Other Reds

Until I find a better classification for these wines, they will remain here.

René Barbier $4.99 at World Market. Red wine from Catalunya. 12.5% alcohol. This is a blend of Temranillo, Garnacha, and Monastrell. I can definitely taste the Monastrell in the tannins. The bottle describes it as hearty and full-bodied, and it sure is. I figured it would be extremely light at this price and also since their white still wine (made of Cava grapes) is so light, but no, it's pretty hefty. Earth, wood, cherries, flowers, and then tannins and some unidentifiable berries on the finish. It is very dry and almost makes me thirsty. For a value wine, it's refreshing, though, to actually get some flavor and not be bombarded with syrupy fruit.

René Barbier with Azeitao. I gambled on this pairing and lost. This cheese is so exquisite and completely à point. These just didn't like each other. They both kind of deteriorated into rot in my mouth.

Carmenere by William Cole, 2001 (Tasted in 2006) $10 at Vino 100. 13% alcohol. This is from the Colchagua Valley in Chile. The Carmenere grape variety was brought over to France prior to the 1860's and grows extremely well in Chile. It has become nearly extinct in other parts of the world. These grapes were hand-selected and then macerated prior to and after fermentation to impart maximum color, aromas, and flavors. Part of the wine was aged in oak, and then re-incorporated back into the blend for further complexity. The result is a supple, medium-bodied wine with a spicy burst of green peppercorn and ripe red fruit. Imported by Enotria in San Antonio. I love this wine, especially for that price. When I first opened it, the peppercorn flavor was extremely intense, but then it blew off and started showing more spice and rich red fruit. This Carmenere seems a little more complex than some I have tasted. Nice tannic structure. Earthy, fruity and rich, unique-tasting, and not too heavy. This wine is supposed to go well with thin strips of beef or lamb.

*William Cole with Idiazàbal. Good. Where some sheep's milk cheeses didn't match, this one did, possibly because the cheese has been smoked in beechwood, giving it extra earthiness to match up with the Carmenere. I generally like tangy sheep's milk cheeses with Carmenere, but some weren't working with this one since the wine almost seemed to robust.

*William Cole Carmenere with Majorero. Delicious. This little semi-soft goat's milk cheese from the Canary Islands is just what this wine needed. It's a wonderful pairing -- tangy with all the peppercorns and a fullness in the cheese to match up to the wine.

William Cole Carmenere with Manchego. Not good at all. Bitter and dirty.

William Cole Carmenere with Pecorino Toscano. Just plain bad.

Carmenere by Viu Manent This Chilean wine retails for about $11. It is a pretty, dark ruby color and tastes bright, fresh, and strongly of roasted red peppers. For obvious reasons, it goes well with Mediterranean dishes that contain roasted red peppers and can also pair with spicy fish plates. I like it best with a slight chill on it so that it's at cellar temperature.

Viu Manent Carmenere with Vermont Butter and Cheese Company Creamy Goat Cheese, olive and herb flavor. Delicious together. I loved it especially when I got a big chunk of black olive with my cheese.

Cawarra by Lindemans, Shiraz/Cabernet from South Eastern Australia. 2003 (Tasted in 2004) $8.99 for 1.5 liter at The Around the Corner Store. 13.5% alcohol. Definitely a fruit-forward type of wine. Lindemans is really popular in Australia. Dark black purple. Full fruit, low acidity, low tannins. Very smooth. Spicy and thick. 63% Shiraz and 37% Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Cawarra by Lindemans, Shiraz/Cabernet with Brin d'Amour. Herby and light, salty cheese. 

Cawarra by Lindemans, Shiraz/Cabernet with Old Amsterdam. The nutty, woody cheese really compliments the rich fruit in the blend. Brings out such great acidity in the wine. This cheese makes the wine taste a lot fancier. The cheese, with its wood, gives the wine more structure. It brings in a nice firm flavor to the very fruity, thick wine. The cheese can bring out a chocolate flavor. 

Cawarra by Lindemans, Shiraz/Cabernet with Robiola. This is good. At first, the wine is really thick, as is the cheese. Tom, my neighbor, got a peach flavor at the end. For me, at the end, it was bitter. It is ok, but Asparagus from the cheese. Much better than with the Barbera. 

Carmenere Santa Rita  2002 (Tasted in 2004) $5.99 at Central Market. It is from Chile. 120. 14.1% alcohol. It is a grape from Bordeaux. It is supposed to have round tannins with hints of herbs and spices. I smell something like mint and leeks. It may be fennel that we smell. It smells weedy. It would be good with food since it tastes like food. It is dark and dense. It is dry, rich, fruity, and very herbaceous. It burns the back of my mouth a little, and then I get a whiff of fruit. The herb taste overpowers everything, really. 

