Tag Archives: holiday wine

Wine of the week: Domaine D’Arton Les Hauts 2011

Domaine D ?Arton, a white blend from the Gascony region of France, is great cheap wine, even by the Wine Curmudgeon ?s exacting standards. It ?s not only on a level with the Gascon wines in the $10 Hall of Fame, but it also demonstrates that wine doesn ?t have to come from the same old places and be made with the same old grapes.

The D ?Arton ($9, purchased) is an odd blend, even for Gascony, made with mostly colombard and fleshed out with sauvignon blanc (not the region ?s best grape) and gros manseng. The result is a dry white with some lemon peel in the front, yet underneath is that wonderful white grapiness that makes Gascon wines so distinctive and so much fun to drink. It's the kind of wine that doesn't require a critic or a sommelier; just a simple dinner or an evening on the porch, friends and conversation.

And I ?m not the only one who feels this way, for all the doubters and chardonnay drinkers out there.

Is this a Thanksgiving wine? Is the Wine Curmudgeon a crank about cheap wine?

Winebits 256: Thanksgiving wine

What others are writing about wine for Turkey Day:

? Last minute holiday wines: From no less than Eric Asimov at the New York Times, which does not seem like something he would write about ? rushing to the store just before Thanksgiving. And his selections include Beaujolais (no, not the Nouveau); Macon-Village, the inexpensive white Burgundy that I like a lot as well; and zinfandel, believe it or not. And here is where things get really spooky ? Asimov recommends Ridge ?s Three Valleys, which I just did, and Ravenswood ?s Old Vine Sonoma County, a grocery store wine (I know, I know) that I tasted a couple of weeks ago, liked, and scheduled for a review.

? Go French: Oddly enough, that seems to be a theme this year. Among those who recommend French wines are Pam Busch of Examiner.com, who notes that ?It s almost impossible to go wrong with these French wines at this time of year. ? She likes a Kermit Lynch producer, Domaine Dupueble, which begs the question: When is not a good time for a Kermit Lynch wine?

? An eclectic selection: The Denver Off the Wagon website has something for everyone ? literally. There must be more than three dozen selections, including those from two Bouder experts, Bobby Stuckey and Arian Kara. The J pinot gris is always a good choice, as are the French choices (more French agan): the Bertrand cremant from Limoux and the Humbrecht pinot blanc from Alsace.

Holiday wine trends 2012

wine-glass-candy-caneThe one consistent from last year? Consumers are still looking for value, and they ?re still worried about prices. Or, as my pal Gil Kulers, who works for Atlanta ?s Tower Wine and Spirits, one of the largest retailers in the southeast, described it: ?If it ?s a choice between spending $1 more to get a better wine, and not spending the $1, I had a customer who didn ?t want to spend the $1. ?

The good news is that prices remain consumer-friendly, save for some higher end wines and Champagnes. In addition, the retailers I talked to said we ?re looking for value in places that we haven ?t necessarily looked for value in the past. The details are after the jump:

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Thanksgiving wine 2012

Thanksgiving wine 2012

Hmmm, that Gascon wine sounds like a fine choice for my turkey dinner.

The only rule when choosing Thanksgiving wine? “If Aunt Dorothy likes [insert a wine you hate here, like white zinfandel or a sweet red], who are you tell her she can’t have any?”

So forget all that stuff about proper pairings and $50 bottles of 94-point wine. Thanksgiving is not about wine snobbery, but about having a good time and sharing food and wine and memories with your family and friends.

This year ?s suggestions are after the jump:

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Wine review: Anne Amie Cuvee A Amrita 2011

This post was going to be a wine of the week for a different wine from Oregon ?s Anne Amie ? the muller-thurgau, one of my all-time favorites. But bizarre fog last year did something to the grapes, and rather than make a crappy wine, Anne Amie winemaker Thomas Houseman decided not to make it at all. How often do I get to write that?

So we ?ll have to settle for the Amrita ($15, sample), a white blend that is a fine wine in its own right. It’s mostly chardonnay and riesling (plus eight other grapes for good measure), and is fresh and lively and without the stilted, heavy fake oak that so many wines at this price use to compensate for poor quality fruit, to cover up a winemaking flaw, or to add oak flavor because they think it makes a more popular wine.

The Amrita, like the muller-thurgau, is a food wine with enough sweetness to pair with spicy food (look for a little citrus and apricot fruit), but not enough to offend people who think sweet wine means white zinfandel. In this, it would be a huge hit at Thanksgiving, what with turkey and cornbread dressing.

Mini-reviews 39: Schug, Anne Amie, Acrobat, Colores del Sol

Reviews of wines that don ?t need their own post, but are worth noting for one reason or another. Look for it on the final Friday of each month. Today, wines to enjoy over the Labor Day weekend:

? Schug Chardonnay Sonoma Coast 2010 ($25, sample): Elegant chardonnay that is a huge bargain at this price. It retains California freshness and fruit while showing some of the length and breadth of a fine white Burgundy.

? Anne Amie Pinot Noir Cuv e A 2010 ($25, sample): Classic Oregon pinot (and always a favorite), with berry fruit and earthiness that balance each other, and a fine value at this price.

? Acrobat Pinot Noir Rose 2011 ($10, purchased): Nothing really wrong with this Oregon rose, but mildly disappointing if only because it ?s not up to the quality of the Acrobat pinot gris. Tastes of red fruit with almost sauvignon blanc-like acidity.

? Colores Del Sol Malbec 2010 ($12, sample): At $8, this is a nicely done grocery store wine, featuring the typical blueberry cola aroma. But, unfortunately, it doesn ?t cost $8.

Labor Day wine 2012

So why a Labor Day wine post? Because wine is suitable for every day of the year; haven ?t you been paying attention? Needless to say, the Wine Curmudgeon will spend this weekend doing wine things, including my annual visit to the Kerrvile Wine & Music Festival. I'll participate in a panel discussion on Saturday about the state of Texas wine ? which is quite good, by the way, despite the attempts made by the legislature to reduce it to no state at all.

Holiday picnics and back porch barbecues usually mean lighter wines, and I've offered several suggestions below. But, assuming this summer's heat wave is finally ending, Labor Day also marks the return of bigger red wines, which will pair with ribs or burgers.

These suggestions should get you started:

? Ferret C tes de Gascogne 2011 ($10, sample): This white blend from southwestern France is a solid effort, if not quite up to the standards of the Gascon wines in the $10 Hall of Fame. It has more sauvignon blanc character and less of the Gascon grapiness that I like.

? Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut NV ($15, purchased): You can find this California sparkling wine for as little as $12, which makes it one of the great values of the year (or any other). Look for green apples, some minerality, and even a little yeastiness.

? Bodegas Cepa 21 2007 ($23, sample): A surprisingly nuanced red wine from Spain ?s Ribero del Duero, without a lot of the shouting that so many of these wines do. It does need food, and a Labor Day steak would be perfect.

For more on Labor Day wine:
? Labor Day wine 2011
? Labor Day wine 2010
? Wine of the week: Yellow + Blue Torrontes 2011