“Given the many flavor options on all Thanksgiving tables, it’s important to determine what the most dominating flavor(s) will be.  In other words, with turkey being a neutral tasting meat, the influence on the wine choice could come from the choice of stuffing, or one of the side dishes, be it cranberry or sweet potatoes, or some exotic vegetable dish.  That advice should steer you in the desired direction.  In addition, if you want to focus on ONE wine, white or red, look for the best wine to be a bridge to all those various flavors – usually, a fruity Pinot Noir for red or a Chardonnay with good fruitiness, yet ample acidity. Rieslings are a great, versatile alternative for those who want to give Chardonnay a rest for the day.”

Roast Turkey
A simple roast turkey would go very well with a Chardonnay or White Burgundy. The Chardonnay would add flavor and complexity to the dining experience. The Burgundy, depending on the style, might add a leaner flavor with more minerality. If a Red Wine is desired, a good Pinot Noir or Red Burgundy would be a great match. Other wines that would likely work include Sauvignon Blanc (though it might be too lean), Gewurztraminer (though it might be too spicy), Beaujolais, or Cabernet Franc.

Eastern Poultry (China, India, Japan)
Eastern foods can be difficult to pair with wine. They often use very distinct, spicy flavors which clash with wine. If your taste buds are set on having wine though, a few ideas: An off-dry Gewurztraminer or Riesling would be a good match for spicy or highly flavored Chinese and Indian dishes. The sugars in these wines help smooth out the spices in the food. The Gewurztraminer also has a spicy-raciness that would match the food. Japanese food, with its generally lighter spices and cleaner flavors, tends to go well with a Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc.

Basic Pork
A straightforward pork dish requires a straightforward wine which matches the food’s simplicity while adding some ‘pop’. Beaujolais is light enough to go well with pork while adding a nice touch of strawberry to help add interest to the dining experience. If a white wine is desired, a Sauvignon Blanc or basic Chardonnay (not a big, full flavored Chardonnay) will work. If a red wine is desired (other than the Beaujolais mentioned above), look toward the Loire Valley in France for a good red to go with pork.

Eastern Style (China/India)
Eastern foods can be difficult to pair with wine. They often use very distinct, spicy flavors which clash with wine. If your taste buds are set on having wine though, a few ideas: An off-dry Gewurztraminer or Riesling would be a good match for spicy or highly flavored Chinese and Indian dishes. The sugars in these wines help smooth out the spices in the food. The Gewurztraminer also has a spicy-raciness that would match the food.

Green Vegetables
Opposites attract and green vegetables have a natural leanness to them which finds its perfect mate in a fuller wine (like a Chardonnay) or the minerality of a Chablis

Mushrooms or Potatoes
Both mushrooms and potatoes create a mildly flavored, earthy canvas upon which a Pinot Noir can paint marvelous masterpieces in your mouth.

(Now if THAT doesn’t make you want to try one of these combination’s, I don’t know what will.)

Try one of our great wine selections for your holiday feast.

Once again Chardonnay & Pinot Noir are the best pairings with your BASIC ROAST TURKEY DINNER.

1. Jargon Co-Pack Chardonnay & Pinot Noir

2. William Hill Chardonnay

3. Byron Santa Barbara Pinot Noir & Chardonnay

4. Napa Cellars Pinot Noir & Chardonnay

5. Mirassou Pinot Noir & Chardonnay

6. Mac Murray Pinot Noir

7. Kenwood Chardonnay & Pinot Noir

8. Charles Krug Chardonnay & Pinot Noir

9. Rodney Strong Pinot Noir & Chardonnay

10. Herman Weimar Riesling

11. Firesteed Riesling

12. Polka Dot Riesling

Enjoy!

Wine Enthusiast announced TGIC Importers, Inc. Alex Guarachi, Wine Enthusiast Importer of the Year 2010.

This coveted award is deemed one of the most prestigious forms of recognition in the industry, accrediting TGIC Importers and Alex Guarachi with outstanding performance in 2010. “We are thrilled to be named Importer of the Year 2010,” said Alex Guarachi. “The TGIC team and I have worked enthusiastically for years to grow our brands and to develop the Chilean and Argentinean categories in particular. It’s terrific to be recognized for that. It’s truly a noble honor.”

Read Full Story http://tgicimporters.com/wine-enthusiast-announces-tgic-alex-guarachi-importer-of-the-year-2010/

Download the sell sheet TGIC_importerofyear_SS

A team of scientists suggests the polyphenolic compound found in red wine may heal broken hearts. Their research, published online in the Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, found that their attempts to heal heart damage with stem cells were more successful when the cells were in the presence of resveratrol. The researchers concluded that resveratrol increases the survival rates of these types of cells when used in cardiac regeneration experiments in the lab on rats. Read the full story at WineSpectator.com.

Download the sell sheets below.

