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.

Video: Five great summer white wines

Last night I joined Chuck Scarborough on his NY Nightly News program on WNBC’s New York Nonstop Channel to talk about five exciting white wines for summer. For detailed information about the wines, see the post just below this one.

View more videos at: http://www.nbcnewyork.com/

Technorati Tags: Domaine Felines Jourdan Picpoul de Pinet,Picpoul de Pinet,Edwad Deitch,Channing Daughters,Channing Daugters Sauvignon Blanc,Sella & Mosca La Cala Vermentino di Sardegna,Sardinian wine,Viore Verdejo Rueda,Spanish white wines,Trapiche Torrontés,Chuck Scarborough,New York Nonstop

Sips: Five Top White Wines for Summer

When I was asked to put together a summer wine segment and appear on WNBC’s New York Nonstop channel, I immediately thought of lighter whites that are easy to drink, match well with a variety of simply prepared foods and are good values. Beyond that, I wanted to introduce viewers to some wines they might not have heard about that are very much worth exploring. With that in mind, I chose five wines from five countries, each made from a different grape. What unifies them is that they are refreshing as both aperitif and food wines, especially with fish and simple chicken dishes, and are made without fermentation or aging in oak. Although I have nothing against chardonnay, I decided to keep chardonnay out of the mix this time around because it is so well known and popular. So, enjoy these five whites with your summer dining. I’ll have many more to share in coming weeks.

Channing Daughters 2010 Sauvignon Blanc “Mudd West Vineyard,” Long Island. $20. Light, delicate and elegant sauvignon from this Bridgehampton winery. The wine is made from grapes grown in a North Fork vineyard and shows subtle green apple, herb and citrus notes.

La Cala 2009 Vermentino di Sardegna, Sardinia, Italy. $12. A delicious example of this Mediterranean variety, this is an easy-to-drink yet interesting wine that will pair well with a variety of foods. Pear and apple notes and a good deal of minerality. A natural for linguine with white clam sauce. Imported by Palm Bay International, Boca Raton, Florida.

Domaine Félines Jourdan 2010 Picpoul de Pinet, Languedoc, France. $13. One of my favorite wines of the summer so far. Picpoul de Pinet is the name of the grape and it’s grown only in Languedoc very close to the Mediterranean Sea. The domaine, which I visited last month on a tour of Languedoc, overlooks oyster farms, and the wine, in fact, is just perfect with oysters. Very fresh with a little brininess, good acidity and lots of complexity. Notes of lemon, herbs, a little honey and vanilla and a good deal of minerality on the finish. Imported by Gabriella Importers, Bohemia, New York.

Viore 2010 Verdejo, Rueda, Spain. $9. I’ve been tasting a lot of verdejos in the last month or so and was newly impressed with this variety, which is the most important white grape in the Rueda region. This one is quite racy and almost jumps out of the glass. Complex with notes of apricot, tangerine, some herbs and smoke on the long finish. Imported by Vintage Wines, Staten Island, New York.

Trapiche 2010 Torrontés, Mendoza, Argentina. $8. Torrontes has become a new darling among fresh and lively white wines, and I saved this one for last on tonight’s TV segment because it’s the most aggressive of the five whites. The variety is highly aromatic and this one, beyond the flower notes, is like biting into an orange. It’s a warm-weather thirst quencher and a real bargain at just $8. Imported by Frederick Wildman and Sons, New York.

Sips: From organically grown grapes, an impressive line of $10 wines from Argentina

To be honest, I don’t taste a lot of $10 wines that get me excited, and so I had only modest expectations on opening a shipment of new releases the other night from Argentina. But Trapiche, the big  Mendoza winery, has done something right with the inauguration of a new brand called Zaphy. The wines, all from the 2010 vintage, are  made from organically grown grapes and include a torrontes, a malbec and a cabernet sauvignon, each with a suggested $9.99 retail price, which means it’s likely that you’ll find them for a bit less.