Carmenere Santa Rita with Cravanzina fresh soft-ripened cheese. Awful! Bitter. They don't fight too bad, but there is a nasty taste. 

Carmenere with Piave. Really good. I like this a lot. I like the tingly herbs and the smooth, sharp (yet mild) long-lasting cheese. 

Carmenere Santa Rita with Treccione di Bufala. Great! I like the herbs with the smoked cheese. It tastes a little astringent, though. 

Château de Campuget 2002 (Tasted in 2004) On clearance for $5.99 at Austin Wine Merchant. Appellation Costière de Nîmes Contrôlée. 12.5% alcohol. This is most likely a blend of Grenache and Syrah. It is supposed to be earthy, barnyardy, and dirty -- very much a rustic table wine. It would be good with rugged cheese, or roasted chicken or rabbit.

Château de Caraguilhes 2000 (Tasted in 2005) $9.99 at World Market. Usually retails for about $15. This is from Corbières in the southwest of France. 13% alcohol. Organic wine. This estate dates back to 1525. It used to be a monastery. The vineyards are located near the Mediterranean sea and are surrounded by scrubland (garrigues.) There is a natural balance of birds and insects in this area. Blend of 40 year old Carignan, grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and some other southern grape varieties. This is a clear, red wine with a clear rim. It smells very cherryish, bright, tart, and minty. This wine is good, but could have more depth, something more on the midpalate. It is definitely a great wine for food with its acidity and earthy flavors. I taste the garrigue, but it is mild. Delicious cherries. Lavender and rosemary. Dry finish.

Château de Caraguilhes with Aged Airedale. How appropriate. This is an organic cow's milk cheese from New Zealand. Very grassy cheese that looks like an Edam with its red wax. OK, but then bitter. The cheese is very creamy and milky tasting, and the wine is so tart. It tastes like fish together. It's not so bad, but the styles are not right for each other. 

*Château de Caraguilhes with P'tit Agour. Basque sheep's milk cheese. Very aged version. I thought these might work since they are from southwest France. This cheese tastes like garrigue. Very good! This pairing is like the southern French version of Pecorino Toscano and Chianti. It's sheep and cherries. Perfect blend. They become very spicy together and almost burn my mouth, but it's good.

Château de Caraguilhes with Fleur Verte. Fresh goat's milk cheese with fresh herbs. Not so great. Not horrible. It tastes like chlorine, probably because of the fresh tarragon. It's not bad, though. I like that the cheese is tart, and so is the wine. I also like the fresh countryside taste of both the cheese and the wine. This pairing is best when you don't actually eat the herbs on the outside of the cheese, but just enjoy their impact on the inside. Then it's a great pairing.

Château Musar 1996 (Tasted in 2003) This winery is located in Ghazir, near Beirut, Lebanon.  It is located in an 18th century castle.  http://www.chateaumusar.com.lb One of the sons had studied wine making at the University of Bordeaux.  We had this at Moxy's wine tasting.  It is like Valpolicella with a French nose, and also similar âto pinot noir.  It is popular in the UK.  It is made from grapes typical for France -- cab, carignane, etc.  Clear, kind of tawny color.  Complex.  It opens up over time.  Berries, raspberries.  Concentrated fruit. 

Château Musar with Morbier.  It is good with Morbier, though it kills the creaminess of the cheese.  There is not much bitterness, though.

Elyse Nero Misto 2003 (Tasted in 2006) About $25? It was a gift. It is super fruity on the nose and smells a little like cherries and what sometimes is described as boysenberry, though I've never actually had a boysenberry. I taste some spice and light vanilla, probably from French oak. Cherries burst out on the mid-palate and then fade away into a delightful spice. I guessed that the blend (misto = mixture in Italian) had some Zinfandel in it and I was right. It turns out it is mostly Carignane and Petite Sirah with Zinfandel, Sangiovese, and other varietals mixed in. It is a field blend at its best. Spicy and vibrant. This wine is tasty and juicy. I'd love to have this again. I

Elyse with Pepper Brie. OK together, though the cheese causes some bitterness and the mold doesn't necessarily go with this wine, but it's interesting because I first get the spice in the wine, and then once that dies down, out comes the spice in the cheese.

Garnacha Abrazo 2002 (Tasted in 2004) $5.49 at Grapevine. 13% alcohol. I bought this because it was cheap and the wine guy said it was decent for the price. It looks fancy! It is from Spain in the Cariñena region in Spain. This was imported by Block in Shertz, Texas. (Josh) It is a delicious and velvety wine, soft and dry. It is rich with flavors of black cherries, dark chocolate and raspberry. This wine is supposed to go with hearty meat dishes, hamburgers, pasta, pizza, and cheese. 

