Wine Too Hot or Too Cold?

Several of my wine friends recently returned from trips to Italy. Most were on separate trips and all of them sounded like they had a great time. One was recounting their journey through Tuscany and brought up the temperature of some red wine that they were served…and how cold it was. “Is that normal?”

No.  9.9 times out of 10 I get that question posed in the opposite way: “How cold should [that] wine be?”

“Red wines should be room temperature, right?”

I have preached the Sermon of Wine Temperature from my swirling pulpit for quite a while; Almost all red wines should served between 65-68 degrees Fahrenheit (18-20 Celsius). That “Room temperature” is the temperature of a bottle coming out of a wine cellar. Most wine cellars are around 60 degrees. The bottle is brought out and opened, allowing for some aeration as the temperature raises to around 65 degrees or so. Then the wine is poured into a glass that is close to the temperature of the room you are actually in, probably around 75 degrees, or even higher if you have been holding that glass for a while. Hopefully you see where this is going.

We, especially along the Gulf Coast, have a chronic problem of serving red while too hot!  When red wine is poured into your glass then the glass should feel cool to the touch, not cold, with NO condensation. If the outside of your glass starts to condense with water, then your wine is too cold! White wine SHOULD cause your glass to form condensation, assuming you are in a similar climate to that on the Gulf Coast.

It is okay to put your bottle of red wine in the fridge.  Assuming your bottle of red is around 75 degrees you can put it in for a short time, 30 or so minutes, opened, and it will be ready to drink almost immediately upon exit. Or, if you leave the bottle of red in for longer, with your whites, then it will just take longer outside of the fridge to be ready.  Wine is served wrong either because of ignorance, laziness, or a combination of both.  Don’t let that describe you.

I had the chance to go to two of our local wine events this past week: a tasting at Beyond the Grape that was supporting the Pensacola Opera, and the monthly tasting of our local chapter of the American Wine Society. Beyond the Grape featured a fun full tour of Italy with some fantastic charcuterie boards and the AWS chapter taught a class on Spain, followed by an awesome Paella! The Crowd Favorite at Beyond the Grape was a fascinating Cabernet Franc from Umbria (Paolo e Noemia d’Amico Atlante), and there was a Wine of Note at the AWS tasting, Pazo La Moreira Albariño.

Other than the white wines, ALL of the red wines, at both events, were served too hot!  There are very few rules in Wine…but; Rule #1, don’t serve hot wine!  Temperature matters.  Wine served at the wrong temperature makes it taste worse no matter how good that wine was supposed to be, and life is too short to waste it on bad wine.

East Hill Bottle shop 4 Oct 23

Well, it’s finally Fall! Our first beautiful sunny day that comes with a high in the mid-70s is worth its own holiday! How should a wine lover celebrate such an occasion? With a glass of “big, bold” red wine of course. Oh, you don’t have any because you have been drinking whites and light reds all summer. Well here’s a quick and easy cure.But before we discuss that solution a quick disclaimer: GulfCoastWine does not get endorsed or receive anything from the wine venues and/or wines review or recommend. We haven’t addressed that in quite a while, so for all of our newer readers and as a reminder to our original followers; everything here is unbiased, and written without the use of AI. Seriously, we still research and write things, unlike some of the other local publications!So, back to the cure. This week’s Crowd Favorite at East Hill was Elberle’s 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles California. Paso Robles (Passing Oaks translated from Spanish) is not as overlooked as it used to be but still often plays the third seat to its cousins to the north, Sonoma and Napa. A benefit of this is Napa quality wine and a lower price, and this is a great example!This wine welcomes the nose with an aroma of fruit curing in the western dry air and hints of violet. Then the palate is greeted with the “big and bold” deep and dark jamey plum, black cherry, circling cassis, medium tannins, juicy acidity, finishing with a little chocolate and cedar. It’s the red wine experience that you have been waiting for, since you have been depriving yourself of “big and bold” reds during our hot summer months like a monk fasting for a higher calling! Well, at least that’s what I have been told it feels like. I drink these type of red wines all year.A California red that is as good as any mainstream Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa at an affordable price. Hard to beat! So for all of you coming out of your hot season red wine hiatus, welcome back. And for the rest of us; enjoy our Wine America!

