Folks have been coming by the shop with great gusto for warmer temps;  and they have been seeking out red wines for the occasion! No, we’re not just talking about “BBQ wines”. We’re talking about wines to sip and enjoy with or without a meal while you sit on your porch watching the sun go down.

Today I’m going to share some lesser known varietals or unique regional offerings (hybrids or blends) perfect for just such an occasion. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is taking this list (or a modified version, as you see fit) to your local shop to see which offerings they have on offer. These are some cool wines to keep your summer fresh – but they aren’t necessarily available at every shop. They are, no less, worth seeking out.

Zweigelt. Austrian fruity goodness. Some earth. Often a touch tart. Lively. A hybrid of  St.-Laurent and Blaufrankish.

Dole. A Swiss wine, which blends Pinot Noir and Gamay. Fresh, ripe redberry fruits and cherries. Distinct in its own right, it has a unique identity I think many palates will embrace.

Dornfelder. Some argue this is the new “hottness” out of Germany. Another red berry-fruited wonder, but with a great spice. Terrifically light on its feet – without ever leaving planet Earth.

Gamay. Low tannin, light style red. Very fruity and THE grape in Beaujolais red wines. Seek out Beaujolais Villages offerings to get a bit more depth in your glass (aka a dash of Burgundian earthiness).

Lambrusco. An Italian, frizzante style wine. Vinified sweet and dry – so ask to accommodate your taste or intentions. A lovely spectrum of depth and redberry fruit flavors on the market.

Some of these may be familiar to you as we’ve bantered about several in the past. But I’ve been known to get stuck in traditional ruts when on a mission for an aperitif or a lighter style red to accompany a meal on a hot day. So, go on! It’s a big bad world of refreshing RED wine out there.  Remember these options and… experiment!

What other reds do you like on a hot day? There are several more out there… please chime in!

Ever been wary of a “Wines by the Glass” list? Been dubious the wines were opened two days prior to your debut at the bar? Or better yet, ever been overwhelmed by a list that’s a real list, offering an ample array of wines you’ve never heard of?  The bars/restaurants that take their glass pours seriously are a rare and wonderful breed. The trick is navigating their list with style and grace. Not always an easy task!

The Achilles Project/Persephone here in Beantown offers more than 20 different wines by the glass. To me, this is the first indicator they are serious about wine. The second indicator is that a good number of the wines on their list are “nerdy” (read: boutique offerings you don’t see everyday). Like the boutique shop they run up front, they are focused on being fashion-forward, offering something new for folks to try. And because they are serious about glass pours, they also tend to be on the lookout for any wine that is past its prime, giving customers a greater opportunity to enjoy a “fresh” experience.  Sign me up!

Today I thought it would be fun to go through their “Wine By The Glass” list and pick out a handful of grapes that might cause a customer or two to scratch their head – when really they should be doing a little jig and embracing the list’s fabulous uniqueness. Buckle your seat belt!

Lambrusco: This red wine varietal from Emilia Romagna, Italy is something else… Lightly sparkling (frizzante, as the Italians like to say), this wine offers smart red berry fruit flavors, often with just a touch of sweetness eminating from the ripe grapes they pick for this elixir. Think antipasto or anything with a touch of saltiness or lightly fried (calamari anyone?) as a perfect pairing. Or sip it on it’s own! It’s a real charmer.

Assyrtiko/Asirtiko: This white grape varietal may have different spellings, but to me they say the same thing: crisp, citrus deliciousness. The closest “mainstream” varietal I can reference for new Assyritko drinkers would be Sauvignon Blanc. But Assyrtiko brings additional minerality and even a hint of smoke to the table. This is a probably one of the most well respected varietals in Greece, with its real home in Santorini. Unique, bright goodness in your glass.

Scheurebe: This is one of Germany’s best known hybrid varietals, yet it is still somewhat of an orphan…. DNA tests prove that this grape’s dad is Riesling, but Mom is still unknown (though previously thought to be Sylvaner). Gotta love a freak! This wine typically offers tremendous floral aromatics and a touch of residual sugar (RS).  Tasting the wine out on the town can be a bit of a gamble, but your bartender should be able to guide you on just how sweet it is (though often enough you’ll find they err on the drier side). Very much worth the experimentation, I’ve found. Often a great match for slightly spicy Asian dishes.

