Posts Tagged ‘Chardonnay’
Monday, November 21st, 2011
 For those of you who have read my ranting and ravings over the last couple of years about wines for the Thanksgiving feast and leftover strategies, I hereby offer to you a pass…….a get out of jail card free, if you wish to move on. But for those new to the Wine Inquirer or even those who wish to “refresh” their strategy, then stay with me here because I can save you LOTS of confusion, not to mention money.
Thanksgiving is one of those holidays that potentially throws the “kitchen sink” on to your plate: turkey, stuffing of nearly every variety and texture you can think of, cranberry sauce, veggie dishes both warmed and cold, yams and Idaho’s and that’s just the core of the event. Dessert can be every bit as hectic ranging from traditional pumpkin, pecan and apple pies to cheesecakes, chocolate and………..well, you get the point.
One thing this dinner is NOT is a well organized arrangement of foods displaying an obvious theme of spices and textures that, in turn, pairs perfectly with one style of wine. That being said, and listen to me carefully…………I’m servin’ up some pearls here………..DON’T open up your favorite high end collectible!! Not everyone will like the wine, it’s guaranteed to either conflict, get lost or overwhelm at least one dish, and waste the hard earned effort and monies you delegated toward the collectible. There are times for breaking out the collectible……….THIS AIN’T IT!!
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Tags: Albarino, Beaujolais, Chardonnay, Cotes du Rhone, Gamay, Gewurztraminer, Merlot, Rhone, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, sparkling shiraz, Thanksgiving, Zinfandel
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Thursday, October 20th, 2011
I caught up recently with Robert Craig and his wife Lynn while they were in Tucson. Bob has been producing small lot hillside and mountain wines for over thirty years. You’ll have an opportunity to meet them and of course taste their wines during the Tucson Culinary Festival (www.tucsonculinaryfestival.com) this year at the Grand and Reserve Tasting. You’ll never meet a more humble and kind man. Check out his website at www.robertcraigwine.com.
In the 1960’s, Bob enrolled in the Coast Guard and later attended business school at the University of Chicago. After spending some time in real estate, Bob developed over 300 acres in a vineyard partnership at Mt. Veeder, later selling it to Hess where he worked at the GM for ten years.
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Tags: Affinity, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Howell mountain, Mt Veeder, Napa Valley, Robert Craig, Spring mountain, Tucson Culinary Festival, Zinfandel
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Saturday, July 2nd, 2011
In the last segment, I highlighted a universe of both herbs and vegetables as well as white and red wines that have anise like aromas, all courtesy of specific biochemical compounds. Common sense indicates that testing different combinations of these food elements and wines should yield some excellent matches. So over the last ten days, I’ve experimented with a few lighter summertime dishes that incorporate these elements, writing down the results. The process kind of reminds of Chemistry 1a lab classes where given specific ingredients and instructions, you were to conduct the experiment, document your results and draw conclusions. Well, I can share with you that most of the combinations that I assembled were wonderful together, notwithstanding an error I made with the last one.
The first was a flavorful and energetic dish. I sautéed in a pan a couple of bunches of thin asparagus in olive oil, fresh garlic and a little lemon zest and juice until the asparagus became tender with just a touch of browning. While this was ongoing, I boiled a batch of lobster stuffed agnolotti. When the pasta was done, I layered it on to a plate, squeezed on just a little lemon juice, added the asparagus spears and sprinkled dried basil on top. I love this combination because the dish has substance, courtesy of the pasta, yet it’s lively due to the asparagus, lemon and basil accents. The lemon adds a nice touch of acidity. On the side, I assembled a salad of heirloom tomato, mozzarella and basil accented with rosemary olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar. Now it was time for a matching wine.
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Tags: anise, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc
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Tuesday, June 21st, 2011
When I used to work as a meteorologist (seems another lifetime), I would tell people that forecasting was part art and part science. Admittedly, there were times when some doubted that there was any science at all! But indeed there was and continues to be as data now available to meteorologists is more sophisticated and accessible than ever. How the forecaster integrates this data into his or her years of experience in forecasting…………that’s the art. Likewise a painting is part art and part science, the scientific part comprised of the colors and canvass while the art is expressed by the creator.