The torrontes is impressive and should be a hit among those looking for lighter but distinctive wines for summer drinking. Citrusy, with lemon and lime, a touch of vanilla and subtle flower and herb tastes, it’s especially noteworthy for the minerality on the surprisingly long finish. For Asian foods, especially sushi, salads and as a zesty aperitif. Alcohol is 13.5 percent.

The malbec, after a little aeration, shows lovely red berry fruit notes set against a subtle frame of oak with good complexity and tannic structure. Young and fruity, it’s style reminds me of Beaujolais. It should compete easily with comparably priced malbecs like the popular Altos Los Hormigos. Alcohol is 13.5 percent.

The cabernet, while a bit more generic, offers blackberry and spice aromas, a decent tannic structure and is preferable to many California cabs at this level. I am an advocate of organic and biodynamic methods, and these wines show how the power of a big winery can be harnessed to produce impressive results at a very modest price. And in case you were wondering about the word “zaphy,” it’s an indigenous word for “root,” “beginning,” or “origin.” Imported by Frederick Wildman and Sons, New York. Wines received as press samples.

Technorati Tags: Zaphy wines,Trapiche,Argentina wines,Mendoza wines,Argentine malbec,Torrontes,Argentine cabernet sauvignon,Organic wines,Argentine organic wines,Frederick Wildman and Sons,Edward Deitch,$10 wines,$10 and under wines

Sips: Next big thing – will the little-known torrontes become Argentina’s white malbec?

A relatively unknown wine from South America may be poised to become the next big wine talking point from the continent, at  least as far as value whites are concerned. My guess is that most American wine drinkers have still not heard of torrontes, which is grown in Argentina and has remained in relative obscurity until now. That deserves to change. While the market is flooded with inexpensive sauvignon blancs from neighboring Chile, those wines seldom rise above their status as useful but undistinguished wash-down wines; you might as well turn to white Bordeaux or sauvignons from California, New Zealand, South Africa or any number of Loire Valley appellations. By contrast, you won’t find a torrontes on the shelves from anywhere but Argentina. Combine that with an exotic and often lovely flavor profile (one that is far more interesting than that of many sauvignons) and vinification without oak and you have a wine that could well become Argentina’s white malbec.

The possibility has not been lost on malbec producers.  Catena wines of Mendoza, for example, has a winner in its 2009 Alamos Torrontes, a wine that shows the variety’s signature floral and herbal profile combined with lush tropical fruit notes and lime. The result is a striking $13 wine with unusual complexity, elegance and length. Served as an aperitif, it will immediately provoke a conversation and will match well with fish, including sushi, and with other lighter fare. Imported by Alamos, USA, Hayward, California.

Another malbec producer, Diseño, is about to enter the field with its 2010 Torrontes. While the wine won’t be released until next May or June, I tasted it the other night at a small press dinner in New York. It will be priced at $10.99 and is another superb value. It combines floral notes with dried apricot, lime and a bit of honey and cream and has an impressively long finish. Diseño is owned by Constellation Brands, the big international wine company, and was created five years ago, mainly to produce wines for the American market. The wines are made for Constellation by two Mendoza wineries. Based on a first tasting, the torrontes should do very well here. Imported by CWUS Imports, Madera, California.

Technorati Tags: Diseno wine,Argentina wines,Malbec,Argentine malbec,Torrontes,Alamos,Catena,Alamos malbec,Diseno torrontes,Diseno malbec,Constellation Brands,Edward Deitch,South American wines,Chile sauvignon blanc,Loire Valley

Sips: Will torrontés be the hot new white wine?

For white wine lovers used to chardonnay or sauvignon blanc, torrontés is going to be an acquired taste, but one that I think will grow on them. This aromatic variety, which is native to Argentina and is perhaps the country’s most important white grape, is gaining popularity here and deserves consideration as a relatively inexpensive and interesting alternative to more familiar whites. Typically enjoyed young and fresh, the 2009s are out now and a couple of them are worthy of attention for pairing with a variety of foods, especially spicy fish, shrimp, sushi and chicken dishes.

