If you want to learn about wine and laugh out loud while doing so, read Natalie MacLean's book, Red, White and Drunk All Over.
Of all the resources I have read, none has encapsulated both concise information and passionate enthusiasm. She has received numerous awards, all well deserved. If I could express how wine engages all my senses, I would be parroting Natalie's words.
Read this book!
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Que Sera, Sirah
Petite Sirah or Durif was recently confirmed by researchers at UC Davis as a true offspring of the Syrah grape. It is prized for it's deep color and intense tannins and has long been used for blending in "Burgundy" styles wines. The vines are sturdy and long-lived and thrive in a wide variety of soil types. It is a prolific producer of tight grape clusters that can be prone to rot in damp conditions. Over 3,200 acres are planted in California where the grape ripens in midseason under optimal conditions.
The 2005 Bogle Petite Sirah has a slightly smoky black pepper flavor that was a home run with the grilled chicken, bacon and swiss ciabatta we enjoyed on Monday.
The 2005 Bogle Petite Sirah has a slightly smoky black pepper flavor that was a home run with the grilled chicken, bacon and swiss ciabatta we enjoyed on Monday.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Grills Just Want To Have Fun
Can you smell that? It is summertime and the neighborhood grills are smokin’. Why pour yourself another cold beer when grilled foods go so well with the right wine? To help you choose, consider the flavors in the marinade or sauce used on the food you're grilling.
For citrus-based marinades, pair a crisp, herbal white wine like a Sauvignon Blanc or a tangy Australian Verdelo. Raw citrus usually battles with wine’s acidity, but once warmed, it can be very complementary. Try food pairings such as roasted veggies in fresh herbs, grilled fish with dill and lemon or chicken brushed with Italian salad dressing.
Balance the spicy bite of rubs on pork or chicken by opening a fruity white like a Gewürztraminer from Germany or a Vouvray. If you like reds, a soft, low-tannic California Merlot or "grapey" Beaujolais will not fight the spice. You can make your own rub or buy one already prepared. Find a wide variety at http://www.amazon.com/.
Cabernet Sauvignon is made for steaks. The higher tannins are mellowed by the meat’s fat, producing a palate pleaser. Top your burgers with bold cheeses, like blue or sharp cheddar and it gets even better!
If you are a purist and use a charcoal grill, the smoky flavors it imparts work best with a Shiraz or Syrah. This varietal's big fruit flavor and mellow tannins is a winner with grilled food.
When the working day is done, grill's just want to have fun.
For citrus-based marinades, pair a crisp, herbal white wine like a Sauvignon Blanc or a tangy Australian Verdelo. Raw citrus usually battles with wine’s acidity, but once warmed, it can be very complementary. Try food pairings such as roasted veggies in fresh herbs, grilled fish with dill and lemon or chicken brushed with Italian salad dressing.
Balance the spicy bite of rubs on pork or chicken by opening a fruity white like a Gewürztraminer from Germany or a Vouvray. If you like reds, a soft, low-tannic California Merlot or "grapey" Beaujolais will not fight the spice. You can make your own rub or buy one already prepared. Find a wide variety at http://www.amazon.com/.
Cabernet Sauvignon is made for steaks. The higher tannins are mellowed by the meat’s fat, producing a palate pleaser. Top your burgers with bold cheeses, like blue or sharp cheddar and it gets even better!
If you are a purist and use a charcoal grill, the smoky flavors it imparts work best with a Shiraz or Syrah. This varietal's big fruit flavor and mellow tannins is a winner with grilled food.
When the working day is done, grill's just want to have fun.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Food and Wine Pairing Primer
Because food and wine pairing are very subjective, balance and harmony can be perceived differently by different palates. Also, each individual has his or her own threshold for certain tastes.
Therefore, I feel that one of the most important aspects in pairing is matching the weight or body of both the food and wine. Body refers to how the wine feels in your mouth as well as how long the flavors last. The common analogy is that a light-bodied wine is similar in mouth feel to that of skim milk where a heavy-bodied wine is more similar to drinking cream. Examples of different body styles in foods would be grilled chicken as opposed to fried chicken.
Foods can also be served that mimic the flavors of the wine. This complementary aroma and flavor approach to pairings is usually very successful. By using fruit in a sauce similar to the fruit flavor in the wine, the two elements “marry” together. An earthy red Burgundy or Pinot Noir works well with earthy foods such as root vegetables or meat with onions, mushrooms, walnuts or mustard. Try an herbal Sancerre alongside shrimp flavored with dill or other herbs. A late-harvest Riesling with flavors of apricots and almonds goes beautifully with an almond tart.
Wine can also be included in the food preparation to create a “bridge” between the two elements. Create a quick sauce by first browning your entree, then saute some shallots in olive oil and deglaze the pan with the wine you are drinking.
Matching intensity of the wine with that of the food is another pairing strategy. For instance, more delicate dishes should be served with lighter-bodied wines.
Certain food textures, types of spices used, methods of food preparation and amount of fats used will also influence the choice of wine and whether it is perceived as harmonious.
