Let's Raise Our Glasses

The glass you pour your wine in can be as important as the wine itself. Wine glasses are shaped in different ways to allow each wine's bouquet and flavor to come to life.

Big bodied, red wines need a glass with a bigger bowl to help the rich flavors and aromas peak through. The bigger the bowl, the more oxygen it will take in, allowing the tannins in the red wine to soften.

Lighter, white wines do not need a big, round wine glass. But instead, will do better in a glass with a smaller bowl. It is still important for oxygen to get in, but since most whites have lighter flavors and aromas, we do not want too much oxygen to seep through the wine.

There are many different fancy wine glasses out there. But, you also don't need to spend a fortune to find a great glass. My favorite wine glasses are the Tour collection from Crate & Barrel. (http://www.crateandbarrel.com/dining-and-entertaining/wine-glasses/tour-24-oz.-wine-glass/s583394). Not only are they the perfect size for red and white wines, but they also have a cool, "modern," style to them.

Of Course, these glasses may be on the pricey side for some of you, so I would like to recommend a cheaper version from Ikea: (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50133069/). The red wine glasses are only $3.99/each, and the white wine glasses are $2.99/each!

As always, please feel free to contact me with questions.!

Balistreri Vineyards

I wanted to bring to your attention a great local (Denver) winery that has some amazing wines. Balistreri Vineyards makes over 27 wines, all of them low in Sulfites. So, if you usually get that stuffy nose or red face from drinking wines, you will rarely get these side effects with their wine. (Side note: Sulfites are naturally occurring in wine grapes, but many wineries add additional Sulfites to their wine as part of a preservation technique.)

Balistreri is family owned and operated, and when you go visit, you feel like part of the family. Owner John and his wife are very welcoming and let you taste all of their wines for free! In addition, they always have cheese, crackers, and salami to satisfy your appetite and clean your palette. All of their wines are fruit forward and rich in flavor.

My favorite white is the 2010 Colorado Viognier ($24). It is a rich, full bodied wine, with tastes of tropical fruit and honey.

I love most of their reds, but my favorite has to be the 2010 Colorado Syrah ($28). It boasts deep red colors, and smells of spice and vanilla. It has a nice, dark fruit flavor, with a smoky hint to it. Lovely, full bodied wine.

For those of you who are in Denver, go visit their winery on the North side of town. (I'm happy to be your tour guide!) They are open every day of the week. For the out-of-towers, you are in luck because they also ship their wines!

 http://www.balistrerivineyards.com/

Is Your Wine Oaky?

One of the most overused terms I hear for wine is oaky. It seems that this is the easiest and most well known term that people use, but do we really know what oaky means?

Basically, oak is a wood, and wines get their "oaky" flavor from sitting in an oak barrel for a period of time either during the fermentation stage or aging stage. What does oak do? It basically makes the wine richer in color, aroma, flavor, and body.

The two most popular oak types are French oak and American oak. With French oak, you will get flavors of vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. With American oak, you will taste vanilla, toasted coconut, and sometimes even dill. How the oak is "toasted" or heated can also affect the flavor of the wine. A heavy toasted oak barrel will have flavors of coffee and dark chocolate, while a lightly toasted barrel will have a nutty flavor to it.

Oak is also a good thing in red wines, because it will mellow out the tannins and soften the wine.

The Skinny on Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir wine is one of the most popular varieties of wine in the world. In my opinion, they can turn any white wine drinker into a red wine believer, and make the red wine drinkers question what types of wine they like best.

Like most wine grapes, the Pinot Noir originated in France. It has a light body, low tannins, and medium acidity, which make this a pleasant wine for all types of drinkers. Even though Pinot's are not my favorite, I do love the earthy taste you get. Another good thing about Pinot Noir is since they are low in Tannins, you do not have to let them age for a long time, and most can be consumed after purchasing a bottle. Many experts will say you will get flavors of cranberry, cherries, tobacco, leather, smoke, spice, and earth with this type of wine. For those of you who like a mellow, light, well rounded wine, the Pinot Noir is the pick for you.

For the Big Spenders:

Palliser Estate (2009) - $45 : This wine comes from Martinborough, New Zealand (http://www.palliser.co.nz/). It is a nice, light bodied wine, with a beautiful, dark, rich, red color. The bouquet is sweet on the nose, and smells somewhat like a bowl of fresh fruit. The taste is dark cherry, but it is a very smooth wine. This wine would go well on its own, or paired with lighter meals, such as lemon-chicken piccata.

