Flavor of stuffing determines wine

Selecting the right wine to serve with a special dinner can be one of the biggest challenges in planning a celebration. But with the wide variety of flavors — savory green beans, candied sweet potatoes, tart cranberry sauce, creamy mashed potatoes, rich pecan pie — selecting the right wine for Thanksgiving dinner can seem downright impossible. Fortunately the common centerpiece of the meal that prevails year after year is the traditional roasted turkey. Much like chicken, roasted or baked turkey is generally straightforward with its light and neutral taste and texture and an easy wine...

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Italian grape trio deserve respect

Sangiovese, Nebbiolo and Barbera, despite their discreet natures, are sometimes called the “Italian Mob.” They earned this moniker because of their dominance in the Italian wine industry. Their hierarchy status rarely gets recognition on labels, and the wines take a back seat to the international familiarity of chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon. But these wines shouldn’t be ignored. Sangiovese has been associated with the inexpensive raffia-covered bottles sitting on restaurant tables around the world. But at its best, it is the grape behind Chianti from the Tuscany region. These...

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Uruguay poised to make a splash

The global choices in wine continue to grow, with Uruguay as the next exciting place to explore. The South American country has an ideal climate for grape growing and shares many similarities with other fine wine regions in the world. Situated in the Southern Hemisphere on the 34th parallel, Uruguay has an ideal balance of sun, rainfall, temperature and gentle hills, requiring little if any artificial irrigation. This balance is influenced by Atlantic breezes, much like the Bordeaux region of France, but with the intensity of sunlight similar to Argentina and Chile. Not only does Uruguay...

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Results of tough wine-pasta trials

I think we all assume pasta and wine are a straightforward pairing. Pick an Italian wine and the match should work. Over the past few weeks I have experimented with different pasta and wine combinations. It was arduous work but somebody had to do it. The experiments reinforced one basic rule: It doesn’t matter if the pasta is long, short, a tube or spiral … it’s the sauce and filling that counts. Pasta served with meatballs and meat-based sauces such as bolognese pair best with reds such as zinfandel, sangiovese, merlot, shiraz, syrah. THE VALUE 2009 Cline Cellars Sonoma County Syrah,...

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Sampling of words that describe wine

Buttery, tannic, structured, oaky — for the uninitiated, wine lingo can be confusing. It’s almost like listening to a foreign language, where many of the words sound the same, but have different meanings. These words are not meant to be confusing, but an attempt at establishing a language for describing wine. The terms, while not official, are common descriptors used to discuss the vast array of wine styles. Many of these terms appear regularly in Uncorked, but a couple may be new to some readers. Crisp: This term is used to describe a wine having a high amount of acidity. It’s the same...

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Acidity, tannin offer lessons in tasting

The best way to learn about wine is to taste it. Scouring through magazines and books will get you started, but until you pull the cork and taste the wine, the learning experience is lacking. Even the most modest of retail stores carry numerous offerings, many from unfamiliar grapes and growing regions. One way to improve your buying and tasting skills is to get to know a couple of key grapes. SAUVIGNON BLANC Acidity: When it comes to learning about acidity in wine, there’s no need to go further than the crisp, direct-in-your-face freshness sauvignon blanc offers. To understand the taste of...

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