Inadvertent Wine Snob

Can drinking more wine turn you into a Wine Snob? It can, if you are not careful. One of the best attributes of our local wine tastings is the delightful absence of the typical Wine Snob (WS). We at GCW have defined the typical WS before. Typical WSs are not welcoming, often critical of others’ comments, and TELL YOU what you should be drinking.Yet there is natural phenomenon that can occur as a wine drinker progresses from beginner, to novice, to, hopefully, a true wine enthusiast. That phenomenon is a maturing/discerning palate. It is just like growing up. Most kids will not eat a dill pickle, yet most adults will. As we drink more wine, and different wines from across the periodic wine table, our palate can develop and it CAN change. A wine that used to be one of your favorites earlier on can become un-drinkable later in your wine journey, and that is OKAY!What is not okay is turning your nose, or glass, up against those wines, and especially to those who still enjoy them! Your wine journey is unique, and you should take pride in developing a discerning palate. Just because someone still likes that Merlot (I still love a good Merlot) doesn’t mean you are any more of a wine lover than they are.The same is true from the other view point, from the beginner’s view. Just because someone takes a sip of a wine and dumps it out, or passes it up, does not automatically make them a WS. It is the attitude. If that person dumps it out saying; “Well this is just an $18 bottle of wine,” then they might be a WS. Yet if that same person dumping the wine instead says “This just isn’t for me,” then respect that, even if their reason internally is the fact that the wine is $18 a bottle. (Just kidding, don’t mis-judge a bottle because it was only $18!)As you progress into your wine journey and find yourself becoming very discerning, increasingly liking more unique and often more expensive wine, invite others in and share your experience in a positive way. Not in a way that says “Oh look what I’m drinking.” Don’t begrudge other wine lovers for loving other things. And NEVER tell someone what they should, or shouldn’t, like!I just did make it back home this week in time to catch parts of Friday’s wine tastings; Seville’s and the mystery wines at Bottle Shop on Baylen. One of the best methods that I use to make sure that I keep myself from inadvertently straying into the tendencies of a WS is going to as many wine tastings as possible. This keeps me “wine grounded.” Two easy drinking reds were the Crowd Favorites at Seville; Klinker Brick’s Old Vine Zinfandel from Lodi California and Hedges CMS blend (71% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Syrah) from Washington. The mystery wines at the Bottle Shop were unique and very good! So go out to the tastings, share in your experience, taste everything, and stay grounded to being a true wine enthusiast. Cheers to that!

East Hill Bottle Shop 20 Sept 2023

The last day of official Summer. You wouldn’t really know it if you weren’t paying attention to the calendar with our days still touching 90F. But there are little glimpses of change if you know where to look. For many wine drinkers the start of Autumn and cooler temperatures mean it’s time to start drinking “big” red wines again.I understand the concept: mainly drink white wines or lighter bodied reds during the hot months, claiming “big” reds aren’t refreshing. Yet understanding the concept and agreeing with it are two different things. I grew up drinking very “big” reds while having lunch during the peak of the hot Portuguese and French summers. For more conventional wine drinkers I just stated two unfathomable actions! Drinking full bodied reds, at lunch, in the heat!! Woah!First of all, more people should have a glass of wine at lunch! Many “professionals” see this as a total faux pas. I am not saying get drunk, or even having a second glass, but one glass of wine at lunch, served at the CORRECT temperature, that compliments the food is a wonderful experience. I argue that, for some, it should be mandatory! I guarantee that you know at least one person who fits that bill.Well this week’s Crowd Favorite at the East Hill Bottle Shop is a perfect example of a good “big” red wine to either restart your autumnal enjoyment or pair with that forbidden lunch. Saint Cosme Côtes du Rhône, a 100% Syrah from southern France, was bold with a nose of violets, greeting the palate with blackberries, black plum, a dash of baking spice, some juniper, and finishing with relatively smooth earthy tones. And it was inexpensive.As we finally crawl out of Summer I find it refreshing that more of my fellow wine drinkers are thinking about their first sips of those “big” reds in months. I liken it to a bear just out of its dean, sniffing the air, trying to determine which direction its first meal will be found. It's palpitations audible to those near by. And maybe, just maybe, try a single glass of wine with lunch. It is as enjoyable as it sounds!

