02/09/07 Phelps le Mistral

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran. As most of you already know my new favorite wine is usually the wine that is in my glass at the time. After all, who would waste their time drinking wine they don't really like? This past fall I spent nearly a month working in California and I realized that my palate had grown quite Washington centric. So it took me awhile to get reacquainted with the California palate. One of the wines that truly jumped out at me was one of Napa's old timers Joseph Phelps. The wine is the 2004 Le Mistral and it is a blend of primarily Syrah and Grenache seasoned with small amounts of the grapes Petite Syrah and Alicante Bouchey. The grapes all grown in Monterrey County create a wine true to the quality Joseph Phelps winery has been known. The berry qualities are reminiscent of strawberry and is accompanied by peppery spice all held together with a perfect balance of tannins and acids, which make it superb with or without food. I recently had it with a savory pulled pork dish and it was no surprise to me how well they paired. The wine is most easily tracked down by visiting the Joseph Phelps winery website and I must say is well worth the effort. Remember to send your wine questions to Linda at vine to wine dot net and thank you for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.