Cyprus Wine Blog - December 2009

The holiday season is now upon us with many joyous activities for all the family. Of course, it also brings with it the ubiquitous holiday parties as well – thrown by friends, colleagues at work or, again, family. Therefore, most people are now about to tackle the difficult task of purchasing wines that can be paired with festive delicacies. This short article attempts to address the issue with some tips and suggestions.

First, do not stress out! This is the holiday period, a time generally rife with enough stress that the choice of what wine to bring to a party should not cause any more. Holidays are supposed to be fun – remember that, if you remember anything.

Some people are under the impression that hosting a party involves purchasing the most expensive wine they can find, wine that would impress even the most seasoned connoisseur. However, when it comes down to it, the price of wine is not nearly as important as the variety.

Holiday parties typically consist of a large variety of refreshments. Therefore, it is important to purchase wines that are “easy” to accompany anything you prepare. The simplest way to do this is to purchase at least one red and one white wine.

First of all, remember to differentiate between the full-bodied and light-bodied wines. These terms apply for reds as well as for whites. For instance, some of the most famous light-bodied white wines are the Muscadet, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Xynisteri, while some of the full-bodied white wines are the Chardonnay or barrel-fermented Sauvignon. On the other hand, some of the light-bodied red wines include Beaujolais , Rioja, Chianti, Sangiovese, and the Cypriot Mavro. Finally, some of the most famous full-bodied red wines include the Syrah/ Shiraz , Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot.

Buy local – yes, you may well spend €1 or €2 more for each bottle of wine you purchase relative to the cheap imported wines. However, by visiting local wineries or specialised wine shops, you will be able to ask questions and get advice on what wines to buy during this season, or even taste and select what appeals to you.

Buy a variety of wines in different price ranges. If you choose some wines in a medium price range – say €8 per bottle (Monolithos Cabernet Sauvignon), consider also purchasing some less expensive wines such as Ayios Stephanos Red (€5) for later in the evening. After two to three glasses of wine, most people would never notice when you switch them over to a €5 bottle. Therefore, you could save some cash; there is no need to spend, just for the sake of spending.

Wine should complement the food, rather than dominate it – light food, light wine; heavier food, heavier wine. Soups, salads and light dishes will taste best when accompanied by light, usually white, wines. More robust foods, such as steak and pasta, can handle bigger, full-bodied reds.

Buy several of the same type – you do not want to buy one bottle of something and run out, just as people realize that they like it.

Drink the wine you enjoy – do not conform to what the world says you have to like. In reality, most wines will not ruin a meal, but good choices can raise the level of gastronomic satisfaction from enjoyable to memorable.

Many people struggle with selecting the proper wine to serve at their holiday meal, so remember – when in doubt, sparkling wines and champagne are a safe bet with just about anything. The bubbles and acidity in sparklers have a cleansing effect on the palate to prepare you for another bite, whether you’re eating salty, bitter, spicy or sour food.

Go universal with the glass – there is simply no need to buy all those different glasses. While it may seem eclectic to serve wine in water glasses to you, your guests may look at that as a mark of bad taste. When you go to look at wine glasses, you will quickly find out that there is a wide range of styles and prices available. If this is a rare event in your home, then purchase simple, clear and inexpensive glasses than can complement your table without bleeding your wallet dry. If you buy a decent set of glasses with a tulip shape, it should cover most of your needs.

Most people are about to tackle the difficult task of purchasing wines that can be paired with the special foods of the season. Apart from the universal saying of “drink what you like”, here are a few useful tips to help you select the proper holiday wine.

. Forget about all the traditional reprimands, like pairing red wines with red meat and white wines with seafood.

. Balance the flavour intensity between the wine and the dish. Do not forget to look at the flavours of the sauce too.

. When serving more than one wine at a meal, start with a light wine and work your way through the meal to the fuller-bodied wines, ending with a sweet wine.

. Try pairing full-bodied wines, either red or white, with full-flavoured foods, and lighter wines with lighter food items. Look at how the dish is prepared. Delicate flavoured foods, poached or steamed, are best paired with delicate wines, whereas roasted dishes are often better with full-bodied heavier wines.

. Match “like for like”, for example spicy food with spicy wine, subtly flavoured dishes with delicate light wines, sweet wine with sweet dishes etc.

. Attempt to balance the sweetness, but most importantly, never serve a wine that is drier than the food or you will end with a flat, dull tasting wine.

. Do not forget, that not all red wines complement all cheeses. Blue cheese/Stilton certainly work very well with a sweet enough white wine. Goat’s cheese works much better with aromatic or dry white wine than with reds for example. Soft cheeses like Camembert and Brie should be served with either full flavoured Chardonnays or soft ripe Merlots.

. Foods with sauces generally require a medium to full-bodied wine.

. Boiled, steamed or lightly sautéed food should be matched with dry and light white wines.

. Chicken, pork or veal are best suited with any full-bodied white wine.

. Spicy food items and off-dry white wines make an excellent match.