Garnacha, Las Rocas de San Alejandro 2003 (Tasted in 2005) $7.99 at Austin Wine Merchant. 14% alcohol. From Calatayud, Spain, which is a DO zone which is northeast of Madrid, northeast central. This wine smells kind of chocolatey. It has been described as having licorice flavors and spice. It really smells woody and dense. On the palate, once it opens up, it is very cherry-ish and tart, but not too acidic. This is a fun wine with a good, bitter finish, but it also has structure and spice. Very dry finish. I like how it tastes a little dirty. Then I taste cherries and berries again.

Las Rocas with Campo de Montalban. Three-milk Manchego-style cheese. There is something that is way too bitter in this pairing. I think the young-ish goat milk is clashing with the tannins.

Las Rocas with 12 month Manchego El Trigal. Pasteurized sheep's milk. Very very good. I'm serving this in class together. The wine was really best with it once the wine aired a little bit. It is a sturdy, earthy little Garnacha that likes an aged cheese. The cheese is nutty and sweet, and then the wine is woody and fruity. This is a nice little pairing.

Las Rocas with Rogue Anniversary Blue. Grassy, nutty, spicy blue. This happened to be on my desk. As I expected, it hated this cheese.

Graziano Mendocino Petite Sirah 2001 (Tasted in 2005) $17.99 at West Woods Liquors. Old vines from Mendocino. This is a Greg Graziano wine, an Italian-American who also makes St. Gregory, Monte Volpe, and Enotria wines. When I first opened it, it had a lot of fruit up front and a very velvety, almost buttery texture, but with pepper and chocolate flavors. It was very California, almost like a Zinfandel. Then, about an hour later, it started to taste more like a French wine -- very delicate, yet intense. This is a delicious wine. I am trying this wine with cheeses I just happen to have on my desk.

Graziano Petite Sirah with Fleur Verte goat cheese with herbs. Weird, but I kind of like it. The herbs knock out some of the flavors in the wine. There is too much rosemary and tarragon on the cheese, but it doesn't fight.

Graziano Petite Sirah with Monterey Jack from Texas Jersey farms. Good. Not quite a normal type of match, but they blend well. The cheese may be too tangy for the wine. It's an extremely tangy, palate-coating Monterey Jack. I think this wine would go really really well with a Vella Dry Jack (chocolate and pepper).

Guelbenzu Vierlas 2001  (Tasted in 2003) Ribera del Queiles.  $10 a bottle at Grapevine on sale.  It is a blend of many grapes -- Syrah (33%), Merlot (23%), Tempranillo (20%), Cabernet Sauvignon (14%), and Garnacha (10%).  I taste oak, mint, lime, cassis.  It is a weird spice, maybe anise or tarragon.  This is a dry wine.  

Guelbenzu Vierlas with Montenebro.  This goat cheese is super salty and goaty.  It is a little bitter because of the moldy, soft rind, but when the cheese is at room temperature, it is interesting and spicy.  This wine needs peppered meat, like a salami.  This wine wasn't so great with the cheese.  I didn't take many notes.  

Guelbenzu Vierlas with Campo de Montalban.  Goaty and creamy.  I didn't like these together so much.  I liked the Segura Viudas so much better with this cheese.  Maybe the wine was too spicy and crazy.  The mixture is bitter, tart, and putrid.  The wine makes the cheese taste rotten. 

Hahn Estates Meritage 2001 (Tasted in 2004) $14.49 at Grapevine. Central Coast, California. 13.8% alcohol. "Hahn" means rooster in German, so there is a picture of a rooster on the label. It is a classic Bordeaux blend -- 41% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, 15% Malbec, 3% Petit Verdot. It is dark red with ruby hues around the rim. There are aromas of black cherry, cassis, and olive. It is very fragrant and perfumy with big cherry and raspberry fruit. Lush, soft tannins. Solid acidity at the end. I loved this wine, even though Meritage gets a bad rap. It is dark and dense in the glass. It definitely has a strong aroma of dark cherries and some chocolate and spices. This is full, smooth, and very interesting. I do taste the cassis and also some soft wood. It is very fruity. The finish reminds me of chocolate. It is also a little earthy and tangy, I guess like an olive or just some acidity. I really like drinking this. It reminds me a little of a Red Zinfande

Hahn Estates Meritage with Jean de Brie or Brie de Jean (?), a raw milk, triple cream Brie from France. This is good together. I was afraid it wouldn't be, but the earthy flavors in the cheese work well with the wood in the wine. The cheese brings out a nice, dark fruit and wood flavor. I taste cherries and wood, spices and salt, but with a creamy back-drop.

