There is nothing like the first hint of spring in the
Northwest, a place where winter is seven long months of rain and wind. And a few days after our last bout
of snowy weather, there has finally been a hint of it. At
work, there has been warm sunlight streaming in through the windows, the smell
of bark mulch around the trees, and spring flowers have been creeping up in the
frosty air. At home, the sun is staying out until almost 7:30 p.m. and the
apartment has been filled with glowing early morning and afternoon light –
purple and red sunsets over Mount Rainier. We have yellow daffodils in the
bedroom and yellow, orange, and red tulips in the living room.
If you’re from the Northwest, you’ll know what that first
warm batch of sunlight feels like on your skin, after almost seven months of
rain and grey skies. And the sun brings on ideas of the summer, of warm
evenings spent on the porch drinking beer and wine and lemony cocktails. We may
not have a porch, and the sunshine may still be maxing out at 53 degrees, but
it has got me in the mood for summer entertaining.
Though I have two unopened bottles of French rose in my wine
rack, I haven’t quite graduated from my warm reds. I guess I’m waiting for some
kind of weather miracle (like a 60 degree day in March?) to actually pull out
the corks and drink them with a light appetizer. And so while we wait for the
spring to kick off Pinot, white wine, and Rose season…
The other night I came home to homemade pizzas and two wine
glasses sitting out on the table, meaning Ben had gone rogue and picked out a
wine by himself (he’s rarely allowed this privilege). There is little better
than being able to come home after a long day at work and have dinner in the
oven, the house clean, and a bottle of wine being aerated for you. I suppose
that’s probably why men in the 50s were so reluctant to let their wives work –
it’s really a paradise that everyone should get to experience. Ben is a fan of
big, bold, and, well, Italian wines, so it was no surprise that he picked out
an Italian blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sangiovese. The wine, a
2009 Vitiano Rosso (~$10-11), was a beautiful dark red. The bouquet was very
fruit forward with quite a bit of spice (I noted a lot of pepper). This blend,
without the Sangiovese to blend it, would have been far too sweet, as the
cabernet, which dominated the front of the sip, was very juicy and ripe (almost
jammy) with cherry. The end, however, added dimension to the cabernet and
merlot components of the wine, adding the rustic quality so common to Italian
wines. The wine verged on being too heavy, but when served with our two pizzas
(a mushroom and red onion pizza, and a warm cheese pizza with mixed greens
piled on top), it was perfect. Suggested as a pizza-wine in the store, I think
it was perfect for the meal and the price. Try it with any red-sauce and pasta
and gourmet pizza or calzones.
Ben had me experiment with a blind tasting when he served
the wine. I’ve never done a blind tasting before and I certainly didn’t pass
this with flying colors, but it was very eye opening. I first smelled the wine
and picked up the bold flavors with a hint of spice. It was immediately evident
that the wine was not French, as it was too big and bold. I guessed that it was
American, as the heavy fruit from the Cabernet was so powerful that I suspected
it had to be New World. However, the spice at the end of the sip made it
evident that the wine was a blend (I’d never tasted a varietal with that range
before) and I guessed that very quickly. I was spot on in guessing Cabernet,
but missed the Merlot and Sangiovese components. I understand that blind
tastings are difficult when you purchase your own wine, but I recommend that if
you ever have the opportunity,
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