Neat Thoughts About Food, Wine, Travel & More
’09 Pazo Senorans
Although light in color, this wine from Rias Baixas is anything but that in bouquet and aroma. Party in a glass is what you get from the first sniff. Nose is vibrant and screams of honey, tropical notes with lemony undertones. The 2009 Pazo Senorans Albarino is intense, creamy and well-balanced with an enjoyable crisp finish.
Around $20.
'09 Ameztoi Rubentis
This beautiful pale pink wine is both light and bold! Big mouthful of the typical strawberry one is familiar with in roses, but in this case, pungent wild strawberries. The wine is creamy yet floral and contains tons of tiny bubbles that lead to a dry finish. Nice as an aperitif, but could also hold up to a fattier fish like salmon. Actually had this wine paired with lightly seasoned lamb chops and it held up.
match.
Style: Rose
Grape Type(s): 50% Hondarribi Zuri and 50% Hondarribi Beltza
Region: Pais Vasco, Spain
Around $20
With Memorial Day and weekend coming up, I’ve been contemplating what this holiday means, or should mean to me.
Sure, I’m happy about the long weekend, having dear friends over and hosting a couple dinner parties, but I’m trying to make this holiday ‘count’ for me this year. Here are five things I vow to focus on this Memorial Day:
1) Our Troops and Their Families
I just saw The Messenger, starring Woody Harrelson, this weekend and it was a novel way of not only looking at the war from our troops’ perspective but from the view of the families of the soldiers fighting. I no longer have anyone in my immediate circle fighting in the war, but want to take some time to really think about what those men and women are seeing and experiencing and how that affects the ones who come home and the families of the ones who don’t.
2) My Friends
I have five friends coming into town to spend the holiday weekend with us and I also want to take some time to relive some of the good, and not so good, memories of the years we’ve been friends and where that might take us in the future now that we live far apart.
3) The Food
I want the food I’ll prepare for my friends and family to remind me of where I’ve come from, special meals I’ve shared with people dear to me and family recipes I’ve cherished over the years.
4) The Wine
Having recently returned from Napa and Sonoma, I’ve decided to buy American wines from the kind folks who I met during my fantastic stay. Some of the ones I’ll be uncorking:
5) The Future
I’m a planner by nature, so I have a plan for the far future: retirement funds, new cars for my nieces when they turn 16, plan to move to New Hampshire and raise goats and grow alfalfa (okay, that’s a maybe), but I want to spend some time figuring out is where to go with my food and wine blogging and social media consulting. Must-Get-Things-Figured-out!
A very safe and happy holiday weekend to all my friends, fans and even foes. Hope this post will have you reflecting a bit and appreciate all the memories from the past and the memories you’ll be making over the holiday.
Cheers,
Veronique
First, I recommend drinking this wine a bit warmer than you typically would. It is very floral on the nose with Anjou pear, ripe apple on the palate. Sweet richness would be ideal with spicy foods and one could compare this wine to a semi-sweet Riesling. Not the best example of Viognier, but can’t beat the price.
About $10.
2006 Matanzas Creek Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2006 Matanzas Creek Cabernet Sauvignon shows tons of red berries and smoky notes on the nose. This medium-bodied, fruit-forward wine shows nice acidity and pleasant tannins that can be softened with a few minutes in the decanter.
Around $32.
2006 St Supery Virtu
Virtu is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc (52%) and Semillon (48%). This wine offered a juicy mouthful of peach with an enjoyable mineral finish. This rich, medium-bodied wine would be great with grilled scallops and a slightly oily grilled fish.
Pairings: Fish, seafood, especially seared scallops
Style: White Wine
Grape Type(s): 52% Sauvignon Blancm 48% Semillon
Region: Napa Valley, CA, USA
Price: $27
I had the pleasure of attending the New Wines of Greece in Manhattan this week and found the event fantastic. First – the people – exhibiting wineries, event coordinators and the catering staff were passionate about their destination and products, second – the wines I sampled were pretty outstanding, third – my favorite NYC chef and cookbook author, Michael Psilakis, provided the amazing food.
Here are some of the wines I sampled that were gems:
As far as food was concerned, Michael Psilakis didn’t cut any corners. The ‘catering’ food he brought to this event was what he serves at his restaurant. My favorite dish from Psilakis’ Kefi, grilled octopus, was served on huge platters. Michael ensured that platters, bowls and dishes were filled to the brim and stayed fresh, and even served when a crowd amassed at certain stations.
Great event all around.
'07 d'Arenburg Riesling
This outstanding Australian Riesling is the palest yellow with some greenish nuances. This vintage was plagued with extreme drought producing very small yields.
The nose is of a bright, youngish Riesling. There’s tons of rosy floral aromas in the glass with hints of lime and apple that are both in-your-face and elegant (odd, no?).
The finish is super long and dry, which is great since you’ll want to remember this wine long after you sip it. This wine could use some cellaring to enhance its color, richness and complexity.
Wine Spectator: 89 points
Around: $14
Chateau Montelena Riesling
Last weekend, I was fortunate enough to attend a Chateau Montelena tasting at Crystal Springs Resort as part of the New Jersey Food and Wine Festival and I was wowed by not only its super Cabernet Sauvignons but by its fabulous 2008 Riesling.
The 2008 Chateau Montelena Potter Valley Riesling reminds me of a top Mosel or Alsace wine. The golden wine is luscious, features rich, ripe fruit while still being crisp and dry. It offers a long finish and might be the best example of Riesling I’ve enjoyed from California.
Chateau Montelena is renowned for its elegant Cabs, but this Riesling is certainly a gem that winemaker Bo Barrett should be proud of.
Around $23.
Honig Late Harvest
Had the pleasure of sampling this wine at the Honig Vineyards and absolutely loved it. The nose on this luscious wine is pure honey and the look of it is syrupy and golden.
The 2007 Honig Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc is a mouthful of succulent sweet melon, dried apricot and rich caramel panna cotta. Great acidity and minerality for this type of wine. Aged in new French oak, this dessert wine’s alcohol level is 11%.
Great, great dessert wine.
Pairings: Cheese plate drizzled with honey, custard-based desserts
Style: White Wine
Grape Type(s): Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Napa Valley, CA, USA
Price: $50
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