Cigars and Wine

[N8DCJ]

Ok , I usually drink Bourbon (Woodford) when I smoke cigars in the evening...

But , my girlfriend isn't a huge fan of Bourbon but she is starting to experiment with wines , I am a total wine novice , so , I was wondering what wines go with what types of smokes... since I am currently on milder/smoother sticks (think Ashton etc..) on my way back to stronger cigars... what would you recommend ...

not only after a particular type but also brands etc... 0h , and affordable...

Thanks

Dan

[jazznut]

I'd suggest fortified wines over table wines. And, given that she's just starting to explore wines, the traditionally styled (a little sweet, but not too much so) white Port pictured above is probably as good a place to start as any. It's very reasonably priced to boot.

If this one goes down well, then the two of you might want to branch out into red Port (Ruby, Late Bottled Vintage, Vintage, Tawny - the latter can be really tasty if bottled at 10 years of age or more), Sherry and Madeira.

[N8DCJ]

Jazznut

Ok , I will look around and see what I can find ..

I have been looking around a little and it seems lots of people seem to like the Spanish Wines with cigars as they are a bit smoky and can cut through the cigar taste too...

thoughts ?

Dan

[macsauce13]

Jazznut knows his stuff, let me say that.

That said, I'm not sure I agree with starting a newbie on Port. I hate the stuff. I'd recommend starting with a nice, sweet Pinot Noir like Mark West. Or start with a sure thing winner and go with a red blend like Apothic or Cocobon which can be found at Trader Joe's.

Wine's are tough to choose when you don't know what you're doing, but experimenting is the only way to figure it out. Much like cigars.

[beevod]

Any wine goes with any cigar....experiment.

[N8DCJ]

well after reading a bunch of stuff on the internet I went to Kroger to see what I could find , I was looking for some Spanish wines but couldn't find any ...

so I picked out this one....
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That I had with this ...
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I also bough this bottle which I will probably try out this weekend...



The Koonunga Hill seemed to work pretty good with the Punch cigar...

I am new to wine and am looking forward to the journey through them just as I am with the cigars , should keep me busy for some time to come...

Dan

[jazznut]

Those are two pretty sage selections, Dan.

If you ARE going to go the table wine route in terms of pairings, it makes sense to stick to wines that tend towards the riper, sweeter end of the flavour spectrum. New World wines (such as the two you mentioned above) - as well as others made in a more 'modern' style - will generally tend to have higher residual sugar levels than more 'traditionally' vinified ones.

What you don't want (in terms of pairing) are wines that are quite tannic/acidic AND dry, dry, dry. Pairing these will tend to accentuate any astringent/acidic/tannic qualities in a cigar.

As well as fortified wines (which I've suggested above, largely owing to their usually higher levels of residual sugar and/or higher alcohol levels, which aid in cleansing one's palate), many dessert wines (such as Sauternes or like-constituted ones) should work well, too.

One more thing that makes for an excellent match is CHOCOLATE!

And, as always, make sure you have a glass of water on the side.

[grtrx]

My thoughts, for what they are worth

Spain is an amazing place, great wine country, and it produces massive amounts of wine. A lot of value in Spanish wines. A lot of the lower priced wine is bright and young, but with older Spanish wines you get complexity and warmth and just oh my goodness flavor

Spanish wine and cigars... I would really love to know more about that... but I can see bigger older Spanish reds going with cigars... Bobal and Monastrell can have cocoa/chocolate flavors. I can also see old tempranillo and fine granacha going well.

An odd choice for Spanish wine and a cigar might be R Lopez de Heredia Gravonia Crianza White. It is a favorite of mine, it is a white that drinks like a red in some ways, and is aged (and it is one of my favorite white wines). It is complex, and tastes almost sweet.

Another white from spain that might work is Do Ferreiro Cepas Vellas Albarino... which is an albarino unlike most albarino... it is denserand nuanced. I love teh light albarino, but this is really wonderful stuff.

Another wine direction to try with cigars might be sherry, but that is another discussion I think.

Finally the best wine with cigars? The wine you like. Drink what you like, like what you drink, screw my opinions because my opinions are based on my palate

[jazznut]

Originally Posted by grtrx

An odd choice for Spanish wine and a cigar might be R Lopez de Heredia Gravonia Crianza White. It is a favorite of mine...

And of mine!

In fact, many of the wines (red and white) from this traditional bodega strike a chord with me, owing to the winery's insistence on continuing to age its wines in oak (not new oak, by and large, mind you) for years and years.

In the case of Gravonia, oak ageing introduces complex notes of oxidation that add depth and dimension to the flavour spectrum. Yet the wine still manages to retain a certain freshness. (The Tondonia Gran Reserva white, which can be aged for upwards of a decade in oak casks, remains an expensive treat. The Gran Reserva red, which I have tasted, is superb.)

[grtrx]

Yes the oxidation reminds me of perhaps my favorite white white, beaucastel

Spanish wine is way more than light whites and tannic reds

In October I had perhaps the best wine I have ever had, while in Burgos

1989 Gran Reserva La Rioja Alta Consecha

60 euros for a bottle of wine that was just outstanding