Monday, September 28, 2015

Wine Bar(d)s

My wife and I recently attended a restaurant wine dinner. Five courses paired with five wines, a luscious spread. The menu provided the most entertainment, specifically the wine descriptions. Here are just a few…

Almost black with reddish hues. The nose is both complex and intense, of black plum, china ink, blood orange and hints of pencil lead. A very fresh and vibrant wine…   Hmmm, “pencil lead”?

Bursting with aromas of passion fruit, melon, and wild nettle...  Yum, wild nettle! Actually, wild nettle has some fans -  http://www.seriouseats.com/2009/04/would-you-eat-stinging-nettle.html  - “...a bright green note that makes you sit up and pay attention, with a peppery zing.” Who knew?

Our favorite of the night was “garrigue.” Our sommelier was at a loss, but ever trusty Google provided this…

Garrigue refers to the low-growing vegetation on the limestone hills of the Mediterranean coast, not the limestone itself. There are a bunch of bushy, fragrant plants that grow wild there, such as juniper, thyme, rosemary and lavender, and garrigue refers to the sum of them. Think herbes de Provence, or a mix of fresh minty-herbal notes with more pungent, floral fragrances.

I have to admit, if I had to describe that bottle of Sauvignon I could not have done better.








No comments:

Post a Comment