Wine

When you think of the top wine producing regions in the world, you’re probably thinking of somewhere in France, Italy, or California. You’re almost certainly not thinking Southeast Pennsylvania. And yet, here is Va La Vineyards, smack dab in the middle of mushroom country.

Indeed, for all you terroir nerds out there, Va La Vinyards’ 6 acres are neighbored by a mushroom farm. Supposedly the farm’s compost lot generates a steamy fog that drifts over the vinyard, providing a temperature-leveling effect that is good for grape growing. Said fog is referred to as “the ghost” by the Va La workers, who attribute part of their success with difficult wine grapes to their phantasmic friend.

Anywho, Va La is not a large producer and their wares are mostly available only at the winery itself (and maybe some restaurants). After reading about it at PA Vine Co, I decided to pop down and take a flier on local wine. To be quite honest, I was not expecting much, so imagine my surprise at recognizing that this was probably the best wine I’ve had all year. (Granted, I’m a beer dork and only really dabble in wine, but still…)

This particular red wine, Va La Mahogany, is made from a field blend of northern Italian grape varieties: “barbera, malvasia nera, petit verdot, charbono, carmine, lagrein, sagrantino, etc” (gotta love the grace note added by that unassuming little “etc” at the end there). It’s quite a production:

The grapes were harvested by hand on the mornings of October 4 – 6. The wine was aged in barrels sourced from Burgundy & central Pennsylvania forests for ~ 28 months, and then aged 12 months in bottle before release.

They recommend an extended decanting time and note that it’s well suited for aging. I will most certainly be revisiting this in years to come during the annual beer slowdowns…

Va La Vinyards Mahogany – Pours a very deep, dark red color. Smells of dark, jammy fruits, lots of cherry and blackberry, some oak and vanilla with earthy aromas in the background, chocolate, leather, spice, and the like. Taste starts sweet and fruity, those cherries and blackberries coming out to play, moves into funky territory, chocolate, a hint of spice, maybe leather or tobacco pitching in, finishing with a hit of acidity. Mouthfeel is full bodied, concentrated, bright, with moderate dry tannins underpinning the whole affair. This is complex, I keep discovering new notes, but incredibly well balanced and harmonious. Look, y’all know I’m no wine expert, but this is good wine. A- or maybe an A

Wine Nerd Details: 14.5% ABV bottled (750 ml corked). Drank out of a Bordeaux Wine Glass on 3/19/22. Vintage: 2017. Bottle No. 3250

I am very much looking forward to having this again, and to exploring more of Va La’s wines during future breaks from beer. Certainly recommended for wine nerds who find themselves in the area.

For the past 8 years, I’ve taken an extended break from beer. There are numerous reasons for this, but one of the more fun ones is that I still explore other realms of beverage glory. One particular thing I kept meaning to try out (but was continually stymied by, for years) was Pétillant Naturel (aka Pét-Nat) wine.

Pétillant Naturel translates to “naturally sparkling” and is a sorta funky version of Champagne. I’ll leave it to the experts to get into the distinctions between Pét-Nat and other sparkling styles, but from a beer dork’s perspective, it seems like simple bottle conditioned stuff. It’s even bottled with a crown cap, like beer is (presumably due to the pressurization that can occur). Various descriptions of these wines kinda reminded me of Belgian beers. Maybe not as funky or earthy as Gueuze, but more like a Belgian Strong Pale Ale.

Despite the frequent proclamations that Pét-Nat is an emerging hipster trend, I had trouble finding bottles in PA. Maybe I’m not hipstery enough, but my guess is that, frankly, like a lot of good beers out there, you have to want it. So it took me a few years to actually procure a bottle. What can I say: the Kaedrin procurement department is obsessed with beer, not as much with wine, but they’ll come through if you give them enough time (and the requisite bribes).

Anyway, this appears to be a generally well regarded example of the style. I did leave instructions for the procurement department to seek out white wine varietals, as the notion of a sparkling red didn’t really seem like a good place to start (anecdotal evidence from a wine nerd friend indicates that my instinct was the correct one). This particular Pét-Nat is made with Chardonnay grapes, and it was pretty much everything I hoped it would be.

