100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 40: Boston Seafood and Wine Pairing

Blog 40 Boston Seafood and Wine Pairing
Ye Olde Union Oyster House is the oldest restaurant in the United States with continuous service. It is also the oldest restaurant in Boston, MA. Open since 1826. I wanted to see what types of wines they offered on their menu, with them being the oldest continuous service restaurant.

By the glass, you can get Heidsieck Little Blue Top Champagne, which has a medium body, with fresh citrus notes, and nice toasty flavors. Frei Brothers Russian River and Redwood Creek Chardonnay both from California. Maso Canali and Bella Sera Pinot Grigio from Italy. Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. Four Sisters Sauvignon Blanc, McWilliams Reisling, and McWilliams ‘Hanwood Estate’ Chardonnay and Shiraz from Australia. Canyon Road Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from California. Mac Murray Ranch ‘Sonoma Coast’ Pinot Noir from California. These are all offered by the glass but they have a more extensive list for those wanting to purchase a bottle at the table.

I also compared this with Skipjack’s Seafood Emporium’s wine menu. They served a few types of sparkling wines along with Chardonnay, Reisling, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and even Viognier. Their reds consisted of Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Malbec, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The majority of their selection consisted of light to medium bodied wines with only a few choices of heavy wines listed on the menu.

Boston is known for their seafood and most of the restaurants specialize in serving lobster, crab, oysters, mussels, scallops, clams and various types of fish. What I noticed when eating at many of the restaurants in the Boston area, is that the wine menu differed from wine menus that I was used to seeing in most other parts of the United States, where meat and not seafood is mostly served. The Boston restaurants had a larger variety of white wines and light or medium bodied red wines as well as sparklers, than the other areas of the country that do not serve seafood as their main dishes. Even in Florida where we have a lot of seafood, we still also serve a lot of meat and keep the heavier reds as a larger variety on our menus. What a refreshing selection of wines to be paired with Boston’s fresh seafood dishes!

You really didn’t think I was only going to drink beer while in Boston, did you?

Tell me what you would pair with your seafood dishes! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 39: When in Boston…

Blog 39 When in Boston…

This week, I am in Boston, Massachusetts in the United States. Yes, it is cold compared to my home state of Florida. The Boston Wine Festival is taking place at the Boston Harbor Hotel. It started in January and ends in April of 2010. The nation’s longest running food and wine pairing series. Some of the wine owners that are showcasing their wines this week in the festival are Alex Gambal, Truchard Vineyards, and Arrowood Vineyards & Winery. Tickets are in the $100 and $200 dollar range and consist of the wine and food pairing as well as the winery owners themselves in attendance.

Little did I know that they have about 30 wineries in the surrounding area of Boston? Some specialize in blueberry wines and they have some hard core cider makers. There is even one winery called the Boston Winery where you can go to make your own wine. You can start by helping out with the crush and end up with the bottling of the wine.

Boston is known for their sports and beer. The Boston Celtics for basketball, the Boston Bruins for hockey, the Boston Red Sox for baseball, and the New England Patriots for football.

When you talk about beer, you are talking about Boston. Harpoon Brewery is a Boston original which has been opened since 1986. It is New England’s largest craft brewery. They brew Harpoon, IPA, UFO Hefeweizen and their variety of brewery-fresh beers.

When you order a beer in Boston, it is best to order on draught where your choices will be plentiful. If you order by the bottle, you may end up with typical Anheuser-Busch and Miller products; however, they do have a nice Sam Adams Light in the bottle. Samuel Adams originated in Boston in 1985 by first selling beer door-to-door to about 25 restaurants. They finally purchased a building and built a brewery in 1988. Their microbrew or craft beer consists of Boston Ale, Cream Stout, Double Bock, as well as a line of seasonal beers.

So, when in Boston, you may want to put your wine aside to try fresh microbrew ale.

Tell me if you love beer! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 38: How did America devastate the European wine industry?

Blog 38 How did America devastate the European wine industry?
In the Xplorador wine video, the 3 Wine Girls wanted to extend their apologies for something that happened way back in the late 1850’s. America caused an unintentional devastation to the wine industry in France and throughout Europe.

Phylloxera is a louse that lives on different parts of the vine. It will also live on the root system, and sucks the sap from the roots. Its waste is distributed back into the roots of the vine. This is poison, and causes the vine to die within a few years.

In the late 1850’s, vines from the United States were shipped to France with our insects on the vines. No one was aware that these insects were on a free voyage to a new land to spread their deadly blight onto the vines across Europe. They would devastate and destroy when placed in French soil.

Phylloxera had already run its course in America, and the vines in America eventually developed immunity to the insects. Many of the grape growers throughout Europe had to graft their vines onto the United States rootstock as a solution. This was a devastation that took years to get over.

The 3 Wine Girls would be more than happy to extend their apologies by being invited to any vineyard across the world. They would like to extend their deepest United States apology for the unintentional universal devastation caused by our lousy insects.

Tell me why you love wine? I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 37: For the love of wine. What makes you love wine?

Blog 37: For the love of wine.
There are certain things that I think about when I think of wine. I think of the wineries that I have visited and the ones that I have yet to visit. I think of the friends that I shared a bottle of wine with. I think of the good memories that I have had when I drink a glass of wine that reminds me of something. It brings me back to the last time that I tasted or smelled a wine like that. I think about what went in to making this particular glass of wine. I think of how many hands it must have gone through to turn these grapes into such a great tasting beverage. And, I think of the passion and hard work that was put into making this glass of wine different than any other.

What makes you love wine?

For me, it is:

Fresh air
Bud break
Rolling vineyards
Bunches of grape varietals
The smell of French oak barrels
The aroma of the wine as you breathe it in
The taste of the wine and the texture once it hits your mouth
The friends that you meet and enjoy while tasting your wine
No two wines are the same
There are so many choices

Tell me why you love wine? I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!
Bon Vin!
Veronica

Xplorador Winery Tasting Part 1 & Part 2

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 36 Tasting Xplorador Wine Part 2

Blog 36: Tasting Xplorador Wine Part 2 with the 3 Wine Girls Alma, Veronica & Lindsay

The 3 Wine Girls ventured out to talk about Xplorador wines. We tasted a Malbec from Argentina, and a Carmenere and a Merlot from Chile. In the Xplorador Wine video Part 1, the 3 Wine Girls gave the Malbec a 3 thumbs up and Veronica rated it with 92 points on her rating scale for tastability. We also gave it five stars and five diamonds for whichever rating scale you go by. Lindsay stated that she likes diamonds.

3 out of 3 Wine Girls recommend Xplorador Malbec!

The 3 Wine Girls then tried the Merlot which had a deep, red color to it. The aromas noted were earthy (good earthy), soil, green pepper, rose, spicy and a vegetal smell. The taste had a kick to it with soft tannins, but was not as smooth as the Malbec.

The 3 Wine Girls went on to taste the Carmenere. The color of crimson. The aromas noted were soil and earth, but not as earthy as the Merlot, some spice, cherry and vanilla. The finish lingers in your mouth pleasantly. Lindsay also smelled a soapy (good soapy) smell to it and Gardenias. Veronica felt it was velvety in the mouth with a silky feeling. Alma felt the Malbec had a silkier feel to it. We then tasted some plums and chocolate on the finish.

Carmenere was fantastic. It had a big color and a big taste. It might end up climbing like the Malbec did as it becomes known again throughout the world.
Xplorador makes affordable wines that produce results! We clapped and we liked it!

