Wine.Woot : One Week, One Wine (SM)

Just took delivery of some Iron Horse Bdx-3. That reminded me that I've declared a SIWBM this week.

Happily the wife and I have finally decided that we don't like Pinot Noir. Whew, easy decision for once.

Of course Wednesday is not far away. D'OH!

dianefreda wrote:I'm with you it's a lovely Thanksgiving wine and this is a lovely deal.

Running a bit off-thread with this question, but might Beaujolais (not Nouveau Beau) also be considered a good Thanksgiving wine? What other wines would be recommended to match well with roast turkey and the spectrum of sides? Thanks!

Which vineyards and clones go into the appellation-designated wines? What's the ultimate goal in putting together the final blend?

exlaxer wrote:Running a bit off-thread with this question, but might Beaujolais (not Nouveau Beau) also be considered a good Thanksgiving wine? What other wines would be recommended to match well with roast turkey and the spectrum of sides? Thanks!

Without saying anything about this particular wine, I was going to take issue with the idea that PN makes a good Thxgvn wine. Obviously this will depend on exactly what you're eating, but with something along the lines of the traditionals (turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing) the heavy, buttery flavors could easily overwhelm a mild PN. Including things we often have, such as green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, cranberries and what not, and I think a nice PN would be wasted on the meal. I think you'll have better luck with a dry-off dry riesling or Gewurztraminer. This year I'm going with a Gruner Veltliner on the recommendation of a local wine merchant I trust.

exlaxer wrote:Running a bit off-thread with this question, but might Beaujolais (not Nouveau Beau) also be considered a good Thanksgiving wine? What other wines would be recommended to match well with roast turkey and the spectrum of sides? Thanks!

Beaujolais would be a versatile food wine. Good acid, light to medium body, lighter tannins. Cabernet Franc as well would work if it's in that same mold. It can be somewhat herbaceous, which might add to the food pairing synergy, but cause a love/hate response.

Goodmorning Wine.Wooters, I'm Dan Tudor, the winemaker here at Tudor Wines. I'm happy to answer any questions and talk about the wine

gcdyersb wrote:Beaujolais would be a versatile food wine. Good acid, light to medium body, lighter tannins. Cabernet Franc as well would work if it's in that same mold. It can be somewhat herbaceous, which might add to the food pairing synergy, but cause a love/hate response.

These two pinots pair very well with most Thksgiving dinners. They're medium weight, aromatic pinots with nice acidity.

gcdyersb wrote:Which vineyards and clones go into the appellation-designated wines? What's the ultimate goal in putting together the final blend?

The SLH wine has three vineyards and 5 clones. Tondre', Sarmento, Paraiso Old Vines. Clones 777, P4, 115, Martini, 667. The ultimate goal is consistent quality and style in a perfectly balanced classic medium weight aromatic pinot noir. The Anderson Valley is from the Romani vineyard high above Boonville. We achieved our goal with both these wines.

exlaxer wrote:Running a bit off-thread with this question, but might Beaujolais (not Nouveau Beau) also be considered a good Thanksgiving wine? What other wines would be recommended to match well with roast turkey and the spectrum of sides? Thanks!

Gewürztraminer is also great with turkey and other fowl. Riesling is great with everything.

MarkDaSpark wrote:For the winemaker:

What's the pH on these wines?

And would they be considered more of a drink with food or without food wine style?

The pH is around 3.3 on the AV and 3.5 on the SLH. The pH influences the age-ability more than taste. These are low enough to provide for ample stability. The acid is crisp and in balance. They are drinking beautifully and are excellent food wine, but are nice just by themselves.