. Fat rich food items like foie gras and cheese should be paired with sweet wines.

. Sweet dishes and desserts go very well with wines that have high apparent sweet flavours.

. Roast beef or steaks: Merlots go well with roasted meats, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. For roast beef, lamb and pork, Cabernet Sauvignon is an ideal choice here. Merlot and meaty Syrahs are also great matches. The proteins in the meat will help smooth out the tannins in these big, bold wines.

. Grilled or roast lamb: The most appropriate wine with this is Syrah/Shiraz.

The idea is to create a relationship where the wine and food are equal partners in the match. Foods that are high in saltiness, bitterness, sourness and sweetness limit the possibilities when matching wines with these foods. Traditional holiday foods like turkey, ham and all the trimmings create issues in this regard. Turkey itself can be paired with a number of wines, but things become complicated with the addition of various sauces because it could become sweet, sour and bitter all at once.

Sometimes the best choice is to offer both red and white wines and let the guests choose for themselves. Provide a couple glasses at each guest’s table setting and let him or her try a splash of white here, a sip of red there, comparing and contrasting before settling on a favourite. Offering a few choices can also make for fun dinner conversation. You can also split the difference and go with a sparkling rose.

During the winter holiday season, red wines should be served at room temperature. However, if you keep your reds in the kitchen, and your kitchen is an oven after many hours of dinner preparation, move the bottles to a slightly cooler room, like the basement or an unheated utility room. Typically, most people serve whites too cold and reds too warm. If you keep your wine in the refrigerator (5°C), take them out about 15 minutes before serving, whilst the red wine should be taken out at least one hour beforehand. The palate of the host, of course, always determines the ideal temperature, but a good range to aim at is between about 14°-18°C. And serve lighter reds a little cooler than heavier reds such as Cabernet Sauvignon.

The exact amount of poured glasses to a bottle of wine is pretty well impossible to define. Many standard wine servings suggest four to six glasses of wine per 750ml bottle. Keep this in mind when buying for the group.

Think food friendly and affordable. This is particularly true if you are going to a larger, more casual party. Do not spend a lot here – you never know if it is going to be opened as soon as you walk in or who will be drinking it. Try to pick a food-friendly, versatile wine that will go well with a wide range of foods. While there are certain vintages that are expensive, it is relatively easy to find bottles that are not extremely high priced; with some searching, or asking close friends, you can buy first-rate red and white wines at prices below €10.

The holiday season brings with it the challenge of finding the perfect gift for everyone on your list. Wine accessories are important items that will help the enjoyment of wine – they can be practical gifts for birthday or Christmas presents.

There are many different wine accessories, which wine drinkers purchase in order to make their wine experience complete. The range of products includes wine coolers, wine buckets, champagne bowls, wine decanters, wine glasses, wine bottle stoppers, wine table mats, wine openers, wine foil cutters, wine racks, etc. Whether you are a keen wine enthusiast, a social wine drinker or simply wish to buy a present for a friend, you may find an interesting read in the following tips and advice.

. Wine makes a great holiday gift. It is portable. It is festive. It is timely, with people entertaining more during the holiday season. Wine can be quickly gift-wrapped and tied with a bow or slipped into a decorative paper or cloth wine bag. In addition, wine certainly is easy to find.

. If you end up with several opened but unfinished bottles of wine, there are ways to preserve them. One way is to refrigerate them. The cold climate will slow the chemical changes that are conspiring to turn your wine to vinegar. Another method is to transfer the leftover wine into a smaller bottle. This helps because a smaller bottle will have less wine-trashing air in it. You can also buy fancy vacuum contraptions that suck the air out of the bottle. Alternatively, perhaps best of all, you can gather the crowd around the table the next evening for a feast of leftovers and finish what you started.

Food Pairing with Monolithos wines:

The following constitutes a basic guide for Monolithos wines which could be best suited to some popular Christmas and holiday season foods. Of course, this is not definitive, but if you have trouble choosing, it may help to make up your mind.

First, in terms of white wine selection, choose one with an adequate amount of acidity and fruitiness to match your entrée. Monolithos White and Ayios Stephanos White belong to this category of wines, with Monolithos White having a higher level of acidity. If you are selecting a red wine, choose Monolithos Merlot or Monolithos Red, both of which have a sense of fruitiness and are relatively low in tannin.

Second, always try to match regional food with corresponding local wines. They work because they have developed together over time and so have a natural affinity for each other.

Monolithos White: This is a very good match with lots of seafood. It has a pleasant acidic tang, and makes seafood taste fresh, just like a bright squeeze of lemon! Remember that taste is a funny thing, and the wine that is best alone is not necessarily the best with food. For example, a white wine that seems too acidic on its own is often fabulous with creamy or salty foods, as the acid reduces the oiliness of the cream and the cream tempers the acid, resulting in significantly enhanced flavours for both.

Monolithos Red: This is ideal with tomato-based pasta sauce and pizza, as it does not shy away from the acid in the tomatoes, and is also highly agreeable with local dishes such as meat stew, “moussaka”, “souvlakia” and “shieftalia”.

