Wine Lovers Tool: A Trusty Vintage Chart Two Blondes Melissa and Laurence Oh, the hills are alive, with the vines a budding! Yet on any given day, a late frost, deluge of rain, or kick off to an unseasonably dry spell can wreck havoc on grape crops. The weather plays such an integral role in dictating truly great vintages from those that are mediocre. Lucky for us, a vintage chart is a useful tool when you're in the wine store facing hundreds of bottles with no clue on where to begin. You really want to try a French Bordeaux wine, but you can't pronounce the names let alone begin to guess which year is the best for a trial taste. By consulting a vintage chart, you can quickly narrow the field to zone in on the better years. A well respected and FREE chart is available at www.erobertparker.com/info/vintagechart1.html . Visit the site, print out a copy of the vintage chart and stick it in your glove box so your handy reference tool is easily available the next time you stop to pick up a bottle of vino. A word to the wise: beware of throwing in the towel on a year that is deemed less than great. Some jewels emerge from even the worst of weather conditions thanks to the expert care of the farmer and wine maker. Note that we have some great issues coming up. Laurence heads off to France next week and I'll be traipsing through Tuscany in late June. Then in August, the Two Blondes will finally return to our beloved Napa and Sonoma-it's been three long years since our last visit and we miss it dearly. Our upcoming issues will offer Pack Your Bag features on our travels to help you in your trip planning, as well as our favorite sips-OK, who are we kidding? We're not called Two Blondes and a Bottle for nothing! We'll let you know which wines we enjoyed multiple glasses of during our trip.

return to top

We have been drinking some really great wines and are pleased to share our personal favorites with you!

	Kaiken Malbec Region: Mendoza, Argentina Rating: 88 points by Wine Spectator Release price: $12 Two Blondes' Two Cents: This is our best buy of the issue and it's ready to drink now. At an affordable price, you can enjoy this fabulous wine any day of the week. We bought an entire case of it. The praised wine makers of Montes Winery in Chile have ventured over the Andes into Argentina and hit the ground running! The winery is named after the wild geese that fly between the two countries. This ruby red wine is rich and velvety. Check out our Stick a Fork in It recipe for ribs to enjoy with this tasty wine.
	Drylands Sauvignon Blanc 2005 Region: Marlborough, New Zealand Rating: 91 points by Wine Spectator Release price: $15-17 Two Blondes' Two Cents: This white wine is unlike any New Zealands' we've tried. Normally, the sav blanc's are quite fruity. This one is not as sweet, with more earthy, herbal tones, which make it ideal for pairing with foods such as seafood or chicken. Wine Spectator rated it 91 points. And at under $20, it's a steal!
	Z'IVO 2003 Pinot Noir Region: Willamette Valley, OR Rating: Not rated Release price: $50 Two Blondes' Two Cents: We recently opened a bottle purchased during last spring's Oregon wine trip and were blown away by the big, bold taste! It's probably one of the most intense Pinots we've ever enjoyed. According to the wine maker, you can age this up to 2013 but it's tasting great right now. We agree! With a wee bit of time in the decanter it was quite lovely. This Pinot is not widely distributed, so if you want to introduce your palette or your friends to a little-known gem, your best bet is to find it online. Check out www.walnutcitywineworks.com which is where we purchased it during our trip.
	Chateau Giscours Margaux 2000 Region: Bordeaux, France Rating: 92 points by Robert Parker Release Price: $56 Two Blondes' Two Cents: We couldn't wait any longer! On Easter we opened a bottle of 2000 Bordeaux (one of the greatest vintages of all time), and it was heavenly! Several years ago, we purchased this from a wine shop in Bordeaux upon the recommendation of the owner. He did not disappoint us! This wine is incredibly smooth with no trace of tannins. And it is very full bodied. We were surprised to find it available in the U.S. and a great price (many of the 2000 Bordeaux are currently running hundreds of dollars per bottle). You can buy it online from a wine store in Boston: www.blanchardsliquor.com/sku16588.html

return to top

Get Back Baby Back Ribs

If you love melt in your mouth ribs, try our recipe and pair it with the Kaiken Malbec recommended in our Raise Your Glass section of this issue.

• 2-3 Racks of Ribs (assume ½ rack per person with sides)
• Salt and pepper
• Dry Mustard (can substitute with yellow)
• Honey
• One bottle BBQ sauce (our favorites are Sweet Baby Rays and Bone Sucking Sauce)
  
  

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Boil the ribs for about 5 minutes to seal in the juices.

Lay each rack of ribs onto a long sheet of aluminum foil.

Rub the dry mustard onto both sides of the the ribs.

Generously salt and pepper both sides of the ribs.

Squirt a line of honey down the center of one side of the ribs, use a brush and spread all over that side of the ribs. Repeat on the other side of the ribs.

Fold the aluminum foil over each rack of ribs.

Carefully pour about ¼ cup of water into the foil under the ribs.

Finish wrapping the ribs completely in foil. Ensure the foil is very tight. Use additional pieces of foil to ensure all of the ribs are covered.

Place the ribs into a baking pan and into oven.

Cook for 30 minutes.

Reduce temperature to 250 degrees.

Cook ribs at lower temp for at least 2.5 more hours.

Just before serving, unwrap the ribs and brush with BBQ sauce. Return to oven to warm sauce. Cook remaining sauce on stove top and serve in bowl for dipping. Bon appetít!

return to top

Past issues of Two Blondes are available for your reading pleasure.

December 2006
Best gifts for wine lovers
Our favorite Top 100 Wines of the Year
Don Melchor Concha y Toro Cab
Kim Crawford Sav. Blanc
Duval-Leroy Champagne
Argyle Pinot
Greg Norman Estates Cab-Merlot
Recipe: Primed to Please Prime Rib


November 2006
Pack your bags: Willamette Valley
2004 Beaux Freres Pinot Noir Belles Soeurs
NV Argyle Sparkling Wine NV
2005 Whitehall Lane Chairman's Selection Cabernet Sauvignon
2004 Barnard Griffin Merlot
Smoked salmon appetizers recipe
Traditional turkey dressing recipe

November 2005
Nouveau: Get it While it Lasts
Let’s Talk Turkey (wine pairing)
NV Gloria Ferrar Brut
Foxen 2001 Foothills Reserve
Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Cab
Pannaroz 2004
Ferrari-Carano Fume Blanc 2004
Hot Clams on the Half Shell Recipe
Say Cheese: A Wine Perfect Assortment

Summer 2005
Pack your bags: Alsace
Dopff and Irion Les Murailles Riesling
Kenwood Sauvignon Blanc
Miner Sauvignon Blanc
Ferrari Carano Fumé Blanc 2004
Spicy shrimp skewers recipe
Tantalizing tuna tartar recipe

Spring 2005
Understanding wine ratings
Kim Crawford 2003 Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough
Sebastiani 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley
Goat cheese Florentine appetizer recipe
Bacon wrapped dates recipe

Holiday Issue 2004
Hosting a holiday dinner
Argyle 2003 Pinot Noir
Chandon Blanc de Noirs NV
Roasted leg of lamb recipe

Autumn 2004
How it all began/the inaugural issue
Ordering wine in a restaurant
Whitehall Lane Sauvignon Blanc 2002
Little Neck Clams in Spicy Broth Recipe

return to top