The beginnings of years are fantastic. A lot of much needed pulling oneself together happens then. To many people January also means spending a month without a drop of alcohol after the not-so-dry holiday season. We’re not going to be so drastic here in Socrates’ kitchen, but continue to follow the path of indulging in moderation. When it comes to wines, for me the beginning of the year means almost fully focusing on red’s. A lot of sparkling was drank before and after New Year’s Eve so now it’s easy to focus on surviving the winter with the help of warming red wine.
As the year’s first bottle for the weekend I’m suggesting an organic red wine named Cameleon coming from Mendoza, Argentina. Made from Cabernet Sauvignon, the Coca-Cola of red grapes, the wine has a fairly full but light color. The bluish red color suggests that the wine is still quite young.
On the nose there are dark berries and spices. The berries are also on the palate and the medium-bodied taste brings to mind cranberries with caramel sauce (!). The wine has a solid acidic structure and slightly tight tannins which calm down if you chill the wine. The aftertaste is somewhat short.
Cameleon is a really pleasant and balanced wine that works fine on it’s own when chilled but really blossoms when accompanied by meaty dishes. You could for example make a wintery stew from root vegetables of the season and organic beef.
Photo: Alko.fi
Tags: Argentina, beef, Cabernet Sauvignon, meat, Mendoza, organic, red wine, root vegetable, spicy
