There's a Sinister Hand in My Wine

I mentioned in a recent post that I had visited the local Binny's superstore and picked up two really interesting wines from Owen Roe in Oregon. The first was the Abbot's Table consisting of grapes harvested from the Yakima Valley.

The second had an even more interesting back story. As it turns out, winemaker and owner Owen Roe is a descendant of the Irish patriot Owen Roe O'Neill. His family crest depicts a particular event in family history.

The story goes that the O'Reillys and the O'Neills were competing for a particularly choice piece of ground that both families strongly desired.  In order to determine which family received the ground they agreed to a rowing competition where the first to touch the ground was awarded the land.

One of Owen Roe's kinsman saw that they were falling behind so he took his sword and severed his hand and threw it on the ground (thereby "touching" first). The O'Neill's were able to take possession of this ground as a result and the gentleman with the severed hand?

He became the king of this land. Now that's what I call thinking outside the box.  I'm pretty sure from that point on the O'Reilly family became sticklers for putting all the rules out there . . . and specifically stating that all body parts must remain attached to the owner to count.

But that describes the "do what it takes" attitude that I think Owen Roe brings to his wines -- especially to his Sinister Hand blend. One of the things I liked about this wine was its homage to a good Chateauneuf du Pape.

Loosely translated as the Pope's New Castle, Chateauneuf du Pape leans heavily on the Grenache grape (as much as 80% of the blend can come from the Grenache grape. This grape is valued for its fruitiness and added body without a lot of tannins.

Frankly, this wine was a real pleasure to drink.  It exhibited a lot of the fruit characteristics of the Grenache but really benefits from the blending with Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsoult. Together this wine brings a depth that can stand up to a steak and the subtlety to not overpower tilapia.

Here's how Owen Roe describes the wine:  "Aromas of spicy red hots, cinnamon and pine lead to a bursting mouth-feel of cassis, white pepper and granite. Fruity notes of raspberry and blackberry enhance this structured, firm tannin blend and finish with hints of rosemary and clove."

I can't really say that I can get that out of the wine but I will say that it surpassed my expectations. And even though I wouldn't likely give up my left hand for this wine, I will be venturing back to Binny's to pick up some more of this wine because it's sold out online.

Guess I'll have to wait until next year!

Like a Kid In a Candy Store

Today I made my first visit to the Binny's Beverage Depot around the corner from my house. This is one of the largest I've been through.

Aisle after aisle of wines, beers and spirits.

I really was like a kid in the candy store.  I saw thousands of bottles of wine . . . many of which I hadn't seen before. Lately I've been interested in various blends rather than a specific varietal over another.

A couple of years ago a friend had given me a bottle of Owen Roe Sharecropper's Pinot Noir from Oregon's Willamette Valley that I really loved. I spent three years in the mid-80s in the Willamette Valley. Unfortunately, the Willamette Valley AVA was created only in 1984 (when I arrived) but I wasn't much of a wine drinker at the time.

I think I wasted three and half years in the Valley and missing out on the launch of some really fine wines. I'm always interested in how wines get their names. In visiting the Owen Roe website, I discovered a lot about how each wine got their names.

It appears that in the early years of the winery (2001), Oregon's grape growers had a hard time selling their fruit and the winery didn't want to miss out on great fruit but couldn't buy the fruit because they didn't have the resources.  They resorted to an age old practice and shared the profits with the growers.  A win/win for everyone.

Tonight's dinner was a simple dinner of some potato wedges and Italian beef sandwiches.  The Italian beef came from my favorite grocery in Chicago, Caputo's. You get the beef and the jus all you need to add is the Turano buns. A perfectly simple meal.

Ideal for an evening of watching movies.

As I mentioned I picked up a couple of Owen Roe wines, Sinister Hand and Abbot's Table. I chose the Abbot's Table. The founder and winemaker of Owen Roe, David O'Reilly once heard of the generosity of those within the many monasteries would offer a weary traveler a place to dine at their table.

He thought he'd try it out on one of his European trips and found himself seated at the Abbot's table sharing delicious wines and sharing stories of travels. On his return he created this wonderful wine in honor of his visit.

This wine is a blend of fruit from the Yakima Valley. It includes Zinfandel, Sangiovese, Blaufrankisch, Merlot and Malbec. Quite a mix of wines from several regious around the world. This is where the winemaker earns his marks.

This wine was a real treat. I can't wait for tonight when I open a bottle of the Sinister Hand. I'll be digging into the story behind that one, too.