by Jay Erisman, EQ Wine and Spirits Manager

Here are a couple of no-brainer wines for your Thanksgiving table, or indeed any holiday dinner. Both Ecker Grüner Veltliner and Ramsay Pinot Noir are superbly balanced and more than flexible enough to swing with the diverse and challenging food matches common to a Thanksgiving dinner.

From all of us in the EQ, have a simply super Thanksgiving.

Ecker Grüner Veltliner, Austria/Weinland, 2007 liter $12.99
Anyone looking for a dry, savory, insanely good value white wine for their holiday table should consider the fat liter bottle of Ecker’s 2007 Grüner Veltliner. Master importer Terry Theise offered a perfect description of this wine which I shall borrow: “Slim and racy, spring water strained through herbs.” The lithe, thyme/green bean/mineral flavors of Grüner are backed by fairly generous ripe fruit in a zesty, bone-dry palate. Matched against such tough Thanksgiving customers as The Green Bean Casserole, Ecker suggests: have seconds.

Ramsay Pinot Noir, North Coast, 2006
Ramsay Pinot Noir is a terrific Thanksgiving wine, and I have the scars to prove it. In 2001, my first holiday season at The Party Source, Ramsay was all the rage with our staff and customers. Case after case of this well-balanced, juicy, P. Noir left the store. In the midst of the biggest wine selling days of the year, it felt like Cincinnati was inhaling Ramsay Pinot Noir. Well, despite our enormous warehouse, we of course ran out of Ramsay the day before Thanksgiving. A concerned elderly customer came asking for more Ramsay–nothing else would do for her family but this terrific Pinot value. I had to inform her that, sadly, we had run out of Ramsay–and then she smacked me! True story. I’m pleased to say that the 2006 Ramsay is better than ever, and seven years later is still a square deal at $17.99.

The trend of aging spirits in former wine casks that has spread through the single malt Scotch industry, and even made inroads to Kentucky’s Bourbon, has now spread to Mexico. AsomBroso 100% agave Tequila has brought some unusual bottlings to the US market, including “La Rosa Reposado,” finished for three months in Bordeaux wine casks.

Actually, this is not the very first Mexican spirit I’ve seen aged in wine barrels; that distinction belongs to Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal, which has produced experimental and very limited releases of a Cabernet cask-aged Mezcal. But AsomBroso is surely the first Tequila to do so, and the first widely available such spirit.

The color alone is stunning, almost like a pale rosé wine. The wine cask is very present in the nose, offering vanilla-toasty oak and bright red berry fruit—a totally new thing in Tequila—but there’s also plenty of earthy agave aromatics that balance the wine barrel. The cask is much subtler in the mouth, which is dry and dominated by quite zesty agave. The vanilla oak comes whispering back at the very end, a teasing conclusion to an innovative Mexican spirit. Hopefully this is just the tip of the piña in terms of innovation from the Tequila industry, which offers plenty of wacky looking packages (and the AsomBroso package is hardly low key) every month but not so many truly new ideas in top quality Tequila.

AsomBroso La Rosa Reposado 100% Agave Tequila

$51.29

Second Chance Merlot 2005
$9.99S Aisle 6A

This wine has a lot of really great key components that make it a no brainer to pick up today. First its a softer Merlot, the tannins are rather low for its young age and the big juicy ripe fruit really is on point. Second its from Paso Robles, California which is a masterful location for Bordeaux varietals like Cabernet, Merlot and spicy Zinfandel. Third the vintage, it is not a bad thing at all to be backed by the 2005 vintage. The world is filled right now by wine champs from this super hero vintage. Finally fourth is the price, $9.99. I think that’s enough said.

Food: Grilled steaks, bbq chicken or the classic cheese burger.

Cheers,

Danny Gold

D’ Arenberg The Hermit Crab Viognier/Marsanne 2006
$12.99 Aisle 7A

The Hermit Crab in my opinion is the best white wine from Australia under $20. This wine always has amazing press behind it and was highlighted as a Wine Spectator top 100 wines of the year in 2007. Apricots and peaches segue into a plump, rich, dense palate that says au revoir with an almond finish. D’arenberg always delivers an interesting twist on delicate French varietals.

Food: Lobster or monk fish, sushi and grilled fruit such as pineapple glazed shrimp and apricots topped with goat cheese.

Cheers,

Danny Gold

The weather is finally warmer and it is perfect for outdoor gatherings of family and friends.  We recently had a class here at EQ celebrating Cinco de Mayo, in which we featured this recipe as a nice greeter for the evening.  It was well received, so here is my recipe. 

SANGRIA

1 bottle dry red wine
¼ cup dark rum
¼ cup orange flavored liqueur
½ cup pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons sugar
2 large oranges, sliced thin crosswise
2 large lemons, sliced thin crosswise
2 medium apples or pears, peeled, pitted and cut into slices
1 cup (8 fluid ounces) club soda

Combine all the ingredients except for the club soda in a large punch bowl or serving pitcher, mixing well. Refrigerate overnight. Immediately before serving, mix in the club soda for added fizz. Ladle into cups with ice cubes.

“Drinking doesn’t make you fat, it makes you lean….against bars, tables, chairs, and poles.�?

-Jay Dickerson

Di Majo Norante Sangiovese 2004

$9.99 Aisle 9A

I have always been impressed by this little wine since the first time I tasted a 97′ vintage 7 years ago. Impressive to the palate for its Italian charm overall quality and extreme affordability. This lush soft wine has dashing notes of savory red cherry fruits and is well deserving of its 90 point Wine Advocate score. Flip the bottle over and see its an offering of Leonardo LoCascio’s Winebow portfolio, another great way to discover new wines is to try them by the importer.

Food: Classic grilled or smoked sausages, Veal dishes, pizza or burgers on the grill.

Cheers,

Danny Gold

Strong Arms Shiraz

$10.99, Austraila Aisle 7A 

Yet another affordable masterpiece from Aussie phenom wine maker Chris Ringland. This is the newest best bang for the buck from the great portfolio of importer Dan Phillips ruler of the Grateful Palate. Strong Arms isn’t high octane or over spiced it’s flavors are bold yet balanced with out getting to loud or out of hand. The finish is long and smooth with just the right kiss of blue and blackberry currant. 91 points Wine Advocate.
Food: Bbq pork or chicken, bison burgers with bacon and blue cheese.

-Danny Gold, Wine Expert at The Party Source

Ninet Viognier

$8.99, France Aisle 7B

The aromatics of this wine are as dazzling to the nose as the exciting fruit flavors are to the palate. Lemon zest, apricots and honey dew are pungent on both ends of the spectrum and finishes clean crisp and refreshing. This wine leaves the white wine lover satisfied and quenched. Ninet Viognier is my favorite white wine discovery under $10. 88 points Wine Advocate.
Food: Sushi, Oysters Rockefeller, ceviche.

-Danny Gold, Wine Expert at The Party Source

Here is Danny's Wine of the Week!  Enjoy!

De Gras Merlot $8.99

Central Valley, Chile

Tasting notes: Smokey earthy nuances lead to a wine with rich, dark fruit.  A long meaty gamey finish that cries for grilled meat.
Food: Grilled lamb, burgers and steaks are a perfect match for this great value wine.

-Danny Gold, Wine Expert at The Party Source