NedDawg wrote:From Wine Spectator:

Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands 2005
Score: 86
Release Price: $40
Country: California
Region: Bay Area/Central Coast
Issue: Apr 30, 2008
Pleasantly herbal, with dried cherry and berry flavors and a touch of anise and sage. Veers to dry tannins on the finish. Drink now through 2010. 1,989 cases made. –JL

Pinot Noir Anderson Valley 2006
Score: 90
Release Price: $40
Country: California
Region: Mendocino/Lake
Issue: May 31, 2009
Complex loamy earth, dried berry and currant aromas are firm and structured, tight and focused, with hints of blueberry and floral scents. Drink now through 2014. 802 cases made. –JL

edit:
90-94 Outstanding: a wine of superior character and style
85-89 Very good: a wine with special qualities

Additionally, the 2005 Tudor SLH Pinot took first of class at the National Women's Wine Competition:

This is a big, intensely fruity wine, bold and in-your-face with cherries, raspberries, cola and carob flavors, with the silky elegance that Pinot demands. 3+ Stars - Restaurant Wine Magazine - "Softly textured and full bodied, with ripe fruit character (strawberry, cranberry), and overtones of toast, pepper, and sage. Long finish. Very appealing Pinot." - Ronn Wiegand

"Although not high in stated alcohol, this wine runs straightaway to ripeness in terms of its slightly fat feel and plummy, raspberry fruit, but it does so without the downside of obvious heat and is, in fact, fairly easy to gulp. It is not, however, a light-hearted quaffer, and it has the richness and weight to stand up to juicy steaks hot off the grill."
Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wines, October 2007
Awards:

Gold Best of Class - National Women's Wine Competition 2008 www.nwwc.info
94 Points, 2007, www.Grapelive.com
94 points, 2007, Wine X Magazine

nallie wrote:Currently on the fence but mindful that we are coming up on Thanksgiving. In my opinion, Pinot Noir is the best Thanksgiving wine ever.

Ok, wine.woot and or winemaker, do what you do best - make me want it.

Thanks for the question. I do pinot best and that's why the Tudor wine is only pinot noir. If you like perfectly balanced, medium weight, classic, aromatic pinot noir that has tons of complexity and flavor components yet velvety tannins that keep you reaching for the glass, then you'll love our pinot noirs.
Restaurants like the Everest in Chicago, Areole in Las Vegas, etc. often offer our wine by the glass at $18 per glass.

SmilingBoognish wrote:Not necessarily, depends on the Pinot.

The 05 SLH is drinking beautifully. It could easily age another 3 years. At the moment it has plenty of fruit.

dherbie wrote:I second this question and am further curious about the style. From the discussion so far this sounds like more of an old world style wine but the descriptions NedDawg posted imply some new world fruit coming through. I don't think this would be a "jammy" Pinot but a little help on where the winemaker thinks it lies on the "world", or fruit to earth, barometer would be helpful... at least to me : )

Thanks for the great question! I like to call my pinots 'like Burgundy but with lots of fruit'. They're classic medium weight pinot but with bright ripe fruit. No high alcohol fruit bombs or wimpy light wines either.

sgoman5674 wrote:Is this Kosher?

Sorry, it's not Kosher wine. Tasty nevertheless

dantudor@tudorwines.com wrote:The pH is around 3.3 on the AV and 3.5 on the SLH. The pH influences the age-ability more than taste. These are low enough to provide for ample stability. The acid is crisp and in balance. They are drinking beautifully and are excellent food wine, but are nice just by themselves.

I like those pHs! Did you add any tartaric to the wines, or is this acidity intrinsic to the grapes?

sgoman5674 wrote:Is this Kosher?

Ask a rabbi to bless them once delivered! But how is a wine kosher anyway?

BTW, at 86 points, one bottle will definitely NOT disappoint someone...

gcdyersb wrote:I like those pHs! Did you add any tartaric to the wines, or is this acidity intrinsic to the grapes?

The SLH needed a small addition of tartaric and the AV none. We make the addition to the must before fermentation so it doesn't taste like acid was added.

sgoman5674 wrote:Is this Kosher?

Ask a rabbi to bless them once delivered! But how is a wine kosher anyway?

BTW, at 86 points, one bottle will definitely NOT disappoint someone...

exlaxer wrote:Running a bit off-thread with this question, but might Beaujolais (not Nouveau Beau) also be considered a good Thanksgiving wine? What other wines would be recommended to match well with roast turkey and the spectrum of sides? Thanks!

Do NOT make the mistake of forgetting rose wines when considering pairings for Thanksgiving! I've found them to be a great foil for the heavy food.