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, California – Highly Recommended, The Tasting Panel/Anthony Dias Blue, June 2010

2008 Chardonnay, California – Best of Class & Gold Medal – Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition

2007 Liar’s Dice Zinfandel – 4 Stars/Excellent – Restaurant Wine/Ronn Wiegand, May 2010

2007 Liar’s Dice Zinfandel – Highly Recommended – Connoisseurs’ Guide/Charles Olken, May 2010

TastingPanelJune2010

RestWineMay2010

ConsGuideMay2010

HOGUE

Syrah Columbia Valley Genesis 2007 (90 points)

Smooth and velvety, delivering a warm, inviting mouthful of blueberry, plum, coffee and spice flavors that linger against refined tannins. Drink now through 2015. 6,676 cases made. From Washington.

—Harvey Steiman

Several studies have shown that moderate consumption of wine is associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. But is wine the cause, and what specifically in the wine? Two new studies suggest wine does play a role and that chemicals in the grapes may help.

Read the full story at WineSpectator.com.

I hark back to a cartoon I read over twenty years ago – First frame shows a customer tasting a certain wine in a wine shop…customer exclaims, “This is awful!” Second frame: store person says “The Wine Speculator rated it 90 points”. Customer says “I’ll take a case”.

Never has a picture spoken truer words and little did that cartoonist know how strongly prophetic that piece would be twenty years later. The specter of the wine rating still exists and more than ever wields far too much influence and further numbs the individual’s ability to exercise his/her own judgment. Taking it a step further, its 1984 (George Orwell) all over again; forget about the freedom to make decisions and the freedom to form impressions based on one’s individual development of sensory faculties.

The great aspect of this business, however, is that usually there are no right or wrong answers – just opinions. We’re playing a subjective game; we all should keep that perspective. The gray area (read: individual preference) should far surpass the black and white (the arbiter of taste), yet I keep hearing the horror stories.

Retailers tell me of customers who stroll into their stores with wine publications tucked under their arms looking for nothing but those “highly rated wines”. (Reminds me of the parade scene in “Animal House”, when one of the crazy frat boys marched the band right into the alley and into that brick wall – nobody bothered to question the direction, they just followed).

The disease starts to spread. Certain retailers and restaurateurs draw the line at 90 points and begin to view those wines rated in the 80’s with a jaded eye. Stop the madness!

I’ll venture a guess that over the course of a year, of all the wines rated in all the publications that attach a numerical meaning to subjectivity, maybe 15-20% hit that sacred plateau of 90 points or higher. Does that mean 80-85 % of the rest of the world’s wines aren’t worth a hoot? Knowing that it’s hopeless unless you’re in the “90 Club” are all these wine growers looking at the prospect of closing their doors, replanting corn or rhubarb where vines once stood? Enough!

I would be less than honest if I didn’t admit that we at CDI occasionally fall into that trap. Everybody gets excited over a “great rating”. When the new publications come out, most readers go straight to the ratings section; the articles can wait. You’d have to live in a vacuum not to be affected somewhat by this element of wine viewing.

I also understand that elite wines do exist, that it would be too simplistic to lump all wines together. There are points of distinction but the lines drawn aren’t as precise as we’re led to believe.

My biggest fear is that we set an ugly precedent for newcomers. People just beginning to realize the pleasures of wine will sooner or later become subjected to the rating game. I believe it is our duty to keep them virginal as long as possible.

P.S. – I’d be curious to know how you, our readers, would rate this article – personally, I’d rate it “89”.

GA

This is an ongoing series of wine facts and trivia presented by our Director of Training and Education, Greg Altieri. Please contact us if you have a specific question or topic you would like to see covered here.

89 Points

“There are over 2 million cases of the 2008 Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay, all 100% barrel fermented Chardonnay from Jess Jackson’s own estate vineyards. This wine displays plenty of tropical fruit, lemon butter, and citrus in a fresh, lively style, with the wood clearly pushed to the background. Hats off to winemaker Randy Ullom, who has been behind this massive winemaking task for many years. This is another hugely successful wine that can be found discounted in the $10-12 range, and should be drunk over the next year. The lowest level of the Kendall-Jackson empire, the Vintner’s Reserve series, goes from strength to strength. For consumers hoping to maximize their dollar value, these serious wines are consistent choices. Their Chardonnay has always been good, but dramatic increases in quality have taken place in the Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon programs.”

Robert Parker Feb 2010 issue.

88 POINTS

Placed 2nd in Top Value California Cabernet under $35

3/10/10 – Wine Spectator

“Trim and focused, with spice, dill, cedar, black cherry and plum flavors. Full-bodied and elegant in weight, ending with delicate fruit and cedar notes. Drink now through 2016..” –JL

Download the sell sheet:  B.R. Cohn Silver Label – 2010 Wine Spectator

1. The topic of sensory evaluation

• The tongue acts as a guide to what and how we taste – we sense the element of dryness/sweetness on the tip, the element of acidity on the front edges, weight in the middle and further acidity (usually tannin in reds) in the very back.
• The structural components of wine are: sugar and alcohol for the soft aspect (mouth feel) and acid and tannin for the hard aspect of wine.
• Those four components comprise the structure of wine, the aromas and flavors comprise the character of wine AND when you combine the structure and character you achieve the STYLE of that particular wine.
• Appearance and nose (aromas) are also important aspects of tasting in order to distinguish wines and grapes concerning their indigenous/typical aroma and appearance profiles.