Stella Solitaria Shines Brightly

Pris and I went up to Austin this past weekend for the Country Living Fair.  I wasn't big on spending Saturday looking at antiques and artisan goods and collectibles, but I'll take any excuse to head to a city with a Central Market.  When we arrived in town, I headed to Central Market to pick up some food and refreshments for dinner.  While there I decided to do a little looking at the wines they had out as recommendations.  I decided to get a bottle of Stella Solitaria, a 2010 Syrah from Sicily to work on over the weekend.  At $10 for the bottle, the price was right and it also had a screw top which worked for me since I forgot our travel opener.

The Stella Syrah started off a little stilted, and needed to breathe quite a bit.  When it finally opened up it developed into a good Syrah.  The nose was fruitful and laden with ripe raspberry and strawberry.  After the Stella opened up it was exceptionally smooth, with loads of ripe red fruit on the palate.  Smooth tannins created a nice, mild and smooth finish.  This was a great red table wine.

The Stella Solitaria went fairly well with our meal Friday night, but it really came into its own the next day with my lunch and dinner.  The Syrah was a perfect compliment to the muffaletta sandwich I picked up at Central Market on Saturday.  The ripe fruit paired perfectly with the savory salted meats and the crisp bite of the olives and peppers.  For dinner I paired the last of the wine with spaghetti and meatballs from Mandola's Italian Market.  Again this fruitful and mild Sicilian red paired perfectly with the classic dinner.  The tomato sauce had just a touch of spice to it that worked very well with the light fruit in the wine.  The Stella also paired well with the bread and seasoned oil and caprese salad.  If you haven't tried Mandola's definitely head that way when you're in Austin.  I could probably have eaten nothing but the bread with olive oil and the homemade mozzarella; it was that good. 

You can find the Stella Solitaria 2010 Syrah at H.E.B. Central Markets, and it costs $10 a bottle.  It is hands down the best wine I've had that comes with a screw top.  I wasn't able to find a specific website for the Stella, but I did find the Italian company that bottled it.  For more information on them you can visit:  http://www.cantinesettesoli.it/?op=home

Savoring a Tolosa Syrah

Our first post on this blog was all about Tolosa's incredible 1776 Pinot Noir.  Because it was so good, Pris and I have been reticent to try the winery's standard Pinot.  However, sometime back we found a bottle of 2007 Edna Creek Syrah at Feldman's and decided to give it a tasting last Sunday.

The first thing you notice is how dark this Syrah is: deep purple and opaque.  On the nose it was all berry and plum with just a hint of pepper.  Despite its dark look, this was a relatively light wine.  Light berry and plum notes continued on the palate mixed with a touch of mineral and pepper towards the back of the mouth.  Soft tannins provide a light and smooth finish to this readily drinkable Syrah.

I paired the wine with a roasted leg of lamb seasoned with garlic and rosemary, couscous with feta, and some olives.  The well balanced wine was a perfect compliment to the mild and savory lamb.  Since Pris isn't the biggest fan of lamb, I also prepared a flank steak for her.  The Tolosa Syrah also paired surprisingly well with the steak.  It is a flavorful, but not overly beefy cut; and the lighter wine served as a nice compliment.

We purchased the Tolosa 2007 Edna Creek Syrah at Feldman's Market Center in Brownsville for $22.99.  This is a great well balanced and versatile wine.  You can pair it with a broad range of foods thanks to its lighter, but full flavored character. For more information on this good little wine you can visit:  www.tolosawinery.com