Evans & Tate 'Underground Series' Sauvignon Blanc

Attributes:
Producer:

Evans and Tate
Region:

Western Australia, Australia/New Zealand
Varietal:

Sauvignon Blanc
Bottle Size:

750 ML

2005: WineSpectator Rating: 83
Acidity:

crisp
Body:

light
Flavors:

herbal

2005: WineEnthusiast Rating: 86
Aromas:

stone fruit
Texture:

strong

Food Matches:
Fish or Shellfish: Ligurian Fish Soup, Mussels with Cream Sauce
Fruits & Nuts: Mango Salsa
Poultry & Eggs: Chinese Chicken Salad
Sauces: Vinaigrette
Vegetables: Salad

Sauvignon Blanc:

Comes mostly from California, France, New Zealand, and South Africa. Its highly acidic wines are often suggestive of herbs or grass. Light to medium bodied and usually dry, European versions are generally not oaky while California Sauvignon Blanc can take on many of the qualities of Chardonnay. France has two classic wine regions for the Sauvignon Blanc gape: Bordeaux and the Loire Valley The Bordeaux wine is called Bordeaux Blanc and the two best known of the Loire wines are called Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé. In Bordeaux, Sauvignon Blanc is sometimes blended with Sémillon.


Western Australia:

Western Australia is the largest state in Australia. Covering one third of the mainland, most of the wine regions within the state are concentrated in the southwest corner. The first inhabitants of Australia arrived from the north approximately 40,000 to 60,000 years ago. The country originally had no native grapes. Australian made wine was available for sale domestically by the 1820s. Gregory Blaxland became the first person to export Australian wine, and was the first winemaker to win an overseas award. The climate of this region is basically continental, with high summer daytime temperatures and cold nights, which compliment the production of spicy, Rhone like red and white wines. About 130 different grape varieties are used by commercial winemakers in Australia; the staples of region are Shiraz (a.k.a Syrah), Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling.

Dynamite Cabernet Sauvignon

Attributes:
Producer:

Dynamite
Region:

Lake County, United States
Varietal:

Cabernet Sauvignon
Bottle Size:

750 ML

2002: CGCW Rating: 85
Flavors:

oak

2002: WineEnthusiast Rating: 85
Complexity:

rich
Flavors:

chocolate, currant

2002: WineSpectator Rating: 78
Body:

lean
Fruit:

juicy, ripe

2001: WineSpectator Rating: 87
Body:

solid
Flavors:

blackberry, cedar, cherry, chocolate, smoky, toasty oak, vanilla

2001: WineEnthusiast Rating: 84
Acidity:

clean
Complexity:

simple
Flavors:

herbal

2001: CGCW Rating: 86

2000: CGCW Rating: 85
Body:

solid
Flavors:

cherries, chocolate, minerals

Food Matches:
Cheese: Blue Cheese, Brie, Provolone
Fish or Shellfish: Sea Bass
Herbs & Spices: Basil, Mint, Oregano, Rosemary, Thyme
Poultry & Eggs: Game Birds
Red Meat: Barbeque Pulled-Pork or Ribs, Game, Kidney, Roast Beef, Sausage, Variety Meats or Organ Meats, Veal Carpaccio
Sauces: Red Wine Sauce
Vegetables: Potatoes, Roasted Mixed Vegetables

Cabernet Sauvignon:

(cab er nay saw vee nyon)—This highly adaptable grape grows almost anywhere it is relatively warm, but the best wines come from the Burgundy region of France (where it is a noble variety), California, and Australia. It became famous through the red wines of the Médoc district of Bordeaux and is now grown in Washington, southern France, Italy, Australia, South Africa, Chile, and Argentina. Cabernet Sauvignon grapes make wines that are high in tannin and medium- to full-bodied. Usually identified as having black currant or cassis flavors, the grape can also possess vegetal tones when the grapes are less than ideally ripe. The best wines are rich and firm with great depth, and are often aged for fifteen years or more. Because it is highly tannic, Cabernet Sauvignon is often blended with other less-tannic grapes such as Merlot.


Lake County:

Lake County is one of the smaller inland wine regions in California. Surrounded to the west by Mendocino and Sonoma Counties, and to the south by Napa Valley, Lake County's small concentration of vineyards lie in the Clear Lake AVA. The vineyard's here are nestled between steep hills to the west the lake shore. Main varieties grown in this area are Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel.

Chateau Beaucastel Cotes du Rhone

Attributes:
Producer:

Chateau de Beaucastel
Region:

Cotes du Rhône, France
Varietal:

Rhone Blend - Red
Bottle Size:

750 ML

2005: Tanzer Rating: 89
Complexity:

deep, rich
Compliments:

powerful
Flavors:

apricot, cherry, raspberry, spice, spicy
Fruit:

ripe, sweet

2005: WineAdvocate Rating: 91
Body:

medium to full-bodied

2004: WineAdvocate Rating: (90-93)
Body:

full-bodied
Complexity:

rich
Flavors:

cherries, herbs, peppery, raspberries, smoky, spices

2004: Tanzer Rating: 88
Acidity:

bright
Flavors:

berry, coffee, plum, red cherry
Fruit:

sweet

2004: WineAdvocate Rating: 90
Compliments:

a beauty
Flavors:

black cherry, herbs, pepper, raspberries, truffle
Fruit:

sweet
Texture:

creamy, velvety

2004: WineSpectator Rating: 90
Flavors:

fig, game, lavender, stone, tar

2003: WineAdvocate Rating: (87-89)
Body:

medium-bodied
Complexity:

deep
Flavors:

cherry, licorice, pepper, spicy
Fruit:

huge, sweet

2002: WineSpectator Rating: 78
Complexity:

rustic

Food Matches:
Cheese: Brie, Feta, Mozzarella, Parmesan, Sharp Cheddar, Soft Pungent Cheese
Fish or Shellfish: Tuna, Mahi-Mahi
Herbs & Spices: Bay Leaf, Juniper, Lavender, Mint, Rosemary, Thyme
Poultry & Eggs: Coq Au Vin, Duck Confit, Game Birds, Glazed Duck, Pheasant, Roast Chicken with Herbs, Roast Turkey
Red Meat: Barbeque Pulled-Pork or Ribs, Beef Stew, Casseroles / Hot Dish, Farmed Venison, Game, Goulash, Goulash, Grilled Beef, Grilled Sausage, Hamburgers, Lamb, Lamb Shish Kabobs, Pork Chops, Rabbit, Wild Game - Elk, Caribou, Moose, Venison
Sauces: Red Wine Sauce, Tomato Sauce
Vegetables: Lentils, Mushrooms, Olives, Black, Ratatouille

Côtes du Rhône:

This region in the Rhone Valley makes light- to medium-bodied reds from the Grenache, Mourvédre, and Carignan grapes, and provides the world with some of its best inexpensive wines. Some wines are labeled Côtes du Rhône-Villages, which indicates higher quality. These wines can be earthy with a good deal of raspberryish fruit.

Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Salad

Rated

Ingredients

1 Roasted Red Pepper chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Oregano to taste
1/2 head lettuce, washed and chopped

Preparation

Combine the pepper with the cheese, tossing to mix. Season with oregano. Serve on a bed of lettuce.

Yield

Makes 4 servings