2. So how was the BBQ ?

As promised in the introduction, I am blogging the BBQ (or better still the wine), however let me start from the beginning. Knowing that this time I was going to write about the wine served,  I felt the "pressure" of what wine to choose. This is a dilemma that most of us have, "What wine will I serve to match the food?", "Will the guests enjoy the wine chosen?" "Red or White?". What should be a pleasant experience of eating and drinking with friends is already marred by some stressful decision.

Seeing me hassle around, my wife gave me a reality check by reminding me that it does not really matter what's best, as long as the wine is enjoyed by both the guests and us (She had already chosen what wine we were to open that evening). I must say that in a wide sense I fully agree with her statement. I would not suggest to serve a full bodied claret with seafood however wines can be quite versatile and their choice should depend on enjoyment rather than statistics.

The menu was quite varied, from spicy Greek olives to Spanish chorizo to marinated chicken on BBQ.  The chosen wine was a

Pinot Noir (Marlborough) 2006 Cellar Selection VILLA MARIA (NZ)

For all the Old World aficionados, this will be a shock. Its New World and screw cap!!! OK OK .. take a deep breath and continue reading. (For those who thrive on stats I will post those at the end.)

The wine presented itself well in the glass from the beginning. No need for decanting. In the glass it is clear and lively, dense, cherry/ruby red with negligible gradient towards the rim with heavy viscosity.

On the nose it is aromatic, complex, fully developed. Main aromas would be red and black berries and spice (reminding me of winter smells). Oak is also present but well integrated as are the tannins.

On the palate it was quite smooth with a nice long finish. It is mouth-filling, complex and spicy. Acidity was fresh and tannins well kept in check.

In layman's terms, it a nice wine that can be matched to tasty food and at the same time it is very smooth and pleasant however not easily overpowered. I would recommend this wine as it is versatile and will please most palates. It is not overwhelming to those who prefer their wines to be elegant however it will also please those who love forward fruity wines.

How should this wine be served?
Should this wine be opened/decanted before? I tasted this wine soon after I opened it and there was little to no change in the aroma/palate compared to up to 3 hours later. Being so consistent from the start my suggestion would be that there is no need to opening the wine before so it is fine to open it just before guests start to arrive. A serving temperature of around 16°C is fine.


Personally I try tasting the actual wine (privately) before serving it to make sure I'm not serving a faulty wine. This might be an even more important if the wine is quite old and/or has been stored in a less than ideal place or just bought from a store where ideal temperature control, light and vibrations among other things are not a priority.


Hope you'll enjoy this wine as much as I did.


(Please not that even if I would have tried these wines personally, most of the suggestions would be a personal preference and by no means an absolute.)

**** Four Stars

Readily available in Malta

Cost around 15 Euro

As promised here are some stats;

100% Pinot Noir
14% alcohol
pH 3.59
Total acidity 5.99
Residual Sugar NIL
Maturation in French barriques


That is all for today


S