2007 Painted Wolf Red Cape Blend

So let's start August off with some spice to heat things up!  Tonight's wine is a wine club selection for August, so what better wine to start off the month, the 2007 Painted Wolf Red Cape Blend from South Africa.  This is my first ever experience with South African wine, and I must admit, Painted Wolves are really ugly creatures:

Fortunately the wine is nowhere near ugly like it's namesake!  The 2007 red blend is an interesting blend of Shiraz and Pinotage along with some Merlot and Mourvedre to make this a compelling red blend to battle the summer doldrums.  For those unfamiliar, the Pinotage is South Africa’s signature grape variety that is a cross between two of the most famous grapes of the Burgundy region in France, Pinot Noir and Cinsaut, that typically has a very smoky, earthy flavor.  Combining a grape that is a cross of two historic burgundy grapes with Mourvedre, a grape that produces very high tannin, high alcohol wines in the Rhone Valley of France and Merlot, a primary grape used in many Bordeaux could make this a very interesting wine. 

The wine exhibits a strong nose of cedar, leather, earth and spice.  The wine is velvety on the tongue, with an interesting taste that at first seems quite dry and then bursts with blackberry and smoky pepper flavors, with solid tannins that lead to a long, smooth finish.  This wine would pair well with a variety of meat dishes, or for me tonight, a complete vegetarian selection!  In my patio herb garden I've been blessed with an abundance of fresh basil, so tonight I am making some fresh pesto to toss with some al dente farfalle and topped with some freshly grated pecorino romano and served aside some wonderful grilled peppers, red onions, green beans and zucchini.  My mouth is watering so I must cut this short!  Oh right, almost forgot, this was a wineshopper.com selection that I would rate a solid 7, particularly given the price of just $8!  So get a taste of South Africa and enjoy the experience!  Salut!

2008 Veramonte Riserva Cabernet Sauvignon

So yesterday I got an e-mail from one of my favorite local wine merchants about a sale, and you know how I love sales!  One of the sale wines was the 2008 Veramonte Riserva Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile, so the price was good and I figured why not buy a case, so I did! 

Well it's a hot day, and I've been doing chores all day, so I figured I needed to enjoy a bottle of this cab, but what could I do to really integrate the wine into my dinner?  Hmmm...did someone say Italian?  Did someone say mussels fra diavalo tossed with linguine???  Ahh yes, one of my favorite home made, yet quick and easy Italian dishes that leave me feeling sated, and sophisticated all at once!

First the dinner, since it includes the wine.  I sautee a little diced pancetta in some olive oil, add some fresh galic, and then come the fresh mussels. Once they open up, toss in a couple cans of diced tomatoes and a little of the Veramonte cab and some spicy red peppers...then let it simmer.  Just before I toss with some al dente lingine, I add a few sprigs of fresh basil I pick from the plants on the patio, and then top with some fresh grated parmesan and asiago and dinner is served!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot this blog is about wine isn't it?  The wine is actually quite nice, as Chile has been producing some very nice cabs over the last few years.  This wine has a great nose of leather, cedar and very subtle berries, the taste is smooth and quite dry with nice tannins for a long, pleasant finish.  This is the type of wine I can use in my dinner, with my dinner and after my dinner as I enjoy a glass while watching the late summer sunset from the patio.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid, 7.5 by itself, but given that I bought this wine for the bargain price of $7 I can't help but boost this to a solid 8!  So if you can find it, grab a bottle, cook some spicy tomato based pasta and enjoy!

2009 Rouge des Karantes Languedoc La Clape

What a wonderful summer day!  It's sunny and about 84, perhaps the most perfect weather to enjoy a relaxing glass of wine on the patio.  Tonight I am enjoying a bottle from one of my favorite producers from the south of France, in Narbonne on the Mediterranean, the 2009 Rouge des Karantes Languedoc La Clape.  I became familiar with Domaine des Karantes in 2008 or 2009 at a wine tasting fundraiser in Grand Rapids where I was able to meet with the proprietor and taste his wines.  He showed me a number of photos of the vineyard, and I was shocked at how close it was to the sea, you could see the Mediterranean right over the next hill it seemed.  I was so impressed with the quality of the Diamant des Karantes I ended up buying a case!

Well, here we are again, only this time its not the Diamant, but the lesser cousin, the Rouge des Karantes, but it's still a wonderful wine that beautifully expresses the terroir of the Coteaux de Narbonne and the warmth and beauty of the south of France.  I think sometimes when we drink French wine, we only think of Bordeaux, but there is so much more, from burgundy to the wonderful wines of the Cote d'Azur.  From a technical standpoint, I am not sure this wine could be much different than a Bordeaux.  Forget Merlot and Cabernet, this wine is 50% Grenache, 40% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre!  The result is quite pleasing.

On the nose, this wine has a distinct air of leather, earth and cedar with just a hint of licorice.  For a wine that you might expect to be more fruit forward, it's quite dry, with just a hint of black cherry.  The tannins are quite smooth, allowing a sophisticated, lingering finish.  The wine would pair very well with nice Mediterranean dishes, from a mussels simmered in tender red tomatoes and capers served over linguine, to seafood kabobs grilled over a wood fire, to a fresh platter of soft cheeses and olives.   Come to think of it, I need a snack!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, with room to grow over a few years, but given the cost compared with it's highbrow cousin, I have no place to complain!  I bought this bottle for $9 at my local wine merchant, G.B. Russo's & Sons, so if you can find it, pick up a bottle and enjoy the taste of the vacation spot of the rich and famous!