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By The Glass
Roberto Viernes
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Wines that will score at tailgate or home grilling parties
THIS weekend's football games reminded me just how much we in Hawaii love our sports. We don't have a professional team so our emotions follow the ups and downs or wins and losses of University of Hawaii athletics. I can always tell how our team is doing by the yells and exclamations of one of my neighbors.
I was also reminded of how much fans love to tailgate and "cook out" at the stadium, or at home.
The list of food for tailgating is truly a smorgasbord. But there are a few favorites. At the top of that list is grilled steak. I've found some great wines for chilling and grilling, but this one is really for the "grilling" part. The new wines of Sparky Marquis, one of Australia's finest winemakers, under the Mollydooker label, have really caught my attention -- like a punch in the face.
Mollydooker in Australian lingo means left-handed -- it also refers to a boxer. And boy do these wines pack a punch. The 2004 Mollydooker "The Boxer" ($19) is pure shiraz and with a name like that you would expect it to thump your palate with huge, rich, black and blue fruit, some sweet vanilla character and an impression that you won't soon forget.
Another one that would go superbly with a bone-in ribeye done medium (just the way I like it) is the 2004 Mollydooker "Two Left Feet" ($19). This blend of shiraz, merlot and cabernet sauvignon seemed to have more complexity than a pure shiraz.
It's certainly not light, and I can see why Sparky named it "Two Left Feet" -- it certainly doesn't dance lightly on your palate. It trounces, making sure you feel the flavor as much as taste it.
For you white wine fans the 2005 Mollydooker "The Violinist" ($15), made from verdelho, has a good dollop of toasty vanillin and an ample richness to take a seat next to the grilled steak on your plate.
ANOTHER item you can always find at a tailgate is sausage. It comes in so many forms -- bratwurst, kielbasa, smoked, polish, Portuguese, Cajun-spiced, stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes, apples, the list goes on and on. The one thing they all have in common is that they are salty, meaty (and fatty) and somehow end up on the grill.
For such delectable morsels I would recommend a really good, nervy chardonnay, one with fresh acidity, nothing too fat and flabby. You need the acidity to cut into the saltiness and fattiness of the sausage. The chardonnay should also have a bit of oak to really bring together the grilled flavor from the fire and charcoal.
One wine that fits this description perfectly is the new 2005 Melville Estate Chardonnay ($25). It has a complex scent of citrus and white fruits laced in cedar and vanilla with an intensity that just grabs your palate. In flavor, it doesn't let go; it has plenty of nerve and a really long. cleansing aftertaste.
Another new chardonnay with nerve is the 2005 Neyers Carneros ($26). This wine has even more tropical fruit character and a more viscous texture that is sure to wrap itself around your tongue. Like the bun for the sausage, it works.
I must admit that beer is great for the sausage, too, and I drink my fair share. But whatever you're drinking, enjoy the games and drink responsibly. Maybe I'll see you at the game.
Roberto Viernes is a master sommelier and wine educator with Southern Wine & Spirits.
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