Donkey & Goat Lily’s Pét Nat – Pours a clear, very pale straw yellow color with a finger or two of tight bubbles, very pretty. There is a small amount of sediment, but keep in mind that wine dorks would probably be horrified by the amount of sediment that appears in some unfiltered beers. There’s maybe a slight haze, but none of the murky, muddy character some beers can have, nor are there tons of chunky floaters when you pour out the last of the bottle. Smells of musty yeast with some citrus zest, pears, honey it feels almost like a hybrid of a Belgian pale ale and Chardonnay. Taste starts off with some sweet vinous fruit, a little of that sort of musty, dusty yeasty funk, but quickly transitions into the more Chardonnay grape, pear, apple flavors, finishing dry, a hint of lemon zest. Mouthfeel is high carbonated and crisp, starts dry, gets a little sweet in the middle, finishing dry. When I say “dry”, I don’t mean like tannic dry, more in the way of little residual sugars (which the carbonation accentuates well). I really like this. It’s playing in the middle of a triangle consisting of Belgian Strong Pale Ale, Chardonnay, and Sparkling Wine. A-

Wine Nerd Details: 11.2% ABV bottled and capped. Drank out of a flute glass on 3/25/22. Vintage: 2020. “502 unfined, unfiltered cases made” Region: Anderson Valley, CA

Food Pairing: I paired this with a reasonably high grade nigiri sushi plate, and I think the carbonation, and relatively dry nature of the Chardonnay went really well with the dish. A go-to beer pairing for that meal would be a Belgian Strong Pale Ale, Saison, or Gueuze, and this fits comfortably in that space. I suspect it would work well with turkey or roast pork loin too.

Beer Nerd Musings: As already mentioned, this sits comfortably in the middle of a triangle consisting of Belgian Strong Pale Ale, Chardonnay, and Sparkling Wine. I do wonder if other white wine grapes would get even closer to the Belgian Pale styles. Perhaps due to my (relative) familiarity with Chardonnay, it still felt a lot like wine, even if I could see some overlap with beer. Interestingly, almost every beer/wine hybrid that I’ve had has utilized red wine grapes. I’m actually having trouble thinking of a beer/wine hybrid that uses white wine grapes. I’ll have to keep an eye out for that. I’m sure The Bruery, which does a lot of wine-forward takes on beer/wine hybrids, has done something like this.

This is definitely a winner. It’s a bit pricey, but not overwhelming and I’ll most certainly be seeking out more Pét-Nat wines in the coming years.

I’m sure there’s a large contingent of oenophiles that would consider this concept nothing short of blasphemous, but as a guy who enjoys the occasional dram of bourbon and thinks that aging beer in bourbon barrels can result in something magical, I have to admit that I was curious.

To be fair, the concept does seem to be at odds with the typical wine playbook. The use of bourbon barrels would introduce intense flavors that would surely overwhelm any sense of subtlety, fruit, or terroir that most wine geeks seem to appreciate so much. Before I had tried any of these, I suspected that this sort of treatment would surely mellow out the acids and tannins while broadening the rich, jammy sweetness and adding body. I was kinda right, though the effect is not as extreme as expected.

There’s a movie called Somm which follows a bunch of people on the quest to becoming a Master Sommolier, and it depicts a lot of people doing formal tasting where they attempt to narrow the wine down via various attributes: grapes, regions, sub-regions, type of terrain, weather influence, whatever. I suspect bourbon barrel-aging would irrevocably foil this process.

Naturally, there is a debate in the wine nerd community about this sort of stuff. Just because you can age wine in bourbon barrels doesn’t mean you should! BBA Wine isn’t “Real” Wine! And it does surely seem like a gimmick. But it appears to be popular with consumers, and thus will probably stick around. Some producers probably like it because bourbon barrels are cheaper than new barrels, and hey, if you have some inconsistency in your wine stores, this could help even things out a bit (while saving your best stock for more prestigious releases). In the increasingly competitive booze market, any chance for wine to make inroads with the bourbon and whiskey crowd is probably a boon to marketers (witness, for example, The Federalist’s hand-crafted glassware that’s meant to appeal to whiskey drinkers, having a tumbler-like appearance).

I’m a big tent guy, so I figured I’d take a flyer on a few bottles to see how they fared with this beer-drinker’s palate. We can talk hypotheticals and speculate on business aspects all we want, but it’s what’s in the bottle that counts, so lets fire up a few bottles and see how it goes.

Cooper & Thief Red Wine Blend – A blend of red wine varietals aged in bourbon barrels for 3 months, this one certainly leans into the bourbon marketing aspects, especially when it comes to the label and even the bottle shape. I didn’t take detailed notes for all of these wines, but I did for this one because it seemed the most distinctive. It’s the most expensive of the wines in this post (around $25/bottle), but I did see a more noticeable difference here, so there is that. For the record, the composition of varietals breaks down as such: 38% Merlot. 37% Syrah. 11% Zinfandel. 7% Petite Sirah. 4% Cabernet Sauvignon. 3% Other Red Blenders.

