restaurantwine – Deep Red Cellar

Ashton Troy Wines is a fun off-shoot of Lauren Ashton Cellars (LAC). Fun because the wine is inspired by, Ashton (whose middle name is Troy), the 8 year old son of LAC winemaker Kit Singh and wife Riinu Rammal. Ashton wanted his own label so Kit and Riinu ran with the idea. Ashton Troy wines are created and marketed exclusively for restaurants with intentions to draw in a new fan base. Distribution is currently in Washington with plans to expand across the United States. If you hang out in Woodinville, you may see these wines make rare appearances at the Lauren Ashton Cellars tasting studio. One white and four reds make up the labels profile. The wines are purposefully bold to pair with restaurant fare. I had the opportunity to taste two of these wines and true to the Lauren Ashton reputation, they were a pleasure to drink.

Ashton Troy Bisou 2014, Columbia Valley

Grapes picked from Stillwater Creek, Upland, Quitessence, Les Collines and Dineen Vineyards located throughout the Columbia Valley AVA in Washington. A blend of 64% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Petit Verdot with 50% of the berries left whole and uncrushed for an initial partial fermentation. The wine was drained and pressed then fermented in French oak, undergoing malolactic fermentation before being racked and returned to the barrel to age for 28 months. The wine was then blended and bottled. Bisou was a luscious mouthful of boysenberry, plum, black cherry and black currants tailed by red pepper and masculine notes of earth and meat. Full bodied with a whole lot of character. This wine was lovely to drink on it’s own but would pair well with meat dishes.

Ashton Troy Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, Columbia Valley

Grapes harvested from Quintessence, Ambassador, Dineen, Sagemoor and Upland Vineyards in the Columbia Valley. A single varietal wine undergoing it’s makeover the same way Bisou did with bottling occurring after ageing 28 months in French oak. This wine is a powerhouse with emboldened flavors of juicy cherry, ripe plum, black currant and candied crab apple preserves integrated with baking spices. Sweet tobacco, vanilla, violet and mint are pleasing subtletys that sneak in as the wine sits on the palate before ending in a gratifying, drawn out finish. It drank very well and shows potential for even more rounding out in another 6-12 months. Restaurants (and their guests) will have the opportunity to see this wine improve with age.

A restaurant wine list can be overwhelming, sometimes looking more like a catalog. Even worse is the swanky restaurant that has a wine list delivered by a sommelier…intimidating to say the least. But take a breath. If a restaurant has a sommelier, thank them! The sommelier is there to help you! That should make you happy not intimidated. Talk with them on whatever level you are, and they will gladly meet you there.

Whether working with a sommelier or not, extensive wine lists should not be overwhelming. If you find yourself weaving through the pages of a wine list, here are a few tips to give you the upper hand. You can use just one of the tips or use them all to narrow down your decision:

Choose a grape variety – a helpful website to learn about grapes is www.nosnob.com/about-grapes. It will teach you information like, Merlot is pronounced “mur-lo,” it is a medium bodied, ruby colored wine tasting like cherry, plum and chocolate and pairs with pasta, grilled meat and chicken. No internet? Wine Folly: The Essential Guide to Wine by Madeline Puckette is an excellent source (you should buy this book anyway, it’s a great reference).

Choose your style of wine –

Sparkling (examples – Champagne, Cava, Prosecco)

Aromatic White (examples -Riesling, Gewurztraminer)

Light Bodied White (examples – unoaked Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio)

Full Bodied White (examples – oaked Chardonnay, Viognier, Roussanne)

Rosé (made with many varieties of grapes, think of style – fruity, dry)

Light Bodied Red (examples – Pinot Noir, Gamay)

Medium Bodied Red (Merlot, Grenache, Sangiovese)

Full Bodied Red (Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Syrah)

Choose by pairing the wine with your food – this is personal but there are general rules, if you would like more information, I wrote a post about a year ago on the subject: https://www.deepredcellar.com/pairing-wine-and-food/

Choose by price point – if a sommelier or wait staff is involved, pointing to a general price on the menu is a tactful way to give the sommelier an idea of your price range. This is especially helpful if you are on a first date or treating a group of people to wine and want to be incognito about how much you would like to spend.

Bottom line, it is your dining experience and your dollar, so take the time to make a decision that will make the occasion an enjoyable one.

Tag: restaurantwine

Ashton Troy Wines

How To Order Wine At A Restaurant