Sips: More on the Super Bowl food and wine showdown

At least one of my NBC colleagues shook his head when I told him I was preparing a story on wines that would work well at a Super Bowl party with all its varied food possibilities. Like many, he's a beer man when it comes to the big game. But for those of you wondering about wines to serve with a Super Bowl spread, I have some suggestions, plus those of some of my wine friends, in my latest Weekend Wines post on the Bites blog of MSNBC.com. Beyond that, Karen Page and Andrew Dorenburg, authors of the new "Food Lover's Guide to Wine" and other books, offered me some of their suggestions.

They write: "For Super Bowl parties, we're all about the flexibility of bubbles for their food-pairing prowess, and all about whites so you don't have to worry if your friends spill on your couch (or you spill on theirs!) during a dramatic moment in the game -- so a good Prosecco would probably be our first choice (even though we also love good cava, we just got back from Italy!)."

Their choice for a red? "In honor of Andrew's hometown team (the 49ers, which was one good kick away from this year's Super Bowl), he'd pour a lighter-bodied, fruity California Zinfandel with the vegetarian chili he's hoping to get around to making."

And their recommendations for some of the most popular Super Bowl fare:

"Chicken wings: sparkling wine; or riesling, syrah/shiraz or zinfandel.

Chili: Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone, syrah/shiraz or zinfandel.

Guacamole: Champagne, unoaked chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, torrontes.

Nachos: sparkling wine, torrontes (with white meat), zinfandel (with red meat).

Pizza (pepperoni or sausage): barbera, Chianti, lighter-bodied zinfandel.

Popcorn: Champagne or other sparkling wine.

Fudge brownies and chocolate chip cookies: Banyuls, port or Pedro Ximenez sherry."

Thank you, Karen and Andrew.

Swirls: My proposal for Starbucks wine, Chinese Lafite counterfeits, weighing in on wine bottles

SWIRL: Let’s face it. Finding a casual and convenient place for a quick glass of wine or beer can sometimes be a challenge. So Starbucks is expanding its reach into alcoholic beverages with plans to offer them in seven stores in the Chicago area by the end of next year, the Chicago Tribune reports. Beer and wine are currently served at five stores in the Seattle area and one in Portland, Ore. No doubt, the big commercial wine brands are already setting their sites on these re-imagined Starbucks stores. But consider this: how cool would it be if Starbucks were to take a refreshingly un-corporate approach to its wine offerings? Instead of some  marketing committee in Seattle deciding on the wines based on lobbying from the big wine companies, why not offer a sampling of artisanal or lesser-known wines from around the world that changes each week? How about a grüner veltliner from Austria, a cru Beaujolais, or a sparkling Crémant from the Loire Valley with an emphasis on organic and biodynamic growing? Might take a little training of the staff but I have a hunch that many Starbucks customers might be open to a little adventure and smaller-production, sustainable offerings when it comes to wine.

SWIRL: It’s not surprising to hear that in Bordeaux-crazed China, counterfeit bottles of Château Lafite are making the  rounds.  China Digital Times reports that “curiously, China appears to consume far more of the top foreign wines than it actually imports, with counterfeiting rising alongside the legitimate trade. Empty Château Lafite bottles are salvaged from restaurants to be illicitly refilled, and rumours speak of a floating wine factory hidden aboard a cargo ship.” Here’s the full story.

SWIRL: We’ve all received them, those extra-heavy bottles intended to signal a wine’s stature and status, meant to distinguish, say, a reserve wine from a regular bottling. But in this eco-conscious era in the wine industry and beyond, are these bottle behemoths really necessary? Paul Gregutt in the Seattle Times thinks not, and I agree. He cites the growing use of the heavy bottles among wineries in Oregon, a state that, paradoxically, has often led the way on environmental concerns. This story is long overdue.