Pours a very dark, inky maroon/purple color, much darker than your typical red wine, maybe thicker and more opaque than your typical red wine too. Smells of jammy fruit with that bourbon barrel character coming through well, lots of vanilla and oak, slight note of caramelized fruit, maybe even a hint of earthy leather and spice. Taste hits those caramelized jammy fruit notes pretty hard, a little bourbon, oak, and vanilla, very light on the dry tannins, plenty of booze. Mouthfeel is full bodied and rich, but silky and mildly dry. Overall, this is definitely the best of the bourbon barrel aged wines I’ve had, or at least, it’s the wine that’s taken on the most bourbon barrel character. This has, of course, completely wrecked the more delicate wine characteristics, but it does still read as “wine” and in many ways it’s added complexity, even if it’s detracting from the subtlety of some other characteristics. The reckless beer-drinker in me is enjoying this quite a bit…

Wine Nerd Details: 16% ABV bottled (750 ml corked). Drank out of a wine glass on 3/19/20. Vintage: 2017.

Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet Sauvignon Aged in Bourbon Barrels – As the name implies, this is all Cabernet Sauvignon and it’s also aged in bourbon barrels for 3 months. I didn’t take detailed notes, but the bourbon barrel treatment here was noticeable, but not as much as the Cooper & Thief. It contributed lighter bourbon notes and the base wine stood out a little more here. The barrel character is not as overwhelming, but it makes a nice contribution. Again, the more subtle wine characteristics are a bit muted here, but it’s still a tasty glass. This is also the cheapest of the BBA wines in this post but probably represents the best value in terms of BBA character.

Wine Nerd Details: 14.5% ABV bottled (750 ml corked). Drank out of a wine glass on 3/7/20. Vintage: 2017.

The Federalist Zinfandel Bourbon Barrel Aged – Despite the name, this is a blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Merlot that has been aged in bourbon barrels for 6 months. So this was aged longer, but for whatever reason, it feels a bit lighter than the other wines in this post. Not bad at all, but something feels a bit out of whack here. I didn’t take any notes on this one, but I remember it being solid, if not as remarkable as the first two wines mentioned in this post. It costs more than the Mondavi, but not as much as the Cooper, but I liked both of those better than this one.

Wine Nerd Details: 14.5% ABV Bottled (750 ml corked). Drank out of a wine glass on 3/15/20. Vintage 2016.

Gnarly Head 1924 Double Black Bourbon Barrel Aged Limited Edition Cabernet Sauvignon – I gotta be honest here, I didn’t think I’d be writing about this, so I didn’t take notes and this one left the least impression of any of the wines in this post, which probably says something. I will say that I think it was about on par with The Federalist, but it was a tad cheaper (about the same as the Mondavi), so it has that going for it… Weirdly, details for this wine are sparse on the internets and I recycled the bottle a while ago, so the nerd details below are kinda estimated.

Wine Nerd Details: 15% ABV bottled (750 ml corked). Drank out of a wine glass on 3/14/20. Vintage 2017.

So I drank a bunch. The verdict? I think the BBA treatment can be done well, but even the best can’t quite stack up to the big difference that bourbon barrels can make with beer. Speaking of which:

Beer Nerd Musings: While I love beer aged in bourbon barrels and think the results can be magical, there’s actually a fair amount of folks in the beer world who aren’t big fans. There are plenty of debates about unbalanced monstrosities and people say things like “What ever happened to beer flavored beer?” and whatnot. These sorts of complaints seem to be more common with folks across the pond who tend to appreciate the sessionable character of lower abv beers, but I suspect you see the same pattern here as with wine. The traditionalists bemoan changes to their beloved styles, just like the wine folks aren’t that into Bourbon Barrels. To be sure, they’ve got a point. For whatever reason, the craft beer community (especially in the U.S.) tends to thumb its nose at things like tradition, hence we’re always adding weird ingredients and treatments to the process. Not always, but often enough. It’s all in good fun, but I’m definitely of the mind that a lot of the more out-there treatments are unnecessary and sometimes exhausting. That being said, some of these non-standard additions are well matched. Stouts and barleywines make good companions with bourbon barrels and present complementary flavors. Vanilla and coffee can also work wonders. It’s when you get to some of the more goofy additions that things start to go off the rails for me. I’m all for experimentation though, and it seems like the wine world is much more focused on tradition than pushing boundaries. I remain a massive fan of bourbon barrel aged beer though, and while I can see the traditionalists’ point (and to be fair, have been partaking in more traditional offerings of late), I will always look forward to the Bourbon Barrel Aged treatment…

That just about covers it for the non-beer drinking portion of the year here at Kaedrin. Stay tuned for our triumphant return to beer reviews. Naturally, it will be a bourbon barrel-aged barleywine, so stay tuned.

