The Wines of the Week
Back in the wine cellar, two days later than expected. Sorry, guys.
Okay, we have two wine classes this week. Wine 101: The Great Experience (with Frank C.), and Wines by Region: Spain (with Brian F.).
For Spain, I am going with a varietal-tasting this time around, showing two clear styles of each varietal (and two distinct price points, too). The focus will be on the North and the Eastern Coast of the country. It important to understand that their are three principal red varietals (Grenache, Tempranillo, and Monastrell) and two distinct styles of winemaking -traditional and international- that affect both price and flavor profile of the wines.
Of course, a quick demarkation of wine regions is essential here, as this is a classic european country that tend to not publish varietals on the labels…
For many students in this class, the quality/price ratio is one of the best in the world… on par with Australia. Interestingly enough, they both suffer from a wine glut this year.
The Red Wines of Spain
Pink is the New White
1. Piedra 2005 Rosado, Toro
Tempranillo: Elegance & Structure
1. Sierra Cantabria 2001 Crianza
2. Vina Pedrosa 2003 Ribera del Duero
Monastrell is the New Malbec
1. Altos de La Hoya 2004 Monastrell, Jumilla
2. Castano 2004 Monastrell, Yecla
Grenache: Fruit & Gravel Bomb
1. Capcanes 2003 “Mas Donis” Monstant
2. Lall LLach 2003 “Embruix” Priorat
How to Balance Two Worlds with a Single Bottle of Wine
1. Martin Fabra 2002 Old Vine Selection, Emporda-Costa Brava
Okay, the next class is a perennial favorite… for our teachers. We answer these questions all the time, but it is rare to have them answered with irrefrutable evidence, and this class does just that. For me, the most interesting item about this class, which was originally based on work by Dr. Lynn Hoffman, is that it really benefits our teachers to re-learn these elementary truths about wine.
Wine 101: The Great Experience
Proper Temperature: Whites
1. Travis 2004 Riverview Vineyard Chardonnay, Monterey (CA) 47 Degrees
2. Travis 2004 Riverview Vineyard Chardonnay, Monterey (CA) 55 Degrees
Storage & Serving Wines
1. Kaiken 2003 Malbec, Mendoza (AR) Opened 24 Hours
2. Kaiken 2003 Malbec, Mendoza (AR) Same, but stored properly.
Proper Temperature: Reds
1. Lake Breeze 2002 Grenache, Langhorne Creek (AU) 85 Degrees
1. Lake Breeze 2002 Grenache, Langhorne Creek (AU) 65 Degrees
Decanting: The Bitter Truth
1. Miguel Torres 2003 Syrah, Maule Valley (AR) – Not Decanted
2. Miguel Torres 2003 Syrah, Maule Valley (AR) – Decanted
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Epikur is a magazine about food and drink, with a focus on our hometown of Philadelphia.
