Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, January 5, 2019

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FOOD & DRINK

Mountain Views-News Saturday, January 5, 2019 

TABLE FOR TWO by Peter Dills

thechefknows@yahoo.com


THE “KISS” METHOD

 As my father told me more then a 100 times, the “KISS” method of 
reviewing restaurants and wine is the way to please most of the people 
most of the time. So, I thought this would be a great time to introduce 
something new to our weekly print seminars and briefly discuss a few 
wine terms, I will include a new term each week. This week you get two.

 The first term is “fruit forward”. Many of us might think that has 
something to do with the sugar content or the sweetness of the wine, but 
it actually refers to the smell and taste of the wine. I have sampled many 
a bottle where the smell (thankfully) had nothing to do with the taste, 
as sometimes the wine needs to breathe. This could be from extended 
aging, but the word “forward” is our real clue here. Instead of the aroma 
of earthy, leathery, wet soil, you get the pleasant scent of ripe cherries, rich 
raspberries, or green apples, which are all enjoyable as you sip your wine. 
I have heard hundreds of terms, and sometimes I can only scratch my 
head and wonder how someone can smell a wine and detect things like 
whiffs of petrol, underripe nectarine pits, or tobacco leaves.

 The second term is one that I know makes sommeliers cringe: “jammy”. 
I get this one. Many blends and zinfandels that I have come tried remind me of a hot sweet blueberry pie – 
how is that a bad thing? Experts will say that novices like “jammy” wines because of the wine’s low acidity and 
absence of tannins. It really comes down to the fruit being ripe at the time of harvest.

 One wine that I enjoyed this past week is Meiomi Pinot Noir 2016 - a quintessential pinot noir. During 
my “nose test”, I immediately caught a good, spicy scent of alcohol. You may want to allow the wine to get 
some air for several minutes to avoid this effect. Sipping the Meiomi Pinot Noir, I noticed flavors of multiple 
bright berries. This lighter and brighter flavor contrasted well with the heavy appearance and milky mouth 
feel. Additionally, I noticed an initial chaos of complexity in the first taste. Things settled down a bit after the 
wine had a chance to breathe, releasing alluring aromas of fresh vanilla and a hint of raspberry, and, for you 
“oaky” lovers a small hint of that, too. This wine is a true find, and I like it! It has a big taste for a pinot - not too 
complex, with a great finish. All in all, I found it very enjoyable. I picked up a bottle recently at my local Vons. 
Fruit Forward? Check. Jammy? Check!

 

 Join me this Sunday afternoon at 12 noon on AM 830 KLAA and follow me on Instagram for my radio show 
Dining with Dills or reach me through my website peterdills.com.


The Gooden School, a co-ed, independent Episcopal school, K-8 | 192 N. Baldwin Ave., Sierra Madre| 626-355-2410 
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