Wine & Words

We are rapidly approaching the holiday season of feasts and festivals, so we herewith introduce some great wines to go with great meals.
 
Don Pedro Soutomaior Albariño 2008 (Rias Baixas, Spain) Regular Price $19.95, Feature Price $15.96
 
Adegas Galegas, the producer of this Albariño, is located next to the Rio Mino, in the most southerly part of the Rias Baixas (REE-us BY-shus) region, just north of the border with Portugal. This is “green Spain,” a region lined with lush mountains where the temperature tends to be cool and the ocean’s proximity brings high levels of rainfall. This is the perfect breeding ground for the Albariño grape, the signature white wine grape of Spain. The region is also known as the “Costa del Marisco” – the Coast of Seafood. So it’s no surprise that Albariño from the region is just right to pair with shellfish, crustaceans and other briney goodies.
 
But the food pairing possibilities are not limited to the sea. I think of a good Spanish Albariño as the culinary equivalent of a white Burgundy from France or a Soave Classico from Italy. It is clean, elegant and very food friendly. It would go well with a roast turkey or maybe some baked winter squash. It’s that versatile. 
 
Another thing I like about this wine is that I get it from Andoni Uroz of Uroz Beverage Distributing. Andoni is a Basque who grew up in a village outside Bilbao. Though he’s been in this country many years, he still longs for the Sunday afternoon gatherings of family, friends, feasts and good wine. I meet Andoni in Raleigh (usually at the Whole Foods where Chef Dan works). We sit at a café table, and he indulges me in conversing in my rough Spanish. He teaches me sayings of “los Vascos” who, he say, are always “honestos.” Well, he was sure honest when he told me this wine is “byooteefull.” I am muy orgulloso to present it to you.
 
Kellerei Kaltern-Caldaro Solos White (Südtirol, Italy) Regular Price $19.25, Feature Price $15.40
 
Kaltern Winery is a sort of co-op, with various subgroups of grape growers and wine makers making different wines. Solos is the Kaltern group that has chosen to practice viticulture according to the biodynamic methods certified by Demeter International. Now, Demeter certification goes way beyond what we in the U.S. think of as “organic.” There’s a whole world view, based on the writings of Rudolph Steiner, an Austrian philosopher, who delivered a series of lectures in 1924 that applied his Anthroposophy system to agriculture. How this is done in making wine is very complex, with a long list of Standards for everything from allowable fertilizers to what kind of filtration agent is used. If you want to get into the details, you can find them at Standards for Demeter Certification of Wine. I think of most concern to American wine drinkers is the reduction of sulfites to the lowest level possible (some occur naturally) and the elimination of processing chemicals that could be harmful not only to the earth but also to the aforementioned wine drinker.
 
The Solos “Weinberg Dolomiten Weiss” is a blend of Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay grown on slopes 1,500 feet above sea level in the far northern reaches of Italy, smack on the Austrian border. Then the Solos winemakers (I imagine them wearing cowled robes and chanting snatches of Rudolf Steiner’s works) use spontaneous fermentation by means of the grapes’ own yeast and maturing in wooden casks - the logical extension of biodynamic methods from the vineyard to the cellar. The result is a fruity, mineral wine, that is layered, complex and deeply satisfying, what Steiner would call “a free creation of the human spirit.”
 
 
Chateau Tour du Moulin “Les Terres Rouges” Fronsac 2006 (Bordeaux, France) Regular Price $19.95, Feature Price $15.96
 
Fronsac is an appellation of Bordeaux, along the Dordogne River, just west of Saint-Emilion. The famous “Terres Rouges” or red soils of Fronsac allow excellent drainage that maintains the optimum health of the root stock with the clay holding in just enough water to feed the vine during dry periods.
 
Chateau La Tour du Moulin “les Terres Rouges” consists of 7 hectares (17.29 acres) of vineyards on a high plateau on the limit of the Pomerol appellation. The acreage is split into no less than 28 parcels of vines spread over 6 kilometres which allows winemaker Josette Dupuch to exploit the strengths of each diverse plot. The type of soil remains relatively constant – the same clay/chalk mix that has made Pomerol so legendary. What changes is the lay of the land – in parts so steep it is practically terraced vines and in parts the vines reach into the underground caves and tunnels of the Saint-Emilion region. The Dupuch family uses the biodynamic approach to the work in their vineyard, controlling pests naturally and respecting the life of the land at every stage of winemaking.
 
2006 was a tricky year in Bordeaux, with a great start almost spoiled by too much rain in the fall. The Dupuch’s, with the extra attention to the vines that is required in the biodynamic system, seem to have been able to pull it off. The wine is a blend of 81% Merlot, 12.5% Cabernet Franc and 6.5% Cabernet Sauvignon. It is the predominance of the Merlot, that was able to ripen in the warmth of the early summer, that gives this wine its power and finesse. This is a classic red Bordeaux that would grace any fine dining table, at a price that means it will go fast.
 
Abbona Papà Celso Dogliani 2007 (Piemonte, Italy) Regular Price $22.65/ Feature Price $18.12
 
The Abbona winery is operated by the fourth generation of the Abbona family in the Roman village of Dogliani in the heart of the Italian Piemonte region known as “The Langhe.” The wine is made from the Dolcetto grape, not as well known as the Nebbiolo grape that makes the renowned Barolo. But this is the wine the Piedmontese drink daily, and it scores much better on the Quality Price Ratio than the very expensive Barolos. And it’s more approachable, the big fruit and soft tannins of the Dolcetto making it drinkable much earlier than the tannic Barolos. This 2-year-old is at a perfect age for drinking. At 14% alcohol this a big wine, able to pair with the big, bold flavors of holiday feasts. Or I like to sip this one in front of the fireplace. We can toast Papà Celso, whose picture is on the label, surrounded by his beloved grapes. Cin cin!