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Yard Dog Proprietary White Blend 2006 and One Fierce Shrimp Quesadilla

Being a health and fitness nut is not incompatible with a love for eating. Summer is the season for fresh produce, so this evening I went out and picked some tomatoes, peppers and herbs. My plan: to do some simple culinary blending that will illustrate the beauty of Yard Dog White 2006, a creative blend that's selling very well here in Nashville.

The garden is just starting to provide a yield. But I was able to pick a bunch of sweet banana peppers, and a "Holy Mole" pepper, as well as several small heirloom tomatoes, called Lime Green Salad and Black Cherry. I also gathered up a bunch of onion chives, flat leaf parsley, and sweet basil. Now, it's time to make a Shrimp Quesadilla.

I google shrimp quesadilla and find a number of similar approaches. Now I'm ready to improvise. Nobody mentioned garden fresh peppers, but I'm going to incorporate them. To make one fierce shrimp quesadilla, here's what I put together:

Shrimp: 1/2 pound thawed, USA wild caught, 30 per pound, de-veined. I look for USA wild caught, because they are not on the Monterey Bay Aquarium's list of seafood to "Avoid", unlike imported farm raised and wild caught shrimp, which are. These shrimp, I marinate 20 minutes in Stirrings Margarita Mix, plus copious chopped chives and parsley, as well as a shake or two of Mrs. Dash Garlic and Old Bay seasoning. I set these aside in the refrigerator.

I chop:

• 1/4 to 1/2 sweet Vidalia onion, depending on size
• 1/2 good sized fresh "Holy Mole" pepper, seeds and membranes removed
• 1 sweet banana pepper, seeds removed
• 1/5 sweet red pepper, seeds removed
• These peppers and onions are sweated in olive oil for 5-10 minutes on low-medium heat.

Meanwhile, I begin heating and browning 2 whole wheat soft tortillas.

Once the onions and peppers are transparent, I add the shrimp and marinade and reduce the mixture as the shrimp poach. This only takes 5 or 6 minutes. Now, it's assembly time.

Leave one browning tortilla in its non-stick pan, and put a little handful of "Mexican Cheese" (I used 2% milk variety) on the bottom tortilla. Now add half the peppers and onions. Next add all the shrimp (except the ones you ate already). Add the other half of the peppers and onions. Add another small handful of "Mexican Cheese". Finally, add the top tortilla. The skillet is on medium heat. Once the whole quesadilla has melted together, turn it and brown it on the other side.

Serve with a side of chopped heirloom salad tomatoes (I used the Lime Green and Black Cherry ones from the garden), mixed with fresh sweet basil. You might also serve with some rice, seasoned how you like. Finally, drizzle the quesadilla with a sour cream concoction that is thinned out with the Stirrings Margarita Mix that I mentioned earlier. Lastly, top with chopped flat leaf parsley and onion chives.

Yard Dog proprietary white blend is a summer wine, ideal for creative fusion dishes, because it's a perfect blend of white wine flavors and textures. A little of this and a little of that comes together resulting in a very successful bottle of wine that will disappear quickly as it keeps you guessing what all is in it.

What's in it is Chardonnay (55%), Sauvignon Blanc (15%), Riesling (15%), Semillon (10%) and Viognier (5%). The color is bright lemon straw. It's not sweet! It's crisp and dry, yet refreshing. On the nose you will pick up a citrus medley, plus some cold blossoms and a slightly peachy keen-ness. On the tongue the citrus dominates, playing out as lemon, lime and grapefruit, plus you might get some nectarine and green apple. The whole thing stays together, creating a flavor that's charismatic. And it's sure to be the perfect thing to wash down a shrimp quesadilla, or even potato salad on the way to a hot dog off the grill.

Red Head Wine Studios, out of the McLaren Vale area in Australia, did a great job with keeping the price down on this fun white. Their Yard Dog proprietary red blend is equally impressive. 5,500 cases of the 2006 white blend were produced. Both of these wines are selling extremely well in Nashville this year.

Price: $9 (Nashville). Closure: Screw cap. Alcohol content: 13.7%.

