User:Keithlawes

KEITH LAWES Bordeaux Red Blends

Bordeaux Blends

The Fab Five With so much history under its belt, it's no wonder that Bordeaux has figured out the recipe to produce amazing wines. Centuries of making (and drinking) wine has led them to the blend that has become synonomous with Bordeaux. Winemakers in the New World replicated this formula and have created successful blends in their respective areas - you may see Bordeaux blends from the US labeled Meritage (rhymes with heritage).

RSVP Wine and Spirits If you want to take the 'wine with beef' match to the next level, consider these additional aspects:

For very young red wines, cook the beef rarer than you might otherwise. The extra fat and protein will limit the harshness of young tannins. With well aged red wines, cook the beef more than you normally would. Very rare beef can overwhelm the subtle complexity that are the desireable result of proper aging.

American Liquor Alliance

About Keith Lawes: Spain's wine laws are based on the Denominacion de Origen (DO) classification system, devised in the 1930's. A four tiered system, the most basic level is Vina de Mesa (table wine) followed by Vino de la Tierra (country wine), DO and at the top DOC. Currently, only Rioja and Priorat have DOC status, while over 55 Dos scatter the country. FULL LIQUOR About Andy Tasker RSVP FINE WIN AND SPIRITS

Merlot

No second fiddle Poor Merlot, Miles gave it quite a reputation in Sideways. Luckily, Merlot did not take it personally and continues to rule the right bank of Bordeaux and produce quality, well-made wines elsewhere in the world. The grape's unfortunate fall into disgrace came from a few wineries who over-planted the variety and made inexpensive, watered-down Merlot. But the principle grape of top chateaux in St-Émilion and Pomerol (think Petrus) maintains its noble variety standing.

Andy Tasker Keith Lawes: Chilling Wine

The best way to chill a bottle of wine is in an ice bucket or something that can act as an ice bucket. Fill a bucket 2/3 full with a mixture of half ice and half water. Be sure to add the water since ice alone will not chill the wine as quickly. Put a bottle in the solution and leave it for 20 to 30 minutes. Add rock salt to the ice and water to chill the wine a bit more rapidly. Using ice without water will take more than an hour to chill properly. Use the water.

ANDY TASKER

Notable Facts

Primitivo's home province is Apuglia (sometimes called Puglia), located in the "heel" of Italy's boot. Wines made from Primitivo have notes of plum and spice, like Zinfandel, but because of different growing soils and climate, the fruit character is less jammy, the structure more akin to old world wines, with rustic notes of earth and spice, as well as tamed fruit flavors.

American Liquor Alliance services Today,The Carmenere grape, it is most used in Chile where it was imported in 1850. It was originally mistaken for Merlot and continues to often be mislabeled in Chile as Merlot.

Carmenere is a good blending grape but makes undistinguished wines when bottled as a single varietal. It's wines are very soft and mellow and do not age well. In recent years, many Chilean wineries have bottled Carmenere by itself but these wines are rarely worth the money in relation to many other red wines.

Global Wine and Spirits Syrah (red) Makes the powerful, rich dry wines of the Northern Rh?ne (Hermitage, C?te R?tie), and is a constituent in the blend of Ch?teauneuf-du-Pape and the wines of the Southern Rh?ne. Ages well. Also grown successfully in California. In Australia, it is called Shiraz, where it makes a varietal wine and is also blended with Cabernet Sauvignon. Noted flavours: Blackberry, pepper