Everyday Wine in the City - Carneros Pinot Noir 2011 by Merryvale Vineyards

Before Mijo left for the Philippines and Thailand for a relaxing vacation, we opened a bottle of Pinot Noir from Merryvale.  What's a guy to do with an open bottle of wine? I rarely drink alone but I had to finish this wine by pairing with my dinners at home.

As expected, this bottle was delicious and pairs well with different kinds of dishes and finger foods. Merryvale is one of my favorite reds.


This botte of Pinot Noir was one of the three bottles we brought home when we visited Merryvale Vineyards' tasting cellars in March of this year. This is why I expected this wine to be good. It was even tastier when paired with food.

[read about my wine tasting experience at Merryvale Vineyards,  April 2013]

I brought home some take-outs from an Indian restaurant called Tikka Masala on Judah St. and 7th Ave.  We paired the wine with chicken biryani, mixed vegetable curry and some garlic naan. The fruity attribute of this wine was hightened due to the spices in the biryani and the vegetables and the garlic flavor of  the naan.

 

Here I paired the wine with vegetarian and bacon quiches and some creamy cheeses and Italian salami from our local grocery. This wine has low tannin levels but I could taste a bit of bitterness after eating a couple of quiches but it got better after a couple of sips.

 

Here I paired the wine with slices of herb focacia bread from Acme Bread and bruschetta spread from Trader Joe's. Among the pairings I did with this wine, this pairing is the best one. Just the right amount of flavors from both the wine, the bread, the spread and the dips.

Here are my notes from the third pairing (with focacia breads):

Tasting Date: Week of May 20, 2013
Tasting Partner: n/a 
Wine Name: Merryvale Pinot Noir 
Producer: Merryvale Vineyards
Region/Appelation: Carneros (California) 
Grape Varieties: Pinot Noir 
Vintage: 2011
Alcohol: not indicated 
Color Hue: red
Aromas: cranberry, nuts, herbs 
Dry/Sweet: medium dry 
Body: Medium 
Acidity: Smooth 
Tannins: medium 
Flavors: nuts, italian herbs, cranberry, raisins

~rl