Your February 2012 Vintage Wine Merchants Monthly Wine Club Selections are ready for pickup. We have shipped on or around February 2, 2012.

Here are your February 2012 Monthly Wine Club Notes.

CLICK HERE for February Wine Club 2012

Grilled cheese sandwiches are considered an American classic. Sliced Wonder bread and the weird but tasty processed cheese that comes in plastic, yes I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. What American hasn’t eaten this combination? It’s simple comfort food, I remember as a child making balls of the doughy white bread without the crust for a snack.  The Kraft cheese singles was always in my fridge growing up. According to Wikipedia the grilled cheese originated in the 1920′s during the depression. It was an open faced broiled sandwich and later in the 1960′s it evolved into a close faced sandwich. Today there are many many variations and they have come a long way from what most of us experienced as kids.

If you don’t think about wine as it relates to everything in life like I do, you may be scratching your head wondering grilled cheese, and wine huh?  Cheese ok but grilled cheese that’s so humble and simple. But it really does make sense, think about it a classic pairing is cheese and wine and we almost always have bread or crunchy crackers to go with it. They go perfectly right? There are a bunch of variations and different parings possible. What make these pairings successful are a few simple traits: Rich and fatty cheese goes well with acidity or tannin which is provided by the wine. Crunchy crackers or crusty bread provides texture, yeasty aromas and most importantly it soaks up all that alcohol.

So when you break it down grilled cheese sandwiches have both those elements just rolled into one. Grilled cheese these days can be very elaborate and sophisticated I’ve seen grilled cheese with shaved white truffles on a menu. I’ve always said in terms of food and wine pairings you can either compare or contrast. In this case I would say lean more towards comparing flavors rather than contrasting them especially if your grilled cheese sandwiches are simple. For example an herbaceous Sauvignon Blanc would be nice with an herb crusted goat cheese sandwich or a caprese style grilled cheese that includes basil. If using very rich luscious cheese try to mirror that with the texture of the wine while  keeping a harmonious balance between natural acidity to help cut through the richness in the sandwich. Some grapes naturally high in acidity include: Nebbiolo, Barbera, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Albarinho, Riesling, and Muscadet. However where the grapes are grown will heavily influence this outcome and what levels of acid are found in the finished wine. As a good rule of thumb go old world (France, Italy, Austria, Spain and Germany).

Some simple ideas for various pairings include:

First and foremost Champagne with anything!

Blue grilled cheese and Port this is a big contrast but it works well

Truffle Camembert grilled cheese with Nebbiolo or an earthy Bordeaux blend

Provolone, Swiss, or Gruyere grilled cheese with Chardonnay

For dessert try Crème Fraiche or Mascarpone with dessert wine such as a Late Harvest Riesling or Madeira you can even use a sweet kind of bread such as raisin to give a touch of sweetness to the sandwich.

Terah Bajjalieh, CS, CSW

Certified Sommelier

@terahbajjalieh

February 25, 2012 – One of our most popular tasting events –and with good reason! This is one of the times we pull out all the stops (or corks) and pay homage to Cabernet Sauvignon!

February 29, 2012 – It’s Leap Day on Leap Year. You have an extra day this year – so treat it as a bonus and do something you never normally do.

February 7, 2012 – NON-MEMBERS ARE WELCOME – Taste the monthly selections and pick-up your wine….

Monthly Pick Up Day – tonight’s tasting is your opportunity to taste all the monthly wine club selections as well as pick up your monthly wines. Come mingle with other club members and make a few new friends. If you haven’t signed up for the club yet – come on down and we’ll set you up. NON-MEMBERS ARE WELCOME.

$20 PER PERSON FOR NON-MEMBERS. FREE TO CLUB MEMBERS.

Starts 6:00 pm

Barbera is one of the ancient and native varietals of Piedmont. It generally produces wine that is low in tannin, high in acidity, berry flavor profiles with deep dark colors. The main region where this is made is Barbera D’Asti which is a sub region of Piedmont.

The Damilano family is one of the oldest wine producers in the Barolo region. They have been in the business since 1890. Today they produce about 9 different labels ranging in style and varietals and they also have a cru selection for its luxury labels that come from more prominent and “cru” vineyards. They started producing Barbera D’Asti in 2008; however the vines where they obtain their grapes are 20-30 years old. They acquired rights to use about 17 hectares of vines from Casorzo a sub region of Asti. So even though this label is new the vines are mature and therefore should produce concentrated wine. This wine is made from 100% Barbera and was aged in a combination of both new and used barriques.

2009 Damilano Barbera D’ Asti $15.98

Tasting Notes

Sight: Deep ruby red with a bit of staining.

Nose: Vibrant bright strawberries, cherries and raspberries, with a slight earthy quality filled with aromas of violets, lavender, and anise. There are some oak makers such as vanilla a light smoke but it isn’t overpowering.

