Really? Stylish Wine?

My boyfriend sure knows the way to my heart... cookies and a bottle of Ecco Domani 2007 Chianti! After one of the longest Fridays of my life (hyperbole, clearly... I say that every week), J and I went for some sushi and then he surprised me with a new bottle to review. That, my friends, is true love. So let me jump right on it (the bottle that is).

The bottle itself is unassuming with its black , "I am chic because I am Italian" label which did not immediately impress, but I was still excited to give it a taste. I should also note that I always read a label completely before I try it, including any descriptions of the juice, alcoholic content, sulfite info, website, etc... and I was surprised when I saw that Ecco Domani's label touts that it supports designers. I guess when you think about it it's not that odd for wine and fashion to intermingle... a nice little harmony if you ask me. But Ecco Domani did throw me for a loop when I went to its website at http://www.eccodomani.com/ and it referred to itself as the "Stylish Wine." Excuse me Mr. or Mrs. Domani, that will be for the Vino-Verde to decide!

Now on to the juicy stuff (teehee). Initially, my reaction was typical, which, quite frankly, is not what I was hoping for. It just had that smell of your average warm, acidic red wine (but I admit I have always been told that Chiantis can start off that way... not as fruity smelling as their taste would have you believe). I decided I would try and do this the "right" way this time... so I noted the deep blood-red color of the wine and the heavy legs that it left on the side of my glass. As I took my first sip, I stuck my nose as far into the wide-mouthed glass as I could so that I would try and decipher exactly what was causing the strong smell of the wine. And much to my delight, it had a "wow that is not what I was expecting," strong flavor. I mean, initially you smell the oak tones, but it really was surprisingly fruity. It carried strong tastes of cherries I think, although it took me a second to figure out exactly where these fruity notes were coming from. There were hints of cinnamon and cherries in the deep red juice that ended up falling pretty lightly on the tongue. It lingered in the mouth for quite a long time, and ended more acidic than what I prefer. The aftertaste almost doesn’t want to leave you and it ends up being very drying on the tongue, and pretty acidic.

Just because I love my fellow Verdes, I did a little bit of homework on what I should be looking for when I am tasting a wine (so I don’t sound like a blubbering idiot if a non-vino-verde stumbles across this blog), and I learned a little bit about these so-called tannins that all official wine reviewers rave about. For a little bit of a more scientific explanation of what I am about to give, check out http://www.wineanorak.com/tannins.htm where the author goes into the chemical reactions that wine goes through and the importance of tannins to that process. I, on the other hand, am going to give you a vino-verde breakdown.

Apparently, tannins in wine, usually reds, give us both the “bitterness” and the astringency that we taste in our wine. Winos officially refer to the way a wine feels in your mouth as the wine’s “Mouthfeel” (yes, this is a true statement), and scoff at us vine-virgins for not being able to differentiate between bitterness and astringency. So here is my take on it: Bitterness is easy for the tongue and palate to acknowledge because it is one of the basic tastes that human tongues are wired to recognize. The astringency, however, is not "bitterness" but more of the dry feeling you get in your mouth after you swallow the wine. Hence, dry reds have more tannins. Ok, hope that helped all you wannabe winos out there. Next time you are at a swanky event feel free to utilize this knowledge to sound like you are the connoisseur we all wish we were.

Back to the wine. I think this is one of those wines that a guy (or you carnivorous ladies out there) would love with a big fat steak or even a light meat-based pasta dish. Although I have not even touched on my thoughts on pairings with wine, fear not my fellow vino-verdes, that too will come. And most likely that will be sometime after final exams end in December.

So my rating? Now that I appreciate the reason for that dry-mouth feeling I got after this Chianti, I would give the Ecco Domani Chianti 5 fab points out of 10. You can buy the wine thought Ecco Domani's website at http://www.eccodomani.com/italian-wine/chianti.asp or at your local grocery at about $10 a bottle. While Ecco Domani refers to themsleves as stylish, I do not necessarily disagree, but rather proffer this: It just isn't my style...

Until my next bottle,

Nic

Wine is like a box of chocolates...

... and you really never know what you are going to get. This holds especially true when you are a Vino-Verde like myself who often chooses their libations based upon the price of the bottle or the intrigue of the label. And that is precisely what led me to my most recent bottle-o-grapey-goodness (& the first that I get to share with you!)

