ABOUT WINE - BY JOHN KELSEY
John Kelsey is owner and general manager of Roller's Total Beverage at Coligny Plaza and Triangle Liquors at Triangle Square. For more information about wine, please call (843)785-3614. WINE 101 This article devoted to some wine basics includes facts, ideas, terms and thoughts that might enhance your enjoyment of wine. While this is certainly not all you need to know, the information here is accurate and as straightforward as it can be. Varieties of Grapes: Throughout the world there are about 5000 different varieties of grapes. Of those, only about 150 are grown in commercially significant amounts. Species of Grapes: Grapes that were of European origin are vitus labrusca, while the native grapes of North America belong to the species vitus vinifera. Of course, many of the excellent winemaking, European grapes have been imported to the United States. Ampelographer: These are the experts who can identify and classify grapevines through the study of their physical properties. Modern labs can also be used to identify a grape variety by using its DNA. Thompson Seedless: In California, the acreage planted in this grape exceeds the acreage planted in Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay by over 50%. While Thompson seedless is not a famous wine varietal, it is used for some generic jug wines. Its primary uses are for raisins, table grapes and unfermented grape juice. Varietal: A wine that is made from a specific grape, and is named for that specific grape, is a varietal. A varietal, however, does not necessarily have only one grape in it, but must be representative of that specific grape and be made primarily from that grape. A Cabernet Sauvignon, for example, must contain at least 75% Cabernet Sauvignon. Meritage: This is a blend of wines from different grapes that does not satisfy the rule to become a varietal (rhymes with heritage). Vintage: The vintage of a wine is the year that the grapes were harvested, not the year that the wine was released for sale. Zinfandel: This varietal is a rich, dark red wine that resembles a thick boysenberry pie with lots of fruit. The grape (originally from Croatia) is very popular in the United States, and is second only to Cabernet Sauvignon in acres planted among the wine related grapes. In the fall on Hilton Head, there is a wonderful event, Zinfest, that is a fund raiser for the United Way. All of the wine distributors bring only Zinfandels for tasting, and the Hilton Oceanfront Resort makes wonderful hors d'oeuvres. Both are enjoyed in a beautiful setting overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. France: This country is the leading producer and consumer of wine in the world. On a per capita basis, Luxembourg actually has a slight lead over France at 16 gallons of wine consumed per year per person. However, since France has significantly more people than tiny Luxembourg, it consumes more total gallons of wine than any other country. United States: America ranks 33rd in wine consumption per person, with less than two and a half gallons per person annually. Because of its large total population, however, the U.S. is third in total volume of wine consumed per year. Wines are produced throughout the world where the geography, soil, climate, demand and desire are conducive. In the United States, California, Washington, Oregon and New York are the major producing states. The Napa and Sonoma Valleys in California are ranked as some of the best wine making areas in the world, along with Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, and the Rhone Valley in France, Tuscany and the Piedmont in Italy, the Mosel and Rhine areas in Germany, and Rioja in Spain. Australia is rapidly becoming a major producer of fine quality wines, as well.Napa and Sonoma have several advantages to help the valleys become winemaking superstars. The weather is outstanding for growing grapes and making good wines. The long growing season, bountiful sunshine and warm temperatures support many grape varietals. Bordeaux, the pre-eminent wine-producing region in the world, is frequently affected by the climate. For example, over the last one hundred years the grape harvest in Bordeaux has been interrupted by rain 80% of the time. This has had an impact on grape quantity and quality. Napa and Sonoma also are beautiful and fairly close to San Francisco, thus encouraging tourism and wine sampling. The result is a natural marketing program. The University of California at Davis and Fresno State University offer degree programs in winemaking, resulting in qualified vintners and continuing research. Excellent wines from Napa and Sonoma, made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel grapes prove the point. FALL WINE EVENTS Late summer through the fall are exciting, hard working times for wineries throughout the world. The year's new crop of grapes is being harvested and processed with high hopes and lots of hard work. At the same time, fall is the season when the results of prior year vintages are released to the marketplace to be rated by the experts and, more importantly, by the wine-purchasing public. For wineries that have consistently produced outstanding wine, marketing the new vintage is very straight forward...carefully release their product to distributors, restaurants, stores and individuals that have traditionally supported their wine. For some, there will not be enough to meet all of the demand, so an allocation system will be used. When you see some of the most prestigious wines like Kistler, Cakebread, Silver Oak or Palmeyer in the stores this fall, think carefully about them...because the chances are that they will not be there for long. However, very few wines and wineries are able to market in the manner of the most prestigious, so they need to work hard to get their wines noticed, appreciated and sold. One interesting approach is to make the release of a new year's vintage a celebration! The Beaujolais Nouveau is the ultimate celebration, but there are many other fall festivals, such as the Federweiss (feather white) where still-fermenting Reisling is toasted in the Mosel region of Germany. I used to live in central Missouri, where the town of Herman celebrated their version of "Oktoberfest," a festival where the local wines were tasted and enjoyed. The Beaujolais region of France makes a delightful red wine from the Gamay grape. The wine is full of cranberry and raspberry flavors, hearty and very drinkable. The lively dark purple color also helps create a party atmosphere. Beaujolais is perhaps the one red wine that can be slightly chilled, making it enjoyable on warm fall days. Its soft tannins also make it a nice complement to a wide rage of foods. Beaujolais can be enjoyed chilled with barbecue, or at room temperature with the turkey on Thanksgiving. When a fine wine is made, the time before the grapes are pressed is critical. Phenolic compounds that are integral to many fine red wines are the result of the time and conditions before pressing. For Beaujolais, however, the grapes are picked and pressed in a three day timespan...which is a key to the fruitiness and early drinkability of the wine, not to mention its affordability. That brings us to the celebration of Beaujolais Nouveau. This wine is the first to be tasted from the current year's grapes. By tradition, the universal release date has been established as the third Thursday in November. French restaurants throughout the world will have cases of the Nouveau Beaujolais stacked in their dining rooms and placards will be proclaim "Nouveau, est arrive!" The Nouveau is even more like grape juice than the more serious Beaujolais, but is delightful and meant for a party. By tradition, Nouveau should be consumed by the first of the New Year, but Beaujolais is meant to be enjoyed throughout the year. B&G Beaujolais-Villages and Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages are two fine examples of Beaujolais wine. IT'S THE GRAPE Understanding of wines and their nuances often can be fleeting and transient. A true appreciation of a wine can depend on many things, such as the food that it is paired with, the ambience of the room you are in, what you drank before the wine, your physical state, the beauty of the view, etc....as well as the quality and type of wine. For many people, however, focusing on the grapes...or varietals...may lead to a greater appreciation and enjoyment of a bottle of wine. Today, I will discuss two of the most popular white wines, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. Grapes are grown throughout the world for the production of wines. In fact, only three states in the USA do not produce wine. The variety of conditions in various regions leads to different styles of grapes that can be grown and different growing procedures which, in turn, leads to a variety of wine-making techniques required to make a marketable wine. In Europe, wines are named after the region in which they are grown, such as Bordeaux, Burgundy, Chianti, Rioja, etc. Most of the other regions of the world, however, label their wines by the grape varietal contained in the wine. A good example of this is Chablis, a very well known wine from France which, if it were made in California would be labelled Chardonnay. Chardonnay Chardonnay is a good grape to review, since it is the largest selling grape varietal on Hilton Head Island. Wine experts have described Chardonnay as the "Marilyn Monroe" of white wines - it is round, fleshy and very difficult to resist. It is popular because it is easy to enjoy on many different levels, and is a fine companion to many of local seafood dishes, as well as veal, pork or fowl. The finest Chardonnays have rich fruit flavors, such as apple and pear, with aromas of vanilla and nutmeg. In the wine-making process, the fermentation is allowed to go all the way to completion, which eliminates all the sugar in the wine. If you taste sweetness in a chardonnay, it really is the association of the strong fruit flavors that you are experiencing. Most chardonnay wines are aged in oak barrels to create a fuller, more complete taste to the wine, although some versions are fermented and aged in stainless steel vats. Some nice chardonnays use American oak from Missouri or Minnesota for the barrels, while some, Schug Vineyards for example, import oak barrels from France. Another option that adds a "creamy" dimension to a chardonnay wine is malilactic fermentation. This is a secondary fermentation process that converts malic acid to lactic acid. Matanzas Creek Chardonnay is a good example of a chardonnay with a high level of malilactic fermentation. The chardonnay grape seldom is blended with other grapes. However, there are some nice exceptions, such as L'ingot, a buttery blend of chardonnay with viognier. Several Australian wineries created a more tart chardonnay-style wine by blending in some semillion. A traditional chardonnay, however, is hard to beat. Arrowwood and Rombauer are two outstanding examples that were highly recognized at last year's Hilton Head Winefest. Sauvignon Blanc Sauvignon Blanc is the second most popular white wine in our area. However, it more resembles the spunky kid sister than it does Marilyn! These wines usually have a light, citrus taste that goes very well with fish, oysters and shrimp. Other adjectives often used for this white wine are cool, herbal, grassy and acidic. Many sauvignon blancs are fermented in a cool atmosphere and aged in stainless steel, often giving the impression of a thin, cool wine that is full of grapefruit-like flavor...a very good summertime wine. Years ago, when wine producing was developing in California, Robert Mondavi experimented with oak barrels for aging sauvignon blanc in an effort to give it more depth. He called the new version fume blanc in part to distinguish from traditional sauvignon blancs, but also to give it a marketing shot-in-the-arm, since sauvignon blancs were not selling well at the time. Today, there are many wineries that use oak barrels for aging sauvignon blanc and, as a result, sauvignon blanc and fume blanc are used interchangeably. The "oaked" versions of the California produced sauvignon blancs are somewhat similar in flavor, etc., to the traditional French versions grown primarily in Pouilly and Sancerre. No oak is used, however, in the production of those French wines. You will find sauvignon blancs to be a few dollars less expensive than chardonnays. Always look for as young a sauvignon blanc as you can find. Popular sauvignon blancs include Joseph Phelps and Quail Ridge (citrusy), Mason and Mantanzas Creek (grassy), and Stonestreet (light oak). IT'S OYSTER SEASON! The fall and winter in the Low Country of South Carolina are when the local oysters are most plentiful and at their best. Many social events revolve around an oyster roast, and the local restaurants add oyster specials to their entree and appetizer menus. With this in mind, several of my friends in the wine business met one rainy Friday noon at Charley's Crab to sample a selection of wines with three different oyster preparations. What a treat! The wine selections included Rieslings, a Gewrztraminer, a Spanish Cava and several Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand. The first serving created by Chef Eric Seaglund was raw oysters with two sauces, a mango cocktail sauce and a tart apple mignonette. We sampled the Cava, a Riesling and a Sauvignon Blanc. All worked nicely, and we determined that there really wasn't a need to pick a favorite. The Cava, a sparkling equivalent of French Champagne, is a wine without attitude Æ no witty or elegant toasts are required. It is more of a comfort wine that is refreshing and relaxing, and very tasty with raw oysters. Its $8 to $12 retail price range also helps keep it comfortable. The luncheon/tasting was off to a great start! The second serving, Dynamite Oysters, was a delicious Asian Crab Crusted Oyster dish. For this treasure, we sampled three New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs. I found the Blue Duck and Dyed in the Wool to be enjoyable, but the Grove Mill to be out of this world! I was ready to stop the sampling right there, order