A Fantastic Petite Sirah

www.lineshackwine.com

Line Shack Petite Sirah (2009) $15: This wine comes from the San Antonio Valley near Monterey, California. The San Antonio Valley is a new American Viticulture Area that has been gaining recognition from around the world.(http://www.lineshackwine.com/).

This wine is hands down, one of the best wines I've had in a while. It has a dark purple color, and a sweet blackberry, plum, and cinnamon bouquet. It is rich in flavor with blackberry, cinnamon, and sweet tobacco notes. It is big in body, has soft tannins, and only a touch of sweetness from the berry flavors.

This wine would pair very well with grilled meats and dark chocolate.

Recycle, Reuse...Create!

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I usually save my wine bottles and corks because I can always find another use for them. My current project is taking used wine bottles and creating works of art. Now, I'm not the most creative person on the planet, so if I can create wine bottle artwork, so can you. (Just let your imagination flow!) These new pieces of art can be used as a decoration for the house, given away as gifts, or structure the top to use as a candle or a small serving tray.

I buy my art supplies at Michael's since they seem to have the best selection and prices.

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Think this is a great idea but don't have the time to make one? No worries, you can always pay me to design one for you! :)

A "Great Wine" Book

www.books.google.com

One of my favorite books/reference guides on wine tasting is Great Wine Made Simple by Master Sommelier, Andrea Immer. She breaks down wine tasting into basic steps that anyone can follow. I use this book on a regular basis to learn about new wines, and to also test my skills on some of my favorites. This book is a great introduction to the world of wine!

You can find it on amazon for $15, (http://www.amazon.com/Great-Wine-Made-Simple-ebook/dp/B00486UEYO). There is also an ebook version available as well for $15.

Cooking with Wine

Photo courtesy of www.smartwomanonline.com

My cousin asked me what dry wines she can cook with, so I thought I would share my answer with all of you.

 

Dry basically means that the wine is not very fruit forward and doesn't have a lot of sugar in it. If you get a wine that is too sweet, buttery, or creamy, it can take a away from the flavors of the food. As I have mentioned in previous blogs, you want the wine to "compliment" the food, not overpower it.

 

For those of us on a strict budget, the best thing to use is the cooking wines from the grocery store. Yes, you do not get the full flavors and alcohol that "regular" wines have, but it gets the job done!

If you are looking for a good dry white wine to cook with, go with a wine that has not been aged in oak such as a Sauvingnon Blanc or a steel barrel aged Chardonnay. For a red, you will want to do a Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec. Those two wines are usually very dry and do not have a lot of sweet fruit flavors in them.

Wine with Sweet Foods

Photo Courtesy of www.sheknows.com

Desserts, or foods that are very sweet, can only be paired with wines that can stand up to that sweetness. The wine must be sweeter than the food, or else the wine will lose all of its flavors. On the other hand, if the wine overpowers the food, then serve the wine by itself.  (Example, vanilla ice cream would probably be best served alone). My favorite pairing is a bittersweet dark chocolate bar with a Cabernet Sauvignon. The tannins from the wine help balance out the bitterness of the chocolate, while the fruit flavors of the wine help bring out the sweetness of the chocolate.

A great tasting activity is to get a piece of white, milk, and dark chocolate, and try a few wines with each. Write down what you love and hate about each pairing. Who knows, maybe your new favorite pairing will be a Ruby Port with milk chocolate covered almonds.

A Fantastic Super Tuscan

My husband is a huge fan of Italian wines, so it was no surprise that I came home to find him pouring a bottle of red from Tuscany yesterday.

Photo Courtesy of www.argonautliquor.com

Marchesi Torrigiani - Torre Di Ciardo (2006) $16: This Estate Bottled wine comes from the Tuscany region of Italy. It can be called a "Super Tuscan" because the informing, or main grape in the wine is a Sangiovese, (75%). The other two grapes in this wine are Canaiolo and Merlot. It has a beautiful dark red color to it, and an earthy and berry bouquet. It tastes of spice and blackberries, with a hint of vanilla. It does have soft tannins, but the finish is smooth. (http://www.marchesitorrigiani.it/torre_di_ciardo.html).

We had this wine with parmesan chicken, and pasta with a robust marinara sauce, (of course!).

A Great App for Taking Notes on Wine

The Wine Spectator App was a big hit, so I thought I would share another app with you. 

Photo Courtesy of http://winenotesapp.com/

Wine Notes is an awesome app that allows you to take notes on wines you find, keep track of the wines, and even share the wines you find with other fellow wine lovers. http://winenotesapp.com/

Wine Notes doesn't let you forget a single fact about the wine. Each note is separated into different categories, allowing you to search for a wine you noted based on one category alone (i.e. flavors, or producers).

Let me know what you think!