Yard Dog is imported by Vine Street Imports out of Philadelphia. Winewaves has reviewed several of their wines recently. We are in no way affiliated with Vine Street. They are obviously on a hot streak right now, which is why we have featured several of their wines.

Marquis Philips R Wines Roogle Riesling 2007

Move over Chardonnay; Riesling is back in our refrigerator, thanks to the Roogle. After a long hiatus from drinking Riesling, Roogle Riesling 2007 has put this grape back on our list this summer. It's hot outside and this Riesling is like air conditioning in a wine bottle.

Thirty years ago, Riesling was a much more popular grape. Popularity has declined and many wine lovers have had little interest in recent years. The Roogle could help spark greater interest in the grape, due to it's cutting edge styling and the Wine Advocate's 90 point assessment of this vintage.

We expect most American and German Rieslings to be too sweet for most occasions, and those from Alsace and Australia are typically bone dry and not what we expect. Roogle gets it right with perfect balance, almost dry but with just enough residual sugar to coax a smile out of anyone. Riesling at its best does a great job of carrying a little bit of sugar, due to its tart acidity. This is Riesling at its best for seasonal everyday drinking, especially to get summer evenings started.

All the talk about sugar and sweetness takes away from the real heart of the matter, the layers of nature that unveil themselves in the nose. Without requiring manipulation such as oak or malolactic fermentation, Roogle Riesling delivers a plethora of aromatic purity. When the glass is empty you just want to keep smelling the residue. There's honey, apricots, perfume and a whole lot more to keep your brain occupied trying to identify.

On the tongue the tartness tickles you while the restrained sweetness rewards you. You get to experience that "mineral" character you hear wine guys like me talking about. Some Riesling fans refer to it as "slate". And the finish is like a shower and a fresh outfit, clean and refreshing all over.

We hope to see more Riesling of this caliber at this price. Meanwhile, we'll drink more Roogle while the summer and the wine lasts (It's going fast).

Price: $11 (Nashville). Closure: Screw cap. Alcohol content: 13.5%.

R Wines is a partnership between Grateful Palate's Dan Philips and renowned Australian wine maker Chris Ringland. Winewaves recently reviewed Bitch Barossa Grenache 2006, and named Dan Philips wine marketer of the year for 2006, as well as Chris Ringland wine maker of the year, also for 2006.

First Love White 2006

Let's keep it simple. There is a season. You are here. Be in the moment. When it's hot and Mercury is retrograde, a vacation is the best prescription.

It may be turning winter in Australia, but First Love White 2006 stops time and delivers the essence of summer just as we hit our longest and warmest days. Head to a coast. Gather up the fruitful fresh bounty of the season, and unscrew a well chilled bottle of wine. This white blend from Australia really is what the bottle says it is: "Fruit salad in a bottle".

The blend is Semillon (65%), Riesling (30%), and Viognier (5%). The color is light golden straw. You may experience aromas of apple, apricot, and melon. Delightfully dry yet quite fruity, expect a nice body and a refreshing wet finish.

Price (Nashville): $11. Closure: Screw cap. Alcohol content: 13%.

Henry's Drive Pillar Box White 2006

The aroma is so fresh, it glows in the dark. Just follow your nose to your glass. Here is an innovative way to use Chardonnay grapes.

Pillar Box White follows the successful model of Pillar Box Red. This boîte blanche combines great ingredients, talented winemaking, an immediately accessible slightly off-dry style and an everyday price.

The blend is 66% Chardonnay, 20% Sauvignon Blanc and 14% Verdelho, sourced from Padthaway Australia. Chris Ringland of Henry's Drive is credited as Winemaker and Dan Phillips of Grateful Palate imports and markets it.

Excellent value ($10).  Closure: Screw cap.  Alcohol content: 12.5%.

Style: Unwooded, juicy tart, light and zesty refreshment.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Pale straw with a greenish tint. Aromas: Melon, lime, pear, plus grassy and flinty notes. The mouthfeel is citrusy tart and light-bodied. The sweet and sour lime and orange rind flavors are refreshing with just a touch of mineral and a clean well-balanced finish, albeit barely off-dry.

Comment: Spring forward, pucker up and clean your palate.

Winewaves reviewed Pillar Box Red 2005.

Woop Woop Chardonnay 2006

Unseasoned with oak, Chardonnay becomes more subtle and fruit forward in the nose, but then you really taste and feel the pure fruit intensity, and the finish is more refreshing.  What is really refreshing is when you find an unwooded Chardonnay that doesn't cost more than oaked ones.  After all, with oak barrels at $800+ each, one expects a discount for bypassing the wood.

Woop Woop* Chardonnay is a project between Penny’s Hill winemaker Ben Riggs and owner Tony Parkinson, imported by Seattle-based Epicurean.  The 100% Chardonnay fruit was sourced from Swan Hill, Victoria and McLaren Vale in south eastern Australia.  Yields this vintage were moderately light, at under 5 tons/acre.

Tasting Notes: Color: Light straw.  Aromas: Pear, apple and hints of gooseberry, lime and orange.  The mouthfeel is light-bodied with nice round citrusy fruity flavors which are intensely refreshing in the tart finish.

Outstanding value ($10).  Closure: Screw cap.  Alcohol content: 13%.

Winewaves reviewed the 2005 vintage of Woop Woop Chardonnay.

*Woop Woop is Australian slang for "the middle of nowhere".

Cape Mentelle Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2005

This Australian version of a white Bordeaux is "something different" and turns out to be worth the detour, for its complexity and near perfection.

Cape Mentelle* Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2005 is a 50/50 blend (actually 49/49 + 2% Chardonnay) of Margaret River fruit, half from the estate.  A minor portion of the lots (15%) underwent fermentation in new oak barrels. 

Tasting Notes: Color: Pale straw with a greenish tint.   Aromas: Lemony citrus, melon, and spearmint.  Light bodied, clean and somewhat minerally on the tongue, with grapefruit, white peach, ginger and flint essences that finish dry and palate-cleansing.

Excellent value ($15).   Closure: Screw cap.   Alcohol content: 13.7%.

Food pairing: Shrimp gumbo.

*Cape Mentelle is now part of the Moët Hennessy Wine Estates, having been established by David and Mark Hohnen in the 1970s.  The Mentelle namesake comes from the French brothers who charted the area.  Robert Mann took over as Senior Winemaker in December, 2005.

Premium 3 Liter Bag-in-Box Chardonnay - Hardy's Stamp Australia 2005 & Black Box Monterey 2005

After spending a couple of weeks with several premium Box Chardonnays in the refrigerator, I'm looking for more of them to try.  In addition to the benefits of lower cost per glass, freshness, convenience, and ease, there is another benefit: the easy to recycle box.

Instead of hauling four glass bottles to the recycle center, you can open the box, remove the bag and spout inside, fold the box and put in your curbside recycle bin (in Nashville glass is not permitted in the curbside bin).

Here's a tip: The bag inside is likely to have a glass of wine left in it when the tap stops.  Therefore, when you remove the bag to recycle the box, just throw that bag (and that last glass of wine inside) in your refigerator for later.  To get the remainder out, cut through the top corner of the bag and pour it out.  This last bit is perfect for cooking, and fine for drinking.

Hardy's Stamp Australia 2005 - Tasting Notes: Color: Light straw.  Peach, vanilla and whiffs of smoke introduce this light, slightly sweet, fruity and tart Chardonnay.  Alcohol content: 13.0%.  Excellent value ($14/3.0 Liter = $3.50/750ml equivalent).

Black Box Monterey Chardonnay 2005 - Tasting Notes: Color: Light golden straw.  Juicy fruity tropical aromas are merged with hints of buttersotch in this nicely dry, clean Chardonnay.  The apple and pear flavors are charged with lemon and tinted by oak.  Alcohol content: 13.5%.
Excellent value ($18/3.0 Liter = $4.50/750ml equivalent).

Constellation Brands owns Black Box and Hardy's.   Ryan Sproule, the Winemaker and Founder at Black Box could be credited with inventing the 3.0 Liter premium box wine category.  Constellation is currently the most aggressive marketer in this fast-growing segment.

