Hello everyone!
We’re back from a two-week Chinese New Year hiatus with oodles of goodness at Bella Pasta. The sister restaurant to Bella Pizza, this casual yet smart cantina is perfect for a night out with the girls’ or even that first date.
The best thing about Bella Pasta? Great homestyle pasta at really reasonable prices, makes it Jules’ latest favourite joint!
What’s your favourite pasta place?
- delicious
We finally made our way to Niagara on the Lake to take part in the Days of Wine and Chocolate event. There were 22 wineries participating and the purchase of a touring passport ($30), it entitled you to a wine and chocolate pairing at each winery. We actually did pretty good for a day’s work and were able to visit ten! It was a fantastic day.
Although the weather started off somewhat snowy, that actually played in our favour since there was no traffic on our drive down to NOTL from Mississauga. A couple of friends (Kim/Jan) joined us as we made our way to the NOTL chamber of commerce to pick up our passports. And then the fun began!
1st stop: Peller Estates Winery
Wine: 2007 Andrew Peller Signature Series Chardonnay Sur Lie
Chocolate: Milk Chocolate Hazelnut
The pairing was good although none of us were big fans of Chardonnay. They used the coolest decanter I’ve ever seen – it had a hole inside it that fit over top a small bowl filled with ice to keep the wine cool:
We were also given a sample of the Ice Cuvee Classic which was a sparkling “breakfast” wine and that one was excellent – a mix of sparkling wine with a dose of ice wine – we bought a bottle. Can’t wait to have it with my eggs. 
Stop #2: Reif Estate Winery
Wine: 2006 Merlot Reserve
Chocolate: Dark chocolate raisin
This was the tasting room for the wine and chocolate passport holders – the lights were dim and it was very inviting. The pairing was good. We’re merlot fans and this one was very nice. I think merlot goes perfectly with dark chocolate.
Stop #3: Inniskillin Wines
Wine: 2006 Cabernet Franc Icewine
Chocolate: Dark chocolate
This was probably one of my favourites. Although, when the bottle of wine is $99, what would you expect. Awesome icewine. They also had it in a smaller format for $54.95 and mini versions as well.
Stop #4: Ravine Vineyards
Wine: 2006 Merlot
Chocolate: Dark chocolate pecan
We stopped for lunch at the deli/bakery (on the right). I love this place – it’s so cozy and everything is homemade. I had the same as last time – the charcuterie platter with prosciutto, cheeses, chutney, pickled vegetables, bread and pepper jelly. Chris and Kim had the BBQ pulled pork and cole slaw sandwiches and Jan had the pear and blue cheese pizza. Everything was great. Then over to the tasting bar we went.
Now, we’ve been planning to come back to pick up some Merlot for weeks. The wine/chocolate tasting was the 2006. We also tasted the 2007 and that was the one we fell in love with on our first visit. So of course, Chris had to buy a case of 12! Crazy husband of mine…but I was secretly dreaming of evenings by the fire with a glass of Ravine 2007 Merlot in hand. Mary Ellen had a very good suggestion for a future pairing – a chocolate / hazelnut torte – and luckily I have the perfect recipe for this! Wonderful idea. I can’t say enough about Ravine – such nice people, great wine, great food, already can’t wait to go back! This is where we also heard about the upcoming “Wine and Herb” program that was coming in May.
** Note: you’ll notice as the day went on, I took less pics… wine overload? ***
Stop #5: Maleta Estate Winery
Wine: Grape Brain Rosé Reserve
Chocolate: Milk chocolate orange
This was very good for a rosée – not as sweet as we’re used to. The pairing with the orange flavour was really nice too. Our friends picked up a bottle.
Stop #6: Cattail Creek Estate Winery
Wine: 2008 Pinot Noir
Chocolate: Dark chocolate blueberry
Those blueberries were probably my favorite of the chocolates we sampled today. We also had a great talk with the gentleman that was assisting us about the upcoming “wine and herb” event. He explained how the wineries were assigned a type of chocolate, and for the wine and herb event, they’re assigned an herb. Then they get to create a dish around that herb and pair it with a wine so there’s much more creativity involved. He mentioned some of the past dishes they had served (my mouth was already watering) and mentioned that this year their herb is lemon basil – I’m really looking forward to it – we’re totally going.
