Red Wine With Fish

You don’t need a wine expert to rattle off white wines that go swimmingly with fish. Chablis and Chardonnay are high up on the list, with unoaked versions matching up to a greater variety of seafoods. Oakier styles are better suited to richer dishes made with scallops or lobster and buttery or creamy sauces. White and flaky or simply prepared fish topped with fresh chopped herbs and a squirt of lemon or a drizzle of olive oil call for Sauvignon Blanc, Sancerre or an Italian white such as Soave or Pinot Grigio. Wine adventurists might seek out Muscadet or Cava for raw shellfish or sushi while the aromatically inclined can satisfy their sniffers with Albariño or a white Rhone blend. And let’s not forget Chenin Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Prosecco, Champagne, Vermentino…well, you get the idea. There’s no shortage of white wine choices to pair with seafood.

Wines served at yesterday's Cooking with Class private wine dinner 

But red wine with fish? In summer? Yes, and yes – provided you choose the right one. To really nail the pairing, consider also how the fish is cooked and sauced.

For the fish course at last night’s Cooking with Class private client dinner, I chose the 2010 Dolcetto d’Alba Vigna del Mandorlo DOC by Elvio Cogno. Chef Dave Schy served a Mediterranean-style rockfish, a meaty fish sometimes called a poor man’s lobster. Chef broiled the fish with a dusting of fennel powder and leeks. For the sauce, he prepared a savory tomato concasse stewed with olives and olive oil, with chopped fennel fronds tossed atop the fish at the end.

Red wines are unexpectedly delightful with gentle fish preparations such as this. The lovely Cogno Dolcetto had softened tannins and just the right amount of acidity to marry with that of the tomatoes. Fruitiness was balanced by the wine’s savory qualities with anise and mineral on the palate.

When seeking to pair red wines with fish, look for reds whose acid and tannin levels are restrained. Heavy tannins can make fish taste metallic or just plain unpleasant. Also, steer clear of heavy oak, high alcohol levels and rambunctious fruit. Instead, opt for reds with an earthier, mineral or herbaceous profile.

Cooler climate and old world wines offer many options for seafood pairings. As with any type of wine, you’ll want to match the intensity of the wine to the intensity not only of the fish itself, but also its preparation style and any sauce.

Is the fish white and flaky or meaty and dark-fleshed? Are you poaching or baking, or do you prefer grilling and lots of smoke?

Chef’s Dave’s tomato concasse had intense flavors that matched up with the flavor profile and character of the Dolcetto. For its part, the Dolcetto had just enough age to yield a softer mouthfeel. Its herbaceous, mineral core harmonized with the fennel and olive overtones in the dish. Plus, the Dolcetto had the weight and structure to create a balanced pairing for a meatier choice of fish.

Other wines that can tackle seafood dishes include lighter Barberas, Italian Merlot, Bardolino or Lagrein, earthier versions of Pinot Noir, Beaujolais and Chinon (Cabernet Franc). For more adventurous seafood pairings, try Austrian St. Laurent, a relative of Pinot Noir, and Blaufränkisch, especially with salmon. Aged Riojas might cry out for lamb but younger red Riojas pair well with paella. Made from the Tempranillo grape, Riojas labeled joven or crianza sing with other seafoods, too.

Angle for one of these summer reds the next time you want to land a fish pairing that will leave guests or your tablemate surprised, yet satisfied. “White wine with fish” is an easy formula that works most of the time, but when you break the rule with the right red, you’ll come to enjoy another level of dining pleasure. 

Total Wine Pours it On

Yesterday’s grand opening of Total Wine in Palm Desert marked a new day for the valley’s wine scene. The wine superstore, which began with two Delaware wine stores opened by brothers David and Robert Trone in 1991, now counts over 90 stores across more than 15 states nationwide. Until yesterday, the closest Total Wine location was Rancho Cucamonga.   

