Kientzler Pinot D' Alsace 2002

Again, I had Thai tonight. (I'm noticing a run on Thai food with us lately...). So, looking at our wine rack at home, we decided to chill some Pinot D'Alsace 2002. Quite a nice choice for Thai.

Gene had a very spicy Pad Thai, and I had Drunken Noodles w/ Shrimp. Pinot Blanc from Alsace can sometimes be good - but not "great". This is quite nice; a great compliment to the spicy food - it really brought the sweetness out of the wine. It's sweet without being too sweet; and it's got a great mineral taste to it. It's got a finish that lingers - and the fruitiness is just right. It's light, but so "there".

Definitely well worth trying. And as fall approaches, think about this: sauerkraut, roast pork, sausages, bacon and potatoes - with a nice glass of D'Alsace. I'm thinking that would be a great dish to try this with if you're not in the mood for Thai.

Cheers!

Kim Crawford 2004 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

Don't let the screw cap fool you...for those of you who don't know, Kim Crawford who is one of NZ's leading and award winning vineyards has been using screw caps for years. This is wine is one of my favorites....rated 91 points from Wine Spectator. It is refreshing, crisp with acidity,yet full. This is an amazingly "fresh" tasting wine, it wakes your palate with every sip. Drink now - good until 2009; This was #44 TOP 100 of 2004 from Wine Spectator Magazine.

I have two words for this wine "pha-nomenal". It's one of my all time favorites. I had it this evening with Pad Thai; would be excellent with seafood of any kind, or as a counterbalance to a spicy dish (as I mentioned, I had Thai). But I have to be honest, I love this wine so much, I'd drink it with anything.

2001 Domaine des Causses Lirac: Surprisingly Soft

I'm not usually a fan of Syrah, I tend to favor Shiraz... however, the Lirac is a pleasure to drink! This is a French wine, from the Southern Rhone Valley - and is made of 100% Syrah grapes. This particular type of wine is usually made with a blend of grenache and syrah, so this is a particularly interesting wine. As a result this wine is very lavish, almost hedonistic. The flavors you will pick up on the strongest would be blackberry and black raspberry fruit flavors. This is a full bodied wine, and the interesting thing about this wine is that it’s got lots of great color -- without all the tannins -- so it’s softer than you would expect. This would be best with strong blue cheeses and / or Leg of Lamb.