Stop #7: Hillebrand Winery
Wine: 2007 Artist Series Limited Edition Cabernet Merlot
Chocolate: Dark chocolate pistachio
This pairing was very good. We were hesitant to buy anything that would compete with our fave merlot so we held back.
At this point in the day, we were looking for something different for our next stop and boy, did we find it!
Stop #8: Sunnybrook Farm Estate Winery
Wine: Strawberry Wine
Chocolate: Dark chocolate strawberry
Here, they make wine from berries other fruits. They have one grape wine, but the rest are all non-grape wines: pear, peach, currant, strawberry, etc. The pairing we tried was good. The wine smelled like strawberry jam and you expected it to taste very sweet but surprisingly, it wasn’t. We also tried the spiced apple wine which they served warm and that was Christmas in a glass – warm wine with apple pie spices. Holy moly. The bottle left with me.
Stop #9: Palatine Hills Estate Winery
Wine: 2008 Gewürztraminer
Chocolate: Dark chocolate ginger
This cold refreshing wine was perfect as we neared the end of our day. It really brought out the ginger in the chocolate. We purchased a bottle.
Last stop – #10: Konzelmann Estate Winery
Wine: 2006 Special Select Late Harvest Vidal
Chocolate: White chocolate cranberry
This was a fantastic pairing – I really enjoyed the wine (yes, we got a bottle of this too). The gentleman assisting us was great – he was informative and fun.
So that’s the recap! Here are our purchases:
The hardest part is to pace ourselves and decide which one to open first!! We had an awesome time and can’t wait for the “Wine & Herb” event scheduled for weekends in May. You’re all invited. Come hungry.
Hugh Hamilton Wines has a theme of Hugh being the black sheep of the family and this theme is branded right across the business. From the wine labels to the wine names to the merchandise and even the road signs entering the winery.
Hugh Hamilton Wines Cellar Door
The views from the cellar door are worth the visit alone. You can get about 300 degree views of the surrounding vineyard based countryside – just spectacular! For the location check out the Cellar Door Map.
The merchandise is high quality and are really promote the Black Sheep brand. The white t-shirt range is a particular favorite with a play on some of the wine names – I will leave it to your imagination what “The Madam” looks like!
They also have a wine club that allows you to obtain their rare wines, discounts and functions, on the basis of purchasing 2 dozen wines per year.
Black Sheep Club Benefits are:-
FREE membership & FREE freight for whole cases Priority access to our scarcest wines Our premium wines automatically delivered to your door, anywhere in Australia, twice a year Significant savings of up to $50-00 per case for each allocation including rare wines 15% saving on all Hugh Hamilton wines and merchandise all year round Gift service – we will send wine & merchandise on your behalf to family & friends with a personalised card Invitations to cellar door events and bonus offers Hugh’s vintage report & tasting notes with suggestions of when to drink and food accompaniments Replacement guarantee for any damaged wines Your choice of a red, white or mixed pack for your ongoing allocation Surprise gift or special offer in each allocationYou can check out the wine club and all the other aspects of this winery at their web site www.hamiltonwines.com.au.
Along with the branding the wines are also something that is different and shows individual character.
2009 “The Trickster” Verdelho ($A18.50)
This wine is interesting if for no other reason that is has only 11% alcohol. Either the grapes for this wine were picked earlier than is normal McLaren Vale practice or alcohol has been removed from the wine via reverse osmosis technology. Either way the product is a light and refreshing infusion of fruit salad and citrus on the nose and grassy citrus on the palate. There is not as much acid on the finish as I would expect. The light nature of the wine means it is an excellent hot afternoon with family & friends. It would also work with a fish entree – I had a smoked salmon dish tonight that would have gone well with this wine.
2009 “The Scallywag” Unwooded Chardonnay ($A18.50)
The grapes here are from 1975 planting of the “OF” clone. The subtle nose is a mixture of melons and guava. The melon theme continues on the palate with hints of tropical fruits. I normally think that Chardonnay should have some oak treatment to get the best from this variety however I could imagine drinking this with a Cesar Salad and enjoying the matching.