Hécula 2002 Red Yecla Wine Castaño (Tasted in 2004). $9.99 at Austin Wine Merchant. 14% alcohol. This wine is made at 100% with Monastrell (Mourvèdre) with forty year old vines. It is matured in French and American oak for 8 months and is bottled without filtration. It is supposed to be soft, delicate and pure with blackberries, leather, spices and toasty flavors. Rich and velvety on the palate. The people at Austin Wine Merchant said that Eric Solomon, the owner of European Cellars Selection, went around to different small wineries and made unknown (and cheap) wines accessible to the general public. Otherwise, these wines wouldn't have much chance for distribution. I want to taste this with some Spanish cheeses. It is from Yecla, Spain. This wine is very dark purple and dense. It is really the color of grape juice. It smells very grapey and strong of alcohol. It is high alcohol. It tastes very young and spicy. The alcohol burn is covering up some of the flavor. I was hoping for a smokier wine. 

Hécula 2002 Red Yecla Wine with Campo de Montalban. This is ok together, but the alcohol is overpowering the cheese somewhat. This is ok, though. I like this fairly well, though it does cause a little bitterness. My mouth is burning. The cheese has a lot of character, so it can stand up to wines well. It has a very wild animal taste. I think this is ok once the wine breathes a little, though the burning aftertastes is doing nothing for me. 

Hécula 2002 Red Yecla Wine with Capri Hickory Smoked goat cheese. The wine isn't woody enough to work with this cheese. It's alright, but kind of dull. 

Hécula 2002 Red Yecla Wine with Selle-sur-Cher. This isn't too bad, but the wine overpowers the cheese. Oddly enough, the citrus flavor in the goat cheese is enhanced by the wine. The textures are great together -- frothy cheese with a prickly wine. 

*Hécula 2002 Red Yecla Wine with Grafton 4 Star Cheddar. This is delicious! I like this a lot. The cheddar has such a nice woody bite that pairs well with the alcohol in the wine and the rich fruit. The aftertaste is a little chocolatey and woody. Boy is this good. It is a little burning, but in a good way. The wine counters the bitterness in the cheese. This cheese really goes with everything, though.

L'Envol Côtes du Rhône Villages 2000 (Tasted in 2005) About $20 retail. Estate bottled by Duplessis-Guyot. Cedar nose, earthy, spicy, some strawberry flavors, probably from the Grenache. It has a finish of herbs, like rosemary or basil, or maybe even eucalyptus. This winery is going out of business, unfortunately. The wine is made in Jonquières in Southern Rhône where Châteauneuf-du-Pape is made, which might explain why L'Envol shares some of this wine's characteristics. It is complex and full with a good balance of fruit, spice, and acidity. I taste some minerality as well. I think this wine would go well with a Tomme de Savoie, Cantalet, or Comté.

L'Envol with Etivaz Gruyère. Super stinky, earthy version of this cheese. It is too strong for the wine.

L'Envol with Full Quiver TX Mozzarella and prosciutto. Very nice together. The salty meat goes well with the minerals and pepper in the wine.

L'Envol with Idiazabal. I was wondering if the smoke in the Syrah would be good with this lightly smoked Spanish sheep's milk cheese. It's not so great. The wine brings out the sheep flavor, which is nice, but then the sheep overpowers the wine.

L'Envol with Montery Jack from Texas Jersey. Very good. The cheese is nice and creamy, but it's not too strong to overpower the subtle and not-so-subtle flavors in the wine.

Malbec, Viu Manent Reserve 2002  (Tasted in 2005) This retails at about $16 or $17. 14% alcohol. This one a gold medal in France in 2004 at the Challenge International du Vin. From Chile. It is harvested entirely from the Viu Manent vineyards. Aged 14 months in French oak barrels and bottled without filtration. Intense purple color. Currant, plum, dark chocolate and mocha. In the mouth, boysenberry, leather and tar with rich tannins. Could cellar up to six years. It definitely smells like chocolate and dark berries. Easy tannins. There are enough tannins for it to be a little spicy, but not too astringent. Spicy finish with what may be the tar flavor they described on the bottle.

Viu Manent with Vintage Irish Cheddar. I just happened to have this cheese and thought I'd try it out, though I think this might also work with some rustic Spanish cheeses. Very good at first. Great nutty flavor in the cheese. The fruit is good with it. I like the spices with the sharp cheese. Then, after a minute the cheese seems to overpower the wine. I think this would still be a good food wine for big spicy dishes and meats.

