Grape Tales: Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is sometimes referred to as the "chef's wine." This is because Pinot Noir is light bodied enough to pair with a large variety of foods. Plus it's bright berry flavors are typically enjoyed by red and white wine drinkers alike.

Pinot Noir grapes are considered wine making royalty. But these grapes are definitely the black sheep of the royal family - high maintenance and a pain in the butt to grow. Pinot Noir grows best in cool climates. In such climates, the grapes are better situated to develop crisp acidity - a reason Pinot Noir is so frequently used when making sparkling wines. As if things weren't confusing enough, Pinot Noir also goes by different names in some countries. You will most likely see Spätburgunder, used in Germany.

Finally, Pinot Noir is the most widely planted grape and genetically unstable. This genetic instability means that Pinot Noir is prone to mutations, including Pinot Grigio/Gris and Pinot Blanc.

Pinot Noir Growing Profile.

Where it's grown.  Burgundy, France; California, specifically Sonoma Coast, Russian River Valley, and Carneros; and Oregon's Willamette Valley.

Common characteristics.  At a young age, Pinot Noir may have aromas of cherry, raspberry, or strawberry. With age, Pinot Noir develops more complex aromas including earth, mushroom, violet or sandalwood.

Acidity.  Medium to high.

Tannin.  Low, Pinot Noir is noted for it's silky smooth texture.

Cheers!

Wine 101: Benchmark Wines

Now that the gifts have been opened, the in-laws are heading out of town and we have rung in 2014 - its time to get back to business. This post is geared towards those wine drinkers who are aiming to move on from beginner status. So if you want to get serious about wine - the key is to inform yourself on the classics. These classic style wines have long served as benchmarks for the traditional regions or styles of wine.

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So what do I mean by benchmark wine? Check out these suggestions organized by old world vs. new world styles:

Old World Classics:

Generally, when looking for a wine standard most sommeliers suggest you turn to France. It make sense, France is the global wine powerhouse. They have been making wine for centuries and have implemented strict rules regarding winemaking. If you are looking for a benchmark regarding Pinot Noir, start with Burgundy. If you want to try a classic Merlot, look to Pomerol (technically within the Bordeaux region). If you would pass on red wines from Bordeaux and prefer the style of white wine, look to Loire Valley, for  the best examples of classic Chenin Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc. Other regions to note include Rhone, Savoie, or Jura. And finally, Champagne is the classic benchmark for sparkling wine.

For the benchmark on Rieslings, you must go to Germany. There are many styles of Rieslings, but the classics come from Mosel, Rheingau, Pfalz, Rheinhessen. The Rieslings produced in Austria are also considered within the classic style, look there for classic Grüner Veltliner. 

So you love reds but prefer to look to Italy, the classic regions include Piedmont, Tuscany, and Veneto. For more details on the specifics of these regions, check out our earlier post on Italian wine here. Similarly, the best Spanish include Rioja, Sherry and Albariño (Spanish white grape). Additionally, some sommeliers are on the fence about Bierzo or Priorat as representative of classic Spanish grapes.

New World Classics:

"New World" wines include wines made from countries outside the classic European winemaking countries. This includes the United States, South America, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and others. Look to New Zealand for classic Sauvignon Blancs with green pepper, grassy or spicy notes. As for reds, look to Australia for classic Shiraz, California's Napa Valley for classic Cabernet Sauvignon and Oregon for Pinot Noir.

Look forward to more features on these regions specifically in upcoming posts - Happy 2014!

Cheers!

Break out the Bubbles: NYE 2014

It's the final countdown for 2013! Whether you are ringing in the new year with friends and family at home or dressing up and dancing the night away, there is one thing you will definitely need - sparkling wine!

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I will be giving some brief thoughts here, but for those looking for more details - the blog has covered sparkling wine in detail before here. 

My philosophy on sparkling wine is straight forward - find a fresh, fun bottle at an affordable price. Sometimes it's a bit challenging, bargain prices for sparkling wine made in the traditional champagne style rarely go below $12-16 (most likely because the secondary fermentation process). But my go to wine will always be Cava. Cava is sparkling wine made in Spain. Another great option is Prosecco, a sparkler from Italy. Both of these styles are light and affordable.

