Today I will make suggestions on some Wines that I fee will be a good start to building a great home "Wine Cellar". By cellar I do not mean a basement for storage, but rather a collection of wine to have on hand to accent any meal or to enjoy with friends! I know many of you say "I only drink red or white wine", and that is crazy! As a collector of wine myself, and a chef I have come to realize the importance of pairing the correct wine with food. It can make all the difference in how the palate registers taste and appreciation of each!
I am the first to admit you will like certain types of wine better than others, but know not all wines of the same type taste the same! For instance, I tend to like "French Chardonnay" over most of the California, but there again some of the "Buttery" Chardonnay from California are very good to me as well. You may like the "super oak driven chardonnay" they offer a more robust and woody flavor, and on occasion I will enjoy them as well with certain foods.
But today we will stay focused on what I feel are just a good variety of wines to have on hand for every day selections to be safe, just in case….I will also offer a brief description of the wine so as you will have an idea of what it will taste like. Food pairings are also a specialty of mine so I may make suggestions on this as well. I do hope you will enjoy the selections I will list here today ; As they are often wines I suggest for people who seek me out as a professional to build "Wine List" for Restaurants/Clubs around the country or for events I cater, and as a "Gourmet Gift Basket" professional.
Affordable whites is where we will start:
"Cavit" Pinot Grigio…a light and bright wine from Italy with a floral bouquet, hints of lime, peach, and pecan make this a great drinkable wine and it pairs well with most seafood as well as fresh cheeses, and grilled fruits. For a more expensive choice with a bit more recognition you may select "Santa Margherita" I do agree it has more body but there are many other brand names that offer exceptional quality and value.
"King Estate" Pinot Gris from Oregon…a light and crisp wine that is fantastic with escargot, grilled chicken or fishes, with hints of Pineapple and White Grape. It is a bit sweet but so fantastic when paired with food and "Blue Cheeses" it is one of my favorites! I also love the "Clos Des Rochers" from Luxembourg, a bit more character and with a hint of honey!
"Casablanca" Savignon Blanc is my new personal favorite! It has a beautiful complexity and is full of flavor with a melon overtone followed with a citrus finish! I love this wine! It is new to the American market from "Chile" and offers a great value. These type wines pair well with spicy foods, seared Tuna, or any grilled meaty fish like Swordfish. I also love it as a choice with turkey, and roasted game birds. Not all Savignon Blanc wines are fruit forward. If you like more oak and acid in the wine I suggest you try the "Sterling Vineyard", it is also a favorite of mine when paired with sharp or nutty cheese, or with fish served with a fruit salsa.
"Bernkasteler Kurfslay Spatlese" Mozel… is a great choice from Germany if you are looking for a sweet white wine. It sounds strange but try pairing it with spicy Asian foods, or Fried Chicken. Always a favorite with Sausages, or Grilled Pork. It has a slightly musty taste with sweet apples, and honey. I suggest pairing it with strong cheeses as a first course. Another favorite of mine from Monterey is the "J. Lohr, Baymist" a bit lighter but offering exceptional flavors of apple, toasted bread, and nuts with a citrus finish. I like this wine with Fruit Salads, and sauteed lighter fish selections such a Cod or Tillapia.
"Ferrari Carano" Fume Blanc…Great value! Great Taste! As a light white that has a Grassy , Crisp flavor perfect to pair with any bird or fish, I often say this is a perfect wine with pastas in a cream sauce or with green apples and pears in a salad. It is a wine often described as popping fresh, and I agree! For a more complex and rounder finishing wine to pair with Tomato Based Pastas I suggest the "Chateau St. Jean", but both are GREAT in my opinion.