Malbec, Los Cardos 2004

Mas Carlot Cuvée Tradition 2002 (Tasted in 2004) On clearance at Austin Wine Merchant for $5.99 13% alcohol. This is a Syrah-Grenache blend form the Pays d'Oc in France. This was the worst wine I've ever had! I didn't even bother to try any cheeses with it because I could barely stomach the wine. It gave me goosebumps. I think something was wrong with it. It was really fizzy when I first opened it and it tasted like rotten watermelon. I took it to my neighbor's house (my neighbor drinks a lot) and he didn't like it either. He said it tasted like a nursing home. Some other neighbors tried it as well and were also disgusted. At one point, it tasted wheaty to me, almost like a wheat beer -- except it wasn't a wheat beer and wasn't supposed to taste like one! Instead of bothering to take it back to the Austin Wine Merchant, I left it over at my neighbor's and he will probably drink it, as bad as it is.

Mas Donìs Barrica 2002 (Tasted in 2005) I got this at Austin Wine Merchant, but I don't know how much it was. Grenache/Syrah blend. 14% alcohol. From Spain at the foothills of the Pyrenees. Capçanes, Montsant DOC. Modern style of wine in the Rhône style. It is supposed to be nicer, like a Villages. This region was formerly called something else, like Santaro. I am tasting this with a cold. I know I'm not supposed to be drinking with a cold, but I'm in misery. When I first opened this, it was super dry and not so juicy, but the next day, once the cold kicked in, somehow I started to taste even more. It tastes earthy, spicy, and fruity, but almost like burned fruit. Very woody, dry finish. It is so thick, I can barely see through it.

Mas Donìs Barrica with Manchego. Delicious together. Really good. This is definitely a winner. Where the P'tit Basque is too milky and soft-tasting, the 12 month Manchego is just rustic enough to go with the wine, but the wine is not too rustic to where it overpowers the cheese.

Mas Donìs Barrica with P'tit Basque. Good. A little bitter at the end together. It's ok. I think, for this cheese, the wine needs to be a little less robust.

Mas Igneus Vinyes de Coster 2001 (Tasted in 2005) Retails for about $28. 14% alcohol. This is a wine from the Priorat. It's made up of 70% Garnacha Tinta, 20% Cariñena, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 3% Syrah. It is rich, spicy, and fresh like water. FA 2006, on the bottle, stands for French Allier oak, 2nd year of use, 6 months in the barrel. Fruit driven with ripe, sweet black currant characteristics along with hints of fennel and spice. It is not as dark and dense as some Spanish wines. I smell berries, like dark cherries, almost like a cherry flavoring, it's so intense. I am not sure about black currants. It also smells slightly floral. Spicy, some chocolate and light anise. I love this wine. It's really rich, but also delicate and refined tasting.

*Mas Igneus Vinyes de Coster with Ibores. Tangy, earthy, rustic goat's milk cheese. Very nice together. This is a great blend. I like how the tangy goat cheese works with the acidity in the wine. It is not overly acidic, but when I taste these two together, the acidity comes out more. I tasted the Ibores with several Spanish reds at a tasting and it worked great, often even better than Manchego.

Mas Igneus Vinyes de Coster with Idiazabal. This smoky sheep's milk cheese is a little too rustic for this wine. Sometimes I like Spanish wines with smoked cheeses, but this one isn't working for me.

Mas Igneus Vinyes de Coster with Mahòn. This is a medium-aged Mahòn. It is not as pasty as a young version, but not quite a grating cheese. A little stinky. Horrible. Yuck. Dirty and ugly. This wine is way too delicate for this rambunctious cheese.

Messias 2001 (Tasted in 2003) Vinho Regional Terras do Sado, Vinho Tinto.  Portuguese blend.  13% alcohol.  $7 at Central Market.  The guy told me that these people were growing vegetables on a farm, but then decided to grow wine.  This wine is pretty new.  It is cheap.  It comes from the Península de Setúbal, Terra Mãe de Vinhos.  It is made from Aragonés (50%) and Castelão Francés (50%). It is supposed to have soft, round fruit and sensual aromas.  It says on the bottle that it is a good food and cheese wine.  This wine is thick, dark red.  It tastes sort of grassy.  It smells very very fruity, almost overwhelmingly so. Maybe I smell blackberries.  It is a little jammy.  It is ok, but needs more tannins.  It is weird how fruity and thick it is. 

Messias and Majorero.  I like this together ok.  The salty cheese cuts into the jammy wine.  The goat is tangy and sharp, but still mild, and it lasts through the thick, fruity wine where the other cheese couldn't.  I think I like hard goat cheeses with fruity wines.  