Pizza and beer is one of my favorite pairings, but what to do when you’ve gone on a temporary beer hiatus? Obviously you need to go with an Italian wine, but that doesn’t narrow things down much… I ran into this video (you guys, I watch Playboy for the food pairing advice) which suggested a specific wine and, for once, I was actually able to find that wine around here.

This wine hails from Vittoria, Sicily and is made by one of the rising stars of the wine world, Arianna Occhipinti. She fell in love with the process while working with her uncle, also a famous winemaker, when she was just 16 years old. She followed up by studying agriculture and oenology at university and started making her own wine right after she graduated. Starting on a tiny plot (1 hectare), she’s slowly grown her winery, focusing on all natural, organic winemaking.

It’s funny, in looking up this wine I keep running into the weirdly specific statistic that Arianna Occhipinti has had 27 articles about her wines featured in the New York Times. Well, I guess she can add “and one random beer blog” to her growing list of plaudits.

This particular wine is a blend of two indigenous grapes, Nero d’Avola and Frappato. As a beer dork, you’ll have to excuse the fact that I’m not familiar with either, but from looking around, Frappato is known for light-bodied, low-tannin wines with a distinct, I shit you not, “grapey” aroma. Alright, so other, probably more reliable sources go beyond describing these grapes as “grapey” and go with descriptions of red fruits (raspberries, cherries, etc…) and floral notes. Nero d’Avola seems to be associated with bigger, bolder wines, dark fruits (plums and the like), and tannins. The blend goes 70% Frappato and 30% Nero d’Avola, so I’m guessing a medium bodied wine with a nice acidity to pair with the pizza.

SP68 apparently refers to the name of a highway near Vittoria, so let’s hop on board, drink some wine and eat some pizza:

2015 Arianna Occhipinti Sicilia SP68 Nero d’Avola e Frappato – Pours a light, bright ruby red color. Smells nice, lots of fruit and berries, some floral notes, all leavened by hints of earthy funk in the background. Maybe it’s because I love me some ultra-funky beer, but this does not seem as funky as many reviews seem to call out, though it is there. Taste again has a lot of fruit, berries, acidity, a bit of funky earth (though again, not that dramatic from my perspective). Mouthfeel is medium bodied and bright but still rich and robust, mild acidity, tingly tongue feeling but again, from the beery perspective this acid is nothing. Light on the dry tannins, making for an easy drinking wine. Overall, I’m really enjoying this wine, and it does indeed pair well with pizza… In fact, this is one of the more memorable wines I’ve sampled this year.

Wine Nerd Details: 13% ABV bottled (750 ml). Drank out of a wine glass on 4/7/17. Vintage: 2015.

Food Pairing: A pretty straightforward pizza with red sauce, asiago and mozzarella cheese, garlic, and fresh basil, and yes, the wine did indeed pair very well. Did it pair better than beer (or even my old favorite, Coca-Cola)? That is indeed the question. I think I might still prefer beer, but I will say that my experience with wine and pizza in the past (not a lot of experience here, but still) wouldn’t have even been close, and this wine made for a really pleasant pairing…

Beer Nerd Musings: I don’t know of any beers that have made use of these Sicilian grape varietals (or aged in wine barrels from these grapes), but I suspect Frappato would be a nice adjunct in a lambic or American wild ale. As I understand it, the beer scene in Italy is exploding (just like here), but that a lot of operations are tiny. I hear some are even connected to wineries, so this seems like a fruitful combination… that will probably never make it to the U.S. Still, a man can hope. As for pairing with pizza, lots of beers will work, but I usually end up with some form of IPA or Saison, thogh a nice, crisp pilsner or helles can work too. Even a stout or Belgian dark could do the trick…

While I have triumphantly emerged from this year’s Beer Recession, I do still have a few non-beer things to cover this week before we get back to the beer. Next up: beer adjacent hot sauce!

Get your fainting pillow ready: I haven’t drank much French wine. I’d say I’m the worst but you guys know this is a beer blog, right?

This bottle hails from the hills of the Rhone valley and thus sports a Côtes du Rhône Villages appellation, specifically the northwest facing slopes in the south of the area and oh geeze, I’m getting into that micro-climate terroir territory here, aren’t I? I’m sure this is important, but this doesn’t mean enough to me just yet, so let’s move on to the varietal, which is 100% Syrah. Aged for 14 months in oak barrels too. Looking around, I see that these wines are “great for aging” and indeed, many reviews seem to indicate that it could use some time in the bottle before drinking. Fortunately, I’m drinking this about a year after those reviews were written, so let’s get to it:

2014 Domaine Fond Croze Côtes du Rhône Villages les Roches – Pours a dark maroon, purplish red color. Smells fantastic, lots of fruit, almost tart fruit, maybe a floral note or earthy note too. Taste is rich, dark fruit and berries up front with a helping of mineral earthiness and leather or tobacco or something, but then it lightens up a bit and brings out an almost (but not quite) tart note towards the finish, which only displays moderate tannins. Some oak is present too, but so much that it overpowers anything. Mouthfeel is rich and coating, medium to full bodied, only moderately dry. Seems to pair well, but also drinks well on its own. Overall, this is quite nice!