Veronica wanted to know where Tito (the winemaker) was. She then spoke some Spanish. She wanted Tito’s autograph for making some incredible in-demand wines. You can purchase all three wines for under $20 and have something that you want to serve to your company. Veronica gave the Merlot 89 points and the Carmenere 92 points on her point scale. The Carmenere is a gem and can’t be produced by many others. Alma gave the Malbec and the Carmenere 95 points on her point scale.

Xplorador is one of the best values in wine right now! The 3 Wine Girls felt that the quality in the making of these wines was just perfect.

3 out of 3 Wine Girls recommend it.

Xplorador is Wine Girl approved!

Tell me your thoughts, make them funny, keep them nice and educate me.
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 35 Tasting Xplorador Wine Part 1

Blog 35: Tasting Xplorador Wine Part 1 with the 3 Wine Girls Alma, Veronica & Lindsay


The 3 Wine Girls ventured out to talk about Xplorador wines. We tasted a Malbec from Argentina. Malbec is the main grape varietal of Argentina. You can find Malbec in California, France and throughout the world. We tried a Merlot made in Chile. Merlot is a universal grape. We also tasted a Carmenere which is a varietal from Chile.


Carmenere was originally a known varietal from France over 100 years ago. Phylloxera was the fault of the United States. We pretty much spread it throughout the world. It killed off the Carmenere grape in France. However, in Chile, in the 1990’s they found a grape that they thought was Merlot, it happened to be the long lost Carmenere. If you look at the leaves of the Merlot and the Carmenere, they are different. The underside of the Merlot leaf is white, and the underside of the Carmenere is a reddish-orangish color.


Carmenere was a little bit of a struggle to grow for France because of the colder weather, the weather in Chile improved the quality of the Carmenere grapes. They thrived on a bit of warmer weather. The Merlot and the Camenere grape also peaked at different times; they ripened about a month apart. Chile was calling the Carmenere grape the Merlot Select.

We then started the tasting, finally, we determined that the bottles were opened and aired prior to drinking. We swirled and smelled. We determined that it smelled pretty and had a great nose. We immediately smelled cherry or black cherry, vanilla and a tobacco scent.

The 3 Wine Girls tasted some red fruit with a very silky feeling to it. It had some spice in it too, like pepper and a little oak. It was also juicy and smooth. We love, love, love the Malbec. Veronica thought it was tweetable. Malbec from the Mendoza region of Argentina is assured to be smooth, silky, inexpensive and good. Argentina is the pro on Malbec. This $6.50 bottle can stand up to many $30-$50 bottles of California Malbec.

The color is deep plum-berry with lots of fruit. You smell everything that happened in the making of this wine. I don’t think that Alma accidently poured an exceptionally huge glass of the Xplorador Malbec. She knew exactly what she was doing. She is no dummy. After filming, she did drink the entire glass.

I rated this wine with 92 points, even though many others may not agree with me on a $6.50 glass of wine, but for my taste buds, it gets the points. Smooth and silky with a smooth finish that brings out just the right flavor in your mouth. Xplorador makes a great Malbec! Now, will the Carmenere and Merlot pass the 3 Wine Girls test!

Tell me your thoughts, make them funny, keep them nice and educate me.
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 34 Robertson Winery Pinotage vs. Cabernet Sauvignon Part 2

34. Robertson Winery Pinotage vs. Cabernet Sauvignon Part 2

We tasted the 2008 Robertson Pinotage from South Africa and thought it tasted mmm mmm good. We then tasted the 2008 Robertson Cabernet Sauvignon. I wanted to compare it to the 2007 that I had a few days before.

Alma jump-started the tasting. She felt that wine C, the Cab, had a smoky and spicy nose. Veronica felt it smelled like cassis. Alma felt the taste was good, smooth and silky on the tongue, and barely medium-bodied like skim milk or 1 per cent. Lindsay and Veronica felt that it was heavier than the Pinotage. It had a lighter texture. The colors for both wines are see-through plum. The taste to Veronica was plumy and berry.

Alma and Lindsay felt that they would like the Pinotage with a steak and cracked pepper. Lindsay felt the Pinotage also would be good with a smoked sausage or pork. Veronica loved the nose on the Pinotage. She felt the Cabernet Sauvignon had a heavier nose, taste and mouthfeel. Alma felt that both were good and it depended on the occasion, but she liked the spices in the Cabernet.

Lindsay thought that the Pinotage had a unique nose. I told her that our viewers wanted to know what we meant by unique and distinct. We are used to our United States wines and our California wines. The nose is different on the South African wines. They have more smoky and toasty notes that we are not used too. The chocolate and plum taste has flair to it. The color is also different, when we have a heavy Cab, our Cab is very heavy and very dark. They are just big.

Veronica can tell the difference between the 2007 and the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon from Robertson. The 2007 is better. Veronica would not bring it in to share with the group, because it is her favorite and she is stingy. (We all know that I am Veronica.)


Veronica liked the Pinotage better and Alma and Lindsay liked the Cab better for an everyday choice. The Three Wine Girls then said “Cheers!”


We decided that we were not done with the video and we started talking even more. Then, Ryan (“the guy” behind the camera) snuck in when the girls left and stated, “for the record, I was saying ‘pin-oh-tauge’ the whole time, not ‘pinot-tauge’!” The nerve of him!

Tell me your thoughts, make them funny, keep them nice and educate me.
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 33 Robertson Winery Tasting: Pinotage vs. Cabernet Sauvignon Part 1

33. Robertson Winery Tasting: Pinotage vs. Cabernet Sauvignon Part 1

The Three Wine Girls are ready to taste some more wine. You can view the video Part 1to go with Blog 33 and video Part 2 to go with Blog 34. Pinotage is not pronounced “pinot-tauge,” it is pronounced “pin-oh-tauge,” according to a good friend of mine. Here in America, we don’t say anything right. Spain should really be Espana and Italy should really be Italia. Being American, it is hard to pronounce other country names. So, we have officially decided to pronounce it correctly, hopefully we have it right this time.



Our tasting consisted of the Pinotage and the Cabernet Sauvignon. Both wines are vintage 2008, from Robertson Winery in South Africa. Both bottles were about $9.99 each and are drink now wines. The Pinotage is made using Pinot Noir and Cinsaut. Cinsaut is pronounced “sin-sew” in South African and in France, the spelling is Cinsault and the pronunciation is “san-sew”. Cinsaut and Pinot Noir used to be called Hermitage in South Africa but it is now known in South Africa as Pinotage.

We did not do a blind tasting this time. We compared the B wine, which was the Pinotage, to the C wine, which was the Cabernet Sauvignon to see which one we like better. The night before the tasting, I had a Cabernet Sauvignon from Robertson Winery that was a 2007. I don’t know if wine critics want to hit me over the head for loving it so much, or if it’s a brilliant choice. I think that the wine is affordable and one of my favorites. The 2007 Robertson did not have a twist cap like the 2008. The Three Wine Girls feel that it is nostalgic to have a cork. It’s a ceremony! What is the world thinking with the twist cap? It is fun to try to find a bottle opener in the middle of the night.

Lindsay started the tasting with wine B first, the lighter wine, the Pinotage. We got some air in our glasses by swirling glass B around, looking for color and clarity. We then held it up to the light with our white background. We felt the color of wine B looked like a plum. Alma felt it was not that thin. She liked the smell and felt it was not that strong. She really liked the nose on it and felt it was smoky. Veronica noted that it had toasty oak and a great smell. She also smelled banana, chocolate and coffee and it tasted that way too. Alma felt it had the perfect amount of sweaty man. It tasted pretty light, medium bodied with soft tannins. It was not bitey, it tasted plumy and was pretty good with a nice mild finish. It also lingers a little bit.

