Behind the Cork™ - Gaia Wines from Domaine Bousquet

Gaia, the Greek goddess of the Earth, has been the Bousquet family’s inspiration since founding the winery in 1997. Gaia labels depict the goddess in a festive headdress of colorful fruits and flowers.

Gaia wine are crafted with French winemaking sensibility and made from 100% organic fruit grown at a cool 4000 foot altitude.

Gaia (Guy-uh) red and white blend wines are a multi-varietal cornucopia of estate-grown grapes. This Old World tradition of blending varieties is updated to highlight modern, non-classic New World pairings. The primary grape comprises around 50% of the mix. With each year’s vintage, the bounty from the estate is blended a bit differently to reflect what Mother Nature has offered.

So, if you are looking for reasonably priced red wines from Argentina, look no further! Here are four options that offer incredible value without compromising on flavor:

2020 Gaia Organic Red Blend ($20) - This wine was produced from 50% Malbec, 45% Syrah and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. It was fermented with selected yeast for 12 days with Maceration for 14 days. It was then aged for 10 months in French oak. It is medium purple in color with subtle aromas of red and black fruits. On the palate, this full-bodied red blend has flavors of black fruit and green peppercorn, with firm tannin. (14.5% ABV, 5.32 g/L Acidity, pH = 3.67 and 2.2 g/L Residual Sugar)


2020 Gaia Cabernet Franc ($20) - This organic wine was produced from 100% Cabernet Franc grapes. They were fermented with selected yeasts for 12 days with Maceration for 14 days. It was then aged in French oak for 10 months. It is medium purple in color with a strawberry jam and red fruit aromas. On the palate, this full-bodied wine has flavors of rich strawberry and raspberry along with tart cherry, firm tannin, good acidity and a hint of tartness on the finish. (14.5% ABV, 5.77 g/L Acidity, pH = 3.68 and 2.16 g/L Residual Sugar)

2019 Gaia Malbec ($20) - This organic wine was produced from 100% Malbec. It was fermented with selected yeasts for 12 days with Maceration for 14 days. It was then aged in French oak for 8-10 months. It is medium purple in color with bold aromas of blackberry and blueberry. On the palate, this full-bodied wine has flavors of black and red fruits, smooth tannin and a wonderful finish. (14.6% ABV, 5.85 g/L Acidity, pH = 3.58 and 2.56 g/L Residual Sugar). This wine was given 91 points by Wine Enthusiast and James Suckling.

Gaia Cabernet Sauvignon ($20) - This wine was produced from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. It was fermented for 15 days with Maceration taking place for a full 30 days. It was then aged for 8-10 months in French oak. It is deep purple in color with aromas of sweet and jammy red and black fruits. On the palate, this full-bodied wine has flavors of black cherry with firm tannin. (14.5% ABV, 5.32 g/L Acidity, pH = 3.67 and 2.2 g/L Residual Sugar)

Overall, these four reasonably priced and widely available wines from Gaia showcase the country's diverse and vibrant wine scene, offering a range of flavors and styles to suit every palate. Thus, they are a perfect fit as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wines of the Week! Decant each of these for at least one hour before serving, then enjoy! Cheers!

How to Tell if Your Wine is Oxidized


I recently opened a bottle of rosé on a warm evening, looking forward to a cool, crisp and refreshing glass of wine.

When I poured myself a glass, I quickly noted that instead of the beautiful pink color that I was expecting, I got an brownish-orange glass of wine.

That was my first clue.

I then lifted the glass and got a whiff of a nutty aroma. One more like a sherry or a port.

That was my second clue.

I went ahead a took a sip. Instead of bright fruit flavors of strawberry and citrus, it was indeed nutty in flavor.

I’d gotten my final clue.

This wine had gone bad. The color, aroma and taste were dead giveaways of an oxidized wine.

Much like an apple or a banana will turn brown if exposed to air, so too will a wine. In this case, the brownish-pink combination resulted in orange.

Is an oxidized wine drinkable? Well, yes. It won’t hurt you or make you sick. And, if you are a sherry lover, you’ll probably like an oxidized wine. But you won’t get to enjoy the bright, crisp fresh fruit flavors that a rosé, a white wine or even a red wine, should have.

Oxidation is just one of several wine faults that can occur in a ‘sealed’ wine. But, once you’ve experienced an oxidized wine you’ll know exactly what clues to look for in the future.

Cheers!

Wine Blends Are an Interesting Combination of Art and Science

Photo by Roberta Sorge on Unsplash

In years past in the U.S., red wine blends were sold by the jug as "Red Wine" or "Table Wine."  These were inexpensive wines that were blends of grapes, vineyards or even vintages. So, blends are often discounted or disregarded as being of poorer quality.

