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This week on the WineGuyMike™ Radio Show© I’m pleased to a flight of three Beaujolais wines that are exceptional. These wines really define what the show is all about, value, budget, and wines that are just downright great to drink.
I love to share wine with friends and recently I sat down with my neighbors Ken and Cathy, and my journalism intern Andy for a virtual Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais wine tasting hosted by my friends from W.J. Deutsch & Sons and WineTwits.com., and Chef Bob Waggoner of UCook with Chef Bob on PBS television. Chef Bob was nice enough to share his burgers with us today. Please check out Chef Bob’s website at www.Ucookwithchefbob.com
You might ask what is a virtual wine tasting. Let me see if I can if I can succinctly share with you what a virtual wine tasting is, so here we go. In this case my friend Steve Gilberg from New York who is founder of WineTwits.com Steve has built a sharing platform that allows him to broadcast streaming video via the internet. Then through the use of Twitter Steve creates an event by using a Hashtag as it is know which is the # with no space afterword and then the use of the keyword. For the Burger and Beaujolais event Steve chose the Hashtag; #GDandBurgers. Now what you have is live streaming comments via Twitter and live streaming video via WineTwits.com and voile you now have a virtual wine tasting event seen around the world in real time. W.J. Deutsch & Sons provided the wines for this particular event, they have a outstanding portfolio of wines that they distribute so that you and I as a consumer have the opportunity to purchase outstanding wine at fair prices, or in this case the wines I’m sharing with you today are wines that offer extreme value. You just won’t believe the prices of these wines and how great they are, my neighbors Ken and Cathy were just blown away by these wines. Ken and Cathy are very knowledgeable wine consumers who drink primarily west coast produced wines. They were very surprised with the wines we had at our #GDandBurgers virtual wine tasting.
Let me share some background about Burgundy, France which is where the Beaujolais wines are grown and produced. Beaujolais is a province within Burgundy but produces wine distinct enough that it is considered its own area within Burgundy. It is controlled by French wine law known as AOC. When you purchase a bottle of these wonderful wines you will see this designation on the bottles label. This French wine law, Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée, gives the governing body the control to dictate these various issues; how many grapes can be grown in a designated area or a particular vineyard, how the grapes are harvested, how they are handled once they are harvested, most definitely the type of grapes grown in an area or region, how the wines are made, and how the wines are aged. Now AOC laws throughout French wine country vary widely from one another based on what the French understand based on centuries of experience, and they do it well.
This week I’m writing about Beaujolais and its AOC wines. Beaujolais is produced from 100% Gamay grapes grown in Burgundy region of France. The Gamay Noir grape is a cousin to the Pinot Noir grape. These are the only two red grape varietals allowed to be grown in Burgundy under the French AOC wine laws. Although Burgundy may be better known for its Pinot Noir the Beaujolais wines make up about two thirds of the wine produced in Burgundy. The wine style is light, fruity, very mellow tannin, and perfect acidity which is what makes it perfect as a food wine. Beaujolais is produced in a style that it is meant to be consumed right away, unless we talk about the Cru versions of Beaujolais. Beaujolais is a perfect summer wine because it should be served lightly chilled which makes it a great to drink and serve in the spring and summer time. There are three quality levels to understand when we learn about these wines; Beaujolais, Beaujolais – Villages which is a blend of wine from a 35 of the better wine producing villages in Beaujolais, and then there is the Cru Beaujolais. The Cru Beaujolais wines are named for the villages that produce the finest wine of all the villages in Beaujolais. There are ten Crus or villages, in Beaujolais and make no mistake these wines are very special.
The price of these wines vary with the quality designations that we now understand, remember these are all extremely affordable wines with exceptional value. The wines I’m sharing with you today are all $20.00. In fact the Beaujolais-Villages is priced under $10.00, one of the two Beaujolais Cru wines are under $15.00, with the last one coming under $20.00. You just can’t beat these wines.
Speaking of wine let’s get to the wines I’m sharing with you today, and please let me know what you think of todays wines after you have tasted them. I’ll be pairing each one of these wines with the burger recipes Chef Bob was so kind to share with you and I.
The producer of these incredible wines, Georges Duboeuf, has stated that the 2009 vintage from Beaujolais was the vintage of a lifetime and after tasting these wines with my Cru (crew), Ken, Cathy, and Andy I’m inclined to agree with the wine producer.
Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages 2009
Today I taste the Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages 2009. The Beaujolais-Villages takes its name from a number of wine-producing villages located in the area of Beaujolais which have long been identified for the superior quality of their wine. In this instance “superior” refers to greater complexity in bouquet, higher concentration and deeper flavor. Its distinctive character sets a kind of middle ground for Beaujolais with its unique, casual charm and the prestigious top ten Cru Beaujolais wines to the north.
