Wine School, White Burgundy, June 24, 2014

Theme:  Premiums!  White Burgundy

Since it was time for one of our premium wine classes, I thought  we would try something we haven't really experienced before.  Rather than focus on a grape varietal, we ventured to France (if only literally) and chose a region. Since French wines are still "foreign" to me, I decided to let the experts at The Wine Merchant in Clayton, MO help me choose a variety of wines. Here we go!

The Wines:

Domaine De Villaine Bouzeron Aligoté

• Color:  Pale, straw yellow
• Aroma:  Fruity on the nose, pear, a hint of peach, think fruit cocktail, and mineral notes
• Mouth:  A balanced wine with hints of lemon zest and a nice mineral notes on the finish. A refreshing light bodied wine.
• Price:  $29.99 (Wine Merchant, Clayton, MO)
• Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Domaine DuBlére Savigny-les Beaune Aux Vergelesses

• Color:  Pale, straw yellow
• Aroma:  Wow! Caramel, butter,nutmeg on the nose!
• Mouth:  This crisp wine had definite mineral notes with a delicious caramel creaminess. Crisp and balanced!
• Price:  $42.99 (Wine Merchant, Clayton, MO)
• Rating:  4.5 out of 5

Lucien Le Moine Bourgogne Blanc

• Color:  Pale, straw yellow
• Aroma:  Butter, mineral and notes of tar
• Mouth:  This wine was the creamiest of the three wines, but a definite crisp finish! Delicious!
• Price:  $52.99 (Wine Merchant, Clayton, MO)
• Rating:  4 out of 5

Overall Conclusion:  Wonderful wines that we all enjoyed. The lovely caramel notes in the Domaine DuBlére were outstanding, but we found it difficult to pick one favorite since all were delicious. If we had to pick - a tie between  Domaine DuBlére and Lucien Le Moine as our favorites!!

Wonderful cheeses!

Pairings:

Bucheron Goat' Milk Cheese:  Very nice cheese, that we loved with all the wines. It really brought out the richness in the Bouzeron. When we tried it with the  Domaine DuBlére, we all said WOW!!!! Also, wonderful with the Lucien Le Moine. This delicious, creamy cheese brought out the creaminess in the wines. 

Camembert Cheese:   Great pairing again. It was wonderful with all three wines!

Mons Lavort Sheep's Milk Cheese:  Another new cheese for us tonight that we really enjoyed. It brought out a wonderful fruitiness in the Bouzeron and was excellent with the  Domaine DuBlére and Lucien.

Salmon with Mango & Brie:  Delicious entree that Lisa made for us! Paired well with our wines-the favorite pairing was with the  Domaine DuBlére.

Mushroom Risotto: Wonderful with all of the wines! 

Guacamole:  Another great pairing. It was especially wonderful with the Bouzeron and very good with  Domaine DuBlére.

Milk Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels!!

Milk Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels:  First off - we loved these caramels. Was a wonderful way to end the evening and they paired well with all the wines. Again, our favorite, the I enjoyed exploring these white wines from the famous Burgundy region of France. .

Conclusion

Beth:  I enjoyed exploring these white wines from the famous Burgundy region of France. All of the wines were enjoyable, but when paired with the goodies, they took the wine to another level demonstrating exactly why wines are meant to be paired with food! This was one of those evenings that I find it difficult to find an overall favorite, but if I must choose I would have to pick the Domaine DuBlére with the Lucien a very close second! An awesome class with wonderful wines, food, and friends. Thank you Lisa!    

Lisa:  What a yummy evening!  We are so used to California Chardonnays that venturing to France was fun.  Wanting to try the Burgundy region, we started with something other than a
the Chardonnay grape -the  Aligorte grape.  This wine was slightly different than the other two (which were Chardonnay grapes) but I was pleasantly surprised how good it was!  It had more of the fruitier side compared to the other two with more creaminess but they all had the minerality notes.  Paired with food, the first two cheeses were my favs with the Bucheron paired with the Domaine DuBlere having the biggest WOW factor.  As for the salmon, risotto, and guacamole the wines really came alive with the food.  Of course, who doesn't like Sea Salt Caramels?! And my night ended on the best note with them paired with the Domaine DuBlere!  Yay!