As for the Reds on their list, well…. some of these may be better paired with food than as a “cocktail wine” but it is certainly not everyday you see Austria’s own delicious and lightly refreshing test-tube varietal Zweigelt on the roster, let alone a Mencia or a even a Monastrell (the Spanish name for the grape Mouvedre, which is better recognized in French wines). Nero d’Avola is up and coming, thought to be a pseudo Syrah with additional notes of currants, clove and vanilla; I find them more often distinct in their own right and offering far less oomph than Syrah can. But they are often just the thing to scratch the itch at a very reasonable price. Carignane can be wonderful, but I prefer to enjoy it when dinner’s up, rather than at the bar with friends. I find it too dry, earthy and edgy without a bit of food on hand.

Any which way you look at it, the key thing is context. Do you want to sip something easy like a bit of Zweigelt while you chat with friends? Do you prefer something more familiar but still adventurous (like an Assyritko) to take the edge off a long day? Or do you crave a bit more body in your wine as you snack throughout the evening? If you’re unsure you can either start with a bit of bubbly or white wine to get the ball rolling – and you can always ask your bartender for a recommendation to suit your mood!

Half the fun of wine is where you  are, what you’re doing or who you are with. It’s worth a touch of experiment; don’t you agree?

You’re probably grateful to learn I’m not just a wine nerd. One of my other passions is cycling (yes, my road bike even has a name). I’ve found if you are really passionate about something (or things),  it is only natural your various interests intersect – however much in your thoughts rather than in practice. Case in point: I’m not likely to sip some vino and get on my bike, but sometimes I think about what “grape” I might be on any given day. (One of these days I’ll probably even post on the topic in and of itself – or better yet, start a discussion on the new Pour Favor Facebook page….) For whatever reason, this week I’ve been feeling a bit Gruner Veltliner -  and feel compelled to post accordingly…

Gruner Veltliner is a native Austrian white grape – their most well known and most planted, in fact.  Like training athletes, I find Gruner gets even better over time. 8 out of 10 times I open a bottle, it tastes better on day two than day one, and even better on day three than day two (after that, you may be pushing it). It takes time for it’s muscle to show.  Gruner is a svelte athlete, with terrific definition, but without an overblown, steroid-infused look/feel.  (Exactly the one I’m going for myself.)

Gruner also balances it’s sweet (read: fruit forward) with it’s sexy (read: character-driven, white pepper ’spice appeal’) side. Think ripe, fleshy white peaches, a hint of citrus, a dash of apricot – and white pepper minerality. This is the formula for one of the most food-friendly and versatile wines you can find. And its extra touch of oomph (i.e. weight from its svelte muscles) makes it a terrific white to enjoy during the winter months. Lovely acidity even allows it to precede a meal – or a night out on the town.

Which ones do I tip my hat to in particular? Try the Hofer Gruner Veltliner for a mere $12 (and a 1L bottle at that!); the Laurenz Singing Gruner for $15; or, seek out one of Kurt Angerer’s special offerings.

Are you feeling like a Gruner these days, too?

I was blessed with three things this Thanksgiving: inspiration, hope and pure delight. Since wine happened to be the catalyst for all three (and I feel like all we hear about is bad news these days), I can’t help but pick up my blog after the holiday weekend and share some positive goodness.

Inspiration. I’ve never had so much fun interacting with wine customers than last Wednesday night at the shop. People were looking for nice bottles of vino to accompany their meal, serve as delicious liquid ‘balm’ for potentially awkward family moments, or otherwise thank their host for their hospitality. People were simply in good spirits, looking forward to a few days off and satisfied bellies. Their bottle of vino was something they not only wanted to complete their meal, but to say something more, too.

Hope. People weren’t panicking. Some were looking to spend less per bottle so they could buy more than one more easily, but I couldn’t help but notice I was helping customers select more expensive bottles of wine for the occasion. (There is so much good juice at various price points I had anticipated helping folks find the perfect bottle anywhere from $10 to $100 – not more consistently in the $20-$35 range, which I did often.)

