An Egyptian wine dry like the desert

Wine with Hillary: Leftover Thanksgiving wine tips

Welcome to part two of the Thanksgiving wine extravaganza. This week we cover some more wines that should be good for Thanksgiving dinner. I would like to point out that these wines cost less than the average bake-shop pie and that it takes less time to uncork a bottle of wine than it does to make even the simplest of side dishes. So, for the student with three papers to write over the break (and I think that's almost everyone I know) this is the most minimal way to be a part of creating a fabulous Thanksgiving.

Wine with Hillary: The best of wines, the worst of wines

Before I get to this week's column let me first say a few words about that most basic necessity, the corkscrew. Throughout my years as a wine drinker, I have had the unfortunate experience of having the corkscrew break while opening a bottle on three separate occasions.

Wine with Hillary

An Egyptian wine dry like the desert

This piece represents the opinion of the author:

April 8, 2005

Hurrah for spring and with it the resurrection of the weekly wine column! I have finally returned from Egypt, where the wine industry is only just recovering from its nationalization under Nasser in the 60s. To date, there are only four major brands of wine in Egypt: Omar Khayyam, Obelisk, Grand Marquis and Cru de Ptolemees. The first three produce a red and a white varietal; Cru de Ptolemees only produces a white. Of the four brands, the best is the Grand Marquis label, which, if not exciting or delectable, is at worst very drinkable, if a bit bland. General opinion is that the whites and especially the Cru de Ptolemees are not very good. I have not imbibed the Cru de Ptolemees, but from what I hear, I would rather drink the salty desert sand. However, it is best not to dwell on the swill of the past, and instead let me move onto the wine I tried last night.

Bolla 1999 Amarone della Valpolicella?The wine was rather reluctant to be opened; the cork first destroyed our opener and then fell to pieces. A most frustrating experience, I assure you; it was no match for my favorite physics major and for this I am exceedingly grateful, as were my other guests. The bottle suggests that you uncork it two to three hours before drinking. We did not actually realize this until we had already started our first glasses. I would recommend this, as the wine most obviously needed time to breathe. The wine is a beautiful, rich, deep brownish red color. We found it to be well balanced and left a dry taste in the mouth (prompting one of my tasters to ask if that's why dry wines are called 'dry'). It has a subtle, sweet bitterness, and we were most reminded of dried dark fruits such as black cherries, figs and raisins. One of my tasters also found it to be rather smoky. This is a luxury wine and I recommend giving it the appropriate time and food pairing. We suggest rich complex flavors such as pasta with roasted tomatoes, mushrooms, and smoked bacon. $27.99 at the NH State Liquor Store, and well worth it.

The New Hampshire State Liquor stores are having excellent wine sales throughout the month of April. All Spanish and German wines are ten percent off and there is a large selection of bottles at 25 percent off. Happy drinking!

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