15 hours Ago
FLORENCE — The post-holiday season usually swings the pendulum the other direction, surfacing feelings of regret and contrition. Part of this stems from the sad truth that we all ate and drank like we were going to the electric chair. The other, and more immediately impactful situation, relates to our blatant disregard of anything even remotely resembling a budget.
This becomes quite evident with the arrival of the January “magic card” statement and the ensuing vague dull chest tightness. The Bottle Talk: What wines go with football season? Now that our bellies are fat and our wallets are thin, we need to heed how we enter into the New Year. We always have the choice to hitch our wagons to the growing temperance movement and buy into the vogue of “Dry January.
” Self-awareness, however, tells me that with the college and professional football playoffs in full swing, quarterly taxes due mido-month and Chilly Willy still camped out on the front lawn, my engine will need a little liquid lubrication to ease in the year. With this realization of holiday financial overextension staring us in the face, even the label-watching wine ponce has options to “trade down” and still stay within their consumption preferences. Shopping by category can be a successful strategy to finding the wine in your palatal preference range and staying within your self-imposed budget.
Just because the holidays have passed, pouring of bubbly should not be frowned upon. This remains an all-season drink but we do have times that those pricy vintage Champagnes are not as attractive. In these situations, I turn to another traditional method sparkler, Crémant.
Not to be confused with the grand cru Champagne village, Cramant, the term Crémant refers to French sparkling wines made in the same method as Champagne but are produced in regions outside Champagne. Lucien Albrecht Crémant de Alsace Brut Rosé NV ($22) is 100% Pinot Noir and shows lively red fruit, some citrus peel and a freshness that will fill that need for a sparkling fix at a ridiculously reasonable price. The Bottle Talk: Madeira plays a key role in U.
S. history For my acidophilic wine lovers, I suggest turning to Portugal for your white wine choices. Portuguese white wines are some of the best to accompany seafood dishes and are almost always drinking well above their price points.
In particular the Alvarinho grape, known across the border in Spain as Albariño, sees expansive vineyard area in northwestern Portugal. Arca Nova Alvarinho 2023 ($18) is exemplary of what these wines have to offer. Aromas of citrus, tropical and orchard fruit combined with floral elements cumulating on the palate with a brined mineral finish.
The adventurous wine drinker that appreciates a sturdier white has a myriad of appellation and variety choices offering plenty of “bang” for that abused buck. The Petit Manseng grape hails from Jurançon, France and has made a successful transition to our side of the pond. Although Virginia seems to be the state with the greatest success thus far, Yadkin Valley, North Carolina produces some show-stopping examples.
Notably, Sotrio Petit Manseng 2023 ($26) has the classic spiced tropical citrus (pineapple, guava) along with a raw wild honey and a sexy toasted nut finish. The viscosity is elevated and the tropical takes on a toasted quality thanks to the judicious use of oak and malolactic fermentation. A fraction of my red wine brethren are admittedly ethnocentric in their wine selections and prefer something grown not only within our country but also from a recognizable appellation in the state of California.
Fret not, you can still drink that Napa Cabernet, if that’s your flavor, at a reasonable price point. This shopping strategy shifts to staying with a trusted producer but “trading down” within their portfolio. Many of these wines are assigned the misnomer of “entry level” but can carry great quality albeit slightly less then their flagship wines.
If you are a California wine lover then you are probably familiar with Beaulieu Vineyards (BV) as they were truly one of the pillars on which Napa Valley was built. Although BV’s portfolio contains some impressively scored, touted and priced wines, their bargain juice drinks remarkably well. To state that Beulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 ($40) overperforms would be a gross understatement.
With a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Charbono, 4% Petite Sirah, 3% Merlot, 2% Touriga Nacional, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec and aging 18 months in French, American, and European oak one can easily see that this wine was not quality neglected. The wine gives complexity on the nose and palate with black and red fruit compote, baking spices (allspice), herbs (dill) and floral (rose petal) lingering beneath a sturdy structure. This may be your new week-day sipper.
So, while scrutinizing your post-holiday spending, know that you can continue your usual consumption routine without fear of financial dismay. The aforementioned wines may even work their way into your normal repertoire after you’ve paid that jolly red coat wearing shylock back his loan with interest..
