Archive for July, 2008

When you think of Australia you think of a fun-filled country full of spirit and jovial people. And the burgeoning wine business in Australia is very similar. Most of the reds are light and flavorful, but lack the depth of European or California reds. My wife and I are not big white wine drinkers, but on a recent celebratory trip to Emeril’s Restaurant in New Orleans, I decided on a bubbly white wine from Australia, a 2006 Wolf Blass Brut.

We were both pleasantly surprised and happy with the selection. The white was light and not too dry or sweet. The slightly fruity flavor and effervescent bubbles were a perfect accompaniment to our happy evening and wonderful meal.

The $36 restaurant bottle price was a good value.

Bottle/Tap – Bottle

Rule of Citrus – None

Here is a good dare: next time you’re at a bar and a friend has a few beverages, make them say Leinenkugel to the server or bartender until they can say it right. This is usually a good way to pass time. Another way to pass time is to try a Summer Shandy Ale. Brewed with natural lemon flavors, I had my hopes up for this one. The Sunset Wheat offering is a regular for me, considering it tastes like Fruit Loops, it is a refreshing beer.

The label on Summer Shandy says that it is a ‘Weiss beer with lemonade’, that made me a little skeptical. I like a glass of lemonade and I also enjoy a good Weiss beer, however I couldn’t really figure how they would both taste together. Let me be the first to tell you: it wasn’t good.

I popped the cap and the instant aroma of lemons attacked me. Pouring it into a pint glass I noticed the heavy carbonation and that lemon fresh scent. I went in for the kill and came back empty handed. This had very little lemon flavor and was way too carbonated for me. It was very watered down, and I didn’t enjoy it too much. I didn’t bother with any fruit slice, I was under the impression the brewers had taken care of applying fruit flavor for me.

I was disappointed that Summer Shandy tasted like a Bud Light with lemon extract; I had high hopes for the brewers that brought me Sunset Wheat. If you are in the mood for a bland, yet very rich smelling, summer ale then I would recommend the Summer Shandy. If you still want that lemon zing, grab a Mike’s Hard Lemonade. . .and what is a shandy anyway?

Every superhero has his or her one big secret, and I’m going to share mine with you: I don’t do all my beer tasting at Strangebrew. I know you’re shocked, but sometimes I have to bring my work home with me.

I’m going to share some of my favorite beer spots. I visit these places to purchase and discuss different beers. Say it with me now: road trip! Let’s start this week with Tyngsboro, Massachusetts.

Wine Society, located at the Pond View Place Plaza, is just a little further south than the Pheasant Lane Mall. Wine Society does have a great selection of local, national and international wines. They also have a small beer selection. The beers consist mainly of European imports and hard to find domestics. One thing to note: since they are located in Massachusetts they can carry higher potency beers. You certainly can find some 9 percents and a few scary 12 pecents that I have yet to try. This is a good stop for the adventurous beer drinker. They have a satellite store in Nashua at the Greystone Plaza. Check in for their monthly beer and wine tastings, as well as specials.

The Liquor Store is located next to Trader Joe’s, by the Tyngsboro 12 AMC Theater. Judging by the name, you can figure this establishment carries more than beer. You can buy hard alcohol, browse through wines and check their beer selection. Couldn’t find what you wanted? Just ask at the register and they’ll order whatever it is your heart desires. My friend Mark ordered a case of Sawtooth Ale from Colorado’s Left Hand Brewery, and now this shop carries that beer. This is a great stop after you hit up Trader Joe’s for some granola,because you need something to wash it down.

Australia has grown into a force in the international wine community. And one of the more recent Australian imports comes from the Razor’s Edge Winery. In 2004, they came on the scene with a Shiraz that received much critical acclaim.

Last night, we had the chance to try the 2006 Razor’s Edge McLaren Vale, Cabarnet Sauvignon. It was like many Australian Cabs in that it was smooth, but did not overwhelm you. Like most great bottlings of Cabernet, it had notes of a mild herbal aroma, which were followed by big fruit flavors.

My wife-to-be and I enjoyed the bottle along with a late evening snack of cheeses, humus, and grilled flatbread.

It was well worth the ~$12 bottle price.

Getting ready for a vacation, we decided to do some shopping. We were tired of the area malls and wanted to try something different. We had nothing on our schedule for the day, so there were no time or distance constraints.

We decided to travel to Kittery, Maine, and shop the outlet stores. With a plethora of outlets to visit, we spent several hours checking out cool kitchen gadgets and looking for new clothes for both of us. By early afternoon, we had developed huge appetites. Not wanting to leave Route 1, where the outlets are located, we decided to try a local restaurant, Robert’s Maine Grill. Being amidst all these shops, with almost no other choices, we were uncertain as to the quality of the food.

Much to our delight, we were pleasantly surprised!  They had a unique menu of dishes and a great list of beverages. Plus, each week they create a different infused vodka.

As we were not in a rush, we decided to start our late lunch with an appetizer and drink for each of us.  One of the drink specials was a blueberry margarita.  This drink was delicious, made with blueberry puree, tequila, and a few other ingredients.  It was served with ice and a sugared rim.  It was slightly sweet from the blueberry, but not so sweet as to be overwhelming.  It was a perfect cooling afternoon drink.

My fiance chose to try that week’s vodka, which was cucumber-infused.  It could be served over the rocks or in a drink special.  He opted for the special- cucumber vodka and bloody Mary mix served with a salt and pepper coated rim, ice, and celery.  His drink was amazingly good.  This drink delivered the flavor of cucumber perfectly and made a wonderful contrast to the spiciness of the bloody Mary mix.

