Wine Blog Wednesday #16

2003 le jaja de jau


For the 16th version of Wine Blogging Wednesday, hosted by Derrick at "An Obsession with Food (and Wine)", the theme is "Judging a Wine by Its Label". For the wrap-up of all the entries visit his site in a few days or hours.

This label/wine caught my eye at the local supermarket amongst a thousand other labels while I was gathering groceries for last Saturday's dinner. I put it in the basket soley on the label as I had never heard of this producer before. It is a Syrah/Grenache (60/40) blend from the Pyrennes area in France. I was expecting a smoky, big fruit wine with good tannins and a short to medium finish. I have no idea how to pronounce it. The back label suggested that it be served well-chilled which should have been a clue as to what I was about to taste.

The cork is a two piece synthetic type which is great for golf balls, but not my choice for wine. The color is pale red; earthy/cherry nose (more Grenache than Syrah); somewhat abrupt finish; a bit thin for my liking. I wanted to like this wine because I liked the label and applaud their decision to stay away from cute animals, but I think there are many other better $10 wines out there. The $9 Cuvee de Pena comes immediately to mind! I would probably not re-order.

I paired with my chili for dinner and as expected it did not hold up well, although the remnants of the 2001 Santa Duc Heritage (which is 100% Grenache) saved the day. The "Jaja" did open up later and and was less tight but I would overall peg it as a young, fresh simple "vin de pay" or table wine. If I tried it again, I would chill it and drink in the warmer months.

The following is from the website:

The estate spans the villages of Cases de Pêne, Estagel, and Tautavel, occupying 134 cultivated hectares planted in eleven classic Mediterranean varietals. The magnificent hillside vineyards were completely revitalized by removing neglected vines and cumbersome stone.

The vineyards of the Château de Jau were painstakingly revitalized by ripping up the old neglected vineyards and crushing the stone upturned in the process. The rebuilding of the vineyards at Château de Jau, overseen by winemaker Estelle Dauré, represents some of the most ambitious and exciting work undertaken in the Roussillon in the last twenty years. This revitalization has allowed the Dauré family to create the incredible wines produced today.

What does "JAJA" mean?:
"Jaja" is a slang for the region's delicious full-flavored, everyday wines. It is the house selection in local bistros and restaurants. The Label was designed by Benjamin Vauthier - founder of the “fluxxes” movement in contemporary and graphic art.

HARVEST & AGEING
Harvested along with the wines for its older brother, Cotes du Rousillon Village Rouge and blended with wines from neighboring vineyards. Jaja is vinified to preserve all the ripe fruit of each vintage. Bottled early to preserve bright fresh fruit flavors.

WINEMAKER’S NOTES
A chunky, peppery red with smoky kirsch/blackcurrant and herbs de Provence scents; delicate floral nose, well-balanced tannins and acid; hints of raspberry on the palate; light, simple, and straightforward. Grape Varieties: 60% Syrah, 40% Grenache

Another Wine Garage

Next time I'm in Singapore I think I will drop in to visit the Wine Garage!

Jens' Chili Recipe

REVISED DECEMBER 2010



Bet you didn't know I knew how to cook! I was introduced to this recipe by a friend in Los Angeles back in the early 70's when I used to crash on his Mom's couch in Malibu for weeks on end. Remind me to send them a much belated and well deserved thank you note. If I knew their email address I would send them this recipe for proofing as I am sure I got much of this wrong, but this is all from memory and it was the 70s.

And this is more of a classic Western/Mexican stew and 180 degrees from so-called "Cincinnati Chili" and has no flour, cinnamon, chocolate or whatever they put in it, and noodles are for pasta and not chili.

It is a on-the-fly type of recipe with inexact quantities, but over time I have learned to make a good impression by my improvisations. Of course, it is much better warmed up the next day.

Throw into a large pot 2 large cans of diced tomatoes and 2 medium cans of red kidney beans (drained). Cast iron is the best so spend the $30 for a Lodge pot you cheapskate. Start over low heat. [Ed note: I am getting good results with black beans lately.]

Dice up 2 medium onions (sweet Vidalia are the best) into medium chunks and saute in a large skillet (cast iron again but not a requirement) with olive oil and lots of minced garlic. Real cloves are the best but I usually cheat and use pre-minced. Sorry, just don't tell my foodie friends. Add a touch of raw sugar to get some caramelized flavors going.

Saute until translucent and a bit roasted then add to the big pot.

Chop 2 or 3 bell peppers (I like different colors, but they all taste the same) and saute until soft. Add to the large simmering pot.

Saute until brown a couple lbs. of ground beef (or chicken, or sausage, or stew beef, or road kill -- but don't tell your guests if you select the latter as many are squeamish but I bet squirrel would be very flavorful, at least in Winter when decay is minimized). The cheaper the better. You can drain the grease if you want, or not. Throw into the pot. Stir often.

Add salt, pepper, chili pepper, cayenne (the amount here will determine whether it is 1,2,3,4,5 alarm), half a jar of salsa, and any other spice that is lying around. I like cumin, thyme, sage and cilantro. Sometimes I skip the requisite bay leaf as I always end up eating it! And I start slow on the spices and add as the evening progresses. Which usually works, but recently having seen "True Grit" I went overboard on the sage.

You can play around with other spices, as it is "your" chili, but watch the pot as it simmers to get the right consistency. Too much water, take the lid off. Too dry, add more beer. Voila! Only if life were just that easy.

I find that any type of heavy Red wine goes well here in the final stages, from Cab to slutty Cali Zins, or go with strong, dark micro beers. Sometimes I even put some in the chili! Well, actually I always put at least one half bottle of cheap beer in the pot instead of water. Water is way over rated.

Now, eat some cheese and crackers and wait an hour or two while drinking copious amounts of wine or beer, but lay off the tequila as your taste buds will be seared by the cayenne. Patience will be rewarded, just like in life.

In one to three hours you will be rewarded and the more it cooks, the better it tastes. As to the heat levels, I try to get a very mild burn in the front end that builds slowly but steadily as you power through the bowl until you should have some good perspiration at the end. Having a quart of milk around is always a sound idea.

And if you don't like heat, then head to Clifton. The Skyline on Ludlow is open until 4am on the weekend.

Garnish with a grated sharp cheese (packaged will do as this is not Mobil 5 star dining) and sour cream. And warm corn bread is a great flourish, like I know how to make that. So I buy the corn muffins from Fresh Market and slice them up.

Bon Appetite!

Welcome to the New and Improved Blog

I have begun this blog site in case I need to move the old blog. I will copy the contents of the old one to the new one. More to follow. Got to run, it's my $250 an hour attorney on the phone!