Back from the dead

So I know its been forever since my last post...what can I say? I've been uninspired. I've been missing my friends and family way too much. My passion left me for a bit but its back! The Vineyard Vixen is coming home! That's right, in 3 short weeks ill be back in the Bay Area, my beloved home. I cannot wait to be close to the people who mean the most to me...life is just not the same without them. Living in El Centro has taught me many valuable life lessons and I see more clearly now what is important in life. Bay Area brace yourself cuz this Vixen has some catching up to do!

Christmas Cheer

Happy Christmas! I like to think of this day as a wonderful excuse to get together with loved ones and feast! This year it is just my husband and I but that does not mean we won't feast. Last night I made a delectable salmon with beurre blanc. It was so good I neglected to spend any extra minutes to snap a photo. I paired the dish with Louis Jadot Pouilly-Fuisse 2008. This is a French Chardonnay from the Burgundy region. The lemon and other citrus aromas cut through the richness of the salmon and butter sauce. The wine has a slightly nutty flavor (toasted hazelnuts) that helped round out the dish. It was wonderful! Today I will be preparing a decidedly English feast: Beef Wellington, roasted potato and parsnip puree, creamy spinach, and a gingerbread trifle with lemon curd and blackberry preserves. Wine: Domaine du Vieux Lazaret Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2007 and Iron Horse Classic Vintage Brut 2003. I have been looking forward to this meal all week and am excited to share the results with you later. May all your feasts be bountiful and all your wine glasses full!

What's your favorite holiday drink? 

Two-fer

Two merlots, two totally different tastes, from two different wine growing regions...

 

 

 

 

 

Columbia Crest 2007 Grand Estates Merlot*** Creamy, velvety, and ohhh sooo rich! Bold fruit with toasted oak notes. This wine is luxurious.

Clos du Bois Alexander Valley Reserve Merlot 2006 *** Smooth texture with floral, fruity flavor. Aromas of cherry and spices. Long finish with significant oak.

Monday Blues

I don't think there is a person out there that can honestly say they love Mondays, or whatever day ends up being the beginning of their work week. I say chase the blues away with red...wine that is! Nothing is quite as soothing as a deep, bold, rich, intoxicating wine after a day of bitchy coworkers and overfull inboxes. This evening I am enjoying Santa Cristina 2008 Sangiovese from Toscana. This is a blend of 90% sangiovese and 10% merlot. Sangiovese has a truly unique flavor that associate with raisins and currants. It is fruity but more reminiscent of dried fruit. The merlot helps smooth it out in the finish with the start being sharply acidic. Sipping this wine takes me to Italy, far far away from "the office". 

Ciao! 

 

Feeling testy

Bonsoir! Today I finally completed a little experiment I have been wanting to do for some time now. It is taken from Windows on the World Complete Wine Course by Kevin Zraly. This four part component tasting is meant to help drinkers understand how to identify the main flavors and aromas in wine. I recommend trying this is you have a hard time identifying where acid and sweetness hit on your taste buds. Lets dive right in! 

What you need: 9 wineglasses, a blend of tartaric, citric, and malic acid; potassium metabisulfite (sulfur dioxide), tannin, and a cheap jug o'wine (chablis is what I used, just do not use a red)

All these components are easily found online or at a wine making shop (if you are so lucky to live near one)

I mixed a teaspoon of each of the acids to make my blend. One wineglass is the control glass with unadulterated wine. Four should have wine and the other four are water. Each component is tasted first in water, then in wine. After taking notes about your impressions you return to the control wine and compare how the wine changes as you keep hitting your pallet. The acid one is rough but its amazing the difference it makes when you drink the control wine afterwards. Now I understand how beverage companies make lemonade with 0% fruit juice; they just dilute this acid in water.

This is grape tannin. It can be noticed more in the body of the wine as it is responsible for the smoothness. Tannin is also what causes your mouth to dry out when drinking wine. It is naturally occurring in grapes so this is just a powdered version. Tannin in this form does not dilute in cold liquid so...

...you have to add it to warm water. That solution is then added to the wine and water. Mmm looks like a perfect espresso!

I labeled my glasses as I went because all this stuff gets confusing.

Potassium metabisulfite, or sulfur dioxide, is a by-product of fermentation. This is actually a component in wine that causes some people to be allergic to wine (gasp!) It smells like a laboratory so I was relieved that it did not to be tasted in a higher dose. The smell was enough.

When doing any type of comparison tasting, a notebook is a must. Record your thoughts so you can remember the different tastes and sensations. The lesson I learned today is that the order in which you serve wines is so critical. If you serve a highly acidic or sweet wine first, it overwhelms the palate and will be hard to follow up. Consider what foods you plan to serve as well. Are they acidic? Spicy? Sweet? Choose wines that will compliment those flavors, not compete with them. The other thing I learned is that winemakers have so many options when making wine. Each of these components can be added to accentuate the characteristics of the grape juice.

Ohh this isn't part of the experiment but it was my first time cooking duck so I have to share. I marinated it in garlic, ginger, and soy sauce and its served atop sauteed rice noodles with scallions and cilantro. It was delicious! 

 

 

 
Want to complete this experiment at home? Let me know and I can send step-by-step instructions as well as my own insights. Cheers!

Been around the world and I, I, I...

 I have been on globe trotting wine drinking adventure without even leaving home! Quality wines are being produced all over the world these days, most notably Chile, Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand. These countries, including America, are called the "New World" so wines from these places are known as "New World wines". These new wine regions are providing some much needed competition for the "Old World"; places like France and Italy. 

First stop: The land down unda! Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz-Cabernet 2007** Deep, rich, with flavors of dark fruit. Slightly oaked; sharp finish.

A quick pit stop home to Santa Barbara: Au Bon Climat Santa Barbara County Chardonnay 2008*** Delicate and rich. Slight buttery-ness married with tropical fruit flavors. The finish has a mineral tang with floral notes.

Vive la France:Duboeuf Fleurie 2009* I was completely underwhelmed by this one. Floral and berry flavors are present on the palate with a sharp peppery finish. I might give this one a second shot but only after Ive chilled it. I have a feeling that at a cooler temperature the flavors will really pop.

Now for the last leg of our trip, Argentina: Bodega Colome Torrontes 2009** Aromas of citrus zest are coupled with floral ones such as jasmine. Light, crisp, refreshing. Delicate melon and citrus flavors with smooth finish.

Tale of the Turkey

As this Thanksgiving day comes to a close, I am taking this time to reflect on all the things in life that I am truly thankful for. I confess this is a little difficult because I am uncomfortably stuffed! Today I was defiantly a glutton and isn't that something to be thankful for? You never know what tomorrow may bring so take in every moment, love without limits, don't be afraid to take chances, and when your glass is full, drink every last drop.

Mumm Napa Brut Rose** Notes of cherry and strawberry; slightly sweet and slightly dry. We drank this one before the turkey and I wish we would have shown more restraint because it would have paired beautifully.

Deeee-lish! Turkey, stuffing with pancetta, mashed sweet potatoes, and spicy sauteed swiss chard

Clos Du Val 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon*** Great wine; not so great with turkey. Some cabs could potentially be a superb match but this one had a little too much spice and not enough fruitiness to pair with the delicate turkey.

No Thanksgiving would be complete without homemade pie. This year I opted for pecan

Hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving! Any pairing success stories??? Send them my way!