2008 “The Loose Cannon” Viognier ($A22.50)
An interesting expression of orange blossom and nashi on the nose followed by the nashi and lime finish on the palate.
2009 “The Floozie” Tempranillo Rose
The 24 hour skin contact has waved its magic wand to produce a musky and Turkish Delight (both on the nose and palate) with a lovely stone fruit but dry finish. How about a plate of Salt and Pepper Squid.
2008 “The Mongrel” Sangiovese Blend ($A22.50)
A blend of 85% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot and 5% Tempranillo. When I saw this wine on offer I straight away thought of the standard earthy and grainy taninic styles (such as from Coriole). I was wrong (again) – yes there was some earthyness on the nose but this was no where near being dominate. Instead I got hints of Rosemary and Cloves on the nose with a medium bodied cherries on the palate with smooth tannins. Any tomato based pasta dish would do justice to a bottle or two of this wine.
2008 “The Ratbag” Merlot ($A24.50)
I have not made is a secret that Merlot is not my drink of choice, as the style tends to be a softer and a short soft tannin finish. For my palate I tend towards the bigger red wine styles. That is a generalisation and I will admit generalisations can be dangerous to hang your hat on! Here is one of those times. When I tasted the wine my first thought was that I had the wrong wine poured into my glass as this wine had “body”! After checking the label I was convinced that, in fact, it was a Merlot I gave it another try. The nose was really nice spiced plums. Red plums continue on the palate combined with dark berries and a tobacco leaf finish. I would love to have this wine with some Italian Sausages with a pan fried melody of seasonal vegetables.
2008 “The Scoundrel” Tempranillo ($A24.50)
WOW!!!!!!! This is the most pleasantly different example of Tempranillo. The nose had white pepper with preserved strawberries. Strawberries continued on the palate with plums and a soft tannin finish. Such a difference compared to other Tempranillo wines I have tasted, and I am better for this experience. Some of this wine came home with me and I look forward to drinking it with either grilled pork chops or one of my home made pizzas – now the only decision is do I share the wine!
2007 “The Rascal” Shiraz ($A24.50)
Shiraz does so well in McLaren Vale and for 2007 being a drought year the wine is of high quality and worth checking out. It has ripe fresh plums with cardamon and black olives mixed in. The palate has vanilla (from the oak treatment) with plums, spice and fine tannins on the finish. Nothing here is over the top and the components are well balanced. Bring on a thick juicy Wychood Meats T-bone steak.
2007 “The Villain” Cabernet Sauvignon ($A24.50)
I cannot help but think about lamb while I was tasting this wine – with no pun intended. This has the expected nose of blackcurrents but there are hints of freshly picked thyme and other spices. The palate continues with the blackcurrents and black olives with the oak as a supportive role only as there is a soft tannic finish. How could you not think of lamb with this wine?
N/V “The Madam” Sparkling Tempranillo Sangiovese ($A22.50)
For the regular readers of the Lonely Grape would know that I am a sparkling red fan. Hug Hamilton used to make a sparkling Merlot that was not on my “to drink list”. Now this is some thing different – a sparkling Tempranillo Sangiovese blend. I just had to try this one.
Well this was worth the visit to the cellar door! The nose had an earthy, spiced dark plums (fresh plums not stewed). When you drink this you are immediately seduced by a full bodied wine (hints of plums, olives and a little chocolate) followed by soft silky tannins. There is some sweetness here but not excessive.
2009 “Goldilocks” Light Fruity White
This “light fruity wine” is made from Gewurtztraminer – an unfashionable variety. It has been picked early and is only 11% alcohol. Hugh says that this wine is to be enjoyed and who cares about the wine snobs that would dismiss this wine. There is a mixture of musk lollies with rose water and the palate drives straight into tropical melons and lemon zest clean finish. I was surprised that there was 31 g/L in the wine as it did not seem overly sweet – there must be a lot of acid here to offset. Try something spicy with this – maybe a Thai Noodle Salad.
N/V “The Ruffian” Liqueur Muscat ($A24.50)
Along with the usual alcohol nose tingle the nose was full of raisins, Christmas pudding and candied citrus peel. When tasted I directly thought of 2 words – luscious and lingering. The high viscosity of the wine coated the mouth with liquid raisins, peel and slightly burnt caramel – somebody please pass the blue cheese.