Ayios Stephanos White: This works so well because of its Malvasia touch of sweetness, which can help take the sting off the heat of spicy dishes.

Santa Monica Rose: A fun holiday wine that is great to serve at a party. Not only is this rose visually appealing, but also the flavours are wonderfully fruity, containing a combination of blackberry, plum and strawberries. It offers a good match with a large number of cheeses, enhancing the contrast of flavours. It is a delicate rose wine, which is superb with turkey, ham or tuna steak and salmon.

Ayios Stephanos Red: This successful blend is sure to satisfy a wide range of wine lovers. It is a medium to full-bodied wine with predominantly fruity and berry flavours, leaving a pleasantly smooth feel. It is food-friendly, affordable, and highly recommended to accompany red meat dishes, poultry, pasta (particularly those dishes with tomato sauce), strong savoury cheeses or salads – this fine blend wine can handle them all well.

Monolithos Merlot: This is one of those wines that have come in fashion over the past decade. This smooth as silk premium red variety is the ideal wine for the committed white wine drinker to sample as an entrée into the rich and exciting world of reds. The taste/aroma is predominantly fruity and peppery with hints of blackberry, blackcurrant, raspberry and plum and a delightfully “silky” feel. It is extremely versatile when it comes to food pairing options, and is perfect to enjoy with Italian and Greek dishes, red meats such as steak and roast lamb, or a good white meat including duck or even a platter of fish if you so desire. Stews are also a good choice, as are hearty pastas that use a tomato sauce base. Other dishes include pasta with vegetables, chicken, turkey, couscous, veal, cheese courses and (hot or cold) spicy entrees.

Monolithos Shiraz: As a Christmas wine, it is highly recommended and top-rated. Its dark red spiciness is perfect for the winter holidays and is particularly good when served with grilled or roast lamb. It is also a perfect match to enjoy with red meat, white meat, and pizza/pasta dishes. Syrah is a very versatile wine that pairs well with a wide variety of foods, including wild game, richly flavoured red meats, beef stew, grilled meats or veggies and meat lover’s pizzas. It is terrific with filet mignon, pork dishes, sausages, BBQ, bacon, spicy Mexican, highly seasoned food and fish dishes, particularly those with shellfish and tuna. The 2008 vintage is a joy to drink and there is plenty of it – try it and you will understand why.

Monolithos Cabernet Sauvignon: Talk about wine royalty! It all began in Bordeaux and is the world’s best-known grape variety, which explains why it is right at the top of the vineyard hierarchy. The taste/aroma is predominantly blackcurrant and peppery, but variations include touches of redcurrant, plum or even blackberry. It is a perfect match with red meat dishes, including steak with rich sauces. The proteins and fats in the steak really soften and mellow out the tannins in the wine and bring forward the fruit flavours. Foods with a slight touch of bitterness (such as the bitterness from a grill) match well with tannic wines, which are slightly bitter. Cabernet Sauvignon is great for this, although you should take care that it does not utterly overwhelm the food. Basic vegetable dishes, vegetarian meals, salads and peppery foods as well as cheeses, particularly goat varieties hard and soft are good complements.

The above are time-tested pairings. All things being equal, we do believe this:

Your Christmas will be merrier, and your holiday season more gratifying as a whole, when you pair them with the best wines for the time of year. Very likely, you will hit on your own great matches as you go about experimenting with food and wine. Remember, even for a wine expert, the pairing process is a hit and a miss. No one can be certain what to expect when he or she opens a bottle of wine. With so much happening in the bottle, there are just too many variables at work to be certain. So just enjoy the experiment – and the experience. You will know when you have hit it just right. The experience will seem seamless: the flavours of the wine will pick up the flavours of the food and extend them out across the palate. That is chemistry for you.

Holiday parties can be hard to plan. However, with the above tips, you should at least have the wine list taken care of, leaving you free to worry about food and decor instead. More than anything, when this time of year is upon us, keep in mind that holidays are a time for camaraderie, family, and love – three entities that not even the most expensive vintage can rival. On the other hand, if you need a break from that hectic schedule of the holiday season, relax and enjoy a glass of wine as you curl up with your favourite book or TV programme while the cold north wind blows outside.

Now with the coming of the winter holidays and traditional feasts with a plentiful menu and many cheerful guests, it is an ideal time to try our multiple wines. Monolithos products cater for a wide range of palates because we believe that the consumer must have a choice. After all, the truth is that:

“If food is the body of good living, wine is its soul.”

Clifton Fadiman

If at any time you are passing near the village of Pachna and wish to visit the winery or purchase any of our products, Martin Wood will be pleased to meet and assist you at his “Fig Tree Villa” in Pachna, so do not hesitate to phone him at 25-816212 or 99-165995.

May the Holiday Season bring only happiness and joy to you and your loved ones! Cheers and seasons greetings from all of us here at Monolithos.