Eat, Drink, & Be Thankful

A little turkey, a little wine, and everything's fine. But how do you decide what wine to drink with the turkey...and the yeast rolls, the sweet potato casserole, the stuffing...? With so many different flavors all competing for attention at Thanksgiving dinner it can be a true challenge to pick the right wine. But Vineyard Brands is here to save the day! 

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Patrick Bennett, Vineyard Brands Sales Manager for New Jersey and Pennsylvania, has a tried and true favorite. Learn a little bit about just why it works so well with the Thanksgiving meal: 

"After many years of casual trials and two consecutive years of full on Thanksgiving experimentation, I am absolutely  convinced that Rosé Champagne is hands down the most appropriate wine for the Thanksgiving Table. Unlike most whites it has the bright red fruit to stand up to the heavier dishes and the red berry flavor of the cranberry sauce (this is usually the limiting agent for most wines on Thanksgiving and is a required Thanksgiving condiment). It’s bright and refreshing after each bite whether its dry turkey, rich bready/herbaceous stuffing, tart cranberry, or creamy gravy. It washes away the bitterness of Brussel sprouts and can balance the sweetness of roasted carrots and sweet potatoes. Cornbread: perfect. Crescent rolls: even more perfect. Mashed potatoes with roasted garlic??: easy one. It is the ultimate Thanksgiving wine!"

Looking to take Patrick's advice and add a sparkling wine to your Thanksgiving table? 

Champagne Delamotte  makes a beautiful Brut Rosé.
And although not technically Champagne, Alma Negra in Mendoza, Argentina has a Brut Nature Rosé made from Malbec and Pinot Noir grapes. 

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Patrick Harney, Vineyard Brands Sales Manager for DC, Delaware, and Maryland, has some wonderful recommendations of his own...and don't think he suggests Vineyard Brands because he works here. Long before he began working for the company, wines from the Vineyard Brands portfolio were on his family's Thanksgiving table for years. 

Wines from the VB portfolio across the board share comfortable, food friendly, savory characteristic along with a level of class regardless of their region or continent of origin. These family wines are perfect for your family meal. 

Now settle in, Patrick H. has just the wine for every taste.

"If you're looking to add a wine icon to your Thanksgiving table: 

Weinbach Pinot Blanc or Sylvaner-super versatile and crowd-pleasing, both have hints of hard spice in addition to their wonderfully complex fruit traits making them perfect autumnal whites.  When the conversation at the table turns political all you need to do is stick your nose in the glass and the aromas will take your mind away.  By the way the ‘16’s just arrived in my market and the wines are off the charts-rich ripe fruit with precise acidity.

Thibault Liger Belair Moulin A Vent-I agree that Beaujolais is one of the best reds to pair with Thanksgiving dinner and Thibault’s are the planet’s best examples of Beaujolais.

If you're looking to add other of our favorites, equally classy but potentially not as intimidating: 

Pichot Vouvray-very versatile and crowd pleasing…Comfort wine.

Tablas Creek Cote de Tablas Blanc-The Viognier in this highlights the savory of the turkey and the sweet of the yams and squash.

Massolino Dolcetto-a riff on the Beaujolais theory and there happen to be a lot of Italians in my family, so pasta and other Italian dishes or sides often find their way onto our Thanksgiving tables.

For affordable, crowd-pleasing burgundies try: 

Vincent & Sophie Morey Santenay Les Hates
Mongeard-Mugneret Fixin  and Sauvigny Les Beaune (Narbontons)
Thibault Liger-Belair Deux Terres

And with any meal, Champagne Delamotte Blanc de Blancs is always a welcome addition."

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Red, white, or bubbly, there's certain to be a wine that will fit your tastes and your needs this Thanksgiving.  

Mulled Wine Day

Today is National Mulled Wine Day!

Mulled wine has a history dating all the way back to the 2nd century. As the Romans conquered Europe they brought their winemaking with them. This unique wine drink is traditionally made with red wine and spices and served hot.

In Chile, mulled wine is called candola or vino navega’o. In France it’s commonly referred to as vin chaud and in Italy, vin brulé. In Portugal the libation is known as vinho quente, though in the Porto region porto quente is more popular.

