Wine & Words

One of the things I like about Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, my favorite indie bookstore, is that they have little cards describing "Staff Favorites." These mini reviews show that the staff love books and actually read the books that they sell in the store. Well, since I'm not ready yet to start introducing new wines of the year to our Wine & Words stores, I thought I'd do a "staff favorites" from our Washington and Belhaven points of view.
 
Yes, Mary the Wine Gal, our intrepid Store Manager at Wine & Words...& Gourmet does drink (and love) wines from our store. And what you might not know about her is that she is quite an accomplished home chef. So I asked Mary to offer us a couple of her "Staff Favorites" for this time of year, as well as some of the dishes she serves with them.
 
She starts with one that I know is a perennial favorite of hers, the Barnard Griffin Rosé of Sangiovese (Columbia Valley, Washington) Regular $14.95/ Feature Price $11.96. I mentioned this luscious rosé in my "Chillin' with Wine" entry last July. We last Featured it the summer before. This is a wine that has struck a responsive chord in many of our customers and has been a great stalking horse in our attempt to get people to understand that a well-made rosé is not sweet Kool-aid for the wine impaired. And Featuring it now, in the chilly depths of a late winter, gives me the opportunity to show that a rich, full-bodied dry rosé like this one is perfect for early spring drinking. The designated best serving temperature for this type of wine is about 50o -- close to the predicted high temperature for this weekend! No need for a refrigerator...just set it out on the porch for a half hour or so and Voila!
 
Mary says she likes to serve this wine with her Wild Mushroom Quiche. She doesn't like to write her recipes down because she "just cooks," but she has told me the Wild Mushroom Quiche involves 4 kinds of mushrooms (porcini, cremini, shitake & portabello) and 3 kinds of cheese --Parmesano Reggiano (from Wine & Words...& Gourmet, of course), Asiago and Gruyere. And a "secret ingredient" that brings out the sweet, smoky flavors of the dish is the addition of a little Spanish smoked paprika - Pimentón De La Vera, one of those hard to find ingredients that we specialize in at the Wine & Words stores.
 
It's no surprise that Mary's Wild Mushroom Quiche goes well with this Barnard Griffin rosé because it's 100% Sangiovese, the great grape of Tuscany and the backbone of Chianti. When we were in Tuscany a few years ago, in the month of October, we found lovely fresh funghi like the ones Mary puts in the Quiche. And we found that the local Sangiovese-based wines were just made to go with such earthy treasures.
 
Barnard Griffin Winery is situated in south-central Washington at the confluence of the Yakima, Columbia, and Snake rivers, in the heart of Washington State's wine country. Husband and wife team Rob Griffin and Deborah Barnard began making wine in 1983 and they’ve been winning awards ever since. This is a rosé even a "serious" wine drinker could love. It won a Gold Medal at the 2009 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition (the fifth year in a row!) for its depth, flavor and style. Try this wine with Mary's Wild Mushroom Quiche (if you stop by the store and ask, she's sure to give you all the culinary details) or a hearty spring dish of your own design. You'll be "in the pink."
 
Mary's second choice, and a favorite of many customers for its ability to pair with a wide variety of foods is the Viña Indómita Pinot Noir 2008 (Casablanca Valley, Chile) Regular Price $14.95/ Feature Price $11.96. We Featured this one last December when we introduced some new wines from our friends at Ocean South Importers in Wilmington. At that time, I wrote, "If you prefer your Pinot Noir in a fuller bodied style, you’ll love this new one from Chile’s Casablanca Valley, which is becoming one of the hot regions for Southern Hemisphere Pinot Noir. Indeed, the name of the producer - “Indómita” - means “rebellious.” These folks are out to make some noise in the wine world. Mary and I like this wine because it is rich, well-balanced and very smooth. It has all of Pinot Noir’s food friendliness, as well as a price that beats the pants off those pricey California models." It's still true. Mary likes to serve this wine with her Angel Hair Pasta with Spinach and Asiago Chicken Sausage because, "The Indómita Pinot Noir is elegant and balanced with mature red berry fruit and floral notes with a creamy well rounded palate that complements the lightness of this pasta dish without overwhelming it." Mmmm. Call me for dinner.
 
For my part, I've also chosen as my "favorites" a couple of food-friendly reds that are comfortable and warming while we're waiting for the daffodils to raise their sunny heads. I'll always turn to Spain when I want a red wine that's simply agradable. And when there's still a chill in the air, you can't do better than the lusicous reds of the Jumilla (who-ME-ya) region. So I've selected Carchelo "C" (Jumilla, Spain) Regular Price $16.80/ Feature Price $13.44. This is a hearty blend of 40% Monastrell (the signature grape of Jumilla...known as Mourvedre in France), 40% Syrah and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. It's aged in oak for 24 months to bring out its depth and complexity. This is a lot of wine for the price. Being prejudiced in my food tastes, I'd sure enough pair this one with Chef Yvonne's Meatball Lasagna or the Lamb Chops she's preparing for this weekend's Chef's Special. Spanish wine is made to go with food, and this one is made to go with those heartwarming dishes that keep us going as we wait for Spring.
 
And while I'm thinking of big reds and heartwarming dishes, I think I'll choose as my second favorite a big red blend from France's Bordeaux region. This weekend I'm going with the Chateau Tour du Moulin “Les Terres Rouges” Fronsac 2006 (Bordeaux, France) Regular Price $19.95, Feature Price $15.96. We Featured this one last October in our "Beautiful Wines for Lovely Feasts." The wine is a blend of 81% Merlot, 12.5% Cabernet Franc and 6.5% Cabernet Sauvignon. That makes for a big wine with soft tannins that just want to be paired with something rich and bold. It will go very well with our Back Bay Cafe (via Acre Station Meat Farm) Filet Mignon, but it's not too strong to sit beside a dish of warm pasta with a little Truffle Oil and Parmesano Reggiano. Oh, my; I'm making myself hungry.
 
It's hard, in this line of work, to have "favorites" among the many fine wines we stock. It depends on the season and what mood we're in. This week, we share a couple of our favorites from the past...while whetting our appetite for new arrivals that are sure to become the favorites of the future.