Mary Jo: This was truly a delightful evening!  I love finding new white wines to love!  In the Bouzeron, I found pear and peach aromas and lemon zest on the mouth.  The Savigny was buttery caramel with a little spice and minerality.  The Bourgogne Blanc had minerality and butter on he nose and was creamy with mineral and an acidic finish on the mouth.  With the cheeses, I loved the Savigny-Les-Beaune was wonderful!!  With the salmon- I found the salmon to being out a bit of fruitiness in the wine and loved it!  Everything went well with the delicious mushroom risotto.  I liked the Savigny with the guacamole and all here wines paired well with the chocolate!  Thanks to Lisa for a wonderful evening!

A Lesson on Bordeaux!

The wine line up!

     Recently my husband and I had the opportunity to participate in a class on Bordeaux wines at The Wine Merchant in Clayton, MO. The class was taught by owner and sommelier, Jason Main, and was both entertaining and educational. Jason is a wonderful teacher, taking the time to answer all of our questions. In addition to enjoying the six wines, we also tasted some of the wonderful edible treats available at The Wine Merchant. 

Delicious white Bordeaux

Our Line-up for the Evening:

• Wine #1 - 2012 Maison Sichel Bordeaux Blanc "Sirius" -   This is a delicious little white wine for $12.99. It had lovely mineral notes on the nose and was especially delicious with the cheeses. I brought home two bottles that night and have been back for more already! Perfect for the upcoming summer season!

• Wine #2 - 2008 Chevalier de Russan-Gassies Margaux, Bordeaux, France - This wine had the look of an old world wine, it was earthy with nice acidity and paired very well with all the goodies. Priced at $42.99.

• Wine #3 - 2009 Cháteau Taillefer Pomerol, Bordeaux, France - This red was fuller bodied than the Chevalier with dark red fruit up front on the nose but also a nice earthiness. We loved the finish on this wine. Priced at $27.99.

• Wine #4 - 2009 Cháteau Fieuzal Pessac-Leognan(Graves), Bordeaux, France - Color on this wine was very dark brown-red. It had deep rich notes on the nose. Again paired well with the nibbles. Priced at $62.99.

• Wine #5 - 2009 Cháteau Cantermerle Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux, France - Color was deep, dark almost purple. Bright fruit on the nose and wonderful with the cheddar cheese and sausage. We brought home a bottle at $59.99.

• Wine #6 - 2005 Cháteau d'Armailhac Pauillac, Bordeaux, France - This was the big treat of the evening. A wonderful full body on this wine but the tannins were well balanced. We both loved it and would consider getting a bottle for a special event. Priced at $110.00.

Cheese, Charcutérie and Páté of the Evening
Winnimere, raw cow's milk, VermontBrie Fermier, cow's milk, FranceCabot Clothbound Cheddar, raw cow's milk, VermontCantelet, raw cow's milk, FranceWenneman's sausage, IllinoisFabrique Delicés Páté de Chanpagne & truffle mousse, California

     I definitely would recommend trying one of the many classes offered by The Wine Merchant(www.winemerchantltd.com). I know I will be signing up for a future offering. After finishing this class I wouldn't say that I am an expert in French Bordeaux wines, but my appreciation and understanding for these wines has grown. Maybe my next Bordeaux experience should be in France!

Cheers,
Beth

     

Wine School, February 19, 2013-Wine Pairing

Note:

We decided to mix things up a bit for this wine school. Two of our three husbands were out of town on business this week, so we decided to make a meal of it! Each wino was in charge of picking a dish and a wine to pair with it. Lisa also provided cheeses and chocolate to try with all. The wine and food was definitely varied, but we had great fun with this concept and the food was delicious!

Wines

Crios Torrontes 2012 - Mary Jo's Pairing

Color:  Light straw
Nose:  Perfumy, aromatic wine with hints of peach
Mouth:  Wonderful peach up front with a crisp acidic finish
Price:  $14.99
Conclusion:  Wonderful wine perfect to enjoy on a warm summer evening with friends or with a light salad with friends for lunch. We all loved it!