Visually the Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages 2009 appears rich, self assured and well made. The wine is a deep ruby color with nice streaks of purple running through its veins. It appears to be nicely viscous and upon a few good swirls in the glass it proves to be nicely structured. Just as Rod Stewart suggested, Hot Legs, well in this case great legs in my glass that is. You can really tell a great deal about the structure of a wine by paying attention to some of these details. I know this wine is very well made wine by observing it.
I want to get my nose in this glass, and I recommend using a Pinot Noir glass for this wine so that this wine has every opportunity to express its Sunday best for you and I. As every great French wine does this wine expresses a real sense of place or as we say in the wine kingdom terrior. On the nose this wine delivers, raspberry jam, cherry, really nice earth and dust with just a hint of very nice mild smoke the follow up the rear. These are all really beautiful fruit filled aromas. As for the bouquet that this wine has developed in the bottle, I’m talking about the dust, earth, and smoke these are ever so mild and refined, they a true compliment to this wine as well as a real treat for me. This wine expresses great terrior, it knows where it came from and knows where it belongs, in a glass in your hand of course.
The Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages 2009 is just so well made. This wine has wonderful tannin, is lush and full of its beautiful berry self. It is a wonderfully balanced wine that will be so food friendly due to its fruit and acid companionship. It doesn’t stop there though this wine for me delivers a great little nuance of toast and butter too. It’s like a great mildly toasted piece of bread with homemade raspberry and cherry jam; yes it’s a really great wine to complement the burger recipe that Chef Bob has provided.
RECIPE #1- ANGUS BURGER (For 2 people)
From Chef Bob Waggoner, host of PBS’ Ucook with Chef Bob
INGREDIENTS:
· 2 regular sesame buns
· Angus ground beef – 160z
· Red heirloom tomato – 4 slices
· Vidalia onion – 4 slices
·Smoked bacon – 4 slices – diced finely
· Fresh rosemary -1 tablespoon
· Peeled shallots – 3 diced thinly
· Butter lettuce – half of a small head
· Salt
· Fresh ground white pepper to taste
· Aged white cheddar cheese – 2 oz diced
into small cubes
DIRECTIONS:
In a small sauté pan cook the bacon until crisp. Add the shallots and cook for 3 more minutes on low temperature. Add the chopped rosemary and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove from pan and let sit at room temperature.
Form 4 thin patties of beef approximately 4 oz each. Then place bacon, shallot and rosemary mix on top of 2 of the patties. Add diced cheddar, salt and fresh ground pepper. Cover with other patty. Pinch the sides together to form one big burger. Salt and pepper the top of the patty. Preheat grill and grill burgers. When the burgers are almost done, lightly grill the bun. On the bottom bun place the burger, Vidalia onion rings, tomato rounds and lettuce. If you like you may add mustard, mayo or ketchup. Top with other bun.
The 2009 Brouilly, is produced in an area that is located in the southernmost of the ten Cru Beaujolais. On the nose you know that this is the biggest, jammiest wine in this flight of Georges Duboeuf masterpieces. This wine delivers a message like that from Paul Revere. It is truly intriguing as it delivers both terrior and character, which is which, now we understand it, we think. But Ken, Cathy, and I know we like it. This wine is large and in charge, those of us who enjoy a big fleshy, fruit driven Cabernet or a Port wine will really love this wine. The 2009 Brouilly has nice dark fruit, plum, and black cherry. The palate displays silk like tannin, it’s chewy with a little tobacco, yet the texture of this confident wine is like that of the very finest velvet. This is a beautiful wine that those of us who enjoy a slightly fuller body to our wines will absolutely love, enjoy, and crave more.
Brouilly is the largest Cru in terms of volume, as well as the most extensive in surface area. Its vines form a large wreath around the base of the impressive Mount Brouilly, stretching out over the six villages of Odenas, Ouincle, Cercle, Saint-Lager, Charentay and Saint-Etienne-Ia-Varenne. Its name is thought to hail back to Brulius, a lieutenant in the Imperial Roman Legion. It is tempting to picture this officer, placed under the command of Caesar, as having the same solid, jovial persona as the most flavorful of the Cru Beaujolais. The wines of Brouilly, known and esteemed around the globe, are true ambassadors of quality French red wines, regardless of the vineyard area.