I like to look at my fingers through the wines by putting my fingers behind the glass to see the weight of the wine. If you can see your fingers through the wine, it may not be very heavy. The Cabernet Sauvignon and the Pinotage were not heavy because we could see our fingers through the wine in the glass. We have those darker colors in many of our California Cabs including dark, rich, deep reds and heavy oak with spice.

We felt the pin-o-tauge was…mmmm…very good! Part 2 is the next blog where we will taste the Cabernet Sauvignon.

Tell me your thoughts, make them funny, keep them nice and educate me.
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 32 How can you drink a Cabernet Sauvignon for breakfast?

32. How can you drink a Cabernet Sauvignon for breakfast?

It was Valentine’s Day and I posted a blog online asking others to blog about what they would be drinking on Valentine’s Day and what would be their beverage of choice. It made me think of what I was going to have. The typical Pink Champagne, which would be perfect for the celebration, or was I going to drink something else? Remember, this was for breakfast. Ryan was taking me and the children to a club in Tampa, Florida called “The Tampa Club”. It sits 42 stories high in our city’s largest building with a breathtaking view of the city and two of our island communities.



They go out of their way to make an experience that you will never forget. They called their breakfast, St. Valentine’s Day “Breakfast @ Brennan’s” which takes place from 10am – 2pm. My meal consisted of:

Starter
Warm Bourbon Baked Apple with Cinnamon Double Cream

Salad
French Quarter Salad with Cinnamon Toasted Pecans, Fresh Strawberries, Mandarin Oranges, Blueberries & Cracked Black Peppercorn Vinaigrette

Entrée
Steak Au Poivre (Classically prepared with Cracked Black Peppercorns, Brandy and Crème)



Desserts & Diablos



Chocolate Fondue (with a Chocolate Fountain)
Crème Brulee
Bananas Foster
Café Diablo (Coffee with Gran Marnier and an Orange Wedge)



What did we drink?

Ryan had a nice big bountiful California Cabernet Sauvignon from Kunde. I had a medium-bodied, toasty, berrytastic South African 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon from Robertson Winery. It went perfect with our meals. Check out our pictures of our very special day. So when you ask me, how can you drink a Cabernet Sauvignon for breakfast? I say, very easily!



Tell me your thoughts, make them funny, keep them nice and educate me.
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 31 What are the names of the two wines, what do their Web sites have to say about them and what’s on the label?

31. What are the names of the two wines, what do their Web sites have to say about them and what’s on the label? In Blog 29 and Blog 30, we tasted two wines. C was the Pinot Noir and B was the Pinotage. Alma and Lindsay liked the Pinot Noir better than the Pinotage. Patti liked the Pinotage better. Let’s look at the names of the two wines.
Wine C:

Laetitia
Harvest Moon Ranch Reserve
Pinot Noir
Arroyo Grande Valley
2008

Wine B:

The Winemaster’s Reserve
Pinotage
Vintage 2007
Wine of Origin Western Cape
Product of South Africa

Let’s look and see what the Web sites had to say about them:

Laetitia Vineyard and Winery

The Laetitia Vineyard and Winery is located four miles from the Pacific Ocean in the Arroyo Grande Valley AVA. The vineyard is in an area of California’s coolest grape growing region. The estate sits on 1,888 acres with 620 acres currently planted to grape vines with Pinot Noir being the most widely planted varietal. They also plant Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Tempranillo, Syrah, Pinot Gris and White Riesling.

I did not find specific tasting notes on this bottle of wine but they did have notes on their Estate Pinot Noir. The tasting notes on their Estate Pinot Noir:
“Dark mulberry tones and aromas of cranberry and spiced plum, this 2008 vintage Pinot Noir is rich and medium-bodied. Youthful flavors of pomegranate, sandalwood and red cherries are married beautifully with earthy cola and smoke. The palate is framed with bright, crisp acidity and will age gracefully. Pair with salmon croquettes, braised lamb shanks or wild mushroom risotto.”

Nederburg

Nederburg is a winery located in South Africa. It is an award winning winery. The appeal according to their Web site lies in their ability to make classically structured wine with fruit-rich flavors.


The Winemaster’s Reserve Collection:

“Nederburg’s core super-premium wines are accommodated in The Winemaster’s Reserve ensemble, named to honour the long-established tradition of winemaking excellence. These classic wines treasure the integrity of our grapes in every step of the wine-growing and winemaking journey. Every glass demonstrates an unwavering commitment to world-class vineyard and cellar skills. This wine is made from 100% Pinotage grapes.”

“The grapes were sourced from vineyards in and around the Western Cape. Tasting notes: Plum and cherry aromas with slight oak spices in the background. Well-balanced, rich fruit flavors with soft tannins and a lingering finish. Excellent served with pasta, pizza, roast leg of lamb, bobotie and even chocolate.”

Tell me your thoughts, make them funny, keep them nice and educate me.
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 30 Blind Tasting of Pinot Noir & Pinotage Part 2

30. Blind Tasting of Pinot Noir & Pinotage Part 2



Two red wines were tasted blind, one labeled as B and one labeled as C. We first tasted wine C in Part 1 and Blog 29. You can view the video Part 1 for the tasting and read Blog 29, then come and join us by viewing the video Part 2 and reading Blog 30.

The Pinot Noir was picked to be comparable to the Pinotage. However, the Pinot Noir was $29.99 and the Pinotage was $12.99. The Pinotage was literally the only one in my city at the time and I don’t know why. It is a mass produced wine and may not represent the best that Pinotage has to offer to our taste buds. Pinotage is a cross between the Pinot Noir grape and the Cinsaut. Cinsaut being from Rhone. Cinsaut in South Africa is called Hermitage, giving Pinotage the end of its name. Pinotage has its origins in South Africa.

Let’s see what we had to say about wine B in comparison to wine C.

1. Visual Inspection: Color and Texture (Legs)
2. Aroma (Smell)
3. Flavor and Texture (Taste, Mouthfeel)
4. Finish (Lasting Impression, Completeness)

Lindsay thinks B is not a brown color but a dinghy red color and smells like smoky sausage. I think B smells like the Philadelphia Eagles, toast or coffee. Alma thinks B smells musky, and like a sweaty man. Patti thinks B is light and fruity with toast and coffee as well. She likes it. It stands out because it is different and distinct. B is more memorable. For us, it had a unique nose.

Alma felt that the strength of the aroma did not match with the taste of the wine. She thinks that it smells like a South African Cabernet. It is too big on the nose with a strong aroma and too light on the body and taste. B deserves a heavier body. I think that B was unique and different and I loved the nose on it. I couldn’t get past the nose. Alma and Lindsay did not like the finish. Patti liked the finish. Alma felt that C tasted more like table wine.

I would like to taste a boutique winery Pinotage from South Africa and compare it to another Pinotage from a different country. The Pinotage had a different nose than we are used to in the United States.

The California Pinot Noir has some oak, the Pinotage has some toast. The nose on the Pinotage was distinctive and we liked it. And then, I was distracted by the smell of some caramel in the Pinot Noir.

Lindsay and Alma liked C, the Pinot Noir and Patti liked B, the Pinotage. Lindsay said that if she was having a smoky cheese or some Gouda though, she would pick the Pinotage. It depends on the situation. We all felt the nose on the Pinotage was too big for its taste.

All of the girls have had wine tastings but none have taken any wine classes. They like to drink a variety of wines and have had some skill in tasting wine but not studying it. They were just going by trial and error from having parties, entertaining, and trying to pair food with wine.

