Faves from wine clubs past....

I ran across some notes of past wine clubs and thought I’d jot down some of our favorites. (they are not in any order, just the ones that scored the highest of the night and that we'd consider buying again)
Sometime I’ll probably find the scores for other ones, but for now here’s what I have readily available…

 

From Red Blends:

• 2006 Edward Sellers Le Theif
• 2009 L Preston
• 2008 Ferrer Bobel Priorat 

From Poor Man’s night:

• 2011 Field Stone Petite Sirah Rose
• 2010 J Opi Malbec
• 2009 Fieldstone Corvino Red Table Wine 

From Zinful Desserts: 

• 2008 Kenwood Reserve Zin 
• 2008 Martinelli Vigneto di Evo Zin 
• 2005 Peterson Winery Muscat Blanc

And I even found one from summer last year...

 

From Hot Weather Wines: 

• 2011 Domaine Lafond Tavel
• 2011 Chateau De Manissey Tavel
• nv Mumm Brut Rose
• 2007 Autry Cellars Petite Sirah (to go with BBQ fare)

Grilled Buttermilk Chicken & Rose

Rose wines are a Lush favorite of summer, and so is grilling. (truth be told, grilling isn’t a season for the Lush Household, it’s a lifestyle!) For a recent wine club event, Mr. Lush found a recipe for grilled chicken drummies that pairs wonderfully with rose, so we thought we'd share:



• 1 quart buttermilk


• 1 tablespoon onion powder


• 1 tablespoon garlic powder


• 2 tablespoons kosher salt


• 2 tablespoons sugar


• 1 tablespoon ground cumin


• 1 teaspoon pepper


• 4 lbs chicken drumsticks/thighs (any combo or all one, we used drumsticks)


1. In a large bowl, mix buttermilk, onion and garlic powder, salt, sugar, cumin, and pepper.


2. Rinse chicken thighs /drumsticks and pat dry. Trim off excess fat. Submerge chicken pieces in buttermilk brine. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours, or up to 1 day.


3. Lift chicken from brine; discard brine. Wipe excess from chicken with paper towels.


4. Lay chicken pieces on a barbecue grill over medium coals or medium heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level only 4 to 5 seconds); close lid on gas grill. Cook, turning frequently, until browned on both sides and no longer pink at the bone (cut to test), 20 to 30 minutes. Serve hot or cold.


Enjoy with your favorite rose-it went great with 2011 Andrieux & Fils Rose Cotes de Provence Cuvee Victoria, 2011 Domaine Les Aphillanthes Côtes-du-Rhône Rosé, and the 2010 Division Rose (from Washington). The Les Aphillanthes was a little fruitier than the other two, but all 3 were dry and stood up to the chicken.

BBQ, rose, and malbec

Yesterday, in true Lush holiday style, we got up at 6:30, fired up the smoker, and cooked some ribs and brisket. We rarely BBQ without inviting the Luce’s, so they were of course in attendance. Being the thoughtful and planner food pairer Lucy is, she brought a bottle of Imagery Malbec. In the spirit of taking advantage of the abilty to have multiple bottles open, since we had multiple guests, I chose a bottle of rose, specifically the Pianetta Rosato. So we tried both.

Of course, there is something I must tell you about the Lush BBQ style-it’s a bit spicy. I wouldn’t call it “hot”, just spicy. While Mr. Lush is the grilling master of the house, I am the rub master and as any BBQer knows, you must have both to have really good BBQ. My rub is a mix of brown sugar, paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. (Note the two spicy spices.) I put the rub on Sunday and let the meat soak in the rub overnight. The Lush sauce of choice is Super Smokers Championship Sauce, which also has a bit of spice.

Back to the food and wine, the Malbec was fantasic, but really picked up the spices. The Rosato was also good, but more complimentary to the spices. While Malbec is supposed to go wonderfully with BBQ, and we both loved the Malbec, Lucy and I decided we both preferred the Rosato as the better pairing. Which, being a $23 rose, it certainly should be able to hold up to some food, don't you think?

After some reflection, I have noticed this trend with much of the red wines we have tried with the Lush BBQ. I think in general, a less tannic, medium bodied wine goes best with spicy BBQ fare, but all in all I’d recommend both as a solid pairing choice.

Of course you can’t go wrong with good food, good wine, and good friends to share it with.

Hazy shade of... pink?

In the spirit of the summer and expanding my non red drinking selections beyond Chardaonnay, I’ve been trying some Rose’s. Its been a bit of trial and error method because frankly I haven’t had enough to know how to pick one out. I think I tend to like darker roses, but last year I had a really good Domaine Ott Rose and if I recall it was very light-a pale, but sort of dull pink. Of course, it was $35, if I recall. It was fantastic, but I wouldn't pay $35 for it.

We tried a Cali Rose that was medium pink – the Line Shack Syrah Rose a few weeks ago and it was just bleh. Almost “white zinfandel”-esque. Last week we had a Mission Trail White Merlot- it was a medium pink. It wasn’t complicated, it was almost like a simple sauvignon blanc, minus the grassiness. Crisp, clean, good for a hot day and I think I got it through a wine order for $11. That was the same price as the Line Shack and while the same level of complexity, it was so much better.

So, now I’m back on the darker pink=better thought process. Last night I had a really great California Rose that was a beautiful dark pink color-2007 Pianetta Rosato. Its 58% Cabernet Sauvignon and 42% Syrah. “A light blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah with a lot of dry fruit flavor. Made by the Saigner method, in which grapes are crushed and pink juice is removed from the must early. This process, known as bleeding the vats, results in a richer wine with more tannins and red color. Barrel fermented and aged, this light but rich wine can be enjoyed with cheeses, fruits or as an aperitif.”

We brought it to the Luce’s and it was yummy. It’s full bodied for a rose and did have a smidge of tannins. Of course, the price tag matches the yummy factor-retails for $21.

In our wine fridge we currently have a French rose that’s the same color as the Domaine Ott. Perhaps I like pale pink on in French Roses? Stay tuned-I’ll probably be posting a few more roses over the summer.