Summer Reds

                           Pinots, Grenache and Frappoto make for great summer drinking

A light bodied red wine can be the spot-on choice for a hot summer’s day.  Perfect summertime grapes include Pinot Noir, Grenache, and Frappoto.  All of these grape varietals are thin-skinned, therefore, don’t offer a lot of tannin (not the best ingredient during the heat of the summer).

Pinot Noir, grown in cool climate areas (think Sonoma vs. Napa), is a terrific summer wine that can pair both with meats and fish.  Pinot flavor profile includes cherries and strawberries, but interesting spice or floral notes can make this varietal a compelling wine.   Pinot Noir is the hallmark grape of Burgundy, but red Burgundies are usually expensive.  For something more affordable look for great Pinots that are made in the Russian River of California… not far from the cooler Pacific Coast.  Oregon’s Willamette Valley also produces some stunners.  All Pinot Noirs below are highly recommended.

·        Russian River:  I particularly like Dehlinger.

·        Oregon:  Ponzi, Adelsheim, Domaine Droughin or Soter all produce excellent wines.

·        Burgundy:  Jadot produces both high-end, as well as some less costly wines.

Grenache is the world’s most planted red grape.  It is becoming more popular, especially among California vintners.  A Rhone varietal (one of the grapes used in Chateauneuf du Pape), it is also grown in Spain where it is known as Garnacha.  California’s Central Coast is also having very good success with this varietal, but they are using it primarily in blends.  The Grenache grape is full of red fruit flavors (strawberries and raspberries).  While it has good structure, Grenache’s tannins are background notes.  The wine works especially well with grilled chicken, but also can swing to lamb or beef.   My faves include....

• Spain:  look no further than Arryan’s La Suerte Mentrida. 
• Central Coast:  Best includes Tablas Creek, Zaca Mesa and Justin.
• Chateauneuf du Pape:  Beaucastel is the bomb. 

·      Frapatto is one of my favorites for summer time.  Hailing from Sicily, Frapotto is a fun summer wine that usually everyone likes.  Relatively unknown in the US until recently, Frapotto is starting to appear on our wine lists.  Often blended with Sicily’s famous Nero d’Avola grape, Frapotto is more and more being vinified as its own varietal.  Think strawberries.   It’s a real hero with fish.  Best producers are Planeta and Orcchipenti.

     Paint the remainder of the summer Red!

Pinot Noir---The World’s Most Expensive Wine

   Romanee Conti produces the priciest wine on the planet.

                                   

While many may think Bordeaux is the globe’s priciest wine, they would be somewhat close geographically…but otherwise, incorrect.  The top honor goes to a Pinot Noir from Burgundy.  In fact, in the “Top 10” list of the most costly wines, eight of them are Pinots from Burgundy (a Bordeaux doesn’t even appear until the 12^th position).  Let’s take this opportunity to sharpen our knowledge of the Pinot Noir grape and its characteristics.

Pinot Noir is a subtle varietal.  If Bordeaux’s Cabernet Sauvignon is big, bold and masculine, Pinot is gentle, elegant and feminine.  The Pinot grape is actually quite small with a very thin skin---thus this varietal is far less tannic than the much larger and thicker skinned Cabernet.  Pinot’s lighter color is also a result of its diminutive skin (like tannin, color pigments are also found in the skin). 

The Pinot grape yields a completely different flavor and aroma profile than the Cabernet-based wines.  In general think lighter red fruits versus the deeply-colored ones of Cabernet.  For Pinot aromas, also consider red fruits---strawberries are often dominant in the varietal’s nose, but so are cherries.  (While Pinot depends on the terroir in which it grown, Red Burgundies typically offer up earthiness in the nose, whereas California Pinots can add cotton-candy nuances to the aroma.)  Red fruits continue onto the palate, but Pinot is not a one trick pony---depending on the terroir and wine’s age, there can be wonderful nuances of leather and even gentle cigar box smells.  The varietal can even offer up floral flavors such as violets or roses.  Spices, such as licorice or clove, can be found as well.

Pinot Noir is a fickle grape that needs near perfect conditions in which to grow.  Moreover, the grape’s thin skin makes it susceptible to pests and diseases.  Both of these factors are reflected in Pinot’s price.  Although Pinot tends to be one of the priciest varieties, there are still bargains to be found.  Here are my faves, all with a high-quality price ratio:

$20 or less:

• Point Conception Salsipuedes (Santa Barbara County)
• Decoy (Anderson Valley---owned by Duckhorn, one of Napa’s longstanding powerhouse’s for Merlot)

$30-40

• Gloria Ferrer Estate (Carneros)
• Greywacke (New Zealand) 

$50 range

• Ata Rangi (New Zealand)
• Dehlinger (Russian River)
• Merry Edwards (Russian River)

One last note about Pinot Noir…it is one of the only 3 grapes allowed by French law in Champagne.  In fact, there are many Champagnes that are 100% Pinot.   Need I say more?

50 Shades of Red

There must be at least 50 shades of reds and rosés.  For sake of brevity, I’m narrowing mine to 5 which are listed below, starting with the darkest and ending with the lightest.

Deepest Red: 

Syrah is the darkest colored wine of any varietal.   These deep color pigments are also anti-oxidants, hence, exert a protective cardiac function.    My favorite Syrah, without question, is Guigal’s La Turque…the earth moved when I first sipped it nearly 15 years ago.  If you don’t want to splurge on this Rhone rendition, opt for Alban Syrah from California Central Coast which is a superbly crafted alternative.

Medium Red:

Grenache is the clear winner here for me.  This grape has been made popular by winemakers in the Rhone Valley and Spain, however, it’s becoming increasing popular in the U.S. as a light-bodied red that can pair well with fish and poultry.  Chateauneuf de Papes are Grenache-based.  Try Chateaux  Beaucastel, Le Nerthe or Rayas for France’s best.  If you’re looking for a California version, you can’t beat the Central Coast’s Sine Qua Non.      

Light Red:

Pinot Noir falls into this category, however, there are easily 10 shades of this varietal at any moderate-sized wine emporium.  Pinot’s skin, which is thin and delicate, has only a small amount of color pigments thus these wines can be very light in color.   If it were a special occasion (and price were not a huge stumbling block) I would opt for a Red Burgundy such as Drouhin’s  Clos de Mouche.  If it were a special occasion and I needed to mindful of price, I would choose  Dehlingner (Russian River, California).

Coral:

Billecart-Salmon’s Brut Rosé Champagne immediately comes to my mind for the premier choice in this shade grouping.  Made from approximately 30% of Pinot Noir, the color is a show-stopper.  Why not have a pure love-fest with the coral and serve it with smoked salmon appetizers?

Light Pink: 

I’m not a fan of any brand related to Hollywood celebrities.  My husband recently brought home several bottles of Miraval (Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s Rosé from Provence.)   Reluctantly I tried it and was wowed by its complexity.  These two have a serious Oscar contender for Rosé.