Palate: Medium to medium plus in body this wine is velvety on the palate with soft tannins. The berries and tart cherries follow through on the palate with vibrant acidity that rages through to the very end. The finish is filled with earthy and rustic aromas of anise, wet stone and violets. There is definite minerality a slight chalkiness on the palate typical of wines from the old world.

Pairing Suggestions

This would be great with an assortment of cheese and charcuterie. There is a nice balance between fruit, earth and minerality which I feel would be a nice compliment to any cheese and charcuterie. Plus there is tons of acidity which would be a nice contrast to rich fatty cheeses and charcuterie. The tannins while apparent are smooth and supple and wouldn’t overpower with these flavors. Some of my favorites include: sopressata, peppered salami, Jamon Iberico, prosciutto, truffle cheese, camembert, or any goat cheese. Don’t forget the other additions such as crustini, cornichons, whole grain mustard, nuts and dried fruit. Pickled vegetables add that acid component to offset the heavy richness of these items, much like what you would want in a wine.

Terah Bajjalieh, CS, CSW

Certified Sommelier

@terahbajjalieh

The Biale Family started farming Zinfandel and chickens as of 1937. The family emigrated from Italy like many wine makers in the area today, however they choose to grow Zinfandel. “We consider our Zinfandel to be the ideal expression of this flavorful California variety.” The estate holds several vineyards located all over Napa and some lapse over into Sonoma. Each vineyard has different terroirs and vines ranging in age providing an abundant source of material for these wine makers to work with. Today they also grow some Petite Syrah but mostly produce Zinfandel.

The wine comes from the Silver Trail Vineyard which essentially runs along the Silverado Trail, which runs along the length of Napa. It’s quite cooler in the Southern region and is perfect for Zinfandel production.

2009 Robert Biale Vineyards Zinfandel Napa Valley $43.98

Tasting Notes

Sight: Deep and dark purple with red hues.

Nose: Blackberry, ripe raspberry, and cherry, dry leaves and black pepper with light oak markers such as vanilla, and cinnamon.

Palate: Full bodied with velvety tannins at the beginning the fruit bursts with unctuous, big and bright juicy flavors and boldly the wine finishes with pepper, vanilla and cinnamon.

Pairing Suggestions

A big wine with big flavors this is something to sip on during the cold winter months. Something that will warm you up inside while giving you enough complexity, aromas and pleasure to keep sipping and smelling more. Great with a big steak, mashed potatoes and glazed vegetables. Roasts and stews and other hearty fare. The great thing about this wine is it’s something you can continue to drink with dessert if you’re having something like a blackberry pie or chocolate cake with raspberries and genache anything that would mirror or complement the berry aromas in the wine.

Terah Bajjalieh, CS, CSW

Certified Sommelier

@terahbajjalieh

Trinchero Family Estate encompasses a large portfolio of wine including Trinchero Napa Valley. It is considered their “luxury class” single vineyard wines. This label includes:  Sauvignon Blanc, two Merlots, six Cabernet Sauvignons, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and a Meritage blend. There are three acres of Petite Verdot planted and most is used in their meritage blend while in exceptional years some of the wine is bottled as a single vineyard Central Park West label with exclusively Petite Verdot. This vineyard was planted in 1987 and the soil consists of mainly clay, alluvial and loamy soil. The Central Park West is a name derived from the area in New York where the original Trinchero family lived before moving to California.

Petite Verdot originates from Bordeaux France where it is used as a blending grape. Petite Verdot has qualities that add different characteristics to a wine in which multiple varietals are blended. It provides deep inky colors, tannin, violet and floral aromas. It is a late ripening grape varietal so it has lost some popularity in France but is often used in the US because it ripens easier in our warmer climate.

2008 Trinchero Petite Verdot Napa Valley $49.98

Tasting Notes

Sight: Deep purple with inky qualities some light staining.

Nose:  Dark purple and red plums with big floral aromas such as violets, lavender. There is also tons of pepper and some light baking spices like nutmeg a bit of leather.

Palate: Medium bodied the aromatics on the nose follow through however the plum is a bit of a tart plum versus deep and ripe plum. The mid palate has an addition of the coffee and leather while the tannins are soft and luscious.

Pairing Suggestions

This wine would be great with hearty red meats that contain a lot of flavor and a bit of fattiness which these tannins can perfectly offset. Bar-B-Q tri-tip, various roasts, brisket or ribs. This is a fairly big wine and could stand up to some big bold flavor. A coffee spice rub would be superb, and it’s flexible enough to put on various forms of red meat.

Terah Bajjalieh, CS, CSW

Certified Sommelier

@terahbajjalieh

Your January 2012 Vintage Wine Merchants Monthly Wine Club Selections are ready for pickup. We will be shipping on Tuesday, January 3, 2011.

Here are your January 2012 Monthly Wine Club Notes. CLICK HERE for January Wine Club 2012

Your December 2011 Vintage Wine Merchants Monthly Wine Club Selections are ready for pickup. We will be shipping on Monday, December 5, 2011.

Here are your December 2011 Monthly Wine Club Notes.
CLICK HERE for December Wine Club 2011