Beer Drinker’s Wines
Nothing makes me more angry than when I’m doing a tasting at a liquor store and politely ask passersby if they’d like to try a sample and they laugh and reply “I don’t like wine.” What?!? What do you mean you don’t like wine? That’s like saying you don’t like food!
What those passersby mean to say is “I’ve only tried wine once and didn’t like it so I’m never going to try it again.” There are thousands of varietals, which are grown in different soils, blended differently and aged differently. Wine can be very sweet or very dry. It can be big and bold or meek and mild; red or white, or any shade in-between; sparkling or still. There are many options, people!
For those of you who prefer Coors over Chardonnay, or Miller over Merlot – here are some “beer friendly wines” for your next culinary adventure. For the sophisticated wine drinkers – these wines make great spring and summer wines! They are crowd-pleasers for summer BBQs and other casual fare.
Mamertino
Mamertino is not well known, but it has a very famous history. Mamertino is the wine Julius Caesar commissioned to be made when he was elected Counsel of Rome. It is a blend of two grapes; Biancale and Trebbiano. These two grapes make a slightly sweet white wine with a touch of effervescence. Ask for LoDuca Mamertino at your local liquor store.
Vinho Verde
Vinho Verde is a style of vine from Portugal. It is made to be drunk very young. It has a very youthful fruitiness. Vinho Verdes are almost clear in color. They have a slight effervescence which adds to its crisp citrus flavor. It is simple yet energizing wine that appeals to a wide audience. In my opinion there are two Vinho Verdes that stand above the others; Twin Vines and Gazela. Twin Vines seems to have a fuller, rounder flavor while Gazela is a bit more sharp and crisp. Find both wines at your local liquor store.
Twin Vines Vinho Verde is made by José Maria da Fonseca. It is a refreshing white wine from the Vinho Verde DOC in northwest Portugal. It celebrates the May 2007 birth of twin daughters to António Maria Soares Franco and his wife. José Maria da Fonseca is one of the most prestigious wineries in Portugal The Soares Franco family, owners of José Maria da Fonseca, have been involved in the wine business for over 160 years.
Gazela
Gazela is a soft, light and refreshing Vinho Verde. It is an uncompromising wine, a renewed classic that confirms the entire region’s potential to create light and energizing wines, ideal for everyday drinking. One of the most imported wines into the US today. Be sure to stop by Beaner’s for a glass of Gazela!
Happy Spring!
~ Brenda
Beer obviously has it’s place- quite a noble place in fact. On the other hand, I can’t blame folks for being wary of wine. Here in Duluth where the majority consider Outback Steakhouse “a nice meal”, they’re likely to get Beringer White Zinfandel poured by their wine-inept server (a selection which culinary cohorts unanimously associate with the complexity of Starburst candy). Is it any wonder that headaches follow such swill?
How is it that the masses are willing to drink Miller Lite so readily (a company owned by executives akin to those on Wall Street) and far from their idyllic vision of the Milwaukee-based, family-owned volume brewery? The folks who make good products (those considered too fancy or expensive around these parts) are real people and real families who take pride in their work. On a more positive note: things can only get better from here, and it seems they are ;).
hum….someone is partial to whites! Where are your reds?!?!?! Give us the perfect red to watch the first sail boat races of the season with!
A broad answer might work best- keep it simple. There are a number of blends that would work well (this is obvious) but you can actually serve a number of reds chilled for summer sailboat races if you follow a few rules:
1.) If you chill red wine that has aged in wood the fruit diminishes and tannin intensifies (tannin is the stuff that makes your teeth feel sticky). Ultimately it’ll be “puckery”. Look for wines with little to no aging in wood.
2.) A chilled red wine should be as young as possible, also low in alcohol (less than twelve percent). Most of these come from cooler climates like Oregon and coastal Northern California, at least domestically.
3.) Type of grape is important (varietal). For chilled reds think softer varieties like Pinot Noir, Pinotage, Gamay, Dolcetto or Grenache.
4.) Beaujolais is a no-brainer. It is traditionally served cool, maybe 10 minutes refrigerated. It’ll basically taste like fortified grape juice, not very complex but refreshing.
Hope this helps and remember I’m hardly a Sommelier.. more of a beer guy. Maybe Brenda has some better ideas