I must not have gotten enough of Kate’s goat cheese and pasta last night — we had another Italian feast for dinner tonight. And more wine.
I made a great spicy alfredo sauce and tossed it over some lobster ravioli and scallops sauteed in garlic and red pepper. It was bellissimo!
I swear it was really good, but the picture does make it look kind of barfy. =( I’ll have my good camera back tomorrow!
Welcome to Carpe Vinum!
By day I’m a junior doctor working in London, but wine has become more and more of an interest over the past couple of years. I’m currently working through the WSET exams, and enjoying tasting my way around the world. Current interests include wines from the Loire, grower champagnes and the process of wine production.
I’m often asked about wine, and enjoy sharing my discoveries with friends and family. This blog will cover wines I’ve enjoyed, as well as observations on the world of wine, which I come to as an enthusiastic outsider.
Carpe Vinum means ’seize the wine’ and this blog will be ‘about wine, but not exclusively’ – I will also be touching on wider interests.
I started off the evening with my own version of wine and cheese.
Cabernet sauvignon and Kashi Cheddar crackers. These crackers are like crack to me. Get it…CRACKers…Ok it was only funny in my head. Anyway, I really like them. They’re perfect for a little tide-me-over when dinner’s just a bit too far away.
Dinner
I started with the same veggies as last night’s pizza but with a completely different end result. I sautéed some red pepper, onions, and zucchini over fairly high heat to get them all charred and yummy, then seasoned them with chili powder, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, and red pepper flakes.
While the veggies were cooking away, I cracked open some refried beans. I mixed them with a little Worcestershire sauce and chili powder too.
Then it was make your own fah-jeet-ahs night! Whole wheat tortillas with refried beans, veggies, salsa, sour cream, and shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
With some extra veggies on the side because they’re so darn good.
I love fajitas! I especially love the sizzling sound they make when they bring them to you piping hot in a restaurant.
Then a little something to sweet to end the day (and to make up for my lack of baklava 
)
A Kashi oatmeal cookie.
Hope you had a wonderful Wednesday!
On Feb. 13th I was BLESSED with 2 tickets to the public event for the Top100Cabs at Bayleaf in Napa. (Top100Cabs.com) MUST be grown in Napa, and MUST be of 2006 Vintage. We had the opportunity to taste all 100 cabs, and the wineries even brought in other varieties. Munir served food throughout the event, and rumor has it there were spit/dump buckets……No, there were, and yes, I used them. I feel guilty dumping out good wine, but reallly…..I wanted to make it home legally.
All in all, I think I tried 60 wines. Here are my absolute favorites from the afternoon. Keep in mind my limited wine descriptor vocabulary, and we’ll do just fine here. Heck, might not even be able to describe all of them, as the day is a complete blur.
Alpha Omega Winery – I just really liked it. Plain & simple. the reason, not the wine.
Ceja Vineyards – I have a soft spot in my heart for the Ceja’s they truly offer “love in a bottle”.
Janzen – Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cab.
(Janzen also brought Pazzo Sangiovese, and HOLY CRAP! it’s my new addiction!)
Hall Napa Diamond Mountain Cab – Chocolate chocolate and more chocolate. i was ready to rub it all over my body, but will stay PG for this posting….
Sequoia Grove – mmmm……they also make a favorite of mine, Rebellious Red, but alas, it’s sold out.
Levendi – Sweetwater Ranch – this had some vanilla going on. and chocolate.
Courteson Wines cab – good……….. but i really prefer the Brigitte Blend! And she BROUGHT IT!
Nord Estate – PageNord Vineyard Cab. – berries. Lots and lots of berries.
Rocca Family Vineyards – again, more chocolate. I’m starting to believe that wine is a “food” (and here’s what I said on Twitter as I was drinking the Rocca Cab…. “Snuck up on me. Holding me tight in its warm chocolate embrace. I’m gonna take a bath in it.” It’s that good)
Sol Rouge – To Kalon Vineyards. There were debates after the event as to where Sol Rouge is located. But the VINEYARDS had to be in Napa……
Cleavage Creek – what can I say? Not only is the wine divine, they have a cause. www.cleavagecreek.com check them out.