Messias and Roncal sheep cheese.  This cheese is nice and salty, very floral and herby.  I don't really like these together, but it's ok.  It's a little bitter.  At first it tastes good -- the salty cheese and the fruit, but then it gets very sheepy with the wine.

Messias and Vella Dry Jack.  This is ok together, but the fruit kills the cheese.  It tastes like cake together.  

Monastrell, Altos de la Hoya, Finca Hoya de Santa Ana 2003 (Tasted in 2005) About $60 or so at a restaurant. We didn't finish this, so I got to bring the bottle home. 14% alcohol. From Spain. This is the same grape as Mourvèdre. This is a DO wine, Jumilla red wine. Jumilla is home of the Monastrell grape. It is in the Murcia region towards the southern coast near Valencia. It is dark black. When I had it at the restaurant, it was a little heavier and more tannic than I had planned for the food, but once it opened up the next day, it was a lot tamer. Thick, dark blackberry smell. Medium-full bodied, spicy, juicy, and definitely Spanish. It is not very old for a Spanish wine. Monastrell is supposed to give low astringency. It has medium acidity with a variety of flavors and aromas including ripe, sweet fruits. To me, it tastes like picking wild blackberries in the summer.

Altos de la Hoya with Ibores. Rustic, semi-hard goat cheese from Spain. Very good at first, and then a little bitter. The juicy fruits clash somewhat with the tangy goat, but it's decent.

*Altos de la Hoya with Idiazabal. Smoky, tangy, hard sheep's milk cheese from Spain. Bitter on the finish, but this ripe, lush fruit counters the salt and smoke in the cheese very well.

Altos de la Hoya with Mahon. Sometimes oderiferous cow's milk cheese from Minorca, Spain. This one is tangy and slightly ammoniated. Pretty foul with the cheese. Ouch. It is giving me goosebumps and chills. This is rotten, and I mean that literally.

Monastrell, Merum 2004 (Tasted in 2006) About $15 at Vino 100. 14% alcohol. Made in Jumilla. Nat said that this wine would be rich and fruity, like something in between an Amarone and a Port. I didn't think it tasted so much like those wines. It takes an extremely long time to open up, but then, after a day, I can see the similarity. Still, I had some trouble matching it up with my cheeses, so I ended up not including it in the line-up for the party I'm planning. I kept running into too much bitterness. I think it is, nevertheless, a great food wine. It could also possibly use some extra bottle age to loosen it up. Imported by Quality Wines of Spain in NYC. http://www.qualitywinesofspain.com

Merum Monastrell with Gorgonzola Piccante. Some have suggested that Monastrell could handle a blue, but I wasn't so wild about it with this cheese. It was awful. Bitter and vomity.

*Merum Monastrell with Majorero. Semi-soft goat's milk cheese from the Canary Islands. This cheese loves earthy red wines. It is still a little bitter with the Monastrell, but I like the tangy flavor of the goat cheese with the tannins.

Merum Monastrell plus Manchego. Pretty good, but tastes a little vomity together.

Merum Monastrell plus Piave. Bitter, but ok. Then it turns too bitter.

Merum Monastrell with Vella Dry Jack. OK, but still bitter.

*Merum Monastrell with Vintage Irish Cheddar. Good, but still bitter. It is ok, but not a perfect pairing.

*Merum Monastrell with Stilton. Better. Earthy, slightly bitter blue cheese, but they go together in a good, sharp way. They stood up to each other.

Perequita by J.P. Tinto 2002 (Tasted in 2005) $6.99 at World Market. Vinho Regional Terras do Sado. 12.5% alcohol. The label says: "The sunny slopes of the Setúbal Peninsula give us this pleasant, lovely, smooth and fruity red wine with hints of berries and a touch of spice, which is the result of 100% Castelão (Periquita) grape variety. JP Red will be a wonderful companion to lamb, pastas, veal, most red meats and cheeses." This wine is light, fruity, and tart. I was expecting something sturdier, but it is very pleasant. It has a slight effervescence and a smoky, bacon-y nose. It reminds me of a Burgundy on the nose, and then when I drink it, it's a little like a Pinot Meunier with the earthy flavors and tart berries. I like this wine a lot. It's easy and smelly, and I've never had anything quite like it before.

*J.P Tinto with Campo de Montalban. Perfect! But a little bitter, so maybe not so perfect. I wasn't as wild about this cheese with a Garnacha, but then with this wine, it's pretty and light and the tangy animal flavors from the three cheeses really are nice with the stinky wine. The bodies of this wine and cheese line up nicely. The wine is a little tart and cleans the sticky (yet firm) cheese off the palate.