another plate of Dynamite Oysters and finish the wine. The Grove Mill was full of fresh fruit with citrus overtones and, like most Sauvignon Blancs, not overpriced. Fortunately, I wasn't allowed to indulge. The third serving, Oysters Rockefeller, arrived, and we opened three French wines and a Gewrztraminer. The Lucien Albrecht Riesling Cuvee Henri, with its minerally base, hint of sweetness and great finish was a huge hit with this delicious and unusual Oysters Rockefeller dish. Instead of topping the oysters and spinach with a Bernaise sauce, Chef Eric used a Creolaise sauce of his own design. There are two primary styles of Rieslings. This one is in the German style, with slight sweetness, patterned after those originally made north of the Rhine river that feature a fruity aroma, fresh taste and bright acidity. In the USA, these are known as Johannisberg or White Riesling, elsewhere as Rhine Riesling. Good examples of Johannisberg Rieslings are Hogue and Argyle from the state of Washington, and Guntrum from Germany. The other style, which is full-bodied, but much dryer, comes from the Alsace region south of the Rhine River. Amity Vineyards from Oregon makes a nice dry Riesling in this style. The other two wines from France were a Muscadet and a Sauvignon Blanc, which were both nice with the oysters. The Ed Meades Gewurstraminer from California didn't achieve high ratings with the oysters, but received an overwhelming recommendation for the Thanksgiving dinner table with the turkey. Chef Eric had joined us by this time to taste some of the wines and easily talked us into a fourth round of oysters, Corn Dusted Fried Oysters with Garlic Creamed Spinach. My natural inclination with fried oysters would have been to order beer, but with this group we chose the Spanish Cava, Avinyo. It was a fabulous combination! And a fitting ending to a most memorable lunch. Wine Question How many bottles of wine should I buy for a party of six? Let's do the math. A standard wine bottle contains 750 milliliters, which is equivalent to 25.6 ounces. This equates to five or six glasses per bottle depending on the size of glass that you pour. Remember to only fill a wine glasses half full to allow for swirling without spilling. If each diner drinks two glasses, then two bottles might skimp by but three bottles should be quite safe. To save any remaining wine, it would be advisable to purchase a wine preserver, which is simply a can of inert gas that can prevent oxygen from coming in contact with the wine. Wine preservers are available at most fine wine shops. WINE THOUGHTS At our wine shops the two most frequently asked questions are, "What wine should I serve with.....?; and "Do you have any 1997 vintage California Cabernets left?" The answer to the second question is "yes, a few." All the wine experts agree that the 1997 vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from California was the best of the century. Whatever the combination of sun, temperature and rainfall was, it worked to produce outstanding red wines. Most of the vintage either has been consumed or squirreled away in private wine cellars. Treasure hunters are constantly in search of the few remaining bottles on retailers' racks...and yes, there are still a few to be found. The other question of what wine to recommend with a particular meal is more challenging. The traditional idea of matching colors - a red wine with red meat, and a white wine with white meat - really is not adequate. There are many variable features of white or red wines, just as there are thousands of ways to serve red or white meats. Individual taste preferences also play an important role in determining the pleasure received from any wine/food pairing. There are some principles, though, that can help you pick the right wine. The first is to match greatness with greatness. Simply stated, an elegant Cabernet Sauvignon or Bordeaux belongs with a prime cut of beef or rack of lamb, not with a corned beef sandwich. For the corned beef sandwich, try an Australian Shiraz from Penfolds or Rosemont. It will taste great an be easy on your pocketbook. Another fundamental is to match delicate with delicate and bold with bold. A light bodied red wine, such as a fine Pinot Noir from the cool valleys of Oregon, will be overwhelmed by a spicy Indian, Asian or Mexican dish. Select a Zinfandel or Syrah to match the spicy food, and save the fruit flavor of the Pinot Noir to pair with a nice salmon dish. The famous French Burgundy wines all are based on the Pinot Noir grape. The bad news is that wines from Burgundy have become very pricy. The good new is that many fine Pinot Noir vintages are being made in the United States. Elk Cove Rosevelt Vineyard and Willa Kenzie Estate Vineyards are two excellent examples of Oregon Pinot Noirs. Schug Vineyards makes a great Pinot Noir in the Carneros region of California. Another pairing consideration is whether or not you want to match a given flavor, or try to set up a contrast. Either strategy can be very successful. An example of matching would be to serve a Chardonnay with lobster in a rich cream sauce. Both the wine and the lobster have lush, rich features that would be great together. A good example of a contrast would be to serve the same lobster with a Champagne. The Champagne's bubbles would make a crisp and tingling contrast that would be sure to delight. The flexibility of a wine is an important factor to consider. Chardonnays are wildly popular and delicious to drink by themselves but, because of their high alcohol content and frequent oak seasoning, are not as easy to pair with food as, say, a Sauvignon Blanc. Wines with a high acidity such as a Sauvignon Blanc or a dry Riesling leave you wanting to take a bite of food. And than, after the bite of food, you will want a sip of the cleansing wine - the back and forth works! Try Groth Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc for a treat. Sangiovese (the prime grape in Chiantis) and Pinot Noir are red wine varietals with high acidity. Consequently, they go well with a wide range of dishes, and will pleasingly contrast with a salty food. A different twist, however, would be to pair a slightly sweet Riesling with a salty Asian dish based on soy sauce. The wine and food will pull together in new and enjoyable ways. In fine wine shops, the staff can help you select a wine to apply the principles mentioned here. The results should be pleasing! Wine Tip With the hectic lifestyle many of us lead today, details occasionally fall through the cracks. How many times have you prepared a nice meal only to find that the bottle of wine you thought was chilled in the refrigerator wasn't there? Not to worry...simply prepare a cold water bath with plenty of ice cubes in a bowl a little larger than the bottle of wine to be chilled. Twirl the bottle in the ice and water bath for three to four minutes, and the wine will be read to serve. SUMMER WINES Warm weather is right around the corner or, as you read, may already have arrived. As the temperature rises, cuisine on Hilton Head Island changes. Heavier, comfort foods like mashed potatoes and meatloaf are de-emphasized. The summer months bring lighter entrees involving fresh seafood, chicken and fruit. As our diet adapts to warm weather, our wine choices should be altered as well. The hotter the weather, the fruitier and lighter your wines should be. Medium and full-bodied wines like Chardonney, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon can overpower lighter summer fare, and are not terribly refreshing in the 90 degree heat that is common throughout the lowcountry during the summer season. Some good styles of wine for warm weather on Hilton Head are: German Riesling Crisp, refreshing, fruity, German Rieslings can vary from bone dry to quite sweet. Low in alcohol, high in acidity, German Rieslings can be quite refreshing as an apertif or paired with seafood, such as poached fish with mango salsa. Recommendation: St. Christopher Piesporter Goldtrophchen Kabinnett or Guntrum. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand is another favorite summer wine on Hilton Head. These crisp wines typically feature bright tropical flavors of grapefruit, lime and lemon, and are an excellent accompaniment to our local shrimp dishes Recommendation: Brancott, Goldwater or Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc. Napa Valley Sparkling Wine Let,s not forget the bubbly! Many of the great Champagne houses of France have California operations that produce excellent domestic sparkling wines. A well-chilled bottle of Brut, a little cheese, some fresh strawberries..... Recommendation:Mumm Cuvee Napa or Chandon Rose de Provence This dry, light-bodied Rose from Southern France was built for warm weather. Served slightly chilled, Rose from the Provence regions is, in the opinion of many, the perfect summer wine. Light in color, but full of flavor, it pairs well with chicken salad and other light poultry and meat dishes. Recommendation:Nicholas Pose de Provence or Guigal Cote de Rhone Rose.Oregon Pinot Noir Oregon Pinot Noir The 1999 vintage of Oregon Pinots may be even better than the stellar 1998 vintage. Oregon Pinot Noir can be the red wine of choice for summers on Hilton Head. Rich cherry and berry flavors make for great summer food pairing, such as with seared tuna. Recommendation: Elk Cove Pinot Noir. Spanish Rioja When choosing a Rioja for summer consumption, pick a crianza, a wine that has seen less aging. Some of the Reserva Rioja's can be too powerful for the summertime. A nice crianza is the perfect compliment for grilled meats at a restaurant or on the patio. Recommendation: Lorinon Rioja or Penescal.
This article devoted to some wine basics includes facts, ideas, terms and thoughts that might enhance your enjoyment of wine. While this is certainly not all you need to know, the information here is accurate and as straightforward as it can be. Varieties of Grapes: Throughout the world there are about 5000 different varieties of grapes. Of those, only about 150 are grown in commercially significant amounts. Species of Grapes: Grapes that were of European origin are vitus labrusca, while the native grapes of North America belong to the species vitus vinifera. Of course, many of the excellent winemaking, European grapes have been imported to the United States. Ampelographer: These are the experts who can identify and classify grapevines through the study of their physical properties. Modern labs can also be used to identify a grape variety by using its DNA. Thompson Seedless: In California, the acreage planted in this grape exceeds the acreage planted in Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay by over 50%. While Thompson seedless is not a famous wine varietal, it is used for some generic jug wines. Its primary uses are for raisins, table grapes and unfermented grape juice. Varietal: A wine that is made from a specific grape, and is named for that specific grape, is a varietal. A varietal, however, does not necessarily have only one grape in it, but must be representative of that specific grape and be made primarily from that grape. A Cabernet Sauvignon, for example, must contain at least 75% Cabernet Sauvignon. Meritage: This is a blend of wines from different grapes that does not satisfy the rule to become a varietal (rhymes with heritage). Vintage: The vintage of a wine is the year that the grapes were harvested, not the year that the wine was released for sale. Zinfandel: This varietal is a rich, dark red wine that resembles a thick boysenberry pie with lots of fruit. The grape (originally from Croatia) is very popular in the United States, and is second only to Cabernet Sauvignon in acres planted among the wine related grapes. In the fall on Hilton Head, there is a wonderful event, Zinfest, that is a fund raiser for the United Way. All of the wine distributors bring only Zinfandels for tasting, and the Hilton Oceanfront Resort makes wonderful hors d'oeuvres. Both are enjoyed in a beautiful setting overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. France: This country is the leading producer and consumer of wine in the world. On a per capita basis, Luxembourg actually has a slight lead over France at 16 gallons of wine consumed per year per person. However, since France has significantly more people than tiny Luxembourg, it consumes more total gallons of wine than any other country. United States: America ranks 33rd in wine consumption per person, with less than two and a half gallons per person annually. Because of its large total population, however, the U.S. is third in total volume of wine consumed per year. Wines are produced throughout the world where the geography, soil, climate, demand and desire are conducive. In the United States, California, Washington, Oregon and New York are the major producing states. The Napa and Sonoma Valleys in California are ranked as some of the best wine making areas in the world, along with Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, and the Rhone Valley in France, Tuscany and the Piedmont in Italy, the Mosel and Rhine areas in Germany, and Rioja in Spain. Australia is rapidly becoming a major producer of fine quality wines, as well.Napa and Sonoma have several advantages to help the valleys become winemaking superstars. The weather is outstanding for growing grapes and making good wines. The long growing season, bountiful sunshine and warm temperatures support many grape varietals. Bordeaux, the pre-eminent wine-producing region in the world, is frequently affected by the climate. For example, over the last one hundred years the grape harvest in Bordeaux has been interrupted by rain 80% of the time. This has had an impact on grape quantity and quality. Napa and Sonoma also are beautiful and fairly close to San Francisco, thus encouraging tourism and wine sampling. The result is a natural marketing program. The University of California at Davis and Fresno State University offer degree programs in winemaking, resulting in qualified vintners and continuing research. Excellent wines from Napa and Sonoma, made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel grapes prove the point.