Champagne (sparkling wine made in Champagne, France), on the other hand is more complex and expensive. Given the region's northern location, the grapes are picked with higher acidity producing the distinct taste. Champagne is made from a blend of three grapes Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The traditional production method, or méthode champenoise, is highly regulated. Basically, it allows only two pressings of the grapes, a primary fermentation, blending, a secondary fermentation and finalization. Most champagnes are fermented in steel tanks. It's common characteristics include flavors or apple, citrus, hazelnnuts, toast or bread dough.

Whichever option you choose, one thing I hope you take away is that sparkling wine can be used for more than special occasions. Its high acidity pairs well with food. Many wine professionals even argue that it is the best option to pair with you - but I will leave that decision up to you!

Happy New Year's Eve and Cheers!

Last Minute Gift Ideas: My Favorite Things

So, you have just realized that Christmas is only a few days away and you still need to pick up something special for that someone special. Below I have listed a view of my favorite things as inspiration. While this list is geared toward the ladies (or a gentleman with awesome taste and an interest in entertaining, food or travel) it is full of a variety of items that anyone could love - wine enthusiasts or not. Happy Holidays!

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1. Books.  It may be just me, but this technology revolution seems to be devouring whatever free time we used to have to relax with a good book. And I must be really old fashioned, but I miss reading from an actual book (even though I have a kindle). NYTimes has a great list of their favorite books from 2013 - check it out and pick on up for someone. (Join my read 1 book a month goal - I dare you!)

2. Cookbooks.  Yes, cookbooks are different from books generally and deserve their own shout out. I love cookbooks because they are like a window into a foreign culture. I will admit it, I jumped on that latest cookbook bandwagon for "Jerusalem." Sure, I could have found recipes for many of those dishes online, but I appreciated the stories included with each recipe. Plus, many cookbooks these days contain great ideas for entertaining. Some of my favorites include Ina Garten and Giada.

3. Non-essential Decor.  If you are not sure what to get someone, sometimes a little something special for the home is perfect. I'm thinking an interesting throw pillow, an awesome scented candle with a fun name (my favorites here), or something just to decorate a room. It may seem silly, but especially for someone just building their home, it is nice to add a new item that would have been a total impulse buy for them.

4. Something Personalized.  I am a sucker for anything personalized (And you can throw initials on literally everything these days). Check out etsy.com. They have so many great items, including mongrammed leather wallets, personalized jewelry and unique home decor.

5. Fun Trinkets.  Every magazine under the sun will definitely have fun items featured in a holiday gift guide. But reviewing all those magazines takes time. (too much time!) So I have done all the busy work for you and featured some of the best items I have seen this holiday season:

• Not your Grandma's style Thermos.  Klean kanteen has some really fun thermoses that are great for packed lunches or travel. Fill them with your favorite fresh snacks and skip the depressing airplane pretzels. 
• Spice up your dinner with Gourmet Jarred Sauces.  That foodie in your life will really appreciate it (and maybe even cook you dinner!) I tend to forget about these easy yet meaningful gifts. Pick up a gourmet pasta sauce, salsa or even mexican mole sauce and it will definitely liven up any meal. Check out Bunches and Bunches, for some fun ideas! If you are crafty, you could even make your own! 

6. A Night Out.  (Let me get out my soap box...) It is a bit sad how the holidays have been consumed by consumerism, especially in America. So fight the urge to battle people at Target, Best Buy or Walmart and give that special someone in your life a night out on the town. Plan something that is meaningful rather than extravagant (or if you have the funds, do both!). Even better, start a family tradition that involves volunteering within your local community. Every little bit really does go a long way.

Happy Holidays and Cheers!

Fun French Holiday Traditions

Personally, I am all about traditions. 

And not just holiday traditions, but family traditions, friend traditions and even personal traditions. One of my traditions I am most proud of is actually an annual reunion with some college friends from Student Government. We get together once year, usually for an Orioles game, relive the glory days from college and catch up. It's always a blast. The best thing about traditions is that they get more valuable every year they survive (Mine is going on six years!). So, while writing my French 101 wine post I wondered - what are some typical French holiday traditions?

Here are some of my favorites:

• Children place their shoes in front of the fire place in hopes that Santa will leave gifts in their shoes (an interesting alternative to the stocking).
• In 1962, an official French law declared that all letters to Santa will receive a postcard in response.
• For Christmas Eve Church-goers, Le Réveillon is a long and luxurious dinner held on Christmas Eve (and New Year's Eve) following evening church services.

