No wine Wed with a lovely spicy lamb ragu over pappardelle
Thursday smoky shrimp saganaki (ancho, poblanos, and long red hot peppers cooked under the tomatoes), kind of Greece meets Mexico, and I went with latter, the wine was the 2017 Hatzidakis Cuvee 15 Assyrtiko.Lovely wine, ripe but with balancing acids, a saline/seashell edge, citrus fruit. B+/A- But not a great match, the smoke and feta overwhelmed the wine. I think next time (and there will be a next time, great dish) something maybe like a Cerasuolo on the border of rose/light red, an off-dry Riesling, or maybe I’ll see if I have anything orange.
Friday chicken and rice with green olives, I opened the 2020 Raul Perez Ultreia St Jacques(Bierzo). Pretty clear not a good match from start, so I switched to leftover Assyrtiko (better) and leftover Chinon rose (better match still). But I liked the wine- blackberry and black currant, stemmy pepper notes, some smoke. Maybe a faint touch of cow pasture, but no overt brett notes as some others have noted. Some moderate tannin, balanced acids, I enjoyed. B+.
Saturday swordfish, broccoli rabe, potatoes with pesto and the 2023 Meinklang Prosa rose. A little frothy, candied apple and strawberry, would be refreshing at a picnic but not the backbone for the swordfish. But as an aperitif B-
Sunday after a speech at a Pentecostal church (!), a nice meal on patio with oysters, radishleaf soup, grilled whole black sea bass, broccolini, honeynut squash. Wine is 2020 Fichet Bourgogne Blanc VV. Finally, a good wine AND a good match. Rich but with a firm backbone of acidity, pear and apple fruit, orange peel, smoke. Long and lovely. Drinks well above appellation. B+/A-
No wine Monday with an Ottolenghi recipe for clams, shrimp, scallops, feta, and tomatoes
Tuesday a shrimp cocktail followed by pork bulgogi, yu choy with shimeji mushrooms, rice with furikake.
2017 Envinate Benje Blanco
A little worried about bronze color, but in good shape. Dry peach fruit, briney, herbs and olives. Very nice. B+
2011 Vissoux/Chermette “Les Garants” Fleurie
Hitting on all cylinders. Black cherry, soil, coffee beans, bonfire. Some tannic structure remaining, strong acids, long finish. A pointe and delicious. A-
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C drinkable. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.