V Paul’s August Vino Magnifico

The night started out with Charles De Fere Blanc De BlancNice bright sparkling wine. apple and peach on the tongue with some easy acidity. A wine you can drink anytime, for any reason.Next, Condo Sur ChardonnayVanilla and oak notes but still very green. The flavor is actually somewhat diluted.Cheese risotto for the interlude. Not bad.Then Gabbiano Chianti Classico 2019 Dark plum color with soft tannins. Raspberry notes roll easily off the back of the tongue. A perennial favorite, this wine can stand well without food and never fails to deliver a great value every day.Now, Uppercut Cabernet Sauvignon 2021. Deep garnet color, heavy tannins and a sweetness n the tip of the tongue. There are dark berries but they dissipate too soon. This is a typical fruit forward California Cabernet that is made to appeal to the masses.To end the evening, Marietta Old Vine Red NV Claret with cherry notes lead to some nicely formed tannins. The dark fruit lasts a good while and the enjoyment of the wine is long lasting. This one is a good value.Hope to see everyone at the next Vino Magnifico!-Melissa and Bob

Hacienda Zorita’s Unamuno Vineyard

We travel for so many reasons. To see, to experience, to learn, to have fun. For the wine traveler you can add; to discover.  To discover for both the soul and the palate.

During my summers as a kid on the Portuguese side of the Duero River (Douro in Portuguese) I would look at the landscape of rolling hills and steep canyons, of Olive and Almond trees, of Cork Oaks and Vineyards, and stare across the border to Spain.

The Duero River in our region forms the border between Portugal and Spain. Our house in Portugal, on the edge of a tiny village just four-ish kilometers from the Duero River gorge, allows for one of the best views on the planet. The view imparts the feeling that you are looking at the Earth, as you would look at another intriguing person while at a café.

The view is an experience by itself! Yet one of the things that you can see from our small backyard, on the Spanish horizon ten miles away, is the tower of Hacienda Zorita’s Unamuno Vineyard and Estate.

Both sides of the border here form one of the largest Natural Park Reserves in Europe. Called Arribes del Duero Natural Park in Spain and the Douro International Natural Park in Portugal, it was formed in 2002 to protect several UNESCO recognized natural spaces and several endangered species. It is expansive, encompassing roughly 410 square miles.

The Arribes del Duero area is not “known” for wine, even though quality grapes have been growing in this part of Spain for thousands of years.  The reason for this area not being well known by the modern wine word is very low yield and production. The Hacienda also does not export, and does not ship outside of the Iberian Peninsula and France. Because of this you are not going to find wines from here next to your favorite Rioja. The other surprise at this Estate; superb Syrah!

Yet if you venture to this far edge of Spain you are going to discover what all wine travelers want: an experience! That experience includes exceptional wines in an amazing landscape, and ZERO tourists. Eureka!

A year ago I wrote about Hacienda Zorita’s other, main location; their Luxury Hotel and Wine Estate located about 65 miles to the east (15 miles to the west of Salamanca). It is an exceptional place, full of amazing history (King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella hired Christopher Columbus in the current wine tasting room!!!) and you can find all of their wines in the hotel wine shop and stop there.

But if you pride your travels on discovery and true Immersion of the palate, you are going to want to journey into the Arribes del Duero, to Hacienda Zorita’s Unamuno Vineyard Estate, and get the full experience for yourself!

