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| Featured Wine
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Soutiran, Champagne (France) Grand Cru Brut NV ($60, Vintage '59 Imports)
I have always loved Soutiran's Champagnes, but I've never seen them looking better than the current crop of releases.
The wines are all delicious, but what is most interesting is that they are so individuated -- each one is very distinctive, and there's no single house style being stamped onto the different bottlings.
As a case in point, this basic brut is a complex, structured wine that is much more bracing and restrained than the (somewhat, um, slutty) Blanc de Blancs (which I also loved).
The yeast notes are notable but proportionate to the fruit and mineral nuances, and though the wine is still a little tight aromatically and in flavor, it is already very enjoyable.
Yes, this is priced a bit above the entry level brut wines of the big houses, but it is also much more interesting than most of them, and really capable of five years of improvement if you've got good cellaring facilities.
90 - Michael Franz
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| News from the Washington Wine Academy
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Welcome to the Thanksgiving issue of the Weekly Vine!
So what are we thankful for this year? Well, first and foremost, you, our faithful readers. And we hope for an opportunity to get to know you better during the coming months. We're also thankful for the thousands of vineyards around the world who keep doing what they do... and doing it (for the most part) well.
How about you? What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving? Let us know by becoming a "fan" of the Washington Wine Academy on Facebook and posting your answer to that question on our wall.P.S. -- With so many people taking off for the holidays, our newsletter will be taking a break next week as well. |
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Wine for Thanksgiving
People often ask about pairing wine and food. There are two schools of thought on this issue: One school of thought makes recommendations on what wines pair well with what proteins and/or sauces being served. The second school of thought tells you to serve whatever wine you like. (I have a whole funny story that illustrates this second school of thought. But we'll save that for another day.)
In the interest of helping out all those out there worried about serving the "right" wine with Thanksgiving dinner, we offer up these tips:
- Serve more than one wine. Make sure you have at least one red and one white so all of your guests are happy.
- Think about starting with Champagne with your hors d'oeuvres.
- Red wine choices: simple (not full-bodied) Burgundy, California Pinot Noir (as long as its not too jammy or high in alcohol), or Cabernet Franc
- White wine choices: Bourgogne Blanc, Pinot Gris (not a Pinot Grigio), Riesling and Gewürztraminer
- For dessert: a good Tawny Port from a Portuguese producer
For more Turkey, Cranberry Sauce, and Pumpkin Pie pairing tips, try these sites: - Wine Review Online, which will be posting wine recommendations from contributors almost every day between now and Thanksgiving.
- IntoWine, which offers a more in-depth analysis of turkey pairings.
- TheNibble, which offers up recommendations from the National Wine Director and Executive Chef at a Steakhouse & Wine Bar (an odd combination, it would seem, for an establishment)
- Wine Spectator magazine
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Top 10 Wines for Thanksgiving*
- Sparkling: Iron Horse Vineyards, 2003 Russian Cuvée ($33)
- White: Casa Nuestra Winery & Vineyards, 2007 Napa Valley Riesling ($22)
- White: Patz & Hall, 2005 Durell Vineyard Chardonnay ($44)
- White: Stone Hill Winery, 2006 Traminette ($15)
- Rosé: South Coast Winery, 2007 Grenache Rosé ($14)
- Red: Andrew Lane, 2005 Oakville Cabernet Franc ($35)
- Red: Beckmen Vineyards, 2006 Cuvee Le Bec ($18)
- Red: Dutton-Goldfield, 2006 Zinfandel ($30)
- Red: Goldeneye, 2005 Gowan Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir ($75)
- Dessert: Joseph Phelps Vineyards, 2007 Eisrébe ($50)
* List from Nouvus Vinum.
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