"Viognier" Pepperwood Grove…Is an affordable wine that is perfect in every way! It has fruit, body, perfect oak, and a smooth finish! I love this wine and drink quite a bit of it myself….These wines offer a taste filled with Dried Apricots, and White Raisins, what could be better? This one is a cut above the rest and pairs well with Brie, Mushroom, or Carrot Soup. Any roasted veggies, or medium flavored cheese, I also love it paired with spicy Pasta dishes or Middle Eastern foods. Again if you like a bit more oak then I suggest the "Cline" as it offers a bit more acid and tends to pair well with more creamy cheeses, and dried fruits like dates. This is a fantastic wine to offer when not sure what the best choice is for the dish, it always works!
"Olivier Leflaive Bourgogne Blanc les Setille" this is a white Burgundy that is 100% Chardonnay from France. It is affordable and Flawless to enjoy as a sipping wine or with food. It is crisp, clean, and fresh; offering impeccable full bodied flavors of apple, pears, and vanilla with herbal notes and a long finish. Like most French Chardonnay, it offers hardly any oak flavor something I like very much since the acid is very low. I pair this wine with Scallops, Halibut, and Sea Bass or with cheeses like Brie, or San Simon, it is great with cheese that has fruit or herbs added! If you are looking for a domestic that offers similar characteristics try a "Russian River" chardonnay. I love the "De Loach" or "Sonoma Cutrer, Les Pierres".
"Chateau Montelena" this chardonnay offers quite a bit more oak and has a higher acid, and beautiful flavor! It has a long finish with complex flavors of vibrant tropical fruit, butter,and spice with a rich texture and a smooth finish! A fantastic wine to offer even the biggest wine-snob; Great with "Washed Cheeses" like Swiss Tilsit, Appenzeller, and cured meats. I love this wine as a brunch wine as it pairs well with Quiche, Smoked Salmon, and fresh Berry Tarts! Another selection I love is the "Stags Leap" or the "Rodney Strong, Chalk Hill".
"Tavel, Chateau d’Aqueria" is a Rose’ that is a fantastic wine with flavors of fresh fruit, and flowers. It is NOT a sweet wine, it is a true Rose’ and great with summer foods, quiche, omelettes, grilled chicken, pork, veal, and portabella mushrooms! I offer this wine when catering mid day events as it is dry, intensely fragrant, and generously fruity with a beautiful color! Other more sweet blush wines are "White Zinfandel" and "White Merlot", these wines are more for drinking, not very complex and offer little to the palate in my opinion, however I am more apt to drink the white merlot.
"Flowers" is a fantastic Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast, this wine is expensive but worth every cent! It offers a vibrant taste full of raisin, plumb, and raspberry perfect with fowl grilled meaty fish, pork tenderloin, and cheeses like "Le Roule", "Danbo", and "Bergere Bleue". Never think you must pay $$$ for Pinot Noir there are some affordable wines that offer exceptional value; I love the "Pepperwood Grove", "Sanford", "Rex Hill", and" "Solaris". Another wine that is light and offers qualities like Pinot Noir is "Gamay" these light wines offer an even lighter flavor and should be enjoyed with pears, apples, brie, and lighter dishes.
"Ruffino Chianti Classico Reserva Ducal Gold" is from Italy and is a classic wine which is fantastic with Pizza, Pasta dishes with a Red Sauce, and hard cheeses from Italy. There are many of these wines on the market;" Money Talks" when buying Chianti, as the quality and taste varies considerably.
"Sartori, Amarone" is a must have for the wine collector! Amarone is the most expensive wine to make, as it is made from semi-dried grapes. It has a robust, smooth flavor like no other wine. Your mouth will want to chew it, your mouth will want to savor every flavor offered buy this fantastic wine, chocolate, raisin, roasted nuts, licorice, red berries, and just a hint of smoke make this a party in your mouth! Another full-bodied red from Italy I adore is "Cum Laude" this is a "Super Tuscan" and again a bit expensive but OMG! rich, bold, and everything a Red has to offer! Please go buy this wine it will be a great experience!