Total Wine Palm Desert’s store manager Scott Perry, left, smiles as a check 

placard is presented to the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center.  

“This area is just not as seasonal anymore,” said store manager Scott Perry. Total Wine saw the Coachella Valley as a year-round destination, he added. When asked what sets Total Wine apart from other retailers, he replied with one word: service.

“Our wine team, all my employees, are very educated about wine. They all have a passion for wine, the beer staff a passion for beer, spirits too,” he said.

Perry notes that staff members are not only highly trained, but they’re also encouraged to always learn, taste and try new things. Ongoing tastings and training about what’s new in the world of adult beverages is part of Total Wine’s staff development efforts.

The store plans to share some of this knowledge with the community through its tastings and educational classes. Tastings will be held at the Desert Crossings location on Friday, Saturday and Sunday every weekend. Classes will be held about twice monthly, with Wine 101 scheduled for July as an introductory class for people new to, or curious about wine.

Thursday’s grand opening gave patrons a chance to tour the enormous facility, which includes a tasting room, classroom and row upon row of neatly stacked wine, beer and spirits from around the world. Joseph Wagner, son of iconic Caymus winemaker Chuck Wagner, was eager to pour and autograph bottles from the Wagners’ Mer Soleil, Silver, Conundrum, Belle Glos, Meiomi and Caymus labels.

A couple thousand bottles away, wines from Italy took center stage inside the handsome tasting room. Tasters enjoyed samples of Moscato d’Asti, Vermentino from Sardegna, Chianti Classico Reserva and other reds from Villa Antinori, Falesco and Tignanello.

Palm Desert mayor Jan Harnik and Palm Desert Chamber of Commerce Chairman Dave Mourhess were on hand to welcome the new business to their city. In a big hello to the community at the opening presentation, Total Wine presented a $10,000 donation for the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center.

While most shoppers and visitors seemed energized to explore the new store’s massive selections, a few felt overwhelmed by all the choices. “I wouldn’t know where to begin here,” chuckled one Rancho Mirage resident. Almost on cue, a Total Wine staff member approached the man to ask what he liked and began to offer suggestions.

To narrow my choices among the sea of bottles, I went for wines I’ve wanted to try but can be hard to find: a Norton from Virginia and a Grillo-Inzolia blend from Sicily. Were you looking for that too? The user-friendly Total Wine website will help you locate the white blend on Aisle 16, on the right.

Only 7,998 bottles to go.

Are Wine Drinkers Different?

It seems as though not a week goes by without a story that links a health benefit to wine. Whether it’s stronger bones, a lower risk for dementia or fewer heart attacks, one lingering question remains: Is the benefit in the beverage or the wine drinkers’ lifestyle?

Wine drinkers, it turns out, are different. Regardless of country of origin, wine drinkers stand apart from those who prefer to imbibe beer, spirits or not at all in many ways.

A 2001 Danish study of nearly 700 moderate drinkers between 29 and 34 years of age found that wine drinkers in that group had higher IQ scores and enjoyed better socioeconomic status compared to beer drinkers. The study also looked at measures that indicated personality and other social traits, and ranked wine drinkers’ scores as optimal and beer-drinking groups as subpar.

Not yet convinced? The following year, a study looked in on 4,435 men and women enrolled in the University of North Carolina’s Alumni Heart Study. This older group reported alcohol and food intake, further sorted by fruit, vegetable and red or fried meat consumption. Participants were asked about saturated fat, fiber and cholesterol intake as well as dietary supplement, smoking or tobacco use, exercise, body-mass index (BMI) and socioeconomic markers such as income and education.

Responders who named wine as their alcoholic beverage of choice reported healthier habits than spirits and beer drinkers. Wine drinkers ate better diets that were richer in fruits, vegetables and fiber. They also got more exercise and were less likely to smoke. Compared to other types of drinkers, those who chose wine consumed less saturated fat, cholesterol and drank less total alcohol.