RECIPE #2 – GRILLED PORTABELLA (BURGER) (For 2 people)
From Chef Bob Waggoner, host of PBS’ Ucook with Chef Bob
INGREDIENTS:
· 2 large portabella mushrooms – Stems removed and gills scraped
· Fresh thyme – 2 tsp
· Green onions – 4 each
· Yellow tomato – 4 slices
· Large eggplant – 4 round slices
· 2 Kaiser Rolls
· “Beaujolais Wine” – 4 tbsp
· Olive oil – 4 tbsp
· Salt
· Fresh ground white pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
Gently drizzle the olive oil over the sliced tomatoes, eggplant and green onions. Salt and pepper all. Gently grill and set aside -1 1/ 2 minutes on each side. Salt and pepper portabella mushroom. With a small paring knife make checkerboard cuts going halfway into the mushroom. Drizzle 2 tbsp each of “GDwine” onto each mushroom and let it seep in for 2 min. Add a tiny bit of olive oil on the mushrooms and grill for 2 1/ 2 minutes on each side. Once pulled from grill sprinkle with fresh thyme. Gently grill Kaiser Roll. Stack portabella mushroom, tomato, green onions and eggplant on the Kaiser Roll.
The third wine I want to share with you today is the 2009 Julienas Chateau des Capitans from one of the ten Cru villages, Cru Julienas.
The 2009 Julienas Chateau des Capitans displays intense beautiful, deep crimson color. I recommend decanting this wine at least one hour prior to drinking so that this wine expresses itself properly, this is a great wine and was my favorite from this flight of wines. This wine has a great balance and structure to it and will age very well in the years to come, I would even recommend laying it down for 2-4 years but if you’re like me you want to drink it. Just be sure to decant it otherwise you may not enjoy this particular wine. On the nose of this wine you can expect some floral, like that from peonies, dark fruit, spiciness of white pepper, smoke, dust, with a beautiful mild sweetness in the air from vanilla with a tiny bit of mocha.
This wine displays a sumptuous deep red color. Its intense, complex nose offers an array of fruits, from peach to raspberry and black currant, with a subtle touch of cinnamon. Ample structure and excellent balance will allow this wine to age in bottle quite gracefully. A 19th century castle is situated right in the heart of AOC Cru Julienas, in a locality known as Les Capitans. Centuries-old cedar trees in the stately gardens stand as tall sentinels of a long, illustrious past. The remarkably old vines form one single, undivided vineyard circling the estate and benefit from optimal soil and microclimate conditions. South-southeast hillside exposure to the sun allows the grapes to attain perfect ripening before they are harvested. According to popular tradition, this locality has preserved unmistakable signs of its Roman origin. Considered as a strategic point, this site was in all likelihood where military staff headquarters were located. Thus the name Capitan, which refers to the officer rank of Captain, or first in command. In the 1940’s, the castle and vineyard estate belonged to Victor Peyret, a colorful wine merchant and rambunctious gourmet from nearby Lyon who left to posterity, among other things, the literary prize he endowed. At the annual mid-November wine festival held in the village of Julienas, the Victor Peyret prize is awarded to a celebrity from the arts who is recognized as a worthy ambassador of Cru Julienas. The prize consists of 104 bottles of choice Julienas, just the right number to enjoy every Saturday and Sunday for an entire year! Well that depends on how many friends you share with. Now for the burger recipe from Chef Bob.
RECIPE #3-TURKEY BURGER SLIDERS with SUNDRIED TOMATO&BASIL (For 2people)
From Chef Bob Waggoner, host of PBS’ Ucook with Chef Bob
INGREDIENTS:
· Ground turkey meat with 15% fat -1/2 pound
· Sundried tomato – 2 oz
· Shallots 3 each – sliced thinly
·Medium sized garlic cloves -3 each – sliced thinly
· Fresh basil- 8 large leaves – roughly chopped
· Olive oil – 2 tbsp
· Water – 11/ 2 cups
· Baby arugula – 1/2 cup
· Red onion – 4 slices
·1 ripe avocado
· Mini pita pockets – 4 – split in half
· Salt
· Fresh ground white pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
In a 10 inch saute pan, heat the 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced shallots and cook for 1minute. Add the sliced garlic and cook for another minute. Add the sundried tomato. Add 1tsp of salt, 3 cranks of fresh ground white pepper and 11/ 2 cups of water and let simmer until all water is evaporated. Add chopped basil, remove from pan and set aside. Leave at room temperature. Form 4 small patties using 1/2 pound of turkey meat. Salt and pepper both sides. Gently grill for 11/ 2 – 2 minutes per side, depending on temperature of your grill. Grill the red onion slices at the same time. Just before the burgers are done, lightly grill the pita pocket that you have split in half. When the burger is cooked, place a small amount of arugula in the bottom of the pita. Top with a turkey patty and arrange your slider with the grilled red onions and the sundried tomato basil mixture.
Foods that are light fair and not overly seasoned pair well with Beaujolais wines. Today’s wines receive the WineGuyMike™ Seal of Approval™ as they deliver on quality, value, and price. Buy these wines, chill them, and drink them now, you will be satisfied, and please share your tasting notes with me. I’m interested to know what you think, Salute.
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