Yes! Wine and Texas Chili Dogs, New York and Chicago Dogs…Polish Sausages too.

What can be better than a good hot dog. Some folks like them fully loaded. There’s really nothing that can go wrong with a dog if you really think about it. Growing up we had a place called ‘Orange Julius’ and the toppings you could get on a hot dog were unlimited. Onions, Cole Slaw, shredded pork with BBQ sauce. Whatever you wanted.

Times have changed a little. Somehow, the Hot Dog police got involved and made it so it was not as cool or healthy to be able to do that. I still don’t get it because when you go to the ballpark or have a BBQ or party. It’s tops on the menu…along with wings and chips!

For some reason every time I visit Napa Valley I get reminded of how great hot dogs are. It’s one of these things. Either a food truck or some event is pairing up hot dogs and wine. I learned early on that I nice big red Zinfandel is incredible with a hot dog with a  lot of Cheddar Cheese and Jalapenos.

But that’s not the only pairing that’s phenomenal. It’s got me thinking of the basics. Chili Dogs, New York Kraut dogs and nice spicy Chicago dogs. Nevermind that when you go to Chicago, they are hard to find…which makes no sense. A lot of Pizza though…

Let’s start with the New York-frankfurters, with mustard and sauerkraut, Nathans, go great with a Rose or a refreshingly crisp white Zinfandel. It’s affordable too. Yes! white zinfandel the wine that’s usually pushed to the side…Let me tell you, iced cold white zin and a crisp hot dog is fantastic. You can totally quaff it.

Moving out west, we find the Chicago hot dog, with its trademark peppers, pickles and celery salt, which scream for a medium to bodies wine crispiness out for a light-to-medium-weight wine with substantial crispness to match the acidity and spiciness of the toppings. A Sauvignon Blanc or dry German Riesling are a great match — both of which are dry and have a zip to them. A Chardonnay from Burgundy would be delicious as well. The green, grassy component of the wine or the steely unoaked wetness goes well with the pickles, peppers, tomatoes and saltiness.

I also want to mention that at the Sate Fair there’s always Sausages and peppers. Polish Sausages are my favorite. There’s an earthiness to them that just screams out for a big Merlot or Cabernet…just saying.

Lastly for this piece, I think of Texas and a hot decadent chili dog, with maybe beef and beans… chili sauce, onions and cheese. A full-bodied wine like an Australian Shiraz from the Barossa or a big Zinfandel from California hits the spot; even better if it is in a style that has that bit of sweet-blackberry juice and oakiness…sometimes a zin has hints of BBQ grill marks that help wash down the spices or any sliced jalapeños that you pile on. 

Really, It’s all good.

Check out the Wines of Virginia...A road trip is in order!

Virginia has been producing wines for centuries. So it should not be a little known fact…But I guess it really is.

The most popular grapes are French varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Syrah, and Viognier.

American varietals and hybrids are also produced such as Norton, Vidal Blanc, Traminette, and Chambourcin. Virginia also produces a variety of fruit wines.

Very early on in Virginia, there was attempted production. In the early 1600s, the settlers in British colonial Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in the Americas which is located on the northeast bank of the James (Powhatan) River about 2.5 mi southwest of the center of what is now modern Williamsburg.

Well those settlers ventured to produce European grapes as a way of boosting the British economy to rival wines from France, Italy, and Germany. But they failed in making them flourish due to a number of diseases and early the onset of what was later detected as Phylloxera, the mites that ended up devastating the world’s vines centuries later. But that’s a whole different story for another day.

Due to the difficulties in growing wines, interest shifted to tobacco crops. 

But, in the 1770s, future president Thomas Jefferson attempted to grow vines at Monticello without much success, as did George Washington at Mount Vernon.

In the mid-1800s, successful farming was possible working with indigenous North American grapes, though still never as popular as European ones. By the turn of the 20th century, grafting American to European root stock, the technique proven to ward off the invasive Phylloxera, came into practice to strengthen vines. So, grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay could now be grown successfully in Virginia.

As the wine production began to get traction; prohibition in the 1920s put a sudden end to what was finally becoming a thriving industry and it wasn’t until the 1950s that wineries began to produce again in with any real seriousness.

Two of the top Virginia wineries, Barboursville and Waverly Estate were established in the 1970s, inspiring others to follow suit. Today, there are nearly 200 wineries in production.

The terroir, the climate and soil conditions in Virginia vary extensively. Areas such as those around the Blue Ridge and Allegheny mountain ranges are cool and rocky, further inland summers in the flat lands can be very hot and dry.

