Talking About Wine with Henry Barrow
Henry Barrow of Talkingaboutwine.com invited me to be a part of a recent tasting panel. It was a wonderful experience. A former broadcaster for the Miami Dolphins and a lover of wine, Henry’s company is always a pleasure. Henry lives with his lovely wife in a beautiful Floridian bungalow located in South Miami. It was nice to have a tasting experience in a cozy home, a change from the hustle and bustle of restaurants and resorts. I arrived a few minutes late, with the hectic US1 traffic, but managed to get there in time for the first wine. The ambiance was fantastic with windows to the garden, and a “hall-of-fame” collection of cookbooks from all over the world. The table was set with a beautiful assortment of cheese, courtesy of Bob, the cheese expert.
We tried many bottles of wines, but I only wrote notes for a few:
Chardonnay from Buehler Vineyards, Russian River Valley, California 2008: This definitely tasted like a chardonnay, but without the oakiness that is common in California. I got flavors of green apples and caramel.
Gewurtrztraminer, from H.Lun, Alto Adige, Italy 2005: I brought this wine and had everyone taste it blind. The panel members thought perhaps it could be Riesling with the aromatic bouqet, someone else thought the nose was similar to Muscat. I got flavors of poached red pears, sweet and spicy.
The Climber from Cliff Family, California 2006: This is your usual big red California wine, a blend mainly made of zinfandel, then syrah, cabernet, merlot, and petite syrah. It tastes of overly ripe fruit, thick tannins, with a peppery finish. Best to pair with a cigar? I don’t smoke…
Tourisa/Tinta, Douro Reserve, from Vale do Domfin, Portugal 2005: This wine was very interesting. I’ve never tried the Tourisa or Tinta grapes. It reminded me of the indigenous grapes of Italy, the flavors are familiar, but you can’t quite put your finger on it. This wine reminded me of roasted eggplant and vegetables.
Old World Blend, by Mattebella Vineyards, North Fork of Long Island, New York 2005: I have to admit, I was quite impressed with this "New World" wine claiming to be “Old World”. It was actually the first red wine that I’ve tried from the up and coming New York wine region. The Old World Blend is that of Bordeaux, mainly Merlot with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cab Franc. I was surprised with the earthiness and the aroma of coffee beans.
Cherry block 100th Anniversary from Sebastiani, Sonoma, California 2001: This wine had flavors of tobacco and coffee, the tannins were nice and silky, thanks to the bottle age.
The cheese that left a lasting impression:
Midnight Moon from Cypress Grove Cheve: 100% goat’s milk made in Europe for Cypress Grove. Aged 6 months plus, it’s firm with a dense texture, you’d never guess it was goat cheese. The nutty and carmelly flavor lingers on your palate. With the big, jammy wines we tried, no wonder Midnight Moon was the winner, the flavors held their own.
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