This Pinotage was unique, but lacked in its finish and what it had to offer. It needed to offer us women just a little bit more. It was not standing up for its name. Alma said that this Pinotage was used on an airline as the official airline wine. The Pinot Noir to me did not live up to its reputation of a California Pinot Noir. We would like to see a good Pinot Noir from Oregon. Patti took the bottle of Pinotage and did not give it back. We have not seen nor heard from her since.
Just three girls trying two wines! Oh, make that four girls. I forgot about me!
In Blog 31, I will let you know the names of these two wines, what their Web sites have to say about them and tell you about the labels.

Tell me your thoughts, make them funny, keep them nice and educate me.
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 29 Blind Tasting of Pinot Noir & Pinotage Part 1

29. Blind Tasting of Pinot Noir & Pinotage Part 1

Video Part 1


1. Visual Inspection: Color and Texture (Legs)

Two red wines were tasted blind, one labeled as B and one labeled as C. We first tasted wine C. You can view the video Part 1 for the tasting or read along.
We use a lot of our senses when we taste wine. We use the sense of smell, touch, taste and feel. Everyone has a different palate and may like different wines. Some may like a lighter wine with fruit, while others may like a heavy wine with spice and oak. There are so many different combinations; these are not the only choices. Let’s get to the tasting.

We used tasting mats so that they could look first against the white background to perform a visual inspection of the wine. They looked at the color of the wine and swirled the wine in the glass to view the texture and color. They put the glass down on the white paper and swirled it by the stem for a better swirl. You do not want to swirl the glass from the bowl because it will change the temperature of the wine. How does the wine look in the glass? Is it light, is it heavy? Does the wine have legs? Is she walking?

2. Aroma (Smell)

We then went to the sense of smell. They swirled the glass again, sticking their nose deep into the glass towards the upper part of the glass. I like the Bordeaux glass or even the Burgundy glass for smelling reds.

Try to describe what you smell in that wine? In wine C, some of the terms that they used to describe the wine were; woody, wood chips, earthy, cherry and berry. You might smell some type of fruit since it is made out of grapes and made from the earth. You may have a fruity or berry smell as well as a possible earthy smell. You do not want to have a taint or corky smell to it. If it smells like old newspapers stop and return the bottle.

3. Flavor and Texture (Taste, Mouthfeel)

They swirled it a little bit again, aired it out a little, to let it breathe. The temperature needs to be just right to get a better mouthfeel. The length of time it has been left out prior to tasting the wine is also important. You want to feel the wine in your mouth and taste the wine. Is it a heavy wine? Is it medium? Does it have texture and body to it? Is it a light wine? Both whites and reds can have a heavy feel in the mouth. Do you taste anything? Do you taste any oak?

One of the wines we were tasting, was an African wine and one was a California wine. Most of the time, the California wines will have some oak in their wine. The South African wine may also have some toast or oak.

Lindsay felt it was pretty light and tasted like a Pinot Noir. Alma felt it might be a Pinot Noir or Syrah. Patti felt a medium to heavy taste, and maybe an oaky taste. If you are a heavy wine drinker it might feel lighter and if you are a light wine drinker it may feel heavier. Alma and Lindsay thought that it tasted good but Patti felt that it did not taste good and wanted to know if anyone wanted it. I think it tasted light and flowed in the glass. I didn’t see any heavy legs and I thought it tasted ok, which is not a good word for me when describing wine.

4. Finish (Lasting Impression, Completeness)

The last thing that I look at in a wine towards the end of the tasting is…does it have a finish? Does it finish? It might have a cute body in it but no finish or does it finish what it was trying to accomplish? Does the flavor linger or does it end? C is just a nice drinking, easy going, light wine. Patti said she must be having an off day. She did not like it. Alma and Lindsay thought C was good.

In Part 2, we will see what wine B has to offer and we will cast a vote for the winner!

Tell me your thoughts, make them funny, keep them nice and educate me.
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 28 Wine Tasting Challenge Korbel vs. Schramsberg Part 2

28. It is Taste Time! Wine Tasting Challenge Korbel vs. Schramsberg Part 2

We reviewed the labels, the price and what each Web site had to say about their wine in Blog 26. The two wines we reviewed were Korbel Brut, California Champagne and Schramsberg, Blanc de Blancs, Brut Sparkling Wine, Vintage 2006. You can view the video Part 1 and Part 2 and read along or try your own tasting and tell me what you think. Blog 27 goes along with video Part 1 and Blog 28 goes along with video Part 2.

Video Part 2:

Korbel vs. Schramsberg. Let’s go!

1. Visual Inspection: Color and Bubbles (Look)were reviewed in Part 1 for both wines. On to Aroma.

2. Aroma (Smell) B & C

They felt that B smelled like a wine, while C smelled more like a fruit. Lindsay smelled another type of fruit in C. Some Florida wines may have oranges and peaches and are fruity. They felt that B did not have that fruity smell.

3. Flavor and Texture (Taste, Mouthfeel)B & C

Alma felt that B was not as light as C because she felt B had more flavor to it. Patti thought that B was very bubbly, tasted bubbly, and felt bubbly. Lindsay said that it tasted like a sparkling wine. Patti felt B was not fruity at all. They all felt that B had a much more smooth finish. Lindsay said that it tasted complete. Alma felt it did come together more. In comparison, B was much better. It was complete. It had a fresh mouthfeel and it matched its color. It had bubbles that had staying power. Even if you grabbed your glass and shook it, not that you are supposed to, you could see the tiny, tiny, tiny bubbles that are in there. Patti then started singing Tiny Bubbles and Alma said the wine swirls. When looking into the top of glass C, you can see big bubbles. Lindsay said C was losing it the longer you sat there. And then, the stand-off: Which did they like better, B or C? Alma said B, Patti said B, and Lindsay said B. It was B across the board.

Discussion:

If you like something light and sweet and fruity you may like C, the Korbel. It should be dry because it is a Brut but we found it to be sweet and fruity. For the price, you may want to pick Korbel. The nose goes away, but at a party and when making a toast, the mood is already there. You are drinking your California Champagne. You are popping it in your mouth and it is doing the trick.

Lindsay does not like Champagne because she does not like this type of Champagne (Korbel). She says that she would like it if it were Schramsberg instead of Korbel at the party but she always gets to taste the Korbel. Alma, thinks a Champagne or a Cava is much better than the Korbel and that the Schramsberg is definitely much better. None of them have had the Schramsberg before.

Korbel and Schramsberg were both founded in the 1800’s. They can agrue about which one came first. Schramsberg family came from Europe and settled in Calistoga in the Napa Valley, while Korbel settled on the Sonoma side .If you go to either sparkling wine house you’ll see that they all have a history there.

Again, I say, I will pick a Schramsberg any day, anytime anywhere over a Korbel. I will know the difference between the two by look, bubbles, taste, and by mouthfeel. I challenge anyone out there. Although, you can trick me on a good day. I just love that Schramsberg!

Patti stated that the Korbel left a bitter taste in her mouth. She liked the Schramsberg better. Here in the US, people will drink a “Champagne” and they won’t like it because it was one of “those”. The Schramsberg does not have that. The Schramsberg has the Chardonnay taste. It is a pure Chardonnay. It tastes light, dry, mild, and clean. What do you taste in it? Smooth, delicate, dry? The dosage is lighter being a Brut. Korbel had a fruitier taste and less of a dry taste even though it was a Brut. It tasted as if it had more sugar in it.