Robert’s Maine Grill  is a great place to relax, have a drink or two, and enjoy some delicious food.

Tap/Bottle: Both

Rule of Citrus: None

If I were any kind of a songwriter, I’d pen a song about a delicious beverage that sent my mind into a haze. Oh wait, that’s already been done, albeit with other substances.  I guess I’ll pack up my 6-string for another day.

Until that day arrives, I’ll keep my vocal lubricated with Abita’s Purple Haze Brew. This raspberry wheat ale is not like Harpoon’s Raspberry UFO, no sir. Hailing from Louisiana, Abita boasts that this beer has raspberry puree added after filtration is completed and that it is made with natural spring water from the Abita Spring in Louisiana. Honestly, if you said tap water I wouldn’t have known the difference.

However the flavor sticks throughout, and you really can tell. If you have this in a bottle, make sure it is pretty cold because the flavor is very predominant. Even on tap you can smell the raspberry when it is put in front of you. As the beer gets warmer, some of the flavor dissipates but still manages to hang on until the end of the pint.

Once again flavor like this needs no citrus. The cloudy haze might make you think you’re drinking a hefeweizen, but you aren’t. This is a really great beer with solid flavor, a tangy sweet aftertaste, which makes it very easy to have at least two or three.

I’m a sucker for fruity beers, and this one ranks up there with Long Trail’s Blackberry Wheat for taste and drinkability. Tap or bottle doesn’t matter, it seems like bottles have a higher flavor concentration. I should know I’ve done the research.

A perfect day for two. That is how this past Saturday could best be described. Perfect in a real world sort of way. There was no vacation to some tropical island, but there was time for work and play, which is about as good as it gets. So, we spent the beginning of our day working on business, then moved onto a house project. We followed the work with fun: a trip to Whole Foods, shopping for clothing and new perfume, trying new recipes for dinner and drinks, and watching a movie to end our day.

With many produce items being in-season, we decided to make a fruity drink. Having just purchased nectarines at a farmer’s market in Boston, we thought they would be a great base for our beverage. We had chosen a bottle of prosecco while shopping (read the review at our sister site, Parched No More), so we wanted to combine the two flavors. The sweetness of the nectarines would be an excellent contrast to the tartness of the sparkling wine. Add a little vodka for some kick and apple juice to broaden the flavors, and you have a perfect summer drink!

Nectarine Bellini

1 nectarine, peeled and cut into cubes

3 oz. vodka

3 oz. apple juice

1/2 tsp. sugar

ice

prosecco

Place nectarine in martini shaker, and muddle. Add vodka, apple juice, sugar, and ice. Shake well. Pour through strainer into 2 martini glasses. (Note, the drink has a good amount of pulp. You may need to exert some effort to remove all of the liquid from the shaker.) Top each glass with Prosecco.

Makes 2 bellinis.

Wine Name: 2004 Swirling Dervish Merlot

Region: Central Coast of California - Livermore, CA

Price Paid: $6 per bottle

Description:

We had the wine on a weeknight to go along with a dinner selection of French Toast with Apples and Cheese. The eye-catching label was the first impression I had when I opened this bottle. Pouring the wine to our glasses, it had a rich color but not quite as dark as some of the more aged merlots. The wine had a fairly rich body and had hints of almond as it is worked around your mouth. Although it doesn’t have the depth of flavors of the northern California merlots, it was a solid dinner wine for the economic price of $6.

Tap/Bottle – Tap

Rule of Citrus – None

Ok, I know what you’re thinking. If you say Unibroue fast enough it sounds like you need a date with an electric razor or some duct tape. No, what I’m referring to is the Canadian company that produces such fine beers as Maudite, La Fin Du Monde, Chambly Noir, Trois Pistoles and Epmehere. Add to that list Blanche de Chambly, which I had the pleasure of tasting last Sunday while spending time with friends at the Brew.

Blanche de Chambly had a very crisp and clear look to it, very yellow, close to Epmehere. Whereas Epmehere is known for the taste of green apples, Blanche had a very strong apricot flavor about it. Magic Hat #9 is brewed with flavors of apricot, but Blanche seemed to surpass the level Magic Hat uses. I happen to like apricots and was surprised by the flavor Blanche possessed. This beer also had a slight bitterness toward the end of each sip, which was refreshing.

If you’ve had anything from this family of beers, you know that each is unique in some way. Maudite, next to Dogfish Head’s 90 Minute IPA, could be one of the bitterest beers you’ll drink. La Fin Du Monde is triple fermented for higher alcohol potency. Trios Pistoles may be a brown ale but the secret is the sweet flavor. Epmehere has that apple thing going on, and Chambly Noir is dark with some hidden spice. Blanche is cool and crisp but not one of my favorites on a summer day. Still I’d order it if conditions were right.

Saturday night at home with no children (which is hard to accomplish when you have 4 kids)! We decided to make a light dinner of Blueberry Salsa Chicken and an Escarole Salad (you can read about this in our sister publication, TastyThoughts).

After dinner we decided to lay on the living room floor and watch Michael Clayton (read reviews of the movie in FlickRev). To go with our lounging and cinematic release, we had a bottle of Villa Conaro Prosecco Extra Dry.

For those of you who like the effervescent sensation of spumante, but do not like the heavy sweetness that comes with the bubbles, this is the bottle for you. This prosecco, which comes from Veneto, Italy, is a light straw-colored bubbly wine. My WTB and I had three or four flutes each and did not get the aftertaste or heavy feeling you get from most sparkling wines.

A sharp cheese and a baguette would be lovely partners for this delightful, moderately priced wine selection.  It also would make an excellent addition to a martini, giving a small amount of carbonation to lighten the drink.