Pairings

Camembert with Gourmet Wafers - Deepened the flavors of the wine and added to its complexity-a winner!!
English Cheddar Cheese - This cheese was a bit too sharp for the delicacy of the wine. We all thought Manchego would work well with this wine.
Rembrandt Extra Aged Gouda - Nice pairing with this cheese, but we all liked the Camembert even better with the Torrontes.
Thai Chicken Spinach Salad - Definitely this salad and wine complimented each other-a perfect balance.
Lindt-Touch of Sea Salt Dark Chocolate - We weren't expecting to like this match, but it was surprisingly good.
Lindt-70% Cocoa Smooth Dark -This one was not so great :(

Trimbach Reserve Pinot Gris 2007 Lisa's Pairing

Color:  Golden
Nose:  Fresh and refined
Mouth:  Nice minerality with a wonderful minerality that will pair well with food. Nice finish with a hint of cool, mint down the back of the throat.
Price:  $25.99 Randall's Wine and Spirits
Conclusion:  A wonderful, well balanced, medium bodied wine. We all adored this wine.

Pairings

Camembert with Gourmet Wafers - Love the wine, but not with this cheese.
English Cheddar Cheese - The sharpness of this cheddar was able to keep up with the fuller bodied Pinot Gris from France.
Rembrandt Extra Aged Gouda - This was a nice pairing, but we preferred it with the Torrontes.
Salmon - A great pairing! The wine has a much "richer" feel on the mouth.
Lindt-Touch of Sea Salt Dark Chocolate - No, the wine and chocolate fought against each other.
Lindt-70% Cocoa Smooth Dark

Silvano Bolmida Dolcetto d'Alba Manescott 2008 - Beth's Pairing

Color:  Deep, dark red
Nose:  Earthy, peppery, with decaying leaves
Mouth:  More tannins than we expected for a Dolcetto, with red fruit and typical acidity of an Italian wine
Price:  $17.99 Plaza Wine and Liquour/O'Fallon
Conclusion:  Not our favorite wine from Italy.





Rigatoni with Tomato, Pancetta, and Chevre

Pairings

Camembert with Gourmet Wafers - As expected, this cheese was too rich and creamy for this wine.
English Cheddar Cheese - Not a match.
Rembrandt Extra Aged Gouda - It was an ok match, we thought the wine would go better with a variety of Italian meats for appetizers.
Rigatoni with Tomato, Pancetta, and Chévre - This was a good match with the wine. As usual an Italian dish and Italian wine bring out the best in each other.
Lindt-Touch of Sea Salt Dark Chocolate - This match was ok, but we were expecting something better.
Lindt-70% Cocoa Smooth Dark - Yum!  Great match with this wine.

Final Thoughts

Beth - What a lovely evening we had with great friends, food, and wine. The Thai salad and salmon was delicious. They paired wonderfully with the wines selected by Mary Jo and Lisa. I enjoyed the Rigatoni too. It was a nice match with the Dolcetto, but I think a Chianit Classico would have been even better. The Torrontes was also great with the pasta. I don't think I can pick a favorite wine this time, I loved the Torrrontes and the Pinot Gris. They both had me looking forward to summer!

Lisa -  This class was fun because we made it different!  With each of us bringing a wide range of pairings, we were able to really compare and see the vast differences in what worked and what didn't. For the most part, the cheeses were not the best and the chocolates were sometimes a hit and sometimes a miss.  As for the main dish pairings, they were ALL perfect pairings.  As for my favorite wine of the night, I think I leaned toward the Crios Torrontes, but the Pinot Gris was a close second. I agree with Beth, with this gloomy winter that just won't go away, I'm SO in the mood for crisp white wines.  Come on spring!

Mary Jo - This class was a departure from what we normally do and it was a really great time!  It gave us all a chance to focus on one part of the meal and pair a wine with it, and also see if our wine paired well with the other two dishes.  The Crios Torrontes was my favorite of the three wines.  It went very well with the Thai chicken salad and the Camembert.  I felt the English cheddar was too harsh for this wine.  Finally, the sea salt was my favorite chocolate with the Crios.  The Trimbach Pinot Gris and the Crios were both great with the pasta.  The Trimbach was also nice with the salad, but I was not a fan of this wine with the cheeses.  The Trimbach definitely increased the richness of the salmon from Sam's and enhanced the fruit of the salmon that was seasoned.  Finally, the Dolcetto was only okay with the gouda, but I was not a fan of this wine with the other two cheeses.  This wine was an excellent pairing with the pasta!  This was a really fun class and, since we all loved the Crios so much, we headed to Wine Merchant and split a case!

 

A Lasting Impression

Just as hearing a familiar song can bring back a pleasant memory, a special bottle of wine can evoke such a response, as well.  While I can say I can associate many pleasant memories with good wine, one bottle, in particular, comes to mind.

A year ago on our fifth anniversary, my Husband and I had the pleasure of dining at a wonderful restaurant called Lucas Park Grille in St. Louis, Missouri (http://www.lucasparkgrille.com/).  Lucas Park was renovated in 2004 and offers an excellent menu.  They offer lunch, dinner and weekend brunch and is home to everything from sandwiches to flatbreads to seafood.  Further, there is a Washington Avenue shuttle to Rams, Cardinals and Blues games, as well as other sporting events and concerts.  It was during this special anniversary dinner that I was introduced to a wine that is one of my most favorites, and has become a favorite of every person to whom I suggest it.  

As I perused the wine list before dinner, I thought I would try a wine that I had not tasted before.  I wanted a red wine, but wanted to try a varietal that I would not typically order.  The wine I chose on this evening was a 2007 Consilience Syrah - Santa Barbara County (consiliencewines.com).  From the moment I tasted this wine, I loved it.  I immediately asked the waiter if Consilience could be found locally and he suggested a local supermarket, Straub's (http://straubs.com), or our local wine store, The Wine Merchant (http://winemerchantltd.com/).  I found myself on my iPhone, at the table, googling the wine and trying to find where we could buy it!  Luckily, I have a Husband who understands my passion for wine and didn't mind that I was taking a few minutes away from our anniversary dinner to hunt down a bottle of wine.  The next day I received a phone call from The Wine Merchant and, while they didn't have any in stock, said they would gladly order it for me.  

Consilience is mainly Syrah with a touch of Petite Syrah, Zinfandel and Grenache.  It is a medium-bodied wine, with powerful berry flavors, a hint of smokiness and structured tannins with a touch of chocolate.  The main vineyard sources for this amazing wine are Rodney Shull and Star Lane Vineyards.  Consilience has garnered several well-deserved accolades for this superb wine.  It received a Gold Medal at the May 2011 Taster's Guild International, a Bronze Medal at the November 2011 Houston Rodeo and Wine Competition and was a Top 20 Pick in the December 2011 Food & Home Magazine.  It definitely received a Gold Star in my wine journal and my fellow Stay At Home Winos agreed.

As I did with my fellow Winos, I have shared this amazing find with everyone I know who enjoys a good bottle of wine.  You may recall our blog entry from this past July when the Stay At Home Winos did the wine tasting portion of the area's first Grilling From the Garden.  As soon as we knew the menu, we agreed that we had to include Consilience Syrah.  It was a huge hit!  So many guests had never tasted a Syrah and were a little hesitant, yet curious.  Everyone was so glad they tried it and it definitely stole the show.  It thrilled me that so many people loved this great wine as much as I do.  It is one of the first wines I recommend when someone asks me for a new wine to try.

I have enjoyed many dinners since that night at Lucas Park Grille with Consilience Syrah in my glass.  And, while any anniversary dinner with my Husband is memorable, I know he would agree with me that finding this wine added to our enjoyment that evening.  There is never a time we are without at least one bottle (and there are usually several) of Consilience in our wine cabinet.   

Cheers!

Mary Jo

Wine Word of the Week

Body - the perceived weight of wine in the mouth. Alcohol is the key factor. In more full bodied wines the alcohol content is higher. When determining the body, think of the difference between the feel of skim milk in your mouth verses whole milk. Skim milk has the the feel of a light bodied wine, while whole milk will feel like a full bodied wine, and two percent milk will resemble a medium bodied wine. Another rule of thumb-the darker the wine-the more full bodied.