French wins on both counts
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Sunday, September 30, 2012
2010 Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon with Penne Marinara and Rosemary Bread
Went shopping at Gary's Wine today. Love days like that when I just go in without a specific item in mind, and fill up the cart with some wines.... Some I've had before, others not. Before we went, I started the marinara in the crock pot. Recipe is courtesy of another blog I discovered today called Budget Bytes. I'm gonna have to go through this blog a little to see what else I can make. I like food. I like to save $$$. Sounds like a plan. So, we had penne with this marinara recipe http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2011/11/slow-cooker-marinara-515-recipe-040.html.
Also, kids & I went to the Farmers Market in town today and bought this awesome Rosemary Bread from the Hoboken Farms stand (check it... www.hobokenfarms.com). This bread was freakin awesome. I could smell that all day. To go with the bread, I made a couple of dips, courtesy of The Pampered Chef. I used the Sun-Dried Tomato & Herb seasoning, and I also made up the Parmesan Garlic oil dipping seasoning. I did use these seasonings last week and, at that time, I just put some oil in a dipping plate and shook in the seasoning. This week I followed the directions. No one liked it when I followed the directions (they felt it was too thick and overpowering), so I'll stick w/ my rebellious ways next time around and just shake it in the EVOO until I think it's good. D also made us a tossed salad with dinner w/ some fresh Jersey veggies, etc. from the Market.
Our wine selection for tonight was the 2010 Josh Cellars Cabernet. I know we've had this before, and when we did buy it the first time, I will admit we bought it for the name. My first born, Joshua. I also remembered we liked it a lot, so when I saw it again today, I went for it. I really thought it more expensive last time. Really nice wine for the price ($14.99 at Gary's).
Visually, it's this beautiful plum color with legs that slowly run down the glass, showing off it's medium to heavy body. On the nose, you inhale a fabulous combination of pepper and black currant. Then, my favorite part, the taste... It's got very soft tannins, making it go down easy, a little too easy (he, he!). I feel like it's less pepper in the mouth, but still spicy if that makes sense. The rich berry is amazing, and the finish hangs on for a bit, just extending the enjoyment of the wine.
Overall, what a great pairing this evening. Good food, Good Wine (good price), and a nice evening w/ my men. A girl couldn't be happier ;) So, now I gotta finish off this bread and what's left in my glass.
In Vino Veritas!
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Todd Lauren Pinot Noir 2010
Good Thursday Evening to all,Tonight we enjoyed the Todd Lauren Pinot Noir with our Penne Vodka. I found my wine rack this evening to be fairly empty.... Not cool. Text to husband - please go to Stew's and get a bottle of wine for dinner!! Response - any specific request? To Husband - Pinot. He was torn between this bottle or a Burgundy, and went with this. I think either would do ;)
But this is what I have, so this is what I'll write about. Let's begin!
So, start with a look... Such a beautiful ruby red you can see right through. Light to medium body, legs seem to run right down your glass.
Stick your nose in it... you get ripe cherries. Swirl around a bit, and it adds some leather, in a good way.
And, to taste... It's a nice cherry on the tongue mixed with a delightful earthiness. It's somewhat acidic. Truely, a perfect balance. And, it went great with dinner!
So, any suggestions of wines you have for me, I'll take it! I want to write about what you want to hear about. I also take donations ;) LOL! Of wine, of course. You give it, I'll taste it and give a full report!
I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Skouras Saint George Aghiorghitiko Nemea 2010
Blogging from the phone today. Please excuse my typos...
Burgers and fingerlings tonight. Nothing special about the burgers except they were made with love by hubs ;)
Fingerlings I shake up with EVOO, ground salt, ground pepper and Tastefully Simple Grillin Seasoning. Put it on a stone and on the grill.
Tonights wine is a WOTM from Amanti Vino. I sat looking at my rack (comments to yourself, please) and saw French, Italian and Greek... I'm not sure I've done Greek before, so I went with it. Excellent choice.
Beautiful purple-red that's just light enough to see through. Stick your nose in it and there's this wonderful cherry, very light tobacco (which is a descriptive I hate to use,because it doesn't sound good to me) and a hint of chocolate (or maybe I just want to smell that). Now taste... Very vibrant, sexy, yes sexy, red wine. Now, I don't taste the tobacco but the rest of what was on the nose is in the mouth. I also now realize I have a mosquito coil burning... Is that where the tobacco was coming from? Could be.
Oh well, the chill and the clouds see rolling in, so it looks like I'm done out here. I highly recommend this wine. I may comment later with other possible pairings, but for now...
