Hello All,
Thank you so much for your patience. It took me a while to shake off the post-finals, new semester blues. Now that I’ve shaken them, however, I’ve realized three things. First, it’s cold as heck out there! Second, I have no “everyday wines” in my cellar (that is, the drawer that serves as my cellar). Third, I really have a hankering to cook dinner and drink solid (but not expensive!) wines.
One of my favorite pastimes is to cook, and one of my favorite things to do while I chop vegetables and sear meats is to drink a glass or two of wine. It helps pass the time splendidly, and it helps occupy company. It also helps whet my appetite, personally, and we all need those extra calories for the coming onslaught of snow, right?
Hence, the theme of the DC Wine Collective’s newest offering: Wines to Cook With. Don’t get me wrong: these aren’t wines you should use to cook with per se. These are wines you should drink while cooking, that you can drink with dinner, and that you shouldn’t feel bad about using in a sauce or to deglaze your pan. They are low-alcohol, off the beaten track, and, best of all, inexpensive but high quality.
If you are interested, please fill out the linked spreadsheet by 12 pm on Thursday, January 27. I will place the order with MacArthur Beverages in Georgetown after that, and I should receive the wine by the beginning of next week. The prices below already include DC’s 9% sales tax. The shipping fee is a $5.00 delivery fee + $5.00 tip, $10.00 total. This will be divided per bottle. So, if the final order consists of 50 bottles, I will add twenty cents to each bottle’s price. I will contact you directly to arrange for payment and delivery. Wines are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
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THE WINES
… the reds…
2009 Chanrion Côte de Brouilly Beaujolais cru | Gamay | France | $18.52 + share of shipping
2009 has been hailed as one of the greatest Beaujolais vintages in history. This exceptional wine from world-famous Berkeley importer, Kermit Lynch, is loaded with bright fruit and mineral undertones. If your idea of Beaujolais is a bottle with flowers all over it and some guy named Georges on the label, you need to try this. This is a great, versatile wine: it will appeal to white wine lovers because it is on the lighter side. If you’re into reds, don’t worry: I would compare it to a Pinot Noir (see: Sideways). This is especially good with salmon and roast chicken.
2008 Baudry “Les Granges” Chinon | Cabernet Franc | France | $19.61 + share of shipping
Another Kermit Lynch selection, this Cabernet Franc from the Loire valley is made by a producer who is a true “hero” to über-wine geeks. David Schildknecht, who reviews these wines for Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate said this: “The Baudry 2008 Chinon mingles tart mulberry with invigorating salinity and pungent herbs on a spare yet polished and persistently juicy palate.” That reminds me a cross between silkworms (which eat mulberry leaves) and Seder. Really, you should get this wine not because of what Mr. Schildknecht says but because what I say. Cab Franc from the Loire is serious, beautiful wine. I like drinking it with anything involving goat cheese.
2009 Anton Iby Blaufränkisch “Classic” | Blaufränkisch | Austria | $17.43 + share of shipping
A great introduction to the red wines of Austria, Anton Iby is highly regarded as one of the best producers in the famed Burgenland region. Blaufränkisch is a very interesting grape—the only way I can describe it would be if Syrah, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Franc had a love-child, this would be it. It’s also fun to try and get your guests to pronounce the grape name. You might consider having this with some sort of würst or spätzle with fried onions and Emmenthaler cheese.
2006 Francisco Alfonso Pedralonga Doumia | Mencia | Spain | $20.70 + share of shipping
The rarest of the rare here: a red wine from Rías Biaxas (ree-ahs by-hahss). Why is this rare? Ever heard of Albariño? That is the flagship (white) wine from this region and nobody else would be nuts enough to try to make red wine in this ultra-cool, foggy micro-climate. Made from the Mencia grape, this is light, earthy and just downright wacky in the best sense. If you ever needed a polar opposite to Australian Shiraz, this is the wine. Pair with ham and other pork dishes or roasted meats.
2007 Fontsainte Corbieres Demoiselle | Carignan | France | $14.16 + share of shipping
Another Kermit value, this red from the Languedoc is 100% Carignan from 70-95 year old vines! Amazing value here, this is a real “honest” wine. It’s not made to get 108 points from wine magazines; it’s made to accompany your homemade coq a vin. Or, if you prefer, it would also go well with hamburgers and meatloaf. Nice red fruit and spice, a very pretty wine.
… and the white.
2008 Trimbach Riesling | Riesling | France | $16.34 + share of shipping
This from my man Phil Bernstein at MacArthur Beverages: “We just secured a parcel of Trimbach at a ridiculous price! At $15 this is an absolute ‘joke’ of a deal. The most famous estate in France’s noble Alsace region, Trimbach has kept true to their house style of bone-dry [see: not sweet] Riesling with good acidity. The 2008 vintage is superb for this wine and at this price… ‘back up the truck’.” Or, another commentator noted: “Chalky and lightly herby on the nose, fresh and certainly more defined than the Pinot Blanc. Supple and gentle fruit on the palate, clean and even with a touch of grip. A good, serviceable, straightforward wine.” If you’re into Riesling, pick up a few bottles. This is great with Thai or other Asian foods.
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Please let me know if you have any questions! I look forward to hearing from you.
TO PURCHASE:
