WOTW-ALL-AMERICAN-THANKSGIVING-WINE-LINEUP
If you've ever stood with clammy hands looking up at the 10-foot tall "Wall of Wine" in the grocery store wondering how the heck you're going to pick wines to pair with all the crazy flavors of the Thanksgiving meal, not to mention satisfy your crazy family members, this episode of "Wines of the Week" is for you! In it, I recommend wines that will alleviate your Wine PairingParalysis and pair beautifully with EVERYTHING and EVERYONE at your holiday table.This week's episode features 4 All-American Thanksgiving Wines from some of my favorite producers to pair with this most All-American holiday. These wines are all relatively easy to find, but if you can't locate them, simply ask your local wine retailer to recommend a similar wine.These wines are also crafted from grape varieties which are legendary for "playing nicely" with a wide variety of flavors. You definitely want to avoid wines with lots of oak or harsh, aggressive tannins that'll clash with many of the flavors commonly found in a Thanksgiving meal.4 Fabulous All-American Thanksgiving Wines(Please watch full episode below for detailed tasting notes & MORE helpful advice):1.) Domaine Carneros Brut Rosé Cuvée de la Pompadour, Carneros, California, NV ($42)*SHOW NOTE: To read more about sparkling wine & Champagne production, please read my "Champagne 101" post by clicking here.2.) King Estate Backbone Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, Oregon, 2015 ($28)*SHOW NOTE: This wine was aged "sur lie" a French term that means "on the lees" and to find out what the heck that means, simply click here.3.) Résonance Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon, 2015 ($45)4.) Duckhorn Merlot, Napa Valley, California, 2014 ($50)For ALL the details on this week's All-American Thanksgiving Wines please watch the Facebook LIVE video above. To view previous episodes of “Wines of the Week” on Facebook LIVE, please click here. And if YOU have any favorite wines you're looking forward to enjoying next week, I’d LOVE to hear about them! Please let me know in the Comments section below.Wishing you a Happy & Delicious Thanksgiving,
If you’ve ever stood with clammy hands looking up at the 10-foot tall “Wall of Wine” in the grocery store wondering how the heck you’re going to pick wines to pair with all the crazy flavors of the Thanksgiving meal, not to mention satisfy your crazy family members, this episode of “Wines of the Week” is for you! In it, I recommend wines that will alleviate your Wine Pairing Paralysis and pair beautifully with EVERYTHING and EVERYONE at your holiday table.
This week’s episode features 4 All-American Thanksgiving Wines from some of my favorite producers to pair with this most All-American holiday. These wines are all relatively easy to find, but if you can’t locate them, simply ask your local wine retailer to recommend a similar wine.
These wines are also crafted from grape varieties which are legendary for “playing nicely” with a wide variety of flavors. You definitely want to avoid wines with lots of oak or harsh, aggressive tannins that’ll clash with many of the flavors commonly found in a Thanksgiving meal.
4 Fabulous All-American Thanksgiving Wines
(Please watch full episode below for detailed tasting notes & MORE helpful advice):
1.) Domaine Carneros Brut Rosé Cuvée de la Pompadour, Carneros, California, NV ($42)
*SHOW NOTE: To read more about sparkling wine & Champagne production, please read my “Champagne 101” post by clicking here.
2.) King Estate Backbone Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, Oregon, 2015 ($28)
*SHOW NOTE: This wine was aged “sur lie” a French term that means “on the lees” and to find out what the heck that means, simply click here.
3.) Résonance Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon, 2015 ($45)
4.) Duckhorn Merlot, Napa Valley, California, 2014 ($50)
For ALL the details on this week’s All-American Thanksgiving Wines please watch the Facebook LIVE video above. To view previous episodes of “Wines of the Week” on Facebook LIVE, please click here. And if YOU have any favorite wines you’re looking forward to enjoying next week, I’d LOVE to hear about them! Please let me know in the Comments section below.
Wishing you a Happy & Delicious Thanksgiving,
The post Wines of the Week: 4 All-American Thanksgiving Wines appeared first on The Glamorous Gourmet.
