Torrontes and Apple Pie

There are two main factors for getting apple pie right, the first is the pastry. This needs to be the right consistency not too short, enough to hold it together when cream is added and just the right amount of sweetness. The second is the apples, these need to be selected so they give just the right amount of tartness and sweetness, cooked for the right amount of time to ensure there is no crunch in that first awaited bite.
But after tonight maybe there should be a third, that being the selection of wine you choose to enhance the experience. I have in the past, found it difficult to find and enjoy a good white wine, as I have said on many occasions. The taste has not always impressed me and often reminded me of drunken females drinking in sweaty bars, although I would occasionally take part in drinking such wine I could only handle a glass or two before the taste became too much. However tonight has been a revelation in itself as I have not only enjoyed a surprisingly good bottle of white wine but it was cheap too. It was Vinomaker that planted the seed, and Thud who found the wine and made the pie. The grape is Torrontes and is produced from one of my favourite countries of wine, Argentina. This bottle happened to be Norton’s Torrontes and its flavour was as subtle as I would have designed a white wine to be, its colour, nose and alcohol matched its character in that it was pleasant from the pouring to the finish, that was not evasive but inviting and could be experienced at any time of the year but I guess at best in the evening sun on a deck in Napa (no wonder this is Vinomakers favourite). I had tasted some nice Pinot Grigio over the summer but I was so impressed by this wine that its effect as left me wanting to buy a bottle to keep in the fridge in the strange event we may have guests or more so we have a heat wave. Great wine, great pie and even better company, all we need now is the weather and we have a cracking recipe.

Wither Hills Sauvignon Blanc, 2007

Yes Yes Yes , i think i found one. A white that i think i would go out and buy again. Wither Hills Sauvignon Blanc is a New Zealand wine form the Wairau Valley in the major wine growing area of Marlborough.
I liked this wine, I liked the taste and it didn't reminded me of cheap pub wine after the first taste. It has a lovely clean fresh colour , with a citrus fruit bouquet maybe gooseberry i think but i haven't had gooseberries in while so i could be wrong.
On taste it was crisp like biting into a ripe green apple, it has the slightest fizz to it which refreshed the mouth so it would defiantly be a good food wine but this also made it very moreish, this is easily a summer wine with fine lemon and lime acidity. Although this is finely balanced which leaves a nice and dry after taste.
I would definitely get this again, in fact im sure they sell it in the local Oddbins so i may pick up a bottle from their to compare prices.

Stormy Cape Chenin Blanc, 2007

Well the rain did come down but lucky for me it only lasted an hour or so and then it brightened up, which coincidentally is what I thought about this wine.
Stormy Cape is a South African white, on the bottle it is described as a full flavoured crisp Chenin that would go well with white fish or chicken salad. Just as well as I had mine with fish fingers and chips, yum.
As I was saying my initial thoughts to this wine was that I didn't like it and I was disappointed, because the strong acidic taste along with the crispness of the wine reminded me of my misspent youth drinking cheap cider in the park. However like the weather the wine started to brighten up and the freshness of the wine was pleasing which made it moreish. I think I need more time and effort tasting white as I just cant get that cheap white wine taste out of my head.
This Chenin Blanc is a simply pleasing white that goes down well enough for this time of year helped by a very fresh flavour, however im unsure if I would buy this again as it just does not stand out from any cheap white that you get in the boozer.

Blow off the cobwebs

Wow iv neglected this page for the past month or so, im disgusted in myself and for those few readers i have i do apologise i will surely make up for it over the coming weeks.

Now back to business, today i have had a very busy day with the deliveries, however the most exciting of all has got to be the first of my purchases from my wine club. As you can see above i received 12 bottles of wine today bought through the club i join a couple of months ago. Why so long? well because of difficulties with the delivery, i had to wait until their van guy was back from his hols. Anyway they are here now and no your eyes are not deceiving you, i bought a mixed case whites as well. Those of you that are familiar with this blog will be aware that im not much of a white wine drinker, therefore im making the effort to broaden my taste.

So here they are, a taster of what your in for;

Macon-Fargas, domaine Paul et Mallory Talmard 2006
Wither Hills Savvignon Blanc, 2007
Stormy Cape Chenin Blanc, 2007
Dona-Paulina Casablanca Chardonnay, 2007
Orvieto Classico Secco, 2006
Cheverny, Domaine du Salvard, 2007
Cotes-Rhone, Generation, Domaine Jaume, 2006
Dona Paulina Merlot, 2007
La Table du Ror Jaboulet Aine
Minervois, Chateau Sainte Eulalie, 2006
Chateau de la Grave, 2004
Faldeos Nevados Malbec, 2007

So it looks like i have some drinking to do, well iv placed a bottle of the Stormy Cape Chenin Blanc, 2007 in the fridge and i will have a tipple later in the mild summer sun.

Any ideas on what i should try next please leave a comment, or if you have had any of these before let me know.

Italian Whites

As you can see from my blog im not much of a white wine drinker, i do occasionally like a drop of white but i tend to stay with the red. The true wine.
With my recent membership to a wine club and my up coming visit to the wine capital of America this summer, i thought it be a good idea that i start to try a bottle or two and get use to the taste. In the past i have always associated white wine with binge drinking women and the wine iv tasted in the past has mostly tasted like cheap cider, however Thud recently opened a vintage bottle of white which i posted about here and i had a bit of a shock as to how good it was.
Well Thud did it again, and after a great day out in the sun at the weekend we opened a lovely bottle of Soave, which for a dry white it was very refreshing and full of flavour, the colour was a deep yellow with a very small hint of green in it and a full fruity taste, the after taste left a garden taste, very outdoors and therefore a good pick for that time of day.
Soave intrigued me a little, and so as the weather is holding right now i bought another bottle and was able to grab a Classico. The flavour although similar had a more intense feel but the colour did not seem to have that hint of green, the fruity bouquet went down a treat as i cut the grass in the early evening sun.