For the Penny Pincher:
Santa Barbara Winery (2009) - $17: I've mentioned the Santa Barbara Winery in a post before, but had to bring to your attention their Pinot Noir. This grape is grown in the Central Coast of California, (http://sbwinery.com/wines.html). It has a light red color, and an earthy, semi-sweet bouquet. It has a cherry and earthy taste to it, and is very light, but also somewhat acidic. Again, this wine would go well on its own or paired with a light dish, such as salmon and couscous.

What is Body?

Light, medium, or full? Those are the three descriptions we use when describing how big or how little a wine tastes. Still confused? So are many others! Let me break it down for you in a simple explanation. And, the next time you go to a party, you'll have the knowledge about tannins and body now to impress the crowd!

The darker the color of wine, the more body it has. This goes for both white and red wines. Like tannins, body is something you feel in your mouth, and not the flavor you taste. Does the wine feel very rich to you? Does it not really have any texture, and taste almost watery to you? All of these describe body.

Examples:
Light Body: Pinot Noir
Medium Body: Merlot
Full Body: Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasting for body is a great thing to do on your own or with your friends. It will help expand your palate and narrow down which wines you like the best.

A Few of My Favorite Things

I have three of my favorite wines to share with you today.  As I've mentioned before, you don't need to spend a fortune to find a fabulous wine.

#3 - Michael David Winery - Petite Petit (2009) $18: This wine comes from Lodi, California, and is 85% Petite Syrah and 15% Verdot.(https://store.michaeldavidwinery.com/SHOP.AMS?LEVEL=BOT&PART=PPPSS09). It has a beautiful dark red appearance to it, and an earthy bouquet. It is rich and full bodied, and very balanced. I loved the dark berry taste with a hint of grass and earth. This is a wonderful wine, and can be found in almost every liquor store. It goes great with spicy foods, such as Jambalaya.

#2 - Root:1 - Cabernet Sauvignon (2009) $10: This is a wonderful Cab that comes from Colchagua Valley, Chile (http://www.root1wine.com/#cabernetSauvignon). It has a deep, dark purple color, and a sweet but bold vanilla bouquet. It is smooth, rich, and very balanced, with tastes of vanilla and raspberry. This is a lovely wine, and goes great with a beef roast. (Side note: Chilean red wines are supposed to be the healthiest wines for you to drink!)

#1 - Rancho Zabaco - Zinfandel (2008 Reserved) $23.99: This is another California wine that comes from the Sonoma Valley (http://www.ranchozabaco.com/wines/zinfandel/index.html). I love this wine! It will go with everything. This wine has a dark plum color, and is very fruity on the nose. It has a dark berry taste with a hint of spice. It is a dry, full bodied, balanced wine. Make sure you buy the Reserved and not the "regular" Zinfandel. The reserved is miles better! It's listed for $23.99, but I've seen it for under $20 at many liquor stores and online.

A Valentine's Day Shout Out

Valentine's Day is very special to me, because it is also the day I married my husband of three years. Every year, we do a fondue dinner paired with of course, wine. Fondue is a fun way to play with your food, and I've shared with you some tips on how to prepare the perfect Valentine's day dinner for your sweetie. Recipes for Fondue can be found everywhere online for free, or if you feel like splurging, pick up a book of fondue recipes. I recommend the book Fondue, by Bob and Coleen Simmons.

Course One - Swiss Fondue with a Sauvignon Blanc: The bitey, tangy, but oh so good Swiss fondue pairs nicely with the crisp melon/grapefruit and citrus flavors of a Sauvignon Blanc. Toast some French bread, and cut up some carrots, apples, and celery to accompany this dish.

Course Two - Spiced Broth Fondue with a Merlot: I suggest using beef broth with scallions, ginger, pepper, and garlic. Pretty much any type of meat from beef tenderloin, teriyaki chicken, and shrimp will go nicely with this broth. In addition, chop up some zucchini, yellow squash, broccoli, and red skin potatoes to accompany this dish. This second course will go nicely with a medium bodied Merlot that is not too fruit forward. A Merlot will balance out the heartiness of the beef broth and will give the wine a creamier finish.

In addition: There are many different sauces you can make to accompany your meats and vegetables. This just kicks up the second course another notch.

Course Three - Dark Chocolate Fondue with a Port: Chocolate fondue is very easy to make and goes great with strawberries, pound cake, cheesecake, and marshmallows. Pair this dessert with a Port. The sweetness of the Port pairs very well with the bitterness of the dark chocolate.

Hopefully this has given you some good ideas for your Valentine's Day dinner!

What Does Tannic Mean?

Probably the most confusing description of red wine is the word tannic. Many people throw this word around to describe what they are tasting. But in actuality, many of us have no clue what tannic means.