FB-LIVE-HOMAGE-TO-FROMAGE-WINE-LINEUP
This week's installment of "Wines of the Week" on Facebook LIVE, entitled an "Homage to Fromage," features four essential wine and cheesepairings guaranteed to delight your palate and inspire you to explore new ways of combining these two imminently enjoyable elements. I thought this was also the perfect topic to feature as we're officially kicking off "Entertaining Season," since pairing wine and cheese is definitely one of my favorite, no-stress means of entertaining.I mean, who wants to be slaving over a hot stove while hosting an elaborate dinner party? Why not simply set out some thoughtfully paired wines and cheeses and enjoy a delightful evening with your friends and family? You actually get to mix and mingle with your guests while watching them happily explore some truly delightful pairings.In addition to the wine and cheese, round out your offerings with some fun accoutrements such as grapes, marcona almonds, figs, honey and even red pepper jelly (it pairs especially well with Brie!) and you're sure to look like the Host or Hostess with the Mostess! I've even included some key Pairing Principles to help you create some of your own delicious personalized pairings.PAIRING PRINCIPLE #1: PAIR WINE & CHEESE WITH SIMILAR FLAVORSWine #1 - Michel Redde Pouilly-Fumé La Moynerie, Loire Valley, France, 2011 ($30): Crisp, tangy and refreshing, this single-vineyard Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley demonstrates this wine's beautiful hallmark acidity and minerality.Cheese #1 - Chèvre: the tangy acidity of this fresh goat's milk cheese creates a delightful synergy as it mirrors the identical flavors found in the Pouilly-Fumé.PAIRING PRINCIPLE #2: PAIR WINE & CHEESE WITH SIMILAR WEIGHTWine #2 - Hartford Court Seascape Vineyard Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, Sonoma, California, 2013 ($70): Winemaker Jeff Stewart has transformed beautiful, exceptional fruit which hails from one of the coldest vineyards in all of Northern California into a wine of amazing complexity and elegance. On the palate, the fuller-bodied white wine coats the palate with its viscosity and exhibits layer upon layer of delicious flavor including spiced pear, apple, citrus and orange blossom with a kiss of toasty oak.Cheese Pairing #2 - Brie: This soft-ripened, bloomy rind, cow's milk cheese was dubbed the "Queen ofCheeses" at the 1815 Congress of Vienna for reason! Immensely popular even to this day, it's luxurious decadent mouthfeel makes it the perfect pairing for this opulent Chardonnay, creating a 1 + 1 = 3 experience.PAIRING PRINCIPLES #3: IF IT GROWS TOGETHER IT GOES TOGETHERWine #3 - Castello d’Albola Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy, 2013 ($18): This tasty red, a blend of Sangiovese with a dollop of Canaiolo, is characteristic Chianti with notes of sour cherry, pomegranate, earth and spice accompanied by the hallmark acidity that makes these wines so immensely food-friendly.Cheese #3 - Parmigiano-Reggiano: This hard, cow's milk cheese is aged for 24 months, until the moisture evaporates. This process leaves the cheese delightfully toothsome with its hallmark granular texture which perfectly complements the acid and tannin in the red wine. Food and wine which hail from the same country or region often complement each other remarkably well, making it one of my favorite pairing tenets!PAIRING PRINCIPLES #4: PAIR HARD CHEESES WITH RED WINEWine #4 - Bodegas Muga Rioja Reserva Unfiltered, Rioja, Spain, 2012 ($15): This blend of classic Spanish grapes including Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano exhibits delightful, savory notes of cherry, plum, leather, earth and minerals.Cheese #4 - Manchego: There's something magical about the way the concentrated flavors and textures of hard cheese in which the moisture has been evaporated through extended aging, which complement similar components in red wine. And because this pairing also hails from similar geography, the grows together, goes together tenet also holds true.For ALL the details on our "Homage to Fromage," please watch the Facebook LIVE video above and to view past episodes of “Wines of the Week” on Facebook LIVE, please click here. And if YOU have any favorite wine and cheese pairings I’d LOVE to hear about the in the Comments section below!Cheers,
This week’s installment of “Wines of the Week” on Facebook LIVE, entitled an “Homage to Fromage,” features four essential wine and cheese pairings guaranteed to delight your palate and inspire you to explore new ways of combining these two imminently enjoyable elements. I thought this was also the perfect topic to feature as we’re officially kicking off “Entertaining Season,” since pairing wine and cheese is definitely one of my favorite, no-stress means of entertaining.
I mean, who wants to be slaving over a hot stove while hosting an elaborate dinner party? Why not simply set out some thoughtfully paired wines and cheeses and enjoy a delightful evening with your friends and family? You actually get to mix and mingle with your guests while watching them happily explore some truly delightful pairings.
