Are some Red Wines better for you than others?

There is a dizzying amount of articles touting the benefits of drinking red wine in moderation ...but are some red wines more beneficial for you than others?  Is a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon better for your heart versus  a Pinot Noir from Russian River?  Is a Central Coast Syrah just what the doctor ordered for the old ticker?

Two articles discuss two lesser-known wines; one from the southwest portion of France (where they grow the grape, Tannat), and another wine from Sardinia, Italy (known for growing Cannonau, a.k.a.: Grenache).  They also add that it is not Reservatrol that we should be concerned with, but instead, procyanidins.  

Interesting. Keep in mind that the people they are studying are living in small provincial towns in Europe where they have different lifestyles and diets than in the U.S. The optimist in me wants to believe that drinking the right kind of wine would allow us to reap some great cardiac benefits. Below are the articles.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=forget-resveratrol-tannin

http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Features/0,1197,3564,00.html

Three Italian Beauties

Disclosure: I am lucky enough to be representing these three wines. They are all made from the same grape, Nebbiolo, but crafted in entirely different ways. All are stunning in their own right.

Varaldo Langhe Nebbiolo 2006

Bright red fruit, sour cherry, good acid. Think of a bumblebee in your mouth (without the stinger). Delightful!

Varaldo Barbaresco "Sori Loreto" 2004

Same producer as the first wine, this is the "big brother" to the Langhe Nebbiolo. More depth, black cherry, wood presence and a lasting finish. Great acidity. This wine stood well for 3 days after opening. Again, this is stunning wine. If you are into Robert Parker, he scored it a 94.

Reverdito Barolo "Bricco Cogni" 2001

My favorite of the pack. A deep, rich wine with tons of earth. Close your eyes, and you are outside, in the dark, stepping on Fall leaves and smelling damp soil. I swear I could taste this wine for 20 minutes after. Gorgeous.

A musical moment

Paul McCartney has perfect pitch.

Happy Hour Week in OC - April 12-18

http://www.happyhourweek.com/

April 12th marks the beginning of the First Annual Orange County Happy Hour Week. During this week you will be able to visit some of your favorite restaurants for some fantastic happy hour specials. The best part about this is that most restaurants will be offering these fantastic happy hour special all day long for the entire week! No more rushing to try and get your order in before happy hour ends! Here are some of the participating restaurants and the menus that they are offering. More may be added soon.If the restaurant name is clickable, you can view their special happy hour menu.

***Many of the restaurants are offering their happy hour specials all day, some only have extended hours though. Please check the page for the restaurant you are going to before going down to the restaurant.***

118 Degrees - Costa Mesa
21 Oceanfront - Newport Beach
Ambrosia - Santa Ana
Avilas El Ranchito - Newport Beach
Bistro West - Tustin
Bluewater Grill - Tustin and Newport
Brix Wine Bar - Sunset Beach
Chaparosa Grill - Laguna Niguel/Tustin
Citrus Fresh Grill - Aliso Viejo
Commonwealth Lounge - Fullerton
Daily Grill - Irvine
French 75 - Newport Beach
HUSH - Laguna Beach
JT Schmid's Restaurant & Brewery - Anaheim/Tustin
Karl Strauss - Costa Mesa
Kimera - Irvine
K'ya Bistro - Laguna Beach
Leatherby's - Costa Mesa
Lucca - Irvine
Mozambique - Laguna Beach
O’Neill’s Bar and Grill - Mission Viejo
Orange County Mining Company - Orange
Pinot Provence - Costa Mesa
Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen - Anaheim
Royal Hawaiian - Laguna Beach
Ruth's Chris Steak House - Irvine
Sage - Newport Beach
Sage on the Coast - Newport Beach
Savannah at the Beach - Huntington Beach
Simply Fondue - San Juan Capistrano
Sorrento Grille - Laguna Beach
Stonehill Tavern - Dana Point
Summit House - Fullerton
Sundried Tomoto - San Clemente
Sundried Tomato - San Juan Capistrano
TAPS Fish House and Brewery - Brea
Terra Nova - Costa Mesa
The Clubhouse - Costa Mesa
The Loft Bistro at Montage - Laguna Beach
The Melting Pot - San Clemente/Irvine/Brea
The Ranch Sports Grill - Ladera Ranch
The Red Chair Lounge - Huntington Beach
The Rooftop Lounge - Laguna Beach
The Winery Restaurant and Wine Bar - Tustin
Tommy Bahama's Island Grille - Newport Beach
Zov's Bistro - Tustin
Zov's Neighborhood Cafe's - Irvine/Newport Beach

