All Set in Massachusetts

The Crusher Part 1: Viognier - A Great Pairing for Asian Food

The Crusher

Wilson Vineyard Viognier, 2007

Clarksburg, CA

A few months ago, Alice was working from home when a surprise delivery came to the door - eight bottles of The Crusher wine by Don Sebastiani & Sons for our review. We received two bottles each of Viognier, Chardonnay, Petite Sirah, and Cabernet Sauvignon. One of our immediate favorites of the group was the 2007 Viognier, which we first tried with Indian food, and again tonight with an all-American meal of chicken, green beans, and mixed grains.

The Wilson Vineyard Viognier is a fun wine because it can be enjoyed by itself or with a meal. We enjoyed a glass as we were preparing our Friday night dinner, and drank the rest of the bottle while we ate. It is a fruit-forward wine, with scents of apricot and pears, blended with a hint of oak and cloves. While has soft nectar flavors, the sweetness of this wine is not overpowering (we're not big fans of sweet wines). This is definitely a good one to pair with Asian dishes! Our first glass was very cold, but we actually think this wine is better as it warms a little.

A&T Ranking: 7.5/10

Portuguese White Wine - Perfect for Summer Lobster Dinners

Vinho Verde - Quinta das Arcas Sociedade

Arca Nova, 2007

Portugal

With plans to kick-off Summer 2009 properly, we headed north to the Chauncey Creek Lobster Pier over Memorial Day weekend with our close friends, the Bernals. On the way, we stopped at the New Hampshire Liquor Store to pick up some wine for our outing. One of our selections was the Arca Nova Vinho Verde (or "Green Wine") from Portugal. The wine chilled quickly in our cooler, and it was the first bottle we opened to enjoy with our appetizers of mussels and steamers. By the time we got to our lobsters, we only had a few sips left! The wine was clean, crisp and refreshing with light citrus fruit flavors -- a perfect complement to the fresh seafood. When we looked at the back of the bottle, we learned that "Vinho Verde is the classical wine of Portugal, where the seafood consumption is among the highest in Europe."

While we'd certainly like to try other Vinho Verde's for comparison's sake, everyone at the table agreed that this was a great summer find! Definitely pick some up next time you cook up some lobsters or other shellfish.

A&T Ranking: 8.5/10

Santo Wines - One of the World's Most Spectacular Views!

If you want a fun wine tasting experience while in Santorini, definitely make a stop at Santo Wines. You can taste 12 wines (healthy pours) and get a cheese platter for the bargain price of 16 Euros. Plus, you will be treated to one of the most spectacular views imaginable. We will post photos soon, but honestly, this is one place you have to see with your own eyes... Alice even commented that she'd like to have a second wedding (to Thadd, of course) at the winery. They were setting up for a concert the day we were there, and we were thinking how great it would be to see a big name band (The Killers, perhaps?) live from Santorini.

One of the Best White Wines We've Had in a While...

If you're looking for a rich, smooth white wine that works well by itself - but also complements dishes such as pork tenderloin perfectly - look no further than Francois Chidaine's Les Tuffeaux Montlouis Sur Loire (2004). Alice's brother introduced us to this Loire Valley wine, and it's one of best we've had in a long time. To find retailers, try Ideal Wine & Spirits. We're curious to hear what other people think!

A&T Ranking: 9.5/10

The Ultimate Sandwich

I am huge sandwich fan, and over the past few years, I’ve thought about creating Thadd’s Ultimate sandwich. I’ve conducted extensive research on other excellent sandwiches and used several of the Parish Café’s sandwiches as my benchmark. I finally got around to creating it the past Memorial Day weekend. Here are the results: 

The Thaddeus

Grilled medium rare Niman Ranch dry-aged bone Cowboy steak sliced thick, topped with mango infused seared fresh Hudson Valley Foie Gras Grade "A", plump organic tomatoes, and assorted organic greens. Served on grilled white bread from Hi-Rise Bread Company, and accompanied with two pieces of tuna sashimi.

Notes: This was my first time searing foie gras and it cooks in about 45 seconds on each side. Infusing the mango was tricky and not burning it proved to be difficult. Even though my technique was not perfect, the mango foie gras was still excellent. The searing creates extensive smoke, and Alice thought I was going to burn down the kitchen.