Delight. As I dressed my table, roasted my bird and prepared the delicious trimmings, it was lovely to open the bottles of wine I finally selected for the occasion (after much deliberation – after all, I am a Virgo with sometimes too much wine knowledge for my own good!). They were exactly what I hoped would delight my taste buds and guests.

Our pre-bird snacks were accompanied by an old favorite of mine (though the latest vintage which I had not yet enjoyed), the 2007 Guidobono Barbera d’Alba. I call it my fireplace wine; it is so approachable and versatile I can enjoy it with a variety of foods – or simply stick my feet up in front of the fire and sip. The 2007 is perhaps less complex in flavor than 2006, but it is no less satisfying. It was perfect for me to sip on as I put the final touches on the meal, enjoyed my guests and snacked.

Our main meal featured the 2006 Hillinger Small Hill Red, a truly fabulous, character-driven, soft and supple Pinot Noir/Merlot blend from Austria. In case I haven’t mentioned this wine here before, I will say it now: to me this wine is like the big, holiday bonus you didn’t know you were getting (it shows you the respect you deserve, but does so with unprecedented sophistication and grace). A lovely knock-out!

All of these things were enough to put me in the holiday spirit. This week I’ll be getting out my decorations and thinking about wines to delight us all as Santa slides down the chimney in but 25 days time!

How was your Thanksgiving? What wine(s) did you select for the occasion?

Ok, so it isn’t really spelled that way…. But it certainly makes me want to run out and get some! Zweigelt, that is, a little Austrian red wine goodness that’s perfect for this time of year.  (It’s said Z-vye-gelt, if my title was of no use to you this delightful, holiday Monday!)

What? Austrian wine? WHAT?!

Yes. Austria! I’m too young (if I do say so for myself) to really remember the (drinking) days when Austrian wine was a horrifying “No, No” – and, frankly, my experience with Austrian gastronomy has only been pure pleasure. (Who doesn’t love herb-encrusted game? Cured meats? Hard cheeses? And delicious, oh-so-delicious, sweets!) I think of the Alps, the fascinating history of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and those fine foods before I recall Austria has had its sad disaster of a period in modern wine making history.

To refresh your memory, Austria used to be known for its sweet wines. Things only got tricky in 1985 when a group of corrupt wine brokers tried to salvage poor harvests by adding diethylene glycol (found in antifreeze, no joke…) to the wines to increase the sweetness and then, worse, sell these wines as legit for a decent profit. I think NOT! Well, it didn’t work out so well for these greedy businessmen; but it did ultimately work out well for serious winemakers. Austria can now boast the strictest wine laws in the world. And that’s saying something when you recall the restrictions offered up in France and Italy, for example.  It also allowed serious winemakers to refocus their energies on making truly fabulous, dry wines.

Austria may still churn out 80% white wines (Gruner Veltliner is the major player on the white stage), but their reds are something to behold, too. Zweigelt is a test tube baby, or a man-made hybrid of St. Laurent (Austrian clone of Pinot Noir) and Blaufrankish. Why man-made? Well, Pinot Noir/St. Laurent is a tricky, tricky grape to grow because it is so delicate and, therefore, suseptible to so many different vineyards pests (bugs and birds alike), climatic challenges (frost, heat, hail, etc.) and even the human touch.  Zweigelt is less prone to frost, bud-breaks later and becomes a more mature fellow (ripens) earlier in the season. This is a godsend in Austria where the weather is a bit, shall we say… chilly?

Zweigelt is a white and red wine drinkers happiness. And it is perfect this time of year when you are thinking about the light fruitiness of Gamay (aka Beaujolais) and want something with a bit more character for both a warm day and cooler evening. The best part is that Austrian wines can be very reasonably priced – they do, afterall, have to redeem themselves in the global market!

If this is a new grape to you, try the Sepp Moser Zweigelt. It should retail for about 10 bones. It delivers cranberry and cherry fruit right up front and center stage. It can be a little on the tart side on the back palate and as it finishes, but I don’t mind it (and I usually do!). The flavors in this little wine gets me excited about fireplaces and Thanksgiving dinner to come!

Are you a Zweigelt lover? Have you gotten (back) on the Austrian wine bandwagon?