Hanukkah is behind us and I hope all my Jewish friends had a good one. Now we are looking at Christmas, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Eve and finally, New Year’s Day. There is a lot going on, as usual, but clearly, times aren’t as usual. Nevertheless, as we prepare to celebrate these events, the pandemic should not deter us from making the best of a bad situation and I can only suggest to all that wine will certainly make the season as festive as possible!
As we have moved through the fall months, we went from lighter reds to bigger reds, saving the star of the red world, that being cabernet sauvignon and some wines blended with predominantly cabernet sauvignon to sort of end the year with. Remember, with very few exceptions, Bordeaux are blends of up to five different grapes. Also, blends from other parts of the world have become quite fashionable and most of the better ones are done in the Bordeaux style.
Cabernet Sauvignon is the king of red wines. In addition to the Medoc and Graves regions of Bordeaux and California, the grape is grown all around the world as it is not as finicky as many other grapes although it does best in warm climates. It seems cabernet sauvignon was created by the marriage of sauvignon blanc and cabernet franc from many years ago. Without going into the history of the grape, it has risen over time to become a popular red grape. The complexity, flavor, structure and age-ability have contributed in large part to making this wine so desirable. When building my lists in restaurants, I never questioned buying these wines and creating verticals as they actually got better with age. There is a “best by” assessment of a particular wine online, primarily in the Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast and The Wine Advocate which I refer to often as some wines do need time to age. Obviously, if you are purchasing a $10 bottle of cabernet, the “best by” time is when you get home! As you move up the quality ladder that time is pushed out, in some cases decades. There are so many flavors associated with cabernet: cherry, black cherry, cassis, raspberry, mint, cedar, lead pencil, tobacco, chocolate and bell pepper. The acid levels and the tannins in a good cabernet provide the structure to allow the wines to age gracefully allowing the wine to actually change in the bottle. Most people that try a decent cabernet will be put off by the tannin in the wines. Tannin is an astringent substance found in the skin, seeds and stems of the grape and is also present in oak barrels, especially new barrels used to prepare the wine for bottling. Tannin is found in many common foods such as tea, coffee and chocolate. Taste a banana peel and you will really feel the full effect of tannins. Now, aside from the banana, tea, coffee and chocolate, for the most part, are mixed with usually milk which is fat to offset the tactile sensation on your palate. How does one mitigate the effects in wine? Well, the best way is to pair it with fat and what better way than with red meat, not milk. It is a match made in heaven, goes back to some basic rules such as one plus one equals three. The meat enhances the flavors of the wine and vice versa.
So, pairing cabernet and cabernet blends as mentioned basically loves to match up with red meat. A classic pairing is with a grilled ribeye steak or perhaps braised beef short ribs. Beef isn’t your thing; there is always lamb or venison. You can even match it with grilled tuna, which is a popular dish nowadays. It will always work with a brown sauce and even a tomato sauce. Now, so many people for whatever reason think cabernet will go with chocolate cake. Remember, in a prior article, the wine needs to be sweeter than the dessert, hence this doesn’t work. I am not saying cabernet doesn’t work with chocolate, but it has to be bittersweet chocolate. As for cheeses, aged cheddar or Gouda works well, really well with Bordeaux. We always seem to see nuts on cheese plates, so go with walnuts, a seasonal nut. For you vegetarians out there, a grilled Portobello mushroom or a smoky black bean burger will pair nicely, both being meaty and hearty!
As for what cabernets or Bordeaux to buy? There is a lot to choose from, here are a few suggestions. I have always been a big fan of Robert Mondavi wines and their Napa Valley wine to me is a winner, at around $45 it is a classic Napa cabernet. Mt. Veeder Winery is another great example at a reasonable price, $45 again. Another great producer is Louis Martini from Napa, again around $45 and his Sonoma is around $22. Beringer Knights Valley is another good choice at a more reasonable $36. For the holidays, I would stay away from the lifestyle cabernets in favor of spending a bit more money for the special occasions we are going through. Which Bordeaux, there seems to be a perception that these wines are expensive. Nothing could be further from the truth. Seek out Château Tour Pibran comes in at $39, Les Cadrans de Lassègue rings up at about $35and Château Ferrand is around $35 as well.
As you can see, there are great choices at great prices. Of course, both Napa and Bordeaux do make wines that are exorbitant, but, to me, they are for collectors.
Once again, my monthly reminder to support our restaurants. Hopefully they won’t be in lockdown when your read this. Delivery and curbside will still be an option and gift cards are really helpful, I bought mine!!!
Happy Holidays, be safe and drink responsibly!
Len Panaggio is a wine consultant and former corporate beverage director for Newport Harbor Corp. Send feedback and suggestions to lcp23223@gmail.com. The Wine Press runs each month in The Daily News and online at newportri.com.
The Link LonkDecember 19, 2020 at 11:32PM
https://ift.tt/2KbeRcf
WINE PRESS: Make the season festive with cabernet sauvignon - newportri.com
https://ift.tt/3eO3jWb
Grape
No comments:
Post a Comment