Friday, September 9, 2011

Amarone!

This Italian red wine is considered one of Italy’s three greatest red wines, along with Barolo from Piedmont and Brunello di Montalcino from Tuscany. It’s the most prestigious wine from the Veneto region. The wine comes from a region called Valpolicella (Vol-pole-ee-CHEL-la) just north of the town of Verona in northeast Italy. The name Amarone comes from the Italian word Amaro, meaning tart, bitter. The different styles of Amarone have traditionally had a distinctive raisiny character and or a bitterish edge at times. As you taste the wine, it’s also not uncommon to taste a little sweetness from the concentrated sugars.

Amarone (Ah-ma-ROH-nay) is unique in the sense that it uses dried or shriveled grapes vs a traditional method of picking and pressing the grapes after harvest like most wines. This unique method is called appassimento. It's a natural way to increase the concentration of sugar in the grapes, unfortunately, at the expense of volume. It takes about 2 pounds of fresh grapes to make a bottle of wine. After the drying process it will reduce the weight of the grapes by about a third, meaning that 2 pounds of grapes will make only a half a bottle of wine.

The major grape varieties used to produce Amarone are Corvina, Malinara and Rondinella. The grapes are allowed to dry for up to a few months then the dried and shriveled grapes are pressed and fermented to produce a dry wine with dense and concentrated flavors with a rich velvety texture. The grapes high sugar content from the drying process will result in a wine with high alcohol content with a minimum of 14%, and the average is 15-16% for the finished wine.

When pairing this wine with food, you will need to take into consideration that this is a full bodied, concentrated wine. The wine will be best paired with hearty foods like lamb, steak and osso bucco. The aromas/flavors of cherries, plum, coffee, licorice, bittersweet chocolate and fig are what you will find in this wine. If you are not serving a hearty course, consider paring this wine at the end of a meal with a cheese plate. The wine will work well with strongly flavored, sharp and very ripe cheeses. A few suggestions would include dried Provolone Piccante, Pecorino Romano, Parmigianino Reggiano and Gorgonzola.

Cheers until next time!

Wines for gillin & chillin

Grab your charcoal and your corkscrew, grilling season is here. A common question that I get asked is: "What should I pair with BBQ and grilled foods?"

Wines for Ribs and Other Grilled Meats
A great choice is a rich, fruity, red Zinfandel. You need a wine whose structure is bold enough to stand up to various types of meats. A Zinfandel works well with barbeque sauce, steak sauce and mild salsas if there is too much spice in the sauce the two will compete and both the wine and the sauce end up tasting flat. The smokey flavors from the grill allow the red Zinfandel’s black pepper spice, acidity and ripe tannins to work with the fats in the meats. Smoky foods need stronger wines that stand up to their powerful flavors. Merlot are usually fruity and rich sometimes with a little spicy. They are also a good choice with ribs and other grilled meats. A Cabernet is a great choice for a steak or chop. Wine and food should compliment rather than dominate each other. Think of wine like a condiment. Moderately spicy and highly seasoned foods pair best with fruity, low tannin and lower alcohol-content wines (Riesling).

Wines for grilled veggies
If the vegetables are served solo, pair them with a dry but fruity rosé. The hint of red fruit will match the grill marks without overpowering the more delicate flavors of the veggies. If serving grilled vegetables as an accompaniment, match the wine to the meat, fish or poultry part of the meal.
Here are a few other options that might fit your favorite wine.

Chardonnay work wonderfully with grilled fish and chicken with creamy sauces, and grilled corn on the cob with lots of butter! Butter is the key here to match the Chardonnay.

Riesling would be a great choice for grilled brats, shrimp, barbecue chicken, grilled pineapple and a variety of grilled veggies.

Sauvignon Blanc for example, grilled chicken that has been doused in Italian dressing or a citrus marinade will be unbeatable with a Sauvignon Blanc. Likewise, roasted peppers, veggies in fresh herbs, grilled fish with dill and lemon would be right at home with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

Pinot Noir is flexible varietal that is known for being extremely food-friendly. A Pinot Noir can go with grilled fish to a juicy burger. Pinot Noir is an ideal candidate for grilled fish – especially salmon. If you aren’t sure if what wine will work with your grilled dinner, Pinot Noir will likely be your best bet.

Cheers!