FALL WINE EVENTS Late summer through the fall are exciting, hard working times for wineries throughout the world. The year's new crop of grapes is being harvested and processed with high hopes and lots of hard work. At the same time, fall is the season when the results of prior year vintages are released to the marketplace to be rated by the experts and, more importantly, by the wine-purchasing public. For wineries that have consistently produced outstanding wine, marketing the new vintage is very straight forward...carefully release their product to distributors, restaurants, stores and individuals that have traditionally supported their wine. For some, there will not be enough to meet all of the demand, so an allocation system will be used. When you see some of the most prestigious wines like Kistler, Cakebread, Silver Oak or Palmeyer in the stores this fall, think carefully about them...because the chances are that they will not be there for long. However, very few wines and wineries are able to market in the manner of the most prestigious, so they need to work hard to get their wines noticed, appreciated and sold. One interesting approach is to make the release of a new year's vintage a celebration! The Beaujolais Nouveau is the ultimate celebration, but there are many other fall festivals, such as the Federweiss (feather white) where still-fermenting Reisling is toasted in the Mosel region of Germany. I used to live in central Missouri, where the town of Herman celebrated their version of "Oktoberfest," a festival where the local wines were tasted and enjoyed. The Beaujolais region of France makes a delightful red wine from the Gamay grape. The wine is full of cranberry and raspberry flavors, hearty and very drinkable. The lively dark purple color also helps create a party atmosphere. Beaujolais is perhaps the one red wine that can be slightly chilled, making it enjoyable on warm fall days. Its soft tannins also make it a nice complement to a wide rage of foods. Beaujolais can be enjoyed chilled with barbecue, or at room temperature with the turkey on Thanksgiving. When a fine wine is made, the time before the grapes are pressed is critical. Phenolic compounds that are integral to many fine red wines are the result of the time and conditions before pressing. For Beaujolais, however, the grapes are picked and pressed in a three day timespan...which is a key to the fruitiness and early drinkability of the wine, not to mention its affordability. That brings us to the celebration of Beaujolais Nouveau. This wine is the first to be tasted from the current year's grapes. By tradition, the universal release date has been established as the third Thursday in November. French restaurants throughout the world will have cases of the Nouveau Beaujolais stacked in their dining rooms and placards will be proclaim "Nouveau, est arrive!" The Nouveau is even more like grape juice than the more serious Beaujolais, but is delightful and meant for a party. By tradition, Nouveau should be consumed by the first of the New Year, but Beaujolais is meant to be enjoyed throughout the year. B&G Beaujolais-Villages and Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages are two fine examples of Beaujolais wine. IT'S THE GRAPE Understanding of wines and their nuances often can be fleeting and transient. A true appreciation of a wine can depend on many things, such as the food that it is paired with, the ambience of the room you are in, what you drank before the wine, your physical state, the beauty of the view, etc....as well as the quality and type of wine. For many people, however, focusing on the grapes...or varietals...may lead to a greater appreciation and enjoyment of a bottle of wine. Today, I will discuss two of the most popular white wines, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. Grapes are grown throughout the world for the production of wines. In fact, only three states in the USA do not produce wine. The variety of conditions in various regions leads to different styles of grapes that can be grown and different growing procedures which, in turn, leads to a variety of wine-making techniques required to make a marketable wine. In Europe, wines are named after the region in which they are grown, such as Bordeaux, Burgundy, Chianti, Rioja, etc. Most of the other regions of the world, however, label their wines by the grape varietal contained in the wine. A good example of this is Chablis, a very well known wine from France which, if it were made in California would be labelled Chardonnay. Chardonnay Chardonnay is a good grape to review, since it is the largest selling grape varietal on Hilton Head Island. Wine experts have described Chardonnay as the "Marilyn Monroe" of white wines - it is round, fleshy and very difficult to resist. It is popular because it is easy to enjoy on many different levels, and is a fine companion to many of local seafood dishes, as well as veal, pork or fowl. The finest Chardonnays have rich fruit flavors, such as apple and pear, with aromas of vanilla and nutmeg. In the wine-making process, the fermentation is allowed to go all the way to completion, which eliminates all the sugar in the wine. If you taste sweetness in a chardonnay, it really is the association of the strong fruit flavors that you are experiencing. Most chardonnay wines are aged in oak barrels to create a fuller, more complete taste to the wine, although some versions are fermented and aged in stainless steel vats. Some nice chardonnays use American oak from Missouri or Minnesota for the barrels, while some, Schug Vineyards for example, import oak barrels from France. Another option that adds a "creamy" dimension to a chardonnay wine is malilactic fermentation. This is a secondary fermentation process that converts malic acid to lactic acid. Matanzas Creek Chardonnay is a good example of a chardonnay with a high level of malilactic fermentation. The chardonnay grape seldom is blended with other grapes. However, there are some nice exceptions, such as L'ingot, a buttery blend of chardonnay with viognier. Several Australian wineries created a more tart chardonnay-style wine by blending in some semillion. A traditional chardonnay, however, is hard to beat. Arrowwood and Rombauer are two outstanding examples that were highly recognized at last year's Hilton Head Winefest. Sauvignon Blanc Sauvignon Blanc is the second most popular white wine in our area. However, it more resembles the spunky kid sister than it does Marilyn! These wines usually have a light, citrus taste that goes very well with fish, oysters and shrimp. Other adjectives often used for this white wine are cool, herbal, grassy and acidic. Many sauvignon blancs are fermented in a cool atmosphere and aged in stainless steel, often giving the impression of a thin, cool wine that is full of grapefruit-like flavor...a very good summertime wine. Years ago, when wine producing was developing in California, Robert Mondavi experimented with oak barrels for aging sauvignon blanc in an effort to give it more depth. He called the new version fume blanc in part to distinguish from traditional sauvignon blancs, but also to give it a marketing shot-in-the-arm, since sauvignon blancs were not selling well at the time. Today, there are many wineries that use oak barrels for aging sauvignon blanc and, as a result, sauvignon blanc and fume blanc are used interchangeably. The "oaked" versions of the California produced sauvignon blancs are somewhat similar in flavor, etc., to the traditional French versions grown primarily in Pouilly and Sancerre. No oak is used, however, in the production of those French wines. You will find sauvignon blancs to be a few dollars less expensive than chardonnays. Always look for as young a sauvignon blanc as you can find. Popular sauvignon blancs include Joseph Phelps and Quail Ridge (citrusy), Mason and Mantanzas Creek (grassy), and Stonestreet (light oak). IT'S OYSTER SEASON! The fall and winter in the Low Country of South Carolina are when the local oysters are most plentiful and at their best. Many social events revolve around an oyster roast, and the local restaurants add oyster specials to their entree and appetizer menus. With this in mind, several of my friends in the wine business met one rainy Friday noon at Charley's Crab to sample a selection of wines with three different oyster preparations. What a treat! The wine selections included Rieslings, a Gewrztraminer, a Spanish Cava and several Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand. The first serving created by Chef Eric Seaglund was raw oysters with two sauces, a mango cocktail sauce and a tart apple mignonette. We sampled the Cava, a Riesling and a Sauvignon Blanc. All worked nicely, and we determined that there really wasn't a need to pick a favorite. The Cava, a sparkling equivalent of French Champagne, is a wine without attitude Æ no witty or elegant toasts are required. It is more of a comfort wine that is refreshing and relaxing, and very tasty with raw oysters. Its $8 to $12 retail price range also helps keep it comfortable. The luncheon/tasting was off to a great start! The second serving, Dynamite Oysters, was a delicious Asian Crab Crusted Oyster dish. For this treasure, we sampled three New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs. I found the Blue Duck and Dyed in the Wool to be enjoyable, but the Grove Mill to be out of this world! I was ready to stop the sampling right there, order another plate of Dynamite Oysters and finish the wine. The Grove Mill was full of fresh fruit with citrus overtones and, like most Sauvignon Blancs, not overpriced. Fortunately, I wasn't allowed to indulge. The third serving, Oysters Rockefeller, arrived, and we opened three French wines and a Gewrztraminer. The Lucien Albrecht Riesling Cuvee Henri, with its minerally base, hint of sweetness and great finish was a huge hit with this delicious and unusual Oysters Rockefeller dish. Instead of topping the oysters and spinach with a Bernaise sauce, Chef Eric used a Creolaise sauce of his own design. There are two primary styles of Rieslings. This one is in the German style, with slight sweetness, patterned after those originally made north of the Rhine river that feature a fruity aroma, fresh taste and bright acidity. In the USA, these are known as Johannisberg or White Riesling, elsewhere as Rhine Riesling. Good examples of Johannisberg Rieslings are Hogue and Argyle from the state of Washington, and Guntrum from Germany. The other style, which is full-bodied, but much dryer, comes from the Alsace region south of the Rhine River. Amity Vineyards from Oregon makes a nice dry Riesling in this style. The other two wines from France were a Muscadet and a Sauvignon Blanc, which were both nice with the oysters. The Ed Meades Gewurstraminer from California didn't achieve high ratings with the oysters, but received an overwhelming recommendation for the Thanksgiving dinner table with the turkey. Chef Eric had joined us by this time to taste some of the wines and easily talked us into a fourth round of oysters, Corn Dusted Fried Oysters with Garlic Creamed Spinach. My natural inclination with fried oysters would have been to order beer, but with this group we chose the Spanish Cava, Avinyo. It was a fabulous combination! And a fitting ending to a most memorable lunch. Wine Question How many bottles of wine should I buy for a party of six? Let's do the math. A standard wine bottle contains 750 milliliters, which is equivalent to 25.6 ounces. This equates to five or six glasses per bottle depending on the size of glass that you pour. Remember to only fill a wine glasses half full to allow for swirling without spilling. If each diner drinks two glasses, then two bottles might skimp by but three bottles should be quite safe. To save any remaining wine, it would be advisable to purchase a wine preserver, which is simply a can of inert gas that can prevent oxygen from coming in contact with the wine. Wine preservers are available at most fine wine shops. WINE THOUGHTS At our wine shops the two most frequently asked questions are, "What wine should I serve with.....?; and "Do you have any 1997 vintage California Cabernets left?" The answer to the second question is "yes, a few." All the wine experts agree that the 1997 vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from California was the best of the century. Whatever the combination of sun, temperature and rainfall was, it worked to produce outstanding red wines. Most of the vintage either has been consumed or squirreled away in private wine cellars. Treasure hunters are constantly in search of the few remaining bottles on retailers' racks...and yes, there are still a few to be found. The other question of what wine to recommend with a particular meal is more challenging. The traditional idea of matching colors - a red wine with red meat, and a white wine with white meat - really is not adequate. There are many variable features of white or red wines, just as there are thousands of ways to serve red or white meats. Individual taste preferences also play an important role in determining the pleasure received from any wine/food pairing. There are some principles, though, that can help you pick the right wine. The first is to match greatness with greatness. Simply stated, an elegant Cabernet Sauvignon or Bordeaux belongs with a prime cut of beef or rack of lamb, not with a corned beef sandwich. For the corned beef sandwich, try an Australian Shiraz from Penfolds or Rosemont. It will taste great an be easy on your pocketbook. Another fundamental is to match delicate with delicate and bold with bold. A light bodied red wine, such as a fine Pinot Noir from the cool valleys of Oregon, will be overwhelmed by a spicy Indian, Asian or Mexican dish. Select a Zinfandel or Syrah to match the spicy food, and save the fruit flavor of the Pinot Noir to pair with a nice salmon dish. The famous French Burgundy wines all are based on the Pinot Noir grape. The bad news is that wines from Burgundy have become very pricy. The good new is that many fine Pinot Noir vintages are being made in the United States. Elk Cove Rosevelt Vineyard and Willa Kenzie Estate Vineyards are two excellent examples of Oregon Pinot Noirs. Schug Vineyards makes a great Pinot Noir in the Carneros region