So does protection from disease track back to wine or healthier habits? A 2012 study from the University of Texas and Stanford University attempted to answer that question. They followed a group of 802 adults over 20 years, all of whom were 55-65 years of age when the study began. Only abstainers or moderate drinkers were considered. Drinkers ranked their alcoholic preference as high or low in wine.

Compared to abstainers, moderate drinkers in both wine categories fared far better in terms of overall survival over the two-decade period. However, once results were controlled for other lifestyle factors such as diet, tobacco use and exercise, no such advantage emerged. The authors concluded that, at least for older adults who were moderate alcohol drinkers, wine drinkers’ apparent longevity benefit appeared rooted in other health-promoting lifestyle factors, as opposed to wine drinking itself.

The Centers for Disease Control may have summed it up best in a 2011 report that drew little fanfare. Their study identified four healthy behaviors associated with living a longer, healthier life:

• Keep alcohol intake in check – no more than one drink per day for women and two for men

• Lay off tobacco in all forms, and if you currently smoke, get help quitting

• Eat a healthier diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy and seafood, and limit intake of salty, high-cholesterol and high-fat foods, added sugars and refined grains

• Stay physically active – aim for a mix of aerobic and strengthening activities every week 

Future studies will continue to weigh the role of wine, alcohol itself and other factors to healthier living. For now, it seems fair to say that wine drinkers are indeed different, and those differences themselves may provide the lift for wine drinkers’ health and survival benefits. But before you pat yourself on the back with a vive la différence, dig deep into all the other health-promoting behaviors that might spare you from the burden of chronic disease, and help you to live a longer, more robust life. 

Wine Festival Survival Tips

Wine festivals are sprouting up all over southern California this spring. So now that you've finally brushed those blue stains off your teeth following last month's Palm Desert Food & Wine Festival, you can head south this Saturday to sip at Vindiego, a new event at San Diego's Broadway Pier.

Oregon's Domaine Serene poured the Evenstad Reserve

from the stellar 2008 vintage in Palm Desert.  

These five survival tips will help you get more out of your Vindiego food and wine tasting adventure, and other fests in your wine-loving future.

Make a winery hit list ahead of time. With nearly 80 wineries scheduled for Vindiego's main event, advance planning will put your lips on wines you really want to try before everyone else empties the bottles. Decide on must-try picks ahead of time and go to those wineries first, while your palate is fresh. Make it your mission to fulfill your wish list early. You can always go back to all those tempting distractions later.

Spit, spit, spit. Yes, you gotta do it. Train your palate to read a wine with a good sip followed by a reverse whistle to pull air into your wine-filled mouth. The aeration sends more wine aromas to your sensory organs. Bathe your taste buds by swirling and chewing on the wine to extract more layers and get a sense for the weight of the wine. After you spit, stay focused on those tastes and the finish. The pros do it, and so can you. It's the only way to taste your way through the entire fest – and remember it, too.

Decide between food and wine. Food exhibitors at wine festivals turn out tempting bites with heady aromas that can interfere with wine tasting. If you're focused on tasting wine, pass on dishes that will pummel your palate for wine tasting. Ditto for dishes that clash with a particular style of wine you're eager to experience. Lemon and shrimp risotto with that just-released Cabernet? Don't think so. Watch for notorious wine killers such as raw onion, heavy garlic and incendiary heat. Come back to them later, or risk numbing your palate.

Take your pour, and get out of the way. Once you've been poured, step back from the pouring table to allow other festival-goers to get their sips. While it's easy to get caught in the moment and begin your swirl-sniff-taste-comment routine at the tasting table, you don't want to be a linebacker. Be courteous, and move away with your pour to let more wine lovers in on the fun.

