Another Good Reason to Visit Daniel and Cari

Even though I am very sad about my best friend moving to New Mexico, I wish him and his lovely wife the best and get ready because we will be visiting very soon. New Mexico and Albuquerque especially have excellent cuisine and great wineries producing wines that are seen all over the world. Probably the best known is Gruet Winery which makes the best sparkling wines in the desert. They make these sparkling wines in the Methode Champenoise which means it's made with the same grape varietals (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier) and same method (Second Fermentation in Bottle) as true Champagne from France.
Methode Champenoise, Brute, Non-Vintage ($16)
This Brut offers a crisp, full-bodied sparkling wine. Flavors of green apple, grapefruit, and citrus pop in your mouth with a smooth creamy, nutty finish.

Sophia's Place Albuquerque
This hole in the wall is know for Duck Enchiladas and Blue Corn Pancakes. I can not wait to visit to try them both. Then I will go see Dan and Cari. I saw this restaurant one night while watching Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives on the Food Network with Megan. I have been told that New Mexico has some of the best food in the US and can't wait to visit.

Daniel and Cari, I wish you the best and hope that you come back to the East Coast soon, but don't come back until you have tried the all the local flavors. Take this opportunity to try somethings that you can't get in NC or VA. If I learned anything from moving back to VA from Chicago is that we will always talk about the amazing restaurants, bars, clubs, and shows tell the day we die. We loved it in Chicago and yall will love it in Albuquerque. Remember you can do anything for two years!!! Love you guys!

Pinot Noir Rack of Lamb

Every couple of weeks I like to try something in the kitchen that I have not done in the past. Megan loves it when I try new things in the kitchen. This is why I love her so. Maybe it's because she doesn't have to cook. This week I grilled a Pinot Noir and Rosemary Marinated Rack of Lamb. I could not believe how easy it was to cook this wonderful piece of meat. Usually when people talk about Rack of Lamb you immediately think $$$. Since Easter was right around the corner I purchased this rack on sale at Fresh Market for under $20. This is by far my favorite store to get fresh cuts of meat on the cheap. They cut all their meats really thick and only cut a certain amount per day so the meat is always fresh but you have to get it before it is all gone.

Pinot Noir is one of my favorite wines to marinate with because of it's aroma and flavor profile. PN always has a smokey, almost rendered bacon fat, kind of aroma. PN is also a lighter grape so you won't have to worry about the wine stealing the flavor show. PN always has a flavor profile of Cherries and usually Raspberries.

Stringtown Pinot Noir, Oregon ($18):
Visual: Ruby Red to Brick Red in color, Medium to Medium-Long Legs
Nose: Smokey, Raspberry Jam, Black Cherry, Plum
Palate: Bright Cherries, Plum, Tiny Tannins (those things that dry your mouth) but they work perfectly with the lamb because the lamb has quite a bit of fat in it so the tannins help to clear you mouth of the fat so when you take that next bite it is just like the first bit you had. A very balanced PN for under $20

Quick Rundown on New Wines to Try

Here are some wines that Megan and I have had the past few weeks and wanted to share with you guys.

Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc 2007 $17 (91pts WS)- Megan's favorite all-time wine!!! I actually found this wine at JMU when the Cool Group (Peter B., Liz A., and Lindsay G.) and myself were trying new wines for our Wine Class. Peter found this wine at Costco for just under $20. We thought we were living in high society with our $20 bottle of white wine!!! We always kept coming back to the Whitehaven SB when we would get together to grill out. Lets run down the flavor profile and you will understand why this has been one of our favorites for years.

Visual: Light Straw, with Lemon-Lime Tones. Medium Legs
Nose: Vibrant Currant, Gooseberry (or Sour Plums), Ripe Citrus (Lemon, Lime, Orange) You also get an ammonia type of smell that the experts say smells like "cat pee" but I don't like to use the term because it turns people off to SB. But it is very typical of New Zealand SB.
Palate: Full Flavored Medium Bodied Wine, Currant, Citrus, GRAPEFRUIT, Pineapple, Grass. When you think New Zealand SB think GRAPEFRUIT!

Great Sauvignon Blancs come from New Zealand only, not California. The Whitehaven is a gem if you can find it in your area. I know that VA carries a lot of Whitehaven. If you want me to get you a few bottles I will pick some up for you.