A tannin is part of the skin, stem, and seeds of grapes. To get red wine, the skins of the grape are soaked with the juice to get their beautiful color. But with that, the juice also gets the tannins from the skin. Many people think that if a wine is tannic,  they are describing a certain flavor or even acidity. However, tannic is the texture you feel in red wine. Does your mouth sometimes get dry after drinking a few sips of red wine? Or does it feel a little bitter? Well, that means that your wine is very tannic.

Not all red wines will have high amounts of tannin, and the perfect wine will have a nice balance of that dryness to it. A good way to get a good balance of tannins is to let your new bottles of wine sit for at least six months. As the wine ages, the amount of tannins will soften, and the wine will be more pleasant to drink.

Get Savvy with Sauvignon Blanc

As I mentioned before, I'm not a big fan of white wines. However, I will continue to test them out to help all of you. For the past couple of weeks I have been focusing on the Sauvignon Blanc wine, since it's a wine I never really drink. But, I must say that I have been pleasantly surprised.

This grape grows all around the world, but the French are the ones who stake their claim for this grape's origin. It grows in mild and somewhat cool climates, so it's no surprise that we see many Sauvignon Blanc wines come from California. What I like about this wine is that it plays to the dryer side, and it is not over-bearing in sweetness like many other whites. In fact, it is very tropical in flavor, but has an earthy side to it, which balances out the sweetness of the grape.

Many wine critics will say that you get an over-powering grapefruit flavor with this wine. While I do agree with them, I received more lemon notes with this wine than any other fruit. However, each person's palate is different, so I encourage all of you to pick up a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc tonight and let your taste buds decide. With that, I've highlighted a great one to share with you.

Santa Barbara Winery, Sauvignon Blanc (2010) - $15: This wine comes from the Santa Ynez Valley of California, (http://sbwinery.com/index.html). I love to visit Santa Barbara, because not only do I have family out there, I also love the wine! This wine has a yellow and light green clear color to it. It has smells of grapefruit, green apple, and lemon. There is a tartness and bite when you first taste it, with flavors of grapefruit and lemon that pop in your mouth. But after a few sips, the tartness goes down and hints of pineapple appear. It is very light in body, and I would recommend that this wine be paired with spicy foods to complement the flavors of the wine.

Do You Know the Way to Santa Fe?

My husband and I love to travel and find unique places to go to in each city. And of course, no trip is complete without stopping by a winery or wine shop. A couple of years ago, we made a trip to Santa Fe to see what the city was all about. We knew there would be great Southwestern food and art, but we weren't expecting to find a great winery.

In downtown Santa Fe there is a tasting room for the winery, Vino Del Corezon, (http://vinodelcorazon.com/Home_Page.html). It is run by a husband and wife team who make you feel like you have already been life-long friends. They have about ten wines in production, each of them with a unique taste. Their Chardonnay was oaky and smooth, while their Santa Fe Siesta Red was a little tart and sweet. All had welcoming colors, smells, and flavors. The wines range from about $15-$30 per bottle which is right on par with many other small batch wineries. And, if you can't make it to Santa Fe anytime soon, I suggest ordering a bottle from their website.

I'll be highlighting more trips like these in future posts. I'd also love to hear about your travel and winery experiences as well!

Super Bowl... Not Just for Beer Anymore!

I thought about doing something clever and fancy for this post, but the more I thought about it, the more it sounded silly. The Super Bowl isn't about being fancy... It's about hanging out with friends, eating junk food, and enjoying a beverage or three. Beer is the Super Bowl's best friend, and understandably so. It's inexpensive, comes individually wrapped, and people can pick and choose from a variety of flavors. It's also understandable that people don't want to break out the bottle of wine for the big game for fear that they will seem snobbish. Well, fear no more! Wine can now be the perfect beverage for the Super Bowl thanks to the box.

Boxed Wine? YES!!!!

Now, I'm not saying to go really cheap and get the spritzers and Franzia, but there are inexpensive, good quality boxed wines out there. Not only are boxed wines inexpensive, they are environmentally friendly, and can be saved for a month after opening. My favorite is the Bota Box (http://www.botabox.com/). Each box is equivalent to about four bottles of wine, so it is the perfect accompaniment for your Super Bowl party. There are many different varieties, both red and white. My choice would be the 2009 Malbec. It's full bodied, but not overwhelming. It has rich blackberry and plum tastes, and will go well with that hearty chili you are serving. Each box goes for about $19! That's around $4.75 a bottle! But, don't let the price fool you. This is a good, solid wine!

So go ahead...Put the beer aside and open up that box of wine!

I'm here to help

Have a question about wine and food pairings? Want suggestions on what wine to serve at your next get together? Need help planning your next wine party? I want to be your one stop shop for all things wine related.
Please feel free to email, Facebook, Tweet, or Google+ me anytime. I'm here to help!