New England - Wine and Beer Round up

Not much to report on the wine front when we were in New England a few week's ago.  Clos du Bois Cabernet Sauvignon was a stand-out amongst a number of fairly ordinary supermarket wines purchased for eating in (though Berenger Zin was also pretty good) - big blackberry, plum, and chocolate tastes combined nicely with smooth tannins and easy approachability.

Also bought a magnum of CK Mondavi Cab Sauv (for $12) which is really a jug wine.  Robert Mondavi had a parting of the ways with his brother Peter and while Robert went on to produce high quality wines, culminating in the world-famous Opus 1, Peter went the mass market route.  It's fine with pasta but don't be fooled (okay I was) that CK Mondavi is part of the Robert Mondavi planet.  It's not.


More luck on the domestic beer front.  There are so many microbreweries operating in the States now that it's easy to forget how once everything was awash in a sea of Pabst Blue Ribbon.  Portsmouth (New Hampshire) Brewery and sister company Smuttynose Brewery produce amazing beers from our alter ego across the water. Loved the Star Island Single (medium bodied and hoppy with honey tones - a 'session' bitter at 5.1%) and tried the Pale Ale ("Our interpretation of an English beer...") which is quite bitter and bready, closer to a beer like Ringwood's Old Thumper maybe.  Also enjoyed a few pints of Cambridge Seasonal, and my Father-in-law fell for Anchor Steam Beer on tap (available in bottles over here)  Sam Adams on draught always hit the spot too (also available in bottles over here, but I only ever see the Boston Lager)

Favourite wine of the trip was an Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir (2008) from Santa Barbara - this was a restaurant wine at $40 and drunk with pulled pork Carolina BBQ, corn bread, fries and really worked (as the BBQ style is subtle and the pork similar to a hog roast)  Well-balanced pinot with no Burgundy pretensions.  We also had a really good Zinfandel bought from Hanniford's supermarket but I can't recall the name!  Might come back to me.

Closer to home, we took a bottle of Noble One round to a friend's house for dinner on Saturday night.  An amazing pudding wine (vintage 2002) it was full of prune and honey and nuts...highly recommended for the Xmas pudding...or better still drunk with a good Melton Mowbray Stilton.

Finally, a bottle of Marques del Romeral Reserva Rioja (2005) bottled for M&S (£9.99) on our first week-end back impressed with its classic style (good balanced fruit, subtle vanilla and cigars)