2007 Reininger Merlot and Rosemary Garlic Lamb Chops
It is definitively Fall today in the Walla Walla Valley. The geese have flown south, the school busses have reappeared, the weather has turned and Summer has ended. Our heart goes out to all you grill lovers. We want to soften the blow for you by sharing a fantastic lamb chop recipe that you can cook indoors. However, if you are one of the brave, the few, die-hard all-season grillers, you absolutely can toss this on the bbq if you feel the urge to bust out the rain-gear.
2007 Reininger Merlot Recipe Pairing
This recipe is absolute perfection when paired with the 2007 Reininger Merlot (link to flavor note). While white wines like the 2010 Helix Chardonnay are too tropical to stand up to the hearty flavors of lamb, Merlot is a fantastic pairing. The the earthiness of the meat is best with a wine which also has a subtle leafy-earthiness, like the Merlot. Furthermore, the tannins in the Merlot cut through the richness/fat of the lamb. Order a bottle of 2007 Reininger Merlot and try out this winning recipe soon. (While you have the bottle of 2007 Reininger Merlot open, don’t forget to whip up a batch of the Chocolate Dream Cookies that highlight the cocoa flavors in our Merlot.)
Rosemary Garlic Lamb chop Recipe
Adapted from Paula Deen’s show
Pair with Reininger 2007 Merlot
Ingredients
2 lb. lamb rib chops
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary leaves
2 tsp. freshly chopped garlic
Directions
Season the lamb chops with salt and pepper. In a large bowl stir together the oil, rosemary, and garlic. Add lamb chops, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours to let flavors marinate.
Prepare grill to medium heat or oven to broil.
Broil or grill chops to desired doneness. About 6 min for rare, 7 min for medium-rare. Turn chops so they brown well on both sides.
2010 Helix Chardonnay and Malolactic Fermentation
Malolactic Fermentation in Process
Remember when we told you all about the different styles of Chardonnay? We talked about how one of the techniques wine makers use to influence style is malolactic fermentation. We also promised to tell you what that meant. In order to understand how a process affects the style of wine, it’s important to know a little about that process. So grab your thinking cap, and get ready for a little science lesson. We’ve found science is always more fun when it relates to wine, particularly if you have a glass on hand as a case study, but maybe that’s just us…
Malolactic Fermentation in Chardonnay
Malolactic fermentation is essentially regarding the acids present in wine and manipulating them to get the flavors you desire. The type of acid initially present in wine is malic acid, which has a strong, tart flavor. Malic acid is an organically occurring acid present in almost all fruits and berries and is responsible for providing the energy for fruit to ripen. Malic acid is typically strongly present in new wines, and malolactic fermentation softens this strong acidity by converting it into softer lactic acid and carbon dioxide. In other words, malolactic fermentation is typically used to round out wines that have too harsh of a natural acidity in order to make the more drinkable, adding flavor and complexity. Although winemakers can either encourage or prevent malolactic fermentation, it is a naturally occurring process in wines and traditionally resulted from increasing seasonal temperature. Reasons wine makers would want to limit malolactic fermentation would be to preserve a wine’s natural acidity. For example, while Chardonnay is a perfect wine for malolactic fermentation, most Reisling or Chenin Blanc producers try to suppress malolactic fermentation.
Methods of Malolactic Fermentation
There are multiple ways for winemakers to induce malolactic fermentation in their wines. The basic idea is the same for all methods, lactic acid bacteria is introduced to the must (freshly pressed grape juice containing the skin, seeds and stems) directly following the beginning or completetion of alcoholic fermentation. The lactic acid consume the malice acid to liberate energy needed for ripening. Lactic acid can be added in a variety of ways. One way to add lactic acid is to transfer the new wine to an old wooden vat that was previously used for malolactic fermentation which naturally retains a sufficient amount of lactic acid bacteria. Or for more specific control, wine can be transferred to a new tank or vat and have a commercially available culture of lactic acid bacteria added. Additionally, sometimes oak chips are used to add lactic acid bacteria. Chardonnays that have undergone malolactic fermentation tend to have a more buttery or toasty flavor profile, due to the reduced amount of malic acid. Conversely, Chardonnay’s that have not undergone malolactic fermentation and contain higher amounts of malic acid tend to feature flavors of tart green apples. The 2010 Helix Chardonnay did not undergo
malolactic fermentation. In the tasting note we describe bright fruit flavors, not buttery flavors.
To try a bottle for yourself, order the 2010 Helix Chardonnay.
A Customer Favorite: 2007 Reininger Carmenere, Walla Walla Valley
If you’ve never tried Carmenere, chances are you might not have even heard of the varietal before we started talking about it here on the blog. Trying a new varietal can be intimidating for some people, sometimes it seems safer to stick with what you know you love. While we certainly hope you keep coming back to classics like the 2007 Reininger Merlot or the 2010 Helix Chardonnay, we hope to also introduce you to exciting new wines. In order to help, we’ve given you all the information you need to fall in love with Carmenere, from the dramatic history, to the 2007 Reininger Carmenere tasting note, to a delicious recipe pairing, and even some fun facts. As helpful as this information hopefully is, we want to put it all in context by sharing what some of you, our customers, have said about Carmenere. Take it from your fellow Reininger wine drinkers, the 2007 Reininger Carmenere is a tasting room favorite!