Snap pictures of wine labels. It happens to everyone: You fall in love with a wine, but when asked, you can't recall the varietal, producer or vintage. Lost, forever? No, instead put that phone to good use and snap away, front and back. Ask the winery representative for tasting notes. Even better, grab an order form, make notes and use it to get more of a winner you can enjoy over and over. It beats dreaming or blathering about a long-lost wine you may never find again.  

Check out this wine-tasting animation for a taste of wine science. Others might prefer jocular British wine writer Oz Clarke who demos the reverse whistle about halfway through this video, with a few chuckles along the way. 

See you at the Pier!

Morgan Wines, Morgan Memories

Last month's tasting of Morgan Winery wines at Cuistot brought back memories of Doug Arango's restaurant on El Paseo. The wine list at Dougie's, as regulars nicknamed the spot, always featured a special wine or winery whose story was captured in detailed tasting notes. Ho-hum, perhaps to today's dining crowd, yet these specials helped set the eatery apart, particularly for diners who sought a more citified wine experience in those years. Besides exciting wines, the menu was eclectic and the vibe was a grounded kind of cool, paced by a small group of young, spirited partners. In all, Doug Arango's had the right stuff to become a sentinel 1990s hangout during Palm Desert's early foodification.

Carin and Dan Morgan Lee pour at Cuistot

It was at Dougie's that I tasted my first Morgan wines. Like the restaurant, those Central Coast wines had an exotic, individualist beat of their own. Twenty years later, I still reach for Morgan to reconnect with the magic of Santa Lucia Highlands winemaking.

Unlike warm and sunny Napa to the north, the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation contends with chilly Monterey Bay. As afternoon temperatures climb in the southern part of the Salinas River Valley, rising hot air draws cooling winds off the Bay. Nighttime brings a blanketing layer of fog to the vineyards, a form of natural air conditioning that helps lengthen the ripening season. The extended hang time allows grapes to reach a trifecta of acid retention, sugar development and phenolic maturation of complex flavor and texture compounds. In the glass, this translates into food-friendly, terroir-driven wines with rich textures, elegant flavors and savory fruit in balance with depth and structure.

The affable Dan Lee poured wines from his organically farmed Double L vineyard, so-named for Dan and wife Donna's double-luck blessing of twin daughters. Luscious and toasty, the 2010 Double L Chardonnay is big sister to the breezier, citrus-inflected 2010 Highland Chardonnay. Together, these wines could easily bookend a meal that begins with pasta, seafood or a white meat dish (Highland) followed by a richer seafood, poultry or meat course (Double L). If you've never had Chardonnay with steak, the Double L is up to the task.

Morgan's reds led with Cote du Crow's, a perennial favorite. Grapes for the 2010 blend of 55% Syrah and 45% Grenache are grown in warmer parts of Monterey County, producing a medium-bodied wine enlivened by spiced dark berry flavors scented by violets.

Judging from reactions of tasters crowding the Cuistot patio, the two Morgan Pinot Noir bottlings registered as hits. The 2011 Twelve Clones, named for the range of original plantings at Morgan's Double L vineyard, showed power and finesse, all dark cherry and blackberry flavors laced by an earthy, mineral streak. Fruit from the heralded Double L vineyard comprise 45% of the vintage blend.

Last came the steak Pinot. If your inner carnivore couldn't abide the Double L Chardonnay working with steak, the 2011 Double L Vineyard Pinot Noir is poised to challenge your thinking about food pairings for Pinot. Hefty yet balanced, this wine shows how brawny SLH Pinot can be, with layers of truffled black cherry fruit, smoke and spice. Give this one some time to tame those tannins and then let it show its grace and muscle alongside a robust dish.

Find Morgan wines at Los Angeles Wine Company in Palm Desert and occasionally at Cost Plus World Market in La Quinta. Prices start around $15 for the Cotes du Crow's and can head north of $40 for the Double L Pinot Noir. All are sure-fire winners that will add an element of class to your next meal or get-together. And, perhaps, stir up your own Morgan memories.

With thanks to Dan, and Dougie's.