The wines that really stood out to my uneducated palate. As I’m looking at my notes from this event, I’m realizing that Perry Moore Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cab came in at #3, and the Dr. Crane Vineyeard Cab came in at #5. I do not remember trying it, but I did have some a week later. Angels sang. It literally changed my life. Another story.
More wine stories to tell, as soon as I sort them all out in my brain.
The notorious second post. Remember all those great times we had back in post one? Ahh, those were the days!
So… the second post. I struggled to think of a topic to write on, and then I thought I might tell you a hilarious story about an ol’ mate called Albarino and his sneaky friend Savagnin. It’s a story filled with intrigue and mystery.
It all starts a decade or two ago. In the ever expanding and super competitive wine world, Australian producers, looking for the next big thing, stumbled upon a little ol’ grape variety from Spain, perhaps whilst visiting the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics.
So off they went, the Australian producers not the Barcelona Olympics, to the CSIRO to purchase some delicious Albarino cuttings to plant, nurture and grow. Oh, what fun they had; those cuttings matured and soon enough wine was produced. And what delicious wine it was!
And like most stories, things were going so well until France showed up.
France’s numero uno ampelographer (winesnob speak for “guy who looks at grape vines and tell you what they are”) was a bloke by the name of Jean-Michel Boursiquot and whilst on a trip to Australia, noticed these Albarino grapes and exclaimed between puffs of his Malborough cigarette, “Sacre Bleu! Deez are not Albarino crepes!”.
And he was right, Albarino is a type of fruit and not a thin pancake.
Nevertheless, these Olympic-loving winemakers got a little worried and to halt their fears, sent cuttings of these Albarino grapes to be tested.
And guess what?
They weren’t Albarino! They were something called Savagnin Blanc. No, not Sauvignon Blanc. Savagnin. And this got winemakers worried.
See, Albarino sounds more fashionable than Savagnin and more importantly, the winemakers also thought that us punters would be too stupid to distinguish between Sauvignon and Savagnin. True story.
(To be fair it probably had something more to do with the gazillions of dollars they’d spent advertising Albarino).
I’m not sure that this story had much of a point. The winemakers will probably sue the CSIRO. The CSIRO will probably sue Spain for giving them the wrong grapes. We’ll probably start seeing Savagnin written on winelists more often and you’ll be able to entertain your friends with the hilarious story of Albarino and Savagnin.
PS. My apologies to France. If it wasn’t for France, wine would be awful. But every story needs a bad guy, and in this one it was France. It’s merely artistic license. Please be assured that we think France is awesome.
A couple o’ educational notes about Albarino and Savagnin
Albarino: From Rias Baixas, in north west Spain and the Vinho Verde region in Portugal (where it’s known as Alvarinho). Usually unoaked, it makes a medium-bodied, crisp, appley-tasting, white wines with a delightful silky texture.
Savagnin: Grown primarily in the Jura region of France, it is an nonaromatic Traminer with a structure and texture similiar to Sauvy-B but with hits of pear and hints of nuts.
Though the season of Lent is a penitential season most often associated with fasting, we must remember that Sunday always remains a day of feasting. It was for this reason that the early church actually prohibited fasting on the Lord’s Day. They would observe voluntary days of fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays, but never on Sunday. And in the Western Church this carried over into the season of Lent as well. This is why if you count the number of days from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, you’ll come up with forty-six days. The forty days of Lent don’t include Sundays. Each Sunday in Lent we’re given a foretaste of where our Lenten observance is headed, namely, Easter. So if you’ve taken up the practice of fasting during Lent, don’t practice it today. Today is the day of feasting and rejoicing in the presence of the Lord. So when you get home this afternoon break out the wine, the meat and cheese, the chocolate and the coffee, or whatever else you may have given up and feast before the Lord. Sunday is and must ever remain the day of feasting, no matter the reason or the season!
The regularly changing niche menu at Café des Spores may be a little pricey, but mushroom-lovers should gladly foot the bill once in a while. We tasted Belgian shitake mushrooms stuffed with beef and lined with wispy flakes of a dried fish (~14 euros), which for me was easily the best dish of the night. I adore these rich types of black mushrooms, and all the salty and dark flavors here combined so well.