Lindsay then stated that she got a chocolate effect. A dark chocolate kind of scent. That is what comes with age. They felt that it was nice and that they really liked it. Whether it is Sparkling Wine, Cava, Spumanti, or anything like that, Champagne, is what I feel with the Schramsberg. I feel that it’s got a traditional Champagne taste. If I want to have Champagne, I will have Perrier Jouet, (the picture behind the girls in the video) from Champagne, France or any Champagne from France.

Our conclusion, if you want an American affordable Sparkling Wine that costs about $25.99 you can pick up a Schramsberg. If you need something even more budget-minded, the $9.99 California Champagne, Korbel, may be a good choice for you. We are at 100% here. The girls have spoken and that is it. Korbel vs. Schramsberg, who wins…Schramsberg! Cheers!

Tell me your thoughts, make them funny, keep them nice and educate me.
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 27 It is Taste Time! Wine Tasting Challenge Korbel vs. Schramsberg

27. It is Taste Time! Wine Tasting Challenge Korbel vs. Schramsberg

We reviewed the labels, the price and what each Web site had to say about their wine. The two wines we reviewed were Korbel Brut, California Champagne and Schramsberg, Blanc de Blancs, Brut Sparkling Wine, Vintage 2006. You can view the video Part 1 and read along or try your own tasting and tell me what you think.

Korbel vs. Schramsberg. Let’s get started!

Video Part 1:


In one corner we have the famous Korbel, Brut style, which is mass produced and used in America at weddings, New Year’s parties and momentous events. It is a California Champagne using the traditional method, aged 12 months on the lees.

Schramsberg, with small batch nurturing, is a Blanc de Blancs aged 2-3 years on the lees. Not found readily available throughout the United States. Their most affordable budget-minded Brut Sparkling Wine, using the traditional method.

In Spain it is called Cava, in Italy it is Spumante, and of course, Champagne, France is the only place to get Champagne.

The Challenge Begins:
Pop the cork and pour your sparkling wine right before the tasting for the freshest taste. Do not open the bottles and “let them breathe”. They should be served at the right temperature to get the best taste results.

1. Visual Inspection: Color and Bubbles (Look) B & C

When tasting reds or whites, you traditionally swirl your glass to bring up the aroma and to visualize the texture against the glass. With sparklers, you do not swirl your glass. First, look at the color and the bubbles.

For this blind wine tasting we labeled one wine B and one wine C. We started with C for the tasting. (Don’t ask…) We saw more bubbles in glass B from visual inspection. They were both poured at the same time into the glasses. B was a clear green-yellow color. C had a darker slight yellow-amber color.

2. Aroma (Smell) C

C smelled fruity, peachy-type smell, apple-pear, and someone even smelled banana.

3. Flavor and Texture (Taste, Mouthfeel) C

It so happened that once someone mentioned banana, I then tasted banana. Not possible, but hey, I guess it influenced me. The girls felt that it tasted like sparkling apple cider. When I tasted seriously, I tasted a pear-apple taste. In Florida, we have about 30 different types of apples and only one type of pear. We may think of apple a little more than we may think of pear. Although, pears are good for asthma, according to Alma in the video. They did not think that it was bad as far as taste goes. Does that mean that it was not good either? They also felt the aftertaste was not smooth.

What are the results so far?

Both Web sites are informative. There is a tie.

Price goes to Korbel.

Visual inspection including bubbles and color goes to Schramsberg.

Who will take the title?

Tell me your thoughts, make them funny, keep them nice and educate me.
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 26 Do you want to have an online wine tasting with sparklers?

26. Do you want to have an online wine tasting with sparklers?

Let’s start our wine tasting by reviewing the labels on the bottles, what each Web site has to say about their wines and the price of each. The two wines that we are reviewing are Korbel Brut, California Champagne and Schramsberg, Blanc de Blancs, Brut Sparkling Wine, Vintage 2006.


Korbel Web site:

Korbel Brut is America’s favorite methode champenoise champagne. It is used to celebrate more weddings, anniversaries, and New Year’s Eves than any other quality champagne. The goal is to make a champagne that consistently delivers a lot of quality for the price. Korbel Brut is crisp and refreshing, with a light citrus and fresh pear-like note in the finish.


Schramsberg Web site:

The first wine Schramsberg produced in 1965 and was America’s first commercially produced, Chardonnay-based brut sparkling wine. Small lots of malolactic-and barrel-fermented wines are added for complexity. The wine is aged on the yeast lees in the bottle for about two years prior to disgorgement. With its vibrant, fruitful and crisp nature, this sparkling wine will maintain its freshness, structure and refined finish for many years, even decades following its initial release.


KORBEL

Label:
Established 1882
Methode Champenoise
Korbel
California Champagne
Brut
Alcohol: 12%
Produced and Bottled by F. Korbel & Bros., Inc.
Greenville, Sonoma Co., California

Not on Label:
A blend of multiple varieties from multiple appellations and even multiple years.
Harvested: Non-vintage Blend
Appellation: California
Composition: Pinot Noir, Chenin Blanc, French Colombard, Chardonnay
Dosage: 1.00%
Production: 750,000 cases annually

$9.99 US Dollars


SCHRAMSBERG

Label:
Schramsberg
Founded 1862
Blanc De Blancs
Methode Champenoise
Brut
Vintage 2006
Produced and Bottled by Schramsberg Vineyards
Calistoga, California
100% North Coast Sparkling Wine
Alcohol: 12.9%
100% Chardonnay
Handcrafted
Cool climate North Coast Vineyards
Barrel fermentation and extended aging
Hugh Davies, Vintner

$25.99 US Dollars

If you have these two bottles in your local store, go out and buy them and give them a try. I want to hear what you have to say about each. Have someone label the glasses A and B and label the bottles A and B for a blind tasting. Do not look at which one you are trying. Try a blind tasting and see what you think. If you do not have these two bottles or cannot get them locally, just look for our next post and see what others have to say about the taste.


Tell me your thoughts, make them funny, keep them nice and educate me.
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 25 Who makes Sparkling Wines from Organic Vineyards? What is a photovoltaic solar collection system and who has one?

25. Who makes Sparkling Wines from Organic Vineyards? What is a photovoltaic solar collection system and who has one?

California has sparkling wines made from the organic vineyards of Domaine Carneros. Domaine Carneros was founded in 1987 by Claude Taittinger. Champagne Taittinger and partner Lobrand Corporation developed a regional landmark on 138 acres of parcel in Carneros, California.

The beautiful chateau and terrace sit on top of a hill with a view of rolling vineyards. In April of 2008, Domaine Carneros received the organic certification by the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). This is a three year process making them the first sparkling winery in the United States with all of their estate vineyards certified.

In 2003, the winery installed the largest photovoltaic solar collection system then existent on any winery in the world, according to their Web site. They have installed lighting by skylights, night cooling systems to maintain cellar temperature and they built into the earth for insulation. Other unique features contained in all four vineyards are owl boxes used to control rodents.

They have a terrace at their main chateau to sip sparkling wine and watch the sunset. They close at 6pm giving you time to visit their vineyard for the last tasting of the day. They also have a gift shop and we know how I like those.

Even though Taittinger is famous for making Champagne from the Champagne region of France using the traditional method, Domaine Carneros prefers to call their California sparklers the American name of sparkling wine. They feel that they should not replicate someone else’s name. They make three traditional styles of sparkling wine: Brut, Brut Rosé and Blanc de Blancs.

Although Domaine Carneros makes spectacular sparkling wine, their surprise features are their Pinot Noirs. My favorite being the award winning “The Famous Gate”. It highlights smokey toasty aromas along with blackberries and dark cherry notes.



