Tom and Melody's wine blog » Garnacha

Chateau Fouzilhon Coteaux du Languedoc (2008)

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:43:13 +0000

It’s Tuesday night and we just worked a bit on the Friday Wall Street Journal crossword puzzle. We are almost finished so we will have to wait for Friday to get our new puzzle. It’s fun to do puzzles with Tom because he is so smart!

So, it’s snowing in Michigan and I am glad to have made it home safely. I heard from two people that there was a fatal crash on M-14, which is a highway that I pass but don’t have to drive on my commute. The roads were very slick tonight.

For dinner, I am making a penne pasta dish with pesto, tomatoes, onions and — I know this will sound strange — but, leftover meatloaf. I had about a half of a meatloaf in the refrigerator and rather than reheat it I decided to crumble it in a tomato sauce; it should take a lot like meatballs. I added some penne pasta to cook right in the sauce. I am going to steam some spinach and make a salad, as well.

We had a martini and now are having a glass of this Languedoc. A lovely French wine — not particularly fruity, but full of flavors like bramble, a touch of blueberries, oak and spice. Fairly complex, this wine offers grippy tannins and a strong finish. Tom is making happy faces with his wine so I know he is loving it; so am I. A great choice for a snowy, cozy night in Michigan.

Don Elias Garnacha (2008)

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:45:07 +0000

This Spanish wine was cultivated in an area of Spain known for its low production capacity. This results in an intensely-flavored wine. My first sip was quite intense — it was verging on bubbly. However, with time to breathe, the bubbly intensity has dissipated and what is evident is a tasty mixture of fruit, wood and thyme. The finish is spicy.

A delicious choice for our Tuesday night. For dinner, I am reheating the bean soup that I made this weekend. We also have a half loaf of the whole wheat bread that I baked on Sunday. A very easy, yet comforting, dinner for a very cold winter evening.

Gran Feudo (2002)

Sun, 14 Dec 2008 00:27:29 +0000

I don’t think I have ever seen my refrigerator as empty as it was today. I just never had time to get to the grocery store in about the last 10 days. So, today, Tom volunteered to go with me and we each took a cart and had little organizational meetings in the aisles. It feels good to be stocked up with nutritious food, once again.

As we shopped, Tom, of course, perused the wine selection and purchased this Spanish Gran Feudo, which we opened tonight. This is a blend of 70% Tempranillo, 25% Garnacha, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s nice! The wine is medium-bodied and well-balanced. On the palate it is fruity and spicy with firm tannins. The finish is long with oak and vanilla notes.

For dinner, I am roasting a whole, stuffed chicken. I started the chicken in a 425 oven for about 40 minutes, then I flipped the chicken (it was getting nice and crispy), seasoned the flip side, drizzled with olive oil, turned the oven down to finish cooking slowly. I have some leftover mashed potatoes and gravy, which will go well with this dinner. I am either going to make a salad or a vegetable.

Stay warm and enjoy the weekend; cheers!

Rojo GranRojo (2005)

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 23:35:04 +0000

Tom purchased this Rojo GranRojo 2005 from Spain at Busch’s grocery store in Ann Arbor. I can’t tell you exactly what he paid, but he told me it was under $10. This is a blend of Tempranillo and Garnacha (known as Grenache in France). When Tom first opened the bottle he was concerned I would not like it because the nose was light and he could tell it was not a big wine. Well, he is right — it is not a big red — but I do like it.

This Rojo GranRojo 2005 is pleasant and drinkable. It is just lighter than what we generally enjoy. The body is light and the nose is subtle, with a touch of licorice and red berries. It has the bluish appearance of crushed blueberries. With well-rounded tannins, it is refined and fresh with hints of minerals. There is a bit of thyme and minerals on the finish. We will have this wine with boneless, skinless chicken breasts that are simmering in a cast-iron skillet, with mashed potatoes and gravy, fresh-picked tomatoes (from my garden), and steamed green beans. Oh, and some whole-grain bread that Tom brought home from Busch’s.

Tom: We’re focusing on Spanish wines this week and they’ve been excellent. This Rojo GranRojo 2005 is a quite light red, a combination of the rosé-like garnacha and the medium-body tempranillo. It’s dry with pleasant berry fruit and should go very well with our chicken tonight.