wine
WRITTEn By Kyle Harsha
Kyle Harsha is a certified specialist of wine and certified sommelier with over 20 years’ experience in the food and wine industry. He drinks more wine than he probably ought to.
GunDlaCh BunDsChu CharDonnay 2012 Provenance: Sonoma Coast, Calif. available at: The Wine & Cheese Place, multiple locations, wineandcheeseplace.com; $19.99 Pairings: Oysters• Popcorn• Sushi
Every once in a while I get truly surprised by a wine, and this bottle was one such case. Because the wines from Gundlach Bundschu (insiders call it “Gun Bun”) have a decent presence in the St. Louis market, I assumed they were mass-produced plunk. Au contraire. The Chardonnay has a production of fewer than 5,000 cases, and Gun Bun is California’s oldest family owned winery. It is a balanced effort with apple, pear and honey notes accented slightly by oak and baking spice.
DomaIne Gramenon Valreas Côtes Du rhône VIllaGes l’elementaIre 2012 Provenance: Côtes du Rhône, France available at: Starrs, 1135 S. Big Bend Blvd., Richmond
Heights, starrs1.com; $25.99 Pairings: Roasted pheasant• Smoked salmon • Red snapper This 100 percent Grenache is produced by a family owned estate near the village of Valreas in the Southern Rhône. It was founded in 1979 and is now run by a nurse-turnedwinemaker and her son. The wines are produced using organic and biodynamic practices and are starting to achieve critical acclaim. The fluorescent purple color of the wine alone makes it noticeable, and it is quite delicious. The black cherry, blueberry and forest-floor flavors explode from a new favorite that will turn your teeth purple and your heart warm.
ostatu BlanCo 2011 Provenance: Rioja, Spain available at: Wines of Wildwood, 2418 Taylor Road,
Wildwood, winesofwildwood.com; $14.99 Pairings: Fried chicken• Sea bass en papillote• Lemongrass Are you a fan of Sauvignon Blanc, yet tired of the way-too-acidic options on the market? The Ostatu Blanco might be a fun alternative. Produced predominately from the Viura grape with a splash of Malvasia, this wine hails from Rioja and is grown in the same chalk and clay soils that give the reds from the area their world-class appeal. The result is a crisp, clean white wine with notes of lemon peel, tropical fruits and a spicy hint of ginger. Drink it cold with your favorite Thai takeout.
Inspired Food Culture
april 2014
33