Then there was the semi-melted Saint-Marcellin cheese with morels and a crusty potato underside (~13 euros). This tasted good, too, but the cheese and sauce pretty much killed any taste of the mushrooms, so I was disappointed.
Lastly we tried a gnocchi, made with blended fish — la bottarga — and mixed with arugula/roquette, and forest mushrooms (~15 euros). This one had a very gentle flavor, so we should have eaten this first. Unfortunately it got kind of drowned out by all the cheese, butter, and soy sauce of the earlier dishes.
At least the wine collection can easily accommodate the shifting menu.
Portions are small, like the building, so don’t be surprised.
Café des Spores
Chaussée d’Alsemberg 103, St. Gilles
Food: B+
Price: C
Atmosphere: A
Languages: French, English
A college friend who had never been to the Bay Area came to visit over President’s Day weekend. I tried to show him as much of San Francisco as possible. We also visited Tahoe and Napa.
On Thursday we drove to Kirkwood to ski. I’ve only ever been to Heavenly before and I was excited to try a new mountain. Heavenly has unbeatable views but the terrain is rather dull. I’m sure there are great areas of the mountain, unfortunately I just don’t know where they are yet. Kirkwood’s terrain on the otherhand delivers right off the bat. Lots of interesting steeps including several cornices. We had a great day exploring the mountain on very soft snow.
On Friday we tasted wine (and beer) in Napa and Sonoma Valleys. We had a fantastic tour and tasting at Hendry Winery just outside of Napa. The winery is run by two engineers who have used their skills to redesign and improve several pieces/techniques of the wine making process. I really enjoyed seeing the winery and hearing first hand about how it goes from grapes to bottle. If you are ever in the area and interested at all in wine tasting or wine making I highly recommend this place. They certainly don’t have the best wines in the Napa Valley but I really enjoyed geeking out there. The winery was beautiful in the misty/drizzly weather.
We also visited the Napa County Brewing Company as it was San Francisco Beer Week and they were holding special tours and sampling. We were the only people who showed up for the tour at this tiny brewery so we got to see the brewing process, taste the grains and even sample from the fermenter with the brewmaster. He then walked us through a sampling of all their beers. I’m not a beer fan myself but I did enjoy seeing the brewing process up close. SF Beer Week also included beer ice cream at our favorite ice cream shop, Humphry Slocombe. They were making ice cream out of many different beers and would feature 6 different beer ice creams each night during Beer Week. We enjoyed it so much we went back a second time!
We spent the weekend seeing the sights in San Francisco – Union Square, Ferry Building, Chinatown, Cable Cars, Fishermen’s Wharf, Ghirardelli Square, Lombard Street, Coit Tower – all the usual tourist spots. Something I hadn’t done before that was enjoyed was visiting the Cable Car Museum. The Museum houses the motors that pull the cables for the three cable car lines in San Francisco as well as exhibits on the cable car system over the years starting in 1873 with the Clay Street Hill Railroad.
On Monday we visited the Marin Headlands overlooking the city and got some spectacular views with the fog rolling out of the bay.
Awesome things that have happened to me this week:
Lilit asking me to clean her litterbox. This from the cat who had been proclaimed to have horrible litter box issues, and she would never learn to go in the box regularly. She’s too old to learn any better, and should just be put down because she’ll never learn. And she asked me to clean it so she could use it, dancing on her little paws because she had to go so bad and could hardly wait. There are no words for how proud I am of how far she’s come.
Ben calling me on the road because he saw my car driving on the other side of 295 as he drove north and I drove south…
Spending our day off with a wine trip: tasting Vidal and Riesling straight from the vat two months before bottling at Basignani, having a great conversation with the wine maker at Woodhall.
“There is that small corner in the bar from yesteryear
A dusty old crate sits with empty bottles of wine and beer
Hanging with silk bow so neatly tied a hand brush smiles
Flowers past their best yet folks come and sit from miles
Our life is just a daily menu placed upon the table top
Enjoy your fetish tipple of fruit juice alcohol or pop
We all have a corner of the past we keep in our mind
Sometimes it’s hard to share and maybe that is unkind “
Mitch Hicks – U.K.