of California. Another pairing consideration is whether or not you want to match a given flavor, or try to set up a contrast. Either strategy can be very successful. An example of matching would be to serve a Chardonnay with lobster in a rich cream sauce. Both the wine and the lobster have lush, rich features that would be great together. A good example of a contrast would be to serve the same lobster with a Champagne. The Champagne's bubbles would make a crisp and tingling contrast that would be sure to delight. The flexibility of a wine is an important factor to consider. Chardonnays are wildly popular and delicious to drink by themselves but, because of their high alcohol content and frequent oak seasoning, are not as easy to pair with food as, say, a Sauvignon Blanc. Wines with a high acidity such as a Sauvignon Blanc or a dry Riesling leave you wanting to take a bite of food. And than, after the bite of food, you will want a sip of the cleansing wine - the back and forth works! Try Groth Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc for a treat. Sangiovese (the prime grape in Chiantis) and Pinot Noir are red wine varietals with high acidity. Consequently, they go well with a wide range of dishes, and will pleasingly contrast with a salty food. A different twist, however, would be to pair a slightly sweet Riesling with a salty Asian dish based on soy sauce. The wine and food will pull together in new and enjoyable ways. In fine wine shops, the staff can help you select a wine to apply the principles mentioned here. The results should be pleasing! Wine Tip With the hectic lifestyle many of us lead today, details occasionally fall through the cracks. How many times have you prepared a nice meal only to find that the bottle of wine you thought was chilled in the refrigerator wasn't there? Not to worry...simply prepare a cold water bath with plenty of ice cubes in a bowl a little larger than the bottle of wine to be chilled. Twirl the bottle in the ice and water bath for three to four minutes, and the wine will be read to serve. SUMMER WINES Warm weather is right around the corner or, as you read, may already have arrived. As the temperature rises, cuisine on Hilton Head Island changes. Heavier, comfort foods like mashed potatoes and meatloaf are de-emphasized. The summer months bring lighter entrees involving fresh seafood, chicken and fruit. As our diet adapts to warm weather, our wine choices should be altered as well. The hotter the weather, the fruitier and lighter your wines should be. Medium and full-bodied wines like Chardonney, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon can overpower lighter summer fare, and are not terribly refreshing in the 90 degree heat that is common throughout the lowcountry during the summer season. Some good styles of wine for warm weather on Hilton Head are: German Riesling Crisp, refreshing, fruity, German Rieslings can vary from bone dry to quite sweet. Low in alcohol, high in acidity, German Rieslings can be quite refreshing as an apertif or paired with seafood, such as poached fish with mango salsa. Recommendation: St. Christopher Piesporter Goldtrophchen Kabinnett or Guntrum. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand is another favorite summer wine on Hilton Head. These crisp wines typically feature bright tropical flavors of grapefruit, lime and lemon, and are an excellent accompaniment to our local shrimp dishes Recommendation: Brancott, Goldwater or Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc. Napa Valley Sparkling Wine Let,s not forget the bubbly! Many of the great Champagne houses of France have California operations that produce excellent domestic sparkling wines. A well-chilled bottle of Brut, a little cheese, some fresh strawberries..... Recommendation:Mumm Cuvee Napa or Chandon Rose de Provence This dry, light-bodied Rose from Southern France was built for warm weather. Served slightly chilled, Rose from the Provence regions is, in the opinion of many, the perfect summer wine. Light in color, but full of flavor, it pairs well with chicken salad and other light poultry and meat dishes. Recommendation:Nicholas Pose de Provence or Guigal Cote de Rhone Rose.Oregon Pinot Noir Oregon Pinot Noir The 1999 vintage of Oregon Pinots may be even better than the stellar 1998 vintage. Oregon Pinot Noir can be the red wine of choice for summers on Hilton Head. Rich cherry and berry flavors make for great summer food pairing, such as with seared tuna. Recommendation: Elk Cove Pinot Noir. Spanish Rioja When choosing a Rioja for summer consumption, pick a crianza, a wine that has seen less aging. Some of the Reserva Rioja's can be too powerful for the summertime. A nice crianza is the perfect compliment for grilled meats at a restaurant or on the patio. Recommendation: Lorinon Rioja or Penescal.
Late summer through the fall are exciting, hard working times for wineries throughout the world. The year's new crop of grapes is being harvested and processed with high hopes and lots of hard work. At the same time, fall is the season when the results of prior year vintages are released to the marketplace to be rated by the experts and, more importantly, by the wine-purchasing public. For wineries that have consistently produced outstanding wine, marketing the new vintage is very straight forward...carefully release their product to distributors, restaurants, stores and individuals that have traditionally supported their wine. For some, there will not be enough to meet all of the demand, so an allocation system will be used. When you see some of the most prestigious wines like Kistler, Cakebread, Silver Oak or Palmeyer in the stores this fall, think carefully about them...because the chances are that they will not be there for long. However, very few wines and wineries are able to market in the manner of the most prestigious, so they need to work hard to get their wines noticed, appreciated and sold. One interesting approach is to make the release of a new year's vintage a celebration! The Beaujolais Nouveau is the ultimate celebration, but there are many other fall festivals, such as the Federweiss (feather white) where still-fermenting Reisling is toasted in the Mosel region of Germany. I used to live in central Missouri, where the town of Herman celebrated their version of "Oktoberfest," a festival where the local wines were tasted and enjoyed. The Beaujolais region of France makes a delightful red wine from the Gamay grape. The wine is full of cranberry and raspberry flavors, hearty and very drinkable. The lively dark purple color also helps create a party atmosphere. Beaujolais is perhaps the one red wine that can be slightly chilled, making it enjoyable on warm fall days. Its soft tannins also make it a nice complement to a wide rage of foods. Beaujolais can be enjoyed chilled with barbecue, or at room temperature with the turkey on Thanksgiving. When a fine wine is made, the time before the grapes are pressed is critical. Phenolic compounds that are integral to many fine red wines are the result of the time and conditions before pressing. For Beaujolais, however, the grapes are picked and pressed in a three day timespan...which is a key to the fruitiness and early drinkability of the wine, not to mention its affordability. That brings us to the celebration of Beaujolais Nouveau. This wine is the first to be tasted from the current year's grapes. By tradition, the universal release date has been established as the third Thursday in November. French restaurants throughout the world will have cases of the Nouveau Beaujolais stacked in their dining rooms and placards will be proclaim "Nouveau, est arrive!" The Nouveau is even more like grape juice than the more serious Beaujolais, but is delightful and meant for a party. By tradition, Nouveau should be consumed by the first of the New Year, but Beaujolais is meant to be enjoyed throughout the year. B&G Beaujolais-Villages and Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages are two fine examples of Beaujolais wine.
IT'S THE GRAPE Understanding of wines and their nuances often can be fleeting and transient. A true appreciation of a wine can depend on many things, such as the food that it is paired with, the ambience of the room you are in, what you drank before the wine, your physical state, the beauty of the view, etc....as well as the quality and type of wine. For many people, however, focusing on the grapes...or varietals...may lead to a greater appreciation and enjoyment of a bottle of wine. Today, I will discuss two of the most popular white wines, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. Grapes are grown throughout the world for the production of wines. In fact, only three states in the USA do not produce wine. The variety of conditions in various regions leads to different styles of grapes that can be grown and different growing procedures which, in turn, leads to a variety of wine-making techniques required to make a marketable wine. In Europe, wines are named after the region in which they are grown, such as Bordeaux, Burgundy, Chianti, Rioja, etc. Most of the other regions of the world, however, label their wines by the grape varietal contained in the wine. A good example of this is Chablis, a very well known wine from France which, if it were made in California would be labelled Chardonnay. Chardonnay Chardonnay is a good grape to review, since it is the largest selling grape varietal on Hilton Head Island. Wine experts have described Chardonnay as the "Marilyn Monroe" of white wines - it is round, fleshy and very difficult to resist. It is popular because it is easy to enjoy on many different levels, and is a fine companion to many of local seafood dishes, as well as veal, pork or fowl. The finest Chardonnays have rich fruit flavors, such as apple and pear, with aromas of vanilla and nutmeg. In the wine-making process, the fermentation is allowed to go all the way to completion, which eliminates all the sugar in the wine. If you taste sweetness in a chardonnay, it really is the association of the strong fruit flavors that you are experiencing. Most chardonnay wines are aged in oak barrels to create a fuller, more complete taste to the wine, although some versions are fermented and aged in stainless steel vats. Some nice chardonnays use American oak from Missouri or Minnesota for the barrels, while some, Schug Vineyards for example, import oak barrels from France. Another option that adds a "creamy" dimension to a chardonnay wine is malilactic fermentation. This is a secondary fermentation process that converts malic acid to lactic acid. Matanzas Creek Chardonnay is a good example of a chardonnay with a high level of malilactic fermentation. The chardonnay grape seldom is blended with other grapes. However, there are some nice exceptions, such as L'ingot, a buttery blend of chardonnay with viognier. Several Australian wineries created a more tart chardonnay-style wine by blending in some semillion. A traditional chardonnay, however, is hard to beat. Arrowwood and Rombauer are two outstanding examples that were highly recognized at last year's Hilton Head Winefest. Sauvignon Blanc Sauvignon Blanc is the second most popular white wine in our area. However, it more resembles the spunky kid sister than it does Marilyn! These wines usually have a light, citrus taste that goes very well with fish, oysters and shrimp. Other adjectives often used for this white wine are cool, herbal, grassy and acidic. Many sauvignon blancs are fermented in a cool atmosphere and aged in stainless steel, often giving the impression of a thin, cool wine that is full of grapefruit-like flavor...a very good summertime wine. Years ago, when wine producing was developing in California, Robert Mondavi experimented with oak barrels for aging sauvignon blanc in an effort to give it more depth. He called the new version fume blanc in part to distinguish from traditional sauvignon blancs, but also to give it a marketing shot-in-the-arm, since sauvignon blancs were not selling well at the time. Today, there are many wineries that use oak barrels for aging sauvignon blanc and, as a result, sauvignon blanc and fume blanc are used interchangeably. The "oaked" versions of the California produced sauvignon blancs are somewhat similar in flavor, etc., to the traditional French versions grown primarily in Pouilly and Sancerre. No oak is used, however, in the production of those French wines. You will find sauvignon blancs to be a few dollars less expensive than chardonnays. Always look for as young a sauvignon blanc as you can find. Popular sauvignon blancs include Joseph Phelps and Quail Ridge (citrusy), Mason and Mantanzas Creek (grassy), and Stonestreet (light oak). IT'S OYSTER SEASON! The fall and winter in the Low Country of South Carolina are when the local oysters are most plentiful and at their best. Many social events revolve around an oyster roast, and the local restaurants add oyster specials to their entree and appetizer menus. With this in mind, several of my friends in the wine business met one rainy Friday noon at Charley's Crab to sample a selection of wines with three different oyster preparations. What a treat! The wine selections included Rieslings, a Gewrztraminer, a Spanish Cava and several Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand. The first serving created by Chef Eric Seaglund was raw oysters with two sauces, a mango cocktail sauce and a tart apple mignonette. We sampled the Cava, a Riesling and a Sauvignon Blanc. All worked nicely, and we determined that there really wasn't a need to pick a favorite. The Cava, a sparkling equivalent of French Champagne, is a wine without attitude Æ no witty or elegant toasts are required. It is more of a comfort wine that is refreshing and relaxing, and very tasty with raw oysters. Its $8 to $12 retail price range also helps keep it comfortable. The luncheon/tasting was off to a great start! The second serving, Dynamite Oysters, was a delicious Asian Crab Crusted Oyster dish. For this treasure, we sampled three New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs. I found the Blue Duck and Dyed in the Wool to be enjoyable, but the Grove Mill to be out of this world! I was ready to stop the sampling right there, order another plate of Dynamite Oysters and