Also, I'd love to hear from you on what you want to know more about! Please email me, or hit me up on one of the social networking sites. 

Virginia is for (Wine) Lovers

Photo Courtesy of www.virginiawine.org

Virginia is home to many great wineries. I have had the pleasure of visiting these wineries as my in-laws live right in the heart of Virginia wine county. While I believe that their wines cannot rival  the wines of California, I do think that in a few years time, we will see some fabulous wines coming out of Virginia. If you happen to live in the state or are traveling there sometime soon, a great website to check out is http://www.virginiawine.org/wineries. This website lists all the wineries in Virginia! I've highlighted a couple of my favorite wines from my travels:


Horton Vineyards Stonecastle Red (2008) $12: This is a light bodied and balanced red wine. It has a deep purple red color, and smells of raspberries. It has dark fruit tastes, with a soft, tannic finish. (http://hortonwine.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=53). This wine would go great with dark chocolate and red meats.



King Family Vineyards Cabernet Franc (2010) $22.95: Cabernet Francs are a great, earthy wine. This has berry fruit and spice notes on the bouquet. It was aged in oak, so it has that vanilla flavor and tannic feel in the mouth. (http://www.kingfamilyvineyards.com/Admin/ProductDisplay3.php). This wine would go well with grilled meats and vegetables.

A Cool Wine App for the Tech Geeks

Photo courtesy of www.winespectator.com

I absolutely love my wine apps for my phone. Instead of carrying around a notepad all the time or getting on Google to look up a wine fact, I can just go to an app to make a note about a wine.

 One of the apps I want to introduce you to is the Wine Spectator Vintage Chart. Have you ever bought a bottle of wine, opened it, drank it, then realized that it tasted completely wrong? Well, Wine Spectator has compiled a chart of wine vintages to tell you which ones are ready to drink now, and which ones you should hold on to for a while. They also give you a description of the wine based on the year and region. This is a fabulous app!

http://apps.winespectator.com/vintagechart.php

Wine and Salty Foods

Most everyone loves salt. You can't really escape a meal without it! However, it is very difficult to pair a wine with most salty foods. For the most part, wine and salt do not get along. The wrong wine can make the food and wine taste funky, sour, or bitter. But, that's not to say all is lost. In fact, there are a few wines that are a beautiful compliment to your salty foods.

Example 1: Blue Cheese and a sweet but acidic white, (such as Sauternes or a Sauvignon Blanc). The saltiness of the blue cheese compliments the sweet and acidic flavors of a Sauternes or Sauvignon Blanc wine. (Make sure neither of the wines has been aged in oak to get the best acidic flavor).

Example 2: Fried chicken (or fried calamari), with a sparkling white. Yes, we normally do not think of having wine with our fried chicken, but you would be amazed how well the two go together! Sparkling wines (white only), are the perfect pair to a salty, fried food. The carbonation from the wine helps enhance the flavors of the fried chicken, while cutting the salt intensity at the time time.


Example 3: Salty chips or dips with a Riesling. Again, we normally don't think of having wine with chips, but these two are a great combination. The saltiness of the chips and the sweetness of the Riesling help balance each other out. The salt will not be as powerful, and the sweet will be toned down as well. (Think about how well these would go together at a picnic or bbq).

Aerating Wine...Is It Necessary?

What does aerating  your wine do? Well, it basically exposes the wine to the air more rapidly. This causes the wine's "true" aroma and taste to emerge. Most wines need to be aerated. Red wines need aerating because of the tannins in the wine. Sediment build-up in older red wines could also benefit from aeration. Not all whites need to be aerated, but a good rule of thumb is to always aerate older wines.

www.vinturi.com

The Vinturi is what I use to aerate my wines, (https://www.vinturi.com/store/product.php?productid=1&cat=1&page=1). It sells for around $40, (or cheaper at Bed, Bath, and Beyond). It is a simple, yet effective device that will "decant" and aerate your wine by using a filtration system. I have done numerous tests with wines, and I will say that it works! Try a before and after test with your wine. You will be amazed by the difference in aromas and tastes!

However, if you don't feel like investing in the Vinturi, there are a couple of other ways to aerate your wine.

www.littlerockwinetasting.com

The old school way of aerating your wine is by swirling it around in your glass for about 30 seconds to let the oxygen interact with the wine. If it is an older wine, pour it into the glass and let it stand for a few minutes before swirling. This will allow more time for the oxygen to interact with the wine.

www.yourdictionary.com/decanter

 Decanters can also be used to aerate wine. Wine is transferred from its original bottle to the decanter to allow oxygen to reach the wine, and to also leave any sediment leftover in the wine bottle. (Making it a "cleaner" wine). Decanters can range anywhere from $5 all the way to $1000 and beyond.

