Earthy Wines With Earthy Food

So my son the chef invites the family over to his house for some braised short ribs over noodles with a home made Syrah based sauce. Butternut squash and blanched Brussels sprouts round out the sides. This hearty, earthy meal required big red wines that would stand up to the food. I was very pleased with our choices:

2003 Valifieri Barolo, $25
2006 Ojai Bien Nacido Vineyard Syrah, $34 - 94 Points Robert Parker

Both wines available at The Market for your next hearty meal!


Tom

What's Your Most Expensive Bottle Of Wine?

This is actually a question that gets asked quite often. I guess people are just curious to see how silly things can get in the world of wine. We don't get too crazy here at the Market but we have our fair share of pricey bottles. All bottles are regular size - 750ml.  Prices are "per bottle".

Taylor Fladgate Scion Tawny Port - $3200.00
2006 Dugat-Py Mazis Chambertin Grand Cru Red Burgundy - $550.00
2007 Dugat-Py Mazis Chambertin Grand Cru Red Burgundy - $390.00
2007 Verite Le Desir Sonoma Red Blend - $295.00
2008 Plumpjack Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - $260.00

See - that's not too crazy

Tom

Another Great Pizza Wine

My daughter-in-law Dani is the pastry chef at Annie Gunn's restaurant. She also makes a mean home made pizza, which we had Sunday night.
The wine:  2007 Allegrini Palazzo della Torre. This blend of 70% Corvina, 25% Rondinella and 5% Sangiovese has about 30% of the fruit air dried which provides a richness and slight sweetness to the wine that is perfect with pizza or any red pasta sauce, for that matter. This 90 point wine is also a great value at $20.00!
Check out the link below to read an article about "the new Annie Gunns pastry chef":

http://www.stlmag.com/Blogs/Relish/September-2011/A-New-Pastry-Chef-Puts-a-Sweet-Spin-on-Annie-Gunns-Menu/#.Tna2jgjLTmY.facebook

Tom's Favorite wines Under $20!

A monkey can buy highly rated "big name" wines and turn around and sell them. We spend the most time looking for great quality and great value. This is our biggest challenge and we work at it every day.
The Market has over 150 different wines under $20!  Here are some of my current favorites:

2008 Novelty Hill Sauvignon Blanc (WA) - $14
2009 Catena Chardonnay (Argentina) - $18

Fess Parker Frontier Red Blend (CA) - $11
2009 Proyecto Grenache (Spain) - $13
2007 Guigal Cotes du Rhone (France) - $15
2008 Sean Minor Cabernet (CA) - $17

Tom

Wine - Without The Food

When I'm not eating but still drinking, my wine choices change significantly. I prefer wines with high fruit and low acidity. A little tannin in the reds is fine.
Oaky, buttery Chardonnay has always been my "go to" white.
For reds I lean toward the Bordeaux style blends and the Rhone varietals.
Here are some current favorites - all available at the Market:

2009 ZD Chardonnay (California)
2009 Eric Kent Sarapo Tessa Chardonnay (Sonoma)
2007 Bridesmaid (Cabernet, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot and Malbec - Napa)
2007 Big Basin Mandala Syrah (Santa Cruz, CA)
2008 Gorman Pixie Syrah (Washington)
2009 Herman Story On The Road Grenache (California)

Tom

JC Cellars Release Party!!

JUST ANNOUNCED!! JUST ANNOUNCED!!
JC Cellars RELEASE PARTY!! September 15th!! 5 to 7pm
The St. Louis Wine Market is the ONLY wine store in STL to have these wines available to try and purchase!! Mark you calendars, this is one you DO NOT want to miss!

Boy was I wrong...

Judy made a great pasta dish last night: Shrimp and clams with bow tie pasta in a light, slightly spicy tomato sauce. Of course I went for the Pinot Noir - the sauce was red, wasn't it?  Bad choice! The acids in the wine and tomatoes clashed, and the heat in the sauce dulled the fruit in the wine. Cork that one up and save it for later. We then tried the Novelty Hill Sauvignon Blanc. Now that's what I'm talkin about! The silky mouthfeel of the wine went great with the acid and spice of the sauce and the 20% Semillon added a hint of sweetness, that again, balanced the spice nicely.
You learn something new every day in the magical world of wine.

Tom