The Nerd-Off Series: Belgian Style Ale vs Pinotage

So what is the Nerd-Off Series?  All too often, when hanging with friends in the alcoholic beverage industry, you find the boys officially in the beer camp and the ladies loving wine. In an effort to learn more about beer and prove to the boys that wine is a wonderful drink - I have enlisted the blog's resident beer guy, Anthony, to nerd out about beer and wine.

So what are the rules? Kelley picks a wine, Anthony picks a beer and we exchange, taste, review and share our thoughts here. Enjoy!

Anthony's Pick: Goose Island's "Sofie"

Hiya there wine nerds! Today I have the absolute pleasure of describing a beer that I had bought for Kelley called Goose Island's "Sofie." Goose Island is a very popular brewery located in the state of Michigan and probably most well known for its barrel aged stout, Bourbon County Stout. However, this time around, I thought Sofie, which is a Saison style brew, would be the perfect selection for Kelley because she had mentioned she was a fan of Saisons. Saisons are pale-ales, known for their light and fruity flavors and high carbonation. And since Kelley is predominantly a wine drinker, I chose this beer because it almost drinks like a sparkling wine and I feel that it is a beer that both beer and wine drinkers can appreciate. It also does not hurt that this beer happens to be aged in wine barrels.

Sofie is currently rocking a solid 98 on the beer rating website, ratebeer.com. And this is no surprise since it represents a true example of Saison-style brew. When poured from the bottle, Sofie will appear as a hazy golden color accompanied with a fast dissipating white head. When taking in Sofie’s aroma, one can detect hints of lemon, grapefruit and a slight hint of wheat. After taking a sip, the drinker will taste exactly what they smelled - right up front there is a lot of citrus flavor, with a slightly sour finish. The carbonation of this beer adds an effervescent quality to this beer that would be quite agreeable to sparkling wine drinkers.

Since this beer is light to medium bodied as well as slightly dry it would be best served with a light meal, such as a salad or sushi. I for one enjoyed this beer with a few rolls of sushi and, I can say with a great deal of confidence, that it was one of the better food and beer tastings I have ever put together. What's even more exciting is that most sushi restaurants are BYOB, so if you chill one of these bad boys for around two hours before you leave to go to the restaurant, you will be ready to rock when you arrive at the restaurant.

If after this post, you find that you must try the Saison style of beer, you should check out the following offerings to satisfy your Saison cravings: Ommegang Brewery’s Hennepin ale, Brooklyn Brewery’s Sorachi Ace and Saison Dupont, which is brewed by Brasserie Dupont.

Prost!

Kelley's Thoughts on the Goose Island "Sofie."   What can I say - Anthony really hit a home run with this beer. Not only is it my favorite style of beer, the brewers at Goose Island really did this style justice. After pouring the beer I thought it smelled somewhat like a German Heifewiesse. But after tasting this beer, it was clear it was something different. The refreshing citrus flavors of orange and grapefruit were very prominent. As Anthony suggested above, I paired the beer with sushi. When I go for sushi, I frequently go overboard with wasabi. This means the underlying flavor of my favorite sushi dishes is spice. Turns out, this was an awesome pairing with the beer. The heat from the wasabi almost pulled the fruit flavors out and amped them up a notch. Nothing but appreciation for this beer and food pairing. Yum!

Kelley's Pick: Pinotage from South Africa

I picked Pinotage because Anthony mentioned a while back that he was a barbecue fan. I love Pinotage because it has the dark fruit flavors, medium-body, with tons of smoke and spice on the finish. For more information on Pinotage, check out my earlier post describing the basics. Until next time!

Cheers!

Wine Reviews: Pinotage

A few months back, I mentioned Pinotage in a post on Meritage. As a refresher, remember the two terms are completely unrelated! Meritage is an American term that refers to red wine made with grapes from the traditional Bordeaux style blend. (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec). Pinotage, on the other hand, is the name of a grape! Pinotage is a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault. Plus, it is most notably grown in South Africa. Check out the details and my review on my lasting Pinotage tasting below!

My Thursday Night Pinotage Tasting.

To understand Pinotage, it may be helpful to understand it's "parent grapes." Cinsault is commonly found in the South of France or in red blends produced in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. On it's own, Cinsault makes some low quality wines but brings some distinct savory characteristics to red blends. Some common flavors include: cherry, pepper and even a
"meaty" aspect. In comparison, Pinot Noir definitely "wears the pants" in this relationship. It's a noble grape, known for it's light bodied flavors of cranberry, cherry or raspberry, medium high acidity and low tannin. It is also high maintenance on the vine and sometimes problematic to grow.