2006 The Famous Gate - Beverage Testing Institute, 2008 World Wine Championships, Gold Medal, 91 Points

2006 The Famous Gate - Wine Enthusiast Rating, 92 points, 12/31/08


Tell me your thoughts, make them funny, keep them nice and educate me.
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 24 Enjoy a Sparkler and a Glorious View of Rutherford Valley at Mumm Napa in California.

24. Enjoy a sparkler and a glorious view of Rutherford Valley at Mumm Napa in California.

Wine Enthusiast Magazine calls Mumm Napa one of “America’s Best Tasting Rooms”. Located on the Silverado Trail, Mumm Napa in Napa Valley, has a glorious view of the Rutherford Valley. You can take a guided tour of the winery, shop in the winery gift shop, or view the Fine Art Photography Gallery. I love taking in an Ansel Adams photograph while sipping Santana Brut, DVX, Cuvee M Red or Brut Prestige. Mumm Napa contains an indoor tasting salon or you can enjoy their outdoor patio. My favorite place to sip my sparkling wine at Mumm is on their terrace to experience the late afternoon at sunset.

Tell me your thoughts, make them funny, keep them nice and educate me.
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 23 What is Cava?

23. What is Cava?

Cava is the name given by the Spanish to the traditional method process utilized to make sparkling wine. Champagne is to France what Cava is to Spain. The grapes traditionally used to make Cava are macabeo (the most popular white grape of northern Spain, contributing soft wildflowers and bitter almonds), xarel-lo (adds body, acidity and alcohol) and parellada (contributes delicacy and aroma) which are all grown in Spain in an area of Catalonia. Cava is a Catalan word meaning cave which is where the wines were traditionally stored. Freixenet is one of the most known producers of Cava in the United States, selling over one million cases of Cava per year.

Sounds good to me.
Tell me your thoughts, make them funny, keep them nice and educate me.
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 22 Gloria Ferrer, the First Sparkling Wine House in the Sonoma Carneros Region of California.

22. Gloria Ferrer, is the first sparkling wine house in the Sonoma Carneros region of California. What do I like about this winery? They have a great tasting tour, a picturesque terrace overlooking Sonoma Valley and they offer Spanish and local cheeses along with other delicacies available in their tasting room. Planning on getting married, you may not find a more breathtaking open view of the valley. Gloria Ferrer makes still and sparkling wines but I like them for their sparklers. Below is one of my favorites.

1998 Carneros Cuvee



93 POINTS - WINE ENTHUSIAST MAGAZINE
"A luscious and superior California bubbly, this blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay shows an irresistible richness of raspberry puree, cherry skin bitterness, vanilla, yeasty baked bread and something unidentifiably smoky-sweet. Yet it's bone dry. With a long, complex finish, it should continue to age beyond this, its tenth birthday."
- Wine Enthusiast Magazine, December 31, 2008


Tell me your thoughts, make them funny, keep them nice and educate me.
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 21 Three reasons why I like to visit Chandon Winery in Napa Valley, California.

21. Three reasons why I like to visit Chandon Winery in Napa Valley, California. They have a gift shop, they have art exhibits and they have great sparkling wines.

Maybe there are just a few more reasons why I like to visit Chandon. They are easy to get to, have plenty of parking, have a restaurant called etoile, have a cool tasting lounge and have a breathtaking view from their patio.

Thirty years ago, the founders of Chandon Winery came to Napa Valley from France. (Domaine Chandon, owned by the world’s largest Champagne producer, Moet et Chandon.)They decided to plant traditional grape varieties found in French Champagne including Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier. Chandon Winery now makes both still and sparkling wines. One of my favorite sparkling wines that they make is:


etoile Brut

92 points Wine Enthusiast, December 2009
"The refined texture recommends this brut, which is mainly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with a splash of Pinot Meunier. It’s an elegant wine, rich in citrus fruits, green apples, raspberries, smoke and creamy yeast..."

Wine Tasting Notes from the Winery:



“Tiny bubbles elevate a complex bouquet of ripe pear, toasted brioche and apple compote. Lemon custard flavors caress the palate followed by notes of baked apple crisp and roasted hazelnuts. The elegant structure persists throughout the long, savory finish.”


Tell me your thoughts, make them funny, keep them nice and educate me.
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 20 How California Sparkling Wine started?

20. How California sparkling wine started?

We have all heard of Dom Perignon and Cristal but have we all heard of Schramsberg? Over in Calistoga, California in 1965, Blanc de Blancs was debuting at Schramsberg Vineyards. 100% Chardonnay grapes were used from Charles Krug Winery to make the first commercial sparkling wine in California using the traditional Methode Champenoise style of winemaking. In 1967, Blanc de Noirs followed using Pinot Noirs in the classic style. They then released the Reserve, their finest sparkling wine with over four years of aging. Now, their Reserve receives over six years of aging prior to release. The Davies family owns Schramsberg Vineyards and has produced sparkling wines with individuality, elegant style and grace for over four decades.

Visit their vineyards, winery and cellars high up in the hills. Enjoy their historic cave tour and tasting or if you are really serious about learning, attend their Spring Blending Camp in March or their Fall Harvest Camp in September.

Although I have toured their cave and have tasted plenty of Schramsberg sparkling wine, there is a new vintage in particular that I have yet to try; the 2002 J. Schram (1X750ml). They have aged this wine six years using an expensive process known as “ageing en tirage” to develop their finest flavor. Here is what they have to say about it:
“J. Schram epitomizes our philosophy to create a wine in which no effort has been spared and no care has been omitted. It is our very best Chardonnay-based Brut sparkling wine. Unbelievable score of 96 Points by Wine Enthusiast! December 2009.”

Priced at $100. What do the winemakers have to say about this wine?

“This wine delivers! Even with six years ageing en tirage, this wine's youthfulness bursts with aromas of fresh Granny Smith apple and juicy pineapple, followed by mature perfumes of freshly baked sourdough, roasted almond, and just a hint of graham cracker pie crust. A bright crisp entry leads way to generous flavors of candied grapefruit and glazed pineapple, with just a touch of key lime and mango. The mid-palate is rich and ever present, finishing with a tangy and lingering acidity. The 2002 J. Schram tastes deliciously today, and will continue to age and develop for decades to come."
Winemakers Keith Hock and Hugh Davies

How do I fell about Schramsberg wine? I will drink any Schramsberg, any day, anytime, anywhere at any age! If you have a forty-five year old Blanc de Blancs lying around, I’ll be right over.

Tell me your thoughts, make them funny, keep them nice and educate me.
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 19 Do You Like Bubbles in Your Wine?

19. Do you like bubbles in your wine? What are the different methods used to make bubbles?

In France, Champagne is made using the Methode Champenoise method developed by the French and now used in other parts of the world. The term Champagne is so named because of the Champagne region in France and may not be allowed on other bottles of sparkling wine.

In the United States, in the past, we have used the term Champagne to mean any wine having bubbles. I cannot say that I blame the French for wanting to make a distinction between their Champagne and our use of the word Champagne. To the French, it means more than just a name or a region. It involves a tradition and method of hard work and time spent in making their sparkling wine have quite a sparkle. It is no wonder why they call their method of making Champagne the MethodeTraditionelle.

Sugar and yeast are combined inside a bottle with the wine to create the fizzle; they are capped with a bottle cap for second fermentation to take place inside of the bottle itself. Carbon dioxide is mixed with the wine in the bottle creating the bubbles. Yeast sediment that is left is removed when ready, the sparkling wine is topped off and a cork is put in its place. Sometimes there will also be a little sugar added called “dosage” to make the sparkling wine sweeter.

