It’s cold outside. Winter has finally come to Washington, and not a moment too soon for me. Not that I am a glutton for punishment; it’s just that I look forward to the cold weather each year so I can break out the BIG red wines. I have even been known to talk my family into ski trips — and I don’t ski — just so that I can get my big red wine fix.
Like wool scarves and flannel sheets, big red wines provide warmth and contentment. Pair them with comfort foods such as beef stew or flavorful chili and big red wines can be elevated into legendary partnership status akin to Crick and Watson, Sears and Roebuck, Lewis and Clark, or, dare I say — Ben and Jerry.
But some big red wines stand on their own merit, relying on a chewiness that shuns company and demands the spotlight all to itself. Either way, big red wine season is finally here and I, for one, am a happy camper.
What is it about cold nights and red wines? For me, it’s the opportunity to have a rich, flavorful wine that is more at home fireside than poolside. Cold nights inspire me to invite friends over for leisurely dinners featuring hardy fare, crusty bread and wonderful conversation fueled by big red wine’s encouragement.
The requisite characteristics I look for in winter reds are simple but precise. They include plenty of rich, jammy black fruits, and — to borrow a real estate axiom — structure, structure, structure. These are wines that generally will benefit from an hour or two in the decanter in order to soften the tannins just enough to play well with the acidity and the fruit.
Here are a few of my favorite winter reds to cuddle up next to. Retail prices are approximate.
2004 Worthy Sophia’s Cuvee, Napa, California ($29 – available at Finewine.com in McLean, and MacArthur Beverages and Schneider’s of Capitol Hill, both in the District)
Drinking like wines twice the price, this is my idea of a serious winter red wine. Wine distributor-turned-winemaker Gus Kalaris makes this wine from a blend of all five Bordeaux varietals; cabernet sauvignon takes the lead followed by cabernet franc, merlot, petit verdot and malbec. Scents of smoked meats, spicy plums and vanilla tantalizes the nose but belies the truly powerful flavors of black raspberries, black cherries, plums and tobacco on the beautifully structured frame. Silky notes of chocolate and herbs filter in on the long finish. A perfect companion for Cassoulet.
2003 Mettler Petite Sirah, Lodi, California ($25 – available at Chevy Chase Wine and Spirits in the District and Mills Fine Wines in Annapolis)
I love petite sirahs, and winter is the perfect time to enjoy these teeth-staining blockbusters. The ’03 Mettler has such a deep purple color that you can’t even see through the glass. Intoxicating aromas of boysenberry jam, roasted coffee and violets fill the glass while notable flavors of baked blueberries, jammy blackberries, ripe black cherries and mocha mingle on the tongue, begging for a bowl of hoisin braised beef stew.
2003 Henry’s Drive, Shiraz, Padthaway, Australia ($43 – available at Schneider’s of Capitol Hill, The Wine Specialistand MacArthur Beverages in the District, and The Vineyard in McLean)
This chewy shiraz (pronounced shee-rahz in the land down under) has a nose highlighting scents of ripe black plums, crème de cassis and dark chocolate. The powerful, full-throttled flavors of black cherries, jammy blackberries, mocha, licorice and chocolate combine to give your tongue sensory overload. The whisper of mint on the long, commanding finish almost demands a rack of lamb.
2003 Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley, California ($33 – available at Circle Wine & Liquor and Schneider’s of Capitol Hill in the District)
Unlike most mass produced zinfandels, this wine is a true old style “field blend” which features an assortment of varietals that were planted together long ago in the same vineyard. The grapes, predominately zinfandel, are harvested, vinified and aged together to produce a wine with wonderful aromas of blueberries, fresh boysenberries and blackberries. The fruit flavors carry over onto the well-structured body where notes of underbrush and pepper underpin the not-too-tannic finish. Venison chili and a French baguette would be an ideal match.
2003 Pingus Flor de Pingus, Ribera Del Duero, Spain ($68 – available at MacArthur Beverage in the District)
Made from the tempranillo grape, this traditional Spanish wine was made for winter. Warm, inviting scents of crème de cassis, espresso and smoked meats in the bouquet meld into flavors of black plums, toasty oak and licorice on the rich, full palate. Enjoy it with sausage paella.
Do you have a favorite royalty of wine? E-mail scott@vineguy.com.