Wine Nerd Details: 14% ABV bottled (750 ml). Drank out of a wine glass on 3/25/17. Vintage: 2014.

Food Pairing: Fronch fries. Fronch dressing. Fronch bread. And to drink… Peru. Or just the standard red wine pairing of grilled steak, sauteed mushrooms, and some steamed string beans. The wine was able to stand up to the hearty meal, but was also quite good on its own.

Beer Nerd Musings: I don’t appear to have had a beer aged in old Syrah barrels, but the treatment isn’t that unusual either (usually sours). I’m almost certain that BFM’s Abbaye De Saint Bon-Chien series uses Syrah barrels in some vintages, but that’s a blend from a bunch of different barrels, so not exactly a pure expression. And look here, BFM does make a version of their XV (√225 Saison) that is aged on actual Syrah grapes, so there is that. Also Jester King’s Biere De Syrah, which I wouldn’t mind trying. Hint, hint. Cause I assume one of my five readers is from Austin or something. What was I talking about?

I quite enjoyed this. Since it supposedly ages well, I may have to snag another while it’s still at the PA Chairman’s Selection pricing… though its still a bit pricey (on the other hand, it’s nowhere near the infamously expensive French wines…) And the great 2017 Beer Recession continues unabated. Stay tuned for some Apple Brandy later this week, followed by a couple of Bourbons next week…

During these times of beer recession, I find myself reaching for wine more than I would have thought. This despite being pretty clueless on the finer ins-and-outs of oenophilia. It can be pretty fun to just grab something off the shelf and explore, something that is less common for me when it comes to beer these days. Remember the days of Belgian beer roulette? Well, say hello to Italian wine roulette! I grabbed this bottle a little while ago knowing almost nothing about it other than that it was from Italy and had one of those ritzy DOC stickers.

How’d I do? It turns out that this is an Italian Amarone, typically a rich, dry red wine made from partially dried grapes. This particular bottle is made from grapes picked in October, then dried under shelter in the open air on flat wood crates until January or February. The classy name for this process is the “appassimento method”, but most of us would just call these suckers raisins (perhaps not quite full-raisin, maybe just quasi-raisin). The “raisined” grapes are fermented and initially aged one year in stainless steel, followed by a lengthy 4-5 year stay in traditional, large Slovenian oak casks. This sounds quite intensive, so let’s dig in:

Le Ragose 2007 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico – Pours a deep, dark, garnet red color. Smells of dark fruits, cherries, plums, and the like, some vanilla, and something a little more earthy. Taste hits those jammy fruits up front, then moves into an earthy, almost spicy note, followed by dry tannins in the finish. Mouthfeel is medium to full bodied, rich, and intense with moderate to high dryness. Definitely benefits from a pairing with rich, hearty dishes (I had steak and sauteed mushrooms). It’s not quite the beast that Sagrantino can be, but it’s on that spectrum and would you look at that, the ABV is certainly on the higher end and kinda snuck up on me… Overall, this is a great little Italian wine, intense, complex, and tasty. Let’s call it a victory for Italian wine roulette!

Wine Nerd Details: 15.5% ABV bottled (750 ml). Drank out of a wine glass on 3/19/17. Varietals: Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara. Vintage: 2007.

Food Pairing: As mentioned above, this wine kinda needs rich, hearty dishes, and I prepared a nice NY Strip steak and sauteed mushrooms, which fit the bill nicely.

Beer Nerd Musings: Alas, I am unaware of any Amarone barrel aged beers, though I think the intensity of the wine could pair well with some American Wild sours or maybe even non-sour stouts. I’d also be curious about the idea of using “raisined” grapes as an adjunct in beer as well. That could lend a certain intensity that would be interesting. Again, I’m not really aware of any beers that make use of this though… Opportunity, thy name is raisin. Or something.

I have another Italian wine in the pipeline, one that I’m told pairs well with pizza, so stay tuned.

So if white wines are the lagers of wine, are red wines the ales of wine*? Alright, fine, I won’t just write the inverse of Tuesday’s post and will instead leave it as an exercise for the reader.

