Grenache

In the nearly 4 years I’ve been participating in Wine Blogging Wednesday I’ve never posted this late but I really wanted to take a run at the theme of “Wine for Breakfast!” Since our host this month seems fine with a bit of Wine Blogging Sunday, I’ll take a crack at getting this post published before the NFC Championship game is over.

First off, I don’t drink wine with breakfast. Never have. Sure, I’ve had plenty of sparkling wine or rose at a brunch or two but that is always about 11 a.m. which seems close enough to noon to be socially acceptable. Funny enough, I actually taste wine in the morning on occasion but it’s never with food and I’m always spitting. And finally, I don’t like breakfast food for dinner. This is probably mostly due to wine being not the best match for eggs, pancakes and maple syrup.

But that doesn’t mean there are no wines that would match with such fare; in fact, sparkling wine and rose — dry or off-dry — would probably work here fine. But El Jefe, owner of Twisted Oak Winery and our WBW host this month, has limited our options to dry white and red wines only. Nothing sweet, sparkling or mixed with fruit juice is allowed.

So this has become quite a challenge as my typical breakfast of bacon and eggs is not that easy to match with a dry wine. I like my eggs scrambled and mixed with a bit of cheese further complicating matters. The bacon, of course, would match with a lot of wines but those eggs can really overpower a wine. But I’m not eating huevos rancheros with a yolk to worry about so I think I’ll try to match this breakfast with both a white and a red.

For the white I’m going with a medium bodied Sauvignon Blanc I recently received as a sample from the White Rocket Wine Company called “French Maid“. As I’ve noted in the past, I’m not much of a label buyer but perhaps I’ll change my tune as this wine really delivers what you want in Sauvignon Blanc. Made in France’s Languedoc region, the wine is very similar in style with New Zealand SB which have mostly risen above the $12 price point. I think this wine has enough body and acidity to stand up to my bacon and eggs breakfast but I’d more likely enjoy this wine in the summer with a cold chicken salad.

Tasting Notes:

White Rocket Wine Company, “French Maid”, Sauvignon Blanc, Vin de Pays d’Oc 2007 ($12/sample) – Light straw in color with aromas of grapefruit, fresh hay and pineapple. Tart lime fruit flavors finishing clean and dry. A very good value to be compared with better New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

12.5% ABV
Synthetic cork closure
[rating:3.5/5]

Buy this wine online

My red match has to be a wine with a lot of fruit and no tannins. Yes, a fruit bomb. I think Beaujolais would be a good match here but when I think fruit bomb, the joven blend of Garnacha and Tempranillio from Bodegas Borsao comes immediately to mind. Available in good volume across the U.S. for well under $10 a bottle, this wine continues to be a good value vintage after vintage. The juicy fruit profile of this wine pairs will with my bacon and eggs breakfast and would also work with more ambitious fare such as a frittata.

Tasting Notes:

Bodegas Borsao,  “Red Wine”, Campo De Borja 2007 ($7) – A blend of 75% Garnacha and 25% Tempranillio this wine is medium ruby in color with aromas of strawberry and red cherry. Juicy fresh strawberry and cherry fruit flavors finishing with a touch of minerality and soft tannins. A fruit bomb, but I like it.

14% ABV
Synthetic cork closure
[rating:3.5/5]

Buy this wine online

Thanks go out to Jeff from Twisted Oak Winery for hosting a very challenging WBW. I’m looking forward to reading the round-up post probably coming later this afternoon (hope I slip this post in).

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