Likewise, I’ve always thought of food and wine pairing as dueling segments of art and science. The science part derives from the components innate to food and wine, components such as acids, tannins (and other polyphenols), fruits, sugar, glycerol, fats, oils, salts, sugars, amongst others. The (subjective) art part plays out in testing wind and food pairings. After all, what you describe as a homerun pairing might be met with skepticism by your friends. It’s all in the nose and palate.
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Tags: Albarino, anise, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Chartier, Chenin Blanc, Cortese, Furmint, Garganega, Gewurztraminer, Godello, Greco Di Tufo, Grenache, Gruner Veltliner, Juracon, molecular gastronomy, Mouvedre, Muscat, pastis, Pinot Bianco, Rieslling. Sauvignon Blanc, Sauternes, Shiraz, Syrah, Tempranillo, Verdejo, Vermentino
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Thursday, May 12th, 2011
We caught up recently with Matt Levy, PR and Marketing Manager of Schramsberg Sparkling Wine estate in Calistoga California, and winemaker Keith Hock to speak with them about their operations and some exciting upcoming new releases. Schramsberg is a premier producer of Sparking Wines whose roots go back to 1862 and German founder Jacob Schram. While the estate has changed ownership hands several times since the death of Jacob, it has been in the highly qualified hands of the Davies family since 1965 and continues to flourish. Here's part I of our interview.
Q: Schramsberg resources grapes from many different vineyard sites. What’s the benefit to resourcing grapes from such a diversity of the site?
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Tags: Chardonnay, Pinot Menuier, Pinot Noir, Schramsberg, Sparking wine
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Thursday, April 28th, 2011
Unless you’re a big Southern Rhone white wine fan, chances are you’ve not experienced the rich and sometimes exotic aromas and flavors of Rousssanne. It’s a wine that should be on your “to drink” list. Unfortunately, it’s popularity with vignerons is waning in its home village of Hermitage, the grape challenging to grow and ripen and always having the tendency to oxidize.
While there are single varietal Roussanne’s, the grape finds itself most often as a component of white (blanc) Chateauneuf-du-Pape along with Bourboulenc, Clairette, Grenache Blanc, and Marsanne and occasionally in very small amounts in Hermitage reds. You’ll also find the grape in the blend of whites from St.-Peray and Crozes-Hermitage.
As a pure varietal, Roussanne is medium-full bodied with exotic personality that includes white cherries, chamomile tea, and herbs. Occasionally, a hint of bitter citrus peel will sneak through, as well. These single varietal gems can be just stunning with unique perfume characteristics. While they’re not very common, Chateau Beaucastel in Chateauneuf-du-Pape produces a blockbuster.
While the “home” of Roussanne is the French Rhone Valley, you can find it in Italy, most often blended with Trebbiano, in Australia as a white Rhone style blend and in California’s Paso Robles and Santa Barbara regions. If you’re lucky enough to resource a Roussanne blended with Viognier and/or Chardonnay, you’ll discover an exciting and captivating medley of perfumes, flowers and fruits that’s exceptionally food friendly.
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Tags: Australia, Bourboulenc, Chardonnay, Chateau Beaucastel, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Clairette, Crozes-Hermitage, Grenache Blanc, Hermitage, Marsanne, Paso Robles, Roussanne, Southern Rhone, St. Peray, Trebbiano, Viognier
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Friday, December 17th, 2010
The sauce in this recipe calls for a roux, a mixture of melted butter or oil and flour that is stirred over medium-low heat and used to thicken mixtures. Liquid is gradually whisked into the roux, and the mixture is cooked until thickened. A roux is a building block of such classic French sauces as béchamel and velouté, and it can be used to thicken soups and dessert sauces as well. In most cases, a roux is cooked for just 2 to 3 minutes to cook off the raw flour taste, and is not allowed to color, but roux used in Cajun and Creole gumbos is cooked to a range of colors, from golden to dark brown, in order to add depth of flavor.