finish the wine. The Grove Mill was full of fresh fruit with citrus overtones and, like most Sauvignon Blancs, not overpriced. Fortunately, I wasn't allowed to indulge. The third serving, Oysters Rockefeller, arrived, and we opened three French wines and a Gewrztraminer. The Lucien Albrecht Riesling Cuvee Henri, with its minerally base, hint of sweetness and great finish was a huge hit with this delicious and unusual Oysters Rockefeller dish. Instead of topping the oysters and spinach with a Bernaise sauce, Chef Eric used a Creolaise sauce of his own design. There are two primary styles of Rieslings. This one is in the German style, with slight sweetness, patterned after those originally made north of the Rhine river that feature a fruity aroma, fresh taste and bright acidity. In the USA, these are known as Johannisberg or White Riesling, elsewhere as Rhine Riesling. Good examples of Johannisberg Rieslings are Hogue and Argyle from the state of Washington, and Guntrum from Germany. The other style, which is full-bodied, but much dryer, comes from the Alsace region south of the Rhine River. Amity Vineyards from Oregon makes a nice dry Riesling in this style. The other two wines from France were a Muscadet and a Sauvignon Blanc, which were both nice with the oysters. The Ed Meades Gewurstraminer from California didn't achieve high ratings with the oysters, but received an overwhelming recommendation for the Thanksgiving dinner table with the turkey. Chef Eric had joined us by this time to taste some of the wines and easily talked us into a fourth round of oysters, Corn Dusted Fried Oysters with Garlic Creamed Spinach. My natural inclination with fried oysters would have been to order beer, but with this group we chose the Spanish Cava, Avinyo. It was a fabulous combination! And a fitting ending to a most memorable lunch. Wine Question How many bottles of wine should I buy for a party of six? Let's do the math. A standard wine bottle contains 750 milliliters, which is equivalent to 25.6 ounces. This equates to five or six glasses per bottle depending on the size of glass that you pour. Remember to only fill a wine glasses half full to allow for swirling without spilling. If each diner drinks two glasses, then two bottles might skimp by but three bottles should be quite safe. To save any remaining wine, it would be advisable to purchase a wine preserver, which is simply a can of inert gas that can prevent oxygen from coming in contact with the wine. Wine preservers are available at most fine wine shops. WINE THOUGHTS At our wine shops the two most frequently asked questions are, "What wine should I serve with.....?; and "Do you have any 1997 vintage California Cabernets left?" The answer to the second question is "yes, a few." All the wine experts agree that the 1997 vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from California was the best of the century. Whatever the combination of sun, temperature and rainfall was, it worked to produce outstanding red wines. Most of the vintage either has been consumed or squirreled away in private wine cellars. Treasure hunters are constantly in search of the few remaining bottles on retailers' racks...and yes, there are still a few to be found. The other question of what wine to recommend with a particular meal is more challenging. The traditional idea of matching colors - a red wine with red meat, and a white wine with white meat - really is not adequate. There are many variable features of white or red wines, just as there are thousands of ways to serve red or white meats. Individual taste preferences also play an important role in determining the pleasure received from any wine/food pairing. There are some principles, though, that can help you pick the right wine. The first is to match greatness with greatness. Simply stated, an elegant Cabernet Sauvignon or Bordeaux belongs with a prime cut of beef or rack of lamb, not with a corned beef sandwich. For the corned beef sandwich, try an Australian Shiraz from Penfolds or Rosemont. It will taste great an be easy on your pocketbook. Another fundamental is to match delicate with delicate and bold with bold. A light bodied red wine, such as a fine Pinot Noir from the cool valleys of Oregon, will be overwhelmed by a spicy Indian, Asian or Mexican dish. Select a Zinfandel or Syrah to match the spicy food, and save the fruit flavor of the Pinot Noir to pair with a nice salmon dish. The famous French Burgundy wines all are based on the Pinot Noir grape. The bad news is that wines from Burgundy have become very pricy. The good new is that many fine Pinot Noir vintages are being made in the United States. Elk Cove Rosevelt Vineyard and Willa Kenzie Estate Vineyards are two excellent examples of Oregon Pinot Noirs. Schug Vineyards makes a great Pinot Noir in the Carneros region of California. Another pairing consideration is whether or not you want to match a given flavor, or try to set up a contrast. Either strategy can be very successful. An example of matching would be to serve a Chardonnay with lobster in a rich cream sauce. Both the wine and the lobster have lush, rich features that would be great together. A good example of a contrast would be to serve the same lobster with a Champagne. The Champagne's bubbles would make a crisp and tingling contrast that would be sure to delight. The flexibility of a wine is an important factor to consider. Chardonnays are wildly popular and delicious to drink by themselves but, because of their high alcohol content and frequent oak seasoning, are not as easy to pair with food as, say, a Sauvignon Blanc. Wines with a high acidity such as a Sauvignon Blanc or a dry Riesling leave you wanting to take a bite of food. And than, after the bite of food, you will want a sip of the cleansing wine - the back and forth works! Try Groth Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc for a treat. Sangiovese (the prime grape in Chiantis) and Pinot Noir are red wine varietals with high acidity. Consequently, they go well with a wide range of dishes, and will pleasingly contrast with a salty food. A different twist, however, would be to pair a slightly sweet Riesling with a salty Asian dish based on soy sauce. The wine and food will pull together in new and enjoyable ways. In fine wine shops, the staff can help you select a wine to apply the principles mentioned here. The results should be pleasing! Wine Tip With the hectic lifestyle many of us lead today, details occasionally fall through the cracks. How many times have you prepared a nice meal only to find that the bottle of wine you thought was chilled in the refrigerator wasn't there? Not to worry...simply prepare a cold water bath with plenty of ice cubes in a bowl a little larger than the bottle of wine to be chilled. Twirl the bottle in the ice and water bath for three to four minutes, and the wine will be read to serve. SUMMER WINES Warm weather is right around the corner or, as you read, may already have arrived. As the temperature rises, cuisine on Hilton Head Island changes. Heavier, comfort foods like mashed potatoes and meatloaf are de-emphasized. The summer months bring lighter entrees involving fresh seafood, chicken and fruit. As our diet adapts to warm weather, our wine choices should be altered as well. The hotter the weather, the fruitier and lighter your wines should be. Medium and full-bodied wines like Chardonney, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon can overpower lighter summer fare, and are not terribly refreshing in the 90 degree heat that is common throughout the lowcountry during the summer season. Some good styles of wine for warm weather on Hilton Head are: German Riesling Crisp, refreshing, fruity, German Rieslings can vary from bone dry to quite sweet. Low in alcohol, high in acidity, German Rieslings can be quite refreshing as an apertif or paired with seafood, such as poached fish with mango salsa. Recommendation: St. Christopher Piesporter Goldtrophchen Kabinnett or Guntrum. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand is another favorite summer wine on Hilton Head. These crisp wines typically feature bright tropical flavors of grapefruit, lime and lemon, and are an excellent accompaniment to our local shrimp dishes Recommendation: Brancott, Goldwater or Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc. Napa Valley Sparkling Wine Let,s not forget the bubbly! Many of the great Champagne houses of France have California operations that produce excellent domestic sparkling wines. A well-chilled bottle of Brut, a little cheese, some fresh strawberries..... Recommendation:Mumm Cuvee Napa or Chandon Rose de Provence This dry, light-bodied Rose from Southern France was built for warm weather. Served slightly chilled, Rose from the Provence regions is, in the opinion of many, the perfect summer wine. Light in color, but full of flavor, it pairs well with chicken salad and other light poultry and meat dishes. Recommendation:Nicholas Pose de Provence or Guigal Cote de Rhone Rose.Oregon Pinot Noir Oregon Pinot Noir The 1999 vintage of Oregon Pinots may be even better than the stellar 1998 vintage. Oregon Pinot Noir can be the red wine of choice for summers on Hilton Head. Rich cherry and berry flavors make for great summer food pairing, such as with seared tuna. Recommendation: Elk Cove Pinot Noir. Spanish Rioja When choosing a Rioja for summer consumption, pick a crianza, a wine that has seen less aging. Some of the Reserva Rioja's can be too powerful for the summertime. A nice crianza is the perfect compliment for grilled meats at a restaurant or on the patio. Recommendation: Lorinon Rioja or Penescal.
Understanding of wines and their nuances often can be fleeting and transient. A true appreciation of a wine can depend on many things, such as the food that it is paired with, the ambience of the room you are in, what you drank before the wine, your physical state, the beauty of the view, etc....as well as the quality and type of wine. For many people, however, focusing on the grapes...or varietals...may lead to a greater appreciation and enjoyment of a bottle of wine. Today, I will discuss two of the most popular white wines, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. Grapes are grown throughout the world for the production of wines. In fact, only three states in the USA do not produce wine. The variety of conditions in various regions leads to different styles of grapes that can be grown and different growing procedures which, in turn, leads to a variety of wine-making techniques required to make a marketable wine. In Europe, wines are named after the region in which they are grown, such as Bordeaux, Burgundy, Chianti, Rioja, etc. Most of the other regions of the world, however, label their wines by the grape varietal contained in the wine. A good example of this is Chablis, a very well known wine from France which, if it were made in California would be labelled Chardonnay. Chardonnay Chardonnay is a good grape to review, since it is the largest selling grape varietal on Hilton Head Island. Wine experts have described Chardonnay as the "Marilyn Monroe" of white wines - it is round, fleshy and very difficult to resist. It is popular because it is easy to enjoy on many different levels, and is a fine companion to many of local seafood dishes, as well as veal, pork or fowl. The finest Chardonnays have rich fruit flavors, such as apple and pear, with aromas of vanilla and nutmeg. In the wine-making process, the fermentation is allowed to go all the way to completion, which eliminates all the sugar in the wine. If you taste sweetness in a chardonnay, it really is the association of the strong fruit flavors that you are experiencing. Most chardonnay wines are aged in oak barrels to create a fuller, more complete taste to the wine, although some versions are fermented and aged in stainless steel vats. Some nice chardonnays use American oak from Missouri or Minnesota for the barrels, while some, Schug Vineyards for example, import oak barrels from France. Another option that adds a "creamy" dimension to a chardonnay wine is malilactic fermentation. This is a secondary fermentation process that converts malic acid to lactic acid. Matanzas Creek Chardonnay is a good example of a chardonnay with a high level of malilactic fermentation. The chardonnay grape seldom is blended with other grapes. However, there are some nice exceptions, such as L'ingot, a buttery blend of chardonnay with viognier. Several Australian wineries created a more tart chardonnay-style wine by blending in some semillion. A traditional chardonnay, however, is hard to beat. Arrowwood and Rombauer are two outstanding examples that were highly recognized at last year's Hilton Head Winefest. Sauvignon Blanc Sauvignon Blanc is the second most popular white wine in our area. However, it more resembles the spunky kid sister than it does Marilyn! These wines usually have a light, citrus taste that goes very well with fish, oysters and shrimp. Other adjectives often used for this white wine are cool, herbal, grassy and acidic. Many sauvignon blancs are fermented in a cool atmosphere and aged in stainless steel, often giving the impression of a thin, cool wine that is full of grapefruit-like flavor...a very good summertime wine. Years ago, when wine producing was developing in California, Robert Mondavi experimented with oak barrels for aging sauvignon blanc in an effort to give it more depth. He called the new version fume blanc in part to distinguish from traditional sauvignon blancs, but also to give it a marketing shot-in-the-arm, since sauvignon blancs were not selling well at the time. Today, there are many wineries that use oak barrels for aging sauvignon blanc and, as a result, sauvignon blanc and fume blanc are used interchangeably. The "oaked" versions of the California produced sauvignon blancs are somewhat similar in flavor, etc., to the traditional French versions grown primarily in Pouilly and Sancerre. No oak is used, however, in the production of those French wines. You will find sauvignon blancs to be a few dollars less expensive than chardonnays. Always look for as young a sauvignon blanc as you can find. Popular sauvignon blancs include Joseph Phelps and Quail Ridge (citrusy), Mason and Mantanzas Creek (grassy), and Stonestreet (light oak).