J.P Tinto with 12 month Manchego El Trigal. Very good. The cheese overpowers the wine a little since it's so light, but it's alright. I prefer, with this cheese, a beefier red. I think this wine could handle some lightly pungent semi-soft cheeses.

Petite Sirah, Bogle 2002  2002 (Tasted in 2004) $10 or so in Birmingham at Vincent's. It is made in Clarksburg, California. My aunt Tat had recommended Bogle's old vines Zinfandel. I was curious about a Petite Sirah, so I tried this instead. Petite Sirah is grown primarily in California, but it is related to its namesake, Syrah. It is a hybrid of Syrah and Peloursin, and ancient Rhone variety. This grape has its roots in the Rhone Valley in France. This wine is fruit-forward, purple-flavored, and dense. It is 13.5% alcohol, but doesn't have a huge alcohol burn. Fruity, sweet, dark blackberry aromas. Light black pepper. Wood and tannins, then finishes off with abn alcohol burn and then some bitterness. Astringent and spicy, but also very pleasant to drink. It seemed to go better with cheeses since it was more fruit-forward than the Shiraz that I tried. Lots of pepper, nice, rich flavor, fuller fruit flavor than the syrah. Very dry finish, but overall, nice fruit balanced out with tannins and woody, pepper flavors.

Petite Sirah, Bogle with Tilsit, Eichten Hidden Acres 7 year old Tilsit from MN. This cheese acts a lot like an aged Cheddar, but is extremely rich, mild and sharp at the same time, fun to eat on the tongue -- perfect cheese. This works with the wine, though the wine wipes out some of the flavors of the cheese. It makes the wine taste too astringent, though the fruit in the wine works well with this cheese.

Pinotage KWV 2002 (Tasted in 2004) From South Africa. $9.99 at Grapevine. 14% alcohol. It is a medium to full-bodied wine, overwhelming fruitiness of sweet plums and raspberries on the nose and palate, followed by a velvety, smooth finish. It is produced from 100% Pinotage grapes  from the Western Cape region of South Africa. Vibrant ruby red color, abundant fruit, good weight, and chocolately smooth ripeness. It has well-integrated tannins. Pinotage is a grape unique to South Africa. It is a crossing between Pinot Noir and Cinsaut (Cinsault, the Rhône variety) that dates back to 1925. Pinotage appeared as a wine in 1959. It combines the cherry fruit of Pinot Noir with the earthiness of a Rhône wine. It makes for easy drinking. This wine tastes dry at first, and then very fruity. I taste a little bit of spice, cherries, and light wood and chocolate. I guess it could also taste like plums and raspberries, like the bottle said, but I tasted cherries. The cherry taste gets stronger as the wine seeps into my tongue. It's very nice. It is a little like bitter cherry, but not too bitter. It is light and well-balanced.

Pinotage with Cravanzina. I wanted to try this together because I had had an Oregon Pinot Noir that was so good with the Cravanzina. This cheese is a Brie-style fresh cheese from Italy. It is extremely mild and the molds aren't too bitter, so it goes nicely with wines. It's not so great together. It tastes a little fishy and I lose the nice fruitiness of the wine. 

Pinotage with Soumaintrain. I am trying these together just because I have this cheese out and because this cheese is from the Burgundy region. I was hoping maybe the Pinot Noir would be like a Burgundy with this, but no. It is a double cream soft-ripened cheese from France, raw milk, but it tastes and acts like a triple cream. It is very salty and spoonable, even before it is room temperature. Yuck. This seemed like it might go ok together at first, but no, it's awful! It has a rubber flavor to it. It is also bitter. I won't taste it again for further analysis. It was just not good. 

Quinta do Alqueve 2001 (Tasted in 2004) $8.75 at Austin Wine Merchant. Red table wine, Vinho Regional Ribatejano. This is from Portugal. 13% alcohol. It is made from Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Periquita. The wine was aged in barrels for 12 months. I bought this for a friend because my friend likes strong-tannined Cabs. This is supposed to have a lot of tannins. It reminds me of a Chianti. It has a sour black cherry flavor. It is bright, crisp, and burning at ties, but not bad. Smooth, yet tannic. Not too long-lasting. It really tastes Italian to me. It has a tang, but it doesn't linger and it doesn't overpower. 

*Quinta do Alqueve with La Leyenda with Brandy. Very good, though the wine is really tart. Great blend. Creamy, herby smooth sheep's milk cheese with the mellow tannins in the wine and the nice backbone. No bitterness. Excellent pairing. The cheese brings out the fruit in the wine, but diminishes the tannins. This wine would probably also be good with older Manchego, and especially Campo de Montalban.