Quinta do Vale Meão

Translated to mean “of the valley in the meander,” Quinta do Vale Meão is situated in some of the best terrain in the entire Douro River Valley. Quintas are wine houses in Portuguese, Hacienda in Spanish. The Quinta here is on a peninsula where the Douro River makes a 90 degree turn from west to north, then 180 degree turn south, and then a 90 degree turn back to the west towards Porto.What makes the vineyards here so exceptional are, basically, everything. The soil is rocky, forcing the grapes to send their roots down deep, resulting in profound complexity. The climate is dry and sunny but with good ground water. This is essential for disease prevention and good growth…mature grapes at harvest. This combination allows for the best possible product.I chose to visit Quinta do Vale Meão for three reasons. First, I have never been and have always loved their wine. Second, they produce extremely high quality wine and are located not far from my small vineyards. Third, they export most of it to the United States, so we can actually find it back home! Like almost all high quality Douro red wine, it will need age, a minimum of seven years in my opinion. Ten, up to Fifty is even better! It is worth the wait!They produce two relatively easy to find levels; a very good “Tinto” (red table wine) around the $25 a bottle range, and a high end Estate-Grand Reserve level. Expect to pay $100 plus a bottle for those. And of course they make Port Wine, with some of the best Vintage Port in the industry. Good luck finding those, as I was only able to obtain one bottle on this visit for myself.If you find yourself in the high Douro, near the Spanish border, definitely reserve a tour and tasting. They also have a helicopter pad for true ease of movement. Next, on to Spain and some grapes grown inside an internationally recognized nature preserve, very much off the beaten, touristic, path.

Why Portuguese Wine?

“Let’s just go to Porto now.” After one night in Madrid we decided to visit more of Spain at the end of our trip instead of in the middle and head to Portugal.

Everyone that knows me, and most of our readers know, that I am partial to Portugal and Portuguese wine, and for good reason. Family ties aside; few places in the World of Wine can do what a good Portuguese wine can do.

What can it do and why?…should be everyone’s question.

There are two special things happening here; the land and the indigenous grapes.

There are books written about, what the French call, “Terroir.” People have gone to blows about what it actually means. Once you, if you can, scrape away the emotions and marketing you do get to a truer sense of the word. It should not surprise anyone that if you grow two identical things the same way in two different locations (say an apple) they can, and often do, taste different.

The Terroir of Portugal, especially of the Douro, is unique on this planet. Between the steep slopes of Schist and Granite flows the River Douro (translated from low-Latin to mean “Of Gold”). Growing on those slopes are varietals of grapes, many indigenous to the Douro, that have still not been fully explored by the palate of the Wine World at large. The future of Douro wine is bright.

When most people hear Porto (only bad tourists call the city Oporto) only one wine comes to mind, Port Wine. I do love a Vintage Port! If you have had Port and perhaps didn’t care for it go back and read the multiple previous posts titled “So you think you’ve had Port.” Yet it is the red blends that I am after this trip. With the capacity to bring the drinker both the complexity of deep ripe fruit, elegant tannins, balanced acid, and a formidable, long finish. What many call the holy grail of wine.

Not every Portuguese wine on the shelf will give you that experience. Most bottles that do can fetch a very high price once the word gets out, so I do my research and go to the source. One of my favorite shops (of which I mentioned last year in a post of how important a few key translation words are) always has some of the hardest to find bottles at very good prices.

Next week we will travel into the high Douro, the Alto Douro Superior, nearly untouched by tourists, and continue to explore why the wines here have abilities unique in the World of Wine. Until then; A té logo.

Too much wine, and liquor!

I literally got lost in the store trying to follow the order of tasting tables this week at ABC on Bayou. This Florida family owned chain was getting ready for their biannual big wine and liquor tasting. 14 tables with an average of four alcoholic drinks to taste on each one, wine and liquor!!!! That’s 56 for those who do not like public math. Ooooffff!

As I perused the labels across the 14 tables all I could think about was “circus!” The tables where not in any particular order, and the wine and liquor were set up per distributor, not in any logical tasting order.