In addition to the wine and cheese, round out your offerings with some fun accoutrements such as grapes, marcona almonds, figs, honey and even red pepper jelly (it pairs especially well with Brie!) and you’re sure to look like the Host or Hostess with the Mostess! I’ve even included some key Pairing Principles to help you create some of your own delicious personalized pairings.
PAIRING PRINCIPLE #1: PAIR WINE & CHEESE WITH SIMILAR FLAVORS
Wine #1 – Michel Redde Pouilly-Fumé La Moynerie, Loire Valley, France, 2011 ($30): Crisp, tangy and refreshing, this single-vineyard Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley demonstrates this wine’s beautiful hallmark acidity and minerality.
Cheese #1 – Chèvre: the tangy acidity of this fresh goat’s milk cheese creates a delightful synergy as it mirrors the identical flavors found in the Pouilly-Fumé.
PAIRING PRINCIPLE #2: PAIR WINE & CHEESE WITH SIMILAR WEIGHT
Wine #2 – Hartford Court Seascape Vineyard Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, Sonoma, California, 2013 ($70): Winemaker Jeff Stewart has transformed beautiful, exceptional fruit which hails from one of the coldest vineyards in all of Northern California into a wine of amazing complexity and elegance. On the palate, the fuller-bodied white wine coats the palate with its viscosity and exhibits layer upon layer of delicious flavor including spiced pear, apple, citrus and orange blossom with a kiss of toasty oak.
Cheese Pairing #2 – Brie: This soft-ripened, bloomy rind, cow’s milk cheese was dubbed the “Queen of Cheeses” at the 1815 Congress of Vienna for reason! Immensely popular even to this day, it’s luxurious decadent mouthfeel makes it the perfect pairing for this opulent Chardonnay, creating a 1 + 1 = 3 experience.
PAIRING PRINCIPLES #3: IF IT GROWS TOGETHER IT GOES TOGETHER
Wine #3 – Castello d’Albola Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy, 2013 ($18): This tasty red, a blend of Sangiovese with a dollop of Canaiolo, is characteristic Chianti with notes of sour cherry, pomegranate, earth and spice accompanied by the hallmark acidity that makes these wines so immensely food-friendly.
Cheese #3 – Parmigiano-Reggiano: This hard, cow’s milk cheese is aged for 24 months, until the moisture evaporates. This process leaves the cheese delightfully toothsome with its hallmark granular texture which perfectly complements the acid and tannin in the red wine. Food and wine which hail from the same country or region often complement each other remarkably well, making it one of my favorite pairing tenets!
PAIRING PRINCIPLES #4: PAIR HARD CHEESES WITH RED WINE
Wine #4 – Bodegas Muga Rioja Reserva Unfiltered, Rioja, Spain, 2012 ($15): This blend of classic Spanish grapes including Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano exhibits delightful, savory notes of cherry, plum, leather, earth and minerals.
Cheese #4 – Manchego: There’s something magical about the way the concentrated flavors and textures of hard cheese in which the moisture has been evaporated through extended aging, which complement similar components in red wine. And because this pairing also hails from similar geography, the grows together, goes together tenet also holds true.
For ALL the details on our “Homage to Fromage,” please watch the Facebook LIVE video above and to view past episodes of “Wines of the Week” on Facebook LIVE, please click here. And if YOU have any favorite wine and cheese pairings I’d LOVE to hear about the in the Comments section below!
Cheers,
The post 4 Essential Wine & Cheese Pairings on Facebook LIVE appeared first on The Glamorous Gourmet.
Today's #ThrowbackThursday post is one of my FAVORITES! Not only because of the delicious and beautfuly presented food but also because of the unique circumstances.You see, this photo was taken during the first trip Steve and I took to Paris. We were so looking forward to it but, unfortunately, I had developed a stress fracture in my femur ten days before our trip (I've got LOTS of orthopedic issues). The day this photo was taken, I'd been walking the streets of Paris all morning on crutches and needless to say, I was exhausted! So when we sat down for lunch at the luxurious Le Jules Verne Restaurant in the Eiffel Towerand this gorgeous dish was placed in front of me, I seriously felt like I had died and gone to heaven!The lobster dish was so breathtakingly beautiful - I almost couldn't bring myself to eat it. Then, I remembered how much it cost - the restaurant is helmed by legendary French Chef Alain Ducasse after all - and I quickly devoured it. And while the meal was a definite SPLURGE, it was worth every penny that day!The dish also paired beautifully with a lovely Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, a medium-bodied white blend of Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier from France's Rhone Valley. While we normally think of Châteauneuf-du-Pape as a red wine, there are also delightful white versions which make a dreamy pairing with richer seafood such as scallops, shrimp and lobster.Please check back next week for even more nostalgic #ThrowbackThursday deliciousness. Also, if you happen to be traveling to Paris anytime soon and are looking for a glamorous foodie experience, I highly recommend Le Jules Verne which is located on the second tier of the Eiffel Tower. It's the perfect showcase for ChefAlain Ducasse's cuisine and the view of Paris is truly spectacular - just be sure to hold on tight during the precarious elevator ride!Bon Appétit,
Today’s #ThrowbackThursday post is one of my FAVORITES! Not only because of the delicious and beautfuly presented food but also because of the unique circumstances.
