  This is a well-rounded, textured, juicy red wine.  It retails at BevMo for $12.99.

Happy Thanksgiving!