Clos Du Val Winery was founded by two Frenchmen** who were scouring the planet looking for areas where they might be able to produce Bordeaux-style wine. Interestingly enough, they settled on a particular stretch of Napa Valley known as… the Stags Leap District. I’m guessing this means that Clos Du Val is just a quick stumble away from Stags’ Leap Winery (which we covered on Tuesday) and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars (which we covered last year). Anywho, Clos Du Val gained their reputation in part due to their participation in the Judgement of Paris, a blind wine tasting in which some American wines bested French wines, to much consternation. Clos Du Val came in 8th place (so it wasn’t the controversial winner, but it was playing on the same field), but the same vintage would go on to do quite well at subsequent rematches, proving that their wine ages well too. A recommendation from a friend, and I must say, I really enjoyed this:

Clos Du Val Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 – Pours a deep, very dark ruby red color, purple highlights. Smells great, rich dark fruits, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, and a nice oak component pitches in as well. Taste is sweet berries up front, cherries and blackberries, nice acidity followed by a hefty tannin dryness towards the finish. Mouthfeel is rich and full bodied, robust with a medium to high dryness that lingers into the finish, perfect for red meat. Overall, this is a fabulous little Cab. I always hesitate to rate wines, but what the hell, A-

Wine Nerd Details: 14.1% ABV bottled (750 ml corked and served slightly below room temp). Drank out of a wine glass on 2/20/16. Vintage: 2013.

Food Pairing: It was unseasonably warm on Saturday, so I broke out the grill and made a nice Filet Mignon, and the pairing went quite beautifully. Sides were sauteed mushrooms and asparagus, both of which worked fine. I tried some dark chocolate, which worked well enough, but perhaps not as great as some beer/chocolate pairings I’ve had.

Beer Nerd Musings: It should be unsurprising that Cabernet Sauvignon barrels are quite popular with breweries making American Wild Ales. The proximity between Californian breweries and wineries often leads to collaborations of a sort, even if some winery employees are afraid to go to breweries like Russian River for fear of picking up some Brettanomyces at the brewery and inadvertently introducing the wild yeast back at their winery (Brett, while great in beer, is apparently deeply reviled in wine, though I’d be really curious to see what a Brett wine would be like, just for yucks). Russian River’s Cabernet Sauvignon barrel aged sour is called Consecration, and it enjoys a great deal of popularity, though it’s actually my least favorite of Russian River’s standard lineup (I suspect this has more to do with the high level of alcohol than the wine though). Other Cab aged beers that I’ve reviewed include Dock Street Flemish Red and Avery Tectum Et Elix. Some beers will even be aged on Cabernet Sauvignon grapes (like, say, Cascade’s Sang Royal, a great beer).

So that was quite nice. Stay tuned, we’ve got some Bourbon and Scotch coming your way, maybe even some Vintage Port…

* Or, as Cian asked, are red wines the stouts of wine? That is a trickier proposition, but my guess is that most red wines are not very stoutlike except in more general terms of intensity or complexity or something like that. However, I did have that Carmenere last year that was distinctly stoutlike, so there is that.

** Don’t say “cheese eating surrender monkey”, don’t say “cheese eating surrender monkey”, don’t say “cheese eating surrender monkey”, don’t say “cheese eating surrender monkey”, don’t say “cheese eating surrender monkey”, ah crap I just said it 5 times.

Is white wine the lager of wine?

The problems with using a wisdom-of-the-crowds ranking of beer are myriad, but one thing that will almost certainly jump out at you is the distinct lack of lagers. I’m as guilty of this as anyone, but I have been trying to get my lager on in recent months (heck, I even included a lager in my top 40 of 2015!) There are lots of reasons for this perceived lack of enthusiasm and I could probably spend a few thousand more words on the subject (my own theory is along the lines of people associating lagers with Beast or Natty Light or whatever cheap garbage we drank in college), but I think we can all agree that lagers get short shrift from beer nerds.

I see a similar dynamic with white wine. Keeping in mind that I’m on the outside looking in, there is a stereotype that wine nerds tend to prefer red wine, some going so far as to say they don’t ever really drink white wine. I have two informal guides to the world of wine, and one of them is definitely like that. The other is not, but then, most of what I see him talk about is reds. I gather the reasons for this tend to be the same. Reds (or ales) are richer, more complex, more intense, and go better with red meat, while whites (lagers) are more subtle and nuanced. Again, this isn’t necessarily true, but it’s what I see looking in from the outside.