You see, this photo was taken during the first trip Steve and I took to Paris. We were so looking forward to it but, unfortunately, I had developed a stress fracture in my femur ten days before our trip (I’ve got LOTS of orthopedic issues). The day this photo was taken, I’d been walking the streets of Paris all morning on crutches and needless to say, I was exhausted! So when we sat down for lunch at the luxurious Le Jules Verne Restaurant in the Eiffel Tower and this gorgeous dish was placed in front of me, I seriously felt like I had died and gone to heaven!
The lobster dish was so breathtakingly beautiful – I almost couldn’t bring myself to eat it. Then, I remembered how much it cost – the restaurant is helmed by legendary French Chef Alain Ducasse after all – and I quickly devoured it. And while the meal was a definite SPLURGE, it was worth every penny that day!
The dish also paired beautifully with a lovely Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, a medium-bodied white blend of Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier from France’s Rhone Valley. While we normally think of Châteauneuf-du-Pape as a red wine, there are also delightful white versions which make a dreamy pairing with richer seafood such as scallops, shrimp and lobster.
Please check back next week for even more nostalgic #ThrowbackThursday deliciousness. Also, if you happen to be traveling to Paris anytime soon and are looking for a glamorous foodie experience, I highly recommend Le Jules Verne which is located on the second tier of the Eiffel Tower. It’s the perfect showcase for Chef Alain Ducasse’s cuisine and the view of Paris is truly spectacular – just be sure to hold on tight during the precarious elevator ride!
Bon Appétit,
The post A #ThrowbackThursday Lunch at Le Jules Verne – Paris appeared first on The Glamorous Gourmet.
There's probably nobody that looks forward to the arrival of Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte more than I do. Alright, maybe there's a few other die-hard fans out there but my love of the PSL (as it's affectionately known to its fans) blossomed under unique circumstances.
I had to undergo extensive hip surgery in January of 2011 and during my recovery my husband Steve brought me a PSL every morning to cheer me up. Needless to say, I've been in love with the PSL ever since! And since then, this drink has become quite popular (it even has it's own Twitter account) and my enduring penchant for the PSL compelled me to create an alcoholic version of this Fall favorite.
It would've been easy to just purchase Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice syrup to make this drink, however, unlike many of their other flavors, the coveted PSL syrup is not for sale so I had to improvise. Unlike Starbucks' version, this recipe uses real pumpkin as well as a few other easy to find ingredients. This time of year orange colored sugar can be found at craft stores or gourmet markets and pumpkin pie spice is located in the spice aisle of your local market. Feel free to adjust the final sweetness level according to your personal taste and I hope you enjoy this edition of Cocktail Couture as much as we do.
I'd also like to wish everyone a very Happy and Delicious Halloween!
P.S. If you're looking for a delicious dish to dazzle your Halloween party guests, this Savory Severed Arm in Marinara Sauce is a hands-down favorite!
print recipe"PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE MARTINI"
Makes 1 drink
INGREDIENTS
3 Tablespoons vodka
2 Tablespoons half and half
2 Tablespoons coffee (Starbucks House Blend works nicely)
1 Tablespoon sugar (or 2 Splenda or other artificial sweetener packets)
1 teaspoon canned pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin spice
Orange colored sugar (available at craft stores or gourmet markets)
Juice of 1 lime or lemon
Combine orange colored sugar and 1/8 teaspoon of pumpkin spice on a small plate. Dip the rim of a chilled martini glass in a dish of lime/lemon juice and then dip in sugar and spice mixture to coat the rim.
Add vodka, half and half, coffee, sugar or sweetener, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, remaining 1/8 teaspoon pumpkin spice to a martini shaker and fill with ice. Shake vigorously to chill drink mixture and strain into prepared glass.
Garnish with additional pumpkin spice if desired and enjoy!
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