IT'S OYSTER SEASON! The fall and winter in the Low Country of South Carolina are when the local oysters are most plentiful and at their best. Many social events revolve around an oyster roast, and the local restaurants add oyster specials to their entree and appetizer menus. With this in mind, several of my friends in the wine business met one rainy Friday noon at Charley's Crab to sample a selection of wines with three different oyster preparations. What a treat! The wine selections included Rieslings, a Gewrztraminer, a Spanish Cava and several Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand. The first serving created by Chef Eric Seaglund was raw oysters with two sauces, a mango cocktail sauce and a tart apple mignonette. We sampled the Cava, a Riesling and a Sauvignon Blanc. All worked nicely, and we determined that there really wasn't a need to pick a favorite. The Cava, a sparkling equivalent of French Champagne, is a wine without attitude Æ no witty or elegant toasts are required. It is more of a comfort wine that is refreshing and relaxing, and very tasty with raw oysters. Its $8 to $12 retail price range also helps keep it comfortable. The luncheon/tasting was off to a great start! The second serving, Dynamite Oysters, was a delicious Asian Crab Crusted Oyster dish. For this treasure, we sampled three New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs. I found the Blue Duck and Dyed in the Wool to be enjoyable, but the Grove Mill to be out of this world! I was ready to stop the sampling right there, order another plate of Dynamite Oysters and finish the wine. The Grove Mill was full of fresh fruit with citrus overtones and, like most Sauvignon Blancs, not overpriced. Fortunately, I wasn't allowed to indulge. The third serving, Oysters Rockefeller, arrived, and we opened three French wines and a Gewrztraminer. The Lucien Albrecht Riesling Cuvee Henri, with its minerally base, hint of sweetness and great finish was a huge hit with this delicious and unusual Oysters Rockefeller dish. Instead of topping the oysters and spinach with a Bernaise sauce, Chef Eric used a Creolaise sauce of his own design. There are two primary styles of Rieslings. This one is in the German style, with slight sweetness, patterned after those originally made north of the Rhine river that feature a fruity aroma, fresh taste and bright acidity. In the USA, these are known as Johannisberg or White Riesling, elsewhere as Rhine Riesling. Good examples of Johannisberg Rieslings are Hogue and Argyle from the state of Washington, and Guntrum from Germany. The other style, which is full-bodied, but much dryer, comes from the Alsace region south of the Rhine River. Amity Vineyards from Oregon makes a nice dry Riesling in this style. The other two wines from France were a Muscadet and a Sauvignon Blanc, which were both nice with the oysters. The Ed Meades Gewurstraminer from California didn't achieve high ratings with the oysters, but received an overwhelming recommendation for the Thanksgiving dinner table with the turkey. Chef Eric had joined us by this time to taste some of the wines and easily talked us into a fourth round of oysters, Corn Dusted Fried Oysters with Garlic Creamed Spinach. My natural inclination with fried oysters would have been to order beer, but with this group we chose the Spanish Cava, Avinyo. It was a fabulous combination! And a fitting ending to a most memorable lunch. Wine Question How many bottles of wine should I buy for a party of six? Let's do the math. A standard wine bottle contains 750 milliliters, which is equivalent to 25.6 ounces. This equates to five or six glasses per bottle depending on the size of glass that you pour. Remember to only fill a wine glasses half full to allow for swirling without spilling. If each diner drinks two glasses, then two bottles might skimp by but three bottles should be quite safe. To save any remaining wine, it would be advisable to purchase a wine preserver, which is simply a can of inert gas that can prevent oxygen from coming in contact with the wine. Wine preservers are available at most fine wine shops. WINE THOUGHTS At our wine shops the two most frequently asked questions are, "What wine should I serve with.....?; and "Do you have any 1997 vintage California Cabernets left?" The answer to the second question is "yes, a few." All the wine experts agree that the 1997 vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from California was the best of the century. Whatever the combination of sun, temperature and rainfall was, it worked to produce outstanding red wines. Most of the vintage either has been consumed or squirreled away in private wine cellars. Treasure hunters are constantly in search of the few remaining bottles on retailers' racks...and yes, there are still a few to be found. The other question of what wine to recommend with a particular meal is more challenging. The traditional idea of matching colors - a red wine with red meat, and a white wine with white meat - really is not adequate. There are many variable features of white or red wines, just as there are thousands of ways to serve red or white meats. Individual taste preferences also play an important role in determining the pleasure received from any wine/food pairing. There are some principles, though, that can help you pick the right wine. The first is to match greatness with greatness. Simply stated, an elegant Cabernet Sauvignon or Bordeaux belongs with a prime cut of beef or rack of lamb, not with a corned beef sandwich. For the corned beef sandwich, try an Australian Shiraz from Penfolds or Rosemont. It will taste great an be easy on your pocketbook. Another fundamental is to match delicate with delicate and bold with bold. A light bodied red wine, such as a fine Pinot Noir from the cool valleys of Oregon, will be overwhelmed by a spicy Indian, Asian or Mexican dish. Select a Zinfandel or Syrah to match the spicy food, and save the fruit flavor of the Pinot Noir to pair with a nice salmon dish. The famous French Burgundy wines all are based on the Pinot Noir grape. The bad news is that wines from Burgundy have become very pricy. The good new is that many fine Pinot Noir vintages are being made in the United States. Elk Cove Rosevelt Vineyard and Willa Kenzie Estate Vineyards are two excellent examples of Oregon Pinot Noirs. Schug Vineyards makes a great Pinot Noir in the Carneros region of California. Another pairing consideration is whether or not you want to match a given flavor, or try to set up a contrast. Either strategy can be very successful. An example of matching would be to serve a Chardonnay with lobster in a rich cream sauce. Both the wine and the lobster have lush, rich features that would be great together. A good example of a contrast would be to serve the same lobster with a Champagne. The Champagne's bubbles would make a crisp and tingling contrast that would be sure to delight. The flexibility of a wine is an important factor to consider. Chardonnays are wildly popular and delicious to drink by themselves but, because of their high alcohol content and frequent oak seasoning, are not as easy to pair with food as, say, a Sauvignon Blanc. Wines with a high acidity such as a Sauvignon Blanc or a dry Riesling leave you wanting to take a bite of food. And than, after the bite of food, you will want a sip of the cleansing wine - the back and forth works! Try Groth Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc for a treat. Sangiovese (the prime grape in Chiantis) and Pinot Noir are red wine varietals with high acidity. Consequently, they go well with a wide range of dishes, and will pleasingly contrast with a salty food. A different twist, however, would be to pair a slightly sweet Riesling with a salty Asian dish based on soy sauce. The wine and food will pull together in new and enjoyable ways. In fine wine shops, the staff can help you select a wine to apply the principles mentioned here. The results should be pleasing! Wine Tip With the hectic lifestyle many of us lead today, details occasionally fall through the cracks. How many times have you prepared a nice meal only to find that the bottle of wine you thought was chilled in the refrigerator wasn't there? Not to worry...simply prepare a cold water bath with plenty of ice cubes in a bowl a little larger than the bottle of wine to be chilled. Twirl the bottle in the ice and water bath for three to four minutes, and the wine will be read to serve. SUMMER WINES Warm weather is right around the corner or, as you read, may already have arrived. As the temperature rises, cuisine on Hilton Head Island changes. Heavier, comfort foods like mashed potatoes and meatloaf are de-emphasized. The summer months bring lighter entrees involving fresh seafood, chicken and fruit. As our diet adapts to warm weather, our wine choices should be altered as well. The hotter the weather, the fruitier and lighter your wines should be. Medium and full-bodied wines like Chardonney, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon can overpower lighter summer fare, and are not terribly refreshing in the 90 degree heat that is common throughout the lowcountry during the summer season. Some good styles of wine for warm weather on Hilton Head are: German Riesling Crisp, refreshing, fruity, German Rieslings can vary from bone dry to quite sweet. Low in alcohol, high in acidity, German Rieslings can be quite refreshing as an apertif or paired with seafood, such as poached fish with mango salsa. Recommendation: St. Christopher Piesporter Goldtrophchen Kabinnett or Guntrum. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand is another favorite summer wine on Hilton Head. These crisp wines typically feature bright tropical flavors of grapefruit, lime and lemon, and are an excellent accompaniment to our local shrimp dishes Recommendation: Brancott, Goldwater or Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc. Napa Valley Sparkling Wine Let,s not forget the bubbly! Many of the great Champagne houses of France have California operations that produce excellent domestic sparkling wines. A well-chilled bottle of Brut, a little cheese, some fresh strawberries..... Recommendation:Mumm Cuvee Napa or Chandon Rose de Provence This dry, light-bodied Rose from Southern France was built for warm weather. Served slightly chilled, Rose from the Provence regions is, in the opinion of many, the perfect summer wine. Light in color, but full of flavor, it pairs well with chicken salad and other light poultry and meat dishes. Recommendation:Nicholas Pose de Provence or Guigal Cote de Rhone Rose.Oregon Pinot Noir Oregon Pinot Noir The 1999 vintage of Oregon Pinots may be even better than the stellar 1998 vintage. Oregon Pinot Noir can be the red wine of choice for summers on Hilton Head. Rich cherry and berry flavors make for great summer food pairing, such as with seared tuna. Recommendation: Elk Cove Pinot Noir. Spanish Rioja When choosing a Rioja for summer consumption, pick a crianza, a wine that has seen less aging. Some of the Reserva Rioja's can be too powerful for the summertime. A nice crianza is the perfect compliment for grilled meats at a restaurant or on the patio. Recommendation: Lorinon Rioja or Penescal.
