You're not alone if you've been disappointed with the seasonal offerings of Beaujolais Nouveau in recent years. It seems that what's in the bottle can't match all the hype. But there are alternatives for those of us who are lovers of light, flavorful red wines that are also food-friendly.
One fine example is a little-known Italian varietal named Corvina, which has been giving of itself for centuries, waiting patiently to be discovered by lovers of delicate red wines. The Corvina grape is native to the Veneto region of northeastern Italy, which features hilly terrain to the south that becomes steeper and rockier as you move north into the Dolomite Mountain range. Veneto offers beautiful vistas of snow-capped mountains, rolling acre after acre under vine, quaint villages and well-known cities such as Venice, Verona and Padua.
Cantina di Soave brings us this varietal in the form of Re Midas Corvina IGT (about $10), the bright purple-hued color as beautiful in your glass as it is in the bottle. A young wine, Corvina has a vivid youthful color and hints of cherries and vanilla. The aroma is like the ingredients of a cherry pie — cherries, vanilla extract, almond extract, fresh rolled flour — before it's baked in the oven.
I had Re Midas Corvina IGT with acorn squash bisque made with curry and dill, and sprinkled with pieces of crispy bacon. The wine was a perfect complement to this delicious autumn soup. The wine allowed all the flavors to thrive, leaving the palate refreshed after each sip and making every spoonful of soup as enticing as the first.
Another ignored wine — although much better known than Corvina — is the Pinot Noir. I know what you're thinking: Everyone knows Pinot Noir. Well, everyone might know Pinot Noir, but not everyone is making friends with it.
Pinot Noir is originally from the Burgundy region of France, which lies south of Paris and just to the east of the center of the country. The region offers cool winters and warm to hot summers with summertime temperatures ranging as much as 20 degrees from low to high. Sounds a little like parts of California.
We are in luck because there's a great little bottle of Pinot Noir from California called Smoking Loon. Maybe you've heard of the brand but didn't know they offered a light and lovely red packed with flavor. You're now officially in the know.
The Smoking Loon California Pinot Noir (about $9) has red berry flavors — think dried cranberries, with a bit of spice, think cinnamon. The scent from the glass reminded me of flavor-infused dried cranberries, specifically the pomegranate Craisins. The wine is nice and smooth on the palate, one of those varietals that are just nice to drink.
I paired this particular bottle with grilled Italian sausage and onions while I was camping under the stars. I'm not sure whether it was because I was feeling in tune with the outdoors, enjoying an evening away from the noises of cars and emergency vehicles and the TV, but the Smoking Loon and the sausage were heavenly together. Pinot Noir has a smoky back end to it, which means that the finish sometimes has an earthy flavor. This particular characteristic of the wine tied together the individual flavors of charcoal, Italian sausage and onion.
The Re Midas Corvina IGT and the Smoking Loon Pinot Noir are both delicious additions to any holiday gathering or dinner table. And unlike the Beaujolais Nouveau, both are available year-round.
This article appears in Dec 1-7, 2011.