This is my favorite time of year. I love the weather turning colder, the sweaters and comfy blankets, the changing leaves and I especially love cooking this time of year. Roasted squashes with pork or quail, tons of rosemary and thyme. This time of year I either roast everything or use my slow cooker, but I am excited because we have a Traeger now! My point to all of this is that I love the wine pairings this time of year. The South African Grenache Blanc with grilled pork chops, caramelized onions and roasted acorn squash will grace my table at least once this season as well as the Petrussa Cabernet with braised short ribs. Let the cold weather cooking begin.
Cheers,
Sarah
Capitelles des Fermes
Chardonnay 2018
Reg. Price $18.99
Sale Price: $9.99
White Wine of the Month
This is the perfect Chardonnay for people who think they hate Chardonnay. Bear with me. An important part about understanding wine is understanding where the flavors in wine come from. Flavors that come from the grapes include minerality, citrus, fruitiness, floral notes, earthiness, vegetal characteristics and any herbaceous notes including pepper. Flavors that come from barrels include vanilla, baking spices, wood, dill, coconut, burnt sugar and caramel. On top of that there is a type of fermentation called malolactic fermentation that is carried out in almost all red but only a few kinds of white wine including some Chardonnays. Malolactic fermentation is what gives white wine a buttery note. One of the most important things that determines a wine’s overall flavor is when the grapes are picked; there is a very small window when the sugars in the grapes and the acidity is perfectly balanced. Pick too late and the finished wine lacks acidity and freshness, has too much alcohol and residual sugars in some cases, and has overripe flavors that need to be covered up with oak. For a long time those were all of the hallmarks of California Chardonnay and while a lot of growers are picking earlier, using less oak, and fermenting dry wine the damage has been done. California Chardonnay is still recovering from that perception but other countries have never bastardized the grape-like we have. This Chardonnay comes from southern France and is picked at the proper time and aged in stainless steel. The finished wine is balanced, citrusy, and crisp with notes of green apple, candied lime peel, and intense minerality. Balanced acidity and medium body make this a wine that will please any white wine drinker.
Mas Janeil
Syrah Grenache Blend 2017
Reg. Price $14.99
Sale Price: $8.99
Red Wine of the Month
I figured I would keep on with my Rhone style red blends this month because it is just so fitting for this time of year. Things are slowly getting colder, crock pots are coming out and meats and/or mushrooms are being slow cooked, braised and roasted. This is my favorite time of year for those reasons and more but for me medium bodied red blends just hit the spot. I am transitioning from primarily white wine and rosé to more reds both in my cooking and in my glass but I’m not quite ready for the heavier, fuller bodied reds like the Spanish examples I have planned for December. Mas Janeil is in Corbières in the Langeudoc region of France and is one of the wineries François Lurton consults at throughout the world. François is one of the sons of Andre Lurton, owner of Château Bonnet in Bordeaux and one of the main forces behind the Entre-Deux-Mers appellation and the increase in quality in affordable white Bordeaux. Andre has seven children but François and Jacques got involved with wine and the two became well known consultants for wineries worldwide. They focus on sustainable farming and growing the best wine, not manipulating it in the cellar. The cellar at Mas Janeil was built in 2011 and the thirty five hectares of vines are planted on a mixture of schist, limestone, alluvial sand and pebbles and farmed with sustainable practices. The red is a blend of 80%Syrah and 20% Grenache that is primarily aged in stainless although a small portion sees oak aging. The finished wine is youthful and fresh with notes of dark plum, blackberry, black cherry, slight licorice and finished with cracked black pepper aromatics. Easy drinking, delicious and affordable, splash some in your stew and enjoy a glass!
Piekenierskloof
Grenache Blanc 2019
Reg. Price $18.99
Sale Price: $14.99
I can’t even call the string of South African wines a streak or a trend anymore, this is the new normal. Regardless of price point South Africa is making some of the best new additions to the store and I can’t seem to get enough of them. Last year I had fun with two different styles of Grenache Blanc back to back from Spain but this example from Piekenierskloof blew me away. Beautifully layered and textural, just a smidge of oak and bursting with notes of apples, apricots, white flowers and an herbaceous finish. Piekenierskloof got its name from the Dutch Soldiers who guarded Piekenierskloof Pass and in turn were referred to as Piekeniers Soldiers. They were sent from the Cape of Goodhope to explore the area and look after travelers going through the Pass. They enjoyed the area and their independence so much that they decided to settle permanently in the area and take up farming and now there is a dedicated wine region called Piekenierskloof. Pienekierskloof Wine Company is who makes this delicious Grenache rosé and the wines come from
the Piekenierskloof plateau located about 30 miles north of Swartland. The plateau is located 750 feet above sea level so the vines enjoy hot days and cool nights which leads to balanced, complex wines. The vineyards were planted in 1968 so the older vines produce very high quality, concentrated fruit. The Grenache Blanc is harvested early in the morning to retain its acidity and then is fermented in stainless steel and aged for 8 months in neutral oak barrels. Enjoy this with all of your favorite fall foods!.
