With the incredible summer we've had so far this year, I've found myself cooking outside to keep the house cooler. This usually involves the barbecue, red meat and red wine. I find it odd you can randomly pick two different red wines from different parts of the world, made from different grape varietals and find so many similarities. Two reds I've enjoyed lately have many similarities as you'll see below. But since you can't live on red meat alone, I've included a blush wine for something different to drink when it is cool enough to use the oven again. Anyway, I hope there is something here to peak your interest.
Fontanafredda
Briccotondo Barbera (898718)
Italy
$18.99
The Barbera grape has grown for centuries in the Piedmont a region in the north east of Italy. I think it's safe to say it is a grape indigenous to the region. At one time, Barbera was the second most planted grape variety behind Sangiovese. This all changed in the 1980s when some unscrupulous Italian winemakers did something untoward causing a scandal that resulted in the Barbera being knocked down into third place behind Montepulciano. It's taken decades but Barbera is rising in popularity again.
The Fontanafredda vineyards and winery have a long history, dating back to the 1850s. Recently, Fontanafredda's CEO Oscar Farinetti introduced a high-end grocery and tasting chain concept called 'Eataly'. In addition, he has modernized wine production and the result shows in this bottle of wine.
In the glass, this wine has a good garnet edge on the purple body. The aromas are almost of a dried fruit quality along with some fresh blackberry and the more acidic raspberry. Red cherry and a touch of spice and toasty oak complete the wines aromas. On the palate, it's fresh aided by the acidity and fruity. It has a good finish that lingers on. Of course most anything Italian would pair nicely with this wine, but try it with grilled burgers and serve it slightly chilled.
The Grinder
2011 Shiraz (683813)
South Africa
$14.99
A while ago our store received a new wine from South Africa called the The Grinder Pinotage. The wine label described the wine as having coffee aromas and flavours. It certainly does. I've joked that this wine might even replace my morning coffee!
Because of this positive experience, I was excited to try The Grinder 2011 Shiraz when it arrived recently. This wine is 85 per cent Shiraz blended with a little Mourvdre and Cinsault grapes giving it a garnet tone. In the mouth, the fruit in this wine is quite intense with a touch of dried fruit that gives a suggestion of sweetness. A hint of peppery spice, like you would expect from a Shiraz, is present but not overly pronounced. I think I would describe the tannins in this wine as velvety and the light acidity keeps it fresh. This is an interesting wine that will please most red wine drinkers and of course will pair well with any red meat dish either barbecued or roasted.
Domaine Houchart
2013 Ros
France (252338)
$17.95
Did you know the 'pink' or blush wines we love so much in North America happened by accident? This isn't the case in Europe many of the earliest red wines were "Ros-style" wines made from juice that had only brief periods of contact with wine skins during the winemaking process. Red wines were thought to be too harsh or bold for European pallets. Even wines from Bordeaux and Burgundy, destined for the English market were pink. Europeans have a long tradition of drinking Ross and we North Americans are finally losing our perception that Ros is a sweet Californian blush wine. As wine drinkers become more knowledgeable, interest in these pink wines is growing. They are ideal summer wines that can be chilled like a white wine and are no longer considered just a 'ladies' wine.
This Domaine Houchart Ros is blended from four different red grape varietals Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. The colour here is pink with an orange tint, I've seen it described as salmon colour and that's fitting. On the nose, it is light and delicate, but still has some red wine qualities. Strawberry, raspberry and some citrus aromas dominate the nose. In the mouth, it's fresh and lively with red berry flavours with a crisp mouth-watering lemon zest finish. This is a great wine for hot summer days like we've experienced lately and it was a hit when I served it with a big frittata recently.