Most of the classical food and wine pairings match regional wines with regional dishes. For instance, Spanish paella with Rioja, coq au vin with red Burgundy, tomato-based sauces with Chianti and lamb with red Bordeaux.
The more you learn about the different grape varieties and their characteristics, the process of wine making for both red and white grapes, and the changes that occur with aging, you will be able to understand that some elements may seems more prominent upon tasting and are not necessarily signs of an unbalanced wine. Some harmonious young red wines can have an astringent or dry feeling in your mouth that comes from tannins in the grape or from fermentation practices, which can convey to you its aging potential.
A few components of a wine’s balance can be manipulated. The consumer can alter the intensity of sweetness or acidity, mute flavors or magnify tannins in an unbalanced wine by serving it more chilled.
Experiment! Plan your menu and choose both a white and red wine to compare. The best food and wine pairing is ultimately the one you prefer.
Therefore, I feel that one of the most important aspects in pairing is matching the weight or body of both the food and wine. Body refers to how the wine feels in your mouth as well as how long the flavors last. The common analogy is that a light-bodied wine is similar in mouth feel to that of skim milk where a heavy-bodied wine is more similar to drinking cream. Examples of different body styles in foods would be grilled chicken as opposed to fried chicken.
Foods can also be served that mimic the flavors of the wine. This complementary aroma and flavor approach to pairings is usually very successful. By using fruit in a sauce similar to the fruit flavor in the wine, the two elements “marry” together. An earthy red Burgundy or Pinot Noir works well with earthy foods such as root vegetables or meat with onions, mushrooms, walnuts or mustard. Try an herbal Sancerre alongside shrimp flavored with dill or other herbs. A late-harvest Riesling with flavors of apricots and almonds goes beautifully with an almond tart.
Wine can also be included in the food preparation to create a “bridge” between the two elements. Create a quick sauce by first browning your entree, then saute some shallots in olive oil and deglaze the pan with the wine you are drinking.
Matching intensity of the wine with that of the food is another pairing strategy. For instance, more delicate dishes should be served with lighter-bodied wines.
Certain food textures, types of spices used, methods of food preparation and amount of fats used will also influence the choice of wine and whether it is perceived as harmonious.
Most of the classical food and wine pairings match regional wines with regional dishes. For instance, Spanish paella with Rioja, coq au vin with red Burgundy, tomato-based sauces with Chianti and lamb with red Bordeaux.
The more you learn about the different grape varieties and their characteristics, the process of wine making for both red and white grapes, and the changes that occur with aging, you will be able to understand that some elements may seems more prominent upon tasting and are not necessarily signs of an unbalanced wine. Some harmonious young red wines can have an astringent or dry feeling in your mouth that comes from tannins in the grape or from fermentation practices, which can convey to you its aging potential.
A few components of a wine’s balance can be manipulated. The consumer can alter the intensity of sweetness or acidity, mute flavors or magnify tannins in an unbalanced wine by serving it more chilled.
Experiment! Plan your menu and choose both a white and red wine to compare. The best food and wine pairing is ultimately the one you prefer.
Monday, June 4, 2007
Cellar Letter
Dear Mr. Difficult Client,
Before preparing my report, I would like to arrange a meeting, at your convenience, to tour your home so I can best determine the proper location to design your cellar. This location will depend on a variety of factors. Although it is preferable to store wines underground, away from exposure to light, excessive humidity could also spoil or prematurely age your wine collection. The temperature should remain as close to a constant 55 degrees F or between 10-12 degrees C, and the wine should not be subjected to vibration. With these factors in mind, I also want to make the wine easily accessible to you so it will be convenient to monitor the aging of your collection and facilitate the selection of a bottle.
We will also discuss the amount of wine you normally drink on a weekly basis, how many parties and special occasions you host and what types of wines you enjoy drinking and serving. An easy calculation will help us determine the quantity of wines we will need to store. That equation is as follows:
# of bottles drank/wk + # of special occasion wines x 2 = total # of wines to store.
Of these, an average of 20% will be consumed after 2 yrs, 50% after 5 years and 30% after 10 years.
The general recommendations for varieties that benefit from longer cellar storage are such wines as Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Barolo, some Rieslings, Semillon and most fortified wines. Your unlimited budget will allow us to make some wise wine investments, buy at auctions or speculate in wine futures. As your tastes may change over time, I recommend that we consider only purchasing six bottles of a particular wine and that before each large purchase, you should taste a bottle. Remember, what the seller and I recommend may not be wines you prefer.
I would then place a hygro-thermometer in the proposed cellar location to monitor the humidity and temperature so we could determine what additional modifications may need to be made to our selected location. We may need to install additional cooling units or insulate to insure proper temperature control.
We can then determine the materials you prefer for racking your collection. Both metal and wood can be used but each rack should be divided into separate sections for the different types of wines we are storing. I recommend single depth racking with slots for individual bottles. Our goal is to support the bottles securely in the preferred horizontal position, in a dense arrangement to reduce temperature fluctuations, while avoiding disturbance of the surrounding bottles upon removal of your selection and to provide you with access to easily monitor your collection.
