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.
Some value Sippers for your consideration
Hey, friends of wine, I’m back! After that last column where I focused too much attention on that other beverage, I was whisked away in the middle of the night and brought to a wine reeducation center for an intervention by a group of masked wino’s called “Warriors For The Vine.
As a result, I want you to know that I’m back and more dedicated than ever to expounding on the virtues of that liquid we all love. As a matter of fact, I have had my nose in a plethora of wine glasses lately, spending hours sniffing and sipping my way through dozens of bottles just to present you with several vinous recommendations.
And with the exception of one wine (out of the 10 I’m recommending today), they are all priced between $9 and $20 a bottle. If you don’t see these wines on the shelves of your favorite shop, just ask the proprietors to get them for you since they are all available in the state.
As is always the case when I suggest a wine for your sipping pleasure, I will also offer an appropriate food to pair with it. So here goes.
Aperitif Wine or (as we call them in my home) Porch Sippers:
2014 Montinore Gewürztraminer – a spicy, slightly sweet white with aromas of flowers and nutmeg, this would be great with sliced apples and Vermont Cheddar; 2015 Fritz de Katz Riesling – this German Mosel white is tangy, a touch sweet with peach overtones and would be nice with strawberries or brunch food like omelets; and 2013 Pacific Rim Eufloria White – this is mostly riesling blended with a little gewürztraminer and chenin blanc and has citrusy, tart apple flavors that would be a superb accompaniment to Quiche Lorraine.
White Wine:
2014 Ceretto Arneis – Light to medium-bodied and slightly fizzy, this northern Italian bottling is delicate and should be paired with plainly broiled or pan seared white fish; 2014 Clos Pegase Chardonnay ($25) – this Napa Valley wine is very well balanced with a nose of ripe apples and freshly baked bread with flavors of ripe honey dew melon. Pair it with chicken cordon bleu; and 2014 Buil & Gine Nosis Verdejo – a Spanish wine full of citrus and apple flavors that is slightly effervescent. It would be an excellent pairing with steamed mussels in a little of the verdejo and a lot of garlic.
Red Wine:
2013 Jasci & Marchensani Montepulciano d’Abruzzo - a literal mouthful to say, it is a delicious Italian wine which is round, rich and medium bodied with loads of ripe dark fruit flavors. This wine would pair exceptionally well with grilled Italian sausages; 2013 Marc Roman Terret – from Southern France, this wine at $9 a bottle is one of the best bargain wines I’ve tasted in a while. Terret is an obscure grape that produces a medium-bodied red that is well balanced and would be perfect with chicken thighs that have been dry rubbed with a southwest seasoning and then oven baked;
2012 Haraszathy Family Cellars Old Vine Zinfandel – a medium to full-bodied old vine zin from Lodi, this wine is chock full of blackberry and cola flavors, and demands to be paired with grilled baby-back ribs; 2015 St. Cosme Cotes Du Rhone – from the magnificent 2015 vintage, this wine must be aerated in a carafe for an hour or so if you choose to drink it in the next year. It is dark purple and very tannic with flavors of black cherries and aromas of black pepper and tack room. Try this one with marinated and grilled flank steak that has been stuffed with mushrooms, spinach, sausage and provolone.
Enjoy!
As a result, I want you to know that I’m back and more dedicated than ever to expounding on the virtues of that liquid we all love. As a matter of fact, I have had my nose in a plethora of wine glasses lately, spending hours sniffing and sipping my way through dozens of bottles just to present you with several vinous recommendations.
And with the exception of one wine (out of the 10 I’m recommending today), they are all priced between $9 and $20 a bottle. If you don’t see these wines on the shelves of your favorite shop, just ask the proprietors to get them for you since they are all available in the state.
As is always the case when I suggest a wine for your sipping pleasure, I will also offer an appropriate food to pair with it. So here goes.
Aperitif Wine or (as we call them in my home) Porch Sippers:
2014 Montinore Gewürztraminer – a spicy, slightly sweet white with aromas of flowers and nutmeg, this would be great with sliced apples and Vermont Cheddar; 2015 Fritz de Katz Riesling – this German Mosel white is tangy, a touch sweet with peach overtones and would be nice with strawberries or brunch food like omelets; and 2013 Pacific Rim Eufloria White – this is mostly riesling blended with a little gewürztraminer and chenin blanc and has citrusy, tart apple flavors that would be a superb accompaniment to Quiche Lorraine.
White Wine:
2014 Ceretto Arneis – Light to medium-bodied and slightly fizzy, this northern Italian bottling is delicate and should be paired with plainly broiled or pan seared white fish; 2014 Clos Pegase Chardonnay ($25) – this Napa Valley wine is very well balanced with a nose of ripe apples and freshly baked bread with flavors of ripe honey dew melon. Pair it with chicken cordon bleu; and 2014 Buil & Gine Nosis Verdejo – a Spanish wine full of citrus and apple flavors that is slightly effervescent. It would be an excellent pairing with steamed mussels in a little of the verdejo and a lot of garlic.
Red Wine:
2013 Jasci & Marchensani Montepulciano d’Abruzzo - a literal mouthful to say, it is a delicious Italian wine which is round, rich and medium bodied with loads of ripe dark fruit flavors. This wine would pair exceptionally well with grilled Italian sausages; 2013 Marc Roman Terret – from Southern France, this wine at $9 a bottle is one of the best bargain wines I’ve tasted in a while. Terret is an obscure grape that produces a medium-bodied red that is well balanced and would be perfect with chicken thighs that have been dry rubbed with a southwest seasoning and then oven baked;
2012 Haraszathy Family Cellars Old Vine Zinfandel – a medium to full-bodied old vine zin from Lodi, this wine is chock full of blackberry and cola flavors, and demands to be paired with grilled baby-back ribs; 2015 St. Cosme Cotes Du Rhone – from the magnificent 2015 vintage, this wine must be aerated in a carafe for an hour or so if you choose to drink it in the next year. It is dark purple and very tannic with flavors of black cherries and aromas of black pepper and tack room. Try this one with marinated and grilled flank steak that has been stuffed with mushrooms, spinach, sausage and provolone.
Enjoy!