Petrussa
Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
Reg. Price $23.99
Sale Price: $16.99
To be quite honest I don’t remember the last time that I drank a California Cab. It enjoys plenty of fame due to our proximity to Napa but there have always been so many other, lesser known red grapes that I have preferred to drink. If I did want a Cabernet it was always in the form of a Bordeaux but that changed when I got two different Italian Cabernets in recently. The Petrussa came in a couple of months ago and I was immediately smitten with it. In place of the fruit forward, jammy domestic Cab that spend lots of time in new oak the Petrussa is delicate, beautiful and seductive. Petrussa comes to us from Friuli in northern Italy (which in my opinion may even rival Bordeaux for Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon) and in addition to the phenomenal wine making skills and terroir I believe that a secret weapon plays a big role in both regions. Domestically Cabernet Franc is overlooked or over ripe but in Bordeaux and Friuli it is as necessary as salt and pepper. When harvested at the optimal ripeness Cab Franc is luxurious with a silky texture, notes of bright red fruits with a slight peppery finish and surprisingly high acidity which adds depth and structure to blends. The Petrussa is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc that was aged in a combination of stainless steel tanks and large oak barrels and the resulting wine is just gorgeous. It showcases just how seamlessly these grapes get along together and offers a unique look at Cab Sauv, Cab Franc’s more famous off spring. Aromas of smoked paprika, leather, candied cherry and ripe raspberries fall out of your glass and is paired with a seductive texture. This is one to stock up one and even cellar for a few more years.
Hunky Dory
Shocking Pink Rosé 2019
Reg. Price $19.99
Sale Price: $13.99
That’s right New Zealand makes tons of other wines aside from Sauvignon Blanc! Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Gruner Veltliner, Riesling and so many more are starting to gain traction and acclaim from some of the smaller and more forward thinking wineries. This super pink rosé comes from a winery that is on the cutting edge of viticulture while being sustainable and taking care of the planet. Hunky Dory comes from Huia, one of my favorite New Zealand producers who takes its name from an extinct bird that used to live in the mountain ranges on the North Island and was considered sacred by the Māori people. It was tragically declared extinct in 1907 although there were some unconfirmed sightings in the 1960’s. The winery Huia was founded in Marlborough by Claire and Mike Allen when they planted the first vines in 1994 although it was formally started in 1996. There are no pesticides, herbicides or insecticides in use at Huia and they eliminate additives in the wine making process, only using wild yeasts. Biodynamic practices are incorporated into their organic farming but they mainly focus on being sustainable. They have beehives throughout the property, there are animals grazing on the land and they compost the vineyard and winery waste to use as fertilizer. Hunky Dory is their entry level wine and they source some of the fruit from longstanding relationships with other organic vineyards. The Shocking Pink is 100% Pinot Noir that while vibrant in color shows restraint on the palate with notes of grapefruit pith and freshly made yogurt. Enjoy this with heartier dishes or BBQ or just on your back patio like I did.
Ananto
Bobal Rosé 2019
Reg. Price $13.99
Sale Price: $9.99
Rosé prices have risen steadily over the last several years and especially due to tariffs this year they are getting kind of pricey. My favorite rosés are always the good ones you can get for$12 to $15 but I was blown away by this one. I always champion other wine regions for rosé other than France because you can get so much bang for the buck from South Africa, Portugal and Greece but especially Spain. One of the many methods of making rosé is as a byproduct of red wine production and is called the
“saignee method”. Several hours into fermentation wine makers will bleed off some wine from the vats to make the remaining red wine more concentrated and robust. The wine that is bled off still sees skin contact with the grapes for several hours to pick up color and flavor so while some people may say that it’s not true rosé I entirely disagree. I think of it as a two for one special; you get a delicious rosé to drink while the red wine is aging and the red wine is more complex and rich, not to mention that rosé made this way is typically more affordable. The Ananto rosé is made using this method and for the price I think it will be difficult to find another rosé in my set that measures up. It comes from a family run farm that was started in 1914 when vineyards were planted in a small village in Valencia. The indigenous varietal Bobal was planted and the family sold the grapes they grew for many generations and starting growing organically along the way. It wasn’t until 1999 that the family decided to make their own wine and I am so glad they did. The rosé is 100% Bobal and is delightfully refreshing and fruit forward and since I know a 750ml won’t be enough I also sell it in 3 liter boxes!
I can’t wait to explore these wines and more with you!
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