La Chapelle de la Bastide Picpoul de Pinet 2007 $9- This one is for you Pamsman!!! This past Christmas we had an abundance of customers asking for light, easy drinking, inexpensive whites for their parties. We got in a few cases of Picpoul in for around $10 a bottle and people couldn't get enough of this lighter cousin of the Chardonnay grape. The wines are green-gold in colour, full-bodied, and show tropical and lemon flavours. This is a great house wine just to have around when people come over so you don't have to break the bank. I have also found that both Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio drinking really like Picpouls because they tend to have the best of both wines. Fuller body from the Chardonnay and citrus from the PG.
Visual: Clear Golden Yellow with Greenish Hues, Medium Legs
Nose: Citrus, Earthy, Grass, Tropical Fruits (Pineapple and maybe Mangoes)
Palate: Bright Lemons, Limes, Grassy, Earthy, Crisp Acid


Wines I will be trying very soon:
Alma Negra 2005 (60% Bonarda & 40% Malbec),
Sausal Family Zinfandel Alexander Valley 2006

Chicken and Malbec?!?!

I picked up a couple bottles of Argentinian wine last night because at the store we are seeing a trend shifting away from Old World wines (French, Italian, German) to New World wines (Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, USA). There are two main reasons that winos like ourselves are venturing into these relatively unknown wines. BECAUSE THEY TASTE AWESOME!!! Sorry, I'm a little bias towards the New World wines.

These wines are so popular right now because of the price points. Your entry level Malbec is going to run you anywhere from $8-$12. But the real kicker is that your Malbec Reserves are going to be in that $15-$25 range. Also the American palate is geared towards fruit-forward wines. What i mean by this is that when you swirl it around and take a sip, the FIRST tastes that hit your tongue are fruit flavors (Cherries, Raspberries, Blackberries) then it finishes with Non-Fruit flavors (Vanilla, Chocolate, Oak, Cedar, Licorice). In Old World wines the first flavors are going to be Earthy or Non-Fruit flavors (Mushrooms, Barnyard, Hay, Leaves, Dirt, Bell Peppers) then on the finish you will get your fruit flavors (Cherries, Raspberries, Currants, Raisins) I know that Pamsman likes the Old World wines so I will not bash them to hard.

Enough of the wine class, lets get to the wine:

Pascual Toso Reserve Malbec 2007 Mendoza Argentina $17
Megan and I had this wine last night with Prosciutto and Roasted Red Pepper Stuffed Chicken. That's right I had RED WINE with CHICKEN. The seas have not parted and frogs are not falling from the sky. I'm crazy, I know. I have only two rules about drinking wine. 1) Drink what you enjoy even if you like Merlot with fish. 2) Never drink White Zinfandel, it's not really wine. This South American gem complimented the stuffed chicken very well. The saltiness of the prosciutto, creaminess of the aged provolone, and spice of the peppers made this chicken big enough to stand up to this monster Malbec.
Visual: Dark Magenta, Heavy Legs that coated the glass in a purple film for seconds.
Nose: Raspberries, Black Cherries, Oak, Chocolate, Currants
Palate: Raspberries, Blackberries, Chocolate, Licorice, Oaky Finish, Light Tannins on the end (tannins are what dries your mouth out, not always a bad thing)

Try Something New: Carmenere

If you love big red wines but you are tired of spending over $25 for a decent bottle, look no more! The managers at Private Stock Cigar and Wine are always on the look out for the next big wine. Two years ago it was California and Oregon Pinot Noir ($15-$25). Last year it was Argentine Malbec and Cabernet ($8-$20). This year we have found some Chilean Carmenere ($10-$15) that will rock your socks off.

Carmenere was imported to South America in the 1850s along with other Bordeaux varieties, prior to the Eauropean outbreak of Phylloxera. The largest established vineyards of this variety are in Chilie, although many of these were misidentified as Merlot because the two vines share many similarities. French ampelographer Jean Michel Bourisiquot discovered the truth in 1994.

Now that the newly rediscovered grape is being properly harvested, which is to say, several weeks later than the Merlot grapes, the range of its flavor and versatility is suddenly being appreciated. Once only blended with Cabernet and Merlot, it’s now being bottled alone, with a dark red color and an amazing breadth and range of flavors, from green pepper to blackberry to chocolate, and textures that are entirely distinctive from one vineyard to the next.

Some Chilean Carmenere Wines to try: *PS = Private Stock
Casas del Toqui Carmenere Reserva ($10.99 PS). I am a Wine Snob, yes that right I consider myself a Wine Snob and if you are reading this Blog then you probably are a Wine Snob also. Be proud of your Snobbishness. I really enjoy expensive wines but I enjoy expensive-tasting wines more. Getting back to the Toqui, when we opened this wine and poured it into the glass all of our jaws hit the floor. The dark inky red color of this wine made most of your California Merlots look like water. Here are my tasting notes on this diamond in the rough:

Visual: Inky Brick Red, Heavy Legs
Nose: Big Blackberries, Cherries, Smokey, little Dark Chocolate on the end
Palate: Blackberries, Cherries, slight Black Pepper, Chocolate, with lingering Berries and Chocolate on the 15-20 second long finish

Terra Andina Carmenere Reserve ($12.99 PS)
"Color: Dark and deep red.
Complex with grilled red pepper, raspberry and blackberry fruit,
dried plums mingled with tobacco and mocha. Velvety texture with
soft and voluptuous tannins in a nicely integrated finish."