There are six AVA’s within the state:

*Shenandoah Valley - the largest and most diverse

*Monticello - where Thomas Jefferson’s viticultural dreams are finally being realized

*Northern Neck George Washington Birthplace - along the Chesapeake Bay

*Eastern Shore - scenic and sandy, with free-draining soils

*North Fork of Roanoke - higher elevations with great ripening potential

*Rocky Knob - as the name suggests, along the slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains

Williamsburg and Jamestown are 15 minutes far apart, if you drive non-stop. Jamestown and Charlottesville are 2 hours 11 mins far apart, if you drive non-stop. The drives are great for site seeing and wine. In Charlottesville you’ll find the Monticello Wine Trail. Today, there are more than 35 wineries within a 30-mile radius of Charlottesville as part of the trail. Which makes for a great road trip and into to the Wines of Virginia.

It's 2019 and these are three of my favorite Cabernet Sauvignons - a Schug, Grgich Hills and a Frog's Leap

By Ralph Del Rio, Wine Correspondent


These are three Cabernet Sauvignon that I have been drinking a lot of lately. Three of my favorites; Definitely 2018 Top Wines

My last visit to Napa Valley afforded me to taste these wines and I have been partaking a lot over the 6- 8 months. So I have gotten to know them fairly well; I have described them in depth and can recommend them to you without reservation. 

Schug

2014 Heritage Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Totally violet in color. Really nice. Not really big on the palate but it is a big wine. Aromas and flavors of figs, dates and dried orange, dried flowers, bakes spices, vanilla roasted notes, with a clean supple, bright, dry yet fruit compote medium body. It has a medium-length finish evoking notes of cassis, spiced nuts and beets, It is chewy, earthy tannins and moderate oak flavor. It’s not like a Caymus or Silver Oak Okay…but it’s a complex and alive red blend that will go with a lot of spicy meat dishes.

Grgich Hills

2015 Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon

It has a Garnet black color. Aromas of dried cassis, cranberry, spiced plums, blood orange, and sweet smooth tobacco, dry-yet-fruity medium-to-full body with a medium-length suede, a bit of star anise de mono, and coffee. cherry tea finish. It has chewy tannins and good oak flavor. A toast red with plenty acidity to spare. It can be paired with a grilled steak or BBQ ribs.

Frog's Leap

2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Grown

This Cabernet Sauvignon is dark, bold and luscious, with generous dark cherry, plum spice, chocolate and leather. Forward but supple, it will drink well right out of the gate, on its own. and you can tell yet it also has enough freshness to age nicely for a number of years. It has a gorgeous depth to play off a classic, mid-weight sense of structure. It flows with layers of enjoyment. This is positively a knockout wine. I like it with hard cheeses and nuts. I just don’t want anything to distract me.

So what happens next in Australia? What's the story about Australian wine right now?

Over the past 10 years, Australian wine exports to America have come and gone.  That’s partially due to changing wine tastes and stylistic preferences, but the great Recession in America also hurt wine exporters the world over. Much of the same financial burdens being faced in America, were also being faced in the UK and elsewhere. There were simply less sales available, for everyone. Australian wine exports, much like exports from almost every wine producing country, were hurt during the recession.

So Australia has made some changes…

So what changed other than pushing for new markets like China and more aggressively California?

Shiraz continues to be the most planted grape and most talked about grape.  But, there’s a lot more to like, and things that wine drinkers like seemingly increase by the day. It helps to have a receptive public.

There’s a new generation of vintners making different choices than their parents did in terms of the types of grapes being planted.  For years, Australian wine seemingly was focused on cheap Cabernet Sauvignon and more expensive Shiraz. Really good Grenache and Chardonnay; also more more Pinot Noir are being pushed now to much success.

If there is one….That’s really the take away story about Australian wine right now. 

Generally, we spend so much time talking about new world and old world wine regions.  Often we think of old world wine regions like France being set in their ways.  Others, like Italy have gone through their own Renaissance too, including the very changes of the way that wine is made.  

Australia is behaving pretty much like every other ‘new’ world region, things change over time. 

For instance, It’s noticeable that Napa Valley has seen a renewed focus on acidity in wine for example. There’s a movement away from big blackberry explosive wines. Hence, it’s normal for Australia to continue to change with the times and earn greater sales worldwide based on those similar efforts.

So what happens next in Australia?

I think you’ll see more of the same. First, you’ll see the continued plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon in Australia. People can’t get enough of it. Australia’s Cabernet have a different profile to other cabernets. Plus it’s the only true international grape that grows well in the country and there are easy sales to be had.  Furthermore, I think you’ll see a renewed focus on an alternative white wine to Chardonnay.  Chardonnay is getting really crowded in the marketplace. It’s everywhere.