In Vino Veritas
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Domaine Trapet Ox Auxerrois 2007 paired with Pasta w/ Prosciutto & Spinach
I'll start off by saying I've never heard of this varietal - Auxierros Blanc. That being said, perfect pairing!!!
My dinner recipe tonight is courtesy of Cooking Light, October 2008, or, really, right here on the web... http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pasta-with-prosciutto-spinach-10000001842335/ I've made this dinner before (maybe I've even paired it before - who knows). Seriously, quick & easy and and a favorite of hubs & I. My older son likes it, too - younger son, he doesn't like much, so it's not surprising he won't even try. I decided to go with a white for this because there's no red sauce - it's a nice, light olive oil with some other phenomenal flavors - Prosciutto, Cheese, deliciousness...
The wine was a WOTM from Amanti Vino. The grapes were grown in Alsace, which is a region in France that borders Germany. You'll find many of the same grapes grown in Alsace as Germany, but I've found them to be less sweet - I usually prefer an Alsatian Riesling to a German one (usually). Anyway, back to the wine. Since I've never heard of the grape, I checked around a little... It is primarily grown in France's Alsace region, and most often used as a blend. I read (though not necessarily agree in this case) that it's highly acidic and bland, with a high alcohol content (this bottle actually says 11-14% - I've never seen that range before). In various locales, Malbec is called Auxerrios, Chardonnay is called Auxerrios Blanc, and Pinot Gris is called Auxerrios Gris.
Before I get into all the specifics of tonight's pairing, I should mention I have a little cold. Not bad (or I wouldn't waste the wine), but it might make things taste differently than they should. The color, not at all skewed by my cold is a nice straw yellow, so I'm not expecting it to be too bland - it's not terribly pale. On the nose, I am getting some light fruit, green apple maybe. After my initial swirl, I do get a light floral note, still heavier on the apple. A quick taste before we eat (I do enjoy a little wine while I cook, part of the enjoyment of cooking), Mmmmmm... Not bland, but somewhat acidic. This is all good, though - the saltiness of the prosciutto, the parmesan (side note - I do grate my parm fresh rather than the recipe suggested pre-shredded) as well as the cheese tortellini ~ the acidity in the wine does a fabulous job of bringing this altogether into an enjoyable food & wine pairing. Or, as I like to call it a Party in the Mouth.
I hope you get the chance to try out the pairing or, at least, the wine or dinner recipe on their own.
In Vino Veritas!
My dinner recipe tonight is courtesy of Cooking Light, October 2008, or, really, right here on the web... http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pasta-with-prosciutto-spinach-10000001842335/ I've made this dinner before (maybe I've even paired it before - who knows). Seriously, quick & easy and and a favorite of hubs & I. My older son likes it, too - younger son, he doesn't like much, so it's not surprising he won't even try. I decided to go with a white for this because there's no red sauce - it's a nice, light olive oil with some other phenomenal flavors - Prosciutto, Cheese, deliciousness...
The wine was a WOTM from Amanti Vino. The grapes were grown in Alsace, which is a region in France that borders Germany. You'll find many of the same grapes grown in Alsace as Germany, but I've found them to be less sweet - I usually prefer an Alsatian Riesling to a German one (usually). Anyway, back to the wine. Since I've never heard of the grape, I checked around a little... It is primarily grown in France's Alsace region, and most often used as a blend. I read (though not necessarily agree in this case) that it's highly acidic and bland, with a high alcohol content (this bottle actually says 11-14% - I've never seen that range before). In various locales, Malbec is called Auxerrios, Chardonnay is called Auxerrios Blanc, and Pinot Gris is called Auxerrios Gris.
Before I get into all the specifics of tonight's pairing, I should mention I have a little cold. Not bad (or I wouldn't waste the wine), but it might make things taste differently than they should. The color, not at all skewed by my cold is a nice straw yellow, so I'm not expecting it to be too bland - it's not terribly pale. On the nose, I am getting some light fruit, green apple maybe. After my initial swirl, I do get a light floral note, still heavier on the apple. A quick taste before we eat (I do enjoy a little wine while I cook, part of the enjoyment of cooking), Mmmmmm... Not bland, but somewhat acidic. This is all good, though - the saltiness of the prosciutto, the parmesan (side note - I do grate my parm fresh rather than the recipe suggested pre-shredded) as well as the cheese tortellini ~ the acidity in the wine does a fabulous job of bringing this altogether into an enjoyable food & wine pairing. Or, as I like to call it a Party in the Mouth.