Wine, Chops, and Chocolate

Megan and I had our Valentine's Day dinner on the 15th due to our work schedules being crazy, but we did not skip out on a fabulous meal.

Dinner: Stuffed Veal Chops, Smashed Marscarpone Parsnips, Sauteed Portabella Mushrooms with Spinach, Hot Fudge Chocolate Pudding

I got the Veal Chops at Whole Foods and got the butcher to French the ends so they look like the ones you get in the restaurant. The stuffing consisted of bread crumbs, aged provolone, roasted red peppers, prosciutto and onion. Pan-seared for 2 mins on each side and finished them in the oven for 10 mins.
Parsnips look like albino carrots, but have a nice spicy, sweet flavor. Boiled those bad boys, drained then and caramelized some onions in sugar then added the Marscarpone cheese and took the boat motor to them.
Sauteed Spinach is so easy. 2mins and you have a side for dinner. Sauteed the mushrooms in olive oil and added spinach and done.

Wine: For Christmas I got Megan a bottle of white wine called "The Violinist" by Molly Dooker ($25 92pts RP) and she punched me in the FACE because it didn't say "The Violist". My fiancee plays the Viola and thinks they are better than Violins. Needless to say the wine was fabulous.
Grape Varietal: Verdelho (White wine usually grown in Spain, Portugal and Australia)
Vineyard: Molly Dooker, South Australia
Visual: Straw Yellow to Golden Yellow. Heavy Legs
Nose: Pineapple, Honey, Melon, Mango or Papayas (one or the other, couldn't really tell)
Palate: Pineapple, Tropical Fruits, Honey, Creamy (coated your mouth = long finish)

This white wine had a 14% alcohol which is really high for a white wine, usually in the 10-12% for your heavier whites like Chardonnay. What the alcohol content tells you is lower the percentage of alcohol the sweeter the wine will be and the higher the alcohol content the drier the wine is going to taste. (Riesling 8-10%ALC = sweet, Chardonnay 11-13%ALC = Dry or Less Sweet) Heavier white wines go well with heavy white meats like veal chops.

The fruit filled creaminess of this wine went extremely well with the marbleized fat of the Veal Chop. A perfect pair like Megan and Jon!! HaHaHa

The Prisoner 2007 & Rust en Vrede 2000 Estate Red

I brought these two bottles of wine to dinner the other night. We had grilled marinated steak with steamed asparagus and pureed cauliflower (looked like mashed potatoes but tasted sweet and light).

The R&V Estate Red 2000 (Stellenbosch, South Africa)($35) was rated 92pts Wine Spectator (WS) and was in This bombshell of a wine is the way all South African wines should be made. 58% Cabernet Sauv, 29% Shiraz, 13% Merlot

Visual: Dark Brick Red, Heavy Legs
Nose: Dark Fruits, Blackberries, Plum, Smoky, Currants
Palate: Blackberry, Black Pepper, Cherry, Tannins that ROCK your mouth and get you ready for that next bite or sip.

Very complex wine. You don't find wines for this price with the Tannin structure and Fruit flavors that this South African wine has for under $100. This Blend should be considered the Bordeaux blend of South Africa.




The Prisoner 2007 by Orin Swift ($35) from California is one of my favorite wines of the last few years. Every year the blend is different with there always being at least 50% Zinfandel. This year had Cabernet, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Charbono, and Gernache. The 2005 Prisoner was the #17 Wine in the World (WS) and the Prisoner has always scored in the lower 90's the past few years.

Visual: Deep Purple, Heavy Legs
Nose: Sweet Red Berries (Zin), Blackberries (Syrah), Licorice (Petite Sirah)
Palate: Blackberries and Black Cherries, Mocha, Toffee, Licorice. Coats you mouth(Zin) with very small tannins

If I would have put The Prisoner up against any other wine that evening The Prisoner would have ran away with the blue ribbon but the R&V is a treasure if you can find it. The Prisoner you can get around VA for about $35 but hurry up b/c Orin Swift only makes so much then you have to wait for next years.

French Wines?!?!

Do you have the feeling that the French hate us Americans when you open that $10-$25 bottle of Cotes de Rhone or Bordeaux and it taste like a "Barnyard" and "moldy cherries"???

I just have a hard time paying $50+ on a bottle of wine that might be good or might not be good.What you have to do is to find some Gems in the Rough!!!

I have found that for under $30 you can enjoy a $50 bottle of Chateauneuf de Pape. It just goes by the name of GIGONDAS. Located only miles from the famed Chateauneuf de Pape and by using the same grapes (Grenache, Mourvedre, and Syrah) can produce ready to drink wines for a fraction of the price. Private Stock has a great GIGONDAS for $19.99