Australia has the chance to grow some absolutely world class Marsanne, Semillon, Roussane and Viognier.

….To be continued

Have you ever wondered what the Stages of Champagne making are? Fret no more.

Have you ever wondered what the Stages of Champagne making are?  Fret no more. There are several specific steps or phases in the making the sparkling wine of Champagne.These steps are governed by professional bodies and government agencies to adhere to code. See them listed below.

Let’s begin…

HARVESTING AND PRESSING

Harvest time in Champagne takes place between mid-September and early October depending on the year. The start dates of the harvests vary according to the vineyard. They are determined by Champagne’s professional body based on objective criteria that aim to ensure the wine produced is of optimal quality.

FERMENTATION

After pressing, the musts are poured into vats where they will be fermented twice (alcoholic and malolactic fermentation).

BLENDING

This consists of blending the wines produced from different grape varieties, vineyards and years in varying proportions. Only millésimé or ‘vintage’ champagnes are blended with wines from a single year. These are only made in good years.

TIRAGE

This is the name given to the moment when the wines are bottled. The liqueur de tirage, containing yeast and sugar, are added to provoke a second fermentation. The bottle is then closed with a small hollow plastic seal (called a bidule in French) held in place by a metal crown cap.

THE PRISE DE MOUSSE

This is the second fermentation (literally the ‘foam taking’) that lasts about eight weeks. As during the first fermentation, the yeast consumes yeast and converts it into alcohol. It uses up all the oxygen in the bottle and releases carbon dioxide. This time the gas stays in the wine, making it sparkling.

AGEING

When the prise de mousse is complete, the yeast dies and forms a deposit whose molecules interact with those of the wine. The ageing period varies according to the blending type and the results sought, but legislation has established fairly long minimum periods in the interests of quality that set champagne apart from other sparkling wines: - 15 months minimum after tirage, of which 12 on lees for non-vintage champagnes. - 3 years for vintage champagnes.

RIDDLING

When the champagne is deemed to be sufficiently aged and before it is shipped away in bottles, the deposit that makes the wine cloudy needs to be removed. Riddling (or remuage in French) is a time-honored practice of the traditional method in Champagne that consists of encouraging the deposit to descend to the neck of the bottle so that it can be completely removed. These movements help the heavy deposit to attract the lighter deposit right down to the finest particles and therefore turn the champagne perfectly clear.

DISGORGING

Disgorging consists of opening the bottle to remove the deposit. This is done by freezing the neck. The bottles are first turned upside down after riddling. The neck is plunged into a solution at -25°C that freezes the deposit. The bottle is then up-ended and the crown cap taken off. The solid pellet of ice flies out as a result of the pressure (6 bars inside the bottle).

DOSAGE AND LABELING

The small amount of wine lost is replaced by the liqueur de dosage (mixture of wine and sugar syrup), produced by each vintner. The sugar content has a bearing on the type of champagne desired: Brut or Demi-Sec. The bottles are then stopped with a cork held in place by a wire muzzle. The finished bottle will then be washed, dried and returned to the cellar for a minimum of 2 to 3 months to ensure the liqueur and the wine are perfectly blended. The bottles are then labelled and packaged.

Trade Unions :

Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (Champagne Trade Organisation)

www.champagne.fr

Syndicat Général des Vignerons de la Champagne (Champagne Winegrowers Trade Union)

www.champagne-vignerons.com

Union des Maisons de Champagne (Union of Champagne Houses)

www.maisons-champagne.com 

Tangled up in Blue… Blue Cheeses, Roquefort, Stilton and Cambozola

Tangled up in Blue - Blue Cheeses and other like Roquefort, Stilton and Cambozola sure give a variety to choose from. 

The family of blue cheeses — made from cow's milk, goat's milk, and sheep's milk — is treated with molds to produce blue and green veins. Although blue cheeses stereotypically have strong flavors that intensify with age, there are also a few blue cheeses that can be defined as relatively mellow and very tasty. Their tastes can include a distinct sweetness that's often combined with the salty, sharp, and tangy notes that you'd expect from a blue. That’s what truly special about blue cheeses; there truly is a profile for all kinds of cheese lovers.

Wine Recommendations for Blue Cheeses:

Dessert wines: These sweet wines have intense flavors that aren't overpowered by strong blue cheeses. Try Fonesca Late Bottled Vintage, Taylor Fladgate Special Ruby Porto, or something like Château Rieussec Sauternes.