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They have fun holiday food traditions too:

• La bûche de Noël (Yule Log); this delicious dessert is representative of the piece of firewood used to warm the home on Christmas day.
• La Galette des Rois (King 's Cake); this traditional cake is associated with the Epiphany. The baker hides a trinket (traditionally a plastic baby to represent Jesus) inside the cake. Everyone cuts a slice of cake and the one who discovers the toy is made king (or queen) for the day and wears a crown. The king may also choose a queen by putting the toy in her glass and everyone applauds. Tradition says the next party is thrown at the King's expense (some honor, right?!) I think this yummy dish needs to make an appearance at my next holiday party!

What are some of your favorite traditions?

Happy Holidays and Cheers!

Tis the Season: My Favorite Champagne Cocktails

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My Favorite Classic Champagne Cocktail.  It's no secret I love sparkling wine. (Remember Champagne is sparkling wine made in Champagne, France; all other bubbles are sparkling wine, prosecco, cava, etc.). And I mean love. But, I wish sparkling wines were loved more than during the holidays or on special occasions.  

Sure, I love celebrating with bubbles as much as the next person, but sparkling wine actually pairs very well with most food. Some wine critics even argue that rose sparkling wine is the best wine to pair with food (overall). 

With that said, I thought I would share with you all my favorite (and, I mean absolute favorite) champagne cocktail. I typically call it The Elderflower, but you may also know it as a St. Germain Champagne cocktail. It is refreshing, delicious and insanely addictive. 

Directions: Fill your glass 2/3 full with sparkling wine; top off with a generous splash of St. Germain (or any elderflower liquor) and finish with a twist of lemon.

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Now for you advanced mixologists, here are some more great recipes.

Christmas Cocktail. Ingredients: 1 sugar cube; splash brandy; genorous splash cranberry; champagne; a few raspberries. Directions: Place sugar cube in the bottom of chilled champagne glass. Add brandy and let soak in, then splash on the cranberry juice. At last moment, fill with champagne and dress with raspberries.

Champagne Sidecar.  Ingredients: 1 ½ measures bourbon; 1 measure Cointreau; ¼ measure lemon juice; chilled champagne; ice. Directions: Shake bourbon, cointreau and lemon juice over ice and strain into a chilled flute. Fill with chilled champagne

French 75.  Ingredients: 2 measures brandy; 1 measure lemon juice; 1 tsp sugar syrup; cracked ice; chilled champagne; lemon peel to decorate. Directions: Shake brandy, lemon juice and sugar syrup vigorously over ice, strain into cold highball glass and fill with champagne. Dress with twist of lemon.

French Wine 101

Dear Wine-Nerds & Friends! Get excited because two big things are happening in this post. First, I am happy to announce that the tradition of (co)hosting a holiday wine tasting party after Christmas lives on! So stand by for reviews of wine from that tasting. And second, we are finally providing an overview of the wines of France! (Please excuse my lack of proper punctuation on many of the French words, I was eager to get this post live!)

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This year's holiday wine tasting is French themed, so I have provided a general (and I mean general) overview of French wine below:

History of Wine-Making in France.  I think it goes without saying that the French are passionate about wine. But, as with most things in Europe, grapes were mostly likely introduced to the French by the Romans. However, the vast expansion of wine across the country can be attributed to Christian monasteries because they made wine for the sacrament (and for profit). Vineyards were even donated by rich patrons "seeking divine favor." But those monks definitely contributed to the history of French wine-making. For example, many wine-making break-throughs can be traced back to monasteries, such as the second fermentation process required for sparkling wine...  created by monk Dom Perignon. Since then, French winemakers have continued to develop their technique and produced much of the world's best wines - despite wars, down economies and politics generally.

Popular French Varietals.  To understand French wine, it is important to under the players. (aka grape varietals). 

• The major white grapes include: Ugni Blanc (aka Trebbiano, and used primarily in brandy production), Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Melon de Bourgogne (aka Muscadet), Semillon, Muscat and Chenin Blanc. 
• The major red grapes include: Merlot, Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Gamay, Pinot Noir, Cinsault, Pinot Meunier (frequently blended in Champagne) and Mourvedre.

