Month: December 2017

Hi All! I hope you enjoyed an outstanding Christmas with your family and friends.  We’re now coming up to New Year’s, so I thought I’d bring in a sparkling wine to review. I chose the Louis Bouillot Perle d’Aurore Sparkling Rosé.  This particular wine is a combination of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Gamay grapes out of the Cremant de Bourgogne region of France.  This is a larger appellation within France and can reflect many different terroirs.  Terroir is the environmental conditions, especially soil and climate, in which grapes are grown.  This diversity as it relates to the grapes within this sparkling rosé give it a bit more character. This rosé is a brut, so is a bit drier, but not too much so.  It had notes of dark cherry, apple and maybe even kiwi.  The dark cherry may be driven from the Pinot Noir and Gamay with the apple and kiwi originating from the Chardonnay grapes.  Their website mentions notes of raspberry and I could denote that as well.  This is a good wine on its own, but I decided to try it with my meal last night. One might think my meal included escargot or paté.  Nope…my meal was chicken wings.  Yeah…I took it there.  I’ve gotta say…the sparkling rosé and chicken wings pairing was a white trash/snooty snoot combination delight.  The slight apple/kiwi fruitiness complimented the spicier hot wings.  Some folks might say I’m too countrified to drink French wine, but I say I’m a renaissance woman combining a global tapestry of flavors.  I am not normally a sparkling wine or champagne drinker, but it is New Year’s so want my readers to be prepared for the festivities with a good beverage for celebrating.  I would recommend this wine, that you can find at Total Wines and some grocery stores, for around $19.00 per bottle.  Have a safe and Happy New Year!!

Happy Holidays!!  I hope you have completed all of your shopping and are not encountering the masses at the mall.  If, however, you’re just now getting out to complete your shopping effort, here are some recommendations that might spur you along to gift-giving glory.  I’m going to list wines of various varietals and price points as well as make a couple of wine accessory recommendations to help you along your merry way.

Whites:

• Hogue Late Harvest Riesling – $9.00 per bottle (sweet, apple essence – pairs well with spicy and/or citrus dishes)
• Kendall Jackson Vinter’s Reserve Chardonnay –$12.00 per bottle (buttery and oaky – a good staple)
• Joel Gott Oregon Pinot Gris – $14.00 per bottle (apple and lemon, lighter white)
• Chloe Pinot Grigio – $19.00 per bottle (slight fruit and a bit lighter)
• Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc – $16.00 per bottle (slightly dry with essence of grapefruit and..well…grass essence)
• Conundrum White Blend – $24.00 per bottle (a bit of oak with honeysuckle and pear, good for drinking on its own)
• Sonoma Cutrer Russian River Valley Chardonnay – $25.00 per bottle (richer, slight butter, and mid-oakiness)

Reds:

• Argyle Pinot Noir – $20.00 per bottle (smooth, lighter-bodied Pinot Noir)
• Irony Pinot Noir – $14.00 per bottle (slightly sharp with tobacco and blackberry)
• Chateau St. Michelle Indian Wells Cabernet Sauvignon – $14.00 per botte (mid-oak, currant and plumb hints)
• Federalist Red Blend – $16.00 per bottle (earthy, slight tobacco, ending with a hint of cocoa)
• Raymond Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Reserve – $34.00 per bottle (bold with hints of chocolate and a slight licorice – lingering finish)
• Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – $75.00 per bottle (velvety with essence of chocolate and berry)

You could always give wine accessories too.  I hear that some people don’t actually finish a bottle of wine in one sitting.  For those folks, a wine stopper would be a great addition to their kitchen or bar. The best wine stoppers are the functional ones.  The truly functional ones will allow a person to lay the wine on its side in the fridge without its leaking. The decorative ones are great to look at, but many do not really seal that well.  A second wine accessory option is just a really good wine opener.  You can find good ones without having to spend $50.  However, the battery-operated or electric openers would have probably saved me from carpal tunnel. A third option for those who love reds would be a nice decanter or wine aerator. Letting a good red breathe makes a big difference…for those with patience.  Finally, the gift of yourself can make the biggest difference of all.  The holidays are a great time of year for many, but not for all.  Spending time with those going through difficult times during the holidays can be the most special gift you can give.  Merry Christmas and blessings to you and yours!

Hello Everyone!  I hope you’ve had a great weekend and were able to enjoy some colder, more appropriate temperatures for this time of the year.  I’m going to review a wine that really accents lighter foods you might enjoy in the summer months, but can accent some good food for this time of the year as well.  I’m reviewing a Pinot Gris.   A Pinot Gris utilizes the same grape varietal as the Pinot Grigio, but the wine can differ in body and taste.   The grape varietal is part of the Pinot family with this grape typically being a bluish-gray color.   This mutant of the Pinot family originated in France where the French called the result Pinot Gris.  Gris is the French word for gray.   The Italian word for gray is grigio resulting in their calling it Pinot Grigio.  There is a variation on how the French and Italians treat the grape after harvest.  The French created a bit more of a full-bodied wine, but the Italians helped shape a lighter-bodied wine.  Now that I’ve queued that up, I’ll globe trot a bit and talk about a Pinot Gris from Oregon.  The 2015 Joel Gott Oregon Pinot Gris is a light to medium wine with some acidity you might find in the typical French wine.  It has hints of apple, some lemon essence, and overtones of grass.   It paired well with salad, raw vegetables, Swiss cheese, and a lemon bar.  The lemon bar was thrown in there because mom made some earlier and I can’t resist them.   The pairing worked really well though.   Happy accident there.   I would recommend this wine with some lighter appetizers, cheeses, and desserts which you might find at some Christmas parties (see above for this being a good accent for some foods this time of year).   You could also pair it with some lighter chicken and fish dishes.  I enjoyed this Pinot Gris and would recommend it.   You can find it at some grocery stores for around $14 per bottle.  Have a great week!