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La Diversidad de Espumantes: Una Cata

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La cata Entaste del pasado viernes giró en torno a vinos espumantes. Aunque parece una bebida simple, la variedad de estilos que presenta el vino espumante puede sorprender a más de uno. Dependiendo de las variedades utilizadas (pueden usarse uvas blancas, tintas o combinación de ambas), el método se segunda fermentación (en botella o en tanques gigantes de acero inoxidable) y el nivel de azúcar (determinado por la adición de licor de expedición), el espumante puede tener una diversidad de perfiles capaces de acompañar un menú por pasos entero. Si lo pensamos, puede arrancarse con un espumante blanco seco de aperitivo, siguiendo con un blanco método Champenoise untuoso y complejo, pasando por un espumante rosado en los platos principales, hasta llegar a un espumante dulce y aromático para el postre. En esta oportunidad probamos 4 etiquetas para entender esta diversidad de estilos.

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Somos Malbec?

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2008 La Posta Cocina Malbec (Photo by bradleypjohnson)

De Salta a Río Negro, la Argentina posee un reconocido y admirable “don” para la elaboración del tan apreciado vino. El Malbec Argentino es hoy moda en el mundo y es hora de preguntarse, “Es Argentina algo más que Malbec?” Tan simple la pregunta, tan compleja la respuesta. Argentina está, sin dudas, entre los países productores con mayor cantidad de micro y mesoclimas, distintos suelos, y mayor permisividad a la hora de decidir como manejar un viñedo (gracias a la pobre legislación). Sin lugar a dudas que si nuestro objetivo lo fuese, seriamos mucho más que malbec hablando en términos de Marketing. Y de hecho lo somos.

Pero analicemos un poco la imagen. Como país productor pecamos de “adolescentes”. Apostamos, hasta hace unos años, el 100% de nuestras fichas al Malbec, lo cual resulto fabuloso. De apoco comenzamos a promover nuestro tan distintivo Torrontes (única variedad autóctona, cruce entre Moscatel de Alejandría y Criolla Chica). La estrategia funcionó de maravilla, aunque tanto éxito trae sus problemas.

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Midsummer Wine Nights in Punta del Este: Wine Picks and Surprises

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As you may remember, some weeks ago I let you all know about a very special wine event which is held at the Conrad Hotel in Punta del Este every last weekend of January for the past years. So now, let´s quickly fly over this year´s edition, the tenth anniversary, and then focus on the most interesting wines I encountered.

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Enjoy Your Wine! The Connoisseurs Have Already Done The Work For You!

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Wine and BBQ (Painting by Olivia Wiley Brantley)

Doesn’t this just look like a BBQ party? It was painted by Pairing to Perfection (P2P)’s sister last summer; a perfect pairing for an evening with good wine, good food, good friends. ©2011, Olivia Wiley Brantley, Atlanta, GA

There are some folks who have a bit of an elitist’s attitude about tasting, especially blind tasting, wines. And to be fair, there are some serious reasons to know how to do a tasting properly and what we are generally looking for, in order to identify at least the correct varietal when we are tasting wines and pairing them with foods. That said, why on earth would we take something as wonderful and fun as enjoying wine with friends and make it as dull and dry as a tasting grid!?

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Wine, the Thirst-Quencher: A conversation with Sommelier Kai Gagnon

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“Wine is meant to quench thirst. It’s a beverage. It’s meant to refresh.”

Not a take one hears too often and definitely not one I was expecting from Boston Magazine’s “Best Sommelier of 2011.” But it all makes sense, really. When wine, like lemonade or water, is consumed alongside a meal, it needs first and foremost to hydrate, to alleviate the palate of the dryness resulting from the mastication of food. Of course, a wine also must have a flavor relationship (whether harmony or contrast) with the dish it is paired with and this is perhaps where the culture of meticulous tastings and profiling comes in. But according to Kai Gagnon, wine director at Bergamot restaurant on the Cambridge-Somerville border between Harvard and Inman Squares, one must also consider how wine replenishes after a paired bite.

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Slapping the Bag: Another Way to Enjoy Wine

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Eucharist offered at Iglesia de San Nicolas, Pamplona, Spain (Photo by Vladimer Shioshvili)

Wine has been around for 8,000 years and the culture around it has constantly evolved during that time. It made an appearance at the Last Supper (Gospel of Luke 22:19) and since then has been used in the Christian rite of the Eucharist. The Greek god Dionysus used it as a sacramental entheogen to induce a mind-altering state. The Zen Buddhists used it for meditation. The Egyptian pharaohs were entombed with it.

 

21st century American college co-eds enjoy it too…

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An Introduction to BC Wines

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BC grapes

I began this post by considering the question, “How does one even begin to explain the development of one of Canada’s two major wine growing areas?” Through my journey and experiences within the wine industry in British Columbia (“BC”), the answer has popped up time and again with clarity: BC’s wine industry is all about the people and their stories. The hard work and perseverance of the winemakers contribute to making this wine-growing region so interesting, diverse and exciting. Over the last few years we have seen BC wines accelerate in quality and gain respectability at home and abroad. So now – I am ready to dive into and explore this wine region with you once again. I hope to continue to expand my knowledge of this region and share it’s stories with you through my articles.

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Organic wine & food matching: Neal Cabernet Sauvignon & braised lamb with mint gremolata

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“When I told my dad we were going to take the company organic,” says Mark Neal, “he drove over to Sonoma and came back with a tray of rotten apples and peaches and said, ‘this is how our grapes will look when you grow organic.’”

Not to be dissuaded, Mark initiated the transition of vineyards owned or managed by Jack Neal & Son – established in 1968, and at nearly 1,900 acres, the largest single vineyard management company in Napa Valley – from conventional to organic grape growing in 1984. Jack Neal passed away in 1994, but not before seeing most of their vineyards accredited by California Certified Organic Farmers (i.e. CCOF) by 1991.

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Valenwine’s Day in Buenos Aires: It’s Time For Some Good Tasting Loving

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Love is in the air and what’s more romantic than celebrating Valentine’s Day, or Día de los enamorados, than gorging on beautifully presented dishes and downing expensive fine bottles of wine?  In a city exploding with sexual energy, and slightly pornographic levels of PDA (public display of affection), check out Entaste’s rundown on the best Valentine’s Day dinners Buenos Aires restaurants have to offer.  Work up a sensual appetite and grab your sleek digital iPad wine list to get your sexy on at one of these Buenos Aires gastronomic hot spots. Continue reading →

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Siete Vacas Torrontés 2010: Un Torrontés Auténtico y Salvaje

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Siete Vacas Torrontés 2010 en La Cata

Una de las ventajas que más me gustan de mi trabajo son las catas ¨obligatorias¨ que tenemos cada semana para todo el equipo de Entaste. En la última cata que hicimos probamos el Siete Vacas Torrontés 2010.

Como buena fanática y amante del Torrontés desde hace varios años, este vino me llamó la atención porque no proviene de lo típicas zonas de Torrontés, Salta, La Rioja, o Mendoza si se quiere.

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