Wine Picks June 2008

Swiss Chard Scramble

Wini says: Hello, Charles! I hope the chard’s coming up green and gorgeous in your garden, because it looks like this recipe is a great way to stir those perky leaves into something quick and good.

I could see this dish working for brunch, lunch or dinner, so in this case, I’d match the wine to the occasion as much as to the flavors. Brunch? Definitely bubblies, and likely a $10 bottle of something casual, like the new Barefoot Bubbly line of sparklers from California.

For lunch or dinner? Let’s reach for a vibrant and refreshing Muscadet from the Loire Valley—but only one that has “sur lie” on the label (meaning it’s spent a little time on the yeast after fermentation). These are the best of the lot from the Loire. They’re a little bit creamy (which I’d want with a luscious egg dish), but with a citrusy spark that will sing on a summer afternoon or evening.

Chuck says: I’m always up for chard—even when my garden is looking a little anemic, as it is right now! Tell you what, regardless when I serve this lightning-fast scramble, I believe I’d go for a sparkling wine. Maybe it’s the summer season influencing me, but in any case, I don’t see how sips of sprightly fresh bubbles could possibly miss the mark in between nibbles here—whether it’s brunch, lunch, OR dinner. Although . . . hmmm . . . if I were to serve it for dinner, I might up the ante just a tad, with a sorta-serious sparkler. Argyle Brut from Oregon’s Willamette valley would be fun to try with this.

Salade de Lille

Wini says: Get the greens that morning from the farmers’ market, make the dressing seconds before you serve it, and this is going to be summer dining at its freshest best. I see serving this with something hot off the grill. No sauce needed, because when you serve a great salad on a plate with a fine piece of meat, the dressing sort of works overtime to moisten and flavor the grilled goods, too. Yum!

So, what’s to drink? Herbs and citrus generally spell one thing to me: Sauvignon Blanc. But let’s leave the New Zealand zip-fests for later in the summer and go to . . . why, France, of course! How about nice white Bordeaux, but one labeled Entre-Deux-Mers—the more light and citrusy style of wines from the region.

Chuck says: I like the way you’re thinking here. White Bordeaux is one of my all-time faves (surprise!), so, of course, I love the idea of going with Entre-Deux-Mers for this salad. Bordelais winemakers can use Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Muscadelle (usually in small amounts) in their blends, and there seems to be a trend toward using maybe a bit more Sau Blanc now than in the past. That favors the light and citrusy side you mention, as opposed to the depth Sémillon brings to the party. Graves and Pessac-Léognan are other outstanding regions for white Bordeaux—wouldn’t want anyone to overlook those, as well.

Sizzling Summer Cocktail Party

Wini says: Well, co-written by yours truly, this little party comes complete with rum drinks inspired by a trip to Puerto Rico—a place I just can’t say enough about. It’s a little like Europe, a little like the U.S., but also utterly itself. I adored the way most every bar and restaurant shook up their own “house cocktails,” most made with dashing flavors of rum. So, I’d say a rum drink is a must with this menu.

Yet, I’ll also say that I can only drink one rum cocktail a night without things getting a bit loopy. After the creative cocktail, I generally switch to slow sips of wine. And for this casual menu, I think a casual bottle is best.

In recent years, I’ve really been enjoying the René Barbier line of Mediterranean white and rosé wines. You can find them at discount warehouse-style stores for a song (like, $6!). They’re easygoing, simple quaffs—no swirling, sniffing and brow-furrowing needed here. Plus they’re from Spain—a country that’s left a mark or two on Puerto Rican cooking.

Chuck says: I’m going to follow your lead on this, amiga, and also recommend a Spanish white—Verdejo, from the Rueda region. These, too, can be quite inexpensive—really good ones can usually be found for under $10—but what I also like is that they tend to feature bright, light flavor and body profiles, which I believe will be outstanding with all these recipes. In particular, flavors such as goat cheese, feta, orange and lime will all find a friend in this wine.

A Roundup of Recent Finds

Wini says: So, Chuck, since the rest of the issue’s recipes are pretty much kid-focused, what do you say we offer a few of the best bottles we’ve been sipping lately? I’ll start with five great new finds. If they fit any category at all, I’d call them “wines with personality.” Each makes you take a second look—and come back for more.

* 2006 Le Cigare Blanc (California Central Coast; $22): A blend of Grenache Blanc and Roussanne, this is the classy apéritif for patio season. A little bit floral and blossomy, with nice orchard fruits (peach, pear) in a pleasantly plush package.

* 2006 Grove Mill Marlborough Riesling (Marlborough, New Zealand; $17): Talk about personality—this is the lady who walks into the party and makes heads turn. I found nice ginger notes amongst revved up citrus and mandarin-orange effects.

* Waterbrook Columbia Valley Mélange Noir (Columbia Valley; $15): A blend anchored by Cabernet Franc and Syrah, with layers of flavor revealing themselves as you sip and sip again—a little smoke here, some dried cherry-pie aromatics there, luscious bright fruit in the mouth, and more. A real find.

* Lockwood Monterey Malbec (Monterey County; $14): Pull this one out when you’re serving up a rare piece of red meat. Deep, dark-fruit flavors, with a steely iron-like backdrop that’s fascinating.

* Huntington 2006 Zinfandel (California; $15): This is one brawny Zin! A huge wallop of fruit framed with a nice smoky bacon-fat appeal. Yup, it will stand up to your heartiest smoked meats.

Chuck says: Hey, for my picks, it might be fun to share some wines from a tasting I helped stage last week. This was a really interesting event—a colleague poured a collection of New World wines, I poured a corresponding lineup of Old World wines, and similar wines from both “regions” were tasted head-to-head. Scores were added up at the end of the night. Here are a few of the favorites:

We started with a “Riesling Rumble,” won handily by the 2006 Mönchhof Estate “Mosel Slate” Riesling Spätlese (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany; $18). As it turns out, 2006 was a phenomenal vintage for this wine (yes, vintage DOES matter with German wine!), so be sure to look for 2006, in particular. The whole crowd—I mean everybody, including me—fell in love with this lively, fresh-and-fruity Riesling.

Another highlight was Morgan Winery’s 2006 “Cotes du Crow’s” (Monterey, California; $20), a California take-off on France’s famous Rhône wines. This juicy blend of Syrah and Grenache won raves from neophytes and connoisseurs alike—friendly and accessible, yet with plenty of subtlety for the wine snobs in the audience (fortunately, there weren’t many of those!).

Surprisingly, one match-up ended in a virtual dead-heat, with a California Zin just barely eking out victory over an exciting Italian Primitivo (yup—Zin and Primitivo are actually the same variety). Although I find many Zins a bit over-the-top with power, alcohol and lack of finesse, I enjoyed both these offerings. The classy 2004 Fife Mendocino Uplands Zinfandel (Mendocino, California; $18.50) impresses with plenty of gregarious Zin flavor without any graceless showing off. (Perfectly delicious “not-too-much-ness”?) And, the 2006 Li Veli “Orion” Primitivo (Salento, Apulia, Italy; $10) is simply downright hard not to like—chock-full of character and fun, and a stupidly good value. Ciao!