All Rights Reserved
© 2010
Hey all! How is your week going? My Wednesday sure is flying by. I agree with some of the comments on the last post regarding drinking red wine room temperature. I also will agree with you about gouda cheese. It is also one my favs! As promised, I wanted to share the rest of what I learned at my French wines class at Valley Cheese and Wine.
Wine #4
2007 Domaine Les Grands Bois Cuvee Les Trois Soeurs-65% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 15% Carginan
This wine is from Rhone Valley, France. This wine pairs well with a pate or lamb dishes. This wine “reveals delicious black currant and black cherry fruit along with hints of licorice, pepper, and spice box.” Now, I am not one who can pick up on a lot of flavors in wines, but I could pick up on the pepper flavor of this wine. This was another one of my favs! I think I am a red girl at heart.
Wine #5
2004 Chateau Pu-Servain Terrement-Semillon
This last wine we sampled was a dessert wine. I do love dessert wines but usually go for a Riesling. This wine is described as “displaying lots of upfront dried apricot fruit and raisin character mixed with bright orange peel and spice.”
We had a sample of blue cheese called Roquefort Carles, with the last wine (2004 Chateau Puy-Servain Terrement-Semillon). My mom ended up buying some to take home. I love blue cheese and this flavor really complemented the sweetness of the wine.
We also sampled a couple different olives. I know there are a few of you olive lovers to you so I mean no harm, but I just can’t get into them. The two olives we sampled here Lucques and Amellau Olives. I actually did prefer the Lucques olive over the Amellau.
He also discussed the difference between decanting and aerating wines. I usually just open the bottle and drink. I never realized how much these tips can affect the flavor of the wine.
Decanting-Use for an older wine that has sediment. You want to pour the wine out slowly without getting sediment . “Using a lit candle or lamp, hold the bottle of wine so that the area just below the neck of the wine bottle can be seen through the light while pouring. Ever so slowly begin pouring the aged wine into the decanter.” source
Aerating- Will provide the wine more surface area, allowing the wine to breathe. By doing so, this can improve the overall flavor of the wine. "The more tannins the wine has, the more time it will need to aerate. Red wines typically will benefit most from aeration.” source
One day, I hope to make it to a winery. I have always wanted to go. My parents have been to Napa Valley and I heard it is just amazing. I would definitely want to brush up more on my wine skills before going to a winery. Have you ever been to a winery? What is your favorite wine?
My sister is off today, so we might go out for dinner. Have you been watching the Olympics? I just love watching ice skating! Have a great day!
I don’t like wine. I’m ready to admit it. I just don’t. I’ve tried, and I’ve pretended. And, yes, I know that there are so, so many different wines that I can’t possibly make such a blanket statement. But I am.
Newcastle Brown Ale? That’s yumminess to me. This was Bald Man’s contribution to Valentine’s dinner. 
Photo taken: 2/15/2010
45/365
Here is an invite to our Bubbly event at Rulis International Kitchen. It is this Saturday at 6:30 pm and it will be a blast.
Yes, we are doing two events on Saturday . Busy, busy, busy.
See you there!!!
Today my Uncle Pat’s and my Dad’s high school buddy, George Taber, stopped by for lunch. In case you’re not familiar (to be honest I wasn’t until about 3 weeks ago), Mr. Taber wrote the 1976 Time magazine article titled “The Judgement of Paris” and in 2005 wrote a detailed book about the California vs. Paris blind taste test. The event was also the subject of the movie “Bottle Shock” released in 2008. Dad and George (I like to assume that we’re on a first name basis now) talked about old times, new times, and wine while I mostly listened and tried to learn something.
After lunch we persuaded George to join us at the Corley’s Monticello Vineyards for a tasting of their Big Reds. We tasted 7 wines and I fell head over heels for #6, the 2006 Corley “State Lane Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon. I loved it so much I bought a bottle…the most expensive bottle of wine I’ve ever purchased in my entire life. I mean, it’s not sell a kidney expensive, but $60 for a bottle of wine is “high-end” to me. To do it up right I think I’ll have to buy a decanter too. Look at me…in a mere 24 hours I’ve taken the jump from “two buck chuck” to wine needing a decanter. I think I’ll save this bottle for a special occasion…perhaps share it with my teammates after we complete the 39 mile Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in July?! Hmm…
When pairing wines with chocolate for Valentine’s Day match lighter, more elegant flavored chocolate with lighter-bodied wines; likewise, the stronger the chocolate, the more full-bodied wine.
