100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 78 Why do you like wine?

Blog 78 Why do you like wine?

Do you drink wine on a daily basis? What makes you like wine? Is it the defining characteristics of one particular type or style of wine or do you like to have a variety of choices that coincide with what you are doing or what you are eating? I thought about all of these questions and wondered how wine became a part of life. What makes wine drinkers think that someone cannot be a beer drinker too?

I do not drink wine on a daily basis or beer. I love wine but I also like beer and have partaken in beer tastings and even beer making. I do not drink any other spirits. It seems that because there are many varieties to choose from among beer and wine, I enjoy both. I feel that wine can be formal and informal and at the same time, I think that beer can also go well with many meals and it is great to have at sporting events.

Wine to me, does not work well at sporting events, unless they let me drink out of a glass. I do not like drinking out of plastic cups when I drink my wine. I also do not like “cheap” wine. “I will take the house Chardonnay” does not work for me. What is the house Chardonnay? Is it good? I want a quality wine. It doesn’t have to be expensive to be good. It just has to be good. However, with beer, you can have a Budweiser anytime, as long as it is cold, or you can drink a Chamay out of a glass and wonder if anything can taste better than that.

With wine, I want to choose what I like and match it up with the temperature, the occasion, the food, and even the friends that I am sharing the wine with. It is like picking the clothes that I am going to wear that day, it just has to match. But, at the same time, I also might feel like wearing clothes around the house that do not match. That works for me too. If I just want to feel comfortable with my choice, I might pick a heavy Cabernet Sauvignon and just drink it without pairing it up with food. I was just in the mood to drink Cab.



So, when you are matching and pairing your beer or your wine, keep in mind, your mood determines what you really feel like drinking. Don’t just go with the sure thing. Change it up. Drink what you want to drink. It just tastes better that way.
What do I like? I like whites, reds, sparkling and dessert wines and I also like many types of beer. It’s all good!

Tell me what you think! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!

Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 64 Cuvaison Estate Wines

Blog 64 Cuvaison Estate Wines

Cuvaison Estate Wines can offer you two completely different experiences providing two different locations to try their wines. Cuvaison is located in South Napa Valley in the Carneros region or in North Napa Valley in the Calistoga region.



The Carneros terrace, tasting rooms and vineyard is the newest and most modern in the valley. Open air with a beautiful, breathtaking view of the Carneros region, you want to take your time when you visit to really relax and take in the beauty. You can sit down in comfort at either the indoor tables, outdoor tables or the couches in a separate room overlooking the valley. The Carneros staff will bring you one wine at a time allowing you to take your time to enjoy your visit. They feel that you should not rush a tasting and it should be savored in an open surrounding.



The Calistoga tasting experience is completely different. It offers a mountain view with shaded picnic grounds giving you a classic tasting environment. Newly remodeled and worth visiting, I would not leave out either experience.

Cuvaison wines consist of: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Vin Gris of Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, a dessert wine and a true Meritage. While they are all my favorites, the 2008 Mariafeld Pinot Noir took my breath away.

According to the Web site description on the Mariafeld:

The name refers to a Swiss clone of Pinot Noir that is prized for its deep color and denser tannin structure. The 2008 is richly colored and rife with black plum, black cherry and black berry fruit notes. Spice notes and a hint of wild thyme and truffle offer intrigue to this earthy Pinot. Multi-layered and fruit forward this vibrant wine shimmers with crisp acidity and a long finish. This is a Club Exclusive. Thank goodness I have been a member of their wine club for years!

Tell me what you think! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 44: Wine and Tuna pairing. Just try it.

Blog 44 Wine & Tuna Pairing. Just try it.

Do you always need to pair your expensive wine with a gourmet meal?

I was starving, just back from Boston with nothing in my refrigerator. What do you eat when you have nothing? Better yet, what do you drink? A splitting headache had already started, or shall I say Migraine for those who know what that is like? Do I really have to go to the store or a restaurant? What to do?

I popped my head in the pantry and located some Stoned Wheat Crackers and a can of Starkist White Albacore Tuna. Those who know me don’t be shocked, but I am allergic to everything except wine. Two of the items on my long list that I am allergic to are onions and garlic. I know, I know, I am Spanish and Italian, how do you think I feel? I can’t have ketchup, barbecue sauce, mayonnaise or mustard because, they have onion powder in them. I choose to eat the tuna on the cracker, imagine that…plain tuna on a plain cracker.

I decide to pair my plain tune and crackers with a meritage from Cuvaison winery. I belong to 10 wine clubs from California, I might as well drink a great bottle of red wine with my tuna. I want my food to taste great too. I choose the Two Estates Cuvaison 2005 ATS Selection, a classic red wine representing a blend from the best grapes from the Carneros and Mount Veeder estates.

My tuna actually tasted like real fish! My meal became an event! It was not a cheap meal, by no means, crackers $3.69, tuna, $1.49 and the classic red $54.00 and out of production. Well worth my time and effort. Is that what canned tuna is really supposed to taste like?

Tell me what you think! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!
Bon Vin!
Veronica