Category Archives: Blog

Thanksgiving with Rosé Wine from Provence

November 12,2014

As Thanksgiving is approaching the plans are being made for the feast with the turkey being the centerpiece.

We all have our own traditions for what we will serve with the juicy turkey and we all have that person that we entrust the carving knife with. But we fret about what wine do we serve.

Lighter bodied wines are the best choice with Beaujolais Nouveau becoming the word of the day.

Thanksgiving is an opportunity to enjoy some more dry rosé wines from Provence. These wines are fresh and elegant. The great structure of these wines make them enjoyable with all the Thanksgiving Day flavors.

From the book Provence Food and Wine: The Art of Living, we find a recipe perfect for this Fall season and Thanksgiving Day.

Pumpkin Soup with Chestnuts
 Velouté de Potiron aux Châtaignes
Rich, velvety, and satisfying, this soup is great for cooler weather. It is the perfect Provençal comfort food.
Yield: 4-6 servings
2 tablespoons butter
1 shallot, minced
2 pounds pumpkin, cut into 1-inch squares (about 5 cups)
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup cooked chestnuts, plus more for garnish
Pinch ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¾ cup heavy cream
1.  In a medium saucepan, warm the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the pumpkin, chicken broth, the 1 cup of chestnuts, nutmeg, salt, and a grind of the black pepper. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat.
2.  Process the mixture briefly with an immersion blender (or transfer to a blender for processing).
3.  Add the heavy cream and stir well. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
4.  Transfer to serving bowls and serve hot, garnished with some of the chestnuts.
Excerpted from Provence Food and Wine: The Art of Living (Agate Publishing)
Copyright ® 2014 by François Millo and Viktorija Todorovska

 

Bordeaux Wines – There Is So Much To Discover

November 10,2014

http://www.bordeaux.com/us/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Bordeaux-Wines-New-Look.jpg

Bordeaux -There Is So Much to Discover

The Bordeaux Wine Council (CIVB) has just initiated  a new advertising campaign to continue their “Bordeaux of Tomorrow Strategy”.

This campaign re-imagines the classic Bordeaux wine to reflect the young, innovative and environmentally conscientious wine makers of today.

Bordeaux represents 25% of Frances AOC wine region with its estimated 6,800 wine makers producing red, white, rosé, sweet and sparkling wine,

Bordeaux not only offers an infinite number of possibilities, both accessible and affordable, but with it are a world of stories from the people who transform grape to wine to bottle.

Let’s start tasting to find our Favorite Wine from Bordeaux.

Truly “There IS So Much To Discover” just in Bordeaux.

 

 

 

2012 Schrader Wines

November 7,2014

What a winemaker like Thomas Brown and a rock star team can do for your wines.

Robert Parker  gave extraordinary reviews last month to the wines of Schrader that included words of praise for the 2012 Schrader RBS of  “a killer full bodied, super duper, opulent Cabernet Sauvignon”.

The good news continues with preliminary 2013 barrel scores with several expected to achieve that prized 100 point rating.

Congratulations and good drinking.

2006 Louis Roederer Brut Nature

September 30,2014

Hold the dosage (sugar) please. This is the first time since 1974 that the Louis Roederer champagne house has created a new cuvee. With the warmer weather in Champagne over the recent years the wines were needing less and less sweetening.2006 Louis Roederer Brut Nature

The thinking for producing a no dosage champagne started in the very warm year of 2003 in Champagne. Since the champagne house must maintain the house style, his was no small feat for the chief wine maker Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon to create.

The Roederer champagne house is known for its high-quality, age-worthy, and mainly non-malolactic cuvées with minimal oxygen influence during wine making which results in balanced and soft Champagne.

In 2006 for this champagne the grapes were picked when riper than the grapes would normally be for making a brut version. As a result of the lower sugar level the wine making process was altered. 50% of the wine was aged in 9,000 litre oak casks and the pressure was reduced to 4.5 bars vs 6 bars of pressure.

Another effect is that the no dosage also creates earlier oxidation to the wine. Sugars acted as an anti oxidant.

This is a small production cuvee with 60,000 bottles produced. The next warm year to expect a no dosage cuvee will be the release of the 2009 vintage.

Logis de la Cadene and 1955 Chateau Angelus

September 9,2014Logis de la Cadene has My Favorite Wine Is

My favorite restaurant in Saint  Emilion, France, that is if you are the Bouard de la Forest family is Logis de la Cadene. It is now one year ago that their favorite restaurant is part of the Château Angelou’s properties.

Alexander Boumard is their Chef. Using seasonal local produce he creates for us his elegant versions of French cuisine.

Does Agneau,selle farcie, en croûte d’herbes, fèves et petits pois à la française ( lamb stuffed and crusted with herbs and served with beans and small peas french style get your attention?

And now from the wine list, how does the 1955 Château Angelus in a magnum sound to you?

This could be your favorite wine.

 

Trãs os Montes Wine Region of Portugal

August 28,2014

DOC Trãs os Montes

Vinho Regional Transmontano

Trás os Montes translates to “Beyond the Mountains”.Scene of the Portuguese Region of Trás os Montes

Trás os Montes is the wine region located in the northeastern corner of Portugal next to the Trás os Montes Wine Region of PortugalVinho Verde region and above the Douro region. Beyond the Mountains they are. The mountain ranges create a break from any coastal influences and provide its own influences. Many wineries have their vineyards at altitudes of 1,150 to 2,300 feet above sea level. The soils of this region are mostly granite and schist. With the mountains and valleys there are many micro climates but in general the climate is continental with very cold winters and dry hot summers.