White Chocolate
White chocolate tends to be mellow and buttery in flavor, making it ideal for Champagne, Sparkling Wine, Orange Muscat or Sherry.
Milk Chocolate
The classic milk chocolate pairing is Port; other considerations are lighter-bodied Pinot Noir or Merlot, as well as Riesling, Muscat, and of course Champagne or Sparkling Wine.
Dark Chocolate
Dark or bittersweet chocolate need a wine that offers a slightly robust flavor itself, with a hint of its own chocolate notes. Cabernet Sauvignon and intense, in-your-face Zinfandel perfect the dark chocolate match, resulting in an unparalleled tasting combination. Also Pinot Noir, Merlot, Champagne and Sparkling Wine can handle dark chocolate around the 55% cocoa mark. Tawny or Vintage Port also offers a well-balanced pairing approach to dark chocolate dessert or truffles.
My Pick for Valentine’s Day
Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé, Champagne (Mareuil-sur-Ay, France) This non-vintage brut rosé is delicate and is impeccably balanced and guaranteed to have your taste buds singing.
Both Champagne and fine dark chocolate are two of life’s greatest pleasures. There is nothing quite like a popping the cork on a perfectly chilled bottle of bubbly and digging into a box of exquisite dark chocolate in front of a roaring fire with your Valentine while the snow falls outside.
Liz Palmer
Wine and Travel Writer
034/365, originally uploaded by rottnapples.
holy chardonnay batman!
I couldn’t resist this shot! I saw this awesome display in the window of a wine shop in Lincoln Square. Seriously, how fun! The shops other window had a really cool Robby the Robot display (I’m a little disappointed that those shot did not turn..)
Quinta de Covela Escolha
Portugal (Minho)
avesso, chardonnay, gewurztraminer
www.covela.pt
Embrace this wine. One might think of it as summer fare, and heaven knows in August with the sun pouring relentlessly onto the garden, stretched into this lawn chair, awash in heat, the wine would be outstanding. But an outstanding wine is outstanding any time of the year…especially when there is a driveway waiting to be shovelled.
Covela Escolha (branco) 2006
Again, colour sets the wine in motion. Straw-yellow, with a faint remnant of green. A nose then of apple and pear, with a fresh, crisp, welcoming clarity. A wine that refreshes before it ever touches the palate. Winsome in its mere look and touch. (Winsome? Really…?) It clearly has structure and a mineral presence, asserting itself nicely once the glass is tipped. A mellowed acidity, but retaining a definite edge. Light without being thin. Aromatic without overfilling the moment. $
Nuno Araújo is the custodian of this estate overlooking the Duoro river. It dates back to the 16th century, and the ruins of the original manor house and chapel are found there still. Quinta de Covela respects its past without clinging to it. It is helping to forge a new path for Portuguese wines, from its eye-catching labels to the character of what goes inside the bottles. While Portugal is renowned for its port and, in recent years, has been making a name for itself with a new generation of profound reds, it had never been especially known for its whites.
Nuno Araújo has made laudable steps in changing that. In the 1980s experiments began to determine what grape varieties worked best in what had been recognized for centuries as a unique terroir. Over a dozen varieties were planted. For whites the chosen grape turned out to be a local lad — avesso. For reds it was the quintessential Portuguese varietal — touriga nacional. Winemaking began in ernest.
The terraced vineyards make a stunning sight, curving as they do in an amphitheatre-like setting. Work in the vineyards is labour-intensive; harvesting is by hand.
Quinta de Covela is a rarity in Portugal, a fully biodynamic operation. Nuno Araújo credits it with the ability of the vineyards to perform well, even when weather conditions are less than ideal. Where he will take his 19 hectares in the years ahead is cause for exciting speculation.
Meanwhile, as the snow falls, I think of having my next bottle of Covela in that very lawn chair, oh, six months from now.