If there is one quality that distinguishes torrontés, it is the grape’s floral undertones that might remind some of gewürztraminer.   This backdrop, when combined with vivid fruit notes, produces wines of considerable complexity and charm. Alas, they can also be one-dimensional and dull.

Trapiche’s 2009 Torrontés from the winery’s “Varietals” series is simple but delicious. Light straw in color, this wine from the Mendoza appellation is subtly herbal and floral with notes of green apple joined by minerals on a surprisingly long finish. It’s a real bargain at $7. Alcohol is 13.5 percent. Imported by Frederick Wildman and Sons, New York.

Finca Ferrer’s 2009 Acordeón Torrontés from the the Cafayate Valley is in a somewhat fuller style and is priced at $9 or so.  Straw colored, it’s more aggressively floral with notes of lime and honey and has a pleasing roundness. Alochol is 13.9 percent. Imported by Freixenet USA, Sonoma, California.

Bodega Tamari’s 2009 Torrontés Reserva from Argentina’s Rioja  region is fresh yet elegant with  notes of pear, grapefruit, lemon and a bit of cream with a subtle backdrop of flowers. I enjoyed it with a lunch of sliced asparagus, onions and pancetta sautéed with bit of Balsamic vinegar and tossed with pasta. Alcohol is 13.3 percent. $15. Imported by Terlato Wines International, Lake Bluff, Illinois.

One thing I noticed about all these wines: they were better on the second or even third day after I opened them; clearly aeration brings out the flavors and helps them “settle down” a bit. You might even considering decanting them.  I doubt that torrontés will overtake the chardonnays or sauvignon blancs of the world any time soon in terms of popularity, but I think it can become a nice addition to your white portfolio, especially for warm-weather drinking.  Have you tasted a torrontés? Let me know what you think.  (Wines received as press samples.)

del.icio.us Tags: Acordéon Torrontés,Trapiche Torrontés,Bodega Tamari Torrontés,Torrontés,Edward Deitch,Argentine whites,Argentine white wines

Sips: some top spring whites

Lots of new releases are coming in for spring, and we’ll feature some of the best of them in coming weeks, starting with these three top white-wine values.

An Argentine blend: The native Torrontés is Argentina’s most important white, and Trivento’s 2009 Amado Sur is the name of a winning blend of 75 percent torrontés, 15 percent viognier and 10 percent chardonnay from the Mendoza region. It’s highly aromatic with flowers and herbs, the signature of Torrontés, and the tastes are dominated by citrus notes, mainly orange and lime, with touches of vanilla and white pepper. It’s fresh and interesting, well priced at $15 and will match well with simple fish and shellfish dishes. Try it with ceviche. Imported by Excelsior Wine & Spirits, Old Brookville, New York.

An Italian chardonnay: Tormaresca’s 2008 Chardonnay from Puglia in southern Italy is superb at $12. With tastes of green apple, lemon-lime, a little sage, vanilla and wood, this is a great chardonnay for informal drinking that will also pair with a wide range of foods. In fact, with its subtle complexity, I think it will fool a good number of people into thinking it’s a more expensive chardonnay when served at an elegant dinner with, say, a  first-course soup pureed from freshly picked asparagus. It’s notable as well for its refreshing underlying acidity and modest alcohol of 12.5 percent. Imported by Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, Woodinville, Washington.

A Washington riesling: Some of the most exciting rieslings being made in this country come from Washington state. As I noted here recently, Pacific Rim is in the forefront with its range of rieslings. Another welcome addition is the Cupcake Vineyards’ 2009 Dry Riesling from the Columbia Valley. This classy $15 wine is very dry indeed and shows notes of tropical fruit, pear, lime and lime peel and has an unusually long finish. It will pair well with grilled chicken, vegetables and seafood and is delightful on its own.  (Wines received as press samples.)

del.icio.us Tags: Trivento,Cupcake Vineyards,Tormaresca,Under-$20 wines,Puglia,Italian white wines,Italian chardonnay,Edward Deitch,Washington wines,Washington riesling,Torrontes,Argentine whites,Columbia Valley riesling,Dry riesling