What will Sparkle in your Glass? “Too much of anything is bad, but too much Champagne is just right.” — Mark Twain Champagne, Cuvee, Cava, Sparkling Wine…. With so many choices what is the right drink for you to celebrate with on New Year’s Eve? …
It’s that time of the year! The Holiday Season is upon us and each new year brings new traditions. My family enjoys a traditional meal of turkey and dressing (not much for stuffing the dressing in the bird at my house). In many of my friend’s homes, plates of tamales (our Xmas Eve go-to dish), Biryani and Asian dishes with egg rolls and dumplings line the table. In the true spirit of America, Thanksgiving is whatever your family enjoys. Trying to find the perfect wine pairing to go with such a wide variety of foods is tricky. I’ll give it a try with two whites and two reds that I believe can cover a variety of food offerings.
Whites
Kudos 2015 Pinot Gris
Pinot Gris is a rose skin colored white grape grown in a variety of regions such as the US, Italy and France. The varietal name Pinot Gris is generally used in the Alsace region of France, while Pinot Grigio has generally been used in the US. I found a very pleasant version of Pinot Gris that is reasonably priced during a tasting at a local wine store. Kudos 2015 Pinot Gris (http://kudoswine.com/featured-wines/pinot-gris) is a Willamette Valley wine. The 2015 season provided high grape yields with great tastes of citrus and peach and a citrus nose. This is a wine with good fruit, sugar, and acid balance which gives it a round finish. It is crisp, but, not too crisp. With many Thanksgiving meals where spices are evident in a variety of foods, the finish in this Pinot Gris will provide balanced taste. It is crisp and round and will not overpower your meal.
At $15 per bottle this is a value priced wine to enjoy with your meal.
La Crema Chardonnay
There are several Chardonnays on the market to choose from. I happen to prefer the traditional bold, slightly sweet taste and La Crema (http://www.lacrema.com/wine/sonoma-coast-chardonnay/) fits the bill. This Sonoma Chardonnay has hints of citrus fruits in both the smell and taste. Vanilla and plum flavors also linger on the palate. La Crema is aged for 5 months in French and American Oak barrels. The predominance of French Oak imparts a buttery, creamy finish. The slightly fruity sweetness balances the spices of turkey and dressing.
La Crema Sonoma Chardonnay averages $16 at most stores. Many stores run specials this time of year since it is such a popular partnering with holiday meals.
Reds
Tuli Pinot Noir
Canyon Wines Owner and Winemaker Joseph Wagner, took advantage of the natural qualities of the Sonoma Coast Appellation to produce a Pinot Noir that is full and well-balanced in taste and nose. Tuli Pinot Noir (www.tuliwines.com) features a bright fruity nose of cranberry and cinnamon spice.
The Caneros region of Sonoma Coast is where the bulk of Pinot Noir grapes used to create this wine are grown. Grapes from this region produce a bright floral nose and delicate taste. Combining this with the robustness of Russian River Valley and Petulama Pinot Noir grapes creates a wine that is round and smooth.
The wine has hints of berry with a concentrated strawberry flavor. Aging took place in French oak barrels for nine months giving Tuli Pinot Noir a light oak taste with hints of vanilla. As with most Pinot Noirs, Tuli features light tannins.
The name Tuli comes from the original inhabitants of the land, the Wappo Native Americans, and translates to mean “sharing”. Share this wine with your friends and family. With an average price of $26 per bottle this is a great Pinot Noir to pair with just about any type of food. Tuli is best at a slightly chilled 60º so consider putting it in the fridge for an hour before serving to get just the right experience.
Landon Winery Tempranillo
I’ll round out this blog with a wine that is native to Texas and can be shipped around the country to several states. Landon Winery (http://www.landonwinery.com/) is an award-winning Texas winery with locations in McKinney, Greenville and Wylie. The Tempranillo is a Spanish style wine that has natural spices and tastes of cherry, plum and dried figs. The tannins in this wine are medium in finish as is the acidity. Landon Tempranillo has a long finish and you will feel the tannins on both sides of your tongue. It pairs well with a variety of foods and will work well with a variety of Thanksgiving foods.
At $26 per bottle this is another wine to consider pairing with your holiday meal.
Thanksgiving is a time for family and friends to come together, enjoy each other, eat and drink. From my family to your Happy Thanksgiving!
Remember to drink what it is that makes you truly happy and always think positively!
Drink Responsibly!
#wbc2017 @landonwinery @tuliwines @lecremawines @kudoswine
San Francisco Bay – my road to Santa Rosa Fresh from a 4-day intensive technical conference in San Francisco, off I headed to Santa Rosa to hang out with 333 of the best wine bloggers in the industry. 2017 was the 10th anniversary of the …
In 2016, my husband came across a group – Zephyr Conferences – that hosted wine bloggers annually (https://winebloggersconference.org/). With further exploration, I became intrigued with this group and the community of citizen and professional bloggers attending the event. The bloggers are passionate about their love of the winemakers and vineyard owners who not only produce wines but, are leaders in sustainable farming and their communities.
