This week's AudioVino tasting was a true wine and music experience, and perfectly embodied the reason that we are so passionate about AudioVino. The wine we drank was a 2008 Arabako Txakolina by Beldui. Txakolina, pronounced "chalk - oh - leena," is a wine from the Basque region of Spain and is made up of a blend of grapes whose names are just as difficult to pronounce. The important thing to know is that Txakolina is white wine with touch of effervescence and a whole lot of bang for the buck.
In Spain it is traditional to drink Txakoli from a tumbler poured from a high distance to enhance the effect of the wines effervescent qualities. We drank the wine out of stemless white glasses (the closest drinkware to tumblers that we own) and decided to pour it normally because we rent and would like to get our security deposit back.
The music we listened to this week was equally impressive and paired very nicely with Txakolina (remember it's pronounced "chalk - oh - leena"). We listened to Belle and Sebastian's "Write About Love". Bell and Sebastian have a 70's modern vibe with lots of instruments and subtle use of synthesizer that might remind you of playing Nintendo. Unlike the repetitiveness of Nintendo music, Belle and Sebastian is quite subdued and has a lasting appeal.
The first song, "I Didn't See it Coming", was ethereal and effervescent (much like our wine). There best thing about this album was the variety; while the entire CD flowed well and sounded cohesive, the group obviously took some musical risks. The best way to describe songs like "I Didn't See it Coming" and "I Want the World to Stop" is ethereal, whimsical pop, while songs like "Calculating Bimbo" and "Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Profit John" could only be described as 70's ballads. Norah Jones makes a guest appearance, and delivers a stunning performance as usual. All in all, the CD's vibe was as great as the wine's, and they made a creative and uplifting pairing.
Nick's Review:
Audio
Belle and Sebastian is the exact type of CD we hope to find when we pick out music for AudioVino. Something new and different but not so off the wall that you feel buyers remorse for purchasing it. B&S could be quite ethereal at times, like on the first track "I Didn't See it Coming", yet still have structure and seriousness.
Unlike some of out past albums, the music used a nice combination of both the male and female vocalists. Another cool thing about B&S is that their music seemed to get better as the CD went on, but that may have just been because I drank my Txakolina too fast! The best song on the album was track four "I want the World to Stop" it's a catchy pop-rock tune that features an echo vocal effect between the male and female singers. It might remind some listeners of "A Day in the Life" by the Beatles, (and I know a lot of you are calling blasphemy right now), but it's a decent song. You'll have fun listening to this CD and will probably find a song you really like on it.
9/10
Vino - Txakolina is an experience you must have if you consider yourself any of the following, 1) a wine snob, 2) a wine fiend, or 3) a wino. It's a wine that will dance on the tongues of Sauvignon Blanc lovers and mystify even the most serious of Oenophiles. To start, pour this wine into a glass and take in a big nose of sea breeze and cooked cabbage. Awkward you say? Don't be so quick to judge, take a sip and taste a spike of minerality you expect from an icy cold plate of fresh oysters. As the wine gets to the back of your tongue get ready for an explosion of citrus that will make your mouth pucker. It's as if you just ate a box of sour patch kids and than dumped the rest of the sour sugar that's left in the bottom of the bag down your throat. Ok, it's not really that intense but it's sure to make you pucker. This wine is crying to be paired with oysters but would suit just as well with any type of shell fish or chicken. The high acidity may turn some people off but that's the fun of this wine, it's new and it's zippy.
90 pts (I don't really have a Txakoli to compare this too, so I'm rating it off of taste and experience)
Maggie's Review
Audio
Loved it, loved it, loved it. Seriously, this CD has not come out of my CD player in a week. Belle and Sebastian's soft and whimsical style, catchy beats, and creative elements made it a great CD for those music fans like myself who love pop and wish it wasn't given such a bad name. This is truly good pop. Creative, non-repetitive, jazz-inspired, retro-inspired . . . this album has it all. Totally my style, both musically and vocally.
I have to say, this CD had me at hello. It's not usual for me to love the first track, but I was hooked right away. "I'm Not Living in the Real World" was offbeat, "Read the Blessed Pages" and "I Want the World to Stop" had great orchestral touches, "Calculating Bimbo" was deep and sensitive--I just can't stop raving about how different every song was. I'm definitely going to have to check out more albums!
10/10
Vino
This great experience wasn't just in the music--the wine rocked too! Txacholina gives a great sour punch after the front of the palate tastes the minerality and sea-salt flavor. It is like a two-step drinking experience. I completely agree with Nick about the oyster pairing, and would love to try this with any shellfish that have that true sea-worn taste. I can just picture drinking this wine on a sailboat with sea salt in my hair. Can't wait to have it again.
91 pts.
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