Also, Full-bodied and fruity California Zinfandels or Cabernets are also a great pairing option for the saltier blues. Try a Rosenblum Zinfandel, Ridge Zinfandel, Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon, or Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon

Roquefort Blue:

This blue cheese is made from sheep's milk and aged for at least three months. Its creamy texture yields a slightly salty taste. It’s relatively soft with plenty of good blue.

Wine Recommendations for Roquefort:

Rhône Valley reds: Choose a red wine from this winemaking region in southeastern France. Try Crozes-Hermitage Paul Jaboulet; Mont-Redon Châteauneuf-du-Pape or a Marques de Caceres Rioja Gran Reserva

Sauternes is a great pairing for Roquefort; this sweet and delicious wine from the Bordeaux region of France. Try Coutet or Château Rieussec.

Stilton:

Whole cow's milk is used for this pale yellow blue cheese. Rich and creamy in taste, it has a slightly crumbly texture with a subtle nutty flavor and tang that gets stronger with age, which makes it the perfect foil for sweeter wines. A Stilton chunk with Blue Cheese in it is fantastic. Sometimes it contains Cheddar, Cotswold or even cranberries. Sometimes when crumbles in a Cole Slaw or Cobb salad can be a revelation along with wine.

Wine Recommendation for Stilton:

Port: This sweet wine is made in the Douro region of northern Portugal. Asso Try Taylor Fladgate 40 year Tawny Port or Nieport Late Bottle Vintage. I enjoy Malmsey wine or rainwater Madeira as well

Cambozola:

Native to Germany and Austria, Cambozola is considered a cross between a Gorgonzola blue and Camembert. Cow's milk is the main ingredient of this cheese, with added cream to give it a smooth, creamy, and spreadable texture. Mostly, flavors are mellow and mild with a bit of zip from the blue. Sometimes it can be spicy…especially the Italian versions of this style.

Wine Recommendation for Cambozola:

Merlot Wines: A soft, round red wine that has a very supple texture. For Cambozola, choose a Merlot from California. Try Mantanzas Creek Merlot or Shafer Merlot. A Piedmonte Nebbiolo Wine from Italy can be a very tasty combination

The funny thing is that, wine “Body” is hard to describe, learn and understand. But let's try

For many Red Wine is there favorite but it’s hard to tell even for the frequent drinker what they feeling or looking at.  What is clear is that a  wine’s color can tell you a lot of things especially help you know if that wine is worth buying to hold on for future drinking or it’s best to drink it now.  So, color can definitely help the collector. You can use wine color reminders to tell if a wine has a the potential to cellar. For example, a Malbec that has traces of blue on the rim has lower acidity and good acidity is one of the key qualities of wines that age well. Wine tasters really look at color; that’s for sure.

The four aspects which make up a wine's body are; alcohol, sugar, tannin and acid.

But, even if you are not a wine expert, knowing a little bit about color can help really you define what you like. So let’s look at Red Wine and the “Body” it has.

Wine “Body” helps you decide which foods pair best with it, when is the right time to drink wine, and even if you are probably going to enjoy drinking it. The funny thing is that, wine “Body” is hard to describe, learn and understand.

But I am going to try to break it out and explain what Wine “Body” is…

Light-Body

Light-bodied red wines tend to have a brighter and more lustrous color. (you’ll be able to see through them.) Types of color range from a bright purple to garnet. For example;. Pinot Noir, , Zweigelt, and Gamay.

Medium-Body

Medium-bodied red wines tend to have average-rich colors. This range of wines is diverse and includes Garnacha, Sangiovese, and Zinfandel…. a medium bodied wine is centered a bit; one with a little lower alcohol levels, those with softer acids, little to no sugar content and little to no tannin

Full-Body

Full-bodied red wines are often deeply colored and this indicates a possible presence of higher tannin and many cases higher acidity and alcohol. But not always. These wines are highly extracted and opaque. e.g. Syrah, Malbec, Mourvèdre, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Remember…Seeing a Blue hue; A bluish tint on the edges of the rim means lower acidity.

Aged Red Wine

When a red wine is far past its prime it will be a dull brown color. Many wines will last 20 years or more without displaying much if any color change. Tannins and Acidity recede. Interestingly Merlot and Nebbiolo stain orange earlier than other types of wine. Especially Italian wines.

What about Rosé Wines?

Rosé wines are made with regular a red grapes such as Mourvedre, but the grape skins aren’t exposed to the juice for as long. There is less time for the color of the grape to seep into the juice. The result is a much more pale red wine called Rosé.  Depending on the variety used, a rosé can range from pale salmon (Pinot Noir) to magenta (Garnacha).

Enjoy!