Ingredients:
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Tags: Chablis, Chardonnay, Grigio, Pinot Bianco, Pouilly-Fume, Sancerre, Sole, white Burgundy, Williams Sonoma
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Thursday, December 16th, 2010
For the wine enthusiasts on your gift list this holiday season, this is a great time to pick up a favorite wine. With so many festivities ongoing, there will lots of spirits and wines flowing. Our spirit contributor, Aaron Defeo, has a great article on affordable spirit gifts over on the Blog……….It’s a must read. As for wines, here’s my list of the top varietals, beginning with the whites, that make not only great gifts, but pair so easily with food.
1) My top pick for versatility (and age worthiness) would be a Riesling. This grape provides so much diversity in style from the dry Aussie version to the Alsatian and German Kabinett, Spatlese and Auslese. With a range of sweetness, outstanding fruits and acidity, it’s nearly impossible not to find one that works for you. It’s a fabulous counterbalance to spicy curry, sushi, Thai, Chinese and Vietnamese dishes as well as more traditional ham, pork, chicken and duck. Scallops and sautéed trout are a magnificent match. And of course, it’s a perfect match with soft cheeses such as triple cream (brie) and the “blues.” A sweet Spatlese or Auslese elevates any fruit based dessert to a gold star level. You can scan some names here.
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Tags: Burgundy, Chablis, Chardonnay, Marsanne, Pouilly-Fume, Riesling, Roussanne, Sancerre, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier
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Monday, December 6th, 2010
With the core of the holiday season fast approaching (already here if you celebrate Chanukah), Sparkling wine (Champagne if produced in the namesake region using Champagne harvested grapes of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier only) will be flowing freely. While you might think of bubbly for celebration only, it’s ironic that the frothy and fizzy wine pairs with food more easily than most still reds and whites. This flexibility is due to multiple factors. They are often lower in alcohol than still wines ( 5-7%), have more acidity which keeps the wine lively and refreshing and they’re produced in a very wide range of styles from light gold to rose. The level of sweetness can vary as can the origin of the sparkling wine, resulting in wines with even further diversity. Sparkling wine is produced in many regions around the world from the United States, Spain (Cava), Italy (Prosecco and Brachetto d’Acqui), Samur in the Loire Valley (sparkling Vouvray), Germany and Austria (Sekt) and even Russia. In addition, the classic Champagne or sparkling wine can be assembled from any of three grapes or a blend: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, offering still further combinations. The latter grape, while not a household name, is a dark grape that lends acidity and aromatics to the wine and as such is widely used in blending.
The lighter lemony and golden colored sparkling wines have their origin in the Chardonnay grape. The expression “blanc de blancs” (translated white from white reflecting white juice from a white grape) on the front label designates that the wine has been produced exclusively from the Chardonnay grape whether it be a Champagne or other sparkling wine. These wines tend to work well with a range of food styles and preparations from caviar and shellfish such as clams, mussels, oysters and sushi to a rich and creamy dish such as a foie gras pate and lobster in a butter or cream sauce. It also wipes the palate clean when paired with oily fried foods. Salads are a great match with sparkling wine, especially with an acid driven citrusy dressing. The Italian version, Prosecco, and Spanish style, Cava, tend to be very light, low in alcohol and acid driven, working well with aperitifs.
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Tags: Brachetto d'Acqui, cava, Champagne, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, Prosecco, sekt, Sparkling Vouvray, Sparkling wine
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For those of you who have read my ranting and ravings over the last couple of years about wines for the Thanksgiving feast and leftover strategies, I hereby offer to you a pass…….a get out of jail card free, if you wish to move on. But for those new to the Wine Inquirer or even those who wish to “refresh” their strategy, then stay with me here because I can save you LOTS of confusion, not to mention money.
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