Sex & Wine & Rock & Roll
May 14, 2008
Well, they don’t mention anything about the sex, but a recent study by psychologists at a university in Edinburgh has found music is the answer to heightening your wine-tasting experience.
As if it weren’t difficult enough to get your head around food and wine pairing, now you have to worry about music and wine pairing! The study has found that different types of music fire up different parts of your brain. Consider that the foreplay necessary to get a climactic wine experience.
They’ve found scientific evidence that music can mess with your other senses, thereby changing the way a wine tastes. One wine journalist hints a ‘music list’ could be passed out with the wine list at fancy restaurants.
Jimi himself might agree that wine accompanies his music well, as he was reported to have shared a bottle of wine and played music the night of his unfortunate and early demise. Make note: the study says nothing to encourage taking eight or nine sleeping tablets. Let’s just stick to the music and wine.
Chilean winemaker Aurelio Montes (who helped carry out the study) was kind enough to make some music and wine pairing suggestions. I’ve selected some Jimi Hendrix to accompany my Orofino Merlot Cabernet. Hopefully it’ll be a Foxy Lady rather than a Purple Haze.
Here are some pairing recommendations from Montes:
Chardonnay: Atomic (Blondie), Rock DJ (Robbie Williams), What’s Love Got To Do With It (Tina Turner), Spinning Around (Kylie Minogue)
Merlot: Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay (Otis Redding), Easy (Lionel Ritchie), Over The Rainbow (Eva Cassidy), Heartbeats (Jose Gonzalez)
Cabernet Sauvignon: All Along The Watchtower (Jimi Hendrix), Honky Tonk Woman (Rolling Stones), Live And Let Die (Paul McCartney and Wings), Won’t Get Fooled Again (The Who)
Syrah: Nessun Dorma (Puccini), Orinoco Flow (Enya), Chariots Of Fire (Vangelis), Canon (Johann Pachelbel)
Find out details from The Scotsman.
I’m goin’ back to Cali
May 13, 2008
With wine prices so low for California reds, who wouldn’t go back for another bottle? Here are a couple metal-worthy bargains from the Golden State.
Wild Bunch California Red Wine 2004. It’s a blend of Zinfandel, Syrah and Barbera grapes. It was a dark ruby colour in the glass. You can smell dark berries and a dusty and smoky aroma. It had a really mellow mouthfeel and easy finish. I recently tried this at a wine tasting with seven other wines and after the big smell, some found the finish “anticlimactic.” But we were still very impressed with this one and chose it as #1overall. It would go well with meats and sharp cheeses, tomato-based sauces or on it’s own — making it a perfect BBQ red! And the best part: it was only $10.99.
Beaulieu Vineyard Coastal Estates Cabernet Sauvignon 2005. It fills your glass with a lovely, scarlet colour and your olfactory nerve with blackberry and cherry. It has a nice mouthfeel like smooth velvet. The long finish left me salivating for more. It was $14.45.
P.S. On a recent trip through Toronto Pearson Airport, I noticed that this very wine was available to patrons of the Maple Leaf Lounge. Someone at Air Canada must have thought it was a good buy too!
Pleasure or Plonk?
May 13, 2008
As a curious wine drinker and a lover of a good bargain, I often find myself buying wine with my fingers crossed. Will it be pleasure in a glass … or plonk? Here are a couple of South African Shiraz I’ve recently tried.
Gloden Kaan Shiraz 2005 from South Africa. This mysterious wine has a mild aroma with perhaps a hint of kerosene mixing with hints of berry and pepper. But the taste is big and fruity, strawberry even, and a spicy kick. It has a heavy, rich, velvety mouthfeel. It opens up well if you give it some time. I tried it at home and liked it enough to bring it to a tasting with friends. It went over well with 12 people. Then a couple weeks later I saw it in the Vancouver Courier recommended by Tim Pawsey. And the price tag? $12.87.
Verdict: Pleasure!
Drostdy-Hof Winemakers Collection Shiraz 2007 from South Africa. This wine was fairly purple in the glass, a tell-tale sign that it’s young and will most likely taste that way. There was a spicy smell and some dark berries trying to fight their way through the overwhelming whiff of alcohol. The taste was a bit spicy then quickly turned into a shudder-inflicting bitterness that continued to haunt my tongue. It was about $11.
Verdict: Plonk.