Yet perhaps the most interesting part was that most of the pourers did not know anything about what they were pouring. You would think that is bad, and it is, but it can also be good. The taster was left to their own devices, to determine if they liked what they were tasting. I think that part is great. The bad part was that if you liked what you were tasting good luck on getting any information on that liquid.

The other bad part was the total lack of any tasting guidance. You don’t always have to drink white before red. What really matters is the balance of acid and alcohol, preferably starting with wines that aren’t overly acidic and having higher alcohol wines towards the end.

One definite: don’t drink liquor before wine! That goes for tasting and good “body” practices.

So be careful the next time you walk into a “tasting circus.” If you just roll right down the line at a big tasting without a plan you will probably end up as the main attraction. Not something that you want!

East Hill Bottle Shop 10 May

“We’re sold out.” That was the response I got when I went to get a picture for this post of Klinker Brick Vineyards’ Old Vine Zinfandel from 2019.

The human nature of stereotyping is very strong. So when people hear Zinfandel from Lodi they often think of a wine akin to a jar of jam. Those Zinfandels do exist, but so do Lodi Zins that are balanced, deep, and smooth.

It is too easy to say; “All of those wines from xxx taste like xxxx.” Don’t lump wines together, even when one winery is across from the other. The wines can be, and often are, very different.

I had the great opportunity to visit Klinker Brick Vineyards back in February. Check out that post here… Amazing folks, and the only reason that I didn’t buy their Old Vine Zin while I was there was because I could find it here, back home.

So it was no surprise that they sold out! The wine is just plain good, a great drinking wine, and an even better wine to take to a party! It goes great with the random variety of foods that seem to collect at the neighbors’ weekend party.

And never forget the two most important rules in Wine: Never serve hot wine and always bring a wine that you like! Can’t go wrong with this one.

Grocery Store Wine

Last week was a long one for me; six days, five major cities, 22 media events, and just over 2,000 people in person. Kind of a lot for me! By Thursday all I was looking forward to was getting home and relaxing.I arrive home and realize that there is nothing to eat in my house. What to do for dinner? We've all been there. I love to cook, so this conundrum wasn’t the issue. The challenge:  Two last minute neighbors get added to the mix while you’re at the grocery store with a request of “grab a bottle of wine while you’re there.”Grab a bottle of wine. A daunting task in and of itself. Multiple questions may course through your head, like; “What wine goes with xxx?” “Should I change what I’m planning on cooking?” “Why aren’t my neighbors bringing the wine, I just got home?!?”Fear not!Here are some words of advice and tips to avoid stressing about a last minute wine purchase and food pairing.First. Stick to your original menu plan! Do not add unnecessary stress by changing another dinner variable.Second. If there is a local and trusted wine shop between you and home, stop in and have them help. If you do not have this as an option, continue to the next step.Third. There are only a few true rules when it comes to wine. Don’t serve hot wine is first! If you are in a time crunch, scan for something you recognize and that you have enjoyed before. Don’t worry about if it will pair perfectly with your dinner choice.Don’t see anything you recognize and still in a time crunch? No worries.  Go for whatever is on sale. Treat it as an experiment - it will probably be okay and fun to try.But, if you have some more time, then you can look for pairings. Decide if you want a complementary or contrasting pairing. An example of complementary pairing: Burgers with a Spanish Tempranillo or a Riesling from Alsace with shrimp tacos. An example of contrasting; an Australian Shiraz with Asian food. Or that same Riesling with Asian food (the hint here is high acid).As I was staring at the grocery store selection, a couple next to me turned to each other and asked “Does this wine go with Asian food?” “I don’t know,” was the other’s answer. I politely offered some advice after asking if they were after sweet and salty (contrasting) or something more smooth (complimentary).They chose sweet and salty. I hope they had a good dinner! Wondering what I grabbed?  Ask me at the next tasting.Hope to see everyone out at the next wine tasting and let me know your if have ever made a last minute wine pick.  Cheers!