The fall and winter in the Low Country of South Carolina are when the local oysters are most plentiful and at their best. Many social events revolve around an oyster roast, and the local restaurants add oyster specials to their entree and appetizer menus. With this in mind, several of my friends in the wine business met one rainy Friday noon at Charley's Crab to sample a selection of wines with three different oyster preparations. What a treat! The wine selections included Rieslings, a Gewrztraminer, a Spanish Cava and several Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand. The first serving created by Chef Eric Seaglund was raw oysters with two sauces, a mango cocktail sauce and a tart apple mignonette. We sampled the Cava, a Riesling and a Sauvignon Blanc. All worked nicely, and we determined that there really wasn't a need to pick a favorite. The Cava, a sparkling equivalent of French Champagne, is a wine without attitude Æ no witty or elegant toasts are required. It is more of a comfort wine that is refreshing and relaxing, and very tasty with raw oysters. Its $8 to $12 retail price range also helps keep it comfortable. The luncheon/tasting was off to a great start! The second serving, Dynamite Oysters, was a delicious Asian Crab Crusted Oyster dish. For this treasure, we sampled three New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs. I found the Blue Duck and Dyed in the Wool to be enjoyable, but the Grove Mill to be out of this world! I was ready to stop the sampling right there, order another plate of Dynamite Oysters and finish the wine. The Grove Mill was full of fresh fruit with citrus overtones and, like most Sauvignon Blancs, not overpriced. Fortunately, I wasn't allowed to indulge. The third serving, Oysters Rockefeller, arrived, and we opened three French wines and a Gewrztraminer. The Lucien Albrecht Riesling Cuvee Henri, with its minerally base, hint of sweetness and great finish was a huge hit with this delicious and unusual Oysters Rockefeller dish. Instead of topping the oysters and spinach with a Bernaise sauce, Chef Eric used a Creolaise sauce of his own design. There are two primary styles of Rieslings. This one is in the German style, with slight sweetness, patterned after those originally made north of the Rhine river that feature a fruity aroma, fresh taste and bright acidity. In the USA, these are known as Johannisberg or White Riesling, elsewhere as Rhine Riesling. Good examples of Johannisberg Rieslings are Hogue and Argyle from the state of Washington, and Guntrum from Germany. The other style, which is full-bodied, but much dryer, comes from the Alsace region south of the Rhine River. Amity Vineyards from Oregon makes a nice dry Riesling in this style. The other two wines from France were a Muscadet and a Sauvignon Blanc, which were both nice with the oysters. The Ed Meades Gewurstraminer from California didn't achieve high ratings with the oysters, but received an overwhelming recommendation for the Thanksgiving dinner table with the turkey. Chef Eric had joined us by this time to taste some of the wines and easily talked us into a fourth round of oysters, Corn Dusted Fried Oysters with Garlic Creamed Spinach. My natural inclination with fried oysters would have been to order beer, but with this group we chose the Spanish Cava, Avinyo. It was a fabulous combination! And a fitting ending to a most memorable lunch. Wine Question How many bottles of wine should I buy for a party of six? Let's do the math. A standard wine bottle contains 750 milliliters, which is equivalent to 25.6 ounces. This equates to five or six glasses per bottle depending on the size of glass that you pour. Remember to only fill a wine glasses half full to allow for swirling without spilling. If each diner drinks two glasses, then two bottles might skimp by but three bottles should be quite safe. To save any remaining wine, it would be advisable to purchase a wine preserver, which is simply a can of inert gas that can prevent oxygen from coming in contact with the wine. Wine preservers are available at most fine wine shops. WINE THOUGHTS At our wine shops the two most frequently asked questions are, "What wine should I serve with.....?; and "Do you have any 1997 vintage California Cabernets left?" The answer to the second question is "yes, a few." All the wine experts agree that the 1997 vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from California was the best of the century. Whatever the combination of sun, temperature and rainfall was, it worked to produce outstanding red wines. Most of the vintage either has been consumed or squirreled away in private wine cellars. Treasure hunters are constantly in search of the few remaining bottles on retailers' racks...and yes, there are still a few to be found. The other question of what wine to recommend with a particular meal is more challenging. The traditional idea of matching colors - a red wine with red meat, and a white wine with white meat - really is not adequate. There are many variable features of white or red wines, just as there are thousands of ways to serve red or white meats. Individual taste preferences also play an important role in determining the pleasure received from any wine/food pairing. There are some principles, though, that can help you pick the right wine. The first is to match greatness with greatness. Simply stated, an elegant Cabernet Sauvignon or Bordeaux belongs with a prime cut of beef or rack of lamb, not with a corned beef sandwich. For the corned beef sandwich, try an Australian Shiraz from Penfolds or Rosemont. It will taste great an be easy on your pocketbook. Another fundamental is to match delicate with delicate and bold with bold. A light bodied red wine, such as a fine Pinot Noir from the cool valleys of Oregon, will be overwhelmed by a spicy Indian, Asian or Mexican dish. Select a Zinfandel or Syrah to match the spicy food, and save the fruit flavor of the Pinot Noir to pair with a nice salmon dish. The famous French Burgundy wines all are based on the Pinot Noir grape. The bad news is that wines from Burgundy have become very pricy. The good new is that many fine Pinot Noir vintages are being made in the United States. Elk Cove Rosevelt Vineyard and Willa Kenzie Estate Vineyards are two excellent examples of Oregon Pinot Noirs. Schug Vineyards makes a great Pinot Noir in the Carneros region of California. Another pairing consideration is whether or not you want to match a given flavor, or try to set up a contrast. Either strategy can be very successful. An example of matching would be to serve a Chardonnay with lobster in a rich cream sauce. Both the wine and the lobster have lush, rich features that would be great together. A good example of a contrast would be to serve the same lobster with a Champagne. The Champagne's bubbles would make a crisp and tingling contrast that would be sure to delight. The flexibility of a wine is an important factor to consider. Chardonnays are wildly popular and delicious to drink by themselves but, because of their high alcohol content and frequent oak seasoning, are not as easy to pair with food as, say, a Sauvignon Blanc. Wines with a high acidity such as a Sauvignon Blanc or a dry Riesling leave you wanting to take a bite of food. And than, after the bite of food, you will want a sip of the cleansing wine - the back and forth works! Try Groth Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc for a treat. Sangiovese (the prime grape in Chiantis) and Pinot Noir are red wine varietals with high acidity. Consequently, they go well with a wide range of dishes, and will pleasingly contrast with a salty food. A different twist, however, would be to pair a slightly sweet Riesling with a salty Asian dish based on soy sauce. The wine and food will pull together in new and enjoyable ways. In fine wine shops, the staff can help you select a wine to apply the principles mentioned here. The results should be pleasing! Wine Tip With the hectic lifestyle many of us lead today, details occasionally fall through the cracks. How many times have you prepared a nice meal only to find that the bottle of wine you thought was chilled in the refrigerator wasn't there? Not to worry...simply prepare a cold water bath with plenty of ice cubes in a bowl a little larger than the bottle of wine to be chilled. Twirl the bottle in the ice and water bath for three to four minutes, and the wine will be read to serve. SUMMER WINES Warm weather is right around the corner or, as you read, may already have arrived. As the temperature rises, cuisine on Hilton Head Island changes. Heavier, comfort foods like mashed potatoes and meatloaf are de-emphasized. The summer months bring lighter entrees involving fresh seafood, chicken and fruit. As our diet adapts to warm weather, our wine choices should be altered as well. The hotter the weather, the fruitier and lighter your wines should be. Medium and full-bodied wines like Chardonney, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon can overpower lighter summer fare, and are not terribly refreshing in the 90 degree heat that is common throughout the lowcountry during the summer season. Some good styles of wine for warm weather on Hilton Head are: German Riesling Crisp, refreshing, fruity, German Rieslings can vary from bone dry to quite sweet. Low in alcohol, high in acidity, German Rieslings can be quite refreshing as an apertif or paired with seafood, such as poached fish with mango salsa. Recommendation: St. Christopher Piesporter Goldtrophchen Kabinnett or Guntrum. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand is another favorite summer wine on Hilton Head. These crisp wines typically feature bright tropical flavors of grapefruit, lime and lemon, and are an excellent accompaniment to our local shrimp dishes Recommendation: Brancott, Goldwater or Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc. Napa Valley Sparkling Wine Let,s not forget the bubbly! Many of the great Champagne houses of France have California operations that produce excellent domestic sparkling wines. A well-chilled bottle of Brut, a little cheese, some fresh strawberries..... Recommendation:Mumm Cuvee Napa or Chandon Rose de Provence This dry, light-bodied Rose from Southern France was built for warm weather. Served slightly chilled, Rose from the Provence regions is, in the opinion of many, the perfect summer wine. Light in color, but full of flavor, it pairs well with chicken salad and other light poultry and meat dishes. Recommendation:Nicholas Pose de Provence or Guigal Cote de Rhone Rose.Oregon Pinot Noir Oregon Pinot Noir The 1999 vintage of Oregon Pinots may be even better than the stellar 1998 vintage. Oregon Pinot Noir can be the red wine of choice for summers on Hilton Head. Rich cherry and berry flavors make for great summer food pairing, such as with seared tuna. Recommendation: Elk Cove Pinot Noir. Spanish Rioja When choosing a Rioja for summer consumption, pick a crianza, a wine that has seen less aging. Some of the Reserva Rioja's can be too powerful for the summertime. A nice crianza is the perfect compliment for grilled meats at a restaurant or on the patio. Recommendation: Lorinon Rioja or Penescal.
