Twisted River Gewurztraminer 2007

Served With: Eggplant Ravioli (recipe here)

Five Things: meyer lemon color, lychee, green apple, apricot, mineral

COO: Rheinhessen, Germany

Notes: This inexpensive wine had a broad mid-palate brushstroke that was elevated by the food (Jean-Georges Vongerichten's eggplant ravioli with gewurztraminer sauce) taking what might have been a "good" wine to a "very good" wine.

Rating: Very Good

Tags: twisted river, gewurztraminer, 2006, rheinhessen, germany

Mas de la Dame Les Baux-de-Provence Cuvée Gourmande 2006

Served With: Sunchoke-Kale Hash with Farro (recipe here)

Five Things: leather, pepper, plum, integrated tannins, medium finish

COO: Provence, France

Notes: This smooth and balanced grenache blend from Provence was a great match for the nutty farro and earthy sunchokes and really brought out the pepper in the dish. Lovely.

Website: Mas de la Dame

Rating: Very Good

Tags: Mas de la Dame, Les Baux-de-Provence, Cuvée, 2006, France

Pelta 2008

Served With: Fettuccine with Walnut and Ricotta Sauce.

Five Things: dark ruby, earthy pine forest, blackberry, good structure, low acidity

COO: Valencia, Spain

Notes: A tempranillo blend from Spain -- like foraging for blackberries in a old-growth pine forest after a late summer rain-storm.

Rating: Very Good

Tags: tempranillo, spain, 2008, pelta, valencia

Syncline Syrah 2005

Served With: Bourguignon

Five Things: inky, leather, morello cherry, cigar, cedar

COO: Columbia Valley, Washington

Notes: A Valentine's Day dinner, a French stew and a Rhone-style wine from Columbia Valley, Washington: A match made in heaven. The smokey syrah had a long finish that paired beautifully with the stew (channeling my inner Julia Child). My only sadness was that it was the last bottle of the four that I picked up a while back.

Website: Syncline Wine

Rating: Very Good

Tags: columbia valley, washington, syrah, 2005, syncline

Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Served With: Pot Pie

Five Things: inky, milk chocolate, rose petals, smooth, long finish

COO: Napa Valley, California

Notes: Two amazing Napa Valley cabs in one night -- and on a Thursday, no less -- is some kind of personal record. This is an all-star wine: balanced acidity/tannins with a finish you could time using a sun-dial. As with the Sinskey, it was paired with the homemade pot pie and really offered a contrasting perspective -- sort of like dark chocolate vs. milk chocolate. (tasted for #calicabs)

Website: Chateau Montelena

Rating: Delicious

Tags: napa valley, california, Cabernet Sauvignon, chateau montelena, 2006

Robert Sinskey Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon RSV Vineyard SLD Estate 2000

Served With: Pot Pie

Five Things: dark, chocolate, cherry, integrated tannins, brawny

COO: Stag's Leap District, Napa Valley, California

Notes: Wow. This one needed some decanting and some time for the funk to blow off, but once it did, it revealed a wine with a wonderful combination of brawn and balance (tannins). Paired with a homemade pot pie loaded with root veggies and a hearty gravy, this wine came alive. (tasted for #calicabs)

Website: Robert Sinskey

Rating: Delicious

Tags: stag's leap district, napa valley, california, sinskey, Cabernet Sauvignon

Coturri Chardonnay 2007

Served With: Picatta

Five Things: deep golden color, meyer lemon, balanced acidity, sandalwood incense, unfiltered

COO: Sonoma Mountain, California

Notes: This unfiltered wine is not your typical California Chard, and I mean that in the best possible way. So pairing it with a dish full of lemons and capers -- which can be treacherous to lesser wines -- could have been a problem. But, it was one of the most synergistic pairings I've ever had, each bite and sip in harmony. That doesn't happen very often...

Website: Coturri Winery

Rating: Delicious

Tags: coturri, chardonnay, 2007, california, sonoma

Alexander Valley Vineyards "Sin Zin" Zinfandel 1997

Served With: BBQ

Five Things (before): bricked, TCA, blocked, oaky, musty

Five Things (after): balanced, juicy, integrated tannins, tobacco, long finish

COO: Alexander Valley, CA

Notes: Another "lost" wine that I found when re-organizing the cellar last month, I figured the Super Bowl (and BBQ) would be an ideal time to see if the wine had any mojo left. I had a feeling that this one was going to have some problems, and indeed, it did. A crumbling cork, musty, TCA, bricking -- all very bad signs. I had anticipated this by opening it 24 hours in advance to see where the wine was at -- it's better to find out ahead of time and get a substitute bottle ready just in case. After straining for loose cork bits and decanting, I decided to stuff three big wads of plastic wrap into the decanter in hopes that the TCA would be neutralized/absorbed -- I've done it in the past to bottles that I thought were hopeless and had salvaged most of them in this manner. However, this time it far exceeded my hopes, and brought the wine back to life completely. I was stunned at just how good the wine tasted afterward -- the balanced structure, tannins, the long supple finish -- and paired with the BBQ, it was a touchdown with a two-point conversion. ;)

Website: Alexander Vally Vineyards

Rating: Delecious

Tags: Alexander Valley, california, zinfandel, 1997, bbq

Dr. Konstantin Frank Dry Riesling 2007

Served With: Ramen

Five Things: pale yellow, stone fruit (peaches), floral, juicy, flinty mineral

COO: Finger Lakes, New York

Notes: Another bowl of steaming hot ramen, another wine pairing from Dr. Konstantin Frank. This time around, it was a dry riesling admirably taking care of the wine duties. There was just the right amount of acidity to compliment the broth, noodles, mushrooms and spice level without getting in the way of the flavors or aromas. A very good pairing.

Website: Dr. Konstantin Frank

Rating: Very Good

Tags: Dr. Konstantin Frank, riesling, finger lakes, ramen, 2007

Quinta de Ventozelo Douro Cister da Ribeira 2000

Served With: Pizza

Five Things: oak, tobacco, cherry, earth, juicy

COO: Duoro, Portugal

Notes: The pizza was loaded with broccoli rabe, spicy sausages and tangy cheese and this well-balanced red from the Duoro region (one of my all-time favorites) came through with flying colors -- and was a steal at $10. It doesn't get much better than that!

Website: Quinta de Ventozelo

Rating: Very Good

Tags: Quinta de Ventozelo, Douro, Cister da Ribeira, 2000, Portugal, pizza