30 Second Wine Advisor: Grape varieties touch in your glass?

Today's Sponsor

Access Napa Valley's Most Prestigious
Aged Cabernet!


Experience aged Cabernets from top Napa producers like Freemark Abbey, Joseph Phelps, Mayacamas, Heitz, Clos du Val, Chappellet and many more.
The Aged Cabernet Series

Grape varieties touch in your glass?

The other day I was enjoying a leftovers lunch, a mix of doggie-bag leftovers from restaurants and sundry stuff in plastic tubs in the fridge.

A dish of Palestinian babaganoush caught my eye, and so did some cottage cheese. I took a little of each, and suddenly a light bulb went off over my head. How would they taste together?

I picked up a little of each in a single forkload. Pretty good! The earthy eggplant, tahini and garlic in the babaganoush mellowed nicely against the dairy tang of the cottage cheese. I smiled. Then I noticed that my wife was looking on with mixed horror and disgust.

Some people love to mix their foods. Others won't let anything touch on the plate. Each to his or her own, and the world spins on.

It occurred to me later, though, that this grand division of all humanity might stand as metaphor for those who insist on single-varietal wines and those who love blended grape varieties.

Depending on circumstances, I can go either way: Red Burgundy is 100 percent Pinot Noir, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Pinot is a prima donna, a star who needs to take the stage alone. But 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon? Not so much. Give me a delicious Bordeaux blend of Cabernet mellowed with Merlot and maybe a bit of Cabernet Franc and other players.

Ditto for Tuscan reds, where I'll wash down my pasta and "gravy" with 100 percent Sangiovese but would really rather have a classic Chianti blend of Sangiovese with Canaiolo, a splash of Malvasia and more.

Those who won't let foods touch on their plate or grape varieties blend in their wine glass argue that mixing varietals yields a "muddy" mutt of a wine without clear definition and personality. I lift my glass of 13-variety Chateauneuf-du-Pape in their general direction and retort, "Taste this."

Today's featured wine, Terlan 2007 Alto Adige Classico Terlaner from the Northern Italian Alps, might be another good demonstration. A tasty blend of 60 percent Pinot Bianco, 30 percent Chardonnay and 10 percent Sauvignon Blanc, it's hard to identify by the expected character of any of those varieties, yet it's a delicious mix of tropical fruit and heady floral aromas, with rich texture shaped by food-friendly acidity. Well worth the 19 bucks, as long as you don't mind grape varieties touching in your glass.

What do you think? Are you a mixer or a separator at the dinner table, and does this preference carry over to your wine glass? Click here to tell us your preference and discuss this topic on the WineLovers Discussion Group.

WineLovers Discussion Group conversations are open for public viewing, but you must register to post. Registration is free and easy; we ask only that you join following our Real Names Real Format system, using your real name in the format "John Doe" or "John D".

Once your registration has been approved, which usually happens quickly, you'll be able to participate in all our online wine and food forums.


Today's Sponsor

Access Napa Valley's most prestigious aged Cabernet!

Aged Cabernet Series

Experience aged Cabernets from top Napa producers like Freemark Abbey, Joseph Phelps, Mayacamas, Heitz, Clos du Val, Chappellet and many more.

Aged Cabernet is the ultimate reward of fine viticulture, deft winemaking and years of patience. Years in the cellar transform a finely made, boisterous young Cabernet into a magical mix of rich texture, multi-layered flavors and complex nuances of oak and tannin.

Introducing The Aged Cabernet Series. This exciting new club delivers premium Napa Valley Cabernets 10 to 15 years old, with our guarantee of quality, and your enjoyment.

Each month members will receive two different bottles of 10-15 year old Napa Valley Cabernet, aged in stringent temperature-controlled conditions and ready to drink now. Members may choose to receive shipments monthly, every other month or quarterly. Cost will average $150-$235 per shipment, every wine is 100% guaranteed.

Experience the luxury of aged Napa Valley Cabernets with The Aged Cabernet Series. Call 1-800-777-4443 to learn more or visit The Aged Cabernet Series.


Today's Tasting Report

Terlan 2007 Alto Adige Classico Terlaner ($19)

Terlaner

Transparent straw color. Heady and floral, almost like orchids, with whiffs of pineapple and maybe a distant touch of banana. Mouth-filling and ripe, flavors follow the nose, medium-bodied with a rich mouthfeel structured by firm, mouth-watering acidity. Excellent food wine, a blend of Pinot Bianco (60%), Chardonnay (30%) and Sauvignon Blanc (10%). U.S. importer: Banville & Jones Wine Merchants, North Bergen, N.J. (July 14, 2010)

FOOD MATCH: Its floral, complex flavors and tart acidity make it a match for hearty, spicy fare, with a tilt toward poultry, pork or veal. It was fine with a quick pilaf with local free-range chicken with Vidalia onion, garlic, saffron and basmati rice.

VALUE: I'm not excited about the continued price inflation of Italian whites, but in fairness, it's priced fairly against quality competition in the upper teens.

WEB LINKS: The winery Website is available in Italian, German and English. Click your choice of Benvenuti," "Willkommen" or "Welcome" for your preferred language.
Here is the winery's fact sheet on the Terlaner.

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Check prices and find vendors for Terlano Terlaner on Wine-Searcher.com.


Talk About Wine Online

If you have questions, comments or ideas to share about today's article or wine in general, you're always welcome to drop by our online WineLovers Discussion Group, the Internet's first and still the most civil online community. To find our forums, click:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village

Discussions are open for public viewing, but you must register to post. Registration is free and easy; we ask only that you join following our Real Names Real Format system, using your real name in the format "John Doe" or "John D". Anonymous, cryptic or first-name-only registrations are discarded without notice.

Once your registration has been approved, which usually happens quickly, you'll be able to participate in all our online wine, food and travel forums.

To contact me by E-mail, write wine@wineloverspage.com. I'll respond personally to the extent that time and volume permit.


Subscriptions and Administrivia

Unsubscribe:
We're sorry if you must leave us, but simply click the "unsubscribe"
link at the bottom of your Email edition to be instantly removed from the mailing list.

Change address:
With our new Email system, the easiest way to change your Email address is simply to register anew, using the link below. If you are keeping your old address, you may unsubscribe; if you are closing it, you needn't take any action, as our system will delete your old address as soon as the mail starts to "bounce."

Subscribe to this Email edition (free):
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor

WineLoversPage.com RSS Feed (free):
http://www.wineloverspage.com/rss

Wine Advisor Archives:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor2/archives.php

Sponsorship Opportunities:
For information, E-mail wine@wineloverspage.com