Together, they create Pinotage, which has hints of berry fruit up front with a spicy, almost meaty finish, moderate acidity and moderate tannin. Check out my tasting notes below:

Fairview Pinotage 2012

Where it's from. Paarl, South Africa. (Approximately 20 miles from Cape Town)

My thoughts. Overall, this was a fun wine with some interesting flavors. The color was beautiful, a deep, almost slightly burnt, magenta. The aroma was stong, but  not overwhelming, and including dark berry scents. Finally, the taste was super smooth with mild acidity and moderate tannin. Flavors of black pepper and earth were most notable. This wine is not for timid wine drinkers, but it's not as adventurous as orange wines or bold Bordeaux blends. (Orange wines do exist and are definitely a conversation for another day).

Cheers!

What is Meritage?

"In victory, you deserve champagne, in defeat, you need it." ~Napoleon

Photo Source

Who doesn't love a reference that ties history, war and wine together?! The only thing that would make this post better is a way to call out the French... oh wait! We still can! This post will cover some history of the Bordeaux blend, French wine law, and the emergence of Meritage (pronounced like "heritage").

Surprisingly, and not so surprisingly, this post is one of the first to discuss French wine. I am surprised because France is the largest wine producer, in the world. (Producing approximately 8 billion bottles a year). But, I am also not surprised we have yet to cover France because there is a scary amount of information to cover.

I mean scary.

 So let's start with one of the most popular regions in France, Bordeaux.

The History of Wine Making in Bordeaux.

  Of course, the history of

vinifera

 vines in this region can be traced back to the Romans, who introduced wine production in the first century. Bordeaux wines have been popular internationally since the 12th century. (Not too shabby, right?) In fact, some even suggest that the marriage of King Henry II of England to Eleanor of Acquitane was primarily so the English could secure access to Bordeaux wine, also known as "claret." Bordeaux has remained successful ever since, thanks in part, to its iconic terroir. Generally, the Bordeaux sub-regions include: Right-bank and Left-bank (include Graves and 

Méd

oc).

So what is the Bordeaux Blend?

  The short answer, a blend of 5 grapes (most notably red) including, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Some also argue 

Carménère was part of the original blend, but today it, along with Malbec, is less frequently used. There is also a traditional Bordeaux blend with white grapes, including 

Sémillon

, 

Sauvignon blanc

 and 

Muscadelle. But let's be honest, when we think Bordeaux, we think red.

Photo Source

So what is Meritage exactly?

  Well, according to the Meritage Alliance

website

, Meritage is a name created by New World winemakers to identify wine made from the "noble" Bordeaux varietals. From my legally trained perspective, I see Meritage as a (very clever) way for New World winemakers to avoid legal ramifications under the French

Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée system.

To get technical for a moment, the French AOC system is governed by the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine or

 INAO. This board ensures that all French winemakers are meeting quality standards

and

 protects the French wine making brand. Basically, words like Loire Valley, Champagne and Bordeaux are protected marks of the INAO as indicators of origin and quality. So, it is illegal for California winemakers to label their "Bordeaux style" wine with the name Bordeaux because it infringes on French property.

Enter clever New World Winemakers!

 So, in order to get around French law

and

 come up with a name for wine made in California that was a blend of several varietals (specifically the Bordeaux blend) ...  

Meritage

was born! Today, in order to use Meritage on your label, you must obtain a license from the Meritage Alliance and comply with their high quality requirements. Generally, Meritage has had limited success because American wineries are allowed to use other fanciful names to label their red blends, such as, "Red Velvet, Ameritage or Diamond Scarlet."

Photo Source

Now, since we have master Meritage, let's talk Pinotage.

I will let you in on the difference between Meritage and Pinotage.

First,

they are pronounced differently. Meritage, like "heritage" and Pinotage, like "

Pin

no

tajge

." The mis-prounounciation of wine terms is by far my biggest pet peeve (and I am no expert) so if you struggle sometimes like me, check out this awesome

link

, for pronunciation tips.

Second,

Pinotage is actually the name of a grape, not a blend. Pinotage is the signature varietal in South Africa and is a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault. The grape produces wine with mixed popularity in South Africa, so if you find a producer you enjoy, be sure to leave a comment below!

Cheers!