One of the first known recipes for mulled wine is found in a medieval English cookbook from 1390.  We’ve collected some slightly more modern recipes so you can celebrate National Mulled Wine Day.

Some of our favorite recipes and wines to use are below.

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Bon Appetit with Warre's Otima 10-Year-Old Tawny Port and Bulletin Place Merlot

Photo: Bon Appetit

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Ina Garten  with MAN Family Wines Cabernet Sauvignon

Photo: Food Network

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David Lebovitz with La Vielle Ferme Rouge

Photo: David Lebovitz

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Pinotage: The Misunderstood

In 1925 Dr. Abraham Perold created what was to become South Africa’s, and possibly the world’s, most misunderstood grape variety, Pinotage.  Perold, a professor at the University of Stellenbosch, was researching grape varieties and looking to create a new cross with the hardiness of Cinsault (then called Hermitage in South Africa) and the complexity of Pinot Noir.  The resulting four seeds were planted in his garden and quickly forgotten about until 1925 when Charlie Niehaus rediscovered the plantings and decided to graft them onto new rootstock and propagate the new variety.  It was later christened Pinotage, a combination of Pinot Noir and Hermitage.  Interestingly enough, Dr. Perold died in 1941 and was never able to see the fruits of his research.

Pinotage soon began to take hold in the Cape winelands and early examples won accolades and prizes in wine shows in the 1950s.  These early successes and the relative hardiness of the varietal led to an increasing presence in many wine growing areas of South Africa, and eventually Pinotage became the area’s signature varietal.

Currently around 7% of South African vineyards are planted to Pinotage.  It has quickly become a symbol of the country’s wine industry and is a required component in South African red blends.  There has been, however, significant criticism leveled at the resulting wines.  Frequent descriptors include “burnt rubber”, “nail polish”, and “spray paint”.  These sickly sweet and chemical odors have been the subject of much research and are attributed to the esther isoamyl acetate.  This organic compound is present in bananas and used as a banana flavoring (explaining why many people identify subpar Pinotage by the artificial banana aroma) and also can be used as a solvent.  Most proponents of Pinotage claim that excessive isoamyl acetate and the hot flavors are results of bad viticulture and winemaking that doesn’t take into account the unique needs of Pinotage. 

In the vineyard, Pinotage is deceptively easy to grow, but in order to produce quality fruit water stress and high temperatures during harvest must be avoided and old vines are highly preferable.  The vineyards must also remain free of viruses, which adversely affect the resulting wines. During fermentation temperatures must be kept relatively low and sensible barrel aging can help minimize isoamyl acetate and volatile acidity problems.  Remember this challenging vine’s parent is the infamous Pinot Noir!

Chamonix Winery in South Africa

As Pinotage has waxed and waned with the fashions and fickleness of the wine world, two key thing have emerged:  Pinotage is capable of producing a wide range of quality wine styles, and there are many vintners who understand the grape and can make beautiful examples of it.  Two producers known for their deft hands with the grape are Chamonix and Southern Right.  While both produce quality examples, there is little in common with their approaches.  Chamonix lets Pinotage clusters partially dry on the vines and utilizes carbonic maceration to produce a ripasso-styled wine that is both grippy in tannins and velvety and rich at the same time.  Southern Right, located in the Walker Bay area of the Cape, styles itself as a Pinotage specialist and has produced a string of highly rated wines from the variety.  Their approach is classical and makes wonderful use of the fruit grown in a relatively cool climate with clay soils.  The resulting wines are fruit-focused but complex with a perfect seasoning of oak. 

August Kesseler ‘R’ Riesling 2015 Vintage Arrival

August Kesseler 'R' Riesling General Information

August Kesseler's Riesling comes from the famous Palatinate (Pfalz) region, Mittelhardt. Here Riesling finds optimal ripening conditions on red stone formation. The mild climate and a long vegetation period let's the fruit ripen perfectly. The vineyards are situated on slight slopes facing south that have an average age of 30 years. The vineyards are pruned and strictly selected.