Even the reversal revelations hold a similar pattern. I used to only drink reds until one day someone sprung a particularly great white on me and now I enjoy them too. I gather food pairing has a lot to do with this, moreso with wine than beer, but the point holds. My own lager revelation was after a week of particularly intense drinking in Vermont (so lots of face-melting IPAs). I was about to go to a beer festival later that night, so I didn’t want to kill myself and picked a Czech Pilsener I had heard about. It was sublime, and ever since then, I’ve been giving lagers a chance. Mind you, my beer diet is still primarily ales, but the occasional lager is more diverse than no lagers.

In terms of wine, I have also tended to gravitate towards reds. But the whole point of this semi-hiatus from beer that I’m currently mired in is to try new things that I might not otherwise seek out. So I took a flier on this PLCB Chairman’s Selection, in part because I really enjoyed last year’s Stag’s Leap Merlot. Funnily enough, I see that this is not actually the same winery. Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars is different from Stags’ Leap Winery. Both are located in what is now called the Stags Leap District. Truly, these people know how to strategically place (or not place) an apostrophe.

I am always curious about the winemaking process and you all know I am obsessed with barrel aging, so I was happy to see that the winery provided a lot of detail. 25% is fermented and aged in stainless steel, 25% on new French oak, and the remaining 50% on “seasoned” oak (which I assume means it’s not a first use barrel) for six months. I have no idea how this compares to other Chardonnays, but I do know that people tend to whine about over-oaked wine, so mayhap this isn’t their bag. Or maybe that 25% stainless is enough. Regardless, I think it’s time we got down to drinking this sucker:

Stags’ Leap Chardonnay – Pours a clear, very light yellow color. Smell has a nice stone fruit character going on, pears, maybe a little in the way of peach. Taste moves in a sweet direction, some oaky richness, some citrusy notes here too, maybe hints of lemon (but not really tart) in addition to the pear and peach from the nose. Mouthfeel is bigger bodied than I expected, some acidity, hints of alcohol warmth. Overall, this is a very nice Chardonnay, well balanced, sweet, tasty. Still not the revelation I was seeking, but I guess I’ll give it a B?

Wine Nerd Details: 14.2% ABV bottled (750 ml corked and chilled). Drank out of a wine glass on 2/19/16. Vintage: 2014.

Food Pairing: I paired this with a pretty good grade plate of sashimi and nigiri sushi, and it worked well enough. Not a revelatory pairing, but I can picture the white wine pairing better with that dish than pretty much any red I’ve ever had (which might overpower some of the more delicate pieces of fish I had).

Beer Nerd Musings: I pretty well summed up my beer nerd musings above, but I will note that while I enjoyed this white, it didn’t ignite a passion for exploring more whites. I do, however, think a good pilsner could pair very well with sushi, even if it’s something I haven’t done often (or lately). Once this hiatus is over, I may have to grab a growler of Victory’s Braumeister Pils and pair it with the same meal to see how well the pairing compares to this white wine.

And that about covers the white wine portion of this current beer hiatus. Stay tuned for a red wine review later this week. Next week we’ll probably hit Scotch, bourbon, and maybe a Port wine too. After that, who knows?

One of the many things I love about winter is that I generally take the opportunity to do some slow cooking. Soups are a staple, sometimes I’ll slow cook ribs or pork shoulder, but this past weekend, I made some Italian tomato sauce. There are, of course, many ways to do so, but I went low and slow, ending up with something more on the chunky side. I also managed to procure some high end sausage, meatballs, and tortelinni, so all was well with the world. To pair with this magnificent feast, I obviously had to go with Italian wine, so I pulled out this bottle I bought a couple years ago.

Made in the Montepulciano region of Italy from 70% Prugnolo Gentile grapes (a Sangiovese clone) and 30% Canaiolo. These are both famous Italian varietals, though Sangiovese is clearly the more popular varietal, a component in numerous blends of Italian wine. This particular bottle is generally considered a “lesser” version of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, but it still holds the DOC appellation, and I must admit, the price point of approximately $13 is attractive. It seemed like it would go well with my feast, so I popped the cork and let loose:

(Click to Embiggen)

Carpineto Rosso di Montepulciano 2011 – Pours a clear ruby red color, maybe a little of purple around the edges. Smells of fresh, ripe fruit, feels a bit straightforward, but maybe some earthy character in the background. Taste hits that ripe fruit up front, with acidity balanced out by a nice dry tannin character. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a well balanced acidity and dryness that makes for a really smooth mouthfeel. Dry, but not so much that you must eat something with it, it can work fine on its own. Overall, this is a very nice glass of wine, not going to make your face melt, but it’s a solid choice that works well with food but can also work by itself. B

Wine Nerd Details: 13.5% ABV bottled (750 ml). Drank out of a wine glass on 2/13/16. Vintage: 2011.

