I am a man of my word:
On the invitation to last Friday’s Pairing Dinner, I believe it said that
you would drink fine wine and leave the event ‘absolutely stuffed’ – That may
have actually been an understatement. We
enjoyed an outstanding selection of food and wine at Bistro 77 but the top pairing
of the evening was undoubtedly the combination of laughter and learning (I believe
the two are an essential combination).
Should you like to view the menu, I have provided a link following this post. We’ll do it again,
sooner than later.
My selections for this edition of Wine
for the Weekend are from Spain
and Australia . The red is a reserva level Tempranillo based
wine from the Rioja region while the white is an Aussie Riesling with a touch of attitude. As usual, both bottles retail
for under the $20 mark.
This week’s Wine Spot comes from a fellow online wine
aficionado and author of Calgary
based Pop & Pour. Peter Vetsch is a
valuable source of knowledge on western Canada ’s wine scene and kindly shares his thoughts on pairing a high QPR (quality price ratio) wine. You are sure
to be impressed by his offering…
Enjoy!
Red
2006 Montecillo Rioja Reserva – Spain
To be classified as Rioja Reserva, the wine must age for 3
years, of which one must be spent in oak prior to release for sale. The wood softens the wine while at the same
time adding a degree of complexity to the equation and this example is
textbook. Balance is key (the wood can
overpower) and Montecillo has achieved perfect harmony in their 2006. Red fruit abounds: raspberry and cherry; a touch of smoke; the
oak is present but in no way intrusive; perhaps just a hint of caramel -
lovely. I’ve paid much more for wine of
this quality; the tannins are like velvet with a juicy sweet core and a
lingering finish – is one bottle enough?
$18.45 (621003) LCBO General List (dry)
White
2011 Clare Hills Riesling – Australia
Full throttle Riesling here folks! An interesting mix of grassy, herbal and subtle
plastic/naugahyde aromatics – that’s not a bad thing. To taste this South Australian example
reveals rip-roaring acidity but a solid mineral core as well and just a hint
of sweetness to balance the overall package.
Expect lemon - and lots of it; lime and grapefruit too. It’s really quite good. The wine will easily cut through the weight of many cream-based dishes.
$15.40 (215111) LCBO General List (dry)
Portugal | 750 mL bottle
LCBO Gen List 25262 | $7.95 <~ Yes, this is correct!
Peter recalls that for
less than a bottle of Yellow Tail, you get a balanced, interesting, flavourful
wine with Old World charm and surprising acid
and tannin structure for its price point. This bottle is a blend
made primarily from the lesser-known Castelao grape (which is also known as
Periquita -- hence the wine name) and it features sour cherry, raspberry and
fig fruit along with rustic earthy notes and a touch of cinnamon spice.
It is bright and only medium-bodied which makes it an easy
match for an array of foods (including sausage, lamb and similar roasted
meats), although I opted to drink it with one of my all-time favourite
wine-pairing foods, Kraft Dinner. I have yet to go too far wrong with KD
and any wine; somehow it just seems to work with everything. I'm
sure Periquita was made to be opened shortly after purchase, but it has enough
depth and tannin that you could almost certainly age it for a few years if you
wanted, making this a cellar-worthy $8 bottle. It's not a game-changer,
but it punches way above its weight class and is thoroughly enjoyable.
Stick the bottle in the fridge for 20-30 minutes before opening.
Great ‘Spot’ Peter - Thanks!
Please take a moment to visit him at Pop & Pour.
~> Link to last Friday’s Pairing dinner menu.
Cheers,