My road to this particular bottle of Chocolate Box 2007 Shiraz began like most of my adventures. It was Saturday night, all 4 of my roommates were downing [insert any and every light beer here] in the living room of our lake house watching football, and the supply was dwindling. So I happily agreed to head down the street to the local liquor store to pick up some run-of-the-mill Hefeweizens for the boys, knowing full well that I secretly couldn't wait to scope out the surprisingly large selection of wines at this rinky dink, we sell 1/5s of vodka by the boatload, neighborhood liquor store.

So we snag the beer and start perusing the dark wood shelves that seem so out of place in this run down store. Then it happens: A bottle with a sexy pin-up girl on the vibrant red label is right at my eye line and it was love at first sight as I walk towards the shelves. To add to this romance, the bottle had the words "dark chocolate" on it and had a moderate price tag of $14.99! Now, I am no advertising guru, but kudos to the people who made this label. I mean, chocolate and red wine... what else could a girl ask for?

Fast forward 15 minutes and I am back in the living room of the lake house, surrounded by football banter, empty beer cans, and a lot of testosterone. Not my ideal tasting environment, but a girl's got to work with what she's got. I read over the label once again, reminding myself that while I know I love Shiraz, I need to start honing my palate and picking out the specifics of each wine that make each one an individual masterpiece, much more than just a category.

I also want to note my feelings on twist-top or plastic corks v. the real deal. A few years ago when I first started drinking wine, I was under the impression that in order to get a good bottle you needed a cork and a hefty price tag. As an undergrad, this didn't bode well for my bank account so I always ended up buying $8-$10 bottles of whatever red I could find & settling that I would have a wait a few years to enjoy a good glass. But as I left the many pleasures (& many cheap wine hangovers) of undergrad behind and started the law school adventure I am currently on, I learned something about myself and my wine: expensive does not always equal good... and I was a bitch for thinking that way. Furthermore, a cork, while still a nicety, is not necessary. I have actually found that I now prefer twist-tops so that I can taste a vino, reflect on what I liked and did not like about it, and try it again in a few days to see if my opinion has changed and the bottle will stay fresh longer.

I digress. Back to this slice of chocolate heaven that I had just purchased... I twist off the bright red cap, pour a taste into my favorite wide mouthed glass, and immediately note something different. While I am [clearly] not a connoisseur, hence the purpose of this blog, I really don't know what an Australian Shiraz is supposed to present (check out the vineyard's tasting report here for an "official review": http://tinyurl.com/yf76wwf) But hey, that's part of the appeal for me isn't it! I did know that something was different about this Shiraz's initial flavors than the ones I normally favor, and it was something that I liked. A lot.

While expectantly oaky, it had a distinct chocolate layer that hit you almost as hard as the oak tones. And believe me, this was good. I mean, really really ridiculously good. One of the reasons I started favoring Shiraz in the first place is because they have such strong smells that materialize into strong tastes that aren't overpowering or lingering. And this was no exception. The first taste, even when left in the mouth for about 10 seconds, was delicious and full-bodied, but it left the mouth as fast as it came (go ahead, I know you want to say it. "That's what she said."). And this made for an almost perfect glass for me.

So my rating you ask? For a surprisingly solid Shiraz at a price that won't break the bank (but a little bit more than my ideal price point), I give it 8 fab-points out of 10 on the Vino-Verde scale. Not a bad start, eh.

Moral of the story? Everyone is taught that you can't judge a book by its cover, or a wine by its label, but this little nugget was a gem. Er... a chocolatey nugget if you will. And if you would like to try this bottle on your own, you can purchase it at most package stores on online at http://tinyurl.com/y8wa4c9.

Until my next bottle,

Nic

Every quest must start somewhere, right?

Last night, over a glass of Shiraz, it came to me... why not share with the world my never ending quest to understand the intricacies of the God's juice... wine?

I have been attempting, rather poorly, to expand my vino-vocabulary over the past few years. I admire those who can, often blindfolded, distinguish between the floral notes of a Chianti & the oaky tones of a Cab Sav. I want to be a wino of the greatest kind... a budget-conscious, twenty-something connoisseur of all things from the vine.

So for mostly selfish reasons, and for a good wine buzz of course, I will embark on a journey that hopefully will hone my grape-goddess skills; and somehow, along the way, help others who too are on a quest of their own.

I will use this blog to document my amateur opinions on the various wines that I get the pleasure of tasting and all the adventures my love of fermented grapes brings my way. I look forward to taking you on my journey down the bottle.

Bottoms up,
Nic