Freshly Updated and Hot Off The Press:

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Time to do a good deed!!! Krugsters’ and Shamer’s son, Jackson, will be participating in his *FIRST EVER* Kids Fun Run – a 5K that Benefits Ronald McDonald House of NYC. Jackson’s aiming high – his goal is $1000!!! Take a spin on over to Jackson’s w.o.w.w. Thread to find out how you can help him make his goal! How can you not love a kid who wants to wear a wine.woot shirt for the fun run! GO JACKSON!!!

November
11/7: NorCal #3: Napa Weekend
11/7: Dallas #5: Pizza Night
11/7: NYC#13: Left Bank vs Right Bank
11/7: Chicago #13: DIY Sushi & Sparklies
11/21 or 22: SoCal #14: Cesare’s and KT’s Aloha Pitstop

December
12/5: Minnesota #9: Woot In The Holidays
12/19: NYC #14: Theme TBD

January
1/16: Buffalo #3: Braving the Elements

February
2/26-28: Arizona #1: Spring Training!

July
7/20-22: RPM’s Historical Wine Tour
7/31: Connecticut Clambake #2: An Annual Tradition

Looking for some helping hands:

• Ohio #2: Dayton Area???
  
• Colorado #4 / Wyoming #1: Fireworks in the Snow
  
• Connecticut #5
  
• Arizona Anyone???
  
• Chicago #TBD: Pairing with Indian Food
  

dodongo wrote:Do NOT make the mistake of forgetting rose wines when considering pairings for Thanksgiving! I've found them to be a great foil for the heavy food.

Yes, Beaujolais is the light bodied cousin of pinot noir. I always prefer our SLH and Anderson valley pinots over Beaujolais however.

10centpower wrote:Without saying anything about this particular wine, I was going to take issue with the idea that PN makes a good Thxgvn wine. Obviously this will depend on exactly what you're eating, but with something along the lines of the traditionals (turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing) the heavy, buttery flavors could easily overwhelm a mild PN. Including things we often have, such as green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, cranberries and what not, and I think a nice PN would be wasted on the meal. I think you'll have better luck with a dry-off dry riesling or Gewurztraminer. This year I'm going with a Gruner Veltliner on the recommendation of a local wine merchant I trust.

The problem with what you're saying is that you're assuming, or at least your comment assumes, that all PNs are mild or light wines which is not true. A light PN would not be able to hold up to Thanksgiving food, but bigger, Burgundy-style PNs with food-friendly pH numbers (like these) will hold up very well and compliment the food beautifully.

gcdyersb wrote:I like those pHs!

I had the same reaction to seeing that.

canonizer wrote:I had the same reaction to seeing that.

Ahhh, but not a CA PN fan.
What are you going to do?

dantudor@tudorwines.com wrote:Thanks for the question. I do pinot best and that's why the Tudor wine is only pinot noir. If you like perfectly balanced, medium weight, classic, aromatic pinot noir that has tons of complexity and flavor components yet velvety tannins that keep you reaching for the glass, then you'll love our pinot noirs.
Restaurants like the Everest in Chicago, Areole in Las Vegas, etc. often offer our wine by the glass at $18 per glass.

OK, Dan you got me. In for one.

Krugsters wrote:Ahhh, but not a CA PN fan.
What are you going to do?

I'll chime in here if you don't mind : ) If you like Burgundy in a good vintage you'll love these pinots.

This sounds fantastic, and my wife and I love Pinot Noir. Too bad for me, though, since there's no KS shipping on this one. That's the last two now - I think I may be on a W(inery)IWBM. Here's to Wednesday!

kylemittskus wrote:The problem with what you're saying is that you're assuming, or at least your comment assumes, that all PNs are mild or light wines which is not true. A light PN would not be able to hold up to Thanksgiving food, but bigger, Burgundy-style PNs with food-friendly pH numbers (like these) will hold up very well and compliment the food beautifully.

The problem, more broadly, is that it's silly to try and pair a wine to holiday. I can no more pair a wine to Thanksgiving than I can to Valentine's day or Columbus day.

