2021 Inspire Moore Winery "Change" Blaufrankisch

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Of course having just a bit of Irish in my heritage, I still use this holiday as an excuse to stink up my house with aromas of corned beef and cabbage, because it's so delicious!  But what wine to serve with it?  I'll admit my usual go to is a nice dry rose, but I didn't have any available, this being technically still winter, so I've decided to open a wine I picked up in the Finger Lakes of New York on my summer vacation.  The 2021 Inspire Moore Winery "Change" Blaufrankisch is a pure example of the varietal, that they espouse as their go to wine for barbecue (and I don't disagree) but let's see how it stands up to corned beef!

The wine is a very light garnet color in the glass, edging ever so close to rose, but still distinctly red.  A gentle swirl reveals aromas of earthy tar, strawberry, sweet cherry and smoky oak.  Take a sip and you are treated to a rush of tart cherry, oak and a bit of funk that transitions easily to some notes of dusty limestone and earth midpalate.  The tannins are ever so smooth, aiding the soft dry finish with a reprise of acidity at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's an ideal light red wine for a St. Patrick's day dinner, that's also a pleasant departure from the standard fare of Pinot Noir.  This wine would be excellent with barbecue, burgers, tacos or pizza, the perfect midweek wine and it was a terrific value at just $20.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with my traditional corned beef, cabbage, red potatoes and carrots.  Cheers!

2021 Nathaniel J. Moore Zweigelt Rosé

Happy Sunday!  It was a more subdued day today as I did some work and finished my laundry before going for a bike ride just before the rain began.  Now I've opened a nice bottle of wine from my recent vacation which included a stop in the Finger Lakes wine region in New York State.  One of the wineries I visited was the Inspire Moore Winery, where I picked up a bottle of this wine.  The 2021 Zweigelt Rosé is bottled under the Nathaniel J. Moore label, which is the namesake of the current winemaker and the second generation of this family owned winery. Nathaniel succeeded his father who unfortunately passed away in 2019 just as Nathaniel graduated from a local Enology & Viticulture program.  

As head winemaker, Nathaniel has continued his father's passion for Austrian varietals, including this wine.  Zweigelt is a cross between Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent, and has become one of the most planted red varietals in Austria.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!  The wins is a bright pink color in the glass, somewhat deeper in color than the typical rosés of the past few years.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of green grass, tart cherry and a bit of minerality.  The first sip is a subdued blend of strawberry, candied cherry and some earthy peat that eases into some notes of cranberry toward the finish.  The tannins are well integrated, providing for a wonderfully crisp dry finish ideal for the closing days of summer.

Beyond the wines, I must admit, I was impressed with the cozy tasting room at the winery in Naples, as I had the chance to enjoy a tasting on the deck overlooking the vineyard, an idyllic place to sip wine!  And when you finish, there is a lovely restaurant next door that has some fantastic lunch fare.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a very interesting varietal with a great flavor profile less likely to overwhelm the food you pair it with.  This wine would be wonderful with light summer fare, a variety of seafood and salad.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a pan seared, sesame crusted tuna steak, steamed jasmine rice and sugar snap peas.  Cheers!

2009 Owen Roe Abbot's Table Red Wine

So tonight I needed a nice wine to relax, I've been a bit stressed lately, so I need something that I could enjoy with a relaxing dinner, and tonight it's a bottle of 2009 Owen Roe Abbot's Table Red Wine!  This is a classic Northwest red blend from a solid Washington producer, so it should make a good complement to my evening activities and of course my dinner!  This wine in particular is an interesting blend, one that I like to call the kitchen sink blend as it seems to have a bit of everything: Zinfandel (25%), Sangiovese (20%), Cabernet Sauvignon (20%), Grenache (13%), Syrah (10%), Blaufrankish (7%), Cabernet Franc (2%), Malbec (2%) and Merlot (1%), wow!

The wine itself is a little lighter bodied than I was expecting, but that really does nothing to detract from the overall quality of this wine.  The nose is a lovely expression of ripe dark fruit, blackberries, cherries, plum accented by notes of dark chocolate and baking spice. The taste is surprisingly pleasant, with an initial blast of fruit quickly followed by some black licorice and spice notes.  Midpalate we have ample fruit and cocoa powder, with a dusty limestone overtone.  The finish is very nice, with well structured tannins supporting a long, exceptionally dry finish that seems to last a minute or more.  Very nice!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a great example of the best of Northwest red blends, but I can't remember what I bought this for, so if it was under $25 as I suspect, it was a great value as well.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a lovely dinner of crabcakes, a bit of steamed jasmine rice and a light green salad, the perfect dinner for a hot summer evening, Cheers!