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Wine Tasting - The Sense of Sight
Wine tasting basics begin with knowing how to use your senses to understand, interpret, and enjoy the wine. The ability to recognize what you see, and furthermore describe it in clear terms, is a very important wine tasting skill.
Although some may say the appearance of the wine is the least important aspect with regard to the senses, it is still worth noting. When examining appearance, we are looking for clarity and color. We want the wine to be free of any sediment, leaving it clear and brilliant. Red wines tend to lose their color as they mature, while white wines tend to grow darker with age. A good quality wine generally will be intense in color. The "legs" seen running down the sides of a glass after being swirled, are an indication of flavor density. It is best to use a plain white background, and tilt the glass slightly as you observe clarity and color.
Battle of the Appellations
( Review Previous Award WInning Wine & Food Pairings)
Jellyfish
Host the October Battle of the Appellations
The Battle of the Appellations is a contest conducted quarterly by Wine Country.com wine enthusiasts. Invited are a select few of the prestigious wineries throughout the Wine Country. A host restaurant chooses two dishes to prepare for the event and the participating wineries then single out the wines they feel best match the recipes. A panel of eight will go two rounds in a blind food and wine tasting. The question they ask themselves: which wine best pairs with the dish?
The October 24th Battle of the Appellations event featured one of Sonoma County’s newest restaurants, Jellyfish at the Sheraton Petaluma, as our host. Executive Chef Barbara Hom, Food and Beverage Director of Sheraton Petaluma, was the master behind the exquisite Pan Asian cuisine. The chosen entrees for the evening were Chinese Ravioli with Ginger Cream Sauce, and Rotisseried Quail with Dry Creek Peaches on a Bed of Watercress with Citrus Dressing.
The Chinese Ravioli with Ginger Cream Sauce was the first entree to be presented to the panel, along with seven unidentified wines. Although there can only be one winner in this food and wine match-up, clearly there was more to enjoy than just a single wine with this dish. A 2000 Viognier sent in by Napa Valley’s Freemark Abbey, was a sure favorite among our panelists. Also favored was a 1999 Sangiovese by Folie a Deux Winery, Napa Valley, the only red submitted as a pairing with the Ravioli dish. Executive Chef Barbara Hom was pleasantly surprised by the balance of this match. She had always thought of the Chinese Ravioli as a "white wine dish." Delighted, she expressed interest in adding Folie a Deux’s Sangiovese to her distinguished wine list.
The
Rotiserried Quail with Dry Creek Peaches also had a wide variety
of wines paired with it that seemed to intrigue the panel. Signorello
Vineyards submitted a ’99 Pinot Noir "Las Amigas,"
which proved to be a great compliment to the Quail entrée.
The Edgewood Estate ’98 Malbec was deemed the best stand
alone wine, as it did not pair well with the dish but was indeed
a fabulous and notable wine. Worth mentioning again is Freemark
Abbey’s 2000 Viognier. After trying a bite of this entree,
three of our panelists immediately asked to try the Viognier as
a pairing with the Quail. With the flavors found in the quail
and peaches, they felt this would also be a great match.
As you can see, the decision was a tough one for the panelists. Only one winner per dish can be chosen as the "perfect pairing." In the end, the wine selected as the best match for the Chinese Ravioli was Signorello Vineyards 2000 "Seta" Proprietary Wine. This Napa Valley wine was noted as fruity, with hints of vanilla and oak, wonderfully complementing the dish. This winning wine can be found for only $25 per bottle at www.signorellovineyards.com or shop the tasting room in Napa, California.
The
perfect match for the Rotisseried Quail was the Folie a Deux’s
’99 Bowman Zinfandel. The Zinfandel was said to have a bit
of spice, harmonizing with the flavors of the dish tremendously.
You can find this exquisite wine on the Folie a Deux website www.folieadeux.com
or through the tasting room for just $26 a bottle.
Congratulations to our winners Folie a Deux Winery and Signorello Vineyards!
Special thanks to Jellyfish restaurant at the Sheraton Petaluma and all the winery participants in this round of the Battle of the Appellations!
For more information on Jellyfish Restaurant, or on our winery participants, please visit their websites listed below.
Date: October
24, 2002
Location: Jellyfish
at the Sheraton Petaluma, Petaluma, CA
Chef: Barbara Hom
Winner: Signorello
Vineyards
Vintage: 2000 "Seta" Proprietary Wine
Appellation: Napa Valley - Oak Knoll Area
Food Pairing: Chinese
Ravioli with Ginger Cream Sauce
Winner: Folie
a Deux
Vintage: 1999 Bowman Zinfandel
Appellation: Amador County
Food Pairing: Rotisseried
Quail with Dry Creek Peaches
Bouchaine Vineyards, Inc — www.bouchaine.com
Chateau Julien Wine Estate — www.chateaujulien.com
Edgewood Estate Winery — www.edgewoodestate.com
Folie a Deux Winery — www.folieadeux.com
Freemark Abbey — www.freemarkabbey.com
Santa Barbara Winery —
www.sbwinery.com
Signorello Vineyards — www.signorellovineyards.com
Thank you to our fabulously entertaining hosts, Jellyfish at the Sheraton Petaluma, www.sheratonpetaluma.com
Review Previous Award WInning Wine & Food Pairings
