John Brown has been a wine and food columnist in West Virginia since the 1980’s. His regular columns appear in the Charleston (WV) Gazette-Mail under the title Vines & Vittles.
How I took advantage of the water crisis to drink more wine!
I have never been a big fan of water, though I do know we need to consume a good bit to sustain life. I generally prefer to get my water through the consumption of other beverages (after all, wine is approximately 85 percent water).
I must admit, however, that it has been easier than usual to abstain from water over the past couple of months here in Charleston. Therefore, I have turned our water emergency into an opportunity for you and me.
Since I am only getting 85 percent water out of each bottle consumed, I needed to rev up my wine consumption in order to remain properly hydrated. Therefore, today I am able to recommend quite a few more wines than normal for your sipping pleasure.
Here are some wines that you might wish to try along with some suggested food pairings.
Voveti Prosecco DOC NV ($20) Fresh, fragrant and light, this delivers a touch of sweetness, followed by aromas of citrus and ripe apples. This wine is crisp, easy and refreshing and would make a great porch sipper or a good accompaniment to mild cheddar, some walnuts and a bunch of grapes.
[caption id="attachment_936" align="alignleft" width="77"]
Mulderbosch Rose
2011 Rodney Strong Chalk Hill Chardonnay ($20) While 2011 was difficult vintage, this barrel fermented chardonnay has apricot and spicy nutmeg –like flavors, balanced by good acidity and toasty oak nuances. Try this with a roasted chicken breast stuffed with goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes and rubbed with garlic, olive oil and rosemary.
2011 Gary Farrell Russian River Pinot Noir ($45) Another good wine from 2011, this pinot noir has ripe black cherry and spicy tea flavors. With a backbone of bracing acidity, this wine begs to be matched with a filet of salmon that has been brushed with cumin, lime juice and honey and grilled over a charcoal fire (or gas grill).
Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs ($22) - This Sonoma County wine is produced using the Champagne-method. Made from pinot noir, this blush colored sparkler is richly textured with a hint of brioche underneath the ripe berry flavors. The wine is round but dry on the finish and would make a good match to grilled baby back ribs with a red sauce.
2012 Mulderbosch Rose of Cabernet Sauvignon ($12) This is a very full bodied South African rose that tastes of ripe sour cherries just picked from the tree. It is rich, but dry and would work very well as an accompaniment to lighter styled meat dishes such as chicken coq au vin.
2010 Alto Moncayo Veraton ($27) From Spain, this old vine grenache is rich, ripe, round and full-bodied. Flavors of black raspberries and spicy tea with just a hint of vanilla make this a superb accompaniment to beef dishes such as roasted prime rib with a chimichurri sauce.
Banfi Rosa Regale Brachetto ($20) – This Italian sweet red sparkler is chock full of raspberry and black cherry flavors and would make an equally good aperitif or dessert wine. Rosa Regale is especially good with most desserts, especially vanilla ice cream and raspberries or any chocolate dish.
If you’re still concerned about the water, you might want to get your hydration the way I do. Cheers.
I must admit, however, that it has been easier than usual to abstain from water over the past couple of months here in Charleston. Therefore, I have turned our water emergency into an opportunity for you and me.
Since I am only getting 85 percent water out of each bottle consumed, I needed to rev up my wine consumption in order to remain properly hydrated. Therefore, today I am able to recommend quite a few more wines than normal for your sipping pleasure.
Here are some wines that you might wish to try along with some suggested food pairings.
Voveti Prosecco DOC NV ($20) Fresh, fragrant and light, this delivers a touch of sweetness, followed by aromas of citrus and ripe apples. This wine is crisp, easy and refreshing and would make a great porch sipper or a good accompaniment to mild cheddar, some walnuts and a bunch of grapes.
[caption id="attachment_936" align="alignleft" width="77"]
Mulderbosch Rose2011 Rodney Strong Chalk Hill Chardonnay ($20) While 2011 was difficult vintage, this barrel fermented chardonnay has apricot and spicy nutmeg –like flavors, balanced by good acidity and toasty oak nuances. Try this with a roasted chicken breast stuffed with goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes and rubbed with garlic, olive oil and rosemary.
2011 Gary Farrell Russian River Pinot Noir ($45) Another good wine from 2011, this pinot noir has ripe black cherry and spicy tea flavors. With a backbone of bracing acidity, this wine begs to be matched with a filet of salmon that has been brushed with cumin, lime juice and honey and grilled over a charcoal fire (or gas grill).
Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs ($22) - This Sonoma County wine is produced using the Champagne-method. Made from pinot noir, this blush colored sparkler is richly textured with a hint of brioche underneath the ripe berry flavors. The wine is round but dry on the finish and would make a good match to grilled baby back ribs with a red sauce.
2012 Mulderbosch Rose of Cabernet Sauvignon ($12) This is a very full bodied South African rose that tastes of ripe sour cherries just picked from the tree. It is rich, but dry and would work very well as an accompaniment to lighter styled meat dishes such as chicken coq au vin.
2010 Alto Moncayo Veraton ($27) From Spain, this old vine grenache is rich, ripe, round and full-bodied. Flavors of black raspberries and spicy tea with just a hint of vanilla make this a superb accompaniment to beef dishes such as roasted prime rib with a chimichurri sauce.
Banfi Rosa Regale Brachetto ($20) – This Italian sweet red sparkler is chock full of raspberry and black cherry flavors and would make an equally good aperitif or dessert wine. Rosa Regale is especially good with most desserts, especially vanilla ice cream and raspberries or any chocolate dish.
If you’re still concerned about the water, you might want to get your hydration the way I do. Cheers.