Since budget is not a consideration, I suggest that we attach a barcode to each bottle and maintain a database using a computerized tracking system. There are many software options that will guide us as to how long the wines we purchased should be held, the age they should peak or the year that they should be consumed. As you add or remove a bottle from your collection, this software will need to be updated. By keeping a balance in your cellar, you will always have the right wine for every occasion, you will open it at the proper time and the wine will not get misplaced and become undrinkable.
I look forward to meeting with you to begin this project
Before preparing my report, I would like to arrange a meeting, at your convenience, to tour your home so I can best determine the proper location to design your cellar. This location will depend on a variety of factors. Although it is preferable to store wines underground, away from exposure to light, excessive humidity could also spoil or prematurely age your wine collection. The temperature should remain as close to a constant 55 degrees F or between 10-12 degrees C, and the wine should not be subjected to vibration. With these factors in mind, I also want to make the wine easily accessible to you so it will be convenient to monitor the aging of your collection and facilitate the selection of a bottle.
We will also discuss the amount of wine you normally drink on a weekly basis, how many parties and special occasions you host and what types of wines you enjoy drinking and serving. An easy calculation will help us determine the quantity of wines we will need to store. That equation is as follows:
# of bottles drank/wk + # of special occasion wines x 2 = total # of wines to store.
Of these, an average of 20% will be consumed after 2 yrs, 50% after 5 years and 30% after 10 years.
The general recommendations for varieties that benefit from longer cellar storage are such wines as Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Barolo, some Rieslings, Semillon and most fortified wines. Your unlimited budget will allow us to make some wise wine investments, buy at auctions or speculate in wine futures. As your tastes may change over time, I recommend that we consider only purchasing six bottles of a particular wine and that before each large purchase, you should taste a bottle. Remember, what the seller and I recommend may not be wines you prefer.
I would then place a hygro-thermometer in the proposed cellar location to monitor the humidity and temperature so we could determine what additional modifications may need to be made to our selected location. We may need to install additional cooling units or insulate to insure proper temperature control.
We can then determine the materials you prefer for racking your collection. Both metal and wood can be used but each rack should be divided into separate sections for the different types of wines we are storing. I recommend single depth racking with slots for individual bottles. Our goal is to support the bottles securely in the preferred horizontal position, in a dense arrangement to reduce temperature fluctuations, while avoiding disturbance of the surrounding bottles upon removal of your selection and to provide you with access to easily monitor your collection.
Since budget is not a consideration, I suggest that we attach a barcode to each bottle and maintain a database using a computerized tracking system. There are many software options that will guide us as to how long the wines we purchased should be held, the age they should peak or the year that they should be consumed. As you add or remove a bottle from your collection, this software will need to be updated. By keeping a balance in your cellar, you will always have the right wine for every occasion, you will open it at the proper time and the wine will not get misplaced and become undrinkable.
I look forward to meeting with you to begin this project
Yoga and Wine
Yoga is a practice for connecting the mind, body and spirit . It teaches you focus, balance, strength and stress relief. It elevates your mood, creates energy and provides relaxation, all at the same time.
Sounds like similar qualities I have discovered in learning and writing about wine.
Namaste
(I bow to the divine in you. )
Sounds like similar qualities I have discovered in learning and writing about wine.
Namaste
(I bow to the divine in you. )
Friday, June 1, 2007
Bite The Bullet or Have a Glass
Back in the old West, before painkillers, they used to give you a shot of whiskey and have you bite a bullet before causing you pain. Today, at the first twinge of pain, there are numerous options from homeopathic to hallucinogenic.
Medicinal properties of alcohol date back to Egypt and most civilizations have fermented some type of beverage as it was often safer to drink than their water. The antibacterial activity of red and white wine helps explain wine's legendary reputation as a digestive aid. Alcohol was also known to be an effective analgesic.
The relationship between alcohol and health was not fully researched until 1926 when Dr. Raymond Pearl published a book called Alcohol and Longevity, in which he reported his finding that drinking alcohol in moderation was associated with greater longevity than either abstaining or drinking heavily. Alcohol increases the good cholesterol or HDL and decreases blood clotting, increases insulin activity and reduces the risk of Alzheimer's Disease.
Moderate consumption is defined as two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. So, for whatever pains you are feeling or just for a longer, healthier life, raise your glass!
Cheers, Salud, Prost, Santé, Skål, L'Chaim, Cin cin !
Medicinal properties of alcohol date back to Egypt and most civilizations have fermented some type of beverage as it was often safer to drink than their water. The antibacterial activity of red and white wine helps explain wine's legendary reputation as a digestive aid. Alcohol was also known to be an effective analgesic.
The relationship between alcohol and health was not fully researched until 1926 when Dr. Raymond Pearl published a book called Alcohol and Longevity, in which he reported his finding that drinking alcohol in moderation was associated with greater longevity than either abstaining or drinking heavily. Alcohol increases the good cholesterol or HDL and decreases blood clotting, increases insulin activity and reduces the risk of Alzheimer's Disease.
Moderate consumption is defined as two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. So, for whatever pains you are feeling or just for a longer, healthier life, raise your glass!
Cheers, Salud, Prost, Santé, Skål, L'Chaim, Cin cin !
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