 

Trás os Montes has three sub regions where Vinhi Regional Transmontano can receive Map of the Sub Regions of Trás os Montes of Portugalthe denomination of origin status.

1) Planalto Mirandés

2) Valpacos

3) Chaves

The main grape varieties grown in Trás os Montes region are

White varieties: Côdega de Larinho, Fernão Pires, Gouveio, Malvasia Fina, Rabigato, Síria and Viosinho.

Red varieties: Bastardo, Marufo, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional and Trincadeira.

DOC Távora Varosa The Portuguese Sparkling Wine Region

August 25,2014

Vinho Regional Terras de Cister

The Távora Varosa region borders the Douro to the north and the Dao region to the south.DOC Tavora Varosa Wine Region in Portugal

In Távora Varosa  the vineyards are planted in granite and schist soils at 1600 to 2600 feet above sea level. The climate is continental with very cold and wet winters and hot and dry summers. With the vineyards at the altitudes of 1600 to 2600 feet above sea level there are much cooler nights allowing the grapes to maintain their acidity and fresh fruit flavor. With such qualities, the grapes are best used to produce sparkling wines.

The main grape varieties grown in Távora Varossa region are:

White varieties: Bical, Cerceal, Chardonnay, Fernão Pires, Gouveio, Malvasia Fina, Pinot Branco

Red varieties: Aragonez, Tinta Barroca, Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca

2012 Soalheiro Primeiras Vinhas Portuguese Wine

August 20,2014

Following up with the prior post here is another wine made with the Portuguese grape variety of Alvarinho. This  wine is also from Soalheiro in Melgaco of the Vinho Verde region of Portugal.

This wine is made from the Alvarinho grapes picked from the family’s Melgaco estate oldest vines which were planted in 1982. 85% of the wine is vinified in stainless steel tanks with the remaining 15% fermenting in older oak barrels until when the wine is bottled in the month of May following the harvest.

2012 Soalheiro Primeiras Vinhas Wine Review2012 Soalheiro Primeiras Vinhas

This wine is 100% made from the Alvarinho grape variety. The wine has a pale straw color in the glass. There are floral aromas of pears, tropical fruits with some grassiness. On the palate it is full bodied with delicious creaminess added to the pithy tropical flavors. The finish is dry with soft floral notes. With the full body mouth feel, the 2012 Soallheiro Primeiras Vinhas is delicious as an aperitif or with light creamy seafood dishes.

2012 Soalheiro Alvarinho and the Alvarinho Grape

August 19,2014

Alvarinhoalvarinho grape variety

This varietal is mostly found in the north western part of Portugal in the Vinho Verde region and planted in the northern part of the region in the sub regions of Moncão and Melgaco. With this varietal you will find it to be floral, with peaches, tropical and citrus fruits. The soils in this region are mainly granite which gives the Alvarinho its minerality.  It is a dry wine that has potential for ageing.

 

2012 Soalheiro Alvarinho2012 Soalheiro Alvarinho

This wine is from the vineyards of granite soils in the sub region of Vinho Verde of Melgaco at latitude of 42°. It is100% made from the Alvarinho grape variety. The wine has a pale straw color in the glass. There are aromas of fresh peaches with tropical fruits. On the palate the wine has a medium body feel with flowery sweet lychees. The wine finishes dry with floral tropical notes and mouth watering acidity. The 2012 Soallheiro is delicious as an aperitif or with light seafood dishes

 

 

2012 Quinta Do Boicão Reserva White and Arinto / Pedernã Grape

August 15,2014

Arinto/ Pedernã Grape Variety of Portugal

 

Lisboa Wine Region

Wine Region of Lisboa

The Arinto gape variety is grown throughout Portugal but is mostly found in the Bucelas subregion of Lisboa which is just north of Lisbon at latitude of 39°. In the Vinho Verde region this variety is known as Pedernã. Arinto is a late ripening grape variety with lively acidity and minerality. With this lively acidity this Arinto variety finds its way into the sparkling wines of Portugal. The lively acidity also makes it a great blending grape for wines in warmer climate which produce low acid growing grapes such as in the Alentejo and Ribatejo regions.

 

Arinto Grape Variety of PortugalFrom a glass of Arinto you will mostly find aromas and flavors of apples, lemons and limes with some salty minerals that have a crisp finish. Another great wine for those light seafood dishes.

Quinta Do Boicão

 

Quinta Do Boicão is located about 26 miles north of Lisbon.

The vineyards are planted on clay and limestone soils. The Arinta grape variety is planted on clay soils and is from 25 year old vines. The vineyards have an oceanic climate of warm and dry summers and cold winters.

2012 Quinta Do Boicão Reserva White2012 Quinta Do Boicão Reserva White Arinto Portuguese White Wine

The wine has a pale straw color with green tints. There are aromas of fresh pears, apples, peaches with some salty minerals. On the palate this is a medium bodied plus wine with some spiciness mixed with all the fresh fruit. On the mouth watering finish, citrus notes appear with the spiciness. With the grapes starting fermentation in stainless steel tanks and the last 15 days of fermentation being performed in new French oak barrels, you can feel and taste the wines delicate complexities.

 

 

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