Are they serving roast turkey, fried turkey or tofurkey? Stuffing in bird or out? Will there by anything topped with marshmallows? Answer these questions first before pairing any wine.

FallenCptJack wrote:This sounds fantastic, and my wife and I love Pinot Noir. Too bad for me, though, since there's no KS shipping on this one. That's the last two now - I think I may be on a W(inery)IWBM. Here's to Wednesday!

Hi FallenCptJack, we have shipping to KS (Kansas) now : ) Cheers!

FallenCptJack wrote:This sounds fantastic, and my wife and I love Pinot Noir. Too bad for me, though, since there's no KS shipping on this one. That's the last two now - I think I may be on a W(inery)IWBM. Here's to Wednesday!

NOTE: AZ, TN, KS now on the ship state to list.

10centpower wrote:The problem, more broadly, is that it's silly to try and pair a wine to holiday. I can no more pair a wine to Thanksgiving than I can to Valentine's day or Columbus day.

Are they serving roast turkey, fried turkey or tofurkey? Stuffing in bird or out? Will there by anything topped with marshmallows? Answer these questions first before pairing any wine.

You're getting a bit absurd. By your estimations, it would be nigh impossible to ever pair a wine with any food because there are so many factors.

The difference between pairing wine with Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day is that Thanksgiving has traditional fare: turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, yams, etc. Turkey for example would not hold up well to a big cab because the tannins would be too strong. The wine would overpower the food. On the reverse side, a light white (unlike a nice Riesling) would be overpowered by the rich gravy, butter, etc. PN is in a nice middle ground where there is acidity, but not PS tannins. All of this is my humble opinion, of course, but to be honest, I think you're being a bit ridiculous in your questioning if the stuffing is in or out.

And you previously said you were going to pair your dinner with gewurztraminer so doesn't that negate your "it's impossible to pair wine with holiday" theory?

FallenCptJack wrote:This sounds fantastic, and my wife and I love Pinot Noir. Too bad for me, though, since there's no KS shipping on this one. That's the last two now - I think I may be on a W(inery)IWBM. Here's to Wednesday!

That's opportune. You are in fact able to get this wine shipped now. And it's the post directly after yours that confirms this. You hear that sound? That's fate kicking in your door! Buy man, buy!

Also, I know you're on tenuous grounds with the Warriors, but I didn't think they'd exile you to Kansas. Don Nelson is a hard case!

exlaxer wrote:Running a bit off-thread with this question, but might Beaujolais (not Nouveau Beau) also be considered a good Thanksgiving wine? What other wines would be recommended to match well with roast turkey and the spectrum of sides? Thanks!

Might want to consider a Spanish Grenache. Depending on what you're serving, and what your guests like, you could go with one that's soft and approachable, or maybe one that's a little more complex.

glennfuller0 wrote:Might want to consider a Spanish Grenache. Depending on what you're serving, and what your guests like, you could go with one that's soft and approachable, or maybe one that's a little more complex.

Some zins too, I think. You just need to pick a wine that won't overpower the turkey. Sorry PSychos, but no PS for Thanksgiving.

vineaux wrote:Ask a rabbi to bless them once delivered! But how is a wine kosher anyway?

BTW, at 86 points, one bottle will definitely NOT disappoint someone...

It has to do with the preparation of the wine.

I don't know what they do or how they ensure it be kosher. I've always wondered myself.

kylemittskus wrote:absurd .... ridiculous ...

acerbic much?

NedDawg wrote:acerbic much?

I didn't mean to be caustic at all. The post seemed a bit absurd so I wrote why I disagreed. Maybe I should have said crazy or used another word. I'm not so good with filtering and appreciating the way people load words with connotations.

kylemittskus wrote:I didn't mean to be caustic at all. The post seemed a bit absurd so I wrote why I disagreed.

My was meant to be a little absurd, and I'll freely admit the preparation of the stuffing is largely irrelevant to wine pairing. My point was simply that trying to pair wine with some abstract notion of food is a losing battle, and it's best to get a little info on what will be served before a wine is declared an excellent thxgvn wine (or not). Personally I want whatever accelerates me into the afternoon nap as quickly as possible.