In the United States, wines made using the Methode Traditionelle also called traditional method or Methode Champenoise, are labeled “naturally fermented in this bottle”. Wines made using the transfer method are labeled “naturally fermented in the bottle” because they might not necessarily use the same bottle for second fermentation. Those wines that get their bubbles from the tank instead of the bottle are sometimes labeled “naturally fermented Charmat Bulk Process” and may also be known as Charmat or Cuve Close.

How do I like my bubbles? I like my bubbles using the traditional method which makes loads of fine, small bubbles. I do not like the sometimes larger bubbles that you find when other methods for making sparkling wine are used.

The next few articles will contain some of my favorite places to visit in California that make sparkling wine.

Tell me your thoughts, make them funny, keep them nice and educate me.
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 18 Is Red Wine Really Heart Healthy?

18. Is red wine really heart healthy? Can wine be destructive? Can you benefit from drinking red wine?

Heart disease is the number one cause of death in women in the United States. According to the American Heart Association, Friday is “Wear Red Day” to show your support for those who have heart disease and to spread the word about heart disease.

Can you benefit from drinking red wine?

Drinking one to two glasses (5 ounces is one glass) of red wine a day may keep the heart disease away. It can lower blood pressure, lower LDL (low down lousy) cholesterol, raise HDL (highly desirable) cholesterol, prevent and reverse the attack of oxygen on body tissues, and may reduce the risk of ischemic strokes, heart attacks and blood clots by acting as a blood thinner inhibiting blood clotting. It also supplies antioxidants such as phenolic compounds: bioflavonoids, (in red grapes), non-flavonoids such as resveratrol (in red wine) and many more.

Can wine be destructive?

I used to work as a nurse in the Emergency Department and have seen a lot of destruction when it comes to alcohol consumption. Approximately 35% of all hospital admissions are alcohol-related with over one hundred thousand people dying each year in the United States because of alcohol abuse. In the UK, alcohol-related hospital admissions have risen over 47% since 2004, with over one million alcohol-related hospital admissions just in the last five years. Overconsumption of alcohol over time can cause heart disease and cirrhosis of the liver. This is a problem across the world and is a downside to drinking alcohol. It can be very addictive and should be consumed in moderation, which could be why there is no prescription for the use of alcohol in the medical industry.

Is wine really heart healthy?

Wine is heart healthy, but it can be destructive if you are not a light to moderate wine drinker. If you binge drink or have too much alcohol and are not able to drink in moderation, it is best to stay away. Even though the doctor might not prescribe it, drinking 1-2 glasses of red wine per day or several days of the week, may keep you Heart Healthy.

I am wearing red tomorrow on behalf of red wine being heart healthy!

Tell me your thoughts, make them funny, keep them nice and educate me.
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 17 How to Host a Wine Tasting in Your Home?

17. I would like to talk about wine parties and different ways to have fun hosting a party. In the last three blogs, we learned how to throw a great wine party, how to have your guests blend wines to make their favorites and how to identify wine aromas. This article will discuss how to host a wine tasting in your home. These are ways you can enjoy common interests without it becoming a boring ritual.

How to host a wine tasting in your home?

Invite your wine loving friends. Decide what type of tasting you are going to have. Will it be a sit-down tasting with tasting mats and tasting sheets? Will you have a spittoon, water and crackers available? Do you have a white table cloth if you are doing a sit-down tasting? It is better to see the color of the wine for observation with a white background. Do you want to have food or appetizers or should you have only plain crackers or bread to cleanse the palate? Remember to tell your guests that there is to be no smoking and for them not to wear heavy perfume or cologne. This can interfere with the tasting.

Do any wines need to be opened prior to the tasting? If so, have them ready to go. Some of the wines may need to be opened right at the time of tasting such as sparkling wines. You should pour about 2-3 ounces in each glass only. Do not pour a full glass since your guests will be trying several types of wines.

When you are pouring the wine and deciding the order of which wines to try first, pour white before red and light before heavy. Pour young wines before old if you are having a vintage tasting. Vintage tastings can be fun. You can try the same wine but at different ages.

Do you want to have a tasting that is blind? Your guests will taste from bottles that are inside sacks and will have either no information or limited information regarding what they are trying. It is fun if they try to guess which wine they are drinking, even if they are not experienced with wines. They can then get familiar in learning how to taste wines and differentiate one wine from another. It is fun to see who guessed right.

Remember that sight is used to determine the color of the wine, which is best against a white background. Smell is then used to determine the aromas the wine has captured by swirling your glass and taking in a sniff. Taste is used next to determine if you like the wine or not by swishing and swirling it in your mouth. The sense of touch is used to determine the texture of the wine. From all of this, you can reveal the overall feel of each wine and the qualities that make a great wine to you. Did any of the wines capture you?

Tell me your thoughts, make them funny, keep them nice and educate me.
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 16 How to Identify Wine Aromas?

16. I would like to talk about wine parties and different ways to have fun hosting a party. In the last two blogs, we learned how to throw a great wine party and how to have your guests blend wines to make their favorites. This article will discuss how to identify wine aromas. The next article will be about how to host a wine tasting in your home. These are ways you can enjoy common interests without it becoming a boring ritual.

How to identify wine aromas?

Another way to host a great wine party is to focus on the sense of smell. When we drink wine, we rely on several senses to learn about the wine. We first use our sense of sight to look at the wine’s color. We then use our sense of smell which may determine if the wine is drinkable. We use our sense of taste to determine flavors in the wine and sense of feel to determine the texture. These senses give us the color, aroma, flavor, texture and overall feel for the wine. Mastering these techniques makes us enjoy wine with a better understanding.

One of the ways that I like to learn about wine with my friends is to throw a “Wine Aroma” party. This can be done informally at your home, office or a local restaurant. Gather some friends and get started. First, you will need a “Wine Bouquet Aroma Kit” sold by Wine Enthusiast, or you can create your own scents by purchasing some of the items that are similar to the smells that you sense in the wine you taste. For instance, you can purchase a lemon, banana, dark chocolate, honey, green pepper, or any other item that you may want for your wine party. In the Wine Bouquet Aroma Kit, there are thirty-six wine bouquet aromas that are usually sensed in wine.

Wines will have characteristic scents that occur frequently differentiating a Sauvignon Blanc from a Syrah from a Cabernet. As you get to know the differences from training your memory and your sense of smell, you may be able to differentiate one wine from another.

For your Wine Aroma party, you can mix up the viles and have each person try to determine which aroma they smell. By trying to identify the scent, this trains your memory to know the difference between each scent and the aromas you may find in each different wine.

Another party idea is to open up some bottles of wine and try to determine which aromas are in the wine by matching up the scents in the viles with the scents in the wine.

Who’s got the best nose in the bunch? They should get to take home a bottle of wine!

Tell me your thoughts, make them funny, keep them nice and educate me.
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 15 How to have your guests blend wines to make their favorites?

15. I would like to talk about wine parties and different ways to have fun hosting a party. In the last blog, we learned how to throw a great wine party. This article will talk about how to have your guests blend wines to make their favorites. The next two articles will be about how to identify wine aromas and how to host a wine tasting in your home. These are ways you can enjoy common interests without it becoming a boring ritual.

How to have your guests blend wines to make their favorites?

There are kits that you can purchase that are on the market such as “fusebox” from Crushpad. The kit will come with the wine for blending. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc are included in the California wine kit. The kit will also come with a blending placemat, corkscrew, recipe cards, wine evaluation cards, pipettes and a graduated cylinder. There is a mystery wine that is included that has already been blended. Once you get good at blending wines and how the different variations of wine tastes together, you can decide with your guests what the mystery wine might be.