Brooke Bartlett Turnbow (who you can read about here), explained “when I hand customers the tasting list, Carmenere is the first wine they point to, ask for, or squeal in delight about.” Brooke always saves pouring the Carmenere for the grand finale due to its big, full flavors. The customers consistently fall in love with Carmenere and are excited to share their new discovery with their friends. Brooke likes to describe the wine to customers as our “angry and masculine” wine because the 2007 Reininger Carmenere is peppery, spicy, bold, full of life, and pairs well with steak or barbecued red meats.
Customers love the flavor profile of the 2007 Reininger Carmenere. The pepper notes on the nose jump out of the glass and aren’t difficult to identify. The strong flavors make anyone feel like a wine expert and greatly add to the enjoyment of wine tasting. Brooke tells us the 2007 Reininger Carmenere is her favorite wine to stump her “know-it-all wine geek friends”, and is the perfect wine to bring to blind tastings or to wow a crowd. If you want to show off your wine expertise, brush up on the basics of Carmenere we’ve taught you on the blog, order a bottle of 2007 Reininger Carmenere and call up a few friends!
Location, Location, Location: 2007 Reininger Merlot
Part of the reason we at Reininger love Merlot, is that we are in the perfect place to grow it. The Walla Walla Valley is an amazing location for growing Merlot grapes, and we’ll tell you why. As a disclaimer, we are obviously biased, but we don’t like to spend a lot of time bashing California wine. It’s not our style, and they make some amazing wines down there. That being said, California’s climate is just not ideal for growing Merlot, and we’ll explain that to you to in as neutral a voice as we can manage. This lesson on the 2007 Reininger Merlot is all about location.
The plump, lush fruitiness of Merlot helps explain its popularity and subsequent frequent planting. Although Merlot is one of the most planted red varietals in the world, we maintain that all terroirs are not created equal. The terroir of the Walla Walla valley is wonderfully suited to creating lush, deep Merlots. As of 2007, Merlot was the second most planted grape in the Walla Walla AVA (What’s an AVA? Catch up here), making up 26% of all grapes planted. Merlot showed an affinity for the Walla Walla Valley growing conditions early on, attracting critical acclaim and notice. Wine writer Leslie Sbrocco proclaims the union of Merlot and Washington State to be “a marriage made in heaven”. The long sunny days and cool nights lend Washington Merlot grapes the necessary time to gradually develop complexity and ripeness without sacrificing acidity. The sunny basin of the Columbia Valley created well-structured, ripe flavored, fruity Merlots.
The Walla Walla Valley in particular is a prime spot within the Columbia Valley. Sbrocco praises Walla Walla Merlot’s as being “intense, voluptuous and velvety… as Pomerol-like as you can get outside France”. Washington Merlots tend to differ from California Merlots based upon bright fruit flavors and relatively crisp acidity.
California does produce some good Merlots, but their growing climates are just not as well suited and therefore do not have the same potential as Walla Walla or Bordeaux. California’s Merlot plantings were largely a result of the frenetic trendiness of Merlot in the 1990′s, which we talked about here, rather than a well inclined terroir. Many wine scholars question the suitability of Merlot to California, especially due to the warmth of the soil, citing numerous examples of bland wines that damage the varietal’s reputation in general. The quality of California Merlot’s suffered greatly in the late 1990′s when demand for the varietal radically outstripped the supply, tempting many growers to use wine making techniques to stretch their yields in less than optimal ways. To be fair, some very skilled growers are coaxing out fantastic California Merlots, namely from Napa’s Stags Leap District, the Russian River Valley and the Santa Ynez Valley. These good quality California Merlot’s are typically blended with small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon in order to soften the tannins.
The 2007 Reininger Merlot is a shining example of the best Walla Walla has to offer. Order some here today to see what the buzz is all about!
2010 Helix Chardonnay and Lobster Mac and Cheese
Now that you know the trick to serving the perfect glass of Chardonnay, you need to know what to serve it with. Call up some friends and have a low key dinner party this weekend, this pairing is bound to be a favorite! You can wow your friends with your impressive knowledge of the history and facts of Chardonnay and serve them a delicious treat. Our favorite pairings for the 2010 Helix Chardonnay are dishes with lobster or cream sauces. The recipe we’ve picked out to share with you combines the two in the most delicious way.
Pair the 2010 Helix Chardonnay with Lobster Mac and Cheese for perfect relaxed, yet decedent meal. The bright acidity of the Chardonnay cuts perfectly through the creaminess of the Mac and Cheese. This Lobster Mac and Cheese recipe was adapted from Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa show. Order a bottle of the 2010 Helix Chardonnay here and enjoy this pairing soon!
Ingredients
Kosher salt
Vegetable oil
1 lb. cavatappi or elbow macaroni
1 quart milk
8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
12 oz. Grutere cheese, grated (4 cups)
8 oz. extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (2 cups)
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/2 lb. cooked lobster meat
1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed)
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Drizzle oil into a late pot of boiling salt water. Add pasta and cook according to directions, 6-8 minutes, drain well. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don’t boil it. In a large pot, melt 6 tbsp butter and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 min, stirring with a whisk. Still whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Remove from heat and add the cheese, 1 tbsp salt, the pepper and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and lobster and stir well.
Place the mixture into 6-8 individual gratin dishes. Melt the remaining 2 tbsp of butter, combine with fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top of the dishes. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly and macaroni is golden brown.