But we only need to look to France, home of some of the world’s best wines, to see that blends are nothing to turn your nose up at.  France's famous region of Bordeaux produces red blends almost exclusively.  Depending on which bank the wine is from in Bordeaux, it will be a different blend. The Left Bank is known for its blends based on Cabernet Sauvignon while the Right Bank blends are Merlot based. These blends may also include Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot and Malbec.

Other famous regions known for their blends include the Rhône Valley that uses Grenache, Syrah and Mouvedre and the so-called Super Tuscans from Italy that may include Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Syrah, Cabernet Franc and others.

The main reason that winemakers produce blends is to make the best wine possible. Blending different grape varieties is useful in accentuating a particular grape's virtues. The goal is to produce a wine that is actually better than the sum of its parts. And blending allows wines to be more well balanced and complex in their aromas, flavors, colors and textures. The blended grapes can add layers of flavor that will change through the process of taking the first sip, letting it sit on your tongue and then as you swallow.

In blending wine, amounts as small as 1% of a varietal can make a difference. It’s not unusual to find blends that contain only 1% or 2% of a given varietal. And, yes, just 1% can make a difference. You may not be able to detect that 1% directly, but the winemaker has added that amount to make an overall positive difference to the final product.

Some varietals commonly used in wine blending:

  • Barbera for its acidity which helps the mouthfeel and structure of the wine

  • Carignan for its aromatic notes and to produce greater robustness with its red and black fruit flavors and its peppery finish

  • Cabernet Franc for its floral notes as well as its red fruit and peppery flavors

  • Malbec for its soft tannin and floral aromas as well as its color and flavor intensity

  • Petit Verdot for its herbal notes, as well as it bold color, flavor and tannin

  • Viognier for its floral notes and added body in white blends and its aromatic complexity and soft tannin in red blends

So, don't turn up your nose at red wine blends or question that 1% of a given varietal.  These can actually be some of the best wines in the world. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Virgen Natural Red Blend

2021 Virgen Natural Red Blend ($13)

Domaine Bousquet is a family-owned winery in Mendoza, Argentina that is nestled in the mountain community of Tupungato. Their wine is organic and vegan. From the vine to the processing of the grapes to their focus on biodiversity and permaculture, their wine sets the standard for elegant, sustainable organic wine that is perfect for a gathering with friends or a quiet evening at sunset.

Domaine Bousquet “Virgen” wines are pure, not only made from organic fruit but has no sulfites added, thereby qualifying for fully organic USDA certification.

This Virgen Natural Red Blend is produced from 35% Malbec, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Cabernet Franc. It undergoes cold maceration for 48 hours and fermentation for 10 days with indigenous and selected yeasts. It sees no oak aging.

This wine is deep purple in color with medium aromas of dark fruit and some peppery notes. On the palate, this dry wine has nice red and black fruit flavors including tart cherry along with medium tannin and acidity.

This is a tasty wine at a great price that fits right in as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

Alcohol: 14%, Acidity-pH: 5.62/3.68, Residual Sugar: 1.84 gm/L

How to Pair Wine with Hot and Spicy Foods

Photo by Clark Douglas on Unsplash

I was recently faced with a dish that was unexpectedly very hot and spicy. I then had to make a quick decision on a wine that would work with the dish without being over-powered by the food.

When pairing wines with food, the general goal is to make sure that the flavors of the food don't overwhelm the wine and cover up all of the wine's wonderful flavors. And the basic rule of wine pairing says that you should have a red wine with beef and white wine with chicken or fish.

But, hot and spicy foods can easily overwhelm a wine. Pairing options with hot and spicy foods may surprise you because the big bold red wines don’t necessarily work best.

One food and wine pairing that works with almost any meal is a sparkling wine. And it works especially well with spicy foods. It can be anything from a sparkling rosé to Champagne. And even an off-dry (slightly sweet) sparkling wine work well with spicy dishes. Putting some sweetness against a spicy flavor is surprisingly good.

The most common pairing with a hot spicy meal is to go with a white wine - one that will cut through the heat.

Riesling is a good option. Additionally, you might consider a Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc or an Albariño. These wines all fit into the lighter side of white wines, having lower alcohol and higher acidity. Serving these wines well chilled can make them the perfect accompaniment for a spicy meal.

Red wine lovers have options too. But stick to a light bodied red wine, especially with a hot spicy food. A slightly chilled Beaujolais or a Pinot Noir would be a great pairing here. The problem with trying to pair a big, bold red wine with a hot and spicy dish is that these reds tend to have higher alcohol.  And what you'll find is that the higher alcohol level will add to the burn in your mouth, not reduce it.

So next time you are trying to figure out what to have with a spicy meal, try a little bubbly, a well-chilled light white wine or a slightly chilled light red wine. Cheers!