Author Archives: carolinawinegirl
Happy Easter – what wine are you enjoying today?
Holidays and wine, they seem to go together. New Year’s Eve is champagne, Valentine’s Day perhaps a sparkling Rose. Thanksgiving a good Pinot Noir (no Beaujolais Nouveau please!). What do holidays and wine have in common? For me, the common thread is spending time with family. And the most popular thing to do is to eat and drink! No matter your culture, religion, age etc. we all enjoy breaking bread when we gather together for a holiday celebration. There is no right or wrong wine to pair with your special holiday meal. It all depends on what you like and what you would like to share with your guests.
We spent the first part of our holiday weekend camping out with my Aunt and Uncle. Sitting around the camp fire after dinner, we shared stories and memories of my grandparents – my uncle’s parents. We enjoyed a bottle of Crooked Row red zinfandel and an Indaba Shiraz from South Africa. The wines were smooth, easy drinking, and comforting reds. The stories paired perfectly – lots of laughs as we talked about our beloved family members that are no longer with us. I think it is wonderful to be able to keep these memories alive and share them with my husband and son. It brings to mind a quote that a very good friend of mine shared with me, “Wine is not meant to be enjoyed for its own sake; it is the key to love and laughter with friends. Its rewards are far beyond its cost.” (Thanks Scott!) This quote captures the essence and spirit of wine. As we shared the two bottles of wine, that probably cost $25 combined, we received more than our money’s worth of memories, camaraderie and laughs.
As you celebrate this holiday weekend, what wines are you enjoying? No matter your religious or spiritual beliefs, holidays tend to bring families together (for better or worse, LOl!). We are now back at home and my husband, son and I will enjoy a quiet Easter dinner together. Steaks on the grill, baked potatoes, glazed carrots and a Caesar salad… nothing fancy. (I forgot that my usual grocery store would be closed today!) As far as the wine, I am chilling a bottle of the Thomas Labaille ‘Le Monts Damnes’ 2009 Sancerre. Wait a minute, Sancerre and steak? And I claim to be an ‘expert’ on wine???? The answer is – drink what you like; there are no rules. I purchased this bottle of small production, single vineyard wine from France several weeks ago and have been waiting for the right occasion to open the bottle. Dinner on our deck with my immediate family sounds just right!
Pretty in Pink
Not the movie, the wine! And I don’t mean white zinfandel! It is finally Rose season! (Although I admit to drinking this delicious wine all year.) Even though it is currently 57 degrees outside, it is officially Spring and therefore, the new vintage of rose’s are beginning to arrive at your favorite restaurants and wine shops. This post is dedicated to singing the praises of my favorite pink wines. Have you ever tried a rose? What makes a rose? How do wine makers get that pink color? Rose 101, answered here. A typical rose is made from red grapes that are only left on the skins for a brief period of time. The skin from the grapes is what gives a wine it’s color. The juice and the pulp of the grape are usually white. One popular way of making rose is to leave the crushed grapes on the skins for a very short period, usually 24 to 72 hours. The skins are then removed before fermentation. Rose can be made from many different grape varietals, and many roses are blends of several different grapes. Some of my favorites are made from Grenache, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir (either blends or single varietals.) Okay, enough of the technical stuff…..
Here is what I really love about rose – the taste, the flavor, the experience! On the nose, rose wines deliver aromas such as strawberry, watermelon and rose petals. Don’t be fooled by the “fruity” aromas, the best rose’s are fermented to bone dry. On the palate, the wine has the texture and flavor that you would expect from a red wine, but without the interference of tannins or oak. The color ranges from pale pink to salmon, and depends on the time left exposed to the skins. More time = deeper color. My favorite rose wines come from the French region of Provence. I enjoyed the Bieler Pere et Fils 2010 Rose the other day. It is pale pink in color and has everything one would expect from a fine Rose. The lingering finish is dry with flavors of fresh strawberries. This wine is from central Provence, and is a brand new import for South Carolina. You can enjoy this wine at The Red Minnow Dinner Club (a fantastic new restaurant that opens this weekend in the Upsate), or pick up a few bottles at Scrooge’s Spirits, in Anderson. I think you will agree that this wine delivers an amazing flavor at a great value. Chill, drink and relax!
Carolina Wine Girl 