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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

If the store your visiting only carries $10 bottles of wine (or more pointedly, if you’re only willing to spend $10 on a bottle of wine), then a good axiom to use is “good Spanish wine is cheap.” I learned this in the early 2000s while living in the middle of nowhere Suburban New York (i.e., maybe we should call this the “Astoria has liquor stores, not wine shops” post).

The secret to finding these good cheap wines is a bit trickier because you have to learn that Spain loves oak, and you have to learn the three classifications of oak treatments they use. If you like phrases like “vanilla toast” or “unlit cigar” to describe your red wines, then, please read this next part closely… and realize that I’m very much generalizing here.

American Oak barrels make wine taste like vanilla & cream… French oak barrels make wine taste like toast & smoke… if you like those flavors, then you might need to delve into three of the major Spanish wine classifications: Crianza, Reserva, & Gran Reserva.

• Crianza means a decent oak treatment.
• Reserva means a very generous oak treatment
• Gran Reserva means a uber-serious oak treatment (but usually very tastefully done)

If you like oak and fruit, then you can use the Criana, Reserva, & Gran Reserva labels interchangeably with “Good, Better, & Best.” You can buy the cheapest of each category (many winemakers are going to kill me for saying this BUT it’s *kinda true*), and get most of the same dominant flavors as the more expensive wines.

If you can find any $10 Crianzas or $15 Reservas, give them a shot… they’ll taste a lot like their $20 bottle brothers and sisters.

Rioja, Spain | No Comments

Soft vanilla cherry oak nose. Medium palate that is delicate enough to accompany even whole roasted white fishes (especially nice with Branzino and fresh rosemary).

Consider it the best “close your eyes and grab a Rioja under $20″ bottle you’ve ever purchased. I’ve had to discontinue a few friendships upon hearing people disparage this bottle (I’m sorry Dave, but having lime disease doesn’t make your tastes buds any more sensitive than before!).

$10.99 at T.B. Ackerson 8.4/10

Cheap Drinks, Rioja, Spain, Tempranillo, Wine Reviews | No Comments

Tempranillo grapes = cherries…. this wine’s terroir and barrel aging add a distinct hint of baby poo (you know the green/brown sort just barely mixed with white powder)  on the nose. There are sour cherries on the end, and it pairs well with almost all foods due to its slight acidity and medium body.

Make sure you get the 2004 or 2005. The ‘03 for some reason is insipid compared to other recent vintages.  This wine is very worth it if you like serious Rioja, or if you want an alternative to Old World, $30 Pinot Noir.

$17.99 at T.B. Ackerson Wines 7.5/10

Old World, Rioja, Spain, T.B. Ackerson Wines, Tempranillo, Wine Reviews | No Comments