Best of 2011... Favorite Wines

This week, we are recapping some of our favorite things from the year...

We had the opportunity to try a lot of excellent wine this year, but there are some that really stood out.

It’s tough to pick just one, but we really came to love Cabernet Francs this year.
They made for some superbly sippable reds, both from New York and Virginia.

While we had some really excellent 2010 Rieslings from the Finger Lakes, it was a Chardonnay from California that really stood out, and reminded us that Chardonnay can be wonderfully deep and complex.

For sparkling wine, the Champagne from Perrier-Jouet was by far the best, and really, it was the most outstanding wine we had all year. But the Moscato d’Asti was an exceptional value, if you have to pay for the bottle yourself.

QUICK REVIEW: American Wine and Cheese Pairings

The delicious pairings we tried as part of the

2011 NYC Wine & Food Festival:

CA, Arroyo Seco, 'Grita Vineyard', Bernardus "Griva" Sauvignon Blanc 2009
+ // Crisp // Green Apple, Grass // Citrus, Green Apple, Herbs // Medium
Vermont Butter & Cheese Cremery "Bonne Bouche", VT
++ // Earthy // Stinky, Grassy, Salt // Medium-Full

CA, Napa Valley, Mumm Napa Brut DVX 2001
+ // Smooth // Toast, Grass // Apple, Oak // Light
Nettle Meadow "Kunik", NY
+ // Creamy // Grassy, Milk Cream // Light
Wine imparts a minerality, while the bubbles cut through the richness.

WA, Pacific Rim Chenin Blanc 2008
+ // Sweet (with a crisp finish) // Lemon, Petrol // Meyer Lemon, Vanilla // Medium
Bellweather Farms “San Andreas”, CA
+ // Nutty // Nutty // Medium
A very good pairing, the wine brought out some very herbaceous flavors with the cheese.

CA, Amador County, Terra D’Oro Barbera 2007
+ // Spicy // Blackberry Jam, Pine // Oak, Clove, Blackberries // Medium
Beehive Cheese Company “Barely Buzzed”, CA
++ // Nutty // Nutty, with Coffee, Mushrooms, and Lavender from the rind
This was an excellent cheese, and the coffee-rubbed rind added some amazing flavors, with brought out the fruitiness of the wine.

CA, Sonoma, Rutz Cellars, Pinot Noir “Dutton Ranch” 2005
+ // Smooth // Jam, Cherry // Black Cherry, Chocolate // Medium
Tumalo Farms “Classico”, OR
+ // Sweet // Caramel // Medium
Spicy notes of the wine pop with the cheese.
Sweet notes are enhanced with the Chenin Blanc.

CA, Amador County, Montevina Terra D’Oro Zinfandel Port, NV
++ // Sweet // Caramel, Pine, Currant // Grape, Pine, Caramel // Heavy
Sartori Cheese Company “Bella Vitano Gold”, WI
++ // Sweet // Limestone, Grass // Heavy
This was a very sweet combination, good choice for dessert!

CA, Woodbridge Moscato, NV
++ // Smooth // Floral, Apricot // Apricot // Medium
Beecher’s Handmade Cheese “Grayson”
++ // Rich // Stinky // Heavy
The sweet flavors of the wine juxtaposed agaisnt the strong flavors of the cheese created an almost herbal combination, tempering both the wine and the cheese.

CA, Chateau St. Michelle, Late Harvest Riesling “Ethos” 2008
+ // Funky, Smooth // Honey, Stone // Honey, Grape, Mold // Medium
Pt. Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company “Unnamed Blue”, CA
+ // Funky // Mold, Mineral // Heavy
The sweet flavors of the wine come through.
A spicy note comes through when paired with the Zinfandel Port.

QUICK REVIEW

Italy, Piemonte, Moscato d’Asti, Bricco del Sole NV
+ // Sweet // Honeysuckle, Apricot // Berry, Sweet grape, Apricot // Medium

• A light sparkling wine, and a rosé, as well. The Moscato grape is also known as "Muscat." 
• "NV" means "non vintage"--made from the grapes of many different years' harvests.