Wine & St. Patricks Day??...Absolutely!

Hard to believe but we are just a few short days away from the holiday that most associate with beer...St. Patrick's Day. Now, while the editors of Grape Beginnings are on a mission to develop a relaxed community network of wine enthusiasts, we certainly have enjoyed a pint or two in our day. There's no question that many of the foods which are typically enjoyed on St. Patrick's day, pair fairly well with a rich stout or a vibrant pale ale. Let's face it...Guinness and "any food Irish" is a wonderful match.

Oddly enough, when we looked at some of the traditional Irish fare, there a number of recipes and foods which would pair well with your favorite Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet, Syrah or Pinot Noir. The editors of "Food and Wine" create a wonderful Irish feast in this week's featured recipes. Here's the link for a wonderful Lamb Stew...and a perfect wine pairing follows the recipe link...enjoy!

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/lamb-stew-with-swiss-chard-and-garlic-parsley-toasts

Côtes-du-Rhône & Lamb Stew
A RHÔNE MATCH

Big-flavored wines pair best with big-flavored foods because each can hold its own against the other. Case in point: the strong but well-balanced 2001 Côtes-du-Rhône Saint-Esprit Rouge from the Rhône Valley's Delas Frères, made primarily with Syrah, and a robust but surprisingly lean lamb shank and Swiss chard stew.

Winery

DELAS FRÈRES

The venerable Rhône Valley firm Delas Frères has been in business for more than 160 years, but as far as most wine lovers are concerned, the key year was 1997. That's when the supremely talented Jacques Grange took control. For most of the previous generation, Delas had vineyards and a fine old name but no capital or direction. Since Grange's appointment, he has supervised the construction of a new winery and improved vineyard management. His reforms have resulted in generous, full-flavored wines like the 2001 Côtes-du-Rhône Saint-Esprit Rouge ($13), made from grapes grown on steep, granite hillsides in the southern Rhône. "Our Côtes-du-Rhône Saint-Esprit has very good balance," Grange says. And unlike many Côtes-du-Rhône reds, which are made mostly from the Grenache grape, this wine is mainly Syrah. "It's a perfect complement to lamb stew," says Grange. "It's strong but not overpowering."

—Richard Nalley

This article originally appeared in January, 2005.


Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Cheers,

Crixenauf

Food & Wine Reports On 67 Affordable Wines

67 Best American Wines

After tasting more than 300 affordable American wines, Senior Editor Ray Isle reports on his most exciting finds, from Chardonnay to Zinfandel— to buy by the case for everyday drinking or casual entertaining.
Additional research by Megan Krigbaum
By Ray Isle

Check out this great article on great tasting/affordable wines...each under $15!!

http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/sixty-seven-best-american-wines

Salute'!!

Crixenauf

Nielsen: Celebrity Names Boosting Wine Sales

Celebrity-driven alcohol beverage products - those branded with the name of, or directly associated with a famous individual - are gaining popularity in the U.S. and wine is emerging as the star of the show, according to The Nielsen Company.

Norman's love affair with wine began in 1976 on his first trip to California.
Gaining marketing leverage from celebrities as diverse as professional golfer Greg Norman, film director Francis Ford Coppola, former NFL coach Mike Ditka and recent releases from Martha Stewart and Paul Newman, celebrity wines are on the rise. Celebrity wines are up nearly 19 percent in grocery store sales since last year and represent 0.9 percent ($41.8 million) of total wine sales. Celebrity spirits sales show the same growth rate (19 percent) in grocery stores and represent 0.3 percent ($7.5 million) of the total spirits category. In liquor stores, celebrity spirits are growing at an even faster rate, showing a nearly 21 percent increase since last year, compared to celebrity wines' liquor store growth rate of 8 percent.
"Celebrities are increasingly lending their names to wine and spirits, for a variety of reasons," said Richard Hurst, senior vice president, Beverage Alcohol, The Nielsen Company. "While some celebrities have had a long-standing personal affinity for these product categories, others view these products as extensions of their established 'lifestyle brands' and have connected with willing supplier partners to produce and market them. Some suppliers, particularly wine suppliers, do not have the resources to launch big advertising and promotional campaigns and a celebrity can lend a brand instant recognition. Ideally, the celebrity's reputation also helps reinforce the company's image in the marketplace."

Malbecs...A Great Value!!

Hello Again From Grape Beginnings!!

