Lamb *is* a red meat, isn’t it?

Good. Let’s start.

I had to ask because generally speaking, lamb goes great with a variety of red wines.  Depending upon the preparation, lamb pairs well with Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet, Merlot, and Malbec.  When these wines are well made, they can be a marriage (“made in heaven”) with lamb.

Well, maybe not Cabernet, which, in my opinion, is a wine made with a moo.  But I digress.

The reason this is important is because I decided to try lamb chops with Rosé.  What?!?

The lamb chops were prepared simply because I wanted to try them with the pink.  Generally, lamb will easily overwhelm the lighter, more delicate structure of a Rosé wine.  This lamb was from New Zealand, which has a slightly stronger, more gamy flavor than American lamb.

Some people think that’s a bad thing.  I don’t.

When lamb – like most animals that are a part of our food chain in America – is “finished” with grain, it diminishes the natural, distinctive flavor. Lamb tastes like beef tastes like pork tastes like turkey…you get the drift.  As an example, venison is now being farm-raised, and therefore, it can be presumed, grain finished.  Wave good-bye to the luscious, natural wild venison flavor! Let’s go for American Bland!

… Continue Reading

I try to plan these reviews carefully.  Really.  So it’s always a nice surprise when I snag something out of the cooler that turns out to be much better than I’d anticipated or remembered.  I bought two bottles last year, and I believe the Wineaux Guy and I drank one sometime during the summer.  So this bottle has been resting for a year and is one of the few white wines I have right now.  In fact, I do believe I have more Rosés than whites! I need to check on the Wine Cellar page to verify.

At any rate, I found some wonderful flounder fillets at the local Smith’s market and snagged them immediately. You can see the recipe here on Grapes N Grub (still under construction, more or less). I knew I wanted a white wine to go with the recipe because flounder is such a light and delicate fish and felt that even my Villicana Vin Rosé would be a little too much for such a delicate fish. Unfortunately I’m out of daily drinker whites, so I had to break out one of my better wines.

The 2007 Kiamie White Kuvée is a serious wine in spite of the kitschy spelling of cuvée.  A blend of 65% Viognier and 35% Rousanne , it has seen oak, but unlike many Viognier and Viognier blends, it is most definitely not a Napa Chard wannabe.  The color is clear and golden and has enough body to lumber around the glass.  This is where the comparison to Chardonnay ends.

Fresh apple, pear, a touch of honeydew, and a bit of early morning by the beach (don’t ask – long story) greet your nose.  Other melon nuances and a definite overtone of minerality also surface.

The mouthfeel is lush, and the white fruits predominate.  The finish displays the minerality of the wine.  I wish it had a touch more acidity FOR THIS DISH but it has a good and bracing acidity on its own.

Generally when I prepare something picatta style, I prefer to have an Oregon-style pinot noir as it pairs beautifully with whatever meat and the capers, butter, and wine.  I’m not so sure I would drink a Pinot with this, however, because of the texture of the fish.  Salmon, on the hand, is a different story altogether.

But I digress.

I found myself having an extra glass or two because it is a good drinking wine and very refreshing. A good buy at $24.00, it is currently sold out on the Kiamie website, but may still be available through the tasting room in Paso Robles or through other retailers.

There you have it! I hope that you get to stop by the Kiamie tasting room in downtown Paso Robles, so that you can enjoy some of their other wines as well.  It is a new winery and came highly recommended by DeDee of Wine Tasting Journals in Paso.  Her recommendation did not disappoint.

My rating – Not quite up to George Clooney level, but still pretty nice!

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2006 Barnwood Vineyards Petite Sirah

This is another one of those off-the-cuff wine reviews that I do from time to time.  I knew this wine was good when I bought it at the winery, but a year and a half later, it is absolutely stunning.  This is the “second label” of Laetitia Winery, by the way.

I decided to try a recipe incorporating a BBQ pulled chicken breast (in lieu of pulled pork) and thought that a Syrah/Shiraz would be just the ticket.  While diving in for a 2004 Black Bart Syrah, I saw the 2006 Barnwood Vineyards Petite Sirah Santa Barbara Highlands and said “what the heck.”  I pulled that instead of the Black Bart and popped the cork.

OMG.

Time did not hurt this beast.  It was Stygian black, with bare glints of dark purpley red clinging to the glass when it was swirled. It was arresting at first sight.  On the nose were coffee, unsweetened cocoa, berries,  a hint of bourbon and indecipherable spice.  It was rich and velvety on the palate.  Surprisingly dry, it countered the usual saw about dark, rich Central Coast wines = big jammy fruit bombs.  Cocoa, coffee, berries, and spice dominated with mouthwatering acidity and a long, surprising minerally – almost steely – finish.

It paired beautifully with the smoky sweetness of the barbecue sauce.  Because of its richness, I opted for just one glass that evening.

The next night I had a roasted turkey thigh and poured a glass of the same wine – with some trepidation, I might add.  After all, could a wine that caressed the barbecue sauce so beautifully the night before possibly be any good with plain ‘ol turkey?

Yes indeed.  It was still very vibrant and paired beautifully with the dark, rich turkey meat.  I would NOT drink this with turkey breast. The wine would completely overwhelm it, mainly because in my opinion, turkey breast is, well, boring.

I still have one bottle left, and have decided to let it sit for a year.  Can’t wait to see how it evolves.  I can’t imagine this kind of wine fading.

This wine easily rates a solid 90 in my opinion. A George Clooney wine if there ever was one.