You do not need to use this wine kit if you want to purchase these items separately. You can decide on a region or area and purchase some wines you think would be best for blending. Keep in mind that you should purchase wines that are not already blended.

First, you will each set up your area on a table that can accommodate all of the participants so that you can comment and share your thoughts together. Each person will need these basics for any wine tasting: water and crackers or bread to cleanse your palate between wines, a spit cup, paper towels, blending placemat, a pen or pencil and five wine glasses. You will be evaluating each wine that you create.

You start by tasting each of the wines by themselves before blending to get a feel for what each one tastes like. You can then either use the recipe cards that come with the kit to make a wine or create your own blend. For instance, the 1997 Opus One from Napa, California is one of the recipe cards in my kit. It gives the blend that you can recreate with the wines that are provided. The evaluation cards let you rate the color, aroma, flavor, texture and overall feel for the wine. You can decide what blend you like best. You can compare your blend with other participants. This is fun, easy and can become a habit.

If you do come up with an incredible blend and you are feeling daring, you can actually contact Crushpad to create your wine. All of you can split the cost and end up with cases of your favorite blend.

At Crushpad, they let you actually go to their facilities and help in the creation of your wine. You can sort the grapes, help in the fermentation or even taste your creation throughout the process. It is a fun and exciting adventure!

Tell me your thoughts, make them funny, keep them nice and educate me.
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 14 How to Throw a Great Wine Party?

14. In the next four articles, I would like to talk about wine parties and different ways to have fun hosting a party. How to throw a great wine party? How to have your guests blend wines to make their favorites? How to identify wine aromas? How to host a wine tasting in your home? These are ways you can enjoy common interests without it becoming a boring ritual.

How to throw a great party?

Decide how many people you are going to invite. Do they all have an interest in wine? What knowledge do they have about wines? What type of party do you want to have? There are so many different choices when it comes to wine. You can have a wine party and pair it up with fruit, cheese, dessert, chocolate or even a full seven course meal.

When you decide what to pair your wine with, you will need to pick wines that match up and bring out the best in the wine and the food. You can also determine what you are serving by what time of day your party takes place. If it is late evening, you may want to pair it up with desserts or appetizers. If it is every evening you may want a full course menu. If it is in the afternoon, a brunch can always be fun or if in the morning a breakfast will do just fine. Many people think that they cannot have a wine party in the early morning. Get that out of your head. Early morning is the best time to taste wine. Your taste buds are alive and ready to take on some new blends of textures and flavors.

Where should you have your wine party?

You can decide to have your party in your home. You may want to rent out a club house or room in a restaurant for your party if it is larger than what your home can handle. You may want to have a smaller party in order to focus more on the wine and less on the party. One of my favorite ways to throw a party like this is something I call “house jumping”. Each of your friends will have a portion of a meal at their house. You can have a designated driver, and go from house to house having first the appetizer at one person’s home, the main meal at another, the dessert at another and split up the homes and the meals. You can focus at each home on one wine and one meal. This makes it fun for everyone to be able to showcase their wine and their meal and not have to worry about the entire menu. It also is fun to talk about in either a limo or van where you can all be transported safely to each other’s home.

So, that takes care of who, what, when, where and how to throw a great wine party. Next we will talk about how to have fun wine blending with your friends.

Tell me your thoughts, make them funny, keep them nice and educate me.
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 13 What should you drink your wine in?

13. I guess for some people, it doesn’t matter what they drink their wine in, as long as they get to have some. Well, after several wine blogs, I think you have gotten to know that I have a big pet peeve about my wine glass.

What should a wine glass look like?

Stem: A wine glass needs to have a stem. Not too long but just enough to be able to hold the glass without touching the bowl. If you touch the bowl of the glass, you will change the temperature of your wine through the heat of the palm of your hand, warming the wine unnaturally. There are some companies that are opting to leave off the stem. Although it may be a new trend, I tend to like a stem on my glass, just how I like my roses!

Bowl: The bowl needs to be able to hold my wine and should not be too small. Wine needs to have room to develop flavor.

Lip: The lip needs to be thin and tulip-shaped. For white wine, it should be a little narrow at the top. For red wine, it should be tulip-shaped but not as narrow as the white.

Champagne or Sparkling Wines

My Champagne or sparkling wine needs to be in a champagne glass. If it’s got bubbles, I want a thin tapered flute to hold the flavor and keep the sparkle.

Reds and Whites

Container: Yes, it has to be served in a wine glass. No plastic please. A wine glass needs to be clear. No etching, color or design on the glass. You need to be able to visualize the color of your wine while it is in the glass. There is one exception for me as far as design goes. I do not mind seeing a winery logo in a small area on the glass. These types of glasses are fun to collect and I find myself having favorites that I use at home. I use a Laird Family Estate glass in a Chardonnay style or a Robert Mondavi Winery glass in a Reisling style for my whites. I use a Kunde or Silver Oak glass which both happen to be in a Bordeaux style for my reds.

You not do always have to buy the best wine glasses either. Get that out of your head. What if you break one of those $80 crystal glasses? Riedel is one of the glass companies that many people are familiar with or have heard of but there are many glass companies that make a wine experience more delectable. In the end, you have to drink your wine in a glass that makes the wine taste good to you.

Tell me your thoughts, make them funny, keep them nice and educate me.
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 12 What is Botrytis Cinerea better known as Noble Rot? Where can I find some?

12. Botrytis Cinerea is what they call a good mold. Noble rot is a mixture of sugar and acid which makes a flavor that comes from the grape being left on the vine to “rot,” get “moldy” and shrivel-up. This concentrates the flavors of sugar, acid and juice in the grape and keeps it contained. It makes for the best dessert wines the world has to offer. In different countries, noble rot is called different things. For instance, in California, it may be called “late harvest”. The grapes are left on the vine longer than the other grapes and the harvest is…well….late. This makes the wine a little more expensive; the ones that also come in the cute little bottles. Sometimes they are even called liquid gold because they may be gold in color with a rich taste. A dessert wine to covet.

Two of my California Late Harvest favorites:

2005 Dolce Napa Valley Late Harvest Wine (375mL)

Dolce happens to be one that I have in my stash of great wines. Check out my Dolce pictures on my blog page. “Dolce embraces a deceptively simple philosophy: the pursuit of perfection in the art of late harvest winemaking. Dolce was created in 1985 by the partners of Far Niente. With a classic blend of late harvest Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, Dolce is the only American winery dedicated to producing a single late harvest wine,” according to Dolce. However, with this said, there are other wineries in California that do produce late harvest wines. This wine goes for $85.00 a bottle (375mL), the larger size is sold out.

Another one of my favorites is made by Freemark Abbey and goes for $40.00 a bottle (375mL). Made with 100% White Riesling grapes in 100% stainless steel tanks, 9.8% alcohol and they only produced 259 cases for 2008.

2008 Edelwein Gold Late Harvest Rielsing (375mL)

Vintage and Winemaker's Notes:
Edelwein Gold is a great representation of a heavily botrytised Riesling from Freemark Abbey. The color is golden straw with a slight greenish hue. The aroma overflows the glass with mandarin orange, peach blossoms and apricot with hints of honeysuckle and pear. The mouthfeel is viscous and the flavor full with white peach and apricot laced with honey. The sweet, crisp finish has a beautiful balance that lasts for several minutes on the palate. Enjoy!

Have I made your mouth water? Tell me about your worldwide favorite dessert wines!

Tell me your thoughts, make them funny, keep them nice and educate me.
Bon Vin!
Veronica