Tuesday, August 11th, 2009
The wine shop where I work sits awfully close to an awfully good BYOB (for now) hummus restaurant, and at least, ten times a day I get asked “what wine goes with hummus?” There are two answers to this question- one that people want to hear and one that would make people run away screaming from the wine shop.
Mimi's Hummus in Ditmas Park
What people want to hear is that the type of wine that they like is the type of wine that goes with hummus, and by “hummus” what they really mean is a melange of complex, savory, and sweet flavors that go way beyond mere hummus and could delve into any number of combinations of lamb, lemon, nuts, peppers, cucumbers, and more.
What type of wine do people like? Malbec, Rioja, and cheap Pinot Noir. Do these go with the melange of flavors served at the hummus place next door? No. These are categories with flat, simple flavors that, surrounded by a plate of Middle Eastern food, won’t do much other than quench one’s thirst like a warm glass of water.
What will both battle against and dance with puissant melange of Middle Eastern flavors? … wines with searing acidity and many folds of aroma. The best example of these are Rieslings and Valpolicella Classico. A good Riesling’s acidity will almost chew the food for you, and the tart, shrubby red fruits of Valpolicella will make sure to assert themselves strongly enough that you taste the food and the wine at once.
Of course, people who like Rioja, Malbec, and cheap Pinot Noir also are people who hate acidity and complexity because well… you can’t chug acidity and complexity.
Malbec, Riesling, Rioja, Uncategorized, Wine Pairings, Wine Questions Answered | No Comments
Monday, April 27th, 2009
“Argentina, Cahors, & More!”
Find out what Malbec is really all about! We cover the flavors, the history, and five fantastic bottles of everyone’s favorite grape.
Wines tasted include: Trumpeter Malbec, Teirra Divina Malbec,
Ique Malbec, Gouleyant Cahors Malbec, & Amancaya Malbec/Cabernet
Sauvignon.
Argentina, Cheap Drinks, France, Malbec, New World, T.B. Ackerson Wines, Uncategorized, Wine Reviews | No Comments
Monday, December 29th, 2008
Thursday, October 23rd, 2008
I haven’t had this yet, but it is Argentine Malbec under $15 so I will guess that it tastes like juicy dark cherries and plums… possibly with a little smoke or pepper thrown in after the finish. Give it a shot and let me know what you think.
$11.99 at T.B. Ackerson
Argentina, Cheap Drinks, Malbec, Wine Reviews | No Comments
Thursday, October 23rd, 2008
“Give me something I can drink straight out of the bottle,” is what the man in the aviator specs and plaid jacket asked me as I peeked at him from behind the counter, noticing a copy of A Farewell to Arms eyeing me out of the corner of his lime green Jack Spade bag.
I handed him the Punta Pays Malbec, and later than evening when I saw him across the street at Sycamore he hugged me yelled into my ear, “Bra, that wine totally tasted like cherry juice and fruit punch just like you said. I loved it.”
His sincerity was compelling. I’m glad we made a connection.
$9.99 at T.B. Ackerson 5.5/10
Argentina, Cheap Drinks, Malbec, Wine Reviews | No Comments