Posts Tagged ‘Wine and Food Pairings’
Thanksgiving Calls for an American Made Wine
With Thanksgiving only days away, you might be wondering what wine to serve with your traditional turkey and side dishes. Here’s a hint – Something American!
Thanksgiving is an American holiday that, in my opinion, deserves an American-made wine. There are many types of wines to choose from, whether white or red, or sweet or dry, but my personal favorite with this holiday meal is a good old-fashion American Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s big and bold flavors are brawny enough to stand up to just about any traditional side dish that you throw at it as well as any herbs and spices that you decide to use on your Thanksgiving turkey.
Here are a few very reliable American Cabernet Sauvignon names that you may want to consider shopping for:
· Beringer Vineyards – Whether it’s their inexpensive Cab or higher priced Reserve Cabs, Beringer Vineyards Cabs are pretty darn reliable and tasty year in and year out.
· Columbia Crest Winery – Like Beringer Vineyards, Columbia Crest fires on all cylinders at any price point in their line-up of Cabernet Sauvignon offerings.
· Rodney Strong Vineyards – Good, solid, and reliable – for under $15 bucks, this Cab really tunes in the dial with turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce.
· Chalk Hill – For some reason, these guys are under the radar of a lot of California Cab lovers. Take the discount and this hidden Sonoma County gem to the bank and buy yourself and your guests 2 bottles for the price of 1 big Napa Valley Cab with the same headiness.
· St. Supery – If you’ve got $30 or more in your wallet, this California Cab will certainly blow you and your guests away.
· If the sky’s the limit in your budget, you may want to try one of these ginormous tasting American Cabernet Sauvignons: Fife Vineyards Reserve or Cornerstone Cellars.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Posted in Tips | 
Tags: Cabernet Sauvignon, Holiday, Wine and Food Pairings, Wines over $20, Wines under $10, Wines under $20 | 
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Wine Dictionary – Viognier
Many guides differ slightly when giving the pronunciation of this native Rhone Valley white grape. Some say vee-own-yay, while others say vee-on-yay. Vee-on-yay with a short o is actually the correct way to pronounce it. But hey, it’s all good no matter how you say it.
This awesome white grape that was originally born in the Rhone Valley of France is now being planted all over the globe. In it’s native France, the majority of Viogniers are sold as “Vin de Pays“, or “country wine” in the Languedoc wine region of France. In the Rhone wine region, the Viognier grape is often blended with other native French white wine grapes like Roussanne, Marsanne, Grenache blanc, and Rolle. Finally, in Northern Rhone, Viognier is sometimes blended with the Chardonnay grape.
Most Viogniers exhibit a rich, flower shop aroma that is similar to the Torrontes white grape from Argentina. Most also have an apricot and citrusy flavor. They’re usually made in a dry style with a hint of sweetness, and leave the oak in the woods where it belongs.
Viognier is a great summer sipping wine. It partners very nicely with a variety of different foods and I really think it goes great with spicy ethnic dishes, too. In addition, this white wine is also pretty darn good with soft French cheeses, such as Brie.
One piece of advice to remember when considering purchasing a bottle of Viognier – buy the youngest ones that you can find. Most Viogniers don’t typically age very well.
Posted in Dictionary |
Tags: French Wine, Varietals Guide, Viognier, White Wine, Wine and Food Pairings, Wine Dictionary, wine reference, wine terms |
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Wine Review – Pacific Rim Dry Riesling
From: Washington
Price: $10.99
How often is the BS on the back of a wine bottle right on the money!? More importantly, how often in life do you get entirely what you pay for and more? The Pacific Rim Dry Riesling (a mix of 20% German Riesling, 80% Washington Riesling) is quite possibly the greatest BFF that a grilled piece of tuna or sushi boat could ever have! It has a terrific apricot and citrus flavor that really matches up well with any grilled fish, sushi, or vegetarian dish – especially the spicy stuff. And the folks at Pacific Rim also seem to think so, based on the back of the bottle description. Try it for yourself!
If you really enjoy this wine, you may want to request a copy of the “Riesling Rules” book. Just click onto this link and follow the directions to get a free copy.
WineLife365 Rating: 4-Star
Posted in 4-Star, Reviews-Wine, Whites |
Tags: Pacific Rim, Riesling, Washington, White Wine, Wine and Food Pairings, Wine Recommendation, Wine Reviews |
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Wine Dictionary – Torrontes
Torrontes is the most popular and widely grown white grape in Argentina. This native Argentinean white grape is grown mainly in the provinces of Catamarca, La Rioja, Mendoza, Salta, San Juan and Rio Negro. The Torrontes grape produces wine with a very strong floral scent to it – and I’m not joking when I say a strong floral scent! It hits you like you’ve just walked into a flower shop. The Torrontes wine shares many similar attributes to a Viognier wine: Torrontes wines exhibit a floral scent and generally have a powerful punch of peach and citrus flavors, similar to Viogniers.
Torrontes is a great sipping or “stand-alone” wine. It’s terrific with salads, cheeses and grilled/smoked meats. It’s really awesome with spicy dishes as well!
Posted in Dictionary |
Tags: Torrontes, Wine and Food Pairings, Wine Dictionary, wine reference |
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