December Wines of Note

Well, if I'm going to make a habit of sharing my wine highlights for each month, as Matt and Annie have been doing for awhile on their Hoot N Annie blog, I figured I better get December's posted while we're still in January. The holiday season provided for plenty of chance to enjoy some good wines. Here are my favorites: 

2010 Bonny Doon Le Pousseur Syrah A nice big red wine for a cold night. Musky on the nose, blackberry fruit. We enjoyed it with Roasted Sirloin, winemaker Randall Grahm suggests it goes well with braised meets. More on the wine and my Twitter exchange with @RandallGrahm here.

2011 Peter Franus Napa Zinfandel Our final wine of 2013, enjoyed along with our Filet Mignon with a Garlicky Rub and Balsamic Pan Sauce. A subtle scent of violet on the nose, plum and blackberry fruit, and chocolate on the finish. Nice lush mouthfeel.

2011 Sipp Mack Gewürztraminer A bit of residual sugar gives this honey-like sweetness to go along with ripe pair fruit. This is a good option for spicy food, such as this Indian meal I blogged about here.

Enkidu Reds At one holiday gathering, a friend supplied a mixed case of wines from Enkidu. This included a Pinot Noir, a Zinfandel and the Humbaba blend. I'll give them all a shout out here; you'd do well to try any of these Sonoma wines.

I will wind up the December notes by mentioning two value wines that come in well under $15 per bottle


2012 Colle Secco Terre di Chieti Pecorino: Yes, Pecorino is a wine too! I love Pecorino Romano cheese so had to give this Italian white grape varietal a try. Nice crisp acidity, bit of lemon, medium bodied. Moderately priced (well under $15 as I recall), worth picking up! I'm planning to get another bottle to try with a pesto dish instead of the go-to pesto pairing-Sauv Blanc.

Villa Pozzi Nero D'Avola Bright cherry fruit, easy drinking red from Sicily. Enjoyed with our Pesto Lasagne.