After being gently pressed, the Riesling is fermented and vinified in temperature-controlled stainless steel vessels of various sizes. During this process it is most important to preserve the terroir until bottling and blending by strictly keeping the different lots separate.

Wine Maker's Notes: Our everyday sip wine is fruity, mineral and well balanced. Typical flavours of ripe fruits, aromatic apples & peaches. Well-structured and delightful as well. In the mouth, the interaction of mouth-watering fruits and minerals are positively shimmering – very delicate and refreshing on the palate.

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The 2015 Vintage

I had the pleasure of interviewing Simon Batarseh to gather his thoughts on the 2015 'R' Riesling. Simon works passionately in the cellar and vineyard, while also being responsible for international development of the vineyard.  He works with tremendous passion in the cellar and the vineyard, and he is also responsible for fostering the international development of the vineyard.He works with tremendous passion in the cellar and the vineyard, and he is also responsible for fostering the international development of the vineyard.Si, an

"In this campaign we managed to pick very early absolutely valuable grapes in exceptional healthy conditions! It is our most valued wine all over the world because it simply fits to such a huge amount of people’s palette. 

A perfect vintage as we got wines with a decent body, a great balance between sweetness and acidity – all that due to the great weather conditions during maturation period and harvest time which has been “a present from nature”! Very fruity and crisp wines.

The 'R' Riesling 2003 was rated by the Wine Spectator as the best valued Riesling in the world – the 2004 vintage got 90 points by Robert Parker and also the following vintages had great ratings. The name became a brand and the wine our most successful one in the world."

-Simon Batarseh

The Riesling 'R" is easy to drink if thirsty for wine. It is ideal with light fish, salads and poultry dishes. Serve chilled and enjoy!

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“Our most valued wine all over the world because it simply fits to such a huge amount of people’s palette. It is off dry but it’s not sweet and sticky like syrup at all. So first you get a juicy fruit explosion in your mouth and then everything is tightening back due to the crisp acidity which leads to an almost dry finish what will also pleasure even the “only-dry” drinkers. It’s just so refreshing, and mouthwatering and that’s all about the Riesling R: An easy accessible Riesling for every day consume with an exceptional value for money!”

— Simon Batarseh

Wine Tasting 101

Have you ever tasted a wine and loved it but couldn’t explain why you liked it? It’s like one of those dreams when you're screaming for help, but not making any noise. Frustrating for sure. Below is quick guide to tasting wines with a view to describing them.

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Wine tasting terms generally fall into six categories:

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Appearance

You should always begin tasting a wine by looking at it. Sight can give you many clues about a wine, and should be the first basis on which you form conclusions about a wine. These initial conclusions can later be confirmed using your other senses.

Observations from sight include:  clarity, brightness, color, concentration, viscosity and the presence of carbonation or sediment.

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Nose

Your sense of smell is probably the most important sense you use to analyze a wine. Humans can differentiate among approximately 10,000 different aromas, while only being able to differentiate between five, maybe six, tastes. Observations from the nose of a wine include fruit and non-fruit aromas and the presence or absence of wood.

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Sweetness Level

After you’ve observed a wine’s appearance and aromas, it’s time to taste the wine. On your palate, you’ll be able to confirm or reject your initial conclusions from your sight and nose, including its fruit and non-fruit tastes and the presence or absence of wood.

From our observations of sight, smell and taste, you should have had a perception of the relative sweetness of the wine. Remember, the sweetness of a wine is subjective and determined not only by the amount of residual sugar of the wine, but also the interaction of the residual sugar with the levels of alcohol, acid and tannin in the wine. The chart below summarizes the sweetness of a wine in terms of residual sugar.

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Structure

The structure of a wine refers to the relationship between its acidity, its alcohol content and its tannins. Structure doesn’t describe the flavors of a wine, but can provide a clue as to its aging potential. Wines with good structure are much more likely to age better than wines without good structure.

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Finish

A wine’s finish is the assessment of how longs it lingers in your mouth. This assessment is measured in terms of time. The flavors of a wine with a long finish will linger in your mouth long after the wine is gone. Wines of higher quality generally have longer finishes than wines of lesser quality.

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