Since the 2016 conference was in Lodi, CA and I would be in the state during that time I decided to make a special trip to attend the conference. I drove from the cities and farming communities of California to Lodi. And I found a community of bloggers, winemakers, and community members who combine their love of wine with education, travel experiences and community service. These are people who aren’t necessarily making a living from their blogging –contrary to what you may hear blogging, isn’t a big money making venture. You blog because you have a passion.
So now, it’s 2017 and the wine bloggers conference is returning to Santa Rosa, the home of the first conference 10 years ago. This year provides a new set of opportunities to not only explore wines but, with the fires that all of you have read about, to give back to a community of farmers who make their living off the land. Santa Rosa, is opening their arms to welcome the bloggers. We will be in Santa Rosa, Sonoma and other surrounding wine communities to let the world know that this region is open for business. I’ll be posting frequently during my stay this weekend so you can know how to make your next trip to the region. These winemakers and surrounding community depend on your support as active tourists!
Remember to drink what it is that makes you truly happy and always think positively!
Drink Responsibly!
#wbc2017 @SantaRosa
“Any sufficiently advanced technology is equivalent to magic” – Arthur C. Clarke Flat wine. The dreaded two words that no wine lover or sommelier wants to hear. Once a bottle of wine is opened, oxidization starts and the characteristics that make a wine complex and lively …
“People love wine with bubbles, it makes the wine come alive “ – Rick Anderson My last review in the Villa Maria selection is a fun sparkling Villa Maria Bubbly 2015 Sauvignon Blanc (www.villamaria.com). This is my first time enjoying a bubbly, sparkling sauvignon blanc. …
“Wine and cheese are ageless companions, like aspiring and aches or June and moon or good people and noble ventures.” – M.F.K. Fisher
Scardello (www.scardellocheese.com) is an artisan cheese shop located in the Turtle Creek neighborhood of Dallas. Featured in a prior PositiveVines blog, this group of “Cheese Enthusiasts” embraces everything related to creating and enjoying cheese from around the world. They not only sell cheese and great wines to accompany them, they host tastings, classes and fun events like the annual Wine Rep Showdown.
To begin, let me tell you what a wine rep does. They sell. And they present. And they represent wineries, distributors and wine shops to encourage sales and consumption of the wines that they represent. Second – let me tell you what makes a great wine rep. Lots of passion, lots of wine knowledge and the ability to sell.
The Wine Rep Showdown featured 3 Dallas area reps – Kevin Trevino, Daniel McKeever and Travis James. Each rep brought 3 wines for a series of blind tastings. The Cheese Enthusiasts at Scardello paired the wines with cheese selections to create a delightful experience for the palate. Kevin, Daniel and Travis used their knowledge of wines to introduce the blind tasting participants to a new range of experiences.
Each round featured a pouring of 3 different wines by the reps. All labels were covered so you couldn’t identify the wines in advance. The wine reps described the qualities of the wine that we were going to taste along with other descriptors such as country and grape varietal. The cheeses were described in detail in advance. As I tasted each of the 3 wines per round there was a chance to play with the cheese pairings and determine what pairing of cheese and wine I enjoyed the most. The trick to pick the winner of the showdown was to match the wine description with the glass designation – A, B or C. Everyone participating in the tasting then voted on their favorite wine of the round.
I matched all 3 in round one! I missed one in round 2. Round 3 was a complete mish-mash for me. It could be that my taste buds were overwhelmed by the time that we got to round 3 or that I was having so much fun with the other tasters at my table that I let their impressions influence my choices! Either way it was a fantastic evening meeting new friends and growing my knowledge in the world of fine wines.
Each of the wine reps is an expert in the field with a slightly different approach to their craft. This was my first blind tasting event and it was a blast! The winner with the most votes was Daniel from Serendipity wines.
Out of the 9 wines tasted, my favorites were-
I’ll feature each of these wines in upcoming blogs to introduce them to you.
Consider stopping by one of the Scardello locations – Oak Lawn and Dallas Farmer’s Market. They offer fun classes every month and an expansive selection of hand crafted cheeses and wines for you to enjoy in the shop and at home.
Remember to drink what it is that makes you truly happy and always think positively!
Drink Responsibly!
#wbc2017 @ScardelloCheese
Normally, I have a weekly blog focusing on a new wine, winery, craft cocktail or event. Today I want to focus on helping those in the California industry hurt by the recent wildfires. Lots of devastation around our country – California, Houston, Florida, Puerto Rico …