WINE THOUGHTS At our wine shops the two most frequently asked questions are, "What wine should I serve with.....?; and "Do you have any 1997 vintage California Cabernets left?" The answer to the second question is "yes, a few." All the wine experts agree that the 1997 vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from California was the best of the century. Whatever the combination of sun, temperature and rainfall was, it worked to produce outstanding red wines. Most of the vintage either has been consumed or squirreled away in private wine cellars. Treasure hunters are constantly in search of the few remaining bottles on retailers' racks...and yes, there are still a few to be found. The other question of what wine to recommend with a particular meal is more challenging. The traditional idea of matching colors - a red wine with red meat, and a white wine with white meat - really is not adequate. There are many variable features of white or red wines, just as there are thousands of ways to serve red or white meats. Individual taste preferences also play an important role in determining the pleasure received from any wine/food pairing. There are some principles, though, that can help you pick the right wine. The first is to match greatness with greatness. Simply stated, an elegant Cabernet Sauvignon or Bordeaux belongs with a prime cut of beef or rack of lamb, not with a corned beef sandwich. For the corned beef sandwich, try an Australian Shiraz from Penfolds or Rosemont. It will taste great an be easy on your pocketbook. Another fundamental is to match delicate with delicate and bold with bold. A light bodied red wine, such as a fine Pinot Noir from the cool valleys of Oregon, will be overwhelmed by a spicy Indian, Asian or Mexican dish. Select a Zinfandel or Syrah to match the spicy food, and save the fruit flavor of the Pinot Noir to pair with a nice salmon dish. The famous French Burgundy wines all are based on the Pinot Noir grape. The bad news is that wines from Burgundy have become very pricy. The good new is that many fine Pinot Noir vintages are being made in the United States. Elk Cove Rosevelt Vineyard and Willa Kenzie Estate Vineyards are two excellent examples of Oregon Pinot Noirs. Schug Vineyards makes a great Pinot Noir in the Carneros region of California. Another pairing consideration is whether or not you want to match a given flavor, or try to set up a contrast. Either strategy can be very successful. An example of matching would be to serve a Chardonnay with lobster in a rich cream sauce. Both the wine and the lobster have lush, rich features that would be great together. A good example of a contrast would be to serve the same lobster with a Champagne. The Champagne's bubbles would make a crisp and tingling contrast that would be sure to delight. The flexibility of a wine is an important factor to consider. Chardonnays are wildly popular and delicious to drink by themselves but, because of their high alcohol content and frequent oak seasoning, are not as easy to pair with food as, say, a Sauvignon Blanc. Wines with a high acidity such as a Sauvignon Blanc or a dry Riesling leave you wanting to take a bite of food. And than, after the bite of food, you will want a sip of the cleansing wine - the back and forth works! Try Groth Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc for a treat. Sangiovese (the prime grape in Chiantis) and Pinot Noir are red wine varietals with high acidity. Consequently, they go well with a wide range of dishes, and will pleasingly contrast with a salty food. A different twist, however, would be to pair a slightly sweet Riesling with a salty Asian dish based on soy sauce. The wine and food will pull together in new and enjoyable ways. In fine wine shops, the staff can help you select a wine to apply the principles mentioned here. The results should be pleasing! Wine Tip With the hectic lifestyle many of us lead today, details occasionally fall through the cracks. How many times have you prepared a nice meal only to find that the bottle of wine you thought was chilled in the refrigerator wasn't there? Not to worry...simply prepare a cold water bath with plenty of ice cubes in a bowl a little larger than the bottle of wine to be chilled. Twirl the bottle in the ice and water bath for three to four minutes, and the wine will be read to serve. SUMMER WINES Warm weather is right around the corner or, as you read, may already have arrived. As the temperature rises, cuisine on Hilton Head Island changes. Heavier, comfort foods like mashed potatoes and meatloaf are de-emphasized. The summer months bring lighter entrees involving fresh seafood, chicken and fruit. As our diet adapts to warm weather, our wine choices should be altered as well. The hotter the weather, the fruitier and lighter your wines should be. Medium and full-bodied wines like Chardonney, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon can overpower lighter summer fare, and are not terribly refreshing in the 90 degree heat that is common throughout the lowcountry during the summer season. Some good styles of wine for warm weather on Hilton Head are: German Riesling Crisp, refreshing, fruity, German Rieslings can vary from bone dry to quite sweet. Low in alcohol, high in acidity, German Rieslings can be quite refreshing as an apertif or paired with seafood, such as poached fish with mango salsa. Recommendation: St. Christopher Piesporter Goldtrophchen Kabinnett or Guntrum. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand is another favorite summer wine on Hilton Head. These crisp wines typically feature bright tropical flavors of grapefruit, lime and lemon, and are an excellent accompaniment to our local shrimp dishes Recommendation: Brancott, Goldwater or Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc. Napa Valley Sparkling Wine Let,s not forget the bubbly! Many of the great Champagne houses of France have California operations that produce excellent domestic sparkling wines. A well-chilled bottle of Brut, a little cheese, some fresh strawberries..... Recommendation:Mumm Cuvee Napa or Chandon Rose de Provence This dry, light-bodied Rose from Southern France was built for warm weather. Served slightly chilled, Rose from the Provence regions is, in the opinion of many, the perfect summer wine. Light in color, but full of flavor, it pairs well with chicken salad and other light poultry and meat dishes. Recommendation:Nicholas Pose de Provence or Guigal Cote de Rhone Rose.Oregon Pinot Noir Oregon Pinot Noir The 1999 vintage of Oregon Pinots may be even better than the stellar 1998 vintage. Oregon Pinot Noir can be the red wine of choice for summers on Hilton Head. Rich cherry and berry flavors make for great summer food pairing, such as with seared tuna. Recommendation: Elk Cove Pinot Noir. Spanish Rioja When choosing a Rioja for summer consumption, pick a crianza, a wine that has seen less aging. Some of the Reserva Rioja's can be too powerful for the summertime. A nice crianza is the perfect compliment for grilled meats at a restaurant or on the patio. Recommendation: Lorinon Rioja or Penescal.
At our wine shops the two most frequently asked questions are, "What wine should I serve with.....?; and "Do you have any 1997 vintage California Cabernets left?" The answer to the second question is "yes, a few." All the wine experts agree that the 1997 vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from California was the best of the century. Whatever the combination of sun, temperature and rainfall was, it worked to produce outstanding red wines. Most of the vintage either has been consumed or squirreled away in private wine cellars. Treasure hunters are constantly in search of the few remaining bottles on retailers' racks...and yes, there are still a few to be found. The other question of what wine to recommend with a particular meal is more challenging. The traditional idea of matching colors - a red wine with red meat, and a white wine with white meat - really is not adequate. There are many variable features of white or red wines, just as there are thousands of ways to serve red or white meats. Individual taste preferences also play an important role in determining the pleasure received from any wine/food pairing. There are some principles, though, that can help you pick the right wine. The first is to match greatness with greatness. Simply stated, an elegant Cabernet Sauvignon or Bordeaux belongs with a prime cut of beef or rack of lamb, not with a corned beef sandwich. For the corned beef sandwich, try an Australian Shiraz from Penfolds or Rosemont. It will taste great an be easy on your pocketbook. Another fundamental is to match delicate with delicate and bold with bold. A light bodied red wine, such as a fine Pinot Noir from the cool valleys of Oregon, will be overwhelmed by a spicy Indian, Asian or Mexican dish. Select a Zinfandel or Syrah to match the spicy food, and save the fruit flavor of the Pinot Noir to pair with a nice salmon dish. The famous French Burgundy wines all are based on the Pinot Noir grape. The bad news is that wines from Burgundy have become very pricy. The good new is that many fine Pinot Noir vintages are being made in the United States. Elk Cove Rosevelt Vineyard and Willa Kenzie Estate Vineyards are two excellent examples of Oregon Pinot Noirs. Schug Vineyards makes a great Pinot Noir in the Carneros region of California. Another pairing consideration is whether or not you want to match a given flavor, or try to set up a contrast. Either strategy can be very successful. An example of matching would be to serve a Chardonnay with lobster in a rich cream sauce. Both the wine and the lobster have lush, rich features that would be great together. A good example of a contrast would be to serve the same lobster with a Champagne. The Champagne's bubbles would make a crisp and tingling contrast that would be sure to delight. The flexibility of a wine is an important factor to consider. Chardonnays are wildly popular and delicious to drink by themselves but, because of their high alcohol content and frequent oak seasoning, are not as easy to pair with food as, say, a Sauvignon Blanc. Wines with a high acidity such as a Sauvignon Blanc or a dry Riesling leave you wanting to take a bite of food. And than, after the bite of food, you will want a sip of the cleansing wine - the back and forth works! Try Groth Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc for a treat. Sangiovese (the prime grape in Chiantis) and Pinot Noir are red wine varietals with high acidity. Consequently, they go well with a wide range of dishes, and will pleasingly contrast with a salty food. A different twist, however, would be to pair a slightly sweet Riesling with a salty Asian dish based on soy sauce. The wine and food will pull together in new and enjoyable ways. In fine wine shops, the staff can help you select a wine to apply the principles mentioned here. The results should be pleasing! Wine Tip With the hectic lifestyle many of us lead today, details occasionally fall through the cracks. How many times have you prepared a nice meal only to find that the bottle of wine you thought was chilled in the refrigerator wasn't there? Not to worry...simply prepare a cold water bath with plenty of ice cubes in a bowl a little larger than the bottle of wine to be chilled. Twirl the bottle in the ice and water bath for three to four minutes, and the wine will be read to serve.
SUMMER WINES Warm weather is right around the corner or, as you read, may already have arrived. As the temperature rises, cuisine on Hilton Head Island changes. Heavier, comfort foods like mashed potatoes and meatloaf are de-emphasized. The summer months bring lighter entrees involving fresh seafood, chicken and fruit. As our diet adapts to warm weather, our wine choices should be altered as well. The hotter the weather, the fruitier and lighter your wines should be. Medium and full-bodied wines like Chardonney, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon can overpower lighter summer fare, and are not terribly refreshing in the 90 degree heat that is common throughout the lowcountry during the summer season. Some good styles of wine for warm weather on Hilton Head are: German Riesling Crisp, refreshing, fruity, German Rieslings can vary from bone dry to quite sweet. Low in alcohol, high in acidity, German Rieslings can be quite refreshing as an apertif or paired with seafood, such as poached fish with mango salsa. Recommendation: St. Christopher Piesporter Goldtrophchen Kabinnett or Guntrum. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand is another favorite summer wine on Hilton Head. These crisp wines typically feature bright tropical flavors of grapefruit, lime and lemon, and are an excellent accompaniment to our local shrimp dishes Recommendation: Brancott, Goldwater or Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc. Napa Valley Sparkling Wine Let,s not forget the bubbly! Many of the great Champagne houses of France have California operations that produce excellent domestic sparkling wines. A well-chilled bottle of Brut, a little cheese, some fresh strawberries..... Recommendation:Mumm Cuvee Napa or Chandon Rose de Provence This dry, light-bodied Rose from Southern France was built for warm weather. Served slightly chilled, Rose from the Provence regions is, in the opinion of many, the perfect summer wine. Light in color, but full of flavor, it pairs well with chicken salad and other light poultry and meat dishes. Recommendation:Nicholas Pose de Provence or Guigal Cote de Rhone Rose.Oregon Pinot Noir Oregon Pinot Noir The 1999 vintage of Oregon Pinots may be even better than the stellar 1998 vintage. Oregon Pinot Noir can be the red wine of choice for summers on Hilton Head. Rich cherry and berry flavors make for great summer food pairing, such as with seared tuna. Recommendation: Elk Cove Pinot Noir. Spanish Rioja When choosing a Rioja for summer consumption, pick a crianza, a wine that has seen less aging. Some of the Reserva Rioja's can be too powerful for the summertime. A nice crianza is the perfect compliment for grilled meats at a restaurant or on the patio. Recommendation: Lorinon Rioja or Penescal.
Warm weather is right around the corner or, as you read, may already have arrived. As the temperature rises, cuisine on Hilton Head Island changes. Heavier, comfort foods like mashed potatoes and meatloaf are de-emphasized. The summer months bring lighter entrees involving fresh seafood, chicken and fruit. As our diet adapts to warm weather, our wine choices should be altered as well. The hotter the weather, the fruitier and lighter your wines should be. Medium and full-bodied wines like Chardonney, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon can overpower lighter summer fare, and are not terribly refreshing in the 90 degree heat that is common throughout the lowcountry during the summer season. Some good styles of wine for warm weather on Hilton Head are: German Riesling Crisp, refreshing, fruity, German Rieslings can vary from bone dry to quite sweet. Low in alcohol, high in acidity, German Rieslings can be quite refreshing as an apertif or paired with seafood, such as poached fish with mango salsa. Recommendation: St. Christopher Piesporter Goldtrophchen Kabinnett or Guntrum. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand is another favorite summer wine on Hilton Head. These crisp wines typically feature bright tropical flavors of grapefruit, lime and lemon, and are an excellent accompaniment to our local shrimp dishes Recommendation: Brancott, Goldwater or Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc. Napa Valley Sparkling Wine Let,s not forget the bubbly! Many of the great Champagne houses of France have California operations that produce excellent domestic sparkling wines. A well-chilled bottle of Brut, a little cheese, some fresh strawberries..... Recommendation:Mumm Cuvee Napa or Chandon Rose de Provence This dry, light-bodied Rose from Southern France was built for warm weather. Served slightly chilled, Rose from the Provence regions is, in the opinion of many, the perfect summer wine. Light in color, but full of flavor, it pairs well with chicken salad and other light poultry and meat dishes. Recommendation:Nicholas Pose de Provence or Guigal Cote de Rhone Rose.Oregon Pinot Noir Oregon Pinot Noir The 1999 vintage of Oregon Pinots may be even better than the stellar 1998 vintage. Oregon Pinot Noir can be the red wine of choice for summers on Hilton Head. Rich cherry and berry flavors make for great summer food pairing, such as with seared tuna. Recommendation: Elk Cove Pinot Noir. Spanish Rioja When choosing a Rioja for summer consumption, pick a crianza, a wine that has seen less aging. Some of the Reserva Rioja's can be too powerful for the summertime. A nice crianza is the perfect compliment for grilled meats at a restaurant or on the patio. Recommendation: Lorinon Rioja or Penescal.