I hope you get the chance to try out the pairing or, at least, the wine or dinner recipe on their own.
In Vino Veritas!
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Chinese Take Out and Daniel Et Martine Barraud Macon-Chaintre 2008
So, not the best pairing, not the worst. Drinking a White Burgundy along with chinese take-out just seems low class. That being said...
Let's just talk about the wine. Like I said this is a white Burgundy. "Burgundy" just refers to the region in France that it's from. I'm sure I've said before, and most of you probably know, when talking about wines from areas like France, Italy, etc. the wine is labeled by it's region, not it's grape. This particular wine is made from Chardonnay. This was such a bright, vibrant wine, I could have just drank it on it's own. It just went down very easily. I could see enjoying this with a big bowl of popcorn or nice salty chips.
The body of the wine was fairly light to medium, golden yellow in color. The balance of apple-ly fruit and acidity was truly enjoyed. This was one of the Wine of the Month Club wines from Amanti Vino. I would suggest this to be a great gift to any white wine lover.
In Vino Veritas!
Let's just talk about the wine. Like I said this is a white Burgundy. "Burgundy" just refers to the region in France that it's from. I'm sure I've said before, and most of you probably know, when talking about wines from areas like France, Italy, etc. the wine is labeled by it's region, not it's grape. This particular wine is made from Chardonnay. This was such a bright, vibrant wine, I could have just drank it on it's own. It just went down very easily. I could see enjoying this with a big bowl of popcorn or nice salty chips.
The body of the wine was fairly light to medium, golden yellow in color. The balance of apple-ly fruit and acidity was truly enjoyed. This was one of the Wine of the Month Club wines from Amanti Vino. I would suggest this to be a great gift to any white wine lover.
In Vino Veritas!
Friday, January 27, 2012
2003 Raydon Estate "Tails South" Shiraz with Pizza
Good Evening, All. I hope you're enjoying my write-ups about wine and food. I hope to continue a couple of times a month. I hope that it assists you in your wine making decisions. I also use it for myself to keep track of what I like... or, don't. We did just order a pizza and garlic knots tonight, so no recipes to share. So, let's get right to the wine...
This evening's selection was a 2003 Raydon Estate "Tails South" Shiraz. It's been a super long time since I've had a Shiraz so I've been looking forward to tasting this one. So, what does it mean to be called "Shiraz" rather than "Syrah"? It is the same grape after all. The only difference is Northern Hemisphere vs. Southern Hemisphere. Shiraz is Southern. This particular Shiraz is from the Langhorne Creek area of Australia. Other popular areas are the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Clare Valley. The pairing itself with the pizza probably doesn't show it off as well as a nice steak would have, but that doesn't make it bad.
The wine is a deep purple color, like deep, you can't see through this at all. On the nose, I initially got peppered alcohol. Not the best initial reaction, so let's let it open up a bit.... There, that's better. Still, it's a pretty potent wine, very intense in it's peppery nose. When I taste it, it's such a rich black pepper, maybe a little chocolate. And, raisin? I think so. This is a very full bodied wine and I am really enjoying it tonight. The more it breaths, the smoother it gets.
Truly, not the best pairing with the pizza, but I could totally see this with a nice grilled steak. This is a wine I picked up through my Wine of the Month at Amanti Vino. They suggest pairing with a beautiful beef stew. I have a California Syrah on my rack, so I hope to plan a better pairing for that one. In the meantime, I'll continue to enjoy what's open =)
In Vino Veritas!
This evening's selection was a 2003 Raydon Estate "Tails South" Shiraz. It's been a super long time since I've had a Shiraz so I've been looking forward to tasting this one. So, what does it mean to be called "Shiraz" rather than "Syrah"? It is the same grape after all. The only difference is Northern Hemisphere vs. Southern Hemisphere. Shiraz is Southern. This particular Shiraz is from the Langhorne Creek area of Australia. Other popular areas are the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Clare Valley. The pairing itself with the pizza probably doesn't show it off as well as a nice steak would have, but that doesn't make it bad.
The wine is a deep purple color, like deep, you can't see through this at all. On the nose, I initially got peppered alcohol. Not the best initial reaction, so let's let it open up a bit.... There, that's better. Still, it's a pretty potent wine, very intense in it's peppery nose. When I taste it, it's such a rich black pepper, maybe a little chocolate. And, raisin? I think so. This is a very full bodied wine and I am really enjoying it tonight. The more it breaths, the smoother it gets.