Food Pairing: As mentioned and pictured above, I made some tomato sauce (starting with San Marzano tomatoes, with onions, garlic, oregano, red pepper, and fresh basil, simmered for a few hours with Parmesan cheese rind for added flavor), served atop a decent grade Italian sausage, veal/beef/pork meatball, and tortellini. The wine went well with this meal. Not a revelation or anything, but it worked, and that’s what this wine is good for. It’s not so dry that you need some sort of red meat, but it’s not super jammy or acidic either, so it worked fine with this meal.

Beer Nerd Musings: I’m not aware of any beer specifically aged in Montepulciano barrels or anything like that, though the ubiquity of Sangiovese means that I’ve definitely had some beers that incorporate such grapes (or wines). Stillwater has made some Brunello barrel aged beer, and those wines are almost always comprised of 100% Sangiovese (though I gather that there was some sort of controversy a few years ago where producers were blending in small portions of other grapes to even out the wine). This particular blend seems like it could work well with beer, whether you go for the grapes or just use the barrel for some flavor.

Stay tuned for more wine blogging in the coming weeks. I’ve got a few bottles to get through here, so it should be fun. Next up on the blog, though, will be a Bourbon…

Coming down the homestretch of my temporary detour from beer, we’ve got another wine recommendation from PA Vine Co and current PA Chairman’s Selection. In last year’s limited wine sampling, I went with two relatively straightforward wines: A Chardonnay and a Pinot Noir. This year, I hit up a pretty standard varietal with a Merlot, but also gravitated towards some weirder, funkier, more obscure grapes that I’d never heard of, like the Sagrantino and now, a Carmenere.

Carmenere has its origins in Bordeaux, France as one of the six original grapes used in blending, but has mostly fallen out of use. It is now primarily grown in Chile, which is where this particular bottle comes from. The grape is a member of the Cabernet family and is frequently compared to Cabernet Sauvignon, though it seems to be a little more funky and intense than I usually think of Cabernet Sauvignon being… (though perhaps that Chilean terroir is the culprit there?)

TerraNoble Carmenere Gran Reserva 2011 – Pours a deep purple color with amber highlights, lots of legs. Smells roasty, almost charred, like coffee (or tar), it’s got some fruitiness lurking in the background, but it’s really that almost smoky tar that dominates the nose. The taste starts with all sorts of fruit, cherries, blueberries, raspberries, and so on, with more earthy notes hitting later in the taste, tobacco, leather, coffee, spice, also some oak playing around, and finishing back with the fruit. Very intense, lots going on, with a complex, long finish. Mouthfeel is on the lower end of full bodied, rich and smooth, dry (but not extreme), a little acidic. It’s not quite the Sagrantino-level monster of funk that absolutely must be paired with rich food, but it’s got a similar funkiness going on. I can drink this by itself, though it obviously pairs very well with rich foods. Overall, I like this a lot, intense complex and funky, though it doesn’t feel as integrated as the Sagrantino. Also, while I love how odd and intense this wine is, my legendary ambivalence to all things coffee isn’t really doing this any favors (a matter of taste, not the fault of the wine itself) I suspect age would treat this well though, and I might grab a bottle to see what happens. I’ll give it a B, but it’s a fascinating B and well worth a shot for the adventurous (as with the Sagrantino, beer lovers who go in for novelty and funky flavors will probably get a kick out of this)…

Wine Nerd Details: 13.5% ABV bottled (750 ml). Drank out of a wine glass on 3/20/15. Vintage: 2011.

Food Pairing: Went pretty straightforward with this one, with a pan seared New York strip, Port-Wine Mushroom Sauce, and some of that leftover risotto (aka hot wet rice) from last week. It was glorious, even if I wasn’t a huge fan of that sauce that I made…

Beer Nerd Musings: This is the closest thing to a stout I’ve tried in wine, and I honestly didn’t think I’d ever be saying something like that. Red wine barrels tend to be used for sour beers, but they’re usually familiar varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir. These weird, funky wines might work well with non-sours. This one in particular, with its roasty coffee tobacco notes that come out almost smoky or tarry, might work really well on its own with a big imperial stout. Would a coffee stout overpower the character of these barrels? I’m guessing it would – it would be more interesting to see if you could get the sorta coffee notes out of the roasted malt’s interplay with these barrels. Maybe even a barleywine or Scotch ale could work with this. I’m sure darker sours and things like a Flanders Red would work in these barrels as well. Alas, I cannot find a single example of a Carmenere barrel aged beer.

So there you have it. If you’re into novelty and love yourself some coffee stouts, this is worth a try. At $12.99, it’s a pretty good deal too (if you happen to be in PA). Next week we’ve got some Scotch and Tea, and then our road converges back into beer!