Tag Archives: Funckenhausen

Memorial Day and rose 2023

two women drinking rose
“We can vouch for the WC’s excellent taste in rose.”

The blog’s 16th annual Memorial Day and rose celebration, in which we celebrate cheap, quality pink wine

The good news as we celebrate the blog’s 16th annual Memorial Day and rose extravaganza is that there is lots and lots of quality, inexpensive dry rose on store shelves. The bad news? Prices are higher, though not much more than last year. Plus, they’re all over the place, with some retailers charging twice as much as others for the same wine.

And perhaps the most interesting news? There may be a rose glut, with lots of older vintages — some as old as 2016 and 2017 — lurking in wait for unsuspecting wine drinkers. We’ve written about a potential wine glut before, and this is just another indication that lots of old wine is taking up space in warehouses. Know that most roses that are more than a couple of years old aren’t worth drinking, so buy that 2018 for $5 at your own risk. Hence, the the blog’s rose primer.

The roses here are each highly recommended, and tomorrow’s post will feature six more roses worth writing about. Many are 2021s; the 2022s have been slow to arrive. In fact, I still haven’t tasted blog favorites, Zestos, Charles & Charles, Scaia and La Vieille Ferme.

This year’s roses:

• Tenuta Fanti Rosato 2021 ($11, purchased, 13.5%): This Italian pink, made with sangiovese, was stunning — savory, yet almost fruit punch-like, in the Italian style that almost no one else does. Limited availability. Imported by Massanois

• Mont Gravet Rose 2022 ($10, sample, 12.5%): I tasted this French blog favorite before it was released to retail and it needed more time in the bottle. Having said that, it should evolve into what it always is — clean, bright Provencal-style rose (barely ripe berry fruit, minerality). There also a 3-liter box, non-vintage ($22, 12%), and it needs time, too. Imported by Winesellers Ltd.

• Funckenhausen Dry Rose 2022 ($16/1-liter, sample, 13%): Another stellar effort from a small Argentine producers — cherry fruit, but not sweet, clean, crisp, and all a rose should be. And a liter! Imported by Global Vineyard Importers

• Chateau Fage Rose 2021 ($10, purchased, 13%): Unpretentious and professional French rose, made with cabernet franc, that is a bit heavier and fuller than a Provencal wine. The cab franc fruit (dark berries) shows through. Imported by Monsieur Touton Selection

• La Chapelle du Seuil Rose 2021 ($10, purchased, 13%): Provencal rose for $10. A little more ripe, so the strawberry fruit is more noticeable, but also clean, some minerality, and a hint of garrigue. Imported by Skurnik Wines

• Domaine du Tariquet Rose 2021 ($12, sample, 11%): This French effort may be difficult to find, and prices are all over the place. But it’s savory and fruity, with a wonderful, almost dark finish (and the blend includes tannat). How do they do it? Imported by Frederick Wildman and Sons

More about Memorial Day and rose:
• Memorial Day and rose 2022
• Memorial Day and rose 2021
• Memorial Day and rose 2020
• Rose and socca

Photo: cheeseslave is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Mini-reviews 154: Funckenhausen, aligote, white pinot noir, Domaine Laroque

holiday giftsReviews of wines that don’t need their own post, but are worth noting for one reason or another. This month, more cleaning out the wine closet.

• Funckenhausen Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 ($15/1-liter, sample, 13.9%): Another in a series of 1-liter wines from this Argentine producer that mostly offer fine value but can be difficult to find. Because, of course, the wine business. A little brambly, soft, and fruity, but not flabby. Imported by Global Vineyard Importers

• Roux Père & Fils Bourgogne-Aligoté 2020 ($18, purchased, 12.5%): Simple French white that is Macon-like, though aligote is a different grape than chardonnay. That means fresh, some citrus, and some minerality — and should cost $12. Imported by Monsieur Touton Selections

• Aniello Blanco de Pinot Noir 2021 ($17, sample, 13%): White pinot noir from Argentina, since white pinot noir is a very wine geeky things these says. Somehow, though, it has tannins — despite being made without the skins (that lend tannins) to make it white.  Imported by Global Vineyard Importers

• Domaine Laroque Cabernet Franc 2019 ($14, purchased, 13%): I expected this French red to be more stony and edgy (for lack of a better term). Instead, it was soft, with almost violet fruit (again, for lack of a better term).

Wine and food pairings 15: Southwestern-style stew with guacamole and pico de gallo

Artus Wolfaerts - Man Cooking Sausages
I’m cooking these sausages because the WC, once again, neglected to take a picture for this blog post.

The Wine Curmudgeon pairs wine with some of his favorite recipes in this occasional feature. This edition: three wines with a Southwestern-style stew, made with odd cuts of beef and pork.

The pandemic left me with some odd meat in the freezer – a package of beef short ribs with just three ribs, and what are you supposed to do with just three short ribs? There were also two of the saddest thinly sliced pork chops on record, maybe one-quarter of an inch thick at the thickest.

In other words, nothing I could make by itself that would actually be worth eating. So why not cook them together?

And the blog’s Southwestern-style stew was born.

Obviously, you can make this with just short ribs or just pork (shoulder, certainly) or even beef chuck, but it turned out exactly as I hoped. What makes this work is turning the pan drippings into a gravy with an immersion blender. You don’t lose any of the flavor and there’s no sauce-making aggravation.

I served the stew over Israeli couscous and topped each serving with a scoop of pico de gallo and guacamole. Store bought is OK, but it’s better and not that much work to make your own.

Click here to download or print a copy of the recipe. What wines to pair? Fruity reds to stand up to the spices, plus rose, because that’s one of the things rose does so well:

• Henry Fessy Gamay Noir 2020 ($12, purchased, 13.5%): I served this with the stew and it was spot on. This vintage is a little spicier and less ripe than the 2019, but still well done and enjoyable, with quality red fruit. Imported by Louis Latour

• Santa Julia Malbec Organica Rose 2020 ($10, purchased, 13.5%): This Argentine pink, a long-time blog favorite, is as it always is — crisp, a bit tart, a bit stony, and with strawberry fruit. Imported by Winesellers Ltd.

• Funckenhausen Red Blend 2020 ($15/1-liter, purchased, 13.9%): Funckenhausen, an Argentine producer, does several 1-liter wines made for everyday drinking. And it’s not damning with faint praise to say this wine, mostly malbec, is not the best; rather, it’s still professional and well made and perfect for this dish. Some berry fruit, a little tart, and not too soft. Imported by Global Vineyard Importers

Blog associate editor Churro contributed to this post.

More about wine and food pairings:
• Wine and food pairings 14: Mom’s chicken parmigiana
• Wine and food pairings 13: Crawfish etouffee
• Wine and food pairings 12: Hot dogs

Photo: “Artus Wolfaerts – Man Cooking Sausages” by irinaraquel is licensed under CC PDM 1.0

Slider photo: “Rome Elite Event: wine, food and nice people” by Yelp.com is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0