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Sips: A roundup of notable new wines from France, California and Argentina

Since I’ve been leaning heavily toward wine news in recent weeks, I thought I would share some exciting new releases that will make for excellent spring and summer drinking. With one exception, all the wines are under $20. Also of note, given my piece earlier this week about alcohol levels, four of the five wines here are under 14 percent, which, no doubt, is part of why I enjoyed them.

Bieler Père et Fils 2010 “Sabine” Coteaux d-Aix-en-Provence Rosé. $12. This appealing and well-priced rosé  demands food with its considerable herb notes that punctuate strawberry, raspberry, citrus and subtle vanilla tastes. With its pretty, light-salmon color it shows considerable complexity and came into its own the herb-roasted chicken. The  blend is 50 percent syrah, 30 percent grenache and 20 percent cabernet sauvignon. Alcohol is 13.5 percent. Imported by Bieler Père et Fils, Sausalito, California.

Alta Maria Vineyards 2009 Chardonnay Santa Maria Valley, California. $28. This superb chardonnay from Santa Barbara County shows perfect balance, with pear, white peach, orange and lime, plus subtle vanilla and cream notes. Oak is seamlessly integrated. The fruit was sourced from the famed Bien Nacido and Solomon Hills Vineyards and the wine bears their unmistakable signature. Alcohol is 14.1 percent.

Carmel Road 2009 Chardonnay, Monterey County, California. $18. A beautifully balanced chardonnay with nuanced oak, pear, vanilla and a hint of orange. Effortless to drink and a real value. Alcohol is 13.5 percent.

Domaine de la Madone 2009 Beaujolais “Le Perreon,” Beaujolais Villages, France. $15. This first-rate Beaujolais from an excellent vintage is distinguished by the unusual concentration of its fruit, mainly blueberry and black cherry, with an appealing note of braised meat that adds to its complexity. From the gamay grape, it’s the kind of red wine I could drink all summer. Alcohol is 13 percent. Imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, New York

Argento 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendoza, Argentina. $11. An excellent budget cabernet with classic blackberry tastes joined by plum and red berry notes as the wine opens up, revealing surprising complexity. Smoke, cinnamon and brown sugar round things out, all of it framed by a good tannic structure. Should serve as a wake-up call to California for what’s being produced elsewhere for $10 or so. Alcohol is 13.5 percent. Imported by Lion Nathan USA, Overland Park, Kansas.

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Sips: Debunking the idea of “the right wines for the right seasons” with some outstanding Beaujolais

As I think about it, this whole notion of winter wines and summer wines is largely a gimmick embraced and promoted by wine writers and marketers. For my part, I am going to enjoy a good Beaujolais or two (as I recently did) whether I’m sweating in the summer heat or trying to stay warm in the frigid late autumn we’ve been having here in New York. All right, maybe I’ll appreciate the depth of a full-bodied California cab a bit more in the fall than I would on a stifling August evening. But the point is, I find myself turning to all kinds of wines in every season and enjoying them no less, as I did with a range of new offerings in  recent weeks.

As I tell you about them in coming days, let’s start with a couple of notable Beaujolais. The 2009 cru Beaujolais (from 10 specific villages and areas in the region) have been out for a few months or so, and one worth seeking is Clos de la Roilette’s ‘09 Fleurie, which shows subtle notes of ripe raspberry, red cherry, earth and a nice tannic structure that belies Beaujolais’ reputation among some as simple, unsophisticated wine. This outstanding $20 Fleurie has great fruit and a good deal of complexity and will match well with everything from fish to a simple pan-seared steak, which is how I enjoyed it the other night. Imported by Louis/Dressner Selections, New York. And by the way, the ‘09 vintage is considered an outstanding one.

In case you didn’t realize it, there is such a thing as white Beaujolais, made in very limited quantities from chardonnay. And Chateau du Chatelard’s 2008 Beaujolais Blanc is an excellent example. It shows a lot of minerality, some pear and apple notes and the slightest touch of butterscotch. Uncomplicated but delicious, it’s a very good value at about $18. Look for the ‘09 vintage as well. Imported by Wineberry America, Valley Cottage New York. Wines received as press samples.

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