2009 Wine Blog Awards

There are some really great wine bloggers out there, and you have a chance to vote for them now if you follow this link

http://www.fermentation.typepad.com/

Voting ends March 4, so sooner the better! Also, please check out their sites if you haven't already. They are pretty awesome. Alder Yarrow, who writes "Vinography.com" is a pretty cool guy, with a great palate and who does honest assessments of wines and the wine world. You should definitely check him out if you haven't already.

2009 Wine Blog Awards

Peace!
V

Bipolar ... bottled up.

This is Urban Uco, a 50/50 blend of Tempranillo and Malbec, grown in Argentina.

You see the deep, mulberry color at first, but be patient. There is a finesse to the wine that catches you off-guard....that is the tempranillo taking over. Very rustic (leathery...baseball mit kind of leathery, but surrounded by dark berries). The lean, old world nature of the Tempranillo grape mixes with the Malbec (which is also an old world grape, but entirely different). The malbec fleshes out the tempranillo... makes it rounder and fruitier. Then it catches you off-guard again, as it packs a wollop. The bottle is stating 14.5%, but I am guessing more like 15% alcohol. But the wine is perfectly balanced. No heat, just intriguing flavor.

This is a wine presented by the Spanish importer, Jose Ordonez. He is known for choosing interesting wines at modest prices. This wine goes under $10 and is a good sipper.

Happy New Year!

Hope your New Years was peaceful and lovely and spent with those you care for.

Yours truly celebrated the New Year by opening a bottle of the 1996 Henri Abelé Champagne - Brut - Reims, France ($55). Its makeup is: 47% Chardonnay; 34% Pinot Noir; and 19% Pinot Meunier.

This is a gorgeous, savory, rich-tasting wine. The color is a dark straw yellow, apricot on the nose, sporting an almond and croissant flavor. This Champagne is a bit acidic, so best to pair with food.

The semifreddo I made for dessert paired magically with the Champagne, cutting through the dessert's sweetness, but still showing its nutty character that matched the semifreddo. A semifreddo is an Italian term for a half-frozen dessert. In this case, the flavor was chocolate hazelnut.

Here is the recipe for the semifreddo. It is delicious and extremely easy to make.

Chocolate Semifreddo

• 2 1/4 cups chilled whipping cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons of Frangelico (Hazelnut liqueur)
  
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• Toasted almonds
  
• 9 chocolate cups
  

Take a handful of almonds, chop into small pieces, and toast under a medium-low heat being careful not to burn. After the almonds have browned, immediately transfer to a glass or ceramic bowl and set aside. Combine whipping cream and vanilla in another large bowl. Sift powdered sugar and cocoa over. Using an electric mixer, beat at mid-high speed, add in vanilla and liqueur, continue to beat until soft peaks form. Spoon the mixture into chocolate cups, which can be purchased in a gourmet/specialty store. Freeze until cream is set, at least 1 hour. Top with toasted almonds.

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When you are buying a bottle of Champagne* or Sparkling Wine, you will notice different jargon on the label (for example, XD or Brut). This is important because it is in reference to the Champagne's degree of sweetness. Listed below are the different levels of sweetness, starting from bone dry like the Sahara Desert, to sugary sweet. The most common type of Champagne/Sparkling Wine is Brut, although throughout the 19th century Champagne was generally much sweeter than it is today.

Levels of Sweetness in Champagne/Sparkling Wine (starting from driest to sweetest)

• Brut Natural or Brut Zéro (less than 3 grams of sugar per liter)
• Extra Brut (less than 6 grams of sugar per liter)
• Brut (less than 15 grams of sugar per liter)
• Extra Sec or Extra Dry, XD (12 to 20 grams of sugar per liter)
• Sec (17 to 35 grams of sugar per liter)
• Demi-Sec (33 to 50 grams of sugar per liter)
• Doux (more than 50 grams of sugar per liter)

* Champagne can only be called "Champagne" if it is made in the Champagne region of France, blah, blah, blah. Everything else is called "Sparkling Wine".