The greens and tomatoes were from Boston Organics. Hi-Rise Bread Company does not have web site. Check out a few user reviews. Alice returned from a business trip to Paris the day I made the sandwich, so we enjoyed it with a crisp Domaine Rodet 2005 Chateau de Rully premier cru white wine.

New York Bully

Tonight we once again ventured out of our white wine comfort zone and tried Bully Hill Vineyard Goat White Wine from New York - a region that we're interested in learning more about. The back of the bottle suggests pairing the wine with either seafood or poultry dishes, so we chose to try it along with barbequed chicken hot off the grill - a perfect Fourth of July weekend dinner. This wine is supposed to be semi-dry, but we found it to be more on the sweet side, with a strong fruity aroma and and taste. Fortunately, it wasn't as heavy as some sweet wines can be, so it worked well on a hot summer's night. Thadd is a bigger fan of sweet wines, so he probably enjoyed it more - although it made him doze off pretty early on the couch! It's always good to experiment, but there are so many unique whites out there that we're not sure this one particularly stands out (although the Billy Goat on the front of the bottle makes it somewhat memorable).

A&T Ranking: 6/10

No Conundrum Here

Conundrum

California, 2002

White Table Wine

$19.99 (a deal - it's usually $24.99)

Atlas Liquors

Without question, this is one of the best white wines we've had in the past year. This unique white varietal engulfs your mouth with a buttery smooth texture and offers an amazing blend of fruity flavors. Identifying the grape varietals in the wine is a conundrum, hence its name. We first tried it as part of a wine pairing at the Inn at Thorn Hill in January, and truly enjoyed it with our jumbo prawn appetizer. Since then, we've had it on two more occasions and will buy more as soon as we can find a good deal on it. It can be enjoyed by itself or with a meal, and we found it paired particularly well with a salmon, shrimp and avocado dish. When there are so many wines out there to try, it's rare to find one you want to drink again & again. This one definitely qualifies.

A&T Ranking: 9.5/10 

Down Under (Priced) Riesling

Traminer Riesling

Rosemount Estate

South Eastern Australia, 2004 $6.99

In contrast to the sparkling wine we toasted with at the beginning of our lobster dinner, this Riesling capped off the meal on a much sweeter note. A combination of Traminer (56%) and Riesling (44%) grapes, the tropical fruit flavors of this aromatic wine were abundant and rich – and it would work well with a variety of desserts. Overall, this wine was surprisingly smooth and elegant for its affordable price point. Our only complaint – it might be a little too sweet – especially compared to some of the Kabinett Rieslings we’ve tried. It would be interesting to compare it side-by-side to a more expensive Riesling. Stay tuned…

A&T Ranking: 7/10

Unique White

Casal Garcia

Vinho Verde Region

Portuguese White Wine

In support of our quest to expand our wine knowledge beyond America, our friend Matt Allard brought us this affordable Portuguese white. This wine was light and delicate with a gentle fizz – unlike any white wine we’d ever tasted. The wine is young and fruity and would be perfect with an appetizer, especially on a summer afternoon. It’s so unique that it’s worth a try – and it won’t weigh you down like heavier wines.

A&T Ranking 7.5/10

World Series Wine Sipping

Jean-Luc Colombo
Les Abeilles, 2001 Cotes Du Rhone

Purchased: Atlas Liquors, Medford, MA
Regular Price: $7.99

Drank: October 23, 2004- Red Sox World Series Game 1- as I write this Ortiz just hit a bomb into the right field seats- 3 run HR bottom of 1st Sox 4- Cards. 0

Whom: Thadd and Alice

Comments: Light fruity white – one of the best affordable French wines we’ve tasted. Reminds us of a white wine we drank along the canals at Versailles on a sunny September afternoon in 2000. Soft flavors make this wine great for every day drinking. Good aftertaste. We enjoyed it without food as we prepared dinner, but it also worked well with our salmon and shrimp dish. This is not an overpowering wine, yet it still offers good flavor.

A&T Ranking: 7.5/10