Warm Reds for Cold Nights – Appetite for Wine

Warm Reds for Cold Nights, Part 4

April 6, 2019April 6, 2019 Appetite for Wine

Will this winter never end? Just when it looks like spring weather may be here to stay, blam! Hit by another storm. Fortunately, there is no shortage of great red wine to keep you warm on these cold nights.This is the fourth and final edition of our series on Warm Reds for Cold Nights. Our global journey takes us, this time, to Italy. Italy is home to many wine regions, some famous, some obscure. All of them producing excellent, food-friendly wines. For our adventure to round out this series, we explore Valpolicella.

Valpolicella is one of those more obscure regions. Located in Veneto, in the northern part of Italy, Valpolicella is known both for easy drinking reds, and for the intense, concentrated wines known as Amarone. Regional grape varieties include Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and Molinara. For this trip, our selection is the Bertani Valpolicella 2017.

The following wine was provided as a media sample for review. All reviews, descriptions, and opinions are our own. We received no additional compensation.

The Bertani winery was established in 1857, by brothers Giovan Battista and Gaetano Bertani. An innovator and early adopter of bottled wine, the Bertani winery invested in the technology of the day to produce, bottle, and export their wines. By the end of the 19th century, the Bertani name was known in cities all across the United States. Today Bertani has more than 200 hectares under vine, and continues its reputation for fine wines across Europe and the New World.

The Bertani Valpolicella 2017 is made from 80% Corvina Veronese, and 20% Rondinella. The wine is fermented in wide, shallow steel tanks; this allows for more skin contact during fermentation. After fermentation, the wine is aged in concrete vats for about eight months, then bottle aged for at least three months.

Wishing spring upon us, we tried to will the weather by grilling ribeye steaks and zucchini to pair with this. While we didn’t have any influence on Mother Nature, we did find an amazing wine and food pairing, and enjoyed a delicious meal on a cold night, warmed by this spectacular wine. Read on for our tasting notes.

Brick red color; lighter than we had anticipated. As it rests in the decanter, there are aromas of ripe raspberry, clove, and baking spice. On the palate, flavors of raspberry, cherry, plum, and cranberry with smoky overtones, and warm, oaky notes of vanilla, caramel, and spice. Medium body with bright acidity, making it the perfect food-pairing wine. Elegant and balanced, with deep complexity and smooth tannins, this was excellent with a ribeye and grilled zucchini. Vivino average price: $14.99.

We hope you have enjoyed this journey ‘round the wine world in search of rich, robust red wines to make those long winter nights more cozy. While spring and summer are on the horizon, as the world turns, winter will be back before you know it. Stock up on some of these delicious warm reds for those upcoming cold nights.

Cheers!

By Kent Reynolds and Robyn Raphael

Portugal, Portuguese Wine, Sample, Warm Reds for Cold Nights, Wine, Wine Blog, Wine Blogger, Wine Pairing, Wine Review, Wine Tourism in Portugal

Warm Reds for Cold Nights, Part 2

March 4, 2019 Appetite for Wine

While some parts of the country are starting to see signs of spring, other regions are still being pummeled by harsh winter storms. Yes, some of the trees and bushes in our neighborhood have buds and blooms, but there is another major winter storm bearing down on Northern California as we write this.

The following wine was provided as a media sample for review. All reviews, descriptions, and opinions are our own. We received no additional compensation.

For the second installment of our four-part mini-series, we journey to Portugal. Portugal and her wines are trending strongly of late, and for good reason. Portugal is the sunniest country in Europe, and features amazing wine, food, and culture, miles of coastline, and warm, welcoming people. With more than 200 indigenous grapes, there is a wide variety of outstanding wine available at attractive prices. So we were quite pleased when we received a sample of José Maria da Fonseca Periquita Reserva 2016 for tasting and review.

José Maria da Fonseca has a family history spanning nearly two centuries. Since 1834, the family has been carrying on the passion and commitment of the founder, as the oldest producer of table wine in Portugal. Not a family to rest on their laurels, the José Maria da Fonseca family invests in research and the latest technology in winemaking. Yet with all the advances, the passion of crafting fine wine shines through in the wine.

An alluring blend of 56% Castelao, 22% Touriga Nacional, 22% Touriga Francesca, the José Maria da Fonseca Periquita Periquita 2016 is aged for 8 months in French and American oak. We opened it to pair with grilled chicken, marinated in a locally produced Basque-style marinade and gorgonzola & bacon stuffed portobella mushrooms. Yes, grilled. As in, outdoors. It’s never too cold or too stormy for grilling at the Appetite for Wine house!

Deep ruby color. On the nose there are aromas of raspberry, cherry, cedar, and earth. On the palate, complex and integrated flavors of blackberry, black cherry, cranberry, and red currant, with oak and cedar notes. Full bodied with a luscious, round mouthfeel and brisk acidity. Long, lingering finish of red fruit and white pepper. Paired with our grilled, marinated chicken and mushrooms, it was exquisite! Vivino average price: $15.99.

We are quite happy to have these warm reds to help us through these cold nights. Chapter three will be posted soon. In the meantime, check out José Maria da Fonseca, and let us know what you think.

Cheers!

By Kent Reynolds and Robyn Raphael

Barbera, Chile, Chilean Wine, Garnacha, Organic Wine, Samples, Wine, Wine Blog, Wine Review, Wine Tasting

Warm Reds for Cold Nights, Part 1

February 13, 2019February 13, 2019 Appetite for Wine

While the East Coast is being blasted by yet another major winter storm, and the Pacific Northwest is experiencing record snowfall, here in Northern California, it’s, well, pouring rain. But I mean really pouring! We’re expecting 3-6 inches of rain in the next 48 hours. The winds are also howling, up to 40 mph. And it’s cold…by NorCal standards. Overnight lows in the 30’s, and highs only in the 50’s. Brrr. By NorCal standards.

So in light of winter’s harsh punch to the Northern Hemisphere, what better way to stay warm than to enjoy some big, bold, warming red wines on these cold winter nights? This is the first of a four-part mini-series, featuring reds from around the world that were provided as media samples.

The following wine was provided as a media sample for review. All reviews, descriptions, and opinions are our own. We received no additional compensation.

What better place to start this journey than South America? Afterall, there, it’s summer! From the Maule Valley in Chile, comes the Erasmo Barbera-Grenache 2016, a unique and delicious blend of 60% Barbera, 30% Grenache, and 10% Carignan. Using all organic grapes and wild yeast for fermentation, this wine captures the essence of the Maule Valley terroir.

The original cellar at what is now Erasmo winery was built at the end of the 19th century. The mud-wall construction provided excellent insulation for maintaining a proper wine cellar temperature. In 2005, after years of neglect and inactivity, Count Francesco Marone Cinzano set out to restore this historic building. Now complete, and filled with modern winemaking equipment, “La Reserva de Caliboro” lives on, and is the home to high quality, organic wines.

bodega-new-2-451x300 — and After. Photo Credit Erasmo Organic Vineyard and Winery http://erasmo.bio/en/

On one particularly cold and stormy night, we paired this delightful, warming wine with a seared Garlic-Butter Brazilian Skirt Steak and Garden Salad. (You can’t forego your greens just because it’s cold out!) What an amazing pairing! Sheer perfection!

Deep purple color with brick rim. Aromas of ripe raspberry, blackberry, and clove. On the palate, there are flavors of blackberry, blueberry, cherry, and cranberry, with baking spice, cedar, and vanilla notes. Tannins are firm but balanced, with lively acidity and a long finish of black and red fruit and white pepper.

Vivino Average Price: $22.99

Stay tuned for the next in this Warming Reds for Cold Nights series. In the meantime, tell us, in the comments below, what you are enjoying to stay warm during these cold winter nights.

Cheers!

By Kent Reynolds and Robyn Raphael
Photo Credit, unless otherwise noted, Kent Reynolds