Truly, not the best pairing with the pizza, but I could totally see this with a nice grilled steak. This is a wine I picked up through my Wine of the Month at Amanti Vino. They suggest pairing with a beautiful beef stew. I have a California Syrah on my rack, so I hope to plan a better pairing for that one. In the meantime, I'll continue to enjoy what's open =)
In Vino Veritas!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
2010 Standing Sun Chardonnay with Sage Pork Chops and Parmesan Rice
Wow, it's been too long! So, tonight while cooking my Sage Pork Chops, I realized I needed wine to cook ~ you know the old adage - "I love to cook with wine, sometimes I even put it in the food."
So, tonight's dinner was Sage Pork Chops, it's a Martha Stewart Repice. Here's the link ~ http://www.marthastewart.com/343467/sage-pork-chops. Within that, is the link for a recipe for the Parmesan Rice. I'm not sure I follow that recipe. I have a rice cooker that I bought through Pampered Chef, so it's 20 minutes to cook the rice, then I throw in some butter, shave in some fresh parmesan and toss in the parsley. Delicious, good to go. Not that hard. The whole dinner takes like 20-25 minutes to cook, so perfect for my Wednesday night =) So, as you'll see in the recipe I needed 1/4 cup of wine to make it, and I certainly wouldn't make a substitution in my recipe, so I needed to open up a wine. It's a tough life!
I happened to have the 2010 Standing Sun Chardonnay already chillin' in the fridge. So, why not, I'll open it up. I poured out my 1/4 cup for the recipe, and then, of course, I poured some into a glass. The color is a golden yellow. Because it's a California Chardonnay, I went in expecting not to like it. I'm one of those ABC (Anything, But Chardonnay) wine drinkers.
The bouquet gave off a crisp apple scent. When I first tasted it, I thought it to be slightly sweet, but really not overpowering. Now, I get this fabulous combination of apples and peaches. I have to say (for an ABC drinker) I really enjoy this wine! I'm enjoying now, on it's own, as well as I did with my dinner. It's a really nice balance of acidity and fruit. Oh, look at that, the kids are making popcorn now. That should go well with it, too, YUM!
So, now I'd like to thank my Mom for buying this for me. I received a package in the mail of 2 bottles of wine from this Vineyard with no card and assumed it could only come from her (or my sister, but my first thought was my Mom). This vineyard is run by an actress from my favorite soap, General Hospital. Bottles were signed was Laura Wright - many reading this won't know who that is, but it's the current Carly from GH.
Lastly, I just want to mention how excited I am that NJ is now a direct ship State for wines. =)
In Vino Veritas!
So, tonight's dinner was Sage Pork Chops, it's a Martha Stewart Repice. Here's the link ~ http://www.marthastewart.com/343467/sage-pork-chops. Within that, is the link for a recipe for the Parmesan Rice. I'm not sure I follow that recipe. I have a rice cooker that I bought through Pampered Chef, so it's 20 minutes to cook the rice, then I throw in some butter, shave in some fresh parmesan and toss in the parsley. Delicious, good to go. Not that hard. The whole dinner takes like 20-25 minutes to cook, so perfect for my Wednesday night =) So, as you'll see in the recipe I needed 1/4 cup of wine to make it, and I certainly wouldn't make a substitution in my recipe, so I needed to open up a wine. It's a tough life!
I happened to have the 2010 Standing Sun Chardonnay already chillin' in the fridge. So, why not, I'll open it up. I poured out my 1/4 cup for the recipe, and then, of course, I poured some into a glass. The color is a golden yellow. Because it's a California Chardonnay, I went in expecting not to like it. I'm one of those ABC (Anything, But Chardonnay) wine drinkers.
The bouquet gave off a crisp apple scent. When I first tasted it, I thought it to be slightly sweet, but really not overpowering. Now, I get this fabulous combination of apples and peaches. I have to say (for an ABC drinker) I really enjoy this wine! I'm enjoying now, on it's own, as well as I did with my dinner. It's a really nice balance of acidity and fruit. Oh, look at that, the kids are making popcorn now. That should go well with it, too, YUM!
So, now I'd like to thank my Mom for buying this for me. I received a package in the mail of 2 bottles of wine from this Vineyard with no card and assumed it could only come from her (or my sister, but my first thought was my Mom). This vineyard is run by an actress from my favorite soap, General Hospital. Bottles were signed was Laura Wright - many reading this won't know who that is, but it's the current Carly from GH.
Lastly, I just want to mention how excited I am that NJ is now a direct ship State for wines. =)
In Vino Veritas!
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