Tips for Reading a French Wine Label.  France was the first country to devise a system for protecting the use of place names for wine regions and having a basic understanding of this system will definitely help you when facing the wall of wine in your local wine store. The system is administered by the INAO and mandates or prohibits certain wine-making procedures for any winery that plans to use the protected "appellation" or place name on it's label. There are four French wine appellations:

1. Vin de Table, the entry level appellation for general table wine. (Only about an 1/8 of French wine uses this designation).
2. Vin de Pays, typically reserved for wine with a geographical indication. (1/3 of French wine uses this designation).
3. VDQS or "delimited wine of superior quality," generally seen as temporary status for wines with potential to move up.
4. Appellation d'origine controlee (AOC) or "name of controlled origin," this appellation carries the high quality wines and most restrictive wine-making rules. 
   • Regional > District > Communal or Vineyard.

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Take note that the established AOC regions (like Bordeaux or Burgundy) will have regional or even communal AOC regions within them. So when reading a French wine label you will frequently see two or even three terms that describe where the wine was made. Check out the graphic above.

French Wine Regions in Detail.  

(1) Bordeaux.  The classic red wine from Bordeaux is a blend of at least 2 grapes from the following list: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec. The classic white is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. Go hear for expensive, yet quality wines. 

SUMMARY: Look here for high quality red blends, but expect to pay for it.

(2) Loire Valley.  There are four key regional AOCs located in the Loire Valley: (1) Pays Nantais, (2) Anjou, (3) Touraine, and (4) the Central Vineyards (Pouilly-sur-Loire and Sancerre).  If you like Sauvignon Blanc, look for wines from Sancerre or Pouilly-Fume. Generally, Touraine isn't known for high quality wines, with the exception of Vouvray - a region that features whites made with Chenin Blanc. If you are interested in trying wine made with Muscadet, look for something from Pays Nantais.

SUMMARY: Look here for fun whites, try anything with Pouilly-Fume, Sancerre or Vouvray on the label.

(3)  Champagne.  This region supplies 15% of the world's sparkling wine (or 25 million cases a year). Champagne is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes. Here are some fast facts about Champagne:

• Blanc de Blanc, means the wine was produced only from Chardonnay.
• Blanc de noirs, means the wine was produced only with red grapes, most likely Pinot Noir.
• You will only see a Vintage for spectacular harvests from a single year (non-vintage is more common).

SUMMARY: Look here for expensive yet quality sparkling wine. However, look for "Cremant" on the label of sparklers from any other French region, this means the wine was made in the same style as Champagne, but made in another region. (Think store brand knock-offs, same formula without the brand name).

(4) Alsace.  This is a French region with strong German roots, known for growing mostly Riesling, Gewurtztraminer, and Pinot Gris. The region has a bad reputation for making only sweet wines - but ask your local wine store rep to point you in the direction of dryer styles, because they do exist! Most wines from this region pair well with spicy food.

(5) Burgundy (in French "Bourgogne").  The secret to Burgundy is easy, red Burgundy is made from Pinot Noir and white Burgundy is made from Chardonnay. But in Burgundy, much like the Loire Valley, it is important to learn the popular regional AOCs. The two most famous are: (1) Cote de Nuits and (2) Cote de Beaune. However, Chardonnay produced in Chablis is known for exhibiting greater minerality than the rest of Burgundy. The wines of Maconnais are known for their lighter style (you may see some Gamay based wines here as well).

SUMMARY: Look here for Pinot Noir or Chardonnay with French style. Note that to get quality you will have to spend a bit more than usual, but there are great bottles out there!

(6) Beaujolais.  Frequently considered part of Burgundy, Beaujolais is quickly becoming a region of notable wines. Be sure to remember Beaujolais and Beaujolais-Nouveau are different, the latter is a quickly bottled style of the Gamay grape meant to be consumed young. 

SUMMARY: Look here for the best versions of the fruity Gamay grape.

(7) The Rhone Valley.  Generally, this region is known for its red wine. Yet, it is best to discuss the Rhone in two regions: (1) The Northern Rhone and (2) The Southern Rhone. In the Northern Rhone, red wines are primarily made from Syrah and white wines are primarily made from Viognier, Marsanne and Roussane. While, in the Southern Rhone, red blends are the most popular, featuring Grenache (a personal favorite), Syrah, Carignan, Mouvedre and Cinsault. 

SUMMARY: Look here for interesting red blends featuring Grenache. The best regions are Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas. (Pricey but totally worth it).

PHEW!  So, that brings us to the end of my overview of French wine. As you can see, I barely scratched the surface and this post is already double the length of most others. Feel free to post questions in the comments below and I will happily answer them! 

Happy Holidays and Cheers!