A New Wine Accessory

My friend Katie found this wine purse online, and I had to share it with all of you. I think this is the coolest invention. Great for picnics, bbq's, and other outings.

*Courtesy of scandinaviandesigncenter.com*

http://www.yumsugar.com/Would-You-Use-Wine-Purse-8079362

Who's with me?!?

Wine and Fatty Foods

What are the best wines to pair with fatty foods? Well, that depends on the type of fat you are eating. Meats and dairy products both have a high fat content, but different wines go well with each. The main rule of thumb is to balance the fattiness of the food with an acidic or tannic wine. Or, you could do something completely different and try to match the fattiness of the food with a rich, buttery, oaky wine.

As an experiment, try all three methods to see which one pairs best.

Experiment 1 (Tannins): Steak and garlic mashed potatoes with a Cabernet Sauvignon. The tannins in the Cabernet will help soften the fattiness of the steak, making it a nice combination. (I recommend a French Cabernet because they are high in tannins).

Experiment 2 (Acid): Goat cheese and spinach salad with a Sauvignon Blanc. The acidity in the Sauvignon Blanc will help cut the fat of the goat cheese. You will be able to get the earthy and melon notes out of the wine. (A California Sauvignon Blanc will have more acid than other regions).

Experiment 3 (Butter and Oak): Lobster Bisque with an oaky Chardonnay. The creaminess of the bisque, and richness of the lobster need a bold, buttery, and oaky Chardonnay to stand up to the flavors.(Again, I would go with a French Chardonnay to get the best oaky flavors).

Let me know which pairing you like the best!

A Time Out to Plug my Business

Hi Everyone, I hope all of you are enjoying the posts. As always, please feel free to contact me with post ideas, questions, and comments. I wanted to take a little time out from blogging to plug my business, A Crushed Grape. It is an event planning company that specializes in home wine tasting parties, and wine consulting. However, I am also available for other event planning services such as weddings, parties, and business functions. Thanks!

The Noble Grapes: Part 2

Now we will cover the three white noble grapes. There are arguments saying there are more than three white noble grapes today, but I want to stick with the original three: Riesling, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc.

Willamette Valley Riesling (2010) $14: This wine comes from Oregon, and has a wonderful apple sauce bouquet. It is semi-acidic, and slightly sweet, with tastes of apple and pear. It has a touch of spice, and is a well balanced wine. (http://store.wvv.com/2010-willamette-valley-vineyards-riesling-p76.aspx).

Morning Fog Chardonnay (2010) $12.99:  This wine comes from Wente Vineyards in California, just east of San Fransisco. It has great tropical fruit and spice flavors. It is bitey up front, but has a smooth, buttery finish. A very nice, but typical Chardonnay. (https://shop.wentevineyards.com/SHOP.AMS?LEVEL=BOT&PART=304-10&DESC=Wente%20Vineyards%202010%20Morning%20Fog%20Chardonnay).


Murphy Goode Sauvignon Blanc (2010) $14: This wine comes from Northern California, and has a floral bouquet to it. It tastes of tangy grapefruit up front, but has a smooth, creamy, and orange finish. This is a very nice, full bodied wine. (http://www.murphygoodewinery.com/wines/index.html).

The Noble Grapes: Part 1

What are the noble grapes? According to the French, the noble grapes are the grapes of the highest quality. Originally, there were only 6 noble grapes. Today, however, there are so many different variations of wine grapes and hybrid grapes from various regions, that the number of noble grapes has increased to 10. (However, you will see arguments today on how many noble grapes there actually are).

Today, we will focus on wines from the three red noble grapes: Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. These wines are all from California to give you an easier way to compare the three.

Carmel Road Pinot Noir (2009) $20: This wine comes from the Monterey region in Northern California, (http://www.carmelroad.com/wines/MPinot.html). It has a burgundy red color, and  smells of dark fruit with a touch of spice. It has soft tannins up front, but has a very creamy finish. It has tastes of blackberry, raspberry, and clove. For a Pinot Noir, this is a full bodied wine.


Paso Creek Merlot (2007) $17: This wines comes from the Central Coast of California, (http://www.pasocreek.com/about-paso-creek/). Again, this wine has a burgundy red color, and smells of fruit jam, toasted oak, and cigars, or sweet tobacco. It tastes of dark cherry, blackberry, and currant. This is a very smooth, dry wine. Not overly tannic and only slightly acidic, so very nicely balanced.

Franciscan Cabernet Sauvignon (2008) $28: This is a Napa Valley wine that has a deep garnet color (http://www.franciscan.com/2008_Franciscan_Cabernet_Sauvignon). It has an oaky, earthy, fruity, and spicy bouquet to it. It tastes of cherry, blackberry, plum, and a hint of cocoa. This is a very full bodied, tannic wine.