In this article I report on several food pairings for a
California red wine. The selected wine is a Merlot grown
somewhere in California and vinified by the E. & J. Gallo
Winery, a very high volume producer. Merlot grapes probably
originated in Bordeaux, France. I don't think anyone is
going to expect Bordeaux quality at these prices; the
question is can we get a drinkable wine.
OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review
are purchased at the full retail price.
Wine Reviewed Barefoot Cellars Merlot 2007 13.3% alcohol
about $8
Let's start by quoting the marketing materials. Tasting
Note: Ruby red in color, the nose reveals red berry,
boysenberry, chocolate, and anise. Medium bodied, fruity,
slightly tannic on the finish. Serving suggestion: Beef,
pasta with red sauce, chicken, stews. And now for my
reactions.
I first tried this wine with a beef stew accompanied by
carrots and potatoes, perked up with Harissa, a fiery
Tunisian hot-pepper sauce. The wine was hearty but
definitely not very subtle. It tasted of plums, chocolate,
and tobacco. The length was moderate. I liked the way that
the Merlot balanced the spices. There was a bit left in my
glass so I took a stab in the dark; I tried it with a
home-made deep dish apple pie with raisins. This wine was
rather flat and yet managed to maintain itself.
The next meal was a cheeseless lasagna with ground chicken
and frozen peas. While the wine was fairly long and round
its fruit wasn't clearly defined. It picked up when facing
the ground black peppercorns. This wine far surpassed the
Gallo wines of my youth.
My final food pairing involved a commercially prepared
barbecued chicken breast in a light herb sauce accompanied
by a side of soft wheat kernels that had been cooked in a
beef sauce. The Merlot became somewhat sweet. Now you can
taste the fruit. It was somewhat acidic and a bit sharper
in the presence of the wheat than when facing the chicken.
As the meal went on it became fruitier. This is probably a
function of the temperature; I put the bottle in the fridge
for about 15 minutes before the meal. As it warmed, it
changed character somewhat.
I ended the bottle with two local cheeses. In the presence
of a white Muenster the wine was fruity and slightly
acidic. It was somewhat consistent and even a bit chewy.
And when paired with a yellow Cheddar it did become more
acidic, but didn't really have a lot of taste. Basically
the wine washed down the cheese.
Final verdict. OK, but nothing more. There are enough cheap
wines around that I don't think I'll be buying another
bottle. Perhaps I should have known from the label,
gimmicks usually don't do the job.
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In his younger days Levi Reiss wrote or co-authored ten
computer and Internet books, but he prefers drinking fine
German or other wine with the right foods and the right
people. He teaches computer classes at an Ontario
French-language community college. Check out his global
wine website http://www.theworldwidewine.com with a weekly
column reviewing $10 wines and new sections writing about
(theory) and tasting (practice) organic and kosher wines.
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