Mollydooker "The Violinist" Verdelho 2006

The first 2006 vintage wine spotted in Nashville came to town highly rated, reasonably priced, and in short supply. Sparky and Sarah Marquis wasted no time bringing their new label Mollydooker to the USA, after they ended their involvement with Dan Philips' Marquis Philips label.

Mollydooker is Australian for "left-handed".  The label was designed by Sarah Marquis, who like her husband Sparky, is left-handed.  When she was a child, she was required to play the violin right-handed to avoid the scene depicted on "The Violinist".

Verdelho is also known as Verdejo in Spain (popular in Rueda), and is a delicate grape prone to fast oxidation. Sparky Marquis reports the composition of "The Violinist" 2005 is 100% Verdelho from 10-year-old vines in McLaren Vale. All the wine spent time on the lees, but malolactic fermentation was not allowed. A portion was fermented and aged 25 days in new French and American oak.

Tasting Notes: Color: Pale straw with a greenish tint.  Aromas: Sweet melon, mango, pineapple, lemon and hints of flint and smoke.  Tart and citrusy at first, then the bright fruit flavors evolve into a creamy and well rounded-off texture, which finishes crisp and clean.  Alcohol: 15%.

Closure: Screw cap.  Excellent value ($16).  Food pairing: Fresh cut fruit.  Cases produced: 1300.

Winewaves recently posted a picture of Sparky Marquis when he was in Nashville on July 18th.

Mollydooker Wines Arrive in Nashville - Introduced by Co-Owner Sparky Marquis

Sparky Marquis, who together with wife Sarah are introducing Mollydooker wines, escorted their first vintage into the Nashville market this past week. Mollydooker means "left-handed", which is how Sparky invites a handshake. Included in the 4-item line is the first 2006 wine spotted in Nashville, a white wine, a Verdelho called "The Violinist".  Reds are the main focus however, with a 2005 Shiraz called "The Boxer", a 2005 Cabernet called "The Maitre' D", and a 2005 Shiraz-Cab-Merlot blend called "Two Left Feet".  The clever labels, which play on the awkwardness of being left-handed, and which contain multiple levels of 1930's-rooted visual interest, are the idea of left-handed Sarah Marquis.

My first impression was strongly positive for all these wines. Look for full reviews and label shots of these wines, upcoming on Winewaves.

A rapid sellout of their first vintage is likely given that The Wine Advocate (Robert Parker) blessed the lineup with all 92+ ratings, the prices are affordable ($15 white, $20 reds), and the first year's release is only 30,000 cases.

Pictured left to right, above: Jeff Warzynski, Wine Manager, Frugal MacDoogal Wine Warehouse in Nashville; Sparky Marquis, co-Owner and Winemaker at Mollydooker.  Jeff is holding a bottle of "The Boxer" Shiraz, as Sparky holds a bottle of "The Violinist" Verdelho.

Winewaves recently reviewed the Marquis' previously released Marquis-Philips Shiraz 2004.  The Marquis-Philips label was the joint project of California importer Dan Philips and Sparky and Sarah Philips.  Philips now owns the Marquis-Philips label, while the Marquis' Grapes International imports Mollydooker to the USA.

Woop Woop Australia Chardonnay 2005

Woop Woop Chardonnay 2005 was made by Ben Riggs (Winemaker at Penny's Hill), from Southeastern Australia contract-grown 100% Chardonnay, and imported by Epicurean.  Woop Woop is slang for "the middle of nowhere", or what Tennesseans call "the boonies".

Vinification included cold fermentation and stabilization in stainless steel (Unwooded). 90 points. Color: Lemony straw, with a slight greenish tint. Aromas: Fresh tropical fruit, primarily pineapple, orange and grapefruit, backed by hints of spices (nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger) and cold blossoms. The mouthfeel is crisp, tart and dry with a nice round body. Tropical fruit and citrusy flavors echo in the crisp refreshing unsweet finish. Closure: Screw cap. Retail: $11. Value: Excellent.