Quinta do Alqueve with Valdeon blue cheese. This was about the worst pairing ever. It made me make a face. It tasted like chemicals, vomit, and dirt, and all in a bad way. It makes me nauseous just thinking about it. 

Rotllan Torra Reserva 1998 (Tasted in 2004) From the Priorat. 13.5% alcohol. The label says: "This small domaine, located in the heart of one of Spain's great wine regions, produces outstanding wines from ancient mountain wineyards. (sic) The wines, composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and Carignan are full bodied with great richness and intensity typical of El Priorat." Tart, cherryish, chocolatey, woody, dry, and bright. When I tasted this, what I notice most is the tart cherries. It is yummy. It is 50% Garnacha, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 25% Carignan. It is aged in American oak barrels for 24 months. It is supposed to be good with grilled foods. I enjoyed this one too much and only tried it with one cheese.

Rotllan Torra Reserva with Idiazabal, smoked sheep's milk cheese. This is a very rustic cheese, lightly smoked. You almost can't tell it's smoked until you put it in the container with other cheeses and it messes everything up. There was hardly a good sip of this wine left to taste with this cheese, but it was nice. The woody, wild-tasting cheese brought out a burst of cherries in the wine, and then smoked black olives in the cheese. I know -- cherries and olives probably don't sound like the best, but when it's cheese and wine, it's good. I like the smoky finish of the cheese with this woody wine. It's really good, but then again, sheep's milk from Spain and red wines from Spain rarely dislike each other.

Shiraz Cabernet, Koonunga Hill by Penfolds 2001 $8.59 at HEB. South Eastern Australia (Tasted in 2003) 13.9% alcohol. This came highly recommended by Joshua of Block. 52% Shiraz and 48% Cabernet Sauvignon. It is supposed to be a full-bodied wine enhanced by oak maturation, giving it well-rounded tannins. It came recommended by Joshua at Block. I tasted this, but didn't take good notes on it.

The Stump Jump 2004 Grenache Shiraz Mourvèdre (Tasted in 2006) $10 at World Market.

Stump Jump with Pepper Brie. This isn't a perfect match, but it's tolerable if you don't eat the rind on the cheese. I like the spice and juicy berries in the wine with the cream and pepper in the cheese.

Trentadue Sonoma Old Patch Red 2001 (Tasted in 2003) $14.99 at Wiggy's. Blend of Red Zinfandel, Carignane, and Petite Sirah. Jammy berry flavors, spicy tannins, sweet, smoky, woody.. There is definitely spice in this wine. Smooth, thick tannins. Not too strong. This reminds my friend Shanti of a Sliver Oak Cab. Easy to drink. It has a vague berry flavor and a long finish. The label says that this wine is good for grilling. I would buy this again! Read more about it at http://www.trentadue.com. I don't know if I tasted any cheese with it. 

Viña Antigua Sangiovese-Bonarda 2002 (Tasted in 2004) Argentina. $5 or so at Grapevine. This is from Maipu, Argentina. The selections are hand-picked. It is half Sangiovese and half Bonarda grape. Bonarda is short for Bonarda Piemontese, which is a red grape possibly related to the Dolcetto grape. The Croatina grape is also called Bonarda. Bonarda had fallen out of favor, but then had regained some of its popularity. Bonarda wines are generally light, fruity, and immediately drinkable. This blend has flavors of wood, white pepper, and mushrooms. It is medium/light-bodied, fruity, but also a little earthy. It is a nice little lively wine, especially for that price. The case is going for $50.

Viña Antigua Sangiovese-Bonarda with Cantalet. Mild, cheddarish, tastes floral. It burns like a mountain cheese. Delicious together! Mild, creamy cheese with a long finish. The cherries in the wine shine through. The light, earthy tones are great together. 

Viña Antigua Sangiovese-Bonarda with Gorgonzola Piccante. This cheese is better with this red than with whites. Fruity cherries with nutty spice in che3ese. Very good at first, yet has a bitter finish. Bitter nut finish, like hazelnuts.

Viña Antigua Sangiovese-Bonarda with Salame Toscano and Pecorino Toscano. Excellent. Sheep, nuts, olives, pepper...it is luscious together. 

Viña Antigua Sangiovese-Bonarda with Prosciutto Toscano. Excellent! Pepper. Brings out spice in wine, cherry flavors. 

Viña Antigua Sangiovese-Bonarda with Salametti sausage. OK. The salt makes the wine taste too vinegary.

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