"Pine Ridge" Merlot is a fantastic wine to have on-hand it is easy to drink and very complex. It offers value and wonderful flavors of chocolate, blueberries, nutmeg, and black cherry. Merlot is a medium body red wine, perfect with pot roast, pork chops, and Dry Jack cheese. It offers versatility and is a safe bet with almost any meal that requires a red wine to be served. Not too heavy but bold enough to enhance the flavors of most foods. Other Merlots I adore are the "Franciscan", "Cuvaison", "Rutherford Ranch", and "Frie Brothers". At a lower price but still great are "Arbor Crest", "St. Martins Reserve", "Smoking Loon", and "Kumala, from south Africa".
"Charles Krug" Red Zinfandel is a beautiful wine full of rich flavors of blackberries, vanilla, cedar, exotic spice, and cola. I am a big fan of the Red-Zins, as they are tasty, with a long finish, and very full of fruit.They are great with grilled lamb, roast beef, grilled steaks, and cheeses like"Roquefort", "Stilton", and "Toma". There are so many of these wines on the market today I think are great, and the price will vary, but here are a few I think are best values: "Cellar #8", "Windmill", "Cline, Old or Ancient Vines", Kunde", and "Chateau Souverain". These wines are full of tannin, and fruit so expect a lush structure, sure to please!
"Heitz Cellar" Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the best on the market today, it cost a bit more but so fantastic you wont care….LOL! Cabs are Heavy, Bold, and Complex! Get ready for a fantastic taste from the wines I list here, I love a "GREAT Cabernet", money is always a factor if you want the best! My picks are as follows, "Grgich Hills", "Simi Reserve", "Chateau Montelena", "Caymus". these wines are the pick of choice to enjoy with a great steak, grilled lamb, or heavy stews with crusty bread! It takes a strong cheese to hold up to these wines like; "Stilton’, "English Cheddar", "Aged Valencay", and "Boulette d’Avesnes". If your looking for more affordable you may enjoy "Cellar #8", "William Hill", "Chateau St Jean", "Dry Creek", or "Luis Martini", a bit cheaper but fantastic choices!
"Stags Leap Petite Syrah" is a wonderful wine to enjoy, full of fruit, spice, aroma, with a hint of black cherry, and tobacco. "Syrah, Petite Syrah, and Shiraz" are all the same wine! It originated in what is now "Iran", and was the first wine in the history of the world. It is a complex wine full of fruit, medium tannins, spice, and fantastic with middle eastern foods, as well as just about any grilled red meat. More on the history of wine later but for now I also suggest the following: "Anapamu", "Markham", "Bin 555", and "Chateau Souverain". There are also many of these wines from the Middle East, Australia, New Zealand, and points around the globe, try some Syrah from Mexico….Fantastic!
There are a many wines I love, so many I could stay here for years talking about them! But I am sure you would hate me in just a short while, so I hope these suggestions will prompt you to explore the great taste, and pairings of food and certain wine. I love to have a Wine Party, everyone brings a bottle from a country, state, region, or of a type, we all taste and compare notes, sometimes I suggest it cost under $10, and others over $100. We all keep notes in a notebook, share recipes and have a great time! Wine should be stored correctly, and out of the light, never let it get over 75 degrees when traveling with it and reds should be served a 52-64 degrees, whites vary as well some very cold others around 52 degrees. The Glass matters! Get a BIG Wine Glass your nose will fit inside as you drink, The aroma is half the pleasure, I suggest a universal glass unless it is a formal event! Collecting the proper glassware is fun as well, and a "Decanter" is a good investment so as to enjoy Red Wines at their best!
I will explore the world of "Ice Wines", and Dessert Wines soon; so watch for it! Also to come is Ports, and the wines of Africa…..did you know the "Persians" made the first wine 5-6,000 years BC? And the reason people drank so much wine was because there was a shortage of clean water, which often killed, thank goodness times have changed!
Get some books and read up on wine. Some I have enjoyed are:
Wine for Dummies
Wines of the World
The Wine Bible
Great Wine Made Simple: Straight talk from a Master Sommelier
** These books as well many others are available from Amazon.com, or visit your local library. Another great place to look is at used book stores. Here in Dallas "Half Price Books" has a great selection!