Recently I've had the pleasure of tasting some great Malbec wines from Argentina. I'm a huge fan of "big cabs" and the Malbec category is starting to pick up a great deal of momentum with both the novice as well as the aficionado. Many of these wines retail at under $20. I tried a bottle of the 2005 CLOS DE LOS SIETE MALBEC...OUTSTANDING!! The bottle retails at $17.99 and drinks like a bottle that would retail at $75.00 or more. Pair this hearty red with sharp/savory cheeses, NY Strips, fettuccine alfredo, acidic salads, braised short ribs, lamb chops and foods that require the strong character of a deep, earthy red wine.

Pick up a Malbec this weekend...I promise you won't be disappointed. Drop us a line at Grape Beginnings and let us know how your Malbec experience turns out. For those of you out there that are looking for a nice overview on Malbec wines, here's a great article on the sudden popularity of this Argentine hidden gem:

http://www.billingtonwines.com/admin/images/imgpress/malbecsusatoday0107.pdf

Have a great weekend...and don't forget the wine!!

Live Well,

Crixenauf

Fourplay...A Valentine's Day Favorite!!

Valentines Day...The Perfect Day For A Great Bottle of Wine

It's Valentine's Day and, speaking on behalf of most men, this can be a fairly tough day to create a thoughtful token of friendship, love or affection for that chosen woman in your life. Instead of flowers, candy or restaurants, the two of you may decide that a quiet, romantic night at home is the best call. A lot less commercialism and a bit more meaningful...in certain cases...granted...not all cases.

If you're looking to cook dinner tonight for that special lady, then maybe a nice bottle of Fourplay is in order this evening. Yes...you heard right...Fourplay...not just another drinkable red from Sicily...but a name that might get the evening started off in the right direction! This is an absolutely super bottle of red wine for the price point. Who else but the Italians could invent a wine called Fourplay! The wine is very well balanced and a features a unique blend of 4 different Sicilian grapes.

At $11-$13 retail, this is a wine that is guaranteed to fit your romance budget! It's a wine that is an affordable alternative to Chianti Riservas that cost around five to ten dollars more. Ripe black cherry, tar, blackberry, and roasted meat aromas fill the nose, while the palate is dominated by ripe black cherry and a smooth texture. Good acidity and medium tannins hold things together quite nicely, and the wine finishes with a good balance that includes ripe fruit and hints of tobacco and a pleasantly bitter vegetal / earthy component. Because of that touch of bitterness at the end, I suggest you match this with food before trying it alone. It will go well with cheeses and cheesy dishes, pasta in marinara, pizza, sausage, eggplant parm, and blackened white meats.

You can check out this great bottle of wine at their website...http://www.enjoy.fourplay.it/!!

Happy Valentines Day...and as they would say in Sicily...Salute!!

Crixenauf

What are you serving at your Super Bowl Party?

As we all prepare this upcoming Super Bowl Sunday...the closest we come in this country to a holiday without officially having a day off from work...I got to thinking about some great red wines that might really help liven up a Super Bowl menu. I know that traditionally everyone thinks of beer and football as the "complete" match. Well, beer certainly goes well with many of our favorite football snacks and foods, but if you have the right wine, you may be pleasantly surprised at how well it can bring out the flavors of your football menu.

I recommend you give the Greg Norman California Estates Lake County Zinfandel a try this week. The wine has a nice bouquet of spice and fruit but bold enough to stand up to stronger flavors and spicy foods. I've drank this wine on many occasions an it is an absolute perfect compliment with items such as Memphis BBQ, spicy chicken wings, burgers, zesty nachos, Asian style appetizers/sauces, spicy chili and brats w/sauerkraut. The price ranges in most retail shops from $12.99-$15.00...a solid value for what you get.


So...drop us a line and let us know what you're serving for the big game this week. I hope you get to enjoy a bottle of this great Zinfandel.

Have a great party this week and if your interested in this selection, you can check out the wine here...enjoy!!

http://www.gregnormanestateswine.com/ca_zinfandel.php


Crixenauf

Welcome to "Grape Beginnings"!!

We've developed this blog as a tribute to outstanding wine and wine values under $20. If you enjoy wine, then you've truly found the right community of wine lovers to discuss your great experiences. Our guiding principle is very simple; we believe that wine is much more than vineyards, values and vintages. On the contrary, wine is a Lifestyle!! So...keeping our guiding principle in mind, we hope to hear from you soon. The foods you paired with wine, the vacations that you took and enjoyed a great bottle of wine, the bottle of wine you ordered with that steak after 18 holes at your favorite golf course, the party you threw and the wine you enjoyed with friends, family and loved ones. Our site is a celebration of sorts...a celebration of great wine under $20 and the moments we all share centered around food, wine, family and friends. We're excited you've joined us and we look forward to many "Grape Beginnings"!!



Cheers,

Crixenauf



P.S. "Crixenauf" is a quick link to youtube.com where you can share more great stories about awesome wines under $20.