February & March 2025 Delectable Reviews
After a dry-ish January, we eased into some the late winter with some good bottles.
I've never had a sparkling Nebbiolo but this won't be my last - this was an incredible bottle of bubbles, especially for ~$24 retail price though it is hard to find.
Recommended Pairing: Rick Stein's Egg Coconut Masala Curry (Egg Moilee)
Surprisingly most of the other reviews of this top-tier Riesling mention the strong petrol notes but this particular bottle did not have them yet, perhaps because it was a relatively young 2021 vintage and this wine can age for decades. Great, but pricey wine; 3rd of 3 bottles at Garagiste.
This is what the locally isolated version of the Grenache grape is known as in Sardinia; 2nd of 3 bottles at Garagiste.
Recommended Pairing: Charcuterie Board (savory cured meat focus)
Finally I got to taste one of the "Gang of Four" famous Cru Beaujolais producers. This was enjoyed with a wine buddy at Garagiste Wine Room in Las Vegas. The charcuterie meat and cheese board paired perfectly. Jean Foillard is one of the gold standard Morgon producers and though prices are increasing, it's still a relative bargain for the quality; 1st of 3 bottles at Garagiste.
Recommended Pairing: Reverse-Seared Steak
Another stellar QPR Costco find - Amazing that they can offer a quality Priorat under $18! Tasting this wine reminded me of our Spring Break 2024 trip to Priorat
Recommended Pairing: Tandoori Chicken Pizza
Absolutely unique and quite polarizing I'm sure but my wife and I love this wine as the bay leaf eucalyptus notes are familiar and harmonious to our Indian palates.
Recommended Pairing: Roasted Poblano Soup
You'll notice in my reviews over time a common theme: Loire Valley wines over-perform for their price. Chinon AOC is one of the more widely known red wine appellations typical of within the Loire Valley. As typical for Loire reds, they tend to pair nicely with a variety of dishes.
Gosh, the Ripasso wines from this Amarone-producing region are simply delicious. These days they are pretty available at your local wine shop or large national chain wine store.
Here in Houston we are fortunate to have a lot of fine dining options with often reasonably priced By The Glass